💬 Connecting the Radio

[hek]

@pepson said:

how long is real range on radio RFM69HW ? It is better than NRF24L01 ?

Yes, generally, lower frequency -> longer range (but also lower transmission speed).

[pepson]

But speed RFM69HW is too slow ? For use it to relay switch and some sensors... ? What is better to home automation ? RFM69HW or NRF24L01 ?

[gvorster]

@pepson said:

Hi
how long is real range on radio RFM69HW ? It is better than NRF24L01 ?

This post has some more info on this: Which is better: RFM69 or NRF24L01+

I want to use these radio's indoors and need to have a good connection through a couple of thin walls. My impression is that the RFM69 has at least better wall penetration. I'm using the RFM69HCW 868Mhz with only a 82mm wire connected to the ANT pin.

I tested the Mock sketch and enabled a few mock sensors. Throughout my appartment I have no problem having a good connection.

But, there are fake NRF24L01+ chips out there which might be the cause of my penetration connections errors.

I'm buying my RFM69 radio's from a reliable distributor in the Netherlands http://webshop.ideetron.nl/HopeRF

[pepson]

When uusing RFM69HW i must also use Capacitor as for NRF24L01 ?

[korttoma]

@pepson

I do not think that the RFM69HW is as sensitive as the NRF24L01 but adding a Capacitor will not hurt.
It also depends on how clean your power source is. If the power is clean you do not need to filter it using Capacitor.

[A Former User]

Hi guys!

I'd like to ask you about a problem. When I use RFM69 radios on my nodes, they are working fine, but when I try to use the NRFs everything is falling apart and that's driving me crazy. I can't find the solution to use NRFs (I've got 20 of them). I tried everything, read the forum a hundred times, but can't find the solution. Poer sources are perfect, every NRF has it's own 3.3v source and after a few hours or a few days perfect working, the nodes disappear (not all and not in the same time). I'm using Domoticz as controller on a RPI 2. I saw the node's L13 led's blinking is much lighter after the node disappears. When it's working okay, the led is blinking on full.

Thank you for the suggestions, and have a nice day

[mfalkvidd]

@ZsoltZombori what does the serial debug output of the nodes say?

[palande.vaibhav]

@ZsoltZombori

I had a problem of the LED on pin 13 glowing dim after some time of system running fine when I had 2 sensors connected to the Arduino and sensors had their own separate 5V power supply. So, I had a 5V power supply separate from the Arduino's 5V and that was supplying current to those sensors.

I had the sensor's data pins connected to Arduino but I didn't have GND of power supply and Arduino connected. I solved the problem by connecting the GND of power supply to the GND of the Arduino.

See if that is the case with you.

Hope this helps.

[A Former User]

@mfalkvidd I put the node on serial for the night and everything works fine now. No errors occured, I'm still waiting.
@palande-vaibhav The GNDs are always connected in my circuits to prevent GND problems. Thanks for the tip.

[palande.vaibhav]

@ZsoltZombori
Exactly that was a problem with my system too. When I had it connected to the computer using the serial cable everything would just run fine but as soon as I removed the serial cable from computer and let it run on its own with the power supply connected with a DC jack, everything would just fall apart the LED's would go dim and that's when I discovered the problem of the ground but you already have all the grounds connected so I'm out of clues here.
I would suggest you to check the power supply connections again with a multimeter to make sure that everything is connected properly.

[A Former User]

@palande.vaibhav I double checked everything and the PCB is perfect. Still waiting for a failure, but it's working now. I'm wondering what was the problem for weeks with the NRFs. The RFMs are working like a charm. Anyway, thank you for the ideas :)
Edit: there were two fails in ~21hrs, I attach the debug code:

Starting sensor (RNNNA-, 2.0.0)
TSM:INIT
TSM:RADIO:OK
TSP:ASSIGNID:OK (ID=3)
TSM:FPAR
TSP:MSG:SEND 3-3-255-255 s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=bc:
TSP:MSG:READ 0-0-3 s=255,c=3,t=8,pt=1,l=1,sg=0:0
TSP:MSG:FPAR RES (ID=0, dist=0)
TSP:MSG:PAR OK (ID=0, dist=1)
TSM:FPAR:OK
TSM:ID
TSM:CHKID:OK (ID=3)
TSM:UPL
TSP:PING:SEND (dest=0)
TSP:MSG:SEND 3-3-0-0 s=255,c=3,t=24,pt=1,l=1,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:1
TSP:MSG:READ 0-0-3 s=255,c=3,t=25,pt=1,l=1,sg=0:1
TSP:MSG:PONG RECV (hops=1)
TSP:CHKUPL:OK
TSM:UPL:OK
TSM:READY
TSP:MSG:SEND 3-3-0-0 s=255,c=3,t=15,pt=6,l=2,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:0100
TSP:MSG:SEND 3-3-0-0 s=255,c=0,t=17,pt=0,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:2.0.0
TSP:MSG:SEND 3-3-0-0 s=255,c=3,t=6,pt=1,l=1,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:0
TSP:MSG:READ 0-0-3 s=255,c=3,t=15,pt=6,l=2,sg=0:0100
TSP:MSG:READ 0-0-3 s=255,c=3,t=6,pt=0,l=1,sg=0:M
TSP:MSG:SEND 3-3-0-0 s=255,c=3,t=11,pt=0,l=18,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:Temperature Sensor
TSP:MSG:SEND 3-3-0-0 s=255,c=3,t=12,pt=0,l=3,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:1.1
TSP:MSG:SEND 3-3-0-0 s=0,c=0,t=6,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:
Request registration...
TSP:MSG:SEND 3-3-0-0 s=255,c=3,t=26,pt=1,l=1,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:2
TSP:MSG:READ 0-0-3 s=255,c=3,t=27,pt=1,l=1,sg=0:1
Node registration=1
Init complete, id=3, parent=0, distance=1, registration=1
TSP:MSG:SEND 3-3-0-0 s=0,c=1,t=0,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:22.6
TSP:MSG:SEND 3-3-0-0 s=0,c=1,t=0,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:22.6
TSP:MSG:SEND 3-3-0-0 s=0,c=1,t=0,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:22.6
[...]
TSP:MSG:SEND 3-3-0-0 s=0,c=1,t=0,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:22.6
!TSP:MSG:SEND 3-3-0-0 s=0,c=1,t=0,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=fail:22.6
TSP:MSG:SEND 3-3-0-0 s=0,c=1,t=0,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=1,st=ok:22.6
TSP:MSG:SEND 3-3-0-0 s=0,c=1,t=0,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:22.6
[...]
TSP:MSG:SEND 3-3-0-0 s=0,c=1,t=0,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:22.5
!TSP:MSG:SEND 3-3-0-0 s=0,c=1,t=0,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=fail:22.5
TSP:MSG:SEND 3-3-0-0 s=0,c=1,t=0,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=1,st=ok:22.5
TSP:MSG:SEND 3-3-0-0 s=0,c=1,t=0,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:22.4
TSP:MSG:SEND 3-3-0-0 s=0,c=1,t=0,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:22.4
TSP:MSG:SEND 3-3-0-0 s=0,c=1,t=0,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:22.4
[...]
TSP:MSG:SEND 3-3-0-0 s=0,c=1,t=0,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:22.5
TSP:MSG:SEND 3-3-0-0 s=0,c=1,t=0,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:22.5
TSP:MSG:SEND 3-3-0-0 s=0,c=1,t=0,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:22.5
TSP:MSG:SEND 3-3-0-0 s=0,c=1,t=0,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:22.4
TSP:MSG:SEND 3-3-0-0 s=0,c=1,t=0,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:22.4
TSP:MSG:SEND 3-3-0-0 s=0,c=1,t=0,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:22.4

[pepson]

How i must change sketch Gateway and node to use radio RFM69HW ? In sketch i see only for simple RFM69 not RFM69HW.

[scalz]

for using RFM69HW, you just need to use the common rfm69 defines and add this

#define MY_IS_RFM69HW

[rmtucker]

@scalz
Do you add the rfm69hw def to the gateway sketch or to the myconfig.h?

[korttoma]

@rmtucker

You add the #define to your sketch

Hi @scalz ,
Will a RFM69HW work without the "#define MY_IS_RFM69HW" ?

What exactly does this #define do for the HW version?

Have only used RFM69W so far but have ordered some HW now also.

[scalz]

to your GW sketch.
Also, for using RFM69H you need this define,else the radio can't work properly. This allow us to set the right Radio power level registers in lib.
@korttoma just curious :) Have you tried my rfm69 repo?

[korttoma]

@scalz
So does a H version radio work if you do not set the high power registers?

@scalz said:

@korttoma just curious Have you tried my rfm69 repo?

Sorry, I have not yet had the opportunity to test your repo. There is so much non MySensors activities now when Christmas is approaching.

[pepson]

With radio RFM69HW for gateway sketch should looks as:

/**

• The MySensors Arduino library handles the wireless radio link and protocol
• between your home built sensors/actuators and HA controller of choice.
• The sensors forms a self healing radio network with optional repeaters. Each
• repeater and gateway builds a routing tables in EEPROM which keeps track of the
• network topology allowing messages to be routed to nodes.
• Created by Henrik Ekblad henrik.ekblad@mysensors.org
• Copyright (C) 2013-2015 Sensnology AB
• Full contributor list: https://github.com/mysensors/Arduino/graphs/contributors
• Documentation: http://www.mysensors.org
• Support Forum: http://forum.mysensors.org
• This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
• modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License
• version 2 as published by the Free Software Foundation.

---

• DESCRIPTION
• The ArduinoGateway prints data received from sensors on the serial link.
• The gateway accepts input on seral which will be sent out on radio network.
• The GW code is designed for Arduino Nano 328p / 16MHz
• Wire connections (OPTIONAL):
• • Inclusion button should be connected between digital pin 3 and GND
• • RX/TX/ERR leds need to be connected between +5V (anode) and digital pin 6/5/4 with resistor 270-330R in a series
• LEDs (OPTIONAL):
• • To use the feature, uncomment any of the MY_DEFAULT_xx_LED_PINs
• • RX (green) - blink fast on radio message recieved. In inclusion mode will blink fast only on presentation recieved
• • TX (yellow) - blink fast on radio message transmitted. In inclusion mode will blink slowly
• • ERR (red) - fast blink on error during transmission error or recieve crc error

*/

// Enable debug prints to serial monitor
#define MY_DEBUG

// Enable and select radio type attached
//#define MY_RADIO_NRF24
#define MY_RADIO_RFM69
#define MY_IS_RFM69HW

// Set LOW transmit power level as default, if you have an amplified NRF-module and
// power your radio separately with a good regulator you can turn up PA level.
//#define MY_RF24_PA_LEVEL RF24_PA_LOW

// Enable serial gateway
#define MY_GATEWAY_SERIAL

// Define a lower baud rate for Arduino's running on 8 MHz (Arduino Pro Mini 3.3V & SenseBender)
#if F_CPU == 8000000L
#define MY_BAUD_RATE 38400
#endif

// Enable inclusion mode
#define MY_INCLUSION_MODE_FEATURE
// Enable Inclusion mode button on gateway
//#define MY_INCLUSION_BUTTON_FEATURE

// Inverses behavior of inclusion button (if using external pullup)
//#define MY_INCLUSION_BUTTON_EXTERNAL_PULLUP

// Set inclusion mode duration (in seconds)
#define MY_INCLUSION_MODE_DURATION 60
// Digital pin used for inclusion mode button
//#define MY_INCLUSION_MODE_BUTTON_PIN 3

// Set blinking period
#define MY_DEFAULT_LED_BLINK_PERIOD 300

// Inverses the behavior of leds
//#define MY_WITH_LEDS_BLINKING_INVERSE

// Flash leds on rx/tx/err
// Uncomment to override default HW configurations
//#define MY_DEFAULT_ERR_LED_PIN 4 // Error led pin
//#define MY_DEFAULT_RX_LED_PIN 6 // Receive led pin
//#define MY_DEFAULT_TX_LED_PIN 5 // the PCB, on board LED

#include <MySensors.h>

void setup() {
// Setup locally attached sensors
}

void presentation() {
// Present locally attached sensors

// Send the sketch version information to the gateway and Controller
sendSketchInfo("MySensors Serial Gateway", "2.0.0");
}

void loop() {
// Send locally attached sensor data here
}

?????

[scalz]

@pepson if you're using an Arduino Mini pro or equivalent, and follow the recommanded wiring for the radio (CS and INT), looks ok to me.

@korttoma oki. no it won't work if the define is not set for HW version, and vice versa. Because the W and HW use different registers for setting power levels

[pepson]

Now i test it on Arduino nano byt finally i want use it on Arduino Mini Pro. Wirering i use as show on this page.