[SOLVED] MySensors Raspberry Pi Gateway + Domotics Controller

[Eme]

Thanks for your response @Yveaux , l did notice 3 nodes at the time, but perhaps it didn't show on the portion of the log l shared. Yes l had been using a USB serial gateway attached to a Pi3 for over 2 years. I have tried my best to stay away from the "Bleeding Edge" of technology by staying with a stable version that has worked for me. I've been on MySenosors Ver 2.1.1 for a very long time. Just thought to update and Bahm! I'm in trouble. Can't connect to several nodes. Luckily MQTT still works, but all my MySensors nodes are down.

[Eme]

Hello @mfalkvidd , l am a fan! I very honoured to have you look into my issue... to answer your questions...

No it's another Rf24 but from the same batch as the one on the nano Gateway and all my nodes. I still have a spare one lying around. I'll try it see if it makes any difference.

The Rf24 is powered directly from the Pi with a 220uf cap connected next to GPIO pins as described in the official Rasberry Pi Gateway guide. I'll post a picture of the setup.

Everything is still on the fly with Dupont cables and Leds on a bread board until everything works well.

Concerning proximity of nodes to Gateway and if I've moved them from their original place. Besides the Gateway now lying on my desk, all my nodes are still in their place around the hose. Node ID 2 is the Sprinkler from my kitchen downstairs (over 10 metres away between concrete walls) Node ID 7 is the Gate node outside the house (about 9 meters from my desk) and Node ID 5 which didn't show in the log (probably disconnected at the time) is right next to the PiGateway.

[Eme]

Thanks @eiten I thought I already shared that. I just hooked Node 5 to the laptop to get its log...

 
 __  __       ____
|  \/  |_   _/ ___|  ___ _ __  ___  ___  _ __ ___
| |\/| | | | \___ \ / _ \ `_ \/ __|/ _ \| `__/ __|
| |  | | |_| |___| |  __/ | | \__ \  _  | |  \__ \
|_|  |_|\__, |____/ \___|_| |_|___/\___/|_|  |___/
        |___/                      2.3.2

16 MCO:BGN:INIT REPEATER,CP=RNNRA---,FQ=16,REL=255,VER=2.3.2
27 MCO:BGN:BFR
28 TSM:INIT
29 TSF:WUR:MS=0
36 TSM:INIT:TSP OK
38 TSM:INIT:STATID=5
40 TSF:SID:OK,ID=5
41 TSM:FPAR
46 ?TSF:MSG:SEND,5-5-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
764 TSF:MSG:READ,2-2-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0:
770 TSF:MSG:BC
1880 TSF:MSG:READ,7-7-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0:
1884 TSF:MSG:BC
2053 !TSM:FPAR:NO REPLY
2055 TSM:FPAR
2059 ?TSF:MSG:SEND,5-5-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
2810 TSF:MSG:READ,2-2-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0:
2816 TSF:MSG:BC
3924 TSF:MSG:READ,7-7-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0:
3930 TSF:MSG:BC
4066 !TSM:FPAR:NO REPLY
4068 TSM:FPAR
4072 ?TSF:MSG:SEND,5-5-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
4845 TSF:MSG:READ,2-2-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0:
4850 TSF:MSG:BC
5971 TSF:MSG:READ,7-7-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0:
5977 TSF:MSG:BC
6079 !TSM:FPAR:NO REPLY
6081 TSM:FPAR
6085 ?TSF:MSG:SEND,5-5-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
6887 TSF:MSG:READ,2-2-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0:
6892 TSF:MSG:BC
8008 TSF:MSG:READ,7-7-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0:
8013 TSF:MSG:BC
8092 !TSM:FPAR:FAIL
8093 TSM:FAIL:CNT=1
8095 TSM:FAIL:DIS
8097 TSF:TDI:TSL
18099 TSM:FAIL:RE-INIT
18101 TSM:INIT
18107 TSM:INIT:TSP OK
18109 TSM:INIT:STATID=5
18112 TSF:SID:OK,ID=5
18114 TSM:FPAR
18118 ?TSF:MSG:SEND,5-5-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
20059 TSF:MSG:READ,7-7-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0:
20064 TSF:MSG:BC
20125 !TSM:FPAR:NO REPLY
20127 TSM:FPAR
20131 ?TSF:MSG:SEND,5-5-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
22094 TSF:MSG:READ,7-7-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0:
22099 TSF:MSG:BC
22140 !TSM:FPAR:NO REPLY
22142 TSM:FPAR
22147 ?TSF:MSG:SEND,5-5-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
24135 TSF:MSG:READ,7-7-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0:
24140 TSF:MSG:BC
24155 !TSM:FPAR:NO REPLY
24157 TSM:FPAR
24161 ?TSF:MSG:SEND,5-5-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
26169 !TSM:FPAR:FAIL
26170 TSM:FAIL:CNT=2
26172 TSM:FAIL:DIS
26174 TSF:TDI:TSL
36177 TSM:FAIL:RE-INIT
36179 TSM:INIT
36186 TSM:INIT:TSP OK
36188 TSM:INIT:STATID=5
36191 TSF:SID:OK,ID=5
36193 TSM:FPAR
36197 ?TSF:MSG:SEND,5-5-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
38204 !TSM:FPAR:NO REPLY
38206 TSM:FPAR
38210 ?TSF:MSG:SEND,5-5-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
38228 TSF:MSG:READ,7-7-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0:
38234 TSF:MSG:BC
40218 !TSM:FPAR:NO REPLY
40220 TSM:FPAR
40224 ?TSF:MSG:SEND,5-5-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
40258 TSF:MSG:READ,7-7-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0:
40263 TSF:MSG:BC
42232 !TSM:FPAR:NO REPLY
42234 TSM:FPAR
42238 ?TSF:MSG:SEND,5-5-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
42304 TSF:MSG:READ,7-7-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0:
42309 TSF:MSG:BC
44247 !TSM:FPAR:FAIL
44249 TSM:FAIL:CNT=3
44250 TSM:FAIL:DIS
44252 TSF:TDI:TSL
54255 TSM:FAIL:RE-INIT
54257 TSM:INIT
54263 TSM:INIT:TSP OK
54265 TSM:INIT:STATID=5
54268 TSF:SID:OK,ID=5
54270 TSM:FPAR
54275 ?TSF:MSG:SEND,5-5-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
56282 !TSM:FPAR:NO REPLY
56284 TSM:FPAR
56288 ?TSF:MSG:SEND,5-5-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
56393 TSF:MSG:READ,7-7-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0:
56398 TSF:MSG:BC
58296 !TSM:FPAR:NO REPLY
58298 TSM:FPAR
58302 ?TSF:MSG:SEND,5-5-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
58434 TSF:MSG:READ,7-7-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0:
58439 TSF:MSG:BC
59362 TSF:MSG:READ,2-2-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0:
59367 TSF:MSG:BC

It still cant find the Gateway, and I see it reads Node 7 and 2 request for registration too.

[eiten]

So the sensors do not receive Messages from the gateway, but not from other sensors. Is the nrf24 on the gateway a module with PA? Then maybe test different PA settings, this helped once on a setup here.
BTW: Your picture is not visible: access denied

[Eme]

@eiten based on the suggestions "leaning towards" powering the rf24 from you and @mfalkvidd l fed the radio a regulated 3.3 with LD33V and l also brought the capacitator near the radio... yet I still cant register the nodes.

Pls what does "TSF:CKU:OK:FCTRL" mean?

[eiten]

@Eme said in MySensors Raspberry Pi Gateway + Domotics Controller:

TSF:CKU:OK,FCTRL

Uplink OK, flood control prevents pinging GW in too short intervals

[Eme]

@eiten Yes what does that mean in English: :blush:

[Eme]

@eiten Don't know if the Pi model matters. I used a Pi Model A with wifi.

[eiten]

@Eme did'nt I write English :grinning:
So, if you look at the source:

bool transportCheckUplink(const bool force)
{
        if (!force && (hwMillis() - _transportSM.lastUplinkCheck) < MY_TRANSPORT_CHKUPL_INTERVAL_MS) {
                TRANSPORT_DEBUG(PSTR("TSF:CKU:OK,FCTRL\n"));    // flood control
                return true;
        }

The transport prevented an uplink check, since the last was done less then MY_TRANSPORT_CHKUPL_INTERVAL_MS milliseconds ago (defaults to 10 seconds)
.

[eiten]

@Eme said in MySensors Raspberry Pi Gateway + Domotics Controller:

Pi Model A with wifi

Sure? AFAIK A had no WiFi. Or do you use a USB dongle?

[Eme]

@eiten l think it's A+ it has Wifi and l run it "headless" with my old Nano Gateway connected to the 1 USB. But I'll looking forward to getting the Pi to work as both Gateway and Controller.

I want to use a prototype board and drop the long lines. Plus I'll also bring the cap closer to the nrf24 to see if that helps.

[eiten]

@Eme i usually solder a tantalum directly to the pins on the top side of the board :blush:

[Eme]

I have good news. I used a small prototype board for everything. made sure no line was more than 6 inches long. I soldered (My soldering sucks!) the capacitator right next to the radio and Bahm! Domoticz picked up all powered devices. :grinning:

Lessons learnt, keep length of your wires short, nRf24 MUST have a decent capacitator to smoothen out power. Don't rely on GPIO pins to power it, use a regulator. Though help may come from all and sundry, its all up to you to check their suggestions... Thanks all for helping me.

I can finally retire my Nano-Serial Gateway! Wont be upgrading for a long time to come :sneezing_face:

[mfalkvidd]

Great work @Eme! Thanks for reporting the result.

[Eme]

@mfalkvidd so how do I change the title to reflect "SOLVED"?

[Yveaux]

@Eme I did it for you, but next time choose to edit the top post, and change the topic

[zookazim]

@Eme Thanks for letting us know how you solved the problem - helps us all to learn. I've recently upgraded my Raspberry Pi 1b to 4 and just got it working as an ethernet gateway with standard NRF24 radio. I'm curious about a few things as I've been trying to also use a PA LNA radio but without success;

• Any reason you have set up your gateway as serial and not ethernet?

• What did you mean by "Don't rely on GPIO pins to power it, use a regulator". By regulator did you mean the capacitor, did you use another regulator component - I can't see from your image

• Did you change the power setting of you configuration file MyConfig.h -lowering the power to "RF24_PA_LOW'?

[Eme]

@zookazim so sorry I haven't been on here in years. I actually left the IoT nodes for a while. I was running into so many issues. To answer your question... not sure if it's still required or even relevant.