ESP8266 MQTT gateway radio problem

[ferpando]

Hello,
I created an MQTT gateway a few days ago and a node to check communication.
I'm on 2.1.1 and everything seems to work fine most of the time.

But sometimes, when powering up the node, I get lots of fail massages.

The gateway receives messages from the node, but for some reason the don't understand each other.

Here is the log from the node:

0 MCO:BGN:INIT NODE,CP=RNNNA--,VER=2.1.1
3 TSM:INIT
4 TSF:WUR:MS=0
11 TSM:INIT:TSP OK
12 TSM:INIT:STATID=50
15 TSF:SID:OK,ID=50
16 TSM:FPAR
53 TSF:MSG:SEND,50-50-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
2060 !TSM:FPAR:NO REPLY
2062 TSM:FPAR
2098 TSF:MSG:SEND,50-50-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
4106 !TSM:FPAR:NO REPLY
4108 TSM:FPAR
4144 TSF:MSG:SEND,50-50-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
6152 !TSM:FPAR:NO REPLY
6154 TSM:FPAR
6190 TSF:MSG:SEND,50-50-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
8198 !TSM:FPAR:FAIL
8199 TSM:FAIL:CNT=1
8201 TSM:FAIL:PDT
18204 TSM:FAIL:RE-INIT
18206 TSM:INIT
18213 TSM:INIT:TSP OK
18215 TSM:INIT:STATID=50
18217 TSF:SID:OK,ID=50
18220 TSM:FPAR
18256 TSF:MSG:SEND,50-50-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
20264 !TSM:FPAR:NO REPLY
20267 TSM:FPAR
20303 TSF:MSG:SEND,50-50-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
22311 !TSM:FPAR:NO REPLY
22313 TSM:FPAR
22350 TSF:MSG:SEND,50-50-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
24357 !TSM:FPAR:NO REPLY
24359 TSM:FPAR
24396 TSF:MSG:SEND,50-50-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
26403 !TSM:FPAR:FAIL
26404 TSM:FAIL:CNT=2
26406 TSM:FAIL:PDT

And here is the log from the gateway:

0;255;3;0;9;MCO:BGN:INIT GW,CP=RNNGE--,VER=2.1.1
0;255;3;0;9;TSF:LRT:OK
0;255;3;0;9;TSM:INIT
0;255;3;0;9;TSF:WUR:MS=0
scandone
state: 0 -> 2 (b0)
state: 2 -> 3 (0)
state: 3 -> 5 (10)
add 0
aid 2
cnt 
0;255;3;0;9;TSM:INIT:TSP OK
0;255;3;0;9;TSM:INIT:GW MODE
0;255;3;0;9;TSM:READY:ID=0,PAR=0,DIS=0
0;255;3;0;9;MCO:REG:NOT NEEDED
f r0, scandone
..
connected with setol, channel 6
ip:192.168.1.135,mask:255.255.255.0,gw:192.168.1.1
.IP: 192.168.1.135
0;255;3;0;9;MCO:BGN:STP
0;255;3;0;9;MCO:BGN:INIT OK,TSP=1
IP: 192.168.1.135
0;255;3;0;9;Attempting MQTT connection...
0;255;3;0;9;MQTT connected
0;255;3;0;9;Sending message on topic: mygateway1-out/0/255/0/0/18
0;255;3;0;9;Message arrived on topic: mygateway1-in/50/1/1/0/19
0;255;3;0;9;!TSF:MSG:SEND,0-0-50-50,s=1,c=1,t=19,pt=0,l=1,sg=0,ft=0,st=NACK:0
pm open,type:2 0
0;255;3;0;9;TSF:MSG:READ,50-50-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0:
0;255;3;0;9;TSF:MSG:BC
0;255;3;0;9;TSF:MSG:FPAR REQ,ID=50
0;255;3;0;9;TSF:PNG:SEND,TO=0
0;255;3;0;9;TSF:CKU:OK
0;255;3;0;9;TSF:MSG:GWL OK
0;255;3;0;9;!TSF:MSG:SEND,0-0-50-50,s=255,c=3,t=8,pt=1,l=1,sg=0,ft=0,st=NACK:0
0;255;3;0;9;TSF:MSG:READ,50-50-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0:
0;255;3;0;9;TSF:MSG:BC
0;255;3;0;9;TSF:MSG:FPAR REQ,ID=50
0;255;3;0;9;TSF:CKU:OK,FCTRL
0;255;3;0;9;TSF:MSG:GWL OK
0;255;3;0;9;!TSF:MSG:SEND,0-0-50-50,s=255,c=3,t=8,pt=1,l=1,sg=0,ft=0,st=NACK:0
0;255;3;0;9;TSF:MSG:READ,50-50-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0:
0;255;3;0;9;TSF:MSG:BC
0;255;3;0;9;TSF:MSG:FPAR REQ,ID=50
0;255;3;0;9;TSF:CKU:OK,FCTRL
0;255;3;0;9;TSF:MSG:GWL OK
0;255;3;0;9;!TSF:MSG:SEND,0-0-50-50,s=255,c=3,t=8,pt=1,l=1,sg=0,ft=0,st=NACK:0
0;255;3;0;9;TSF:MSG:READ,50-50-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0:
0;255;3;0;9;TSF:MSG:BC
0;255;3;0;9;TSF:MSG:FPAR REQ,ID=50
0;255;3;0;9;TSF:CKU:OK,FCTRL
0;255;3;0;9;TSF:MSG:GWL OK
0;255;3;0;9;!TSF:MSG:SEND,0-0-50-50,s=255,c=3,t=8,pt=1,l=1,sg=0,ft=0,st=NACK:0
0;255;3;0;9;TSF:MSG:READ,50-50-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0:
0;255;3;0;9;TSF:MSG:BC
0;255;3;0;9;TSF:MSG:FPAR REQ,ID=50
0;255;3;0;9;TSF:PNG:SEND,TO=0
0;255;3;0;9;TSF:CKU:OK
0;255;3;0;9;TSF:MSG:GWL OK
0;255;3;0;9;!TSF:MSG:SEND,0-0-50-50,s=255,c=3,t=8,pt=1,l=1,sg=0,ft=0,st=NACK:0
0;255;3;0;9;TSF:MSG:READ,50-50-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0:

I tried the log parser but I don't see where is the problem.

I'd appreciate any help.
Thanks in advance

[gohan]

Try a bigger capacitor on the gateway radio or try to move the node closer to the gateway to see if you see any change

[ferpando]

Tried all sorts of things.
Also tried the module with antenna and the one without..
The problem is random.

When it happens, I see the node sending data, and I see the gateway receiving it realtime, but the do not connect.
That's what I don't understand.

[gohan]

if you swap radio modules, do you still have the exact same problem?

[ferpando]

yes.. more or less the same

[gohan]

I had similar problem with rfm69 radios. I am waiting for other modules to arrive

[ferpando]

Thank you.
I'll keep trying some other things..

[Nca78]

Hello, it looks like a "classic" radio link quality problem.
What antenna version of the radio module did you try ? Did you use it with RF24_PA_MAX define to have maximum power ? And in that case did it have a sufficient power supply ?

I just tried a PA LNA module from CDEByte with an external antenna and even in the worst locations at the two ends of my appartment it's not losing any packet, while before I sometimes had lost packets and sensors not reporting for some time. I also had poor results with the "classic" version of the PA LNA module with antenna. So my suggestion is to try with a better pa lna module on your gateway. For example this one: https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/E01-ML01DP5-Ebyte-2-4GHz-20dBm-2100m-nRF24L01-SPI-Wireless-transceiver-module/2077046_32638720689.html

[ferpando]

Thank you.
I'll make some tests if I can find one