Updating to 1.5 and question about RFM69HW

[Cliff Karlsson]

I have just recently started playing around with mysensors and have managed to set up a gateway using a Rasperry pi and a arduino nano connected using USB.

At the time when I set the gateway up 1.4 was the current release and now there is a new version, how do I update the nano to use 1.5?

I also have a question about the RFM69HW, I have already ordered a whole bunch of sensors, arduinos nrf2401+ but none of the items have arrived yet. Now I have read about the RFM69HW radio and found them relativly cheap on aliexpress <5$. As I have not set up any sensors yet would it be a better idea to use the RFM69HW instead of the nrf2401+ ? Also there seems to be alot of frequencies to chose from 433/868/915MHZ I would guess that 868/915Mhz would be less crowded, am I right about this?

Are there any disadvantages using the RFM69? will all the mysensors sketches work? does it draw more or less power than the cheaper alternative?

[Francois]

@Cliff-Karlsson I currently are using both the RFM69 and the NRF2401+. And from my experience I get better coverage from the RFM69. You can purchase complete units from Lowpowerlab (http://lowpowerlab.com/) or http://www.anarduino.com/miniwireless/. You can also just purchase the radio from Anarduino and his cost for the radio is $4.09. The RFM69HW is a high power radio +20 dBm Power Output Capability (longer range). I will not run this radio of batteries. How every if you look at RFM69W this is the one I am using the cost for this one is $3.80 and the out power is +13 dBm Capability and I get coverage inside and outside my house without any issue. The current I get on this radio with a door sensor (BinarySwitchSleepSensor) is 1uA in sleep mode. I also have a motion sensor and the current for this sensor in sleep mode is 30uA.

I have a power meter outside my house and could not get coverage with the normal NRF2401 even with the PA LNA radio I battle to get my pulse power sensor to work reliably. I change my pulse sensor over to the RFM69W and to date I did not have any issue with it not working

[mrmin24]

Hi,

Which gateway are you using? I am struggling with RFM69 on Ethernet.

Thanks

[Francois]

For now I am using the serial gateway.

[NeverDie]

Not sure as to current status, but at least in the past there was/is a well known bug with Arduino ethernet whereby it doesn't release the SPI bus, as it should. For the longest time the Italians weren't fixing it. AFAIK, they never did.

[riteshpatel]

@Francois can you guide me how to code rfm69 with mysensors libraries for repeater node. is 1.5 version is compatible with rfm69???

[Francois]

@riteshpatel I upgrade to version 1.6 beta as this have an must better integration with the RFM69 radios. Now you only have to configure your device in the MyConfig.h file. Also if you look at the sketch you will see you only have to #define MY_REPEATER_FEATURE to have the repeater.

// Enable debug prints to serial monitor
#define MY_DEBUG 

// Enable and select radio type attached
/m#define MY_RADIO_NRF24
#define MY_RADIO_RFM69

// Enable repeater functionality for this node
#define MY_REPEATER_FEATURE