nRF24Doctor

OldSurferDude

@ben999 said:

very basic sketch

My guess is that because you're not using the LCD in the basic sketch that talking to the LCD is causing radio interference.

To test this theory and assuming you have the LED connected, the LCD code could be replaced with flash-code code.

My technique for doing this replacement is to use compiler directives to remove the LCD code and add flash-code code.

To remove the LCD code, create a new compiler flag
#define LCD_ENABLE
Surround all LCD code with

#ifdef LCD_ENABLE
...
#endif

Then comment out the definition line which disables the LCD.

Create another new compiler flag
#define FC_PIN 4
and comment out both the compiler directives that create TRIGGER_PIN and LED_PIN

At the point in the existing code where the LCD is to display the quality, put a call to your new routine, This call will pass the quality number to the code that generates a flash code. So this new code can be easily disabled, surround your code with:

#ifndef FC_PIN
...
#endif

Yes, I make a huge assumption that you understand this (compiler directives, flash-code, etc.). If you don't, I, or others, can help out, but you'd learn more if you did it on your own.

ben999

@OldSurferDude thank you very much for taking time to explain.

I didn't make it clear enough from my side though.

My "test" setup here is not the whole "nRF Doctor", as i got fed up with it !!

Last night i just grabbed a Nano and a red nRF (eByte).

Then loaded a random basic sketch and it got connected to GW straight away.

After that i loaded @yveaux 's sketch and it never reached the GW (although changes were made to sketch, such as default channel (76), power level and transmission speed. These changes were made to files located in the "share" directory, that are called via "#include").
Yveaux's sketch is based on API ver 2.2.0... latest stable is 2.3.2. So i tried different versions other than 2.3.2 but they all ended up with errors when compiling.

I'll keep on digging tonight anyway (and report errors).

ben999

Quick update:
-compiling with MySensors librairy ver 2.3.2 gives no error but my simple setup cannot reach GW with the following debug on serial monitor:

0 MCO:BGN:INIT NODE,CP=RNNNA---,FQ=16,REL=255,VER=2.3.2
4 MCO:BGN:BFR
35 TSM:INIT
36 TSF:WUR:MS=100
43 TSM:INIT:TSP OK
45 TSM:INIT:STATID=250
47 TSF:SID:OK,ID=250
49 TSM:FPAR
72 ?TSF:MSG:SEND,250-250-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
137 MCO:BGN:STP
151 TSF:WUR:MS=2000
2080 !TSM:FPAR:NO REPLY
2082 TSM:FPAR
2105 ?TSF:MSG:SEND,250-250-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
2166 MCO:BGN:INIT OK,TSP=0
4113 !TSM:FPAR:NO REPLY
4115 TSM:FPAR
4139 ?TSF:MSG:SEND,250-250-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
6147 !TSM:FPAR:NO REPLY
6149 TSM:FPAR
6172 ?TSF:MSG:SEND,250-250-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
8180 !TSM:FPAR:FAIL
8181 TSM:FAIL:CNT=1
8183 TSM:FAIL:DIS
8185 TSF:TDI:TSL
18187 TSM:FAIL:RE-INIT
18189 TSM:INIT
18195 TSM:INIT:TSP OK
18197 TSM:INIT:STATID=250
18200 TSF:SID:OK,ID=250
18202 TSM:FPAR
18225 ?TSF:MSG:SEND,250-250-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
20233 !TSM:FPAR:NO REPLY
20235 TSM:FPAR
20258 ?TSF:MSG:SEND,250-250-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
22266 !TSM:FPAR:NO REPLY
22268 TSM:FPAR
22291 ?TSF:MSG:SEND,250-250-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
24299 !TSM:FPAR:NO REPLY
24301 TSM:FPAR
24324 ?TSF:MSG:SEND,250-250-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
26332 !TSM:FPAR:FAIL
26333 TSM:FAIL:CNT=2
26335 TSM:FAIL:DIS
26337 TSF:TDI:TSL
36340 TSM:FAIL:RE-INIT
36342 TSM:INIT
36348 TSM:INIT:TSP OK
36350 TSM:INIT:STATID=250
36354 TSF:SID:OK,ID=250
36356 TSM:FPAR
36379 ?TSF:MSG:SEND,250-250-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:

and so on

compiling with MySensors librairy ver 2.2.0 (as mentionned in the sketch) gives me the following error:

Compilation error: 'RF24_PA_LOW' was not declared in this scope

same error with MySensors librairy ver 2.3.0

OldSurferDude

I vaguely remember that the RF24_PA_[power level] was given a different name. to something different. Basically the power level is 0,1,2, or 3 (MIN, LOW, HIGH, or MAX). see docs

To get it to compile, put this (a hack) line in
#define RF24_PA_LOW 1
before line 47
#include "shared/RadioConfig.h"
or before
radio.setPALevel(RF24_PA_LOW);

I had forgotten about this. Maybe the problem is that that power level is set to low. I see in RadioConfig.h it's set to LOW. This is done because the two radios could be close to one another and they would overdrive the other if they're set to MAX

Another thought (my little gray cells are not firing on all cylinders) It seems to me that line 47
#include "shared/RadioConfig.h"
should be after line 59
#include <MySensors.h>
because the MySensors library is where the PA variables are set.

I hope my rambling here hasn't further complicated the issue.

ben999

@OldSurferDude thanks once again for taking time to understand my problem !

Moving

#include "shared/RadioConfig.h"

after

#include <MySensors.h>

got me the following compile error

In file included from /home/ben/Documents/Arduino/nRF24QualityMeter03/nRF24QualityMeter03.ino:58:0:
/home/ben/Arduino/libraries/MySensors/MySensors.h:426:2: error: #error No forward link or gateway feature activated. This means nowhere to send messages! Pretty pointless.
 #error No forward link or gateway feature activated. This means nowhere to send messages! Pretty pointless.
  ^~~~~
exit status 1

Compilation error: exit status 1

OldSurferDude

I'm thrashing on this, too, so I downloaded it and I compiled it.

Downloading:

From the web page I clicked on [Code] and then downloaded the zip file.
I extracted the zip file to my Arduino directory.
In a dos box (command line) I changed to Arduino\nRFDoctor-master
I executed the batch program mklink.bat which created symbolic links in both nRF24DoctorGateway and nRF24DoctorNode to their sister directory shared. This is needed so that the compiler can find the project specific libraries, eg RadioConfig.h

Then I opened nRF24DoctorNode in the Arduino IDE 2.3.10

When first compiling, there were many libraries required which I installed.

After all the libraries were installed, the code had the compiler check a value and if it was incorrect, it threw an error. When the line #define _LCDML_DISP_cfg_max_rows 2 was added to the the library LCDMenuLib2.h at line 42, the error no longer occurred. (Was this a good thing? Perhaps the line should have gone just before the error check?) This library is found in the directory Arduino\libraries\LCDMenuLib2\src

Subsequently The compiler recommend changing the line 28 of CharLcdMenu.ino (tmp = LCDML.MENU_getObj()->getChild(LCDML.MENU_getScroll());) to tmp = LCDML.MENU_getRootObj()->getChild(LCDML.MENU_getScroll());

After that, the code compiled.

ben999 · Then I opened `nRF24DoctorNode` in the Arduino IDE **2.3.10**

@OldSurferDude that is ever so kind of you to provide such quality support !!

So far so good : i took a different path but got to the same point.

Line 73 of nRF24DoctorNode.ino mentions

#include <LCDMenuLib2.h>	// Download 1.2.7: https://github.com/Jomelo/LCDMenuLib2

Compile error probably comes from here. I installed older version (current is 2.2.8, recommended is 1.2.7), as requested.

I manually installed all the *.h files and got it to compile (with MySensors 2.3.2, any other older version would not compile).

At that point did you upload that sketch to a nano+nrf for testing ?

EDIT : that "mklink" thing is specific to Windows right ? Does it do more magic than just copying shared files at the root of the nRFdoctor's directory ? I only have Linux computers at home...

OldSurferDude

@ben999 said:

mentions

I suspect that the library has been included in the Arduino repository. I used the IDE library manager to install it.

@ben999 said:

At that point did you upload that sketch to a nano+nrf for testing ?

I haven't done any hardware testing. I'll leave that for you.

@ben999 said:

"mklink" thing is specific to Windows right ?

Yes, mklink.bat is for Windows only. This script is the linux equivalent.

# assumes the existence of the folder shared in the current directory.
cd nRF24DoctorNode
ln -s ../shared shared
cd ..
cd nRF24DoctorGateway
ln -s ../shared shared
cd ..

ben999

So i spent some time on that subject this past weekend...

Unfortunately I did not learn anything nor got any good outcome.

Every sketch has been tested on two seperate bits of hardawre : my custom built nRFDoctor and a random Arduino Nano.

Fresh install of Yveaux's sketches, with official script to create symbolic links.

All compiled nicely but none got to connect to GW.

On the other hand, both units managed to register to the GW with a very basic sketch (relay sketch).

OldSurferDude

I see that the the nRFDoctor has a menu. Perhaps one of the menu items has to be selected?

nRF24Doctor

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