Choosing the right NRF chip for MySensors

[olision]

Hi everyone,

I have developped my node on the NRF52832 DK using the MySensors library and now I'm starting to work on making a custom pcb using that chip rather than an Arduino and NRF24l01+. I stopped my choices on 3 chips for now which are: Fanstel BM832, Fanstel BC840M or the Raytac MDBT50Q – 1M (which uses a chip antenna rather than the pcb on the Fanstel ones).
For me, I think the only advantages choosing a nrf52840 over the nrf52832 is the range according to the spec sheets and the possibility to connect a LiPo battery directly without using a voltage regulator. On that later, is it more energy efficient to use the LiPo battery directly than using an external LDO?

Has anyone tried those chips on a MySensor sketch or built their own sensors using those chips? Any other recommendations or one I should go with for my custom PCB?

Thanks for your help making that component choice!

[Omemanti]

@olision said in Choosing the right NRF chip for MySensors:

think the only advantages choosing a nrf52840 over the nrf52832 is the range according to the spec sheets and the possibility to connect a LiPo battery directly without using a voltage regulator. On that later, is it more energy efficient to use the LiPo battery directly than using an external LDO?
Has anyone tried those chips on a MySensor sketch or built their own sensors using those chips? Any other recommendations or one I should go with for my custom PCB?
Thanks for your help making that component choice!

hey,
I don't think the NRF52840 is working with MySensors yet.. But I don't know what happened in de last months on the development side. I believe @NeverDie was working with those chips in combination with micropython.

I personally stuck with the NRF52832, I have a couple of nodes working with Ebyte modules. It suits my needs and I stockpiled some modules for future projects.. Just browse openhardware.io and you can find a couple of examples. @berkseo made also some things you want to take a look at.

[Nca78]

I agree with @Omemanti above. Go for NRF52832, for MySensors projects it has plenty of memory, you don't need to double it. If you use a regulator like XC6206 to regulate to 3.3V and use DC-DC it won't be less efficient than the regulator in nrf52840.

For the modules I like the Fanstel because they have a good antenna design, and similar footprints between different versions, so you can use the same PCB and short/medium/long range modules.
But EBytes module do the job for a low price, they are also often discounted, they sold them below 3$ at some points, so like @Omemanti I have some stock :)

[olision]

Thank you both for your answers, that clears up most of the confusion I had around that subject! For my first prototype I might go with the BM832 and a on board regulator like Nca78 mentionned.