RFLink and NRF24L01+ - 20;02;MySensors=OFF;NO NRF24L01;

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sg12
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RFLink and NRF24L01+ - 20;02;MySensors=OFF;NO NRF24L01;

#1 Post by sg12 » 23 Jan 2022, 19:05

Hello from a new forum member,

I have been testing a home-built RFLink (V1.1R48) on a breadboard under control of RFLink Loader V1.1 for a few days now. 433 MHz connections work very well but I cannot get NRF24L01+ reading messages of an existing mySensors network.

My goal is to move my home automation solution from home-built hardware (based only on some purchased modules) and software programmed with Arduino IDE to a solution with more standard hardware and ready programmed software. This way I hope my family will stop locking me up for service and I can go on a longer holiday.

One item I would like to buy is the RFLink module. But since I still have an ATmega 2560, several 433 MHz receiver and transmitter modules and some NRF24L01+ transceivers, I wanted to have a working version first before buying the Nodo shop version.

And now I have problems with NRF24L01+. To avoid simple mistakes, first some questions. On the mySensors pages the name "NRF24L01+" is always used for this 2.4GHz transceiver, in the RFlink world only NRF24L01 is used. If I remember correctly, NRF24L01 were green boards with 10 pins, two pins with VCC and two pins with GND on opposite sides of a 2x5 connector. They wouldn't even fit in the Nodo RFLink board. Will the normal NRF24L01+ modules (8 pins), as used on mySensors, work with RFlink? Is this just a simplification in the description?

There are two ways to connect the NRF24L01(+) module to the ATmega2560, one is the nodoNRF connection using the A.. pins (labeled for analog inputs/outputs) on the 8:1 normal Arduino connector (as an A. Uno also has). The other is the connection controlling Milight with the additional pins 48..53. In the RFLink wiring documentation I think I read that you need this connection to read mySensors messages (only once in documentation). Is this correct?

The problem after all these many words. In the RFLink Loader I have a running version and the log shows that it is receiving on 433 MHz.
But when I press the "MySensors ON" button, the popup window appears and I can see in the log that I have turned it on. But the next line is "20;02;MySensors=OFF;NO NRF24L01;" - and of course I am not receiving anything on 2.4 GHz.

I have a separate 3.3V module for the NRF24L01+ transceiver (measured), a 200uF capacitor and level shifters for data connections. I even replaced the NRF24L01+ modules (have 3) and the level shifters (have 2), swapped everything and tested.

What else could I do?

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Stuntteam
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Re: RFLink and NRF24L01+ - 20;02;MySensors=OFF;NO NRF24L01;

#2 Post by Stuntteam » 24 Jan 2022, 12:25

Hi,

>I can see in the log that I have turned it on. But the next line is "20;02;MySensors=OFF;NO NRF24L01;"
The RFlink firmware will check if the NRF is connected and accessible.
If it is not, it will report the OFF state.

For Mysensors you need to connect the NRF in the same way as for Milight.
Note that RFlink will only capture the transmitted MySensors messages that fly around your area. Like temperature sensors etc..
Mainly for people who have experimented with sensors and are happy with them but who do not want to keep a complete mysensors network running.
It will not become part of / a node off a Mysensors network. That would be useless as Mysensors already has a good system for that.
-=# RFLink Gateway Development Team #=-
Introduction: http://www.nemcon.nl/blog2/
Generic Support forum: http://www.esp8266.nu/forum/viewforum.php?f=8

sg12
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Re: RFLink and NRF24L01+ - 20;02;MySensors=OFF;NO NRF24L01;

#3 Post by sg12 » 24 Jan 2022, 16:15

Hello,
Thank you very much for the quick answer. Ok, one question is now explicitly answered - the wiring is the same as with Milight. Can you say something about the difference between NRF24L01 and NRF24L01+. Is it because of the power of the transmitter or is it just a simplification of the name?

I have a running mySensors network with Pimatic. But I want to switch to another HA. Now I am experimenting with Home Assistant. I am just declaring the 433 MHz switches in configuration.yaml, because this has to be done by hand. For the next steps it is sufficient if I can only retrieve the sensor values of the mySensors network. In a later step I want to replace the serial mySensors gateway to the Pimatic HA with a mySensors MQTT gateway used by Home Assistant. But because it is impossible to use two gateways at the same time in a mySensors network, I want to get the integration of the NRF24L01+ into RFLink working. If it succeeds, I will have the sensor values of the mySensors network already in the Home Assistant and have the whole running Pimatic system with mySensors still fully executable via gateway.

I assume that after switching on "MySensor:ON" in RFLink Loader the software of the RFLink tries to connect to the NRF24L01+ module. If this does not succeed, mySensors use is switched off again and the next line in the log comes "20;02;MySensors=OFF;NO NRF24L01;". Is there anyone who has further experience even with the RFLink software where I could look for the error? I am quite sure that it is a hardware problem, but maybe the next steps for measuring the hardware connections can be derived from the software.

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Re: RFLink and NRF24L01+ - 20;02;MySensors=OFF;NO NRF24L01;

#4 Post by Stuntteam » 24 Jan 2022, 17:33

sg12 wrote: 24 Jan 2022, 16:15 Can you say something about the difference between NRF24L01 and NRF24L01+.
Indeed it is due to the increased transmission power
sg12 wrote: 24 Jan 2022, 16:15 I assume that after switching on "MySensor:ON" in RFLink Loader the software of the RFLink tries to connect to the NRF24L01+ module. If this does not succeed, mySensors use is switched off again and the next line in the log comes "20;02;MySensors=OFF;NO NRF24L01;". Is there anyone who has further experience even with the RFLink software where I could look for the error? I am quite sure that it is a hardware problem, but maybe the next steps for measuring the hardware connections can be derived from the software.
That is correct.
The RFlink firmware talks to the NRF chip to set it up for the correct communication protocol.
If the chip does not respond properly RFlink obviously can not proceed and indeed responds with the OFF.
If you have one, use a NRF24L01 to set things up. Btw, my NRF24L01's are black boards..nor green as can be seen on https://www.rflink.nl/wires.php
I also have 24L01+ boards that work.. these are often a bit harder to get working, perhaps due to the fact that the + model draws more power.. you could try a different power supply...
-=# RFLink Gateway Development Team #=-
Introduction: http://www.nemcon.nl/blog2/
Generic Support forum: http://www.esp8266.nu/forum/viewforum.php?f=8

sg12
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Re: RFLink and NRF24L01+ - 20;02;MySensors=OFF;NO NRF24L01;

#5 Post by sg12 » 25 Jan 2022, 16:02

Thank you again, I will try.

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