Serial Gateway restarting

[Yveaux]

@Jan-Gatzke Perform following tests (in this order):

• Test with a regular nRF24L01, non-amplified
• Power from a separate 5V power supply
• I assume you're using the suggested LE33ACZ? It can only supply 100mA (if you get the original ones, not China clones) and the amplified nRF24 is said to draw over 100mA. You wouldn't be the first having issues (see here). Try powering from a separate 3V3 power supply, bypassing the regulator on the Easy/newbie PCB.

Do you see a difference between 1.8 and 2.1.1 Molgans?

[Jan Gatzke]

@Yveaux

oops, missed this limitation of the LE33. I will replace it by an ASM1117 and test again. Thx.

[Yveaux]

@Jan-Gatzke Please perform the other tests first!
Also make sure to get a real AMS1117,! I've got some China clones that have a hard time producing even 100mA...

[Jan Gatzke]

@Yveaux I really don't know whether this is a genuine chip. But I can still reproduce the problem after replacing the LE33. Tested with a non amplified nrf24, too. Same problem.

I have restarted two other nodes with an older version of mysensors (2.0 or 1.8). The gateway did not restart.

[Yveaux]

@Jan-Gatzke so it doesn't reproduce then? Or only with 2.1.1?

[Jan Gatzke]

@Yveaux

Correct. I have tested this with some other nodes. This seems only a problem with the molgan nodes. Even other nodes with 2.1.1 work without problems. Differences I see with the Molgans is the use of the internal oscillator and the use of the smd version of the nrf.

[Yveaux]

@Jan-Gatzke well, my networks are all at 2.1.1 with Molgans. No issues whatsoever...

[Jan Gatzke]

@Yveaux

Wie probably have the same problems with the smd nrf24 that we have with the regular ones, too. There is no big capacitor in the circuit of the molgan hack pcb. Perhaps this the cause of the problems. I will try to add one.

Edit: Tried it with an additional 10 uF capacitor. That changed nothing.

[Yveaux]

@Jan-Gatzke of course that doesn't help. The batteries have sufficient power to accommodate for the required power when sending.
That's why I never add buffer capacitors to battery powered nodes.

[Jan Gatzke]

Any other ideas? Just tested with another power supply (3 * AA cell) but I am still facing the same problem.

[gohan]

Did you try RF24_PA_MIN? Just for testing

[Yveaux]

@Jan-Gatzke Try with a 16Mhz ATMega gateway setup

[Jan Gatzke]

@Yveaux @gohan

I have tested these constallations:

3.3V Arduino, RF24_PA_MIN
5V Arduino, RF24_PA_MIN
5V arduino, RF24_PA_MAX

All with the amplified and the simple version of the radio. The Result was always the same:

2017-04-28 13:45:41.346 MySensors: Node: 11, Sketch Name: Molgan
2017-04-28 13:45:41.347 MySensors: Node: 11, Sketch Version: 1.0
2017-04-28 13:45:41.380 MySensors: Gateway Ready...
2017-04-28 13:45:41.456 MySensors: Gateway Version: 2.1.1

I will try another power supply for the Pi later. Just to be sure.

Do you think it would make sense to try the git hub version of MySensors?

[Yveaux]

@Jan-Gatzke I assume the 5V versions are running at 16Mhz, right?

You can always give the most recent version a try.

[Jan Gatzke]

@Yveaux @gohan

I chose 5V / 16Mhz in the Arduino IDE. If that did not fit the serial interface would not work, right?
I will try with the git version then.

As your installation includes similar components, may I ask what your gateway looks like?

Edit: Tested with 2.2 Beta gateway. Problem seems solved. I am running on 5V 16 Mhz / RF24_PA_MAX now. Could not reproduce the problem anymore. Thx for your help!

[Yveaux]

@Jan-Gatzke said in Serial Gateway restarting:

As your installation includes similar components, may I ask what your gateway looks like?

Currently an Uno with W5100 ethernet shield, running as an MQTT client

[Jan Gatzke]

@Yveaux

Tested with 2.2 Beta gateway. Problem seems solved. I am running on 5V 16 Mhz / RF24_PA_MAX now. Could not reproduce the problem anymore. Thx for your help!