Electrodragon NRF Pro Mini Sensor Board

[patt896]

I've identified multiple Pro Mini NRF24l01 PCB Sensor Boards
http://dutch-arduino-tinkering.blogspot.com/2014/01/arduino-pro-mini-33v-wireless-nrf24l01.html
https://www.openhardware.io/view/480/nRF24L01-Pro-Mini-Bottom-Shield
https://www.openhardware.io/view/561/JMP-Arduino-Pro-Mini-Multisensor-Board-v21
https://forum.mysensors.org/uploads/files/1440959677580-board.png
https://github.com/tonnerre33/Soil_Moisture_Sensor_MD-cr/blob/master/Soil_Moisture_Sensor_SMD-cr.csvS

But none match Electrodragons :
http://www.electrodragon.com/product/nrf24duino-arduino-mini-plus-nrf24l01-board/

[patt896]

And Electrodragon also offers a Mini Boost Buck DC Board 1.8-5V to 3.3V, for Battery Juice R2:
http://www.electrodragon.com/product/mini-boost-buck-dc-board-1-8-5v-3-3v/

Use full battery juice!
• Super mini size 11.5×9.5mm, SOT23-6 IC with only three caps
• Input Voltag 1.8-5V, output 3.3V up to 150mA
• Constant Frequency Operation at All Loads. Low Noise Constant Frequency (1.2MHz)
Operation
• Automatic Soft-Start Reduces Inrush Current
• Shutdown Current <1 uA, No load current is 1.77mA.
• Short-Circuit Protection
• No Inductors
• Standard 2.54 pin output, 3.3V-GND-VIN (face to top), can be used as a normal SMD part.
Testing for reference:
• 1.8V VIN -> 3.3V output
• 1.5V VIN -> 3.1xV output, still can drive a lot MCUs.

Updated to R2:

[rvendrame]

Just a comment for this board, the minimum current consumption in mySensors Sleep() that I could achieve is ~700uA, with 2XAA batteries.

According to seller, this the benchmark for this board.

I should have enquired it first, before buying 10 boards... one more lesson learned!

[ncollins]

I had similar high power consumption issues with this NRFduino from electrodragon. It turns out it was the attached flash module that was consuming a lot of power.

I was able to reduce the sleep current by immediately powering down the flash module.

#include<SPIFlash.h>
 
// load user settings
#include "config.h"
// include supporting libraries
#ifdef MY_GATEWAY_ESP8266
  #include <ESP8266WiFi.h>
#endif
// load MySensors library
#include <MySensors.h>
// load NodeManager library
#include "NodeManager.h"

// create a NodeManager instance
NodeManager nodeManager;
SPIFlash flash(8);

// before
void before() {
  // setup the serial port baud rate
  Serial.begin(MY_BAUD_RATE);  
  flash.powerDown();

[rvendrame]

@nikola-collins , yes, I just got the same conclusion. After installing the latest SPIFlash lib from lowpowerlab.com, and changed the constructor to "SPIFlash flash(8)" (like your code), seems that now I have ~12uA in sleep mode.

Thanks anyway!

[xreichardx]

I am considering ordering several of these for new and future sensors. I thought I saw this board supported by myscontroller bootloader in 13pre or the github dev branch but cant seem to find it at the moment.

Has anyone tried this FOTA?

--Reichard

[ncollins]

@xreichardx I have not tried the myscontroller bootloader, sorry.

[xreichardx]

I received my order of these nrf24duinos and loaded up a Nodemanger BME280 sketch. Currently running on a battery and waking up every 10 minutes.

I installed the spiflash.h library, added the "SPIFlash flash(8);" but flash.powerDown(); throws the an error during compilation "class SPIFlash has no member named 'powerDown".

I opened the spiflash.h library and no powerDown defined. I did see sleep() though.

[ncollins]

Interesting. I might be using a different library. I would stick with the LowPowerLab version, looks like sleep is equivalent to power down.

#define SPIFLASH_SLEEP            0xB9        // deep power down

https://github.com/LowPowerLab/SPIFlash/blob/master/SPIFlash.h line 82

I guess I'm using this library, https://github.com/Marzogh/SPIMemory. It was renamed to SPIMemory.

[xreichardx]

Thanks, I'll check out that library as well.

After four days of operating on a 18650 battery, the battery voltage hasn't dropped from full charge voltage of 4.12v. I was quite pleased with the nrf24 range of these ElectroDragon boards as well.

[sergio ramos]

This post is deleted!

[xreichardx]

@sergio-ramos Did you have an issue with one? I have purchased many of them and have not had one problem.

[mfalkvidd]

@xreichardx that user was fake, copying a question from earlier in this thread and later editing the post to contain spam links.

[nagelc]

@mfalkvidd Thanks for doing this kind of work (deleting fake users and stopping spam). I am sure it is not as much fun as answering real questions about MySensors topics. But I learn so much from people in these forums, that I would hate to see it overtaken by trolls and spam.

[RPunkt]

@patt896 I have the same setting: the "Atmega328P Arduino Plus Nrf24l01+ Board, Nrf24Duino R1.6" and the "Mini Boost Buck DC Board".
But I can't get this to a current lower than 3 mA while sleeping.
This is to much for me, because I want it to be powered with 5 volt solar module in combination with a supercap.
Can You give me a hint, what to do, to reduce the power consumption?

[xreichardx]

@rpunkt if 3ma is your current draw while sleeping, you will quickly drain any battery or supercap. The "mini boost buck dc board" itself has a no-load current of 1.77mA.

Might look here for low-power libraries and design considerations:

http://www.home-automation-community.com/arduino-low-power-how-to-run-atmega328p-for-a-year-on-coin-cell-battery/

https://github.com/rocketscream/Low-Power