Node - Gateway communication issues

[mihai.aldea]

I have a test setup comprised of two 3.3V Arduino Pro Minis, each hooked to an RFM69HW 433MHz module.
I configured the Temp/RH node to send the readings every second to the gateway. All works fine until either I reset the gateway, or some hickup occurs and then the remote node stops sending messages even if I reset the gateway, or reinstall its sketch. Looks like if it can't reach the gateway it enters some fault mode and stays there until I reset it.

Here's the node's sketch

#define MY_NODE_ID 2
#define MY_DEBUG
#define MY_RADIO_RFM69
#define MY_RFM69_FREQUENCY   RF69_433MHZ
#define MY_IS_RFM69HW 
#define MY_RFM69_NETWORKID     100

#include <MySensors.h>  
#include <SPI.h>
#include <Wire.h>
#include "Adafruit_Si7021.h"

#define COMPARE_TEMP 0
unsigned long SLEEP_TIME = 1000;
Adafruit_Si7021 sensor = Adafruit_Si7021();
MyMessage msgTemp(1, V_TEMP);
MyMessage msgRh(2, V_HUM);
float lastTemp;
float lastRh;
boolean requestACK = false;

void setup()  
{  
  delay(100);
  sendSketchInfo("Temperature/RH Sensor N1 RFM69", "1.1");
  sensor.begin();
  present(1, S_TEMP);
  present(2, S_HUM);
}

void loop() {
  unsigned long startTime = micros();
  lastRh = sensor.readHumidity();
  lastTemp = sensor.readTemperature();
  send(msgTemp.set(lastTemp,2));
  send(msgRh.set(lastRh,2)); 
  unsigned long endTime = micros();
  unsigned long txTime = endTime - startTime;
  Serial.print("Time awake: "); Serial.print(txTime/1000); Serial.println("ms");
  sleep(SLEEP_TIME);
}

And here's the gateway sketch

  /**
 * 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 MY_LEDS_BLINKING_FEATURE in MyConfig.h
 * - 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_RFM69_FREQUENCY   RF69_433MHZ
#define MY_IS_RFM69HW 
#define MY_RFM69_NETWORKID     100

// 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

// Flash leds on rx/tx/err
#define MY_LEDS_BLINKING_FEATURE
// Set blinking period
#define MY_DEFAULT_LED_BLINK_PERIOD 300

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

// 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 

// 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 <SPI.h>
#include <MySensors.h>  

bool promiscuousMode = true;

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

void presentation() {
 // Present locally attached sensors 
}

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

The libraries are untouched and I'm using Arduino IDE 1.6.13 with the AVR Boards version 1.6.15.
Here's what happens to the node when I reset the gateway:

Starting sensor (RRNNA-, 2.0.0)
TSM:INIT
TSM:RADIO:OK
TSP:ASSIGNID:OK (ID=2)
TSM:FPAR
TSP:MSG:SEND 2-2-255-255 s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=bc:
TSP:MSG:READ 0-0-2 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=2)
TSM:UPL
TSP:PING:SEND (dest=0)
TSP:MSG:SEND 2-2-0-0 s=255,c=3,t=24,pt=1,l=1,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:1
TSP:MSG:READ 0-0-2 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 2-2-0-0 s=255,c=3,t=11,pt=0,l=25,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:Temperature/RH Sensor N1 
TSP:MSG:SEND 2-2-0-0 s=255,c=3,t=12,pt=0,l=3,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:1.1
TSP:MSG:SEND 2-2-0-0 s=1,c=0,t=6,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:
TSP:MSG:SEND 2-2-0-0 s=2,c=0,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:
TSP:MSG:SEND 2-2-0-0 s=255,c=3,t=15,pt=6,l=2,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:0100
!TSP:MSG:SEND 2-2-0-0 s=255,c=0,t=17,pt=0,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=fail:2.0.0
TSP:MSG:SEND 2-2-0-0 s=255,c=3,t=6,pt=1,l=1,sg=0,ft=1,st=ok:0
Request registration...
TSP:MSG:SEND 2-2-0-0 s=255,c=3,t=26,pt=1,l=1,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:2
TSP:MSG:READ 0-0-2 s=255,c=3,t=27,pt=1,l=1,sg=0:1
Node registration=1
Init complete, id=2, parent=0, distance=1, registration=1
TSP:MSG:SEND 2-2-0-0 s=1,c=1,t=0,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:23.40
TSP:MSG:SEND 2-2-0-0 s=2,c=1,t=1,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:41.47
Time awake: 128ms
TSP:MSG:SEND 2-2-0-0 s=1,c=1,t=0,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:23.39
TSP:MSG:SEND 2-2-0-0 s=2,c=1,t=1,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:41.44
Time awake: 126ms
TSP:MSG:SEND 2-2-0-0 s=1,c=1,t=0,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:23.40
TSP:MSG:SEND 2-2-0-0 s=2,c=1,t=1,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:41.46
Time awake: 128ms
TSP:MSG:SEND 2-2-0-0 s=1,c=1,t=0,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:23.40
TSP:MSG:SEND 2-2-0-0 s=2,c=1,t=1,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:41.45
Time awake: 126ms
TSP:MSG:SEND 2-2-0-0 s=1,c=1,t=0,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:23.41
TSP:MSG:SEND 2-2-0-0 s=2,c=1,t=1,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:41.47
Time awake: 170ms
TSP:MSG:SEND 2-2-0-0 s=1,c=1,t=0,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:23.41
TSP:MSG:SEND 2-2-0-0 s=2,c=1,t=1,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:41.47
Time awake: 168ms
TSP:MSG:SEND 2-2-0-0 s=1,c=1,t=0,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:23.39
!TSP:MSG:SEND 2-2-0-0 s=2,c=1,t=1,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=fail:41.45
Time awake: 300ms
TSP:MSG:SEND 2-2-0-0 s=1,c=1,t=0,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=1,st=ok:23.39
TSP:MSG:SEND 2-2-0-0 s=2,c=1,t=1,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:41.47
Time awake: 147ms
TSP:MSG:SEND 2-2-0-0 s=1,c=1,t=0,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:23.40
TSP:MSG:SEND 2-2-0-0 s=2,c=1,t=1,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:41.47
Time awake: 157ms
TSP:MSG:SEND 2-2-0-0 s=1,c=1,t=0,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:23.40
TSP:MSG:SEND 2-2-0-0 s=2,c=1,t=1,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=ok:41.47
Time awake: 183ms
!TSP:MSG:SEND 2-2-0-0 s=1,c=1,t=0,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=fail:23.40
!TSP:MSG:SEND 2-2-0-0 s=2,c=1,t=1,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=1,st=fail:41.45
Time awake: 333ms
!TSP:MSG:SEND 2-2-0-0 s=1,c=1,t=0,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=2,st=fail:23.40
!TSP:MSG:SEND 2-2-0-0 s=2,c=1,t=1,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=3,st=fail:41.45
Time awake: 335ms
!TSP:MSG:SEND 2-2-0-0 s=1,c=1,t=0,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=4,st=fail:23.39
!TSP:MSG:SEND 2-2-0-0 s=2,c=1,t=1,pt=7,l=5,sg=0,ft=5,st=fail:41.46
Time awake: 335ms
!TSM:UPL FAIL, SNP
TSM:FPAR
TSP:MSG:SEND 2-2-255-255 s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=bc:
!TSP:SEND:TNR
!TSP:SEND:TNR
Time awake: 54ms
!TSP:SEND:TNR
!TSP:SEND:TNR
Time awake: 54ms
!TSP:SEND:TNR
!TSP:SEND:TNR
Time awake: 54ms
!TSP:SEND:TNR
!TSP:SEND:TNR
Time awake: 54ms
!TSP:SEND:TNR
!TSP:SEND:TNR
Time awake: 54ms
!TSP:SEND:TNR
!TSP:SEND:TNR
Time awake: 54ms
!TSP:SEND:TNR
!TSP:SEND:TNR
Time awake: 54ms
!TSP:SEND:TNR
!TSP:SEND:TNR

I don't even know what's the meaning TSP and TNR.

[mihai.aldea]

It seems that adding:

#define MY_PARENT_NODE_IS_STATIC

is of some help, however I did noticed a large increase in TX time even though i set

boolean requestACK = false;

So the whole protocol appears to resemble more with TCP rather than UDP. All things considered I believe the remote battery powered nodes should be able to successfully recover from a temporarily gateway failure without increasing their TX time substantially. The TNR state is excellent when it comes to TX time during gateway failure but it misses a mechanism to automatically recover from this state once the gateway is back. ** MY_PARENT_NODE_IS_STATIC** allows for recovery but at the expense if doubling the TX time. So in production you either manually reset all sensor nodes after a gateway failure, or you take immediate action to minimize the impact on the sensors batteries.