Ten year anniversary nRF24L01+

[speechsupply]

Hi,
So from what I understand, Nordic Semi introduced the nRF24L01+ about 10 yrs ago. (Datasheet says sep. 2008)..
Anyways.

I see so many projects utilizing modules based on the nRF24L01+. Tons of people share their experiences, what works and what doesn't.

Personally, I have suffered quite a bit. Getting these cheap modules to perform, has been less than easy.

Would it be an idea, if we gathered a "Best practices" covering topics such as, wiring, enhancing, decoupling, software adjustments, powering, etc.
Perhaps a segment regarding range, and what to expect under certain measures.

Haven't found it elsewhere, and MySensors forum seems to have the "knowledge capital" and experience to actually make this happen.

what are your thoughts?

[rejoe2]

I personally found a lot of useful information about nRF24-usage here: http://arduinoinfo.mywikis.net/wiki/Nrf24L01-2.4GHz-HowTo
(Moved from arduinowiki).

There's a lot of info, the only thing that's missing is how to identify counterfeid chips.

[speechsupply]

@rejoe2
Yeah, it is a great place to start - but they are missing a lot .
They do not mention proper shielding. Nor enhancement proposals such as: https://www.instructables.com/id/Enhanced-NRF24L01/
To me, the site also lacks proper data on range measurements.
It is a good resource, but by no means complete IMO.

[rejoe2]

@speechsupply You may be right - pages like the arduinoinfo site are never perfect. But it's a wiki and it seems not to be limited to nRF but also contains some other arduino related stuff beside the official arduino.cc site. So feel free to add further info (after the necessary validation) to that wiki:wink: .
Then there's the troubleshooting and debug guide also containing a lot of standard issues: https://forum.mysensors.org/topic/666/debug-faq-and-how-ask-for-help

Imo, there's no need to open up another channel, it's better to enhance the existing ones (and leaving out exotic stuff not properly tested).

Just my2ct.

[speechsupply]

@rejoe2

I believe you're looking at it in a wrong way.
My proposal is to gather material, and create a "living document" like an api documentation.

The link you supplied is a nice example: Searching and looking for problems / solutions is ineffective, and you end up browsing page after page, without perhaps finding a solution.

In reality, it could be a sub-division on the "Getting Started" -> "The Radio Communication"

Thanks for you opinion - it matters

[skywatch]

@speechsupply 10 Years is a long time for a chip to be manufactured these days.

I guess it is a testament to how well they designed it in the first place. It has little competition, works well and is versatile. I just wish they would make a compatible 5.8GHz as well.

[Nca78]

@skywatch said in Ten year anniversary nRF24L01+:

I just wish they would make a compatible 5.8GHz as well.

I would not like to see the range of those :D

[skywatch]

@nca78 I think you might be confusing range as a dependent only on frequency. Range is not dependent solely on frequency. I have worked on items above 40GHz that had a range of many, many miles.
5.8GHz is the 'newer' wifi band amongst other things. But currently much less crowded than 2.4GHz.

[zboblamont]

@skywatch 40 Gig in the hobbyist world for domestic spaces where low power is king? Really?:hugging_face:

[skywatch]

@zboblamont said in Ten year anniversary nRF24L01+:

@skywatch 40 Gig in the hobbyist world for domestic spaces where low power is king? Really?:hugging_face:

Now that isn't what I said is it? Naughty step for you!

The thing is that many people don't understand RF and have a very simplified view of it.

For the 2.4GHz items many of us use, moving the radio module 5-10cm can make a huge difference in the quality of the signal. These radios obey all the same laws as other radio devices. Changing the attitude of the device from edge facing to flat plane facing can also make a difference as can twisting the device from a horizontal to vertical orientation... With no external antenna (and if there is make sure they are all vertical or horizontal, otherwise signal strength will be reduced).

A lot of the time, simple small movements of the radio device can result in big changes in the quality of signal between two points. This is due to the multipath nature of devices in the home and all the items that can absorb or reflect the signals. Some of these are visible items like radiators, furniture etc, whilst some are hidden like pipework, wiring and metal studs in walls.

Finding the 'sweet spot' may take time, and if you move either end of the link you might have to start all over again!

[zboblamont]

@skywatch The naughty step is my second home... ;) I understand what you're getting at, played with radio and antennae most of my life although only into the uhf bands, as I found out to my surprise, many have on this forum...

But the problem remains as @Nca78 pointed out the range for a given input power, dodging or penetrating obstacles in the modern domestic environment with composite structures and steelwork becomes progressively more problematic with higher frequencies, it is as you noted yourself rather pernickity.
At my age, pulling my hair out is not an option ;) hence my choice of uhf for the system here, lower power input, longer battery life, keep what hair there is...