Hardware

@sundberg84 said in Can please someone check if my schema for RFM69 is right?: @sineverba - 1 rule of debugging, remove as much as possible. Can you try to use a 3.3v MCU directly with your breakout board? That way you can eliminate that the problem might be level shifting and work down the wiring to a minimum? sure golden rule. It works. Now it works. Directly on a 3v3 mini. Removed all level shifter. Now it works. Thank you for the support!

@nca78 I may end up with two LDO's on a board: XC6206 LDO to provide power while sleeping, to guarantee adequate voltage for a PIR, and a XC6210 LDO, which can deliver 700ma when enabled but which consumes a max of 100na when not enabled. Then I could, in theory, do an OTA firmware upload using LoRa and not run out of juice.

@alexsh1 Wow that's great... It gives me confidence that it will eventually show up. I did contact them and they gave me no real answer. Thanks again.

@parachutesj that sound a reasonable approach

You seem to send the temp messages under a different ChildID than it is presented: presentation takes "1", send uses "0". You have to allign that, e.g. by using send(msg.setSensor(i+CHILD_ID_TEMP).set(temperature,1)); But as long as there's just one DS18B20 doing that dynamically doesn't really make sense. Using the defined message structure (MyMessage msgTemp...) could make things more transparent. Also there's no sending command for voltage. So why do you expect the controller to receive also voltage?

@elcaron can you let me know how that stencil is after receiving it?

@dbemowsk Yes, it is hard to beat Weller, I agree. Please post your feedback.

@samuel-wieczorek Hi Samuel. I positioned the sensor over the 1 liter wheel. I did not used the TCRT5000 module, but made a custom built PCB. Howver the principle is the same (in fact the schematics is 100% the same as the TCRT module. If you go to https://www.openhardware.io/view/15/Itron-Aquadis-watermeter-sensor-V10 you can see pictures of the module. Some tips I can share with you: Shield the sensor and the rotating disk area from incoming light. This influences the sensor. Use a piece of plastic tube for example. In NL we have electrical wire tubes that can be used (the grey ones) Bring the sensor close to the disk. The reflection should do the rest. Setting up the TCRT is tricky as you have little room to manouver (considering reflection and the point where the schmit trigger swaps state) Be aware that when the disk stops with the edge near the sensor you get false readings. That is why I swapped to a software driven solution using SW hysteresis on the arduino. Hope this helps. If you can open it, I can share a DXF file with the sizes of the bottom plate I use. Let me know! Ralph

@gohan Thanks for clarifying!

I came up with some variations on the above ideas: [image: 1522716559096-power_platforms-resized.jpg] The three on the left are very close to the size of just 2x AAA batteries. One of the two on the right uses a JST-XH connector. The next iteration of the LoRa shield PCB will have that JST connector plugging in from the side so that it doesn't interfere with the FTDI connector as much. I think that for connecting to custom made PCB's, the JST connector doesn't actually make much sense, but it would make sense if plugging into a COT power pack.

@gohan Can't, as I said I don't know from which of multiple shipments it came. Only noticed when I used it.

Whaaaaat that is awesome!!!!! i cant wait to give it a go! Thanks!

Lookes like the difference is no BODs settings and a bit higher consumption. However, I did not notice much difference on the breadboard. PS I'll have to order the proper ones.

@xander Yes, you are right - sorry about that. This is what happens when reading from the phone. :relaxed:

thanks, next time I will use the github search function :-) :+1:

Hi, I have used Pcbs.io three times, first and second was good shipping time, both was 3 weeks from order to arrival. but now the third time I ordered 27/1 2018 and today 19/3 2018 I have still not received it. I got an email that my Pcbs were on the way at the 7/3 2018 but USPS have still not get them from Pcbs.io. So do not use Pcbs.io

@gohan said in Nrf24l01 with router antenna: You can make a directional antenna to go farther in a specific direction with less power..... Transmission power input can indeed be reduced with any higher gain antenna, even going from a coiled 1/4 to a Dipole can reduce power input to advantage. However, directional and omni-directional arrangements need not be mutually exclusive. In the majority of cases omni-directional antennae are simple to make and quite adequate for most case uses, particularly for sub GHz. In the vast majority of arrangements, the gateway will be physically central to the nodes so has to be omni-directional. It is at the radial nodes where a directional antenna can provide benefits of larger signal or reduced power input, as it only has one direction to aim at, the Gateway. A directional antenna is in simplistic terms an omni-directional antenna with reflectors and directors, but it is the reflector which is crucial. Mounting an omni-directional with a metal reflective surface behind it will squeeze the radiation and receive lobe in the opposite direction, be it the metal siding on a shed, a biscuit tin lid, or a simple trough reflector. Easy enough to make without resorting to higher battery consumption... link text

@bgunnarb Thanks, I did update the gateway also.