[SOLVED] Soft WDT Reset on MQTT ESP8266 GW with NRF24L01+

[Neo Mod]

I'm trying to replicate a gateway with the same hardware of four others that are already running, but I can't figure out why I'm hitting my head against a "SOFT WDT RESET" cycle that appears to be related to the use of NRF24L01+ radio.

I did all the "basic" troubleshooting before writing this:

• changed ESP8266 board (ordered 8 different models, from different producers and sellers)
• changed NRF24L01+ module (ordered 6 items from different producers and sellers)
• changed dupoint wires multiple times
• changed power source (USB, Bench, Wall Charger, Battery)
• changed library versions, both for MySensors and for BME280

Setup is as follows:

• Gateway with MQTT on ESP8266 Nodemcu
• NRF24L01+
• BME280

This is the sketch I'm trying to use:

#define MY_DEBUG
#define MY_DEBUG_VERBOSE_GATEWAY
#define MY_BAUD_RATE 9600
#define MY_RADIO_RF24
#define MY_RF24_DATARATE RF24_2MBPS
#define MY_RF24_PA_LEVEL RF24_PA_HIGH
#define MY_RF24_CE_PIN 3
#define MY_GATEWAY_MQTT_CLIENT
#define MY_GATEWAY_ESP8266
#define MY_MQTT_PUBLISH_TOPIC_PREFIX "domoticz/in/fh-gateway-esterno-new"
#define MY_MQTT_SUBSCRIBE_TOPIC_PREFIX "domoticz/out/fh-gateway-esterno-new"
#define MY_MQTT_CLIENT_ID "fh-gateway-esterno-new"
#define MY_WIFI_SSID "iNeo"
#define MY_WIFI_PASSWORD "password"
#define MY_HOSTNAME "fh-gateway-esterno-new"
#define MY_CONTROLLER_IP_ADDRESS 192, 168, 0, 3
#define MY_PORT 1883
#define MY_SIGNAL_REPORT_ENABLED
#define MY_TRANSPORT_SANITY_CHECK
#include <ESP8266WiFi.h>
#include <MySensors.h>
#include <SPI.h> 
#include <Wire.h>
#include "BlueDot_BME280.h"
BlueDot_BME280 bme280 = BlueDot_BME280();
#define LONG_WAIT 500
#define SHORT_WAIT 150
#define SECURE_WAIT 60000
#define SKETCH_NAME "Gateway Esterno"
#define SKETCH_VERSION "v4.0"
#define TEMP_CHILD_ID 1
#define HUM_CHILD_ID 2
#define BARO_CHILD_ID 3
uint32_t SLEEP_TIME = 15000; 
bool metric = true;
MyMessage temperatureMsg(TEMP_CHILD_ID, V_TEMP);
MyMessage humidityMsg(HUM_CHILD_ID, V_HUM);
MyMessage pressureMsg(BARO_CHILD_ID, V_PRESSURE);

void preHwInit()
{
Wire.setClock(100000);
bme280.parameter.communication = 0;
bme280.parameter.I2CAddress = 0x77;
bme280.parameter.sensorMode = 0b11;
bme280.parameter.IIRfilter = 0b010;
bme280.parameter.humidOversampling = 0b011;
bme280.parameter.tempOversampling = 0b011;
bme280.parameter.pressOversampling = 0b101;
bme280.parameter.pressureSeaLevel = 1013.25; 
bme280.parameter.tempOutsideCelsius = 15;
bme280.init();
}

void setup()
{
}

void presentation()
{
sendSketchInfo(SKETCH_NAME, SKETCH_VERSION);
wait(LONG_WAIT);
present(BARO_CHILD_ID, S_BARO);
wait(SHORT_WAIT);
present(TEMP_CHILD_ID, S_TEMP);
wait(SHORT_WAIT);
present(HUM_CHILD_ID, S_HUM);
wait(SHORT_WAIT);
}

void loop()
{
send(temperatureMsg.set(bme280.readTempC(), 2));
wait(SHORT_WAIT);
send(humidityMsg.set(bme280.readHumidity(), 2));
wait(SHORT_WAIT);
send(pressureMsg.set(bme280.readPressure(), 2));
wait(LONG_WAIT);
wait(SLEEP_TIME);
}

This is the error I'm getting, it repeats endlessy as soon as I enable the radio:

03:52:43.408 -> ⸮l⸮r⸮86 MCO:BGN:INIT GW,CP=RNNGE---,REL=255,VER=2.3.1
03:52:43.558 -> 138 TSF:LRT:OK
03:52:43.590 -> 154 TSM:INIT
03:52:43.590 -> 167 TSF:WUR:MS=0
03:52:43.625 -> 192 TSM:INIT:TSP OK
03:52:43.667 -> scandone
03:52:43.667 -> state: 0 -> 2 (b0)
03:52:43.667 -> state: 2 -> 3 (0)
03:52:43.696 -> state: 3 -> 5 (10)
03:52:43.696 -> add 0
03:52:43.731 -> aid 10
03:52:43.731 -> cnt 
03:52:43.731 -> 
03:52:43.731 -> connected with iNeo, channel 11
03:52:43.766 -> dhcp client start...
03:52:43.800 -> ip:192.168.0.138,mask:255.255.255.0,gw:192.168.0.1
03:52:43.836 -> 409 TSM:INIT:GW MODE
03:52:43.872 -> 431 TSM:READY:ID=0,PAR=0,DIS=0
03:52:43.906 -> 463 MCO:REG:NOT NEEDED
03:52:43.906 -> 491 TSM:READY:NWD REQ

03:52:46.692 -> Soft WDT reset
03:52:46.730 -> 
03:52:46.730 -> >>>stack>>>
03:52:46.730 -> 
03:52:46.730 -> ctx: cont
03:52:46.730 -> sp: 3ffffc50 end: 3fffffd0 offset: 01b0
03:52:46.798 -> 3ffffe00:  001e8480 3ffe0001 3ffee76c 40202f42  
03:52:46.832 -> 3ffffe10:  00000000 0000000e 00000000 000000ff  
03:52:46.899 -> 3ffffe20:  00000000 00000001 00000003 00000030  
03:52:46.939 -> 3ffffe30:  00000000 0000d6f1 0000000e 40203025  
03:52:47.007 -> 3ffffe40:  00000000 3ffee765 00000000 402030ec  
03:52:47.044 -> 3ffffe50:  00000007 44414552 574e3a59 45522044  
03:52:47.078 -> 3ffffe60:  ff000a51 3fffc6fc 00000032 000000ff  
03:52:47.147 -> 3ffffe70:  3ffe84fe 3ffee8b8 3ffee765 40203d23  
03:52:47.182 -> 3ffffe80:  3ffe84ff 3fffff00 40232fa6 3ffeee14  
03:52:47.257 -> 3ffffe90:  666e6f63 7463696c 3f003132 3ffeee14  
03:52:47.288 -> 3ffffea0:  00000000 4bc6a7f0 845a1cac 00000000  
03:52:47.358 -> 3ffffeb0:  00000000 00000000 4bc6a7f0 00000000  
03:52:47.393 -> 3ffffec0:  00000001 3ffef22c 3ffffef0 3ffffee0  
03:52:47.464 -> 3ffffed0:  00000004 3f407596 0000049c 4021425c  
03:52:47.497 -> 3ffffee0:  00023851 00418937 00000000 3ffee70c  
03:52:47.565 -> 3ffffef0:  3ffe84fe 3ffee765 000000ff 40203e6c  
03:52:47.605 -> 3fffff00:  3ffe84fe 000001eb 3ffee7a8 40204248  
03:52:47.641 -> 3fffff10:  00000000 3fff017c 000001f4 402037a5  
03:52:47.710 -> 3fffff20:  00023825 000001eb 000001f4 40205111  
03:52:47.745 -> 3fffff30:  40233e67 000001eb 000001f4 4020512f  
03:52:47.813 -> 3fffff40:  3ffe84fe 000001eb 000001f4 40205153  
03:52:47.850 -> 3fffff50:  00000002 3ffeea83 3ffeea83 4020518f  
03:52:47.921 -> 3fffff60:  00000006 00000000 3ffeea83 00000001  
03:52:47.953 -> 3fffff70:  00000000 00a7fd40 00000000 3ffee70c  
03:52:48.039 -> 3fffff80:  3ffe84fe 3ffeea83 00000000 4020573a  
03:52:48.060 -> 3fffff90:  40204140 0300a8c0 40208658 40208640  
03:52:48.133 -> 3fffffa0:  3fffdad0 3ffee763 3ffeebce 402057f4  
03:52:48.165 -> 3fffffb0:  feefeffe 00000000 3ffee668 40205858  
03:52:48.202 -> 3fffffc0:  feefeffe feefeffe 3ffe853c 4010010d  
03:52:48.275 -> <<<stack<<<

Stack trace debug didn't give any insight, at least to a profane like me:

x40100ba0: delayMicroseconds at C:\Users\deimo\AppData\Local\Arduino15\packages\esp8266\hardware\esp8266\2.5.0\cores\esp8266\core_esp8266_wiring.c line 205
0x40100bc9: __digitalWrite at C:\Users\deimo\AppData\Local\Arduino15\packages\esp8266\hardware\esp8266\2.5.0\cores\esp8266\core_esp8266_wiring_digital.c line 82
0x40202edb: RF24_spiMultiByteTransfer(uint8_t, uint8_t*, uint8_t, bool) at C:\Users\deimo\Documents\Arduino\libraries\MySensors/hal/transport/RF24/driver/RF24.cpp line 100
0x40202f42: RF24_spiMultiByteTransfer(uint8_t, uint8_t*, uint8_t, bool) at C:\Users\deimo\Documents\Arduino\libraries\MySensors/hal/transport/RF24/driver/RF24.cpp line 120
0x40203025: RF24_spiByteTransfer(uint8_t) at C:\Users\deimo\Documents\Arduino\libraries\MySensors/hal/transport/RF24/driver/RF24.cpp line 125
0x402030ec: RF24_sendMessage(uint8_t, void const*, uint8_t, bool) at C:\Users\deimo\Documents\Arduino\libraries\MySensors/hal/transport/RF24/driver/RF24.cpp line 154
0x40203d23: transportSendWrite(unsigned char, MyMessage&) at C:\Users\deimo\Documents\Arduino\libraries\MySensors/core/MyTransport.cpp line 1005
0x40203e6c: transportRouteMessage(MyMessage&) at C:\Users\deimo\Documents\Arduino\libraries\MySensors/core/MyTransport.cpp line 586
0x40204248: stReadyUpdate() at C:\Users\deimo\Documents\Arduino\libraries\MySensors/core/MyTransport.cpp line 313
0x402037a5: transportUpdateSM() at C:\Users\deimo\Documents\Arduino\libraries\MySensors/core/MyTransport.cpp line 387
0x40205111: transportProcess() at C:\Users\deimo\Documents\Arduino\libraries\MySensors/core/MyTransport.cpp line 466
0x4020512f: _process() at C:\Users\deimo\Documents\Arduino\libraries\MySensors/core/MySensorsCore.cpp line 78
0x40205153: wait(unsigned int) at C:\Users\deimo\Documents\Arduino\libraries\MySensors/core/MySensorsCore.cpp line 533
0x4020518f: gatewayTransportConnect() at C:\Users\deimo\Documents\Arduino\libraries\MySensors/core/MyGatewayTransportMQTTClient.cpp line 157
0x4020573a: gatewayTransportInit() at C:\Users\deimo\Documents\Arduino\libraries\MySensors/core/MyGatewayTransportMQTTClient.cpp line 269
0x40204140: incomingMQTT(char*, unsigned char*, unsigned int) at C:\Users\deimo\Documents\Arduino\libraries\MySensors/core/MyGatewayTransportMQTTClient.cpp line 123
0x40208658: std::_Function_base::_Base_manager ::_M_manager(std::_Any_data&, std::_Any_data const&, std::_Manager_operation) at c:\users\deimo\appdata\local\arduino15\packages\esp8266\tools\xtensa-lx106-elf-gcc\2.5.0-3-20ed2b9\xtensa-lx106-elf\include\c++\4.8.2/functional line 1934
0x40208640: std::_Function_handler ::_M_invoke(std::_Any_data const&, char*, unsigned char*, unsigned int) at c:\users\deimo\appdata\local\arduino15\packages\esp8266\tools\xtensa-lx106-elf-gcc\2.5.0-3-20ed2b9\xtensa-lx106-elf\include\c++\4.8.2/functional line 2069
0x402057f4: _begin() at C:\Users\deimo\Documents\Arduino\libraries\MySensors/core/MySensorsCore.cpp line 165
0x40205858: loop_wrapper() at C:\Users\deimo\Documents\Arduino\libraries\MySensors/hal/architecture/ESP8266/MyMainESP8266.cpp line 125

As you can see, I also tried implementing the preHwInit() method from here but without luck apparently.

If I disable the radio, the whole thing works perfectly: but since I changed so many radios (and also boards and sensors) I doubt, at this point, that the problem is faulty hardware.

I also tried powering up the radio from a different power source, with the same result.

UPDATE:

The problem seems to be correlated with the use of the specific sensor BME280. The way the sensor library work is causing issues with MySensors, generating the whole soft reset issue.
Tested with all the major libraries for BME280, the behaviour is always the same. As soon as the BME is initialized to start measuring the gateway crashes/reboots.
Confirmed that this happens only when the gateway is configured to use NRF24: ther same hardware, with the same sketch, without radio features, works perfectly over mqtt.

UPDATE 2: Problem Solved.