nRF5 action!

[NeverDie]

Didn't find much. So, I ordered this:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/NRF51822-PA-LNA-remote-Bluetooth-4-module-transparent-serial-UART-sphygmomanometer-program/32818019202.html?spm=2114.search0104.3.16.FI9Dyt&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_5_10152_10065_10151_10130_10068_10344_10342_10343_10340_10341_5560012_10307_10060_10155_10154_10056_5370012_10055_10054_10059_10534_10533_10532_100031_10099_10338_10339_10103_10102_5580012_10052_10053_10107_10050_10142_10051_10324_10325_10084_513_10083_10080_10082_10081_10178_10110_10111_10112_10113_5590012_10114_143_10312_10314_5570012_10078_10079_10073,searchweb201603_25,ppcSwitch_5&btsid=85a7f5aa-077c-4499-8f02-1a3a17ca6e74&algo_expid=347478fd-3b90-441e-9a58-e5018c973274-2&algo_pvid=347478fd-3b90-441e-9a58-e5018c973274

[Jokgi]

@NeverDie Hi, Do you know how they are pulling in the PA on these nRF52832 modules? I see many people using the device in Proprietary mode. There is no hardware line like with the nRF24L & the nRF518xx devices.. (VDD_PA) The nRF52832 uses the Softdevice to control a external PA using GPIOs.. You can see them on this block diagram from the Notwired module . There will be a PA out soon from a new company called OctoTech that has a internal RF sense switch included in the part. This will make a straight PA design much easier.

[Toyman]

@Nca78 :-) it's like on Pi zero where you need to relocate an ultra tiny resistor. Definitely, beyond my smd skills.

[NeverDie]

@Jokgi said in nRF5 Bluetooth action!:

Do you know how they are pulling in the PA on these nRF52832 modules?

Good question! I'm assuming that it's simply active 100% of the time. Maybe that's why it's advertised as a PA module rather than a PA + LNA module. Even the silkscreen just says PA, with no mention of LNA. Or, since it's just PA, maybe it's controlled by the CE pin to turn it on/off(?).

I feel a bit sheepish buying it with a ceramic antenna, but, well, there's just not much in the way of alternatives right now. There was this though:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Free-shipping-NRF51822-pa-Bluetooth-module-external-pillars-antenna-CC2540-undertaking-Bluetooth-Project/32458170451.html?spm=2114.search0204.3.2.8gtlmf&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_4_10152_10065_10151_10130_5560016_10068_10344_10342_10343_10340_10341_10307_10060_10155_10154_10056_10055_10054_5370016_10059_10534_10533_10532_100031_10099_10338_10339_5580016_10103_10102_10052_10053_10107_10050_10142_10051_10324_10325_10084_513_10083_10080_10082_10081_5590016_10178_10110_10111_10112_10113_10114_143_10312_10314_10078_10079_5570016_10073,searchweb201603_17,ppcSwitch_4_ppcChannel&btsid=bb691308-6a6f-4156-b00c-1ead48bef348&algo_expid=f9b3f79a-0b94-4799-9c7d-f9f55f552603-0&algo_pvid=f9b3f79a-0b94-4799-9c7d-f9f55f552603
which is maybe better in that regard.

I think for a gateway, it would indeed be preferable to have a PA+LNA module. I see the PA-only module as being possibly useful in a handheld remote controller that's basically Tx only.

[NeverDie]

That NotWired device does sound very nice, but at $89 each, I guess it really needs to be!
https://www.notwired.co/ProductDetail/CNRF52SKY66112-NotWired-CO/605602/
If the price were lower, I'd definitely get one. Nice to know it exists though.

@Nca78 How much is the OctoTech module supposed to be priced at? Any indications?

[NeverDie]

This module looks quite interesting: it appears to have two sets of antennas! It claims to offer some kind of antenna diversity:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/nRF52832-LNA-PA-Range-Extension-EV-Board-best-sol-for-the-coming-Bluetooth-5-0-and/32778491443.html?ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_5_10152_10065_10151_10130_10068_10344_10342_10343_10340_10341_5560012_10307_10060_10155_10154_10056_5370012_10055_10054_10059_10534_10533_10532_100031_10099_10338_10339_10103_10102_5580012_10052_10053_10107_10050_10142_10051_10324_10325_10084_513_10083_10080_10082_10081_10178_10110_10111_10112_10113_5590012_10114_143_10312_10314_5570012_10078_10079_10073,searchweb201603_25,ppcSwitch_5&btsid=893e31a3-e668-41b9-862b-ec85db388059&algo_expid=439c9797-3287-4608-b652-5bcf1936fbb5-0&algo_pvid=439c9797-3287-4608-b652-5bcf1936fbb5

If it performed up to its advertised specs, it would make for one heck of a great gateway!

[NeverDie]

@Toyman said in nRF5 Bluetooth action!:

Definitely, beyond my smd skills.

I had the same concern, but it turns out that even a clumsy solder job seems to work just fine:

I was most concerned that I might create a short, so the tombstone bridge proved to me that wouldn't happen.

[NeverDie]

Not sure if this thing would work, but maybe?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01B94U438/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Jokgi]

@NeverDie This module is based on the nRF52832 and a RF AXIS PA (now purchased by Skyworks) . I happen to have one of the first prototypes. This design worked great! . Note the blue wires attached to the 32khz crystal which was later mounted on the board.. Laughing a bit here. .

[Jokgi]

@NeverDie I believe that the Notwired price you mentioned was for the full dev kit board with RF module.
The Octotech device is not out in the market yet. I don't think they will be making production modules. Probably will have dev kits and then looking for module manufactures to produce modules with their part. 0_1507066567924_8TR8210 Product Brief RevA3.2.pdf

[NeverDie]

@Jokgi said in nRF5 Bluetooth action!:

This module is based on the nRF52832 and a RF AXIS PA (now purchased by Skyworks) .

Cool! Anyone selling it now besides Aliexpress?

[NeverDie]

@Jokgi said in nRF5 Bluetooth action!:

I believe that the Notwired price you mentioned was for the full dev kit board with RF module.

I wish that were so, but it just doesn't look that way to me. It seems that the dev board that could go with it is sold separately, and is another $95:
https://www.notwired.co/ProductDetail/CWSEPARD-notWired-co/606027/

[NeverDie]

Dang, I just noticed that this board has a FEMALE ipx connector on it:
https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/1pcs-NRF52832-Bluetooth-module-M4-kernel-Bluetooth-4-1BLE-module/2629039_32821473149.html
At least the Ebyte module has a male ipx on it, which seems much more common.

[Jokgi]

@NeverDie If that is the case then I kind of limits their clientele a bit.

[Uhrheber]

@NeverDie
Exactly. There are two pads labelled SWD and SWC, originally meant for pogo pins.
I patched them with wires to the pin header.
Programming with a Chinese STLink V2 clone works flawlessly.

[Uhrheber]

@NeverDie
What antenna did you use?
It doesn't make so much sense to replace the internal 1-2dBi Antenna with an external 2-3dBi one.
Most small WiFi antennas are simply crap.
Also, 2.4GHz is a frequency so useless, that not even the radio amateurs wanted it. They have 2.3GHz.
At 2.4GHz, you may achieve a range of kilometers if you have a free sight, but not even penetrate a single wall with the same setup.

[NeverDie]

@Uhrheber said in nRF5 Bluetooth action!:

@NeverDie
What antenna did you use?
It doesn't make so much sense to replace the internal 1-2dBi Antenna with an external 2-3dBi one.
Most small WiFi antennas are simply crap.
Also, 2.4GHz is a frequency so useless, that not even the radio amateurs wanted it. They have 2.3GHz.
At 2.4GHz, you may achieve a range of kilometers if you have a free sight, but not even penetrate a single wall with the same setup.

I used an antenna that I temorarily removed from an ASUS router. I don't know what it's gain is supposed to be. However, I had similar thoughts, so yesterday I ordered this from amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073SWWMRG/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
which claims a 9db gain. It should arrive tomorrow. It's not really ideal, because it has to go through three connections (first the IPX connection and then an SMA connection and then finally the antenna connection), whereas it would be preferable to just have one connection so as to have less insertion loss. I'd be interested if you have any suggestions for something even better.

[NeverDie]

@Uhrheber said in nRF5 Bluetooth action!:

What antenna did you use?

Here's a photo of it:

[NeverDie]

@d00616

I want to transmit the shortest frame possible for my remote control packet, because that means the listen window on the receiver can be as short as possible, and that equals energy savings. To that end, looking at Figure 30: On-air packet layout in the datasheet (http://infocenter.nordicsemi.com/pdf/nRF52832_PS_v1.3.pdf), that would mean eliminating CRC, SO, LENGTH, S1, and the payload. What's left? Just an address. I could use one logical address to mean "ON", and a different logical address to mean "OFF".

I had already eliminated CRC from the radiohead code, and it all worked fine. Now I'm converting over to the MySensors transport code, and I'm wondering: how should I approach getting rid of those extra bytes using the MySensors transport code as the starting point?

[NeverDie]

I've had success in changing from sending one byte of payload to no payload at all by changing from

NRF_RADIO->PCNF0=0x80108

to

NRF_RADIO->PCNF0=0x80008

However, so far I haven't been able to shed S0 and/or S1 and still get the packet received, even if there's no payload.

Interestingly enough, the smaller frame works better than the more bloated frame. I guess less chances for it to get corrupted over the air.