RF Nano = Nano + NRF24, for just $3,50 on Aliexpress

[monte]

@alowhum but why, if for the same price you can get nrf52832 or 51822? Smaller, more RAM more flash, less consumption...

[alowhum]

Because it's easier for end-users to program a device by plugging in a USB cable. I'm working on a project that allows 'normal people' to create a privacy friendly smart home, and I've been working on a lot of tools and designs that make building it as easy as possible for absolute beginners.

For example, the Nano can be plugged into widely available boards that give the device way more pins to 'plug and play' connect sensors to. That way the users never have to solder.

I'll create a post about the project soon.

[kimot]

@alowhum
For me top user friendly is ESPeasy.
Through web interface selecting which sensors on which pins connected and to which controller send data.
When user become more experienced, he can use rules to write some "programs".
No recompilation needed.
But not useful for battery powered nodes which needs receive some data.

[alowhum]

@kimot: thanks. When it comes to user friendliness you're probably right. If I didn't want to avoid using wifi I would probably go with that option.

However, I don't think IoT devices should use WiFi at all. In my opinion smart devices should avoid being directly connected to the same network as the user's personal devices at all cost. The security risk is too great.

If there was an easy way to combine Arduino and Zigbee, then that might be an option. Or when Bluetooth get enough useable IoT profiles it might be a good contender in the long run.

For now, MySensors solves this problem for me.

[Mark Swift]

Is there any indication how the deep sleep performs on these?

[skywatch]

Of course there is also the question as to if these are genuine Nordic NRF24L01+ chips or fake Chinese clones again...... ;)

[artag]

@alowhum nano bootloaders have changed recently. They now use the same one as Uno, used to be an older version. I too struggled with this at first but now realise that, if you use a recent ARduino IDE (eg 1.8.8) and select 'nano' as the device, you can then further select 'processor' and have a choice of ATmega 168 and two ATmega368, one of which is 'old bootloader'. Earlier versions of the IDE will always be 'old bootloader'. So I don't know if these boards are to the new standard (and you're trying to use them as the old ones) or the old standard (and you haven't selected that in the IDE) but you'll find the same thing with some ordinary nanos too.

[alowhum]

@Mark-Swift : if you give me some code to test I'll be happy to run it once it arrives.

@skywatch : yeah, that has me worried. We'll find out.

@artag: yes, I often have to use the old bootloader option for the Chinese Nano's. Hopefully that review was user error. We'll soon know.

[Nca78]

@skywatch said in RF Nano = Nano + NRF24, for just $3,50 on Aliexpress:

Of course there is also the question as to if these are genuine Nordic NRF24L01+ chips or fake Chinese clones again...... ;)

I don't think there is any question on that ;)

[Jens Jensen]

@mark-swift looking at the pictures, seems like they are using the AMS1117 regulator, which probably means some mods are in order to make it low power/battery-friendly. Still surprised that someone making a specialty unit like this would not use a torex or holtek ldo. The AMS1117 is just absolutely the worst Iq you can possibly get.

[Nca78]

@jens-jensen nano has the USB to serial converter so I think there's no point to try to make it low power, it will never really be. So they went for the cheap option that's use on nanos, unos, etc

[grizu]

Just because i was interested if there is a custom board with RFM69 also, i asked a seller on ali - he sent me this link:

https://de.aliexpress.com/item/Suitable-for-Arduino-rfm69CW-wireless-sensor-wireness-node/33006101437.html

not a nano (but a 328p), not as cheap as the RF Nano (but cheaper as feather / moteino..), perhaps useful for the ones using rfm69 already..

[Dean Gerhard]

Has anyone been able to get Ack working on this? I just got them recently and found this post but can't seem to find any datasheet or examples. Thanks

EDIT: just after posting this I figured it out, using the TMRh20 Library the ackpayload will work but enabling DynamicAck() will break it. Not sure why but for anyone using This example just comment out the radio.enableDynamicAck(); portion and it should work fine.

Also

@artag said in RF Nano = Nano + NRF24, for just $3,50 on Aliexpress:

@alowhum nano bootloaders have changed recently. They now use the same one as Uno, used to be an older version. I too struggled with this at first but now realise that, if you use a recent ARduino IDE (eg 1.8.8) and select 'nano' as the device, you can then further select 'processor' and have a choice of ATmega 168 and two ATmega368, one of which is 'old bootloader'. Earlier versions of the IDE will always be 'old bootloader'. So I don't know if these boards are to the new standard (and you're trying to use them as the old ones) or the old standard (and you haven't selected that in the IDE) but you'll find the same thing with some ordinary nanos too.

I got this to work using the new bootloader, so I'm assuming this is the one to use.

[alowhum]

I also just received mine.

It's a nice looking little board. It follows the nano form factor (it fits in expansion boards).

I'm glad to say code uploads just fine, using the latest Arduino bootloader. Very nice.

However, an initial quick test of MySensors code failed, so now I'm trying to find out if I should set some pins differently.

16 MCO:BGN:INIT NODE,CP=RNNNA---,REL=255,VER=2.3.1
26 TSM:INIT
27 TSF:WUR:MS=0
33 !TSM:INIT:TSP FAIL
35 TSM:FAIL:CNT=1
37 TSM:FAIL:DIS
38 TSF:TDI:TSL```

[alowhum]

It works.

#define MY_RF24_CE_PIN 10 
#define MY_RF24_CS_PIN 9

But I'm getting FPAR issues:

16 MCO:BGN:INIT REPEATER,CP=RNNRA---,REL=255,VER=2.3.1
26 MCO:BGN:BFR
28 TSM:INIT
29 TSF:WUR:MS=0
35 TSM:INIT:TSP OK
37 TSM:FPAR
39 TSF:MSG:SEND,255-255-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
2048 !TSM:FPAR:NO REPLY
2050 TSM:FPAR
2052 TSF:MSG:SEND,255-255-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
4060 !TSM:FPAR:NO REPLY
4062 TSM:FPAR
4064 TSF:MSG:SEND,255-255-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
6072 !TSM:FPAR:NO REPLY
6074 TSM:FPAR
6076 TSF:MSG:SEND,255-255-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
8084 !TSM:FPAR:FAIL

Setting a fixed ID worked. It now communicates. It does only seem to go one way for now.

#define MY_NODE_ID 99
#define MY_PARENT_NODE_ID 0
#define MY_PARENT_NODE_IS_STATIC

[skywatch]

Good work @alowhum!

What are you powering it with and have you tried adding capacitor to the board as we usually do to help with current surges and smoothing?

[alowhum]

Currently it's powered by USB port of my Macbook Air. I'm hoping I won't have to do a hardware mod, as for my purposes this would make it useless.

I tried placing it inside an Nano Wireless Board, but that seems a bad idea. I couldn't upload anything to it while plugged in.

[alowhum]

Yikes. Now everytime I try to upload a sketch to it, my entire mac crashes.

[Jens Jensen]

@nca78 problem is ams1117 high Iq and always-on power led:
https://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?topic=418299.0
again, nano like this could be perfectly well designed for battery power - the advantage of nano form-factor is built in usb connection for reprogramming or powering from ubiquitous usb power adapters, etc.
Again, using ldo holtek or torex would help make sure you can reduce the consumption by an order of magnitude when on batteries (e.g. lipo pack, etc).
(I wish they made a cheap and pin-compatible ams1117 replacement ;)

[alowhum]

After installing the latest CH340 driver that came with it, it no longer crashes my laptop.

Still no automatic connection though.

I am able to get an ACK when I preset the node ID. So that's something.

// No, wait, apparently getting an ACK does not mean it is receiving anything??

@Dean-Gerhard Did you get it to run an actual bi-directional MySensors sketch?