Short intro. I have a small Arduino device network based on MySensors with RFM69 radios, a rPi MySensors<->MQTT gateway, and a Home Assistant running on a PC server as controller.
Often my HA sends multiple commands to turn on/off relays on remote devices and although the messages arrive OK and relays actuate, the gateway does not receive the acknowledge because it starts sending a new message. And so the controller does not receive confirmation of state change on all commands sent.
The setup is based on development branch and no custom modifications.

So after going from simple Atmega328 serial gateway via mqtt, esp8266 mqtt gateway, then a Atsamd21 serial gateway via mqtt, and now the rpi gateway, problem still there.

My current solution is a queue implemented in Node-Red. Messages received form controller over mqtt are queued and sent one at a time. If ack is requested but not received in a fixed amount of time (500ms) the message is put back in queue for a total for 5 times. After 5 retries the message is dropped.

This flow work fine so far, all messages are received and acknowledged in time.

[{"id":"c00f16f5.dde598","type":"tab","label":"Flow 1","disabled":false,"info":""},{"id":"f574f085.8c965","type":"simple-queue","z":"c00f16f5.dde598","name":"","firstMessageBypass":true,"bypassInterval":"0","x":410,"y":160,"wires":[["8f09ef2d.2f651"]]},{"id":"47303c08.4463d4","type":"mqtt in","z":"c00f16f5.dde598","name":"","topic":"mysensors-in-queue/#","qos":"2","datatype":"auto","broker":"65b2b296.362e3c","x":200,"y":100,"wires":[["71271e36.f1b4c"]]},{"id":"8f09ef2d.2f651","type":"function","z":"c00f16f5.dde598","name":"process mys","func":"msg.queueLoops++;\nvar m = msg.topic;\nm = m.split('/');\nmsg.retain = false;\nflow.set('node_id',m[1]);\nflow.set('child_id',m[2]);\nflow.set('command',m[3]);\nflow.set('ack',m[4]);\nflow.set('type',m[5]);\nflow.set('payload',msg.payload);\nflow.set('receivedAt',msg.receivedAt);\nif (m[4] == \"0\" ){\n    //message does not requrire acknowladge\n    flow.set('ackRequested',0);\n    //msg.message=\"no ackRequested\";\n    node.log(Date.now() + \":\" + msg.receivedAt +\"/\" + msg.topic + \" \" + msg.payload + \" - noAck\");\n} \nelse\n{\n    //message acknowladge requested\n    flow.set('ackRequested',1);\n    msg.message=\"ackRequested!\";\n    node.log(Date.now() + \":\" + msg.receivedAt +\"/\" + msg.topic + \" \" + msg.payload + \" - ackRequested\");\n}\nmsg.topic = msg.topic.replace('mysensors-in-queue', 'mysensors-in');\nreturn msg;","outputs":1,"noerr":0,"x":570,"y":160,"wires":[["8b425bd3.630458","9ede4d44.22f1f"]]},{"id":"8b425bd3.630458","type":"function","z":"c00f16f5.dde598","name":"check ack","func":"if (flow.get('ackRequested') === 0){\n    //no ack requested, trigger new message from queue. send only trigger command\n    msg = {trigger : 1};\n    return [msg,null];\n}\nelse{\n    //ack requested, start timer and wait for reply\n    msg.mqttPayload = msg.payload\n    return [null,msg];\n}","outputs":2,"noerr":0,"x":760,"y":160,"wires":[["e2913b85.f1b368"],["d843d4a.9199228"]]},{"id":"fd5a5b49.3ec838","type":"mqtt in","z":"c00f16f5.dde598","name":"","topic":"mysensors-out/#","qos":"2","datatype":"auto","broker":"65b2b296.362e3c","x":180,"y":400,"wires":[["c8e82d0.58cabd"]]},{"id":"9ede4d44.22f1f","type":"mqtt out","z":"c00f16f5.dde598","name":"mysensors-in","topic":"","qos":"","retain":"","broker":"65b2b296.362e3c","x":770,"y":100,"wires":[]},{"id":"e2913b85.f1b368","type":"link out","z":"c00f16f5.dde598","name":"Trigger","links":["c2fcc29e.2f944"],"x":1035,"y":160,"wires":[]},{"id":"c2fcc29e.2f944","type":"link in","z":"c00f16f5.dde598","name":"Trigger","links":["e2913b85.f1b368"],"x":255,"y":160,"wires":[["f574f085.8c965"]]},{"id":"d843d4a.9199228","type":"trigger","z":"c00f16f5.dde598","op1":"","op2":"true","op1type":"nul","op2type":"bool","duration":"500","extend":false,"units":"ms","reset":"","bytopic":"all","name":"timeout","x":660,"y":260,"wires":[["956936f9.17acd8"]]},{"id":"956936f9.17acd8","type":"function","z":"c00f16f5.dde598","name":"check status","func":"var maxLoops = 5; \nif (msg.payload === true){\n    //we got a timeout, no ack received\n    if (msg.queueLoops < maxLoops) {\n        //put message back in queue\n        //check queueLopps to avoid a loop and trigger new message from queue\n        msg.payload = msg.mqttPayload;\n        flow.set('ackRequested',0);\n        node.log(msg.topic + \" \" + msg.payload + \" - ack NOK\");\n        return msg;\n    }\n    else{\n        node.log(msg.topic + \" \" + msg.payload + \" - dropped\");\n        msg = {trigger : 1};\n        return msg; \n    }\n}\nif (msg.reset == 1){\n    //ack received\n    //timeout timer canceled\n    //trigger new message from queue\n    msg = {trigger : 1};\n    return msg; \n}\nreturn null;","outputs":1,"noerr":0,"x":850,"y":260,"wires":[["38d0af8e.532d2","e2913b85.f1b368"]]},{"id":"38d0af8e.532d2","type":"function","z":"c00f16f5.dde598","name":"","func":"//simple queue discards a message if trigger propery is set\n//so we send a delayed trigger if \nif (typeof msg.topic  != \"undefined\") {\n    msg = {trigger : 1};\n    return msg;\n}","outputs":1,"noerr":0,"x":790,"y":360,"wires":[["c9ee7809.97a808"]]},{"id":"c9ee7809.97a808","type":"delay","z":"c00f16f5.dde598","name":"","pauseType":"delay","timeout":"1","timeoutUnits":"milliseconds","rate":"1","nbRateUnits":"1","rateUnits":"second","randomFirst":"1","randomLast":"5","randomUnits":"seconds","drop":false,"x":950,"y":360,"wires":[["e2913b85.f1b368"]]},{"id":"71271e36.f1b4c","type":"function","z":"c00f16f5.dde598","name":"Add info","func":"//we need a way to track how many times a message has been throw the queue to avoid an infinite loop\n//set received time of message\nmsg.receivedAt = Date.now();\n//set number of queue count to 0 for new message\nmsg.queueLoops = 0;\nreturn msg;","outputs":1,"noerr":0,"x":420,"y":100,"wires":[["f574f085.8c965"]]},{"id":"c8e82d0.58cabd","type":"function","z":"c00f16f5.dde598","name":"compare","func":"var m = msg.topic;\n\tm = m.split('/');\nif (flow.get('ackRequested') === 1){\n    if ((flow.get('node_id') === m[1]) &&\n        (flow.get('child_id') === m[2]) &&\n        (flow.get('command') === m[3]) &&\n        (flow.get('ack') === m[4]) &&\n        (flow.get('type') === m[5]) &&\n        (flow.get('payload') === msg.payload)){\n            //acknoladge received\n            flow.set('ackRequested',0);\n            msg.reset = 1;\n            node.log(  Date.now() +\":\"+\n                        flow.get('receivedAt',msg.receivedAt) +\"/\"+\n                        msg.topic + \" \" + msg.payload + \" - ack OK\");\n            msg.delay = Date.now() - flow.get('receivedAt',msg.receivedAt) ;\n            msg.node_id =  m[1];\n            return msg;\n        }\n}\nelse\n    msg.error = 1;\nreturn null;\n","outputs":1,"noerr":0,"x":480,"y":400,"wires":[["d843d4a.9199228","956936f9.17acd8"]]},{"id":"65b2b296.362e3c","type":"mqtt-broker","z":"","name":"","broker":"192.168.1.27","port":"1883","clientid":"","usetls":false,"compatmode":false,"keepalive":"60","cleansession":true,"birthTopic":"","birthQos":"0","birthPayload":"","closeTopic":"","closeQos":"0","closePayload":"","willTopic":"","willQos":"0","willPayload":""}]

requires node-red-contrib-simple-message-queue

Gateway >> Node >> Device >> Metrics

Nodes have devices attached and each device has metrics.

@NielBierman, the library provides 254 sensors definitions, and for each you can use types VAR1-5, that means 1270 distinct values.
If you have 8 soil moisture and 8 temp you should define a sensor for every pair.
Sensor 0 : VAR1 and TEMP
...
Sensor 8 : VAR1 and TEMP

I also have the gateway near the TV (behind it) with the antenna 30-40 cm below it.
The RSSI value drops for all nodes and this drop can successfully be used to detect tv on :D . With the magnetic antenna on tv's support, communication stops working even for nodes 4 m away, in the same room.

@mfalkvidd said in Best password manager?:

Bitwarden

Bitwarden self hosted works very well for me. Definitely a strong candidate for best password manager.:+1:

Hello David,

In plumbing usually we don't have the sensor directly into the water, it is put inside a copper sheath. You should find them at hardware store. Some are short, some are long (for water tanks), and some even have special accessory for cable fixing (second image).
You need to put in a T designed for your pipe type.


You can use thermal paste to increase the thermal conductivity if you want.

I don't know your application but from experience I can say, for heating, if pipes are copper/steel or if you have metal fittings, outside is ok. Mean value over a defined period of time is important.

Hope it helps.
Alex

After more investigations I believe the problem is caused by a mqtt server connection timeout.
By default the gateway tries to send the radio message 5 times. If I lower the number of retries , 2 for example, no more loop. Probably now much more then 25 messages cause a loop.

For testing I added _MQTT_client.loop() in transportSendWrite() (MyTransport.cpp) and, no more loop with default 5 retries.

Bootloader is not the problem, you should see the Ftdi Serial device even without a MCU connected.
Did you connect any power supply to the breadboard? Maybe you reversed the polarity?
It would help if you could post a schematic of the circuit and a photo with the actual circuit.

You can try with #define MY_DEBUG_VERBOSE_RFM69_REGISTERS to se if radio communication is ok and mysensors library is able to communicate with the radio. You should see registers dump at startup.

If that is ok, on the gateway you should see a "find parent request" from this node.
This should narrow the problem to "are you transmitting and not receiving", or "you are not transmitting".

@DenisJ CSN is NSS on radio module, and IRQ is DIO0