Digi XCTU User Manual
XCTU
Configuration and Test Utility Software
User Guide
Revision history—90001458-13
Revision Date Description
P September 2019 6.4.4.X release.
R November 2019 6.5.0.X release.
S May 2020 6.5.1.X release.
T August 2020 6.5.2.X release.
U October 2020 6.5.3.x release.
Trademarks and copyright
Digi, Digi International, and the Digi logo are trademarks or registered trademarks in the United
States and other countries worldwide. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the
property of their respective owners.
© 2020 Digi International Inc. All rights reserved.
Disclaimers
Information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a
commitment on the part of Digi International. Digi provides this document “as is,” without warranty of
any kind, expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of fitness or
merchantability for a particular purpose. Digi may make improvements and/or changes in this manual
or in the product(s) and/or the program(s) described in this manual at any time.
Warranty
To view product warranty information, go to the following website:
www.digi.com/howtobuy/terms
Customer support
Gather support information: Before contacting Digi technical support for help, gather the following
information:
Product name and model
Product serial number (s)
Firmware version
Operating system/browser (if applicable)
Logs (from time of reported issue)
Trace (if possible)
Description of issue
Steps to reproduce
XCTU User Guide
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Contact Digi technical support: Digi offers multiple technical support plans and service packages.
Contact us at +1 952.912.3444 or visit us at www.digi.com/support.
Feedback
To provide feedback on this document, email your comments to
Include the document title and part number (XCTU User Guide, 90001458-13 U) in the subject line of
your email.
techcomm@digi.com
XCTU User Guide
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Contents
Download and install XCTU
XCTU requirements 11
Operating systems 11
System requirements 11
Supported RF modules 11
Install XCTU - Windows 12
XCTU updates 12
Install XCTU - Linux 12
XCTU updates 13
Install XCTU - OSX 13
XCTU updates 13
Optional: Manually install USB drivers 13
Install USB drivers for cellular modems 14
Drivers for XBee 3 Cellular LTE CAT 1 14
Drivers for XBee 3 Cellular LTE-M/NB-IoT 14
RF concepts and terminology
RF modules 16
XBee RF modules 16
XTend RF modules 16
XLR PRO radio solutions 16
Radio firmware 16
Radio communication protocols 17
Radio module operating modes 17
AT operating mode 18
API operating mode 18
API escaped operating mode 19
API frames 19
AT settings or commands 20
Configuring in AT mode 20
Configuring in API mode 21
Local radio modules 21
Remote radio modules 21
XCTU overview
Menu bar 22
Main toolbar 23
Devices list 23
XCTU User Guide
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Working area 24
Status bar 24
XCTU preferences 24
Appearance 24
Automatic updates 25
Consoles 25
Firmware updates 25
Network 25
Radio firmware library 27
XCTU working modes 27
Configuration working mode 27
Consoles working mode 27
Network working mode 28
Add radio modules to XCTU
Add a radio module manually 30
Add a programmable radio module 33
Discover local radio modules 34
Radio module information panel 36
Module Icon 37
New firmware indicator 39
Remove a radio module 40
Expand/Collapse radio modules list 40
Module information box 41
Organize your modules 41
Find radio modules 41
Sort radio modules 41
Clear radio modules 41
Discover remote radio modules 41
Find radio modules 43
Search expressions 43
Configure your modules
Configuration working mode 46
Configuration toolbar 46
Firmware information panel 47
Firmware settings 47
Setting status 49
Setting types 50
Special functions 51
Read radio module configuration 54
Write module settings 54
Load default firmware settings 54
Update firmware 55
Cellular modem firmware updates 56
Remote firmware updates 56
Bootloader updates 57
Work with configuration profiles 57
Create a configuration profile 57
Apply a configuration profile 65
Load and edit a configuration profile 66
Search for a firmware setting 67
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Configure remote modules securely 67
Secure session 67
Secure Remote Commands 70
Configure a Wi-Fi access point 71
Enable and configure Bluetooth 73
View firmware release notes 74
Communicate with your modules
Consoles working mode 77
Console status 77
Consoles toolbar 78
Line status indicator 78
Console overview 79
Connect and disconnect the console 79
Record a console session 80
Attach and detach the console 80
Communicate with modules running in API or API escaped mode 81
API console 81
Filter sent and received frames 85
Add an API frame 89
Manage API frames 91
Send a single API frame 93
Send a sequence of API frames 94
Save an API console session 95
Communicate with modules running in AT mode 96
AT console 96
Add a data packet 99
Manage data packets 101
Send a single packet 102
Send a sequence of packets 103
Save an AT console session 104
Console log files 104
Console session records 104
Data records 105
View your radio network
Network working mode 107
Scan the network for available modules 114
Search for network nodes 114
Change network perspective 114
Set network layout 115
Filter network connections by quality 115
Take a screenshot of the network 116
Set zoom level in Graph view 117
Export a network table 117
XCTU User Guide
Network toolbar 107
Network scan status 108
Graph view 108
Table view 112
6
Configure XCTU
Set general preferences 119
Set appearance preferences 120
Set automatic software update preferences 121
Set console preferences 123
Set firmware update preferences 124
Set network discovery preferences 125
Set network appearance preferences 127
Set radio firmware library preferences 129
Set MicroPython Terminal preferences 130
Update software
Update radio firmware library 132
Install legacy radio firmware 133
Install XCTU updates 134
Open change log 135
Use the XCTU command line
Understanding the XCTU command line interface 137
List all commands 137
Program arguments 137
List ports via command line 137
Options 138
Load profile via command line 138
Options 138
Examples 139
Update firmware via command line 139
Set options 140
Examples 140
XCTU tools
Frames generator tool 143
Frames interpreter tool 148
XBee recovery tool 153
Load console session tool 157
Range test tool 162
XCTU User Guide
XBee APIFrame generator dialog 144
ASCII/HEX conversion 146
Generate an API frame 146
XBee API Frames interpreter dialog 149
Decode a frame 151
Recover a radio module dialog 154
Recover a radio module 156
Console session viewer dialog 158
Load a console session 161
Radio range test dialog 163
Device Selection 164
Range Test Configuration 166
Data representation 167
7
Supported products 168
Special considerations 169
Range test 170
Perform a range test 170
Firmware explorer tool 172
Firmware explorer dialog 172
Firmware selection panel 173
Firmware toolbar 174
Firmware settings panel 174
Inspect a firmware version 174
Serial console tool 175
Serial console dialog 176
Open a serial console session 178
Configure the serial port settings 178
Open a serial console session 179
Spectrum analyzer tool 180
Spectrum analyzer dialog 181
Device selection 182
Analysis configuration 182
Channels Chart 183
Channel summary values 184
Number of samples 185
Analyze the spectrum of a radio band 185
Throughput tool 185
Throughput dialog 187
Device selection 187
Throughput session configuration 188
Data representation 193
Supported products 194
Special considerations 194
Measure the transfer ratio between two radio modules 195
MicroPython Terminal tool 197
Configure the serial port settings - MicroPython Terminal tool 199
Open a MicroPython Terminal session 200
File system manager tool 201
File system manager dialog 202
File System Manager sections 203
Interact with XBee file system 203
Update the file system of remote devices 205
Profile Editor tool 209
Profile Editor dialog 209
Profile Editor toolbar 210
How-to articles and videos
How to update the firmware of your modules 213
How to visualize your network 215
XCTU User Guide
Step 1: Add the module to XCTU 213
Step 2: Update the firmware 214
Over-the-air firmware update considerations 215
Step 1:Scan the network 215
Step 2:Explore the network 216
217
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Troubleshooting for XCTU
Troubleshooting: General 219
Troubleshooting: Networking 220
Troubleshooting: Firmware update 220
Troubleshooting: Add radio module 221
Known issues
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Download and install XCTU
This section contains download and install instructions based on operating system. XCTU is
compatible with Linux, OSX, and Windows. It may be necessary to configure your system prior to
installing XCTU for the first time.
XCTU requirements 11
Install XCTU - Windows 12
Install XCTU - Linux 12
Install XCTU - OSX 13
Optional: Manually install USB drivers 13
Install USB drivers for cellular modems 14
XCTU User Guide
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Download and install XCTU XCTU requirements
XCTU requirements
Operating systems
XCTU is compatible with the following operating systems:
n Windows Vista/7/8/10 (32-bit or 64-bit versions)
n Mac OS X v10.6 and higher versions (64-bit only)
n Linux with KDE or GNOME window managers (32-bit or 64-bit versions)
System requirements
Property Minimum Recommended
HDD space 500 MB 1 GB
RAM memory 2 GB 4 GB
CPU Dual-core processor Quad-core processor
Supported RF modules
XCTU supports configuration and communication for most Digi RF modules. XCTU uses a serial link to
interact with these radio modules, providing an easy-to-use and intuitive graphical interface. The
following is a complete list of XCTU-compatible RF modules:
n XBee®/XBee-PRO® RF Module Family
l XBee SX
l XBee-PRO SX
l XBee 802.15.4
l XBee-PRO 802.15.4
l XBee ZB
l XBee-PRO ZB
l Programmable XBee-PRO ZB
l XBee ZB SMT
l XBee-PRO ZB SMT
l Programmable XBee-PRO ZB SMT
l XBee-PRO 900HP
l Programmable XBee-PRO 900HP
l XBee-PRO XSC
l XBee-PRO 900
l XBee-PRO DigiMesh 900
l XBee DigiMesh 2.4
l XBee-PRO DigiMesh 2.4
l XBee-PRO 868
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Download and install XCTU Install XCTU - Windows
l XBee Wi-Fi
l XBee 865LP
l Programmable XBee 865LP
l XBee Cellular
l XBee 868LP SX
l XBee Thread
l XBee3 (Zigbee, DigiMesh 2.4, 802.15.4 and Cellular)
n XTend® RF Module family
n XLR PRO radio solution
n XLR Module
Install XCTU - Windows
Follow the steps below to download and install XCTU on your computer.
1. Visit www.digi.com/xctu.
2. Click Download XCTU.
3. Under Utilities, click the Windows installer link.
4. When the file has finished downloading, run the executable file and follow the steps in the XCTU
Setup Wizard.
A “What’s new” dialog appears when XCTU opens the first time after the installation.
XCTU updates
You may be notified about XCTU software updates once XCTUhas loaded. You should always update
XCTU to the latest available version. See Install XCTU updates.
Install XCTU - Linux
By default, access to the serial and USB ports in Linux is restricted to root and dialout group users. To
access your XBee devices and use XCTU to communicate with them, your Linux user must belong to
this group.
To add your Linux user to the dialout group:
1. Open a terminal console.
2. Execute this command:
sudo usermod -a -G dialout <user>
where <user> is the user you want to add to the dialout group.
3. Log out and log in again with your user in the system.
Then download and install XCTU:
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Download and install XCTU Install XCTU - OSX
4. Visit www.digi.com/xctu.
5. Click Download XCTU.
6. Under Utilities, click the Linux installer link.
7. When the file has finished downloading, run the executable file and follow the steps in the XCTU
Setup Wizard.
A “What’s new” dialog appears when XCTU opens the first time after the installation.
XCTU updates
You may be notified about XCTU software updates once XCTUhas loaded. You should always update
XCTU to the latest available version. See Install XCTU updates.
Install XCTU - OSX
OSX version 10.8 (Mountain Lion) and greater only allows you to install applications downloaded from
the Apple Store. To install XCTU, you must temporarily disable this setting.
Follow these steps to enable installation of "unsigned" software:
1. Click the Apple icon in the top-left corner of your screen and choose System Preferences.
2. Click the Security & Privacy icon.
3. To edit security settings, click the padlock icon in the bottom left of the window.
4. Enter your Mac credentials and click Unlock. The Allow applications downloaded from dialog
appears.
5. Click the Anywhere radio button and, in the confirmation window, click Allow From
Anywhere.
Note We recommend you set this option back to Mac App Store or Mac App Store and identified
developers once you have finished installing XCTU.
Then download and install XCTU:
6. Visit www.digi.com/xctu.
7. Click Download XCTU.
8. Under Utilities, click the OSX installer link.
9. When the file has finished downloading, unzip and run the executable file and follow the steps
in the XCTU Setup Wizard.
A “What’s new” dialog appears when XCTU opens the first time after the installation.
XCTU updates
You may be notified about XCTU software updates once XCTUhas loaded. You should always update
XCTU to the latest available version. See Install XCTU updates.
Optional: Manually install USB drivers
When you connect the XBee board to your computer for the first time, USB drivers are installed
automatically. There are times when this does not occur, and you need to install device drivers
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Download and install XCTU Install USB drivers for cellular modems
manually:
1. Find the appropriate USB drivers on the Digi support site.
2. Choose your operating system.
3. Download and run the file.
4. Follow the steps in the installation wizard.
Install USB drivers for cellular modems
XCTU requires additional drivers to update the modems of newer XBee 3 Cellular devices. If you have
not installed them, use the following instructions to do so depending on the devices you want to
program.
Note This step is only required if you are programing the modem of XBee 3 Cellular LTE CAT 1 or XBee
3 Cellular LTE-M/NB-IoT devices.
Drivers for XBee 3 Cellular LTE CAT 1
1. Go to the Telit drivers page.
2. Select the Telit Windows Desktop Drivers Installer.
3. Run the executable file.
4. Follow the steps in the installation wizard.
Drivers for XBee 3 Cellular LTE-M/NB-IoT
1. Go to the u-blox drivers page.
2. Select the SARA-R4 USB Windows Driver.
3. Run the executable file.
4. Follow the steps in the installation wizard.
CAUTION! If you are using Windows 7 or Vista, we highly recommend that you disable the
drivers installation from Windows Update in order to speed up the modem update process.
For more information on how to do this, go tohttps://support.microsoft.com/en-
us/help/2500967/how-to-stop-windows-7-automatically-installing-drivers.
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RF concepts and terminology
This section contains concepts regarding radio frequency modules and the XCTU application itself.
Understanding these concepts will help you work most effectively with XCTU.
RF modules 16
Radio firmware 16
Radio communication protocols 17
Radio module operating modes 17
API frames 19
AT settings or commands 20
Local radio modules 21
Remote radio modules 21
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RF concepts and terminology RF modules
RF modules
A radio frequency (RF) module is a small electronic circuit used to transmit and receive radio signals
on different frequencies. Digi produces a wide variety of RF modules to meet the requirements of
almost any wireless solution, such as long-range, low-cost, and low-power modules. The most popular
wireless products are the XBee RF modules.
XCTU is compatible with Digi's XBee and XTend RF modules and XLR PRO. For a complete list of XCTUcompatible modules, see XCTU requirements.
XBee RF modules
XBee is the brand name of a family of RF modules produced by Digi. They are
modular products that make deploying wireless technology easy and costeffective. Digi has made multiple protocols and RF features available in the
popular XBee footprint, giving customers enormous flexibility to choose the best
technology for their needs.
XBee RF modules are available in two form-factors, Through-Hole and Surface Mount, with different
antenna options. One of the most popular features of these modules is that almost all of them are
available in the Through-Hole form factor and share the same footprint.
XTend RF modules
XLR PRO radio solutions
Radio firmware
Radio firmware is program code stored in a radio module's persistent memory that provides the
control program for the device. Digi periodically releases new radio firmware versions to fix bugs or
improve functionality. You may need to add these firmware files to XCTU's radio firmware library. You
can use XCTU to update or change the firmware of a module if, for example, you want to change the
role of a device or you want to use the latest firmware version.
XTend family devices are long-range RF modules produced by Digi that provide
unprecedented range in a low-cost wireless data solution. They were engineered
to provide customers with an easy-to-use RF solution that provides reliable
delivery of critical data between remote devices. These modules transfer
standard asynchronous serial data streams, operate within the ISM 900 MHz
frequency band, and sustain up to 115.2 Kbps data throughput.
The XLR PRO is an ultra long-range, rugged 900MHz radio solution designed for
optimal performance even in the most challenging RF environments. Leveraging
Digi's patent-pending Chirp Spread Spectrum technology, the XLR PRO provides
industry-leading receive sensitivity and interference immunity, making it ideal for
deployments in noisy RF environments like oil fields. The XLR PRO includes 2
Ethernet ports and 1 serial port, enabling wireless data communications
between Ethernet and/or serial devices up to distances of over 90 miles.
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RF concepts and terminology Radio communication protocols
Radio communication protocols
A radio communication protocol is a set of rules for data exchange between radio devices. An RF
module supports a specific radio communication protocol depending on the module and its radio
firmware.
The following is the complete list of protocols supported by the XBee radio modules:
n IEEE 802.15.4
n ZigBee
n ZigBee Smart Energy
n DigiMesh (Digi proprietary)
n ZNet
n IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi)
n Point-to-multipoint (Digi proprietary)
n XSC (XStream-compatible)
Not all XBee devices can run all listed communication protocols. The combination of XBee hardware
and radio firmware determines the protocol that an XBee device can execute. For more information
about the available XBee RF modules and the protocols they support, see XBee RF Family Comparison
Matrix.
Radio module operating modes
The operating mode of an XBee radio module establishes the way a user or any microcontroller
attached to the XBee communicates with the module through the Universal Asynchronous
Receiver/Transmitter (UART) or serial interface.
Depending on the firmware and its configuration, radio modules can work in three different operating
modes:
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RF concepts and terminology Radio module operating modes
n Application Transparent (AT) operating mode
n API operating mode
n API escaped operating mode
In some cases, the operating mode of a radio module is established by the firmware version, which
determines whether the operating mode is AT or API, and the AP setting of the firmware, which
determines if the API mode is escaped (2) or not (1). In other cases, the operating mode is only
determined by the AP setting, which allows you to configure the mode to be AT (AP=0), API (AP=1), or
API escaped (AP=2).
AT operating mode
In AT (Application Transparent) or transparent operating mode, all serial data received by the radio
module is queued up for RF transmission. When RF data is received by the module, the data is sent out
through the serial interface.
To configure an XBee module operating in AT, you must put it in command mode to send the
configuration commands.
AT Command mode
When the radio module is working in AT operating mode, you must use the command mode interface
to configure settings.
To enter AT command mode, send the three-character command sequence (usually "+++") within one
second. Once AT command mode has been instigated, the module sends an "OK\r", the command
mode timer is started, and the radio module is able to receive AT commands.
AT command structure
The structure of an AT command is:
AT[ASCII command][Space (optional)][Parameter (optional)][Carriage return]
For example:
ATNI MyDevice\r
If no valid AT commands are received within the command mode timeout, the radio module
automatically exits AT command mode. You can also exit command mode by issuing the CN command:
(ATCN\r)
API operating mode
API (Application Programming Interface) operating mode is an alternative to AT mode. API operating
mode requires that communication with the module be done through a structured interface. In other
words, data is communicated via API frames.
The API specifies how commands, command responses, and module status messages are sent and
received from the module using the serial interface. With API operating mode, you can:
n Configure the XBee module itself.
n Configure remote modules in the network.
n Manage data transmission to multiple destinations.
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RF concepts and terminology API frames
n Receive success/failure status of each transmitted RF packet.
n Identify the source address of each received packet.
Depending on the AP parameter value, the radio module can operate in one of two modes: API (AP=1)
or API escaped (AP=2) operating mode.
API escaped operating mode
API escaped operating mode (AP=2) is similar to API mode except that when working in API escaped
mode, some bytes of the API frame specific data must be escaped. Since XCTU is compatible with both
API and API escaped operating modes, you do not need to manually escape characters.
API escaped operating mode increases the reliability of RF transmission by preventing conflicts with
special characters such as the start-of-frame byte (0x7E). API non-escaped (API=1) operation relies
solely on the start delimiter and length bytes to differentiate API frames. In API escaped mode, on the
other hand, those special bytes are escaped. Since 0x7E can only appear at the start of an API packet,
a module can always "assume" that a new packet has started if 0x7E is received at any time while in
API escaped mode.
Escape characters
When sending or receiving an API frame in API escaped mode, specific data values must be escaped
(flagged) so they do not interfere with the data frame sequence.
To escape a data byte, insert 0x7D and follow it with the byte to be escaped XOR'd with 0x20. The
data bytes that need to be escaped are as follows:
n 0x7E: Frame delimiter
n 0x7D: Escape
n 0x11: XON
n 0x13: XOFF
Note XCTU automatically escapes the appropriate characters when interacting with API escaped
radio modules.
API frames
An API frame is the structured data sent and received through the serial interface of the radio module
when it is configured in API or API escaped operating modes. API frames are used to communicate
with the module or with other modules in the network. An API frame has the following structure:
XCTU User Guide
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RF concepts and terminology AT settings or commands
Field Description
Start
delimeter
Length
Frame
data
Checksum The last byte of the frame. It helps test data integrity and is calculated by taking the
If your module is operating in API escaped operating mode, some bytes in the Length, Frame data, and
Checksum frame fields may need to be escaped. XCTU automatically performs this step and escapes
the appropriate characters. See API escaped operating mode.
The first byte of a frame consisting of a special sequence of bits which indicate the
beginning of a data frame. Its value is always 0x7E. This allows for easy detection of a
new incoming frame.
Specifies the total number of bytes included in the frame data field. Its two-byte value
excludes the start delimiter, the length, and the checksum.
Composed by the API identifier and the API identifier-specific data. The content of the
specific data depends on the API identifier (also called API frame type).
hash sum of all the API frame bytes that came before it, excluding the first three bytes
(start delimiter and length).
Note There are many different types of API frames. You can use the Frames generator tool to learn
the specific data contained within a determined API frame as well as to build and fill any type of API
frame. See Frames generator tool.
AT settings or commands
The firmware running in RF modules contains a set of settings and commands that can be configured
to change the behavior of the module or to perform any action related to it. Depending on the
protocol, the number of settings and their meanings varies, but all XBee RF modules can be configured
with AT commands.
All firmware settings or commands are identified with two ASCII characters. Applications and
documents refer to them as either AT settings or AT commands.
The configuration process of these AT settings varies depending on the operating mode of the RF
module.
Configuring in AT mode
In AT operating mode, you must put the module in a special mode called command mode so it can
receive AT commands. For more information about configuring RF modules working in AT operating
mode, see AT operating mode.
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RF concepts and terminology Local radio modules
Configuring in API mode
To configure or execute AT commands when the RF module is in API operating mode, you must
generate an AT command API frame containing the AT setting identifier and the value of that setting,
and send it to the RF module. See API frames.
Local radio modules
A local radio module is any module added to the device list using the Add a radio module or Discover
radio modules buttons.
XCTU communicates directly with local modules, and they are physically attached to the PC through a
serial or USB port. A local radio module can discover remote modules in the same network if their
protocol is ZigBee or DigiMesh. A local module is configurable if Configuration working mode is active,
and you can communicate with a local module through its console when Consoles working mode is
active.
Remote radio modules
You can locate remote radio modules in the same network as a local module. A remote module is not
physically attached to your computer. Remote modules are displayed in a sub-list under the local
module, and that local module functions as an interpreter; without it, XCTUis unable to communicate
with the remote module. See Discover remote radio modules.
Communication between XCTU and a remote module takes place in two stages: serial communication
from XCTU to the local module, and wireless communication between the local module and the
remote module. XCTU uses the serial port to send a message intended for the remote module, along
with delivery specifics, to the local module. The local module then transmits the message wirelessly to
the remote module.
If the local device containing remote modules is configured in AT (transparent) operating mode, you
cannot configure its remote radio modules due to a protocol limitation. If the local radio module is
configured in API operating mode, you can configure its remote radio modules like any local module.
Since a remote radio module is not physically connected to the PC, it does not have a communication
console in Consoles working mode. For the same reason, you also cannot obtain a remote radio
module's network topology in Network working mode. See Consoles working mode and Network
working mode.
XCTU User Guide
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XCTU overview
XCTUis divided into five main sections: the menu bar, main toolbar, devices list, working area, and
status bar.
Menu bar
The menu bar is located at the top of the application. You can use the menu bar to access all
XCTUfeatures, tools, and working modes.
XCTU User Guide
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XCTU overview Main toolbar
Main toolbar
The main toolbar is located at the top of the application and is divided into three sections.
n The first section contains two icons used to add radio modules to the radio modules list. See
Add radio modules to XCTU.
n The second section contains the static XCTU functionality that does not require a radio module.
This section includes the XCTU tools, the XCTU configuration, the feedback form, and the help
and updates functions. See XCTU tools and Configure XCTU.
n The third section contains tabs corresponding to the three XCTU working modes. To use this
functionality, you must have added one or more radio modules to the list. See XCTU working
modes.
Devices list
The radio modules list, or devices list, is located on the left side of the tool and displays the radio
modules that are connected to your computer. If you know the serial port configuration of a radio
module, you can add it to the list directly. You can also use the discovery feature of XCTU to find radio
modules connected to your PC and add them to the list. See Add radio modules to XCTU.
Depending on the protocol of the local radio modules added, you can also add remote radio modules
to the list using the module's search feature.
XCTU User Guide
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XCTU overview Working area
Working area
The working area is the largest section and is located at the right side of the application. The contents
of the working area depend on the working mode selected in the toolbar. To interact with the controls
displayed in the working area, you must have added one or more radio modules to the list and one of
the modules must be selected.
Status bar
The status bar is located at the bottom of the application and displays the status of specific tasks,
such as the firmware download process.
XCTU preferences
To configure XCTUsettings, click the Preferences button on the XCTU toolbar.
Configuration preferences are grouped into categories listed on the left-hand side of the preferences
dialog box. You can configure settings in the following XCTU categories:
Appearance
You can configure some graphic aspects of the tool and how some elements are displayed.
Field Description
Font size Change all the XCTU texts size in percentage, from 50 to 120%.
Show top bar
menu
Show text on
toolbar actions
Use reduced
toolbars size
Displays an application top bar menu with texts.
Displays the name of the action below each toolbar element for a better
understanding of the meaning of each action.
Changes the size of the application toolbars reducing them.
XCTU User Guide
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XCTU overview XCTU preferences
Automatic updates
Field Description
Automatically find
new updates and
notify me
Update schedule Sets a schedule to search for updates or to update when XCTU is started. If you
Download options Establishes when new updates should download and sets permissions for
When updates are
found
Enables or disables automatic XCTUupdates. Uncheck if you do not want
XCTUto update automatically.
Look for updates on the following schedule
select
the search interval and hour.
whether updates are automatically downloaded.
Sets the frequency of update notification.
, you must also specify
Consoles
Field Description
API
console
AT
console
Configures the maximum number of API frames that can be displayed in the frames log
during a session. When the maximum limit is reached, the session starts overwriting
frames.
Configures the maximum number of bytes that can be displayed during a session. When
the maximum limit is reached, the session starts overwriting bytes.
MadCap:autonum="<span style="color: #84c361;" class="mcFormatColor"><b>Note
</b></span>">If you set high values for maximum API frames and/or ATbytes, you may notice
performance issues in the consoles.
Firmware updates
Field Description
Remote
firmware
update
timeout
Configures the remote firmware update timeout in milliseconds. This value is the
maximum time the application will wait for answers sent by the remote node during
remote firmware update before concluding that there was an error during the process.
Network
You can configure Network view in the Network preferences dialog. The first four options are
common to all networks:
XCTU User Guide
25
XCTU overview XCTU preferences
Field Description
Always clear the Network view
Clears Network view before each new network scan.
before starting
Remove nodes if they were not
Removes any nodes not discovered in the last scan.
discovered in the last performed
scan
Stop after scan Sets the number of scans to perform before stopping the
discovery process. A value of '0' means the process will not stop
automatically.
Time between scans Sets the duration of time XCTU waits before starting a new
network scan. The value must be between 0 and 300 seconds.
The remainder of the options are specific to 802.15.4, DigiMesh, and ZigBee network types:
Field Description
Discovery
mode
Sets the method used by the network discovery process.
n Flood: The neighbor discovery process is performed for every node at the
moment it is found. Several discovery processes may be running at the same
time. This method may be faster, but it may also generate a lot of traffic and
saturate the network.
n Cascade: The neighbor discovery process is performed for every node as soon as
the discovery process finishes. Only one discovery process runs at a time. This
method may be slower, but it is likely to generate less traffic.
Neighbor
discovery
Sets the maximum duration, in seconds, the discovery process should spend finding
neighbors of a module. Value must be between 5 and 1800 seconds (30 minutes).
timeout
This timeout is highly dependent on the nature of the network. For DigiMesh, the value
should be greater than the highest NT (Node Discover Timeout) and include enough time
to let the message propagate, depending on the sleep cycle of your devices.
Time
between
Sets the wait time between node neighbor requests. The value must be between 0 and
300 seconds (5 minutes).
requests
For the Cascade method, this is the number of seconds to wait after completion of the
neighbor discovery process of the previous node.
For the Flood method, this is the minimum time to wait between each radio module's
neighbor requests.
Note The Cascade discovery method is recommended for large networks.
Network appearance
You can configure how node links are represented in Network graphic view.
XCTU User Guide
26
XCTU overview XCTU working modes
Field Description
Connection default
color
Show colored
connections based
on their quality
DigiMesh / ZigBee
network
Defines the default color of the node's connection lines.
Enables or disables the coloring of node connection lines based on their link
quality.
Enables you to modify the maximum and minimum values and RGB colors for
each quality range. Click in the cell, type the value, and click Enter to change a
value.
Ranges include minimum values but not maximum values. When you change
the minimum value of a quality range, the maximum value of the next range
adopts a corresponding value.
Radio firmware library
You can instruct XCTU to look for new radio firmware when it starts up by checking Automatically
update the XBee Firmware Library each time XCTU is started. If this option is disabled, you can
only check for firmware updates manually.
XCTU working modes
XCTU operations are grouped into three working modes—Configuration, Consoles, and Network. The
selected working mode determines which specific operations you can perform with a radio module or
modules in your device list. You can only select one working mode at a time. By default, XCTU launches
in Configuration mode.
Configuration working mode
Use configuration working mode to configure a radio module selected from your device list. See
Configure your modules.
Consoles working mode
Use consoles working mode to interact or communicate with the selected radio module. See
Communicate with your modules.
XCTU User Guide
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XCTU overview XCTU working modes
Network working mode
Use network working mode to discover and visualize the topology and interconnections of your
network. See View your radio network.
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28
Add radio modules to XCTU
This section describes how to add, discover and organize your radio modules in XCTU.
Add a radio module manually 30
Add a programmable radio module 33
Discover local radio modules 34
Radio module information panel 36
Organize your modules 41
Discover remote radio modules 41
Find radio modules 43
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29
Add radio modules to XCTU Add a radio module manually
Add a radio module manually
If you know the serial configuration of your radio module, you can add it to the list manually.
1.
Click the Add a radio module button from the toolbar. The Add a radio module
dialog opens.
2. Select the serial port where the radio module is connected (or enter its name manually) and
3. Click Finish to add the radio module to the list of radio modules.
4. If the settings were configured correctly and the radio module was connected to the selected
XCTU User Guide
configure the serial settings of the port.
Note Custom baud rates can only be typed under Windows OS.
port, the module is displayed in the device list. For more information about the device list, see
Radio module information panel.
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