Repeater drops nodes

[sundberg84]

If you have a amplified radio you need a better voltage regulator than the onboard regulator. When the radio transmits it can cause a higher current draw than the regulator can provide.

I don't know what the logs mean... but try the log parser.https://www.mysensors.org/build/parser

[titvs]

I know about the power requirements, but only the gateway is amplified. The repeater i was testing was a normal nano with a NRF24 powered by an original LG USB charger. Thats not the point with this issue.

What im saying is that seems the repeater stops to relay messages after about 16 minutes and with an almost direct line of sight to the gateway… If i remove the repeater, the node that is about 2 meters further apart from where the repeater was, still gets signal directly from the gateway and it works normally.
If i put the repeater in between, about 16 minutes later one of the values (temp or hum) doesnt get through to the gateway.

Ive tested different radios, nanos and power supplies but it seems to be a software issue or somekind of interference… I'll have to equate if i put up more gateways with NRF24's or completely ditch them. They seem not to worth all this hassle even if they are cheaper...

[itbeyond]

Are you running 2.2 or 2.3. I have noticed that repeaters and 2.3 just do not seem to work. I have three gateways and various repeaters around my place and over 20 nodes and have reverted all Gateways and Repeater to 2.2. and all my issue went away. I even took a gateway on my desk install 2.3 on it - works find for a few hours then starts to NACK and play up - on 2.2 this just does not happen.

[sundberg84]

@itbeyond logs would be great it can be improved. As i wrote above, I had some issues as well but they went away when I upgraded all (and made some other changes as well).

[Norton]

Hello,
I have a similar problem. I wanted to start a new thread, but after reading this posts I put it here. My problem is similar even though I do not have a repeater. I used the mysensors version 2.3.0 alpha, after updating to 2.3.0 stable a few days ago one of my nodes started not to send humidity data. Here is the log:

16 MCO:BGN:INIT NODE,CP=RNNNA---,VER=2.3.0
25 TSM:INIT
26 TSF:WUR:MS=0
33 TSM:INIT:TSP OK
35 TSM:INIT:STATID=101
37 TSF:SID:OK,ID=101
39 TSM:FPAR
40 TSM:FPAR:STATP=0
43 TSM:ID
44 TSM:ID:OK
45 TSM:UPL
81 TSF:MSG:SEND,101-101-0-0,s=255,c=3,t=24,pt=1,l=1,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:1
2092 TSF:MSG:SEND,101-101-0-0,s=255,c=3,t=24,pt=1,l=1,sg=0,ft=1,st=OK:1
2099 TSF:MSG:READ,0-0-101,s=255,c=3,t=25,pt=1,l=1,sg=0:1
2104 TSF:MSG:PONG RECV,HP=1
2107 TSM:UPL:OK
2108 TSM:READY:ID=101,PAR=0,DIS=1
2132 TSF:MSG:SEND,101-101-0-0,s=255,c=3,t=15,pt=6,l=2,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:0100
2143 TSF:MSG:READ,0-0-101,s=255,c=3,t=15,pt=6,l=2,sg=0:0100
2183 TSF:MSG:SEND,101-101-0-0,s=255,c=0,t=17,pt=0,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:2.3.0
2191 TSF:MSG:SEND,101-101-0-0,s=255,c=3,t=6,pt=1,l=1,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:0
2732 TSF:MSG:READ,0-0-101,s=255,c=3,t=6,pt=0,l=1,sg=0:M
2769 TSF:MSG:SEND,101-101-0-0,s=255,c=3,t=11,pt=0,l=18,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:Senzor 101-DualDHT
2780 TSF:MSG:SEND,101-101-0-0,s=255,c=3,t=12,pt=0,l=3,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:1.1
2790 TSF:MSG:SEND,101-101-0-0,s=0,c=0,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
2798 TSF:MSG:SEND,101-101-0-0,s=1,c=0,t=6,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
2805 TSF:MSG:SEND,101-101-0-0,s=2,c=0,t=6,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
2813 TSF:MSG:SEND,101-101-0-0,s=3,c=0,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
2820 MCO:REG:REQ
2824 TSF:MSG:SEND,101-101-0-0,s=255,c=3,t=26,pt=1,l=1,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:2
2832 TSF:MSG:READ,0-0-101,s=255,c=3,t=27,pt=1,l=1,sg=0:1
2837 MCO:PIM:NODE REG=1
2840 MCO:BGN:INIT OK,TSP=1
2848 MCO:SLP:MS=2000,SMS=0,I1=255,M1=255,I2=255,M2=255
2853 TSF:TDI:TSL
2855 MCO:SLP:WUP=-1
2856 TSF:TRI:TSB
2868 TSF:MSG:SEND,101-101-0-0,s=1,c=1,t=0,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:31.8
DHT1TEMP: 31.80
2875 MCO:SLP:MS=2500,SMS=0,I1=255,M1=255,I2=255,M2=255
2880 TSF:TDI:TSL
2882 MCO:SLP:WUP=-1
2884 TSF:TRI:TSB
4485 !TSF:MSG:SEND,101-101-0-0,s=0,c=1,t=1,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=NACK:35.2
DHT1HUM: 35.20
4497 MCO:SLP:MS=2000,SMS=0,I1=255,M1=255,I2=255,M2=255
4501 TSF:TDI:TSL
4503 MCO:SLP:WUP=-1
4505 TSF:TRI:TSB
4513 TSF:MSG:SEND,101-101-0-0,s=2,c=1,t=0,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=1,st=OK:24.0
DHT2TEMP: 24.00
4520 MCO:SLP:MS=2500,SMS=0,I1=255,M1=255,I2=255,M2=255
4527 TSF:TDI:TSL
4529 MCO:SLP:WUP=-1
4530 TSF:TRI:TSB
6130 !TSF:MSG:SEND,101-101-0-0,s=3,c=1,t=1,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=NACK:56.8
DHT2HUM: 56.80

As you can see the temperature is sent correctly, and then the humidity value is not. When I returned the 2.3.0 alpha version to the node, everything started going OK. Otherwise, on other nodes where i also updated to version 2.3.0 stable this problem is not. I also updated the gateway to version 2.3.0 stable. I just had to make a downgrade on this one node only.

[sundberg84]

@norton just out of curiosity, you can add a wait(100); after sending the temp value. This way the radio has some time to recover if needed. I understand your point since it works in alpha but could be a good clue if it works with a wait().

[itbeyond]

@sundberg84 I understand about the logs but after spending several days trying to make 2.3.0 work on these nodes and just going to NACK NACK NACK for every send either repeater or gateway I reverted. I can enable it again if you like but all you will see is good data for a period then without any warning or reason constant NACK for every send. I did add wait(50)s on my nodes and these seem to be better but no go on Gateways and Repeaters cannot inject a wait of course. I can report that on Gateways trying 2.3.0 I used Vera/Ethernet - openHab/MQTT and openHab/Ethernet and all did the exact same thing and now on 2.2.0 I have zero problems.

Coupled with this testing the openHab network was and is still new so had limited nodes installed and everything was 2.3.0 when the troubles occurred so I did have a full 2.3.0 network using channel 82.

[titvs]

@itbeyond im running 2.3 on gateway, nodes and repeater… Im glad someone showed up with the same issue. The behaviour is similar: everything is ok and, in my case, it starts to "NACK" after around 16 min… Seems to be a software problem then and not the "popular" NRF24 reception issues. What radios are you using? NRF24's?

[tekka]

@titvs see here https://forum.mysensors.org/topic/9642/nrf24-transmission-of-data-works-fine-but-constant-nack-s-produced/12

Please test https://github.com/tekka007/MySensors/tree/RF24Test

[titvs]

@tekka ok, will test your version tomorrow and collect the node log. Do i need to upload your version to the node, repeater and gateway?

[tekka]

@titvs are you using nrf24L01+ PA+LNA modules?

[titvs]

@tekka using normal NRF24's on the nodes and a nrf24L01+ PA+LNA on the gateway.

[tekka]

@titvs ok - I'd recommend to update all devices and re-run the test.

[itbeyond]

@titvs my testing seems to show that this updated version from @tekka does resolve the problem. I have added some questions about the release details etc in the post https://forum.mysensors.org/topic/9642/nrf24-transmission-of-data-works-fine-but-constant-nack-s-produced/12

[titvs]

@itbeyond Nice! Will test it today and post my results.

[titvs]

@tekka well, unfortunately i had the same problem. The far away node connected to the Repeater but after aprox 1h working ok, it stopped being updated at Domoticz with transportCheckUplink() false.
You changed a timing setting, right? With the normal version the node stopped being updated at about 15-16 min and now it changed to about 1 hour…
I have a node connected directly to the gateway with the nrf24L01+ PA+LNA working without problems, so it seems to be some kind of problem with the Repeater code and timings...

[tekka]

@titvs It would be helpful if you could post the debug log showing what you describe + the sketch you are using.

[titvs]

@tekka the debug log (MY_DEBUG)/sketch from the node that gets disconnected or the repeater?

[itbeyond]

@titvs I have tested a repeater and it is still working ok after 48 hours using the CE timing modified code.

[titvs]

@itbeyond can you please post the initial code defines for your repeater and a node that connects to it? To see if I’m doing something wrong...
In the meantime I’m going to get the debug log and sketch code for my node.