Which are the *best* NRF24L01+ modules?

rollercontainer

Holidays are over, back to work ^^
To clarify it again:
First I tried with complete 2AA slim node, several radios, sensor and the default binarySwitchSleep 2.0.0beta sketch. (15mA)
For the second run: NO radio, sensor or MySensors.h were used. Therefore I wrote a minimal sketch with SLEEP_MODE_PWR_DOWN to ensure that the AVR is going to sleep mode. (< 0,1 mA)
This leads me to the conclusion, that every of my ~20 radios is faulty. Are there any ways to prove this?

NeverDie

@rollercontainer
Sure. Buy a "known good" radio for comparison.

Samuel235

Are the radios in the store here known as good and working now? I know we had issues with a bad seller previously, has this been sorted now?

AWI

@NeverDie are you sure the node enters deep sleep? The current you measure is typical for a non sleeping radio. Main problems I have with the bad radio's is that these stay awake until they "found a parent". Where do you live? If you drop me a message I can send a tested one.

NeverDie

@AWI said:

@NeverDie are you sure the node enters deep sleep?

I don't recall. It's been a while since I ran the tests. Presently I'm using RFM69's, which draw about 100na when sleeping, but at some point this summer I hope to revisit using NRF24L01's. I've already received the SMD modules that Gert Sanders is using, and I'll be giving them a try on the boards he designed, so the odds are favorable that I'll be getting the same or similar results. I received the boards from the fab, so after I receive the remaining parts I'll do the assembly.

Earlier in this thread it was advised to order direct from Itead, on the grounds that they were manufacturing them. So, going directly to a reputable source might increase your confidence of getting what's advertised. Frankly, these things are cheap enough that I'd suggest going to several different such sources and then vet what you get using an oscilloscope. I did that earlier in this thread, and you can compare your results with the screenshots I posted to ID your chip. Of course, that by itself doesn't guarantee that the antenna was properly matched, which is why I think comparing the ranges of different modules from different sources is probably still a good idea. Even if the components are right, the dielectric of the PCB could throw off the match, and you won't know that just by looking at it.

Samuel235

Unfortunately i don't have an oscilloscope at the moment. So i have to just test them in the circuit as intended to be used.

rollercontainer

@NeverDie I already bought these ~20 radios from 5 different dealers...
@AWI I am not sure, therefore I am asking here. But what more can I do? I am using a default sketch with only this modification:

#define MY_NODE_ID 70
#define MY_PARENT_NODE_ID 0
#define MY_REPEATER_FEATURE false

The node is useable, so it sends reed contact changes to the mqttClientGateway which sends it to my raspi. Is the static method preventing the node from deep sleep?

I live in northern germany. Thx for the offer. But I dont really believe, that all radios are faulty by now.

NeverDie

@rollercontainer
I still suspect either a configuration or a measurement error. I suggest you photograph in detail everything you're doing and post it. If you're overlooking something, maybe somebody will spot it. Otherwise, there's just not much to go on.

rollercontainer

I setup a new Arduino IDE 1.6.9 portable with MySensors 1.5 and flashed a standard 8MHz bootloader with BOD off.
Idle current is nearly unmessureable by my MM, showing only 0,01 mA at 60,00 mA range.
Next step is to get a 1MHz bootloader to work with low current.

Thx for your words, guys.

rollercontainer

flashed the 1MHz Optiboot again, compiled the sketch and loaded it up. Idle current is staying under 0,01mA. So, looks like the 2.0.0beta libs are "guilty".

alexsh1

@rollercontainer Interesting...with 2.0b I have 6uA consumption in a sleep mode on Pro Mini + nrf24l01+

scalz

hi.
there is no interest to use 1mhz during sleep mode because in this mode clock is stopped. No matter the freq, if you have no problem in your circuit and software is well configured and bod disabled, just the atmel in standalone is consuming 140nA in deep sleep.
1mhz can be helpful during active mode but it reacts slower, wake up slower, and can cause trouble for communication like serial... and sometimes it can be less effective vs keeping internal rc.
But 1mhz is useful, used in certain ways of course, i use it too ;)

rollercontainer

it is working with lower voltages at 1mhz, thats the reason I use it on a 2 AA node.

Samuel235

But @scalz is saying that only in sleep mode the frequency does not matter, it has no effect on the power consumption. However, it will effect your power consumption while the MCU is awake, but there're discussions regarding the length of time its awake some times means that it uses less power if using a higher frequency due to it performing its tasks quicker and then returning to sleep.

NeverDie

So, I guess the question is whether waking up at 8mhz on 1.8v will be a problem or not. It's out of spec according to the datasheet. I'd certainly much prefer to wake-up the atmega328p at 8mhz than 4mhz or 1mhz, because then the wake-up time can be very, very short (<4us). No other setting that I know of comes anywhere close to 4us.

alexsh1

@rollercontainer I have 8Mhz working below 1.8V. The problem is that below 1.9V, it is unstable as the radio may be working intermittently. I think @GertSanders reported his node running down to 1.6V at 8Mhz. In any case, I do not think one has to run 1Mhz as power saving compare to 8Mhz is not massive and clock is not working - the latter is by far important for my needs.

doug

@rollercontainer

I have found that the NRF24L01+ PA LNA radios I have, have 100% packet loss and will not sleep if driven with voltages over 3.0v I have dropped the supply to 2.7v and now have minimal packet loss and the radios will sleep at all power level settings.

Current draw is 4.7uA including 328P + RTC when asleep as measured with a uCurrent Gold.

AWI

@doug That is an interesting observation. Was there a specific reason to test this? Have you tried other voltages also?

doug

@AWI

I was building a boost converter with one of these Texas TPS61097A-33DBVT the NRF I was using on battery didn't work with the boost CCT. I tried with 4-5 of these modules all from the same supplier and none of them worked. My scope showed they were transmitting and the uGold was showing sleep mode was not happening. When connected to an adjustable converter I notice that if I wound down the voltage under 3.0v they would spark into life. Its the same with all the NRF PA LNA modules I tried.

mortommy

I bought my first NRF24L01+ modules from cg market and I created some simple nodes (temp/hum and binary switch) using 3V coin battery, and they are up since last January. Than, I'm wondering why :unamused:, I bought other modules from another seller and I got a lot of problem: the binary switch (same of the other one in software and hardware) fails many times in sending communications to the gateway and after just 1 month I had to replace the battery; another node cannot even communicate at all if I move it in another room different from the gateway (of course I tried different values of decoupling-capacitors) :disappointed:
I have to get new modules :cry:

Which are the best NRF24L01+ modules?

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