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  1. Home
  2. General Discussion
  3. Anyone using/tried the E28-2G4M27S 2.4Ghz LoRa SX1280 27dB module?

Anyone using/tried the E28-2G4M27S 2.4Ghz LoRa SX1280 27dB module?

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  • NeverDieN Offline
    NeverDieN Offline
    NeverDie
    Hero Member
    wrote on last edited by NeverDie
    #43

    It turns out Ebyte is kind enough to recommend specific antennas to use with this LoRa module:
    Ebyte_recommended_antennas_for_2.4Ghz_LoRa.png
    Unfortunately, these recommended antenna antenna models do not appear to be stocked by either Amazon or Mouser. Instead, it appears you may have to order them fromAliexpress:
    https://www.ebyte.com/en/product-class.html?key=tx2400 So, your best bet would be to order the Ebyte antennas at the same time you order your Ebyte LoRa modules. Unfortunately, I didn't, and I'm now getting the distinct impression that ordering suitable antennas from Amazon is a crapshoot, because I've found supposedly different dipole antennas, but with the exact same dimensions, being marketed for both the 915Mhz band and for the 2.4Ghz band. Surely that can't be right?! :face_with_rolling_eyes:

    https://www.amazon.com/BETAFPV-Omnidirectional-Receiver-Connector-Receiver/dp/B09B21WBYW/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1I052I5H1UXHX&keywords=915mhz%2Bdipole%2Bantenna&qid=1650497087&sprefix=915mhz%2Bdipole%2Bantenna%2Caps%2C124&sr=8-3&th=1

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    • NeverDieN Offline
      NeverDieN Offline
      NeverDie
      Hero Member
      wrote on last edited by
      #44

      This is, allegedly, one of the TX2400-JW-5 antenna's that Ebyte recommends:
      https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003096039403.html?spm=a2g0o.cart.0.0.63133c00YzHVcW&mp=1

      and this, it looks to me, is probably the same antenna, available on amazon:
      https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B093BVNPBW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

      and which I'll be testing whenever it finally arrives from amazon (sometime soon). That way I'll be testing within manufacturer guidelines.

      1 Reply Last reply
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      • NeverDieN Offline
        NeverDieN Offline
        NeverDie
        Hero Member
        wrote on last edited by NeverDie
        #45

        Reporting back: I first tried a dipole antenna bought on amazon (link above) that was allegedly for 2.4ghz:
        dipole_antenna.JPG
        I put this on both the transmitter and the receiver. The good news is that the IPEX connector made a very snug fit with the EBYTE module, but the bad news is that the results were terrible:

        5s  Hello World 1234567890*,CRC,DAAB,RSSI,-81dBm,SNR,-2dB,Length,23,Packets,1,Errors,0,IRQreg,8012
        8s  Hello World 1234567890*,CRC,DAAB,RSSI,-87dBm,SNR,-18dB,Length,23,Packets,2,Errors,0,IRQreg,8012
        10s PacketError,RSSI,-78dBm,SNR,-20dB,Length,23,Packets,2,Errors,1,IRQreg,8052,IRQ_RX_DONE,IRQ_HEADER_VALID,IRQ_CRC_ERROR,IRQ_PREAMBLE_DETECTED
        13s PacketError,RSSI,-78dBm,SNR,-14dB,Length,23,Packets,2,Errors,2,IRQreg,8052,IRQ_RX_DONE,IRQ_HEADER_VALID,IRQ_CRC_ERROR,IRQ_PREAMBLE_DETECTED
        15s  Hello World 1234567890*,CRC,DAAB,RSSI,-87dBm,SNR,-16dB,Length,23,Packets,3,Errors,2,IRQreg,8012
        18s PacketError,RSSI,-80dBm,SNR,-7dB,Length,23,Packets,3,Errors,3,IRQreg,8052,IRQ_RX_DONE,IRQ_HEADER_VALID,IRQ_CRC_ERROR,IRQ_PREAMBLE_DETECTED
        32s PacketError,RSSI,-80dBm,SNR,-14dB,Length,23,Packets,3,Errors,4,IRQreg,8052,IRQ_RX_DONE,IRQ_HEADER_VALID,IRQ_CRC_ERROR,IRQ_PREAMBLE_DETECTED
        40s PacketError,RSSI,-85dBm,SNR,-21dB,Length,23,Packets,3,Errors,5,IRQreg,8052,IRQ_RX_DONE,IRQ_HEADER_VALID,IRQ_CRC_ERROR,IRQ_PREAMBLE_DETECTED
        41s PacketError,RSSI,-86dBm,SNR,-17dB,Length,23,Packets,3,Errors,6,IRQreg,8052,IRQ_RX_DONE,IRQ_HEADER_VALID,IRQ_CRC_ERROR,IRQ_PREAMBLE_DETECTED
        101s RXTimeout
        106s PacketError,RSSI,-72dBm,SNR,-12dB,Length,23,Packets,3,Errors,7,IRQreg,8052,IRQ_RX_DONE,IRQ_HEADER_VALID,IRQ_CRC_ERROR,IRQ_PREAMBLE_DETECTED
        114s PacketError,RSSI,-75dBm,SNR,-11dB,Length,23,Packets,3,Errors,8,IRQreg,8052,IRQ_RX_DONE,IRQ_HEADER_VALID,IRQ_CRC_ERROR,IRQ_PREAMBLE_DETECTED
        116s PacketError,RSSI,-76dBm,SNR,-11dB,Length,23,Packets,3,Errors,9,IRQreg,8052,IRQ_RX_DONE,IRQ_HEADER_VALID,IRQ_CRC_ERROR,IRQ_PREAMBLE_DETECTED
        

        So, time to finally try the factory recommended antenna (also linked above). Unfortunately, the IPEX to SMA adapter I got was the wrong kind (female SMA instead of male SMA), so I had to fall back onto the only one Ipex-to-male-sma adapter I had. So, I put that on the receiver and left the transmitter with the dubious dipole antenna:
        factory_recommended.JPG
        More bad news was that the IPEX connector on this adapter made a rather loosey-goosey connection to the Ebyte module. How can that be? Are there different sizes/types of IPEX connectors or something? But, I went with it anyway because it's all I have at the moment, and the good news is that the result was tangible improvement:

        4s  Hello World 1234567890*,CRC,DAAB,RSSI,-67dBm,SNR,-3dB,Length,23,Packets,1,Errors,0,IRQreg,8012
        6s PacketError,RSSI,-67dBm,SNR,-2dB,Length,23,Packets,1,Errors,1,IRQreg,8052,IRQ_RX_DONE,IRQ_HEADER_VALID,IRQ_CRC_ERROR,IRQ_PREAMBLE_DETECTED
        7s  Hello World 1234567890*,CRC,DAAB,RSSI,-72dBm,SNR,-11dB,Length,23,Packets,2,Errors,1,IRQreg,8012
        9s  Hello World 1234567890*,CRC,DAAB,RSSI,-66dBm,SNR,-3dB,Length,23,Packets,3,Errors,1,IRQreg,8012
        10s  Hello World 1234567890*,CRC,DAAB,RSSI,-67dBm,SNR,-2dB,Length,23,Packets,4,Errors,1,IRQreg,8012
        11s  Hello World 1234567890*,CRC,DAAB,RSSI,-71dBm,SNR,-7dB,Length,23,Packets,5,Errors,1,IRQreg,8012
        13s  Hello World 1234567890*,CRC,DAAB,RSSI,-66dBm,SNR,2dB,Length,23,Packets,6,Errors,1,IRQreg,8012
        15s PacketError,RSSI,-68dBm,SNR,-6dB,Length,23,Packets,6,Errors,2,IRQreg,8052,IRQ_RX_DONE,IRQ_HEADER_VALID,IRQ_CRC_ERROR,IRQ_PREAMBLE_DETECTED
        18s  Hello World 1234567890*,CRC,DAAB,RSSI,-66dBm,SNR,-5dB,Length,23,Packets,7,Errors,2,IRQreg,8012
        19s PacketError,RSSI,-71dBm,SNR,-14dB,Length,23,Packets,7,Errors,3,IRQreg,8052,IRQ_RX_DONE,IRQ_HEADER_VALID,IRQ_CRC_ERROR,IRQ_PREAMBLE_DETECTED
        20s  Hello World 1234567890*,CRC,DAAB,RSSI,-64dBm,SNR,0dB,Length,23,Packets,8,Errors,3,IRQreg,8012
        23s  Hello World 1234567890*,CRC,DAAB,RSSI,-65dBm,SNR,0dB,Length,23,Packets,9,Errors,3,IRQreg,8012
        25s  Hello World 1234567890*,CRC,DAAB,RSSI,-66dBm,SNR,1dB,Length,23,Packets,10,Errors,3,IRQreg,8012
        28s  Hello World 1234567890*,CRC,DAAB,RSSI,-65dBm,SNR,-3dB,Length,23,Packets,11,Errors,3,IRQreg,8012
        29s  Hello World 1234567890*,CRC,DAAB,RSSI,-73dBm,SNR,-10dB,Length,23,Packets,12,Errors,3,IRQreg,8012
        30s  Hello World 1234567890*,CRC,DAAB,RSSI,-71dBm,SNR,-10dB,Length,23,Packets,13,Errors,3,IRQreg,8012
        32s PacketError,RSSI,-66dBm,SNR,-15dB,Length,23,Packets,13,Errors,4,IRQreg,8052,IRQ_RX_DONE,IRQ_HEADER_VALID,IRQ_CRC_ERROR,IRQ_PREAMBLE_DETECTED
        33s  Hello World 1234567890*,CRC,DAAB,RSSI,-71dBm,SNR,-9dB,Length,23,Packets,14,Errors,4,IRQreg,8012
        34s  Hello World 1234567890*,CRC,DAAB,RSSI,-75dBm,SNR,-12dB,Length,23,Packets,15,Errors,4,IRQreg,8012
        36s  Hello World 1234567890*,CRC,DAAB,RSSI,-74dBm,SNR,-10dB,Length,23,Packets,16,Errors,4,IRQreg,8012
        37s  Hello World 1234567890*,CRC,DAAB,RSSI,-67dBm,SNR,-1dB,Length,23,Packets,17,Errors,4,IRQreg,8012
        38s PacketError,RSSI,-72dBm,SNR,-20dB,Length,23,Packets,17,Errors,5,IRQreg,8052,IRQ_RX_DONE,IRQ_HEADER_VALID,IRQ_CRC_ERROR,IRQ_PREAMBLE_DETECTED
        39s PacketError,RSSI,-68dBm,SNR,-5dB,Length,23,Packets,17,Errors,6,IRQreg,8052,IRQ_RX_DONE,IRQ_HEADER_VALID,IRQ_CRC_ERROR,IRQ_PREAMBLE_DETECTED
        42s  Hello World 1234567890*,CRC,DAAB,RSSI,-71dBm,SNR,-7dB,Length,23,Packets,18,Errors,6,IRQreg,8012
        

        What's immediately evident is a big improvement in both the RSSI and the SNR. Bear in mind that this improvement is with the factory recommended antenna on only the receiver module. The seemingly lousy dipole antenna is still on the transmitter module.

        So.... next step is to order the right kind of IPEX to male SMA connector and see how it fares when the factory recommended antenna is connected to both the transmitter module and the receiver modules.

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        • NeverDieN Offline
          NeverDieN Offline
          NeverDie
          Hero Member
          wrote on last edited by NeverDie
          #46

          A related topic is: just what kind of component is the antenna selector anyway?
          antenna_selector.png
          My measurements suggest it is just a zero ohm resistor. It's very tiny, however, which makes it difficult to desolder and then re-solder to the right pads when changing the selection. I did do that on the receiver module, but on the transmitter module I removed the selector component and then used a solder bridge to enable the IPEX antenna connector and disable the trace antenna.

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          • NeverDieN Offline
            NeverDieN Offline
            NeverDie
            Hero Member
            wrote on last edited by NeverDie
            #47

            Reporting back: Answering my own question about the retention force on u.fl connectors, it turns out you may get only 5 connects/disconnects before the connector is shot and needs replacing. Source:
            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naJvFB52Etc

            So, I'm guessing that why the u.fl connector on only my u.fl to sma adapter cable became loosey-goosey, as I described above. Fortunately, at least according to this source, the u.fl connector on the PCB doesn't wear out. It's just the cable connector side that does.

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            • mfalkviddM Online
              mfalkviddM Online
              mfalkvidd
              Mod
              wrote on last edited by mfalkvidd
              #48

              Yes, the antenna selector is normally just a zero ohm resistor.

              About the antenna sma connector: there are 4 connectors, not 2.
              1f36edb6-0bb4-420b-b60a-f6ac252178e2-image.png

              NeverDieN 1 Reply Last reply
              1
              • mfalkviddM mfalkvidd

                Yes, the antenna selector is normally just a zero ohm resistor.

                About the antenna sma connector: there are 4 connectors, not 2.
                1f36edb6-0bb4-420b-b60a-f6ac252178e2-image.png

                NeverDieN Offline
                NeverDieN Offline
                NeverDie
                Hero Member
                wrote on last edited by NeverDie
                #49

                @mfalkvidd Thanks for that! So, it appears that what I need are the RP-SMA connectors, not the SMA connectors. All the wifi stuff is generally RP-SMA for instance. Yet another picture (duplicative of yours) to drive it home:
                alt text
                I had thought that maybe the threading was also different, but what I now gather that's not the case, as it wasn't needed to render the two standards incompatible. It's helpful to know that the RP-SMA standard was created for wifi, specifically so that wifi users wouldn't plug their wifi stuff into non-wifi stuff. Well, you potentially can, because the threading is the same, but you'll either get no joy from it or might even damage your connectors, because the inner connector will be the wrong gender. IMHO, they really should have changed the threading too as a further precaution and named it "reverse gender" instead of "reverse polarity", since polarity seemingly has nothing to do with it. i.e. the outer casing is ground in both standards, and the inner conductor is what carries the signal in both standards. But, they didn't, and now we have to live with it.

                Fun fact: what I was calling the number of "connect/disconnects" is technically referred to as the number of "mating cycles".

                mfalkviddM 1 Reply Last reply
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                • NeverDieN NeverDie

                  @mfalkvidd Thanks for that! So, it appears that what I need are the RP-SMA connectors, not the SMA connectors. All the wifi stuff is generally RP-SMA for instance. Yet another picture (duplicative of yours) to drive it home:
                  alt text
                  I had thought that maybe the threading was also different, but what I now gather that's not the case, as it wasn't needed to render the two standards incompatible. It's helpful to know that the RP-SMA standard was created for wifi, specifically so that wifi users wouldn't plug their wifi stuff into non-wifi stuff. Well, you potentially can, because the threading is the same, but you'll either get no joy from it or might even damage your connectors, because the inner connector will be the wrong gender. IMHO, they really should have changed the threading too as a further precaution and named it "reverse gender" instead of "reverse polarity", since polarity seemingly has nothing to do with it. i.e. the outer casing is ground in both standards, and the inner conductor is what carries the signal in both standards. But, they didn't, and now we have to live with it.

                  Fun fact: what I was calling the number of "connect/disconnects" is technically referred to as the number of "mating cycles".

                  mfalkviddM Online
                  mfalkviddM Online
                  mfalkvidd
                  Mod
                  wrote on last edited by mfalkvidd
                  #50

                  @NeverDie note that the picture you found has different naming for the RP variant than the picture I found.

                  RP-SMA male vs RP-SMA plug female socket
                  RP-SMA female vs RP-SMA jack male pin

                  Confusion deluxe.

                  NeverDieN 1 Reply Last reply
                  1
                  • mfalkviddM mfalkvidd

                    @NeverDie note that the picture you found has different naming for the RP variant than the picture I found.

                    RP-SMA male vs RP-SMA plug female socket
                    RP-SMA female vs RP-SMA jack male pin

                    Confusion deluxe.

                    NeverDieN Offline
                    NeverDieN Offline
                    NeverDie
                    Hero Member
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #51

                    @mfalkvidd Good catch! I hadn't even noticed until you pointed it out. If even the people who make pictures meant to clarify are confused.....

                    mfalkviddM 1 Reply Last reply
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                    • NeverDieN NeverDie

                      @mfalkvidd Good catch! I hadn't even noticed until you pointed it out. If even the people who make pictures meant to clarify are confused.....

                      mfalkviddM Online
                      mfalkviddM Online
                      mfalkvidd
                      Mod
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #52

                      @NeverDie the rule I learned (which is not politically correct, but memorable) is that the male always does the screwing and if the male doesn't have a d**k it's reverse polarity.

                      The key here is to not focus on the signal connector, but on the mating. The female versions are fixed, the male versions screw on to the female.

                      NeverDieN 1 Reply Last reply
                      1
                      • mfalkviddM mfalkvidd

                        @NeverDie the rule I learned (which is not politically correct, but memorable) is that the male always does the screwing and if the male doesn't have a d**k it's reverse polarity.

                        The key here is to not focus on the signal connector, but on the mating. The female versions are fixed, the male versions screw on to the female.

                        NeverDieN Offline
                        NeverDieN Offline
                        NeverDie
                        Hero Member
                        wrote on last edited by NeverDie
                        #53

                        @mfalkvidd After checking just now what's for sale on amazon, your picture seems to be the right one. However, that phrase you have is bringing me to the wrong conclusion (the picture I posted). I mean, consider the RP-SMA female connector picture (referring to the picture you posted). You would think that would be male if anything is if that phrase was right. I mean, it screws "into" something else, and it has a d**k. Yet, evidently, its proper designation is female. Go figure.

                        mfalkviddM 1 Reply Last reply
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                        • NeverDieN NeverDie

                          @mfalkvidd After checking just now what's for sale on amazon, your picture seems to be the right one. However, that phrase you have is bringing me to the wrong conclusion (the picture I posted). I mean, consider the RP-SMA female connector picture (referring to the picture you posted). You would think that would be male if anything is if that phrase was right. I mean, it screws "into" something else, and it has a d**k. Yet, evidently, its proper designation is female. Go figure.

                          mfalkviddM Online
                          mfalkviddM Online
                          mfalkvidd
                          Mod
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #54

                          @NeverDie no. It doesn’t screw into anything. It is fixed. It cannot be turned without turning the entire cable. Hence the male is the one doing the screwing. The male variant can turn without turning the cable.

                          NeverDieN 1 Reply Last reply
                          1
                          • mfalkviddM mfalkvidd

                            @NeverDie no. It doesn’t screw into anything. It is fixed. It cannot be turned without turning the entire cable. Hence the male is the one doing the screwing. The male variant can turn without turning the cable.

                            NeverDieN Offline
                            NeverDieN Offline
                            NeverDie
                            Hero Member
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #55

                            @mfalkvidd Thanks! It finally makes sense now that you've explained it like that.

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                            • NeverDieN Offline
                              NeverDieN Offline
                              NeverDie
                              Hero Member
                              wrote on last edited by NeverDie
                              #56

                              Which thickness of coax cable should one prefer? Is thicker generally better? For instance, here are two connector cables of the same type, and both 50 ohm, but one is 0.81mm coax, and the other is 1.13mm coax. Does the difference matter?

                              https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B098QGFZ2J/ref=crt_ewc_title_dp_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AODZVW3FCSGNT

                              https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B098QF5XF8/ref=crt_ewc_title_dp_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AODZVW3FCSGNT

                              [Edit: I do notice that they have different IPEX connectors, but I'm wondering just about the coax diameter.]

                              E 1 Reply Last reply
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                              • NeverDieN Offline
                                NeverDieN Offline
                                NeverDie
                                Hero Member
                                wrote on last edited by NeverDie
                                #57

                                I'll see it through to the end, but I think at this point Ebyte 2.4Ghz LoRa is now academic. With all this antenna nonsense getting in the way of a simple, inexpensive solution, it just doesn't hold a candle to a fully integrated solution, like this simple, compact LoRa gateway, where even a simple spring antenna is sufficient:
                                LoRa_gateway.JPG

                                The shield on top can be demounted and is a fully-standalone atmega328p driving the LoRa radio, which makes for a complete solution that's not much larger than the AI-Thinker module itself! I'll just drop a 915Mhz Ai-Thinker LoRa module into place instead of the 433Mhz module currently there, and, bang, it should "just work."

                                I suppose desoldering the IPEX connector on the EBYTE module I could perhaps make a short jumper run from a custom PCB onto the EBYTE antenna pad..... Hmmm.... Kludgy, but it might work. In contrast, however, with the AI-Thinker modules there's a through-hole already set aside for a whip antenna.

                                1 Reply Last reply
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                                • NeverDieN NeverDie

                                  Which thickness of coax cable should one prefer? Is thicker generally better? For instance, here are two connector cables of the same type, and both 50 ohm, but one is 0.81mm coax, and the other is 1.13mm coax. Does the difference matter?

                                  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B098QGFZ2J/ref=crt_ewc_title_dp_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AODZVW3FCSGNT

                                  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B098QF5XF8/ref=crt_ewc_title_dp_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AODZVW3FCSGNT

                                  [Edit: I do notice that they have different IPEX connectors, but I'm wondering just about the coax diameter.]

                                  E Offline
                                  E Offline
                                  ejlane
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #58

                                  @NeverDie The characteristic impedance of the coax is what matters. And that is all determined by the construction, which includes the thickness, but also other things, like what dielectric, and probably even what metal is used. (I don't know all the variables that they have to play with.)

                                  So it could be that both of those options you posted are fine. But buying stuff like this on Amazon, especially through third parties is a crap shoot. No telling if it will be good or not, and the reviews aren't usually very helpful, either, on RF stuff. Not saying you shouldn't do it - I will gamble myself, but just go in fully aware that your chances of getting something shoddy are good, and make sure the price you pay is worth the gamble.

                                  NeverDieN 1 Reply Last reply
                                  1
                                  • E ejlane

                                    @NeverDie The characteristic impedance of the coax is what matters. And that is all determined by the construction, which includes the thickness, but also other things, like what dielectric, and probably even what metal is used. (I don't know all the variables that they have to play with.)

                                    So it could be that both of those options you posted are fine. But buying stuff like this on Amazon, especially through third parties is a crap shoot. No telling if it will be good or not, and the reviews aren't usually very helpful, either, on RF stuff. Not saying you shouldn't do it - I will gamble myself, but just go in fully aware that your chances of getting something shoddy are good, and make sure the price you pay is worth the gamble.

                                    NeverDieN Offline
                                    NeverDieN Offline
                                    NeverDie
                                    Hero Member
                                    wrote on last edited by NeverDie
                                    #59

                                    @ejlane Agreed. Where is it that you prefer to shop?

                                    A lot of the amazon stuff is the same as what one might find on Aliexpress, but the difference is I can get it fast and with free shipping from Amazon, and returns are a breeze. When it comes to quality, I think Mouser or Digikey usually has the best, but at usually higher prices even before you figure in shipping. Is there anywhere else worth considering? Maybe there's a good resource I've overlooked.

                                    E 1 Reply Last reply
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                                    • NeverDieN NeverDie

                                      @ejlane Agreed. Where is it that you prefer to shop?

                                      A lot of the amazon stuff is the same as what one might find on Aliexpress, but the difference is I can get it fast and with free shipping from Amazon, and returns are a breeze. When it comes to quality, I think Mouser or Digikey usually has the best, but at usually higher prices even before you figure in shipping. Is there anywhere else worth considering? Maybe there's a good resource I've overlooked.

                                      E Offline
                                      E Offline
                                      ejlane
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #60

                                      @NeverDie I think you've pretty much covered it. Yes, sometimes there's no good hobby-level alternative to Amazon/Aliexpress if you want it cheap.

                                      Though someplace like SparkFun or Adafruit can be good for hobbyists, though you'll pay for it.

                                      Along with Mouser and Digikey, sometimes I have good luck with Arrow or Newark. But really, it's nice to do a search with octopart.com or findchips.com if you have a pretty good idea of what you want. They will look at lots of vendors, even some that might be shading towards gray market. Can really save some time, and sometimes find things that I never would have otherwise. Saved me a few months ago on a customer project that would have otherwise had to be completely redesigned.

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                                      • NeverDieN Offline
                                        NeverDieN Offline
                                        NeverDie
                                        Hero Member
                                        wrote on last edited by NeverDie
                                        #61

                                        Reporting back: Today I received proper IPEX to RP-SMA connector cable. I hooked up both the transmitter and receiver using them to the factory recommended 2.4ghz antennas. The transmitter and receiver are two rooms apart, and the signal has to pass through two closed doors. What I'm getting doesn't look great:

                                        4s PacketError,RSSI,-74dBm,SNR,-4dB,Length,23,Packets,0,Errors,1,IRQreg,8052,IRQ_RX_DONE,IRQ_HEADER_VALID,IRQ_CRC_ERROR,IRQ_PREAMBLE_DETECTED
                                        7s PacketError,RSSI,-79dBm,SNR,-15dB,Length,23,Packets,0,Errors,2,IRQreg,8052,IRQ_RX_DONE,IRQ_HEADER_VALID,IRQ_CRC_ERROR,IRQ_PREAMBLE_DETECTED
                                        9s PacketError,RSSI,-77dBm,SNR,-11dB,Length,23,Packets,0,Errors,3,IRQreg,8052,IRQ_RX_DONE,IRQ_HEADER_VALID,IRQ_CRC_ERROR,IRQ_PREAMBLE_DETECTED
                                        12s PacketError,RSSI,-73dBm,SNR,-1dB,Length,23,Packets,0,Errors,4,IRQreg,8052,IRQ_RX_DONE,IRQ_HEADER_VALID,IRQ_CRC_ERROR,IRQ_PREAMBLE_DETECTED
                                        13s  Hello World 1234567890*,CRC,DAAB,RSSI,-78dBm,SNR,-6dB,Length,23,Packets,1,Errors,4,IRQreg,8012
                                        14s PacketError,RSSI,-79dBm,SNR,-8dB,Length,23,Packets,1,Errors,5,IRQreg,8052,IRQ_RX_DONE,IRQ_HEADER_VALID,IRQ_CRC_ERROR,IRQ_PREAMBLE_DETECTED
                                        16s PacketError,RSSI,-78dBm,SNR,-4dB,Length,23,Packets,1,Errors,6,IRQreg,8052,IRQ_RX_DONE,IRQ_HEADER_VALID,IRQ_CRC_ERROR,IRQ_PREAMBLE_DETECTED
                                        18s PacketError,RSSI,-82dBm,SNR,-17dB,Length,23,Packets,1,Errors,7,IRQreg,8052,IRQ_RX_DONE,IRQ_HEADER_VALID,IRQ_CRC_ERROR,IRQ_PREAMBLE_DETECTED
                                        26s PacketError,RSSI,-80dBm,SNR,-22dB,Length,23,Packets,1,Errors,8,IRQreg,8020,IRQ_HEADER_ERROR,IRQ_PREAMBLE_DETECTED
                                        28s PacketError,RSSI,-79dBm,SNR,-9dB,Length,23,Packets,1,Errors,9,IRQreg,8052,IRQ_RX_DONE,IRQ_HEADER_VALID,IRQ_CRC_ERROR,IRQ_PREAMBLE_DETECTED
                                        31s PacketError,RSSI,-85dBm,SNR,-19dB,Length,23,Packets,1,Errors,10,IRQreg,8052,IRQ_RX_DONE,IRQ_HEADER_VALID,IRQ_CRC_ERROR,IRQ_PREAMBLE_DETECTED
                                        32s PacketError,RSSI,-83dBm,SNR,-7dB,Length,23,Packets,1,Errors,11,IRQreg,8052,IRQ_RX_DONE,IRQ_HEADER_VALID,IRQ_CRC_ERROR,IRQ_PREAMBLE_DETECTED
                                        35s  Hello World 1234567890*,CRC,DAAB,RSSI,-77dBm,SNR,-8dB,Length,23,Packets,2,Errors,11,IRQreg,8012
                                        37s PacketError,RSSI,-82dBm,SNR,-15dB,Length,23,Packets,2,Errors,12,IRQreg,8052,IRQ_RX_DONE,IRQ_HEADER_VALID,IRQ_CRC_ERROR,IRQ_PREAMBLE_DETECTED
                                        50s  Hello World 1234567890*,CRC,DAAB,RSSI,-81dBm,SNR,-17dB,Length,23,Packets,3,Errors,12,IRQreg,8012
                                        51s  Hello World 1234567890*,CRC,DAAB,RSSI,-81dBm,SNR,-12dB,Length,23,Packets,4,Errors,12,IRQreg,8012
                                        54s PacketError,RSSI,-79dBm,SNR,-4dB,Length,23,Packets,4,Errors,13,IRQreg,8052,IRQ_RX_DONE,IRQ_HEADER_VALID,IRQ_CRC_ERROR,IRQ_PREAMBLE_DETECTED
                                        57s  Hello World 1234567890*,CRC,DAAB,RSSI,-74dBm,SNR,-6dB,Length,23,Packets,5,Errors,13,IRQreg,8012
                                        60s PacketError,RSSI,-78dBm,SNR,-14dB,Length,23,Packets,5,Errors,14,IRQreg,8052,IRQ_RX_DONE,IRQ_HEADER_VALID,IRQ_CRC_ERROR,IRQ_PREAMBLE_DETECTED
                                        62s  Hello World 1234567890*,CRC,DAAB,RSSI,-75dBm,SNR,-6dB,Length,23,Packets,6,Errors,14,IRQreg,8012
                                        67s PacketError,RSSI,-84dBm,SNR,-20dB,Length,23,Packets,6,Errors,15,IRQreg,8052,IRQ_RX_DONE,IRQ_HEADER_VALID,IRQ_CRC_ERROR,IRQ_PREAMBLE_DETECTED
                                        69s PacketError,RSSI,-78dBm,SNR,-12dB,Length,23,Packets,6,Errors,16,IRQreg,8052,IRQ_RX_DONE,IRQ_HEADER_VALID,IRQ_CRC_ERROR,IRQ_PREAMBLE_DETECTED
                                        72s  Hello World 1234567890*,CRC,DAAB,RSSI,-77dBm,SNR,-11dB,Length,23,Packets,7,Errors,16,IRQreg,8012
                                        76s PacketError,RSSI,-79dBm,SNR,-13dB,Length,23,Packets,7,Errors,17,IRQreg,8052,IRQ_RX_DONE,IRQ_HEADER_VALID,IRQ_CRC_ERROR,IRQ_PREAMBLE_DETECTED
                                        78s  Hello World 1234567890*,CRC,DAAB,RSSI,-79dBm,SNR,-12dB,Length,23,Packets,8,Errors,17,IRQreg,8012
                                        80s  Hello World 1234567890*,CRC,DAAB,RSSI,-76dBm,SNR,-7dB,Length,23,Packets,9,Errors,17,IRQreg,8012
                                        83s PacketError,RSSI,-75dBm,SNR,-7dB,Length,23,Packets,9,Errors,18,IRQreg,8052,IRQ_RX_DONE,IRQ_HEADER_VALID,IRQ_CRC_ERROR,IRQ_PREAMBLE_DETECTED
                                        86s PacketError,RSSI,-78dBm,SNR,-6dB,Length,23,Packets,9,Errors,19,IRQreg,8052,IRQ_RX_DONE,IRQ_HEADER_VALID,IRQ_CRC_ERROR,IRQ_PREAMBLE_DETECTED
                                        103s PacketError,RSSI,-76dBm,SNR,-18dB,Length,23,Packets,9,Errors,20,IRQreg,8052,IRQ_RX_DONE,IRQ_HEADER_VALID,IRQ_CRC_ERROR,IRQ_PREAMBLE_DETECTED
                                        105s PacketError,RSSI,-81dBm,SNR,-18dB,Length,23,Packets,9,Errors,21,IRQreg,8052,IRQ_RX_DONE,IRQ_HEADER_VALID,IRQ_CRC_ERROR,IRQ_PREAMBLE_DETECTED
                                        108s PacketError,RSSI,-79dBm,SNR,-3dB,Length,23,Packets,9,Errors,22,IRQreg,8052,IRQ_RX_DONE,IRQ_HEADER_VALID,IRQ_CRC_ERROR,IRQ_PREAMBLE_DETECTED
                                        109s  Hello World 1234567890*,CRC,DAAB,RSSI,-78dBm,SNR,-3dB,Length,23,Packets,10,Errors,22,IRQreg,8012
                                        110s  Hello World 1234567890*,CRC,DAAB,RSSI,-79dBm,SNR,-6dB,Length,23,Packets,11,Errors,22,IRQreg,8012
                                        112s PacketError,RSSI,-78dBm,SNR,-3dB,Length,23,Packets,11,Errors,23,IRQreg,8052,IRQ_RX_DONE,IRQ_HEADER_VALID,IRQ_CRC_ERROR,IRQ_PREAMBLE_DETECTED
                                        

                                        I think maybe the breadboard construction and long wires are introducing too much unwanted signals, resulting in lowered performance. The only way I can think of to get rid of that would be to make a specialty PCB that puts an atmega328p in close proximity with the module, so that there aren't long wires or long traces to pick up noise along the way.

                                        Or, maybe it's something else. In any case, I'm going to pause this and switch-over to a 915Mhz AI-Thinker module to see whether I get more traction there.

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                                        • NeverDieN Offline
                                          NeverDieN Offline
                                          NeverDie
                                          Hero Member
                                          wrote on last edited by NeverDie
                                          #62

                                          Re-thinking this, probably the easiest way to exclude whether or not the breadboarding and related wiring is a crippling source of noise would be to create a PCB that an Arduino Pro Mini can dock with and which makes all the needed connections directly to the E28-2G4M27S. It's so easy that I should have thought of it in the first place! I have started work on it, and I'll post a rendering when its ready. I may post it in openhardware.io, and I think I may take a similar approach to future breakout boards as well. Pro-mini's are so cheap that it will make for a good way to test different radio modules.

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