We are mostly using fake nRF24L01+'s, but worse fakes are emerging.

[Zeph]

Yes, some might be clones of the nRF24L01 (no +). Others have bugs.

And at least some modules with epoxy blobs rather than chips may also be missing some of the normal external passive components leading to reduced performance - in addition to questionable chips per se. This is almost worse for our sanity - being flakey rather than outright failing some digital aspect (like ESB) 100% of the time.

One commenter in one of the above referenced threads mentioned having one module which seemed unusually tolerant of the power supply quality - which he believed was a genuine Nordic chip. Maybe the PS issues we've all adapted to are largely due to our using clones (even the relatively good clones).

[Zeph]

@mainali said:

I am a victim of those fake clones.

Well said. We've grown used to the quality clones, now there are "fake" clones on the market.

Sort of like cheap cheeses. In the US there used to be "natural" cheese, and "pasturized process" cheese (like "American cheese", a sad thing to have named after your nation). Then there was a brand of semi-soft block cheese called "Velveeta" which was labeled as "pasturized process cheese food". And some off-brand variants of that were labeled "imitation pasturized process cheese food". (These were all legal distinctions based on US Gov't standards, and the terminology has since changed).

So our nRF modules started out at "pasturized process cheese", and now there's "imitation pasturized process cheese food" entering the market - without such honest labeling.

[Magiske]

So can we identify the "fakes" vs "real fakes" by dumping chip info or is that 100% faked to?

[hek]

Emailed my contact at Nordic about this a month ago.

There are unfortunately little they can do about the problem. There is almost a zero cost to open an Aliexpress shop and there the chinese goverment/Alibaba does not care enough.

http://resources.alibaba.com/topic/801220532/What_to_do_if_you_ve_received_fake_products.htm

[phil83]

Probably we could open a permanent thread where we can post our experiences with different aliexpress shops regarding nrf24l01+?

Is there a chance to write a short arduino program to check the identity of the nrf chip used? Then we could check the ones we receive and put this experience also in the above mentioned thread?

[hek]

A fake chip test program would be great. If someone would like to take a stab at it many would be happy here.

Guess the members could help sending sample fake chips to someone interested in the "fakalyzer"-project.

[Magiske]

Ran the nRF24 GettingStarted and got this from two different nRF24's

Standard nRF24L01+

STATUS = 0x0e RX_DR=0 TX_DS=0 MAX_RT=0 RX_P_NO=7 TX_FULL=0
RX_ADDR_P0-1 = 0xa8a8e1fc62 0xf0f0f0f0d2
RX_ADDR_P2-5 = 0xff 0xc4 0xc5 0xc6
TX_ADDR = 0xa8a8e1fc00
RX_PW_P0-6 = 0x20 0x20 0x20 0x00 0x00 0x00
EN_AA = 0x3b
EN_RXADDR = 0x07
RF_CH = 0x4c
RF_SETUP = 0x07
CONFIG = 0x0f
DYNPD/FEATURE = 0x00 0x06
Data Rate = 1MBPS
Model = nRF24L01+
CRC Length = 16 bits
PA Power = PA_HIGH

nRF24L01+ with Antenna

STATUS = 0x0e RX_DR=0 TX_DS=0 MAX_RT=0 RX_P_NO=7 TX_FULL=0
RX_ADDR_P0-1 = 0xe7e7e7e7e7 0xf0f0f0f0d2
RX_ADDR_P2-5 = 0xc3 0xc4 0xc5 0xc6
TX_ADDR = 0xe7e7e7e7e7
RX_PW_P0-6 = 0x00 0x20 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00
EN_AA = 0x3f
EN_RXADDR = 0x03
RF_CH = 0x4c
RF_SETUP = 0x07
CONFIG = 0x0f
DYNPD/FEATURE = 0x00 0x00
Data Rate = 1MBPS
Model = nRF24L01+
CRC Length = 16 bits
PA Power = PA_HIGH

The one with antenna's adresse looks kind of "strange", but don't know if we can read anything out of this ????

[Chaotic]

@phil83 said:

Probably we could open a permanent thread where we can post our experiences with different aliexpress shops regarding nrf24l01+?

I'd be interested to see a list of "good" sellers from aliexpress and not just for the radios. It seems like the store links just point to the cheapest one with free shipping some times. I haven't bought enough stuff to get burnt (7 orders of which 2 have come in and the rest should be in a week or 2) but it is one of the things that keeps me wary.

[phil83]

@chaotic I would also be interested and could contribute to a complete list. But for reading and finding it would be much easier to open several threads dealing with different parts or groups of parts.

[pit007]

As I get my fakes I open a dispute and add this info - it war clear enough to get my money back ;-):

So, the chips differ in the register number 09 (CD/RPD).

[phil83]

I just used the GettingStarted and got the following reply from a nrf24l01+ with antenna:

RF24/examples/GettingStarted/
ROLE: Pong back
*** PRESS 'T' to begin transmitting to the other node
STATUS = 0x0e RX_DR=0 TX_DS=0 MAX_RT=0 RX_P_NO=7 TX_FULL=0
RX_ADDR_P0-1 x00 = 0xe7e7e7e7e7 0xf0f0f0f0d2
RX_ADDR_P2-5 x00 = 0xc3 0xc4 0xc5 0xc6
TX_ADDR = 0xe7e7e7e7e7
RX_PW_P0-6 x00 = 0x00 0x20 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00
EN_AA = 0x3f
EN_RXADDR x00 = 0x03
RF_CH = 0x4c
RF_SETUP x00 = 0x07
CONFIG = 0x0f
DYNPD/FEATURE x00 = 0x00 0x00
Data Rate = 1MBPS
Model = nRF24L01+
CRC Length = 16 bits
PA Power = PA_HIGH

So it's the same like @Magiske.

[m26872]

Am I the only one missing references to earlier discussions in this subject? Like this one..

[Pradeepa Senanayake]

This is the first time I'm putting anything here. I also have been developing a C based library for one of the NRF24L01 (no plus) devices.. I used a Stellaris Launchpad to interface with the chip. Eventhough most of the functionality work correctly I saw the CD (Carrier Detect) is not functioning properly. Once it is high it is always high. To make it low I had to flush the RX buffer. It is really strange. I bought my sensors from e-Bay. So they must be clones :D. Can someone try this CD thing and see whether it is working properly?

[NeverDie]

Has anyone here found a good vendor for modules that use genuine Nordic NRF24L01+ chips?

[hek]

You could buy your modules from Itead. They have promised us to only source genuine Nordic chips. They are a little higher in price/shipping but you could also take the opportunity to buy a MySensors Micro board to support the project :)

The ebay/aliexpress shops is a bit of a chance-taking as they might switch sourcing partner at any time.

[NeverDie]

@hek said:

You could buy your modules from Itead. They have promised us to only source genuine Nordic chips. They are a little higher in price/shipping but you could also take the opportunity to buy a MySensors Micro board to support the project :)

The ebay/aliexpress shops is a bit of a chance-taking as they might switch sourcing partner at any time.

Fair enough. I just now ordered some allegedly Itead NRF24L01+ modules from an Itead distributor, but I suppose there's a risk the distributor might get greedy and ship me something else. On a different thread, someone mentioned that the Itead modules each come in their own box. Would someone please post a photo of the individualized packaging for the Itead modles? If it's distinctive, it might serve as a kind of "certificate of authenticity." I realize that could be faked also, but it would make it a little harder for someone to fake, and so it's better than nothing.

[NeverDie]

Would the following might work as a way to separate good modules from bad modules, therefore also separate out the fakes?

1. Set up a looping ping-pong link between two "known good" modules and measure the % packet losses.
2. Unplug a reference module and then plug a test modules into the same setup. If the packet loss percentage is significantly worse, then the test module is either bad or a fake.

[Sparkman]

@NeverDie said:

Fair enough. I just now ordered some allegedly Itead NRF24L01+ modules from an Itead distributor, but I suppose there's a risk the distributor might get greedy and ship me something else. On a different thread, someone mentioned that the Itead modules each come in their own box. Would someone please post a photo of the individualized packaging for the Itead modles? If it's distinctive, it might serve as a kind of "certificate of authenticity." I realize that could be faked also, but it would make it a little harder for someone to fake, and so it's better than nothing.

Here's an image:
http://imall.itead.cc/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/1800x/040ec09b1e35df139433887a97daa66f/i/m/im120606002_2.jpg

Cheers
Al

[NeverDie]

@Sparkman said:

@NeverDie said:

Fair enough. I just now ordered some allegedly Itead NRF24L01+ modules from an Itead distributor, but I suppose there's a risk the distributor might get greedy and ship me something else. On a different thread, someone mentioned that the Itead modules each come in their own box. Would someone please post a photo of the individualized packaging for the Itead modles? If it's distinctive, it might serve as a kind of "certificate of authenticity." I realize that could be faked also, but it would make it a little harder for someone to fake, and so it's better than nothing.

Here's an image:
http://imall.itead.cc/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/1800x/040ec09b1e35df139433887a97daa66f/i/m/im120606002_2.jpg

Cheers
Al

Thanks! Pooling our information should reveal who the good vendors are.

After I receive the modules I ordered today, I'll post which vendor I purchased them from, the price, and whether or not I think they're real (i.e. what tests I ran to make that determination). I would encourage others to do the same.

[NeverDie]

Judging from the current banter on this other thread, it sounds as though if a module is powered directly from a fully charged battery pack (so that there's no voltage ripple) but it has fewer lost packets after installing a 10uF capacitor, then it's probably a fake.

I'm guessing you could make a test rig by soldering a capacitor across the Vcc and Ground legs of one of these:

Then just plug the module into it, and then it into the usual arduino socket that you'd ordinarily plug the module into.

Would that work?