Posts made by sonicblaze

@m26872 Good call on the 9v. It reminded me I had a couple 9V battery holders sitting around. I ran it into Raw/Ground as suggested, and the ping sensor is right on the target with distances now.

Someone more talented than me might be able to modify the NewPing code to listen only for echos without sending out triggers, and I'd be willing to test it with the StepUp module and see if it's hearing responses without sending out pings.

@hek it might be worth adding a note to the Distance sensor page about StepUp's possibly interfering.

@m26872 A stepdown wouldn't work. Using a stepup on the 3AA's is to provide constant 5V, even when the batteries are almost dead.

It's only incorrect when something is powered by the battery + stepup it seems.

Sr04 via benchtop + arduino via battery/stepup = incorrect

Sr04 via battery + aruino via benchtop = invorrect

Sr04 & arduino via battery/stepup = incorrect

Sr04 & arduino via benchtop OR ftdi/usb = correct

The only thing I can guess is the Stepup module is emitting a frequency that the SR04 is picking up as the "echo" to the "ping" it sends out on trigger.

And I did check the dc-dc stepup, it's rated for 500ma, so it shouldn't be an issue of trying to draw too much current through it.

And as for the decoupling capacitor across both radio/SR04 circuits, I figured moving the SR04 to be powered from my benchtop supply should achieve the same thing/more, since any spikes/valleys/noise introduced by the draw of the radio would be isolated away at that point.

I actually just tried powering the distance sensor from my bench power supply, while the arduino was powered via battery. I still got inaccurate readings. However all the same components powered through the Arduino while powered by the FTDI via USB and it's accurate every time.

I'm at a loss...I've got this same setup of 3AA->Booster->Arduino running temperature sensors and they are working perfect.

@BulldogLowell I tried a cap across the SR04 and it made no difference. I never added one to my radio as I didn't have comm problems and it's going through a step-down.

I have a 3AA battery pack, going through a DC-DC Step Up Boost Module to ensure 5V. This is feeding a 5V Arduino Pro Mini 5V, which feeds a HC-SR04.

When the Arduino is powered via USB outputting ~5.2V through the FTDI, it reports distance properly. I can measure to my ceiling 8ft away and it's accurate to 2-3cm.

When fed via the battery/step up either feeding into RAW or VCC on the Arduino, the distance reports incorrectly. It's accurate up to about 9cm, and then it just never reports anything further away.

I've verified voltage at the Arduino via the StepUp and I'm getting 5.13. Verified voltage at the Sr04 as well from both power sources, and USB is 5.04v and StepUp is 5.13v via VCC and 4.94 via RAW.

The data table on the Humidity sensor page, http://mysensors.org/build/humidity, is incorrect. It lists the DHT22 having a top temperature range of 125C, however it is only 80C.

I finally got some + versions from AliExpress. Plugged them in, and everything came to life immediately. Amazing what happens when you receive the right parts.

FYI Alice's breaking point seems to be leaving negative feedback on their seller account. As soon as I did that, their messages immediately turned to "I'll do whatever, please change your feedback. Is a refund ok?"

Be prepared to argue with Alice even in the dispute. Guessing eBay themselves or PayPal will have to get involved.

I've told them over and over it's not the plus chip, even provided the rf24::printDetails output proving it. Message I just got was "i think you First impressions are firmly entrenched in this issue .
if you are willing to have a test it , you will find that the item you purchase from me even without the " + " can still in the same use . "

Idiot won't even acknowledge the chips do different things, even though I've told them the data rate difference and even linked the spec sheets from Nordic.

@boozz I'd open a case on eBay and get a refund and repurchase personally

Somewhere around post 33 I put what to change for 1MBPS to function end to end, but I never tested it. I'm getting new chips instead, I want the range, not the speed.

Otherwise, look here possibly for the version mismatch error: http://forum.mysensors.org/topic/512/strange-behaviour-check-wires-and-version-mismatch/2

@hek: The seller responded to my last message asking if it not being the plus really affects the functionality and can't I just use it instead? Didn't even address me requesting a refund or replacement, so I'm opening an eBay dispute.

@olaeke You might be able to get everything working over 1MBPS instead of the 250KBPS that's defaulted, as doctor64 suggested. I haven't tried it, but I found everywhere that'd have to be changed to make it work in theory.

Edit <Ardunio libraries folder>/MySensors/Myconfig.h, and change the "RF24_DATARATE" to "RF24_1MBPS".

Edit <Ardunio libraries folder>/MySensors/MySensor.cpp, and comment out lines 102-105 (the if isPVariant check)

Recompile and upload new code to both your gateway and your sensor, and that should put them both in a mode compatible with the NRF24L01 sensor (to my best understanding/knowledge).

Alrighty, I got the RF24 example code off GitHub and uploaded that to my chip, and sure enough dumping the details gives:
"Model = nRF24L01"

If anyone else wants to try it, here's the page I followed: RF24 Getting started

Here was my message from the seller:
dear client ,
thanks for your pictures ,
we have seen the it ,
sorry for it ,we have ask for our manager ,it is the NRF24L01+ chip ,
but there is something wrong when it is printed in the factory ,
sorry for the mistake .
it can be used but the it is just a little mistake for the letter ,right ?
we will be here to help you .
thanks in advance !"

I'm requesting new chips or a refund, we'll see what happens....

I got a reply from the eBay seller, and they are trying to tell me "No, it's the + chip, there was just a problem with the printer at the factory". Yeah, ok, I'm sure.

I tried adding a RF24::printDetails call right before the isPvarient if check, and it threw errors that printDetails was not defined. Any thoughts?

@olaeke I sent a message to Alice as well, I'll let you know if I hear anything. I also went on AliExpress and just ordered a pack of 10 off of there for $7.28, so hopefully I'll get proper radios one way or another...

I've never seen any documentation that suggests the pinout is any different between the two versions. It's the same everything except an external antenna instead if on-board.

Guessing this really isn't the plus version, we'd also have to change the datarate in MyConfig.h. The data rate is defaulted to 250kbps, which is the new long range mode only supported by the + version from my understanding.

Ok; I commented out that if check, and it doesnt throw the check wires debug anymore, but I still can't include my sensor and I was within 5 feet of my gateway. I tried changing the datarate, but then thought my gateway is also at 250kbps, so I'd have to reprogram that as well, and stopped there for now. I did look at my gateways antenna version of the nfl2401+, and it's chip does have the + sign, so these other radios are definitely not the right ones. I sent a message to the eBay seller.

@olaeke: Hopefully this is your problem too (wrong radio chip)

This is my supposed 24L01+ radio from Alice. I'll shoot the eBay seller a question, I'm guessing that chip should say '24L01+', not '24L01'

Hmm...If i look very closely at my radio chip, I can read the writing. and I see '24L01' in the middle, but google images found chips that say '24L01+', which is what I supposedly bought.

@olaeke: Can you read whats on your chip?

Can someone with a working radio look at your onboard smd chip and tell us if it says '24L01+' on it?

Interesting...I just registered because I'm having the same issue with a Arduino Pro Mini 5v. Checked wires, I've ripped it apart and rewired it multiple times, checked voltages at the radio to make sure my 5v -> 3.3v stepdown is working proper, checked continuity all the way from the radio pins to the actual SMD atmega chip itself, tried 6 different radio chips, and everything seems proper.

Just curious, when did you buy your radio chip, and was it from Alice1101983? I bought mine via the MySensors link as well on Nov. 27th. Bought 10 chips, tried 6 so far and stopped there to start asking for help...