Atmega 328p memory

[Nca78]

@dbemowsk you can also consider the NRF52 DK it's more expensive (32$ at Arrow) but you have jlink included on it to program and debug the onboard nrf52 but also any external nrf51 and nrf52 chip (and also NFC antenna and interface, and 4 extra nrf52 chips if you like SMD soldering). It also has a few LEDs and buttons to quickly make some tests, as well as nice things like jumpers to let you measure current consumption when you want to optimize a battery powered sensor.

Nrf51 is a cortex M0 with 16K or 32K RAM and 256K flash.
Nrf52 is a cortex M4F with 64K RAM and 512K flash. Way more powerful and with more advanced features.

[NeverDie]

@dbemowsk If you're in the USA (which I seem to recall that you are), I recommend the Fanstel modules, because they have passed FCC: http://www.fanstel.com/bluenor-summaries/ Also, most of them share the same pinout, which makes them easy to upgrade.

[NeverDie]

Here's a breakout board that would get you started with most of the Fanstel's:
https://www.openhardware.io/view/489/BT832X-Power-Amplified-nRF52832-Remote-Control-with-LNA

[NeverDie]

If you just want to quickly get a feel for the nRF52, though, I'd recommend getting two nRF52 DK's (one for each end of a radio link). It's probably the least frustrating way to get started, and as @nca78 mentioned, you can use them more generally later as programmers if you take a liking to nRF5's.

[dbemowsk]

@neverdie Will the nRF52s work on my nRF24 network?

[mfalkvidd]

@dbemowsk yes

[dbemowsk]

@mfalkvidd Perfect. As I mentioned, I am going to look over the modules this weekend and see if I can find one that is suited for my board.. From there I will look at fabricating a new PCB.

[NeverDie]

@dbemowsk said in Atmega 328p memory:

@neverdie Will the nRF52s work on my nRF24 network?

You mean is it backward compatible? Yes, if you use the mysensors code base. You can thank @d00616 for that. :) Otherwise it wouldn't be.

[dbemowsk]

So looking at a dev board like this one to test things, one thing that I do not see is any analog inputs. I am also wondering about an I2C connection. I am also assuming that the black connector is the programming header.

[NeverDie]

@dbemowsk Most of the GPIO pins can be assigned to be whatever you want. For instance, only one pin can serve as RESET (pin 21), but it can be re-assigned to work as an analog pin if you prefer to use it that way. Likewise, pins can be re-assigned to serve as I2C if you prefer that. All this gives you more freedom in the trace layouts. i.e. it's a good thing.

[dbemowsk]

@neverdie So they are not strictly data lines... That is nice. So what you are saying is that if I wire them to the headers on my board, I can just wire the header pins to the closest GPIO lines and then just reference them to what they are in the sketch. Can any of them be SPI bus lines also?

[NeverDie]

@dbemowsk There may be some caveats in the datasheet, but basically yes.

Good luck!

[dbemowsk]

I figured I could do my testing with one of the dev boards, and if everything works I can just design a board using one of the surface mount modules. Thanks for all the feedback.

[NeverDie]

For instance, I would suggest not using the NFC pins if you can avoid it. They can be redefined, but they aren't 100% equivalent to the other pins.

[dbemowsk]

@neverdie With the number of pins, I am sure I can avoid some without a problem.

[NeverDie]

@dbemowsk That's the spirit! You'll know soon enough if you step on something you shouldn't.

[dbemowsk]

WIth a 32 bit processor, 64kB of ram and 512kB of flash, it should have more than enough speed and space for what I want to do. Heck, I could probably fit some onboard sensors like temp and humidity and possibly power monitoring if I can figure out something with my power supply board.

[NeverDie]

@dbemowsk In practical terms, it's even better than that, because the compiled code is more dense.

[dbemowsk]

@neverdie So with all of this, would I need to upgrade my gateway to 2.1 or 2.2? I am currently on 2.0.

[NeverDie]

@dbemowsk Forget those. You need to run the most current developers release. It's the safest choice. Perhaps there's a more precise answer, but....