Sensebender Micro

[Haakon]

Hi! I have just gotten four Sensebenders and was hoping to connect PIRs to them and powering them with AA batteries. I understand from the forums that people do this. But is there a working Arduino sketch example implementing a PIR for wake-up out there? (And perhaps there is a more detailed description for such a hardware setup for us newbies?)

[tomkxy]

I have bought another couple of sensebenders.
I am not able to upload sketches to one of them.
When I connect the programmer the status led goes to solid red. From another one, I realized that it is not solid red.

What is the meaning of a solid red status LED?

[hek]

What does the log say when you upload?

[alexsh1]

@Haakon Have a look here - https://forum.mysensors.org/topic/2478/slim-cr123a-2aa-battery-node
Just change your board for sensebender.

[tomkxy]

@hek

D -Uflash:w:/var/folders/3s/rjbksrj96nv0hqfqjlpfw8bm0000gn/T/build8699526819198040594.tmp/SecurityPersonalizer.cpp.hex:i 

avrdude: Version 6.0.1, compiled on Apr 14 2015 at 16:30:25
         Copyright (c) 2000-2005 Brian Dean, http://www.bdmicro.com/
         Copyright (c) 2007-2009 Joerg Wunsch

         System wide configuration file is "/Applications/Arduino.app/Contents/Java/hardware/tools/avr/etc/avrdude.conf"
         User configuration file is "/Users/tom/.avrduderc"
         User configuration file does not exist or is not a regular file, skipping

         Using Port                    : /dev/cu.usbserial-DA01IGTO
         Using Programmer              : arduino
         Overriding Baud Rate          : 57600
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 1 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: ser_recv(): read error: Device not configured
Probleme beim Hochladen auf die Platine. Hilfestellung dazu unter http://www.arduino.cc/en/Guide/Troubleshooting#upload

I have Sensebender selected as board.

Btw, where is the hardware folder? It is not present anymore in the development branch?

[hek]

@tomkxy said:

Btw, where is the hardware folder? It is not present anymore in the development branch?

You can use the build in board manager nowadays.
https://github.com/mysensors/ArduinoBoards

Check board for solder bridges or anything suspicious.

[johnr]

Hi,

I wonder if anyone modified the original sensebender sketch to include a door sensor?
Do you need a pullup? If you have a sketch somewhere I would be happy if you could send/post it, as I have problem finding time to code right now.

[martinhjelmare]

@johnr

Here's one for a button, but shouldn't matter:

https://forum.mysensors.org/topic/2887/sensebender-micro-button/2

[alexsh1]

@johnr This is easy.

// PIN = 2 or 3 only
 
void setup {
  pinMode(PIN,INPUT);
  digitalWrite(PIN,HIGH);
}

This activates internal pull-up.
The sensebender has got pinout of Pro Mini

[timropp]

Well that didn't go well... assembling my first micro. Soldered on some pins for the FTDI connection, added power (2xAA holder), and soldered on the radio with cap. Then I put in batteries and brought up my domoticz page to see if it showed up. Started to smell something, looked down, and there's smoke coming from the battery holder. Grabbed the whole thing and yanked the wire free then dropped it in the sink. Not sure where I screwed up, but I sure shorted something!

[hek]

:scream: Did you find the problem?

[alexsh1]

@timropp sounds like you shorted batteries somewhere

[timropp]

Nope, didn't find the problem. Must be some solder that shorted the batteries out but I don't see it. Oh well... main problem is that was my only 2AA holder on hand, and it melted right through the end of it, so now I have to wait on more before I can try again. Bummer :)

[alexsh1]

You can feed it with just two wires connected to the USB FTDI TTL converter / programmer - have a look at this https://www.mysensors.org/hardware/micro
Available Pins - GND, GND, VCC (on the right)

[mvader]

I am having an odd issue with one of my sensebender boards.
I have flashed 5 in a row, same sketch, same everything.
all look fine (and in english) in the serial monitor. but this one board displays different.
it does seem to work. but i can't figure out why it's showing up different in the monitor.
any ideas?

Óåîóåâåîäåò Íéãòï Æ× 1.5óåîä: 2-2-0-0 ó=255,ã=0,ô=17,ðô=0,ì=3,óç=0,óô=ïë:1.5
óåîä: 2-2-0-0 ó=255,ã=3,ô=6,ðô=1,ì=1,óç=0,óô=ïë:0
óåîóïò óôáòôåä, éä=2, ðáòåîô=0, äéóôáîãå=1
 - Ïîìéîå!
óåîä: 2-2-0-0 ó=255,ã=3,ô=11,ðô=0,ì=17,óç=0,óô=ïë:Óåîóåâåîäåò Íéãòï
óåîä: 2-2-0-0 ó=255,ã=3,ô=12,ðô=0,ì=3,óç=0,óô=ïë:1.5
óåîä: 2-2-0-0 ó=1,ã=0,ô=6,ðô=0,ì=0,óç=0,óô=ïë:
óåîä: 2-2-0-0 ó=2,ã=0,ô=7,ðô=0,ì=0,óç=0,óô=ïë:
óåîä: 2-2-0-0 ó=3,ã=0,ô=1,ðô=0,ì=0,óç=0,óô=ïë:
óåîä: 2-2-0-0 ó=4,ã=0,ô=16,ðô=0,ì=0,óç=0,óô=ïë:
éóÍåôòéã: 0
ÔåíðÄéææ :174.85
ÈõíÄéææ  :154.00
Ô: 74.85
È: 54
óåîä: 2-2-0-0 ó=1,ã=1,ô=0,ðô=7,ì=5,óç=0,óô=ïë:74.8
óåîä: 2-2-0-0 ó=2,ã=1,ô=1,ðô=2,ì=2,óç=0,óô=ïë:54
óåîä: 2-2-0-0 ó=255,ã=3,ô=0,ðô=1,ì=1,óç=0,óô=ïë:97
ÏÔÁ Æ× õðäáôå åîáâìåä
óåîä: 2-2-0-0 ó=4,ã=1,ô=23,ðô=2,ì=2,óç=0,óô=ïë:99
Ìéçèô: 99
ÔåíðÄéææ :0.01
ˆõíÄéææ  :0.00
Ìéçèô: 99

[tbowmo]

@mvader

What baudrate are you using? It seems like it's to much off, for the ftdi to decode it correctly. Have you tried to lower it to, let's say 9600 baud? And does it still do this?

[mvader]

@tbowmo said:

@mvader

What baudrate are you using? It seems like it's to much off, for the ftdi to decode it correctly. Have you tried to lower it to, let's say 9600 baud? And does it still do this?

Serial.begin(115200);
I have not tried 9600, but i've done 5 today all the same code.. no problems.
i have 4 others deployed from when i first bought these (when they came out) same code for them as well..
could be a bum board..idk. when i fired it up, i could see it in the controller software though. so it does seem to work. it just gives me that in the serial monitor.. strange for sure :) I'll let you know how 9600 works out.

[Anticimex]

@mvader what baffles me is that numbers seem to encode ok but alphabetical characters do not. You don't use some exotic ascii encoding in your terminal? (not likely if you can switch to a different SenseBender and get sane output I suppose)

[tbowmo]

@mvader

115200 is on the edge of what is possible with the 8Mhz that the sensebender is using. And it's a uncalibrated RC oscillator that's in use. So this one might be a bit off to the lower side (run 7.5Mhz for example) which could throw off your serial port a bit.

(But as @Anticimex mentions, it does look weird that the numbers are readable..)

[Anticimex]

@tbowmo @mvader it can still be a timing problem. Numbers in the ascii table have the most significant bits zero (they are in the range 0x3x and below) and since regular UART protocols transmit lsb first, the first bits may be within legal timing while the later bits are not, so the higher the ascii value, the higher the risk for corruption.