Changing from serial to ethernet gateway

[Dan S.]

@Corvl I am using the WizNET (Ws5100) ethernet module. Just plug it in to the Arduino like you suggested and everything will be connected properly except for the radio. That's where you have to worry about connecting it properly to the Arduino pins so that it does not use the same SCK/CK/MISO/SO/MI.MOSI as the Ethernet module, hence the use of soft spi so that you can connect the radio toA2, A1 etc. and not interfere with the Ethernet module. Also make sure that you have separate power supply for the radio since you cannot power everything from the Arduino alone.

[Corvl]

@Dan-S. said:

so that it does not use the same SCK/CK/MISO/SO/MI.MOSI

Cool that it will be working , do you have any ide than how I connect the radio? Will the sketch work than, without changing a lot of the configuration?

thanks,
Cor

[Dan S.]

@Corvl Just follow the directions for connecting the radio to pins 5, 6, A0,A1 and A2 is indicated in the build instructions on the my sensors home site. You can connected them directly to the top ethernet module pinouts since the pins on the module are identified as the same pins that plug into the arduino. They pass through the same connections and are identified the same as if you connected directly to the Arduino. Just make the software RF24_config.h change specified to make soft spi work

[Corvl]

Many Thanks Dan.
It is always a bit scary when you don't know that much about electronics.

Cor

[Corvl]

That was easy....... worked the first time and very well ....

I worried for nothing :-)

One question though; When all was funktioning fine I soldered a 12v DC (1A) adapter on the ground and Vin. The arduino normally started up ,but didn't work. I tried another 12vDC (2A) adapter , and exactly the same.

When I Plug the arduino Uno in my computer via USB or a USB charger via the USB-port , all works fine. Anyone has an idea why this is?

Thanks for all the help ,
Cor

[Dan S.]

@Corvl Should work the way you described the connection. May be a problem with the onboard voltage regulator which is supposed to provide 5 volt from the 12 volt input. When you connect USB you are inputing 5 volts. I would recommend you try connecting the adaptor via the UNO power input connector with a proper power plug rather than soldering it. I have a 9 volt adapter connected that way to my UNO and it works fine.

[Corvl]

aha , cheap chinese clone.:astonished:

It is a nano , doesn't have a power input. also the ethernet adapter has no seperate power connector.

Vinn and ground should work , and I didn't do it wrong..... wierd ..... thankfully it is working via the USB connector . I will leave it as it is in that case.

[jlieffort]

@petewill I appreciate the documentation of your experience. You have answered many of my questions. I am curious about what arduino you used for your gateway specifically how you powered it and the radio?

Also I have seen a couple of your videos where you talk about changing the channel in the my config.h file to possibly improve reception, if this is done on the gateway must you also re-upload to all your sensors?

Thanks

[petewill]

@jlieffort
Hi Jim,
Part of this is in response to your questions posted on YouTube. I powered as many devices as I could from a phone charger directly (W5100 and Pro Mini) I also believe I powered the radio from the 5v phone charger but with a 3.3v regulator and capacitors in between.

Yes, if you change the channel in myconfig.h you will have to reprogram all your sensors :(

Now for the YouTube stuff. You said you have myscontroller receiving messages from the Ethernet gateway. Does it also send them to the gateway? Are you on UI7?

[jlieffort]

Yes found this today so make more sense here. I just got the MYSController program today, so learning it. I'm using UI7. When I go into inclusion mode, I get message 1, then message 0. I am trying to add a sensor that I know works, the same way I've done many times with my serial GW. I'm kinda stuck. Soft SPI enabled in MyConfig.h,. I can see the device when I use "advanced IP scanning" tool, with the MAC that's is in the sketch and the right IP (10.0.0.50 Port 5003). Have swapped out everything except the Ethernet board 5100, exactly like the one you show above. Using a genuine Nano now. Long range NRF24 radio with antenna. Help appreciated :)

[jlieffort]

@petewill BTW my house is full of sensors because of you !! thanks it's very cool.

[petewill]

@jlieffort Hmm. Were you able to get any sensors to report via MYSController? They should start showing up without having to do anything except configure it to use the Ethernet gateway. You may also want to try switching out the long range antenna for a standard one. Those have caused issues for me.

[jlieffort]

@petewill Success well very close. Your suggestion right on.

I swapped out a long range antennae for a different long range, and I now have everything reporting and I'm able to control everything. Yeah !!! Only thing I'm having an issue with now is I can't include any new sensors? Any ideas? I have been letting it automatically add id and I just hit 200 the other day.........

[petewill]

@jlieffort said:

I just hit 200 the other day.........

You have 200 separate nodes in your house!? WOW! What are they all for?

Only thing I'm having an issue with now is I can't include any new sensors?

Where are things going wrong? Can you press the include button in Vera to have it start looking for new nodes but they just aren't recognized? Have you totally rebooted (unplugged power) Vera since adding the Ethernet controller? If you have MYSController connected make sure you shut it off when you are trying to include sensors as it could conflict.

If that doesn't help, please describe the process you are using and were it stops working in as much detail as you can.

[jlieffort]

@petewill probably using the wrong word "Node" it assigns a number and because I've been messing around with it so much, it's up to 200, I really only have about 15 my sensor devices.

When using include mode it looks like they are seen on the Myscontroller, but nothing reports back to the Vera. So I will try your idea without using Myscontroller.

Also some of my motion sensors and a home made light sensor are not communicating. All my relays are working, and some of the motion sensors close to the Ethernet gw are still working. My typical build was using a nano clone and powering the radio right off the 3.3v. Some weeks ago on my relays I added 3.3v regulated power. That seemed to make much more reliable than the clone 3.3. alone. Today I will add regulators to some that are still without.

I was also able to change my comcast modem to use a channel that was not right on top of the the mios network.

If I can get the include button to work I'm Golden, then I'm sure on the the next issue. As always you've been a great help thank you. Jim

[jlieffort]

@petewill Additionally to address your other question I have rebooted the Vera Edge by powering off and then on a couple times.

Edit: When trying to include a relay, here is the serial output:
send: 3-3-13-0 s=255,c=0,t=18,pt=0,l=5,sg=0,st=ok:1.5.1
send: 3-3-13-0 s=255,c=3,t=6,pt=1,l=1,sg=0,st=ok:13
read: 0-13-3 s=255,c=3,t=6,pt=0,l=1,sg=0:M
repeater started, id=3, parent=13, distance=2
send: 3-3-13-0 s=255,c=3,t=11,pt=0,l=5,sg=0,st=ok:Relay
send: 3-3-13-0 s=255,c=3,t=12,pt=0,l=3,sg=0,st=ok:1.0
send: 3-3-13-0 s=1,c=0,t=3,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,st=ok:

Nothing in Vera, allows to go into include mode but never recognizes the device in the interface.

[jlieffort]

@petewill
Pete link is of the screen shot from myscontroller while trying to add a new sensor, since I changed to the Ethernet GW. I have tried this many times without myscontroller turned on as per your suggestion. It looks to me like it finds the repeater and the relay switch but nothing shows up in the inclusion mode.

Have ideas why the gateway will not include any new sensors?

Screen shot of myscontroller

[jlieffort]

I was finally able to add a new relay, although the vera interface never acknowledged a new device found. It just showed up on an engine reload.

Question for you guys when you build a device on a pcb board how is it best to power it ? Run 5V to the 5v pin from a cell phone charger or use a 9v 1amp or similar transformer and run it to the VIN pin? Either way I usually use a 3.3 volt regulator for the radio. But I am curious if one way is better then the other?

[petewill]

@jlieffort
Glad you were finally able to get it to work! I don't use UI7 yet so unfortunately I can't provide much assistance with why it didn't work. Maybe next time try to manually assign a node ID instead of auto assigning them?

As for the power I use 5v almost always. That way I can power my other 5v sensors directly from the source instead of the Arduino. I think you should be fine with 9v just be careful with anything over that. I used 12v once and it fried my Pro Mini clone. Now I always use 5v :)

[jlieffort]

@petewill
I assume you bring the 5v into the 5v pin on the Arduino, not the VIN pin?

Update on the Ethernet gateway and the Vera Edge UI7 version 1.7.1707. It's working perfectly now, built a 4 relay sensor last night as a test and it added through the UI no problem at all. Sometimes the vera just acts wonky, you can reboot it, reload the engine, jump up and down and it still won't work like you think it should or it did yesterday. Come back the next day and it's working perfect. Of course when troubleshooting an issue this is a real PITA.

All but one of mysensors are communicating OK with the new gateway, the one that isn't is the furthest away from the new gateway.

Which leads me to a question, does the repeater functionality work? and do the mysensors work with other zwave repeaters, like light bulbs for instance? or do they just work with each other?

I'm trying to think of a way to communicate with that sensor on the other end of the house.

Thanks as always you've been my mentor into the world of home automation and especially mysensors.
:smile: