Serial Gateway restarting

[Jan Gatzke]

My serial Gateway (2.1.1) is restarting in some situations. I have already replaced the hardware. It is running on an 3.3V Arduino. I am using an uncostomized version of the serial gateway sketch. Only the baud rate is reduced because of the 8 Mhz Arduino. The recommended capacitor is in place. I am using the "Newbie PCB" with an dedicated voltage regulator.
After some testing it seems that the restarts always occur when the gateway fails to transmit a message to a node. I had one node that was temporary offline. This node is normaly activated via some lua scripts in domotics. While it was offline this always caused a gateway restart.

2017-04-19 23:27:00.450  EventSystem: Event triggered: Heizung Arbeitszimmer_2
2017-04-19 23:27:00.600  MySensors: Gateway Ready...
2017-04-19 23:27:00.676  MySensors: Gateway Version: 2.1.1
2017-04-19 23:27:01.801  MySensors: Gateway Ready...
2017-04-19 23:27:01.877  MySensors: Gateway Version: 2.1.1

I have an LED actuator node which is only reliably reachable via a repeater. It seems like the gateway tries to reach it directly which sometimes fails. In these situations the switching is delayed by about 2 seconds and according to the logs the gateway restarts.

This does not occur with nodes near the gateway.

Is this a bug or expected behaviour? Or am I doing something completely wrong?

[boozz]

@Jan-Gatzke
I now and then experience the same, but in my case it seems that a lack of messages sent to the gateway cause the restart

BR,

Boozz

[gohan]

try to define parent id on the far node so that it always tries to connect via the repeater and see what happens

[Jan Gatzke]

@gohan

Does this affect messages sent from the gateway to the node, too? I found nothing in the documentation about this.

[gohan]

it affects the node that always uses the repeater and doesn't try to reach for the gateway directly.
Use
#DEFINE MY_PARENT_NODE_ID
and add the ID of the repeater

[Jan Gatzke]

@gohan

This has improved the overall latency for my node much, thanks.

Anyway the serial gateway still seems a little buggy regarding the handling of broken messages, right?

[gohan]

What do you mean?

[Jan Gatzke]

@gohan

It should not restart.

[gohan]

Ok, then it must be something else. Don't you have a regular Uno to try?

[Jan Gatzke]

@gohan

The restarts seem to have stopped after setting a static parent. But the gateway should never restart because of some failed transmission imho.

[gohan]

agreed but when communications are not optimal bugs can come out.
Maybe @Yveaux @hek can add something?

[Jan Gatzke]

Ok, now I can reproduce another bug that causes the serial gateway to restart:

2017-04-26 11:09:51.760 MySensors: Node: 14, Sketch Name: Molgan
2017-04-26 11:09:51.761 MySensors: Node: 14, Sketch Version: 1.0
2017-04-26 11:09:51.780 (MySensorsGw1) Lighting 2 (Security Sensor)
2017-04-26 11:09:51.928 MySensors: Gateway Ready...
2017-04-26 11:09:52.004 MySensors: Gateway Version: 2.1.1

I have built several nodes based on the Ikea Molgan hack

I am using the included sketch without modifications.

Every time one of these nodes starts up, the gateway restarts. Without a starting Molgan node I did not see a single gateway restart for 24 hours.

@Yveaux @hek guys, can you please have a look?

[Yveaux]

@Jan-Gatzke There's nothing special about the Molgan sketch, so I seriously doubt the Molgan causing a gateway restart.
To be able to really help, we'll need more info:

• What radio are you using?
• Are you also using MySensors 2.1.1 to build your sensors?
• You state you're using a "dedicated voltage regulator". For what? What do you use as power supply?
• Foto's of your setup; it has helped others in the past...

Initially you reported restarting issues when the gateway tried to sent to nodes which were offline. For an nRF24 this causes the radio to excessive retry sending each message, placing a burden on the power supply. My first guess would be you have a power supply issue on the gateway.

Another thing you could try is running your gateway on a 16Mhz ATMega. In general the gateway is the part in your network that needs to process the most data, and therefore would require a 'powerful' processor.

[Jan Gatzke]

@Yveaux

• Radio is nrf24l01. The version with antenna and pa + lna . http://www.ebay.de/itm/272260489477?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT .I have wrapped it in aluminum foil which improved the communications much. MY_RF24_PA_LEVEL is set to RF24_PA_HIGH.
• Yes, most of my nodes including the molgans are also 2.1.1. Some other nodes are still 1.8.
• I am using Rev 7 of this board: https://www.openhardware.io/view/4/EasyNewbie-PCB-for-MySensors . I have connected it to the 5V Line of my Raspberry Pi. Power Supply is good, the rpi runs fine and stable. On the board there is a 3.3V regulator + the recommended capacitors. I also have an additional capacitor (47 uF) soldered directly to the nrf.

[Yveaux]

@Jan-Gatzke Perform following tests (in this order):

• Test with a regular nRF24L01, non-amplified
• Power from a separate 5V power supply
• I assume you're using the suggested LE33ACZ? It can only supply 100mA (if you get the original ones, not China clones) and the amplified nRF24 is said to draw over 100mA. You wouldn't be the first having issues (see here). Try powering from a separate 3V3 power supply, bypassing the regulator on the Easy/newbie PCB.

Do you see a difference between 1.8 and 2.1.1 Molgans?

[Jan Gatzke]

@Yveaux

oops, missed this limitation of the LE33. I will replace it by an ASM1117 and test again. Thx.

[Yveaux]

@Jan-Gatzke Please perform the other tests first!
Also make sure to get a real AMS1117,! I've got some China clones that have a hard time producing even 100mA...

[Jan Gatzke]

@Yveaux I really don't know whether this is a genuine chip. But I can still reproduce the problem after replacing the LE33. Tested with a non amplified nrf24, too. Same problem.

I have restarted two other nodes with an older version of mysensors (2.0 or 1.8). The gateway did not restart.

[Yveaux]

@Jan-Gatzke so it doesn't reproduce then? Or only with 2.1.1?

[Jan Gatzke]

@Yveaux

Correct. I have tested this with some other nodes. This seems only a problem with the molgan nodes. Even other nodes with 2.1.1 work without problems. Differences I see with the Molgans is the use of the internal oscillator and the use of the smd version of the nrf.

[Yveaux]

@Jan-Gatzke well, my networks are all at 2.1.1 with Molgans. No issues whatsoever...

[Jan Gatzke]

@Yveaux

Wie probably have the same problems with the smd nrf24 that we have with the regular ones, too. There is no big capacitor in the circuit of the molgan hack pcb. Perhaps this the cause of the problems. I will try to add one.

Edit: Tried it with an additional 10 uF capacitor. That changed nothing.

[Yveaux]

@Jan-Gatzke of course that doesn't help. The batteries have sufficient power to accommodate for the required power when sending.
That's why I never add buffer capacitors to battery powered nodes.

[Jan Gatzke]

Any other ideas? Just tested with another power supply (3 * AA cell) but I am still facing the same problem.

[gohan]

Did you try RF24_PA_MIN? Just for testing

[Yveaux]

@Jan-Gatzke Try with a 16Mhz ATMega gateway setup

[Jan Gatzke]

@Yveaux @gohan

I have tested these constallations:

3.3V Arduino, RF24_PA_MIN
5V Arduino, RF24_PA_MIN
5V arduino, RF24_PA_MAX

All with the amplified and the simple version of the radio. The Result was always the same:

2017-04-28 13:45:41.346 MySensors: Node: 11, Sketch Name: Molgan
2017-04-28 13:45:41.347 MySensors: Node: 11, Sketch Version: 1.0
2017-04-28 13:45:41.380 MySensors: Gateway Ready...
2017-04-28 13:45:41.456 MySensors: Gateway Version: 2.1.1

I will try another power supply for the Pi later. Just to be sure.

Do you think it would make sense to try the git hub version of MySensors?

[Yveaux]

@Jan-Gatzke I assume the 5V versions are running at 16Mhz, right?

You can always give the most recent version a try.

[Jan Gatzke]

@Yveaux @gohan

I chose 5V / 16Mhz in the Arduino IDE. If that did not fit the serial interface would not work, right?
I will try with the git version then.

As your installation includes similar components, may I ask what your gateway looks like?

Edit: Tested with 2.2 Beta gateway. Problem seems solved. I am running on 5V 16 Mhz / RF24_PA_MAX now. Could not reproduce the problem anymore. Thx for your help!

[Yveaux]

@Jan-Gatzke said in Serial Gateway restarting:

As your installation includes similar components, may I ask what your gateway looks like?

Currently an Uno with W5100 ethernet shield, running as an MQTT client

[Jan Gatzke]

@Yveaux

Tested with 2.2 Beta gateway. Problem seems solved. I am running on 5V 16 Mhz / RF24_PA_MAX now. Could not reproduce the problem anymore. Thx for your help!