Arduino UNO stops running after several minutes/hours

anonymousexd · November 17, 2022, 5:53am

I am currently working on a wireless monitoring system using a Arduino UNO, Arduino Mega, a CH340 Arduino Mega and LoRa (Ra-02) Modules. I've used the Arduino Mega as master node, UNO as Node 1 and CH340 Mega as node 2. I am testing LoRa Nodes sending and requesting packets and I've notice that UNO suddenly stops sending replies and when I click the reset button , it works again and after several minutes or hours, it stops working again and needed reset (note: the two mega works perfectly fine). Is it my Arduino UNO that has problem or can I improve it in codes?

I am new in coding Arduino and only rely on youtube and online forums. Thank you for your help!!

Here's the Codes I am using

//Master Node
//Arduino Mega

#include <SPI.h>            
#include <LoRa.h>

const int csPin = 53;
const int resetPin = 9;
const int irqPin = 8;
 
byte MasterNode = 0xFF;     
byte Node1 = 0xBB;
byte Node2 = 0xCC; 

String SenderNode = "";
String outgoing;              // outgoing message

byte msgCount = 0;            // count of outgoing messages

// Tracks the time since last event fired
unsigned long previousMillis=0;
unsigned long int previoussecs = 0; 
unsigned long int currentsecs = 0; 
unsigned long currentMillis = 0;
int interval= 1 ; // updated every 1 second
int Secs = 0; 


void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);                   // initialize serial

  LoRa.setPins(csPin, resetPin, irqPin);

  if (!LoRa.begin(433E6)) {             // initialize ratio at 915 MHz
    Serial.println("LoRa init failed. Check your connections.");
    while (true);                       // if failed, do nothing
  }

  Serial.println("LoRa init succeeded.");
}

void loop() {


currentMillis = millis();
   currentsecs = currentMillis / 1000; 
    if ((unsigned long)(currentsecs - previoussecs) >= interval) {
     Secs = Secs + 1;
     //Serial.println(Secs);
     if ( Secs >= 11)
    {
      Secs = 0; 
    }
    if ( (Secs >= 1) && (Secs <= 5) )
    {
     
    String message = "34"; 
    sendMessage(message,MasterNode, Node1);
    }

        if ( (Secs >= 6 ) && (Secs <= 10))
    {
     
    String message = "55"; 
    sendMessage(message,MasterNode, Node2);
    }
    
   previoussecs = currentsecs;
    }

  // parse for a packet, and call onReceive with the result:
  onReceive(LoRa.parsePacket());
    
  }


void sendMessage(String outgoing, byte MasterNode, byte otherNode) {
  LoRa.beginPacket();                   // start packet
  LoRa.write(otherNode);              // add destination address
  LoRa.write(MasterNode);             // add sender address
  LoRa.write(msgCount);                 // add message ID
  LoRa.write(outgoing.length());        // add payload length
  LoRa.print(outgoing);                 // add payload
  LoRa.endPacket();                     // finish packet and send it
  msgCount++;                           // increment message ID
}

void onReceive(int packetSize) {
  if (packetSize == 0) return;          // if there's no packet, return

  // read packet header bytes:
  int recipient = LoRa.read();          // recipient address
  byte sender = LoRa.read();            // sender address
  if( sender == 0XBB )
  SenderNode = "Node1:";
  if( sender == 0XCC )
  SenderNode = "Node2:";
  byte incomingMsgId = LoRa.read();     // incoming msg ID
  byte incomingLength = LoRa.read();    // incoming msg length

  String incoming = "";

  while (LoRa.available()) {
    incoming += (char)LoRa.read();
  }

  if (incomingLength != incoming.length()) {   // check length for error
    //Serial.println("error: message length does not match length");
    ;
    return;                             // skip rest of function
  }

  // if the recipient isn't this device or broadcast,
  if (recipient != Node1 && recipient != MasterNode) {
   // Serial.println("This message is not for me.");
    ;
    return;                             // skip rest of function
  }

  if (recipient != Node2 && recipient != MasterNode) {
   // Serial.println("This message is not for me.");
    ;
    return;                             // skip rest of function
  }

  Serial.print("Received data " + incoming);
  Serial.print(" from 0x" + String(sender, HEX));
  Serial.println(" to 0x" + String(recipient, HEX));
  Serial.println("RSSI: " + String(LoRa.packetRssi()));
  Serial.println("Snr: " + String(LoRa.packetSnr()));
  Serial.println();

}

//Node 1
//Arduino Uno

#include <SPI.h>              
#include <LoRa.h>

const int csPin = 10;
const int resetPin = 9;
const int irqPin = 8;

int count = 0;
int mess = 0;

String outgoing;              // outgoing message

byte msgCount = 0;            // count of outgoing messages
byte MasterNode = 0xFF;     
byte Node1 = 0xBB;


void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);                   // initialize serial

  LoRa.setPins(csPin, resetPin, irqPin);

  while (!Serial);

  Serial.println("LoRa Duplex");



  if (!LoRa.begin(433E6)) {             // initialize ratio at 915 MHz
    Serial.println("LoRa init failed. Check your connections.");
    while (true);                       // if failed, do nothing
  }

  Serial.println("LoRa init succeeded.");
}

void loop() {


  // parse for a packet, and call onReceive with the result:
  onReceive(LoRa.parsePacket());
}

void sendMessage(String outgoing, byte MasterNode, byte otherNode) {
  LoRa.beginPacket();                   // start packet
  LoRa.write(MasterNode);              // add destination address
  LoRa.write(Node1);             // add sender address
  LoRa.write(msgCount);                 // add message ID
  LoRa.write(outgoing.length());        // add payload length
  LoRa.print(outgoing);                 // add payload
  LoRa.endPacket();                     // finish packet and send it
  msgCount++;                           // increment message ID
}

void onReceive(int packetSize) {
  if (packetSize == 0) return;          // if there's no packet, return

  // read packet header bytes:
  int recipient = LoRa.read();          // recipient address
  byte sender = LoRa.read();            // sender address
  byte incomingMsgId = LoRa.read();     // incoming msg ID
  byte incomingLength = LoRa.read();    // incoming msg length

  String incoming = "";

  while (LoRa.available()) {
    incoming += (char)LoRa.read();
  }

  if (incomingLength != incoming.length()) {   // check length for error
   // Serial.println("error: message length does not match length");
   ;
    return;                             // skip rest of function
  }

  // if the recipient isn't this device or broadcast,
  if (recipient != Node1 && recipient != MasterNode) {
    //Serial.println("This message is not for me.");
    ;
    return;                             // skip rest of function
  }
    Serial.println(count++);
    int Val = incoming.toInt();
    if(Val == 34)
    { 
    String message = String(mess++); 
    sendMessage(message,MasterNode,Node1);
    delay(100);
    }
  
}

//Node 2
//Arduino Mega CH340

#include <SPI.h>              // include libraries
#include <LoRa.h>

const int csPin = 53;
const int resetPin = 9;
const int irqPin = 8;

int count = 0;
int mess = 0;

String outgoing;              // outgoing message

byte msgCount = 0;            // count of outgoing messages
byte MasterNode = 0xFF;     
byte Node2 = 0xCC;


void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);                   // initialize serial

  LoRa.setPins(csPin, resetPin, irqPin);

  while (!Serial);

  Serial.println("LoRa Duplex");



  if (!LoRa.begin(433E6)) {             // initialize ratio at 915 MHz
    Serial.println("LoRa init failed. Check your connections.");
    while (true);                       // if failed, do nothing
  }

  Serial.println("LoRa init succeeded.");
}

void loop() {


  // parse for a packet, and call onReceive with the result:
  onReceive(LoRa.parsePacket());
}

void sendMessage(String outgoing, byte MasterNode, byte otherNode) {
  LoRa.beginPacket();                   // start packet
  LoRa.write(MasterNode);              // add destination address
  LoRa.write(Node2);             // add sender address
  LoRa.write(msgCount);                 // add message ID
  LoRa.write(outgoing.length());        // add payload length
  LoRa.print(outgoing);                 // add payload
  LoRa.endPacket();                     // finish packet and send it
  msgCount++;                           // increment message ID
}

void onReceive(int packetSize) {
  if (packetSize == 0) return;          // if there's no packet, return

  // read packet header bytes:
  int recipient = LoRa.read();          // recipient address
  byte sender = LoRa.read();            // sender address
  byte incomingMsgId = LoRa.read();     // incoming msg ID
  byte incomingLength = LoRa.read();    // incoming msg length

  String incoming = "";

  while (LoRa.available()) {
    incoming += (char)LoRa.read();
  }

  if (incomingLength != incoming.length()) {   // check length for error
   // Serial.println("error: message length does not match length");
   ;
    return;                             // skip rest of function
  }

  // if the recipient isn't this device or broadcast,
  if (recipient != Node2 && recipient != MasterNode) {
    //Serial.println("This message is not for me.");
    ;
    return;                             // skip rest of function
  }
    Serial.println(count++);
    int Val = incoming.toInt();
    if(Val == 55)
    { 
    String message = String(mess++); 
    sendMessage(message,MasterNode,Node2);
    delay(100);
    }
  
}

horace · November 17, 2022, 6:47am

notice your UNO code is using String - it is not recommend to use C++ objects on small microcontrollers such as the UNO as memory can become fragmented and the crash the program
if you replace the UNO with a Mega does it fix the problem?
replace the String with a char[] array?

anonymousexd · November 17, 2022, 6:51am

I've read about that too, the memory leak thing. They suggests to replace String into cstring but I didn't know how and can get much examples. I am not familiar in c++ and any other programming language. Can you help me convert my code or at least give me example? Thank you so much for responding I really appreciate it!

horace · November 17, 2022, 7:07am

serial-input-basics shows examples of reading characters from serial input stream and storing into arrays

anonymousexd · November 17, 2022, 7:10am

Thank you! I'll read that too.

horace · November 17, 2022, 10:11am

attempted to convert Uno code from String to char[]


//Node 1
//Arduino Uno

#include <SPI.h>              
#include <LoRa.h>

const int csPin = 10;
const int resetPin = 9;
const int irqPin = 8;

int count = 0;
int mess = 0;

char outgoing[100];              // outgoing message
int outIndex=0;

byte msgCount = 0;            // count of outgoing messages
byte MasterNode = 0xFF;     
byte Node1 = 0xBB;


void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);                   // initialize serial

  LoRa.setPins(csPin, resetPin, irqPin);

  while (!Serial);

  Serial.println("LoRa Duplex");



  if (!LoRa.begin(433E6)) {             // initialize ratio at 915 MHz
    Serial.println("LoRa init failed. Check your connections.");
    while (true);                       // if failed, do nothing
  }

  Serial.println("LoRa init succeeded.");
}

void loop() {


  // parse for a packet, and call onReceive with the result:
  onReceive(LoRa.parsePacket());
}

void sendMessage(char outgoing[], byte MasterNode, byte otherNode) {
  LoRa.beginPacket();                   // start packet
  LoRa.write(MasterNode);              // add destination address
  LoRa.write(Node1);             // add sender address
  LoRa.write(msgCount);                 // add message ID
  LoRa.write(strlen(outgoing));        // add payload length
  LoRa.print(outgoing);                 // add payload
  LoRa.endPacket();                     // finish packet and send it
  msgCount++;                           // increment message ID
}

void onReceive(int packetSize) {
  if (packetSize == 0) return;          // if there's no packet, return

  // read packet header bytes:
  int recipient = LoRa.read();          // recipient address
  byte sender = LoRa.read();            // sender address
  byte incomingMsgId = LoRa.read();     // incoming msg ID
  byte incomingLength = LoRa.read();    // incoming msg length

  char incoming[100] = {0};
  int inIndex=0;

  while (LoRa.available()) {
    incoming[inIndex++]= (char)LoRa.read();
  }
  inIndex=0;
  if (incomingLength != strlen(incoming)) {   // check length for error
   // Serial.println("error: message length does not match length");
   ;
    return;                             // skip rest of function
  }

  // if the recipient isn't this device or broadcast,
  if (recipient != Node1 && recipient != MasterNode) {
    //Serial.println("This message is not for me.");
    ;
    return;                             // skip rest of function
  }
    Serial.println(count++);
    int Val = 0;//incoming.toInt();
    sscanf(incoming, "%d", &Val);
    if(Val == 34)
    { 
    char message[100]={0};// = String(mess++); 
    sprintf(message,"%d",mess);
    sendMessage(message,MasterNode,Node1);
    delay(100);
    }
  
}

it compiles OK
hope it helps!

anonymousexd · November 17, 2022, 10:54am

Thank you for this and I've tried this but it also stops and need reset to run again. I might consider switching from UNO to Mega instead.

gcjr · November 17, 2022, 11:04am

need to isolate where the problem is

i suggest just recognizing that a received packet is available, "flushing" it without processing it to verify that that processing is not causing any problem

TomGeorge · November 17, 2022, 12:48pm

Hi,
How are you powering the UNO?
Can you please post a circuit diagram of the failing UNO unit?

Thanks.. Tom..

anonymousexd · November 17, 2022, 1:49pm

Sorry I didn't get it what "flushing" are you talking about.

anonymousexd · November 17, 2022, 1:52pm

It is just connected in my laptop and the Ra-02 is connected like this (the difference is the yellow wire in my connection is in pin 8 instead of pin 2 and it is configured in the code the irqPin).

gcjr · November 17, 2022, 2:06pm

just read the bytes to empty the buffer

system · May 16, 2023, 2:06pm

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