Connection Failure

[The Grue]

Hello,

two months ago, I tried to start with MySensors, without the tiniest success :( I tried to get some help here, without any reaction. Quite sad. But now I tried it almost from scratch - still without success, but maybe now someone can help me?

I bought new NRF24+ modules from itead. The forum somewhere claimed that they would most likely not send faked modules. Did cost a good bit more than the ones from E-Bay... who knows?

The gateway NRF24 is powered using an LM317. The oscilloscope shows no ripple at all.

The node has a 22µF Capacitor across VCC/Gnd and is configured as a pure Repeater. No additional hardware.

I updated to MySensors 2.2.0. The gateway is found in FHEM and I start the inclusion (using FHEM). The FHEM log tells me:

2018.01.28 15:16:52 1: 192.168.178.3:5003 disconnected, waiting to reappear (MySensors.Gateway)
2018.01.28 15:16:57 1: 192.168.178.3:5003 reappeared (MySensors.Gateway)

The gateway log Logparser:

0 MCO:BGN:INIT GW,CP=RNNGA---,VER=2.2.0
3 TSM:INIT
4 TSF:WUR:MS=0
11 TSM:INIT:TSP OK
12 TSM:INIT:GW MODE
14 TSM:READY:ID=0,PAR=0,DIS=0
17 MCO:REG:NOT NEEDED
319 GWT:TIN:IP=192.168.178.3
1323 MCO:BGN:STP
1324 MCO:BGN:INIT OK,TSP=1
27586 TSF:MSG:READ,255-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0:
27592 TSF:MSG:BC
27593 TSF:MSG:FPAR REQ,ID=255
27596 TSF:PNG:SEND,TO=0
27598 TSF:CKU:OK
27600 TSF:MSG:GWL OK
28616 TSF:MSG:SEND,0-0-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=8,pt=1,l=1,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:0
30430 TSF:MSG:READ,255-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0:
30435 TSF:MSG:BC
30437 TSF:MSG:FPAR REQ,ID=255
30439 TSF:CKU:OK,FCTRL
30442 TSF:MSG:GWL OK
31226 TSF:MSG:SEND,0-0-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=8,pt=1,l=1,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:0
32441 TSF:MSG:READ,255-255-0,s=1,c=3,t=3,pt=0,l=0,sg=0:
34450 TSF:MSG:READ,255-255-0,s=220,c=3,t=3,pt=0,l=0,sg=0:
36460 TSF:MSG:READ,255-255-0,s=183,c=3,t=3,pt=0,l=0,sg=0:
38469 TSF:MSG:READ,255-255-0,s=146,c=3,t=3,pt=0,l=0,sg=0:
50488 TSF:MSG:READ,255-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0:
50493 TSF:MSG:BC
50495 TSF:MSG:FPAR REQ,ID=255
50498 TSF:PNG:SEND,TO=0
50500 TSF:CKU:OK
50501 TSF:MSG:GWL OK
50867 TSF:MSG:SEND,0-0-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=8,pt=1,l=1,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:0
52499 TSF:MSG:READ,255-255-0,s=107,c=3,t=3,pt=0,l=0,sg=0:
54509 TSF:MSG:READ,255-255-0,s=71,c=3,t=3,pt=0,l=0,sg=0:
56518 TSF:MSG:READ,255-255-0,s=34,c=3,t=3,pt=0,l=0,sg=0:
58529 TSF:MSG:READ,255-255-0,s=254,c=3,t=3,pt=0,l=0,sg=0:
70549 TSF:MSG:READ,255-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0:
70554 TSF:MSG:BC
70556 TSF:MSG:FPAR REQ,ID=255
70558 TSF:PNG:SEND,TO=0
70560 TSF:CKU:OK
70562 TSF:MSG:GWL OK
71532 TSF:MSG:SEND,0-0-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=8,pt=1,l=1,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:0
72560 TSF:MSG:READ,255-255-0,s=217,c=3,t=3,pt=0,l=0,sg=0:
74570 TSF:MSG:READ,255-255-0,s=181,c=3,t=3,pt=0,l=0,sg=0:
76579 TSF:MSG:READ,255-255-0,s=144,c=3,t=3,pt=0,l=0,sg=0:
78589 TSF:MSG:READ,255-255-0,s=107,c=3,t=3,pt=0,l=0,sg=0:
90607 TSF:MSG:READ,255-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0:
90613 TSF:MSG:BC
90614 TSF:MSG:FPAR REQ,ID=255
90617 TSF:PNG:SEND,TO=0
90619 TSF:CKU:OK
90621 TSF:MSG:GWL OK
91171 TSF:MSG:SEND,0-0-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=8,pt=1,l=1,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:0
92619 TSF:MSG:READ,255-255-0,s=69,c=3,t=3,pt=0,l=0,sg=0:

The repeater log logparser:

16 MCO:BGN:INIT REPEATER,CP=RNNRA---,VER=2.2.0
26 TSM:INIT
27 TSF:WUR:MS=0
34 TSM:INIT:TSP OK
35 TSM:FPAR
37 TSF:MSG:SEND,255-255-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
801 TSF:MSG:READ,0-0-255,s=255,c=3,t=8,pt=1,l=1,sg=0:0
806 TSF:MSG:FPAR OK,ID=0,D=1
2046 TSM:FPAR:OK
2048 TSM:ID
2049 TSM:ID:REQ
2052 TSF:MSG:SEND,255-255-0-0,s=1,c=3,t=3,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
4059 TSM:ID
4060 TSM:ID:REQ
4062 TSF:MSG:SEND,255-255-0-0,s=220,c=3,t=3,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
6070 TSM:ID
6071 TSM:ID:REQ
6073 TSF:MSG:SEND,255-255-0-0,s=183,c=3,t=3,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
8081 TSM:ID
8082 TSM:ID:REQ
8084 TSF:MSG:SEND,255-255-0-0,s=146,c=3,t=3,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
10092 !TSM:ID:FAIL
10093 TSM:FAIL:CNT=1
10095 TSM:FAIL:DIS
10097 TSF:TDI:TSL
20100 TSM:FAIL:RE-INIT
20102 TSM:INIT
20109 TSM:INIT:TSP OK
20111 TSM:FPAR
20113 TSF:MSG:SEND,255-255-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
20458 TSF:MSG:READ,0-0-255,s=255,c=3,t=8,pt=1,l=1,sg=0:0
20463 TSF:MSG:FPAR OK,ID=0,D=1
22121 TSM:FPAR:OK
22122 TSM:ID
22124 TSM:ID:REQ
22126 TSF:MSG:SEND,255-255-0-0,s=107,c=3,t=3,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
24134 TSM:ID
24135 TSM:ID:REQ
24138 TSF:MSG:SEND,255-255-0-0,s=71,c=3,t=3,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
26145 TSM:ID
26146 TSM:ID:REQ
26149 TSF:MSG:SEND,255-255-0-0,s=34,c=3,t=3,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
28157 TSM:ID
28158 TSM:ID:REQ
28162 TSF:MSG:SEND,255-255-0-0,s=254,c=3,t=3,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
30169 !TSM:ID:FAIL
30170 TSM:FAIL:CNT=2
30172 TSM:FAIL:DIS
30174 TSF:TDI:TSL
40177 TSM:FAIL:RE-INIT

A look at the repeaters log and I'm completely puzzled:
806 TSF:MSG:FPAR OK,ID=0,D=1 Find parent response from node 0 is valid, distance 1 to GW

\o/ Party! Finally it works! ... but wait. A few (successful) messages later:

   10092 !TSM:ID:FAIL	
   10093 TSM:FAIL:CNT=1	Transition to Failure state, consecutive failure counter is 1

I could v*mit, excuse my language. To me it seems that the communication is ok, but there's still some error that I don't understand. Isn't there anybody who could help me? Pretty, pretty please?
I have a photo of the system attached. In the background, you see the gateway, in the foreground the repeater:

Any help will be very much appreciated, as you can imagine after two months without success...

cu
Markus

[mfalkvidd]

@the-grue sorry for your troubles. Thanks for writing such a detailed question.

I have no experience with FHEM, but 10092 !TSM:ID:FAIL means that the node did not receive a node ID from the controller. Does FHEM support handing out node ids?

You can set a static node id in your node, by using MY_NODE_ID. Example:

#define MY_NODE_ID 42 // Give this node static node id 42

placed before including MySensors.h.

As you already guessed, TSM:FPAR:OK means the node is able to communicate with its parent node, so communication seems ok. I see from your picture that the protoboard has a lot of metal close to the nrf antenna on the gateway. This could cause communication problems, so be aware of that if you start seeing messages with ST=fail.

[The Grue]

Hello mfalkvidd!

At last, some good news :) Thanks for the information. I think the FHEM guys will be able to help with the node id question. I'll be back when there's some news. Unfortunately, this could be next weekend.

Thanks again,
Markus

[gohan]

@the-grue I'd go with static node ID for now at least you would get some tests done until you get a response for fhem

[The Grue]

Hello,

thanks for your input! In the FHEM-Forum, it turned out that I erased the arduinos EEPROM using the ClearEEPROMConfig - sketch, which overwrites everything with 0, not with 0xFF. That disabled the automatig setting of the node id...

I used a sketch that overwrites with 0xFF and all is fine :)

[mfalkvidd]

@the-grue do you remember where you found that sketch? The one included in MySensors writes 0xFF. Maybe there is an old version somewhere that we should get rid of.