Nb of possible nodes in a mysensors networks with domoticz

GLAB

Hello, I am a beginner in domotic, and I have a very basic question : in a mysensors network controlled by domoticz, is it possible to use several nodes with one gateway ? I use presently -working like a charm- a network with one Uno node, with nrf24L01, with 6 children, to monitor the water level in a well and several pumps start/stop. I would like to add a 2nd node (another Uno with nrf24) in another place, reporting to the same gateway and domoticz controller, with one child sensor, but I do not manage to do it. The 2nd Uno does not appear in the list of materials / devices of mysensors box in Domoticz. Is there a special procedure I do not know to get this new node recognized in Domoticz ? What could I be missing ?
My controller and my present gateway are hosted on a raspberrypi 3.
Thanks very much in advance.

nagelc

You should be able to add up to 254 nodes on one gateway.

You might be able to get some info from the Domoticz log. In Domoticz, go to Setup->Log.
If you reset your new node, you should see messages showing the presentation info and maybe the first values.
If you don't see that, double check your hardware.
If you do see it, it should be in the Setup->Devices list.

GLAB

Thanks for your answer.
I do not see anything new in the domoticz log when I reset the Uno. Just in case, I have already changed the NRF24L01+PA&LA and added a 33uF capacity between its power lines : no change. The first node is still working perfectly, so that I assume that the reception part on the gateway and controller is OK.
I go on investigating.....

nagelc

If you haven's already, add #define MY_DEBUG to your sketch. Then, look at the serial output from the node.
If you see sancheck fail, then something is probably wrong with the wiring.
You can also paste the serial output into the decoder here: https://www.mysensors.org/build/parser
That should give you more readable info about what is gong on.

GLAB

@nagelc I have 'define my_debug' in the sketch. I get this (sample) in the log : Do you have any idea ?
....
16 MCO:BGN:INIT NODE,CP=RNNNA---,FQ=16,REL=255,VER=2.3.2
26 TSM:INIT
28 TSF:WUR:MS=0
34 TSM:INIT:TSP OK
36 TSM:FPAR
38 ?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
8085 TSM:FAIL:CNT=1
8087 TSM:FAIL:DIS
8089 TSF:TDI:TSL
18091 TSM:FAIL:RE-INIT
18093 TSM:INIT
....
And parser gives me (sample) :
34 TSM:INIT:TSP OK Transition to Init state:TSP OK
36 TSM:FPAR Transition to Find Parent state
38 ?TSF:MSG:SEND,255-255-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK: Sent Message without radio ACK
Sender: 255
Last Node: 255
Next Node: 255
Destination: 255
Sensor Id: 255
Command: INTERNAL
Message Type:I_FIND_PARENT_REQUEST
Payload Type: P_STRING
Payload Length: 0
Signing: 0
Failed uplink counter: 0
Status: OK (OK=success, NACK=no radio ACK received)
Payload:
2048 !TSM:FPAR:NO REPLY No potential parents replied to find parent request

Sasquatch

it seems your node never received any reply, are you setting you radio correctly? I'm not using nrf24l01s but you are probably using pa+lna version witn non pa+lna code...

GLAB

@Sasquatch
I often read that both types of nrf24l01 were software compatible. However a problem is possible.... Since my first node is working perfectly with a nrf24l01 PA+LA it should not be the origin of the problem. But again everything is possible.....
Another idea is that because my first node has been working successfully for several years, the nrf library it is using is old and might have been updated, and an issue might come from a non compatibility between old and new version. But I am not ready to reload an updated sketch at risk of generating unexpected trouble on my working node !!!!
I go on investigating....
One thing I will try to change is the special chip feeding the nrf24l01 from the UNO power supply (and carrying comm signals). I will try to do it.

Sasquatch

@GLAB Uno-Nrf comms are ok, your node woulnd't get to sending radio packest if radio chip comms weren't ok.
Instead of reflashing working node and gateway try backdating MySensors library in arduino. You should see what version is used in working gateway somewhere in your contrloller, or by connecing yor serial gateway directly to your PC. in case of ethernet/wifi gateway you can alco use MySController from here:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/prn9p2cnheyteopokszor/MYSController.zip?rlkey=up54kg4lt2blmff66t2jlgeo6&e=1

if your working node/gateway in on 2.00 and your new node works with that, then you can update them all with minimal risk of borking it all.

GLAB

@Sasquatch Your suggestions make sense, but I am afraid not being able to perform them without risking to damage what is already existing and working....
I go on investigating : a question I have is : could there be a conflict between existing node numbers and the number domoticz is trying to attribute ? Is there a way in the sketch to force a node number ?
Another question is [0_1737547784339_pesonHX711_mysensors.ino](Uploading 100%) did I miss something in my project of sketch ?

Many thanks again for your suggestions.

OldSurferDude

I set all of my node numbers to prevent confusion. I have 4 locations with level sensors (full/notful and empty/notempty) They run identical code. The only way I know which is which is by the node number. Before I load the code into the Arduino, I set the the 0 location of the Arduino EEPROM with the node number. The code reads the EEPROM on boot.

Many of my communication problems are the result of a loose wire. I spent a lot of time running the Getting Started code in the RF24 library by TMRh20 on two Arduinos to ensure that the Arduino is wired correctly and can send and receive data..

I mucked-up my system many times and finally decided to create a second "development" system. I use two different channels for the Arduino/MySensors networks. I like the Arduino/MySensors because they are cost-effective; the downside is the radio.

I started to migrate to ESP devices because of the built-in WiFI. The downside there is that my WiFi network can only handle about 20 WiFi devices. A Unify Lite AP solved this, but now the network costs twice as much as a MySensors network.

Good luck on your project

OSD

GLAB

@OldSurferDude
Thanks for your ideas. I know how to reset the arduino uno EEPROM locations to zero (with one of the sketches included in 'examples' of the library), but after that, how do you preset the 0 location of the EEPROM with your chosen number before loading your sketch ? And when booting, does not your sketch reinitialize the EEPROM ?
Thaznks again

OldSurferDude

here's one of my programs I use to set the node ID in EEPROM:

#define Ver 1.0

#include <EEPROM.h>

// ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------clearSerialBuffer
void clearSerialBuffer(){
  while(Serial.available()){
    Serial.read();
    delay(50);
  }

}
// ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------header
void header(){
  uint8_t EEpromInt = EEPROM.read(0);
  Serial.print(F("Current value at address (0) is "));
  Serial.println(EEpromInt);
  clearSerialBuffer();
  Serial.print(F("Enter a an unsigned integer >0 and <254: "));
}

// ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------setup
void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200); Serial.print(F("\n\rAddress As uint8_t ver ")); Serial.println(Ver);
  clearSerialBuffer();
  header();
}
// ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------loop
void loop() {
  
  if (Serial.available()){
    long inInt = Serial.parseInt();
    if (inInt <= 0 || inInt >=254){
      Serial.print(F(" I don't like '"));
      Serial.print(inInt);
      Serial.println(F("'"));
    }
    else {
      EEPROM.write(0,uint8_t(inInt));
    }
    header();
  }
}

One would run it once in the Arduino, then load the actual program..

This boiler plate show how to set the variable (and set up for data coming from Home Assistant

#define VER "01"
#define PROGRAM_NAME "PROGRAM NAME" // " " is required

// compiler directive to select development vs production environment
// comment out directive for production environment
#define DEVELOPMENT // MySensors Gateway on channel 86 otherwise 121

// Setting Node ID from EEPROM
#include <EEPROM.h>
unsigned short MY_NODE_ID = EEPROM.read(0);  // get NODE ID
unsigned short dispMY_NODE_ID = MY_NODE_ID;

/*
  ver 01
	Make notes for each version change
*/
#include <LibPrintf.h>

//--------------------------------------------------MySensors parameters

#define MY_DEBUG

// radio type, radio control pins and channel 
#define MY_RADIO_RF24
// this matches the nRF24 nano
#define MY_RF24_CS_PIN 9
#define MY_RF24_CE_PIN 10
#ifdef DEVELOPMENT
#define MY_RF24_CHANNEL 86
#else
#define MY_RF24_CHANNEL 121
#endif
#define MY_RF24_PA_LEVEL (RF24_PA_MAX)

#include <MySensors.h>
// these wait periods seem to be necessary 
#define WAIT_AFTER_SEND_MESSAGE 300,0              // ms to wait after send message
#define WAIT_AFTER_PRESENTATION 5000,0 // ms to wait after presentation message or echo was returned

// configure communication protocol to Home Assistant for power, energy, voltage, current, VA, and powerfactor
#define CHILD_ID_SENSOR_0 0   // Id of the sensor child
MyMessage msgPOWER(CHILD_ID_SENSOR_0, V_WATT);

// HA can only send text data.  If the text sent is a number, Arduino can read it as a number.
// The MySensors integration into HA cannot send numbers, but can send text.  The Arduino must define a “sensor” as V_TEXT, present it as S_INFO, and as above any value sent as it ends up at HA as text.
#define CHILD_ID_receive_from_HA 7      // ID of entity that receives numeric data from HA sent as text
MyMessage msgFrom_HA(CHILD_ID_receive_from_HA,V_TEXT); // for receiving number of counts as text



//------------------------------------------------------before (starting MySensors)
// This will display program information before attempting nRF24 network connection
void before(){ // this happens before MySensors starts
  analogReference(EXTERNAL);  // this needs to be done very near the start so ADC doesn't get buggered
  // usual program information at very start
  Serial.begin(115200);
  #ifdef DEVELOPMENT
  Serial.println("---------------------------------- DEVELOPMENT ----------------------------------");
  #endif
  Serial.print(PROGRAM_NAME);Serial.print(" version ");Serial.println(VER);
  Serial.print("Channel ");Serial.println(MY_RF24_CHANNEL);
  Serial.print("Node: ");Serial.println(dispMY_NODE_ID);
}
//-------------------------------------------------------presentation
void presentation(){
	sendSketchInfo(PROGRAM_NAME, VER,true);  // "true" means send echo request
  wait(WAIT_AFTER_PRESENTATION);
  
	present(CHILD_ID_SENSOR_0,S_POWER,"Sensor_0_name",true); 
  wait(WAIT_AFTER_PRESENTATION);
  
	present(CHILD_ID_receive_from_HA,S_INFO,"Data_for_MySensors_sensor",true); 
  wait(WAIT_AFTER_PRESENTATION);
}
 
//------------------------------------------------------setup
void setup() {
  
  // request last known kWh value from gw/HA
  send(msgPOWER.set(-2147483646),true);       // an ENERGY of 1  is ignored, used to sent the energy to no zero
  wait(WAIT_AFTER_SEND_MESSAGE); 
  wait(WAIT_AFTER_SEND_MESSAGE); 
  send(msgFrom_HA.set(0),true); // Ensures that HA sees the "sensor" 
  wait(WAIT_AFTER_SEND_MESSAGE); 
  wait(WAIT_AFTER_SEND_MESSAGE); 
 
}

volatile bool MsgReceived = false;
volatile long NumberFromHA = 0;
//------------------------------------------------------loop
void loop() {
//------------------------cumulative energy one-time initialization
  if (MsgReceived){  // message came in from HA
    MsgReceived = false;  // note that this message was processed

	// Deal with message received from HA

  }

  // Other loop stuff

}

//------------------------------------------------------receive
void receive(const MyMessage &message) {
  if (message.getType()==V_TEXT) {
    if(message.getSensor() == CHILD_ID_receive_from_HA) {  // filters out ACK messages and ensures that the data is what was intended
      MsgReceived = true;
      NumberFromHA = message.getLong();  // the reads the text sent and stores as a long integer
    }
  }
  //printf("Received Message --- command: %d Type: %d\r\n",message.getCommand(),message.getPayloadType());
}

I hope this helps

OSD

nagelc

Another thing to check if you updated MySensors after a long time. The update overwrites the MyConfig.h file. If you had any custom settings in that file, you have to go back and reset them. This used to get me because I use 915Mhz with the RFM69 radios. Updates would change it back to the default, and I would have to go change it back.

Sasquatch

@OldSurferDude
no offence but rtfm ;)

#define MY_NODE_ID 3

is all you need to set predefined node id's, change 3 to any number from 1 to 254, it's worth having a spreadsheet with assigned ID's to avoid doubles, or at least write ID on the node itself.
If you ommit above define Mysensors store ID in eeprom after it gets autoassigned by gateway/controller on first start.

OldSurferDude

@Sasquatch I do see what you mean about RTFM. Of course, that's the way one would do it if one only had one or two devices. My suggestion was biased by my situation

I have 7 nodes that have identical code except for the node number. The location of the sensor and the node number are linked and I keep track of these. The challenge is that when I update the code, I would have to compile it 7 times. But if the node number is in the EEPROM, I only have to compile it once. (My code takes several minutes to compile.)

This is how I upload the code multiple times without compiling multiple times:

With [in Preferences] Show verbose output during ... upload checked, I compile and upload to one of my devices. I capture the third line which looks something like:

"C:\Users\**user**\AppData\Local\Arduino15\packages\arduino\tools\avrdude\6.3.0-arduino17/bin/avrdude" "-CC:\Users\**user**\AppData\Local\Arduino15\packages\arduino\tools\avrdude\6.3.0-arduino17/etc/avrdude.conf" -v -V -patmega328p -carduino "-PCOM14" -b115200 -D "-Uflash:w:C:\Users\**user**\AppData\Local\arduino\sketches\B27BE0BD09045C16054140637AB4EF50/Blink.ino.hex:i"

Then I export the binary (sketch--.export compiled binary or <ctl><alt><s>) The exported binary file name is Sketchbook location/sketch name/build/arduino.avr.nano/sketch name.ino.hex. eg.

C:\Users\**user**\Documents\Arduino\_Blinkx\build\arduino.avr.nano\_Blinkx.ino.hex

This file name will replace C:\Users\**user**\AppData\Local\arduino\sketches\B27BE0BD09045C16054140637AB4EF50/_Blink.ino.hex in the above captured command. (between "-Uflash:w: and :i")

To upload the file, without compiling, paste the modified command into a command line window:

"C:\Users\**user**\AppData\Local\Arduino15\packages\arduino\tools\avrdude\6.3.0-arduino17/bin/avrdude" "-CC:\Users\**user**\AppData\Local\Arduino15\packages\arduino\tools\avrdude\6.3.0-arduino17/etc/avrdude.conf" -v -V -patmega328p -carduino "-PCOM14" -b115200 -D "-Uflash:w:C:\Users\**user**\Documents\Arduino\_Blinkx\build\arduino.avr.nano/_Blink.ino.hex:i"

I tried to be as generic as possible. Mine is a windows installation. user is replaced with your-user-name. My program was a saved version of Blink. My com port "-PCOM14", was 14. The location of the download program and the configuration file are also installation dependent. That's why I copy it all from the upload output.

OK, I have to compile twice, but only 1 time would I have to compile twice, because subsequent changes I would export-compiled-binary and use the same command.

When a device fails, I put the NODE_ID of the dead device in to the EEPROM as above and load the program.

So, yeah, RTFM. But sometimes the FM is doesn't connect the dots. That's why we have the forum. And, truly, thanks for the comment because I wasn't clear as to why I did it in such a convoluted way.

Sasquatch

@OldSurferDude
Yeah I see the special use case here.
but.
A) MySensors stores node ID in epprom without any of your code
B) Sketch without

#define MY_NODE_ID

will use eeprom stored ID, If eeprom is empty, addres 0x00=0xFF node will request ID to be assigned by gateway and save assigned ID at eeprom address 0x00
C) to retrieve eeprom stored ID you should use MySensors function :

getNodeId();

To put it bluntly your code to read/write eeprom is redudndant as everything it does is natively handled by MySensors.
Don't get me wrong, your code looks tidier than most of my "efforts" but you're reinventing the wheel here, a bit.. ;)
Neat trick with skipping compile before upload by the way.

To replace dead node all you have to do is upload simplest node sketch with definded desired node ID, let it boot to update eeprom, then load your node program using

getNodeId();

to retrieve node id if you need it in your code.

Or am I still missing something? :thinking_face:

OldSurferDude

@Sasquatch
Because I have the exact same code for all same devices, I need to predefine the node ID. Your method is to run simple code with MY_NODE_ID set so that this sets the EEPROM. I like it, though I'm a little uncomfortable with it in that I am uncertain that MySensors won't change it...I can get comfortable with it. But it's still running some simple code before loading the real code. And, the gateway has to be up and running.

If one is comfortable with MySensors taking the NodeID from the EEPROM, then my code to get the NodeID in the "real" program is redundant.

I think I did this because I was re-using my Arduinos and was unaware of the "MySensors gets new node only if address 0 is 0xFF". I got frustrated that I was getting duplicate node IDs, so I forced the issue.

In the future, I will make a note in my comments something like:

/*
MySensors gets NODE_ID from address 0 of the EEPROM.
If this value is 0xFF a random NODE_ID will be assigned
*/

Thanks for making it clear for me.

Now I remember ...

I booted up a 10 device system, all with 0xFF and the MySensors nettwork went bonkers, Most of the nodes had to go through repeater nodes (default is set to make nodes repeaters) and these repeater nodes stole the data because they had the same temporary address. Sometimes it would take hours for the MySensors network to get it all sorted out.

Sasquatch

@OldSurferDude
yeah, 10 virgin nodes powered up at the same time is a bad idea I seem to remember reading somwewhere here warning aginst that.
If yu have node ID trust issues with Mysensors you should move your address to different locaion as 0x00 is used by Mysensors... just sayin..;)

Nb of possible nodes in a mysensors networks with domoticz

24

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