NRF24L01 + MEGA and NANO

cimulation · January 3, 2016, 10:46pm

I have 2 NRF Modules and I am trying the RF24 Example code pingpair_ack.

NRF24L01+MEGA
NRF24L01+Nano

The results from Serial port for 1 are:

RF24/examples/pingpair_ack/

ROLE: Pong back
*** PRESS 'T' to begin transmitting to the other node
STATUS		 = 0xff RX_DR=1 TX_DS=1 MAX_RT=1 RX_P_NO=7 TX_FULL=1
RX_ADDR_P0-1	 = 0xffffffff7f 0xffffffffff
RX_ADDR_P2-5	 = 0x7f 0xff 0x7f 0xff
TX_ADDR		 = 0xffffffff7f
RX_PW_P0-6	 = 0xff 0x7f 0xff 0x7f 0xff 0x7f
EN_AA		 = 0xff
EN_RXADDR	 = 0x7f
RF_CH		 = 0xff
RF_SETUP	 = 0x7f
CONFIG		 = 0x7f
DYNPD/FEATURE	 = 0x7f 0xff
Data Rate	 = 1MBPS
Model		 = nRF24L01
CRC Length	 = 16 bits
PA Power	 = PA_MAX
*** CHANGING TO TRANSMIT ROLE -- PRESS 'R' TO SWITCH BACK
Now sending 1 as payload. Blank Payload Received.
Now sending 1 as payload. Blank Payload Received.
Now sending 1 as payload. Got response 0, round-trip delay: 228 microseconds
Got response 0, round-trip delay: 1196 microseconds
Got response 0, round-trip delay: 5276 microseconds
Got response 0, round-trip delay: 9780 microseconds
Got response 0, round-trip delay: 14284 microseconds
Got response 0, round-trip delay: 18880 microseconds
Got response 0, round-trip delay: 23464 microseconds
Got response 0, round-trip delay: 28060 microseconds
Got response 0, round-trip delay: 32644 microseconds
Got response 0, round-trip delay: 37236 microseconds
Got response 0, round-trip delay: 41824 microseconds
Got response 0, round-trip delay: 46416 microseconds
Got response 0, round-trip delay: 51004 microseconds
Got response 0, round-trip delay: 55596 microseconds
Got response 0, round-trip delay: 60184 microseconds
Got response 0, round-trip delay: 64776 microseconds
Got response 0, round-trip delay: 69364 microseconds
Got response 0, round-trip delay: 73956 microseconds
Got response 0, round-trip delay: 78544 microseconds
Got response 0, round-trip delay: 83136 microseconds
Got response 0, round-trip delay: 87724 microseconds

It is not clear above how the Transmit mode changes to Receive mode without any intervention.

Results from 2 are below:

RF24/examples/pingpair_ack/

ROLE: Pong back
*** PRESS 'T' to begin transmitting to the other node
STATUS		 = 0xff RX_DR=1 TX_DS=1 MAX_RT=1 RX_P_NO=7 TX_FULL=1
RX_ADDR_P0-1	 = 0xffffffffff 0xffffffffff
RX_ADDR_P2-5	 = 0xff 0xff 0xff 0xff
TX_ADDR		 = 0xffffffffff
RX_PW_P0-6	 = 0xff 0xff 0xff 0xff 0xff 0xff
EN_AA		 = 0xff
EN_RXADDR	 = 0xff
RF_CH		 = 0xff
RF_SETUP	 = 0xff
CONFIG		 = 0xff
DYNPD/FEATURE	 = 0xff 0xff
Data Rate	 = 1MBPS
Model		 = nRF24L01
CRC Length	 = 16 bits
PA Power	 = PA_MAX
*** CHANGING TO TRANSMIT ROLE -- PRESS 'R' TO SWITCH BACK
Now sending 1 as payload. Blank Payload Received.
Now sending 1 as payload. Blank Payload Received.
Now sending 1 as payload. Blank Payload Received.
Now sending 1 as payload. Blank Payload Received.
Now sending 1 as payload. Blank Payload Received.
Now sending 1 as payload. Blank Payload Received.

Any pointers on what might be wrong?

Thank you.

Whandall · January 4, 2016, 12:06am

Both modules are non-functional.
Probably a wiring/configuration fault.

Robin2 · January 4, 2016, 9:17am

How is the nRF24 connected to the Mega? The pins are not the same as for an Uno?
I am not familiar with the Nano - but that is also worth checking.

...R

Whandall · January 4, 2016, 9:24am

Here NRF24L01s are running fine on Mega and Nanos (all supplied directly by the 3,3V pins).

Both outputs of the OT show that the chip does not respond, see #1.

Robin2 · January 4, 2016, 9:36am

Whandall:
Both outputs of the OT show that the chip does not respond, see #1.

Maybe I got up too early today.

...R

cimulation · January 5, 2016, 2:25am

Whandall:
Both modules are non-functional.
Probably a wiring/configuration fault.

Thanks for the first step in troubleshooting, I realized later that the CE and CSN pins were reversed. I will correct that and post results again.

I am powering the NRF24 connected to Nano from a separate 3.3V supply. The NRF24 on the mega however is powered by the Mega board 3.3V pin itself.

Will post some results soon.

cimulation · January 5, 2016, 2:52am

I am curious to understand how Whandall determined that both modules are non functional. Here are the results from the testing.

Also I have observed that after sometime the Crystal on the NRF board gets very hot. I am not sure if these radio's are still workable or they are broken.

NRF24L01 + Nano

RF24/examples/pingpair_ack/

ROLE: Pong back
*** PRESS 'T' to begin transmitting to the other node
STATUS = 0xff RX_DR=1 TX_DS=1 MAX_RT=1 RX_P_NO=7 TX_FULL=1
RX_ADDR_P0-1 = 0xffffffffff 0xffffffffff
RX_ADDR_P2-5 = 0xff 0xff 0xff 0xff
TX_ADDR = 0xffffffffff
RX_PW_P0-6 = 0xff 0xff 0xff 0xff 0xff 0xff
EN_AA = 0xff
EN_RXADDR = 0xff
RF_CH = 0xff
RF_SETUP = 0xff
CONFIG = 0xff
DYNPD/FEATURE = 0xff 0xff
Data Rate = 1MBPS
Model = nRF24L01
CRC Length = 16 bits
PA Power = PA_MAX
*** CHANGING TO TRANSMIT ROLE -- PRESS 'R' TO SWITCH BACK
Now sending 1 as payload. Blank Payload Received.
Now sending 1 as payload. Blank Payload Received.
Now sending 1 as payload. failed.
Now sending 1 as payload. Blank Payload Received.
Now sending 1 as payload. Blank Payload Received.
Now sending 1 as payload. failed.

NRF24L01 + Mega

RF24/examples/pingpair_ack/

ROLE: Pong back
*** PRESS 'T' to begin transmitting to the other node
STATUS = 0xff RX_DR=1 TX_DS=1 MAX_RT=1 RX_P_NO=7 TX_FULL=1
RX_ADDR_P0-1 = 0xffffffffff 0xffffffffff
RX_ADDR_P2-5 = 0xff 0xff 0xff 0xff
TX_ADDR = 0xffffffffff
RX_PW_P0-6 = 0xff 0xff 0xff 0xff 0xff 0xff
EN_AA = 0xff
EN_RXADDR = 0xff
RF_CH = 0xff
RF_SETUP = 0xff
CONFIG = 0xff
DYNPD/FEATURE = 0xff 0xff
Data Rate = 1MBPS
Model = nRF24L01
CRC Length = 16 bits
PA Power = PA_MAX
*** CHANGING TO TRANSMIT ROLE -- PRESS 'R' TO SWITCH BACK
Now sending 1 as payload. Blank Payload Received.
Now sending 1 as payload. Blank Payload Received.
Now sending 1 as payload. Got response 0, round-trip delay: 232 microseconds
Got response 0, round-trip delay: 1184 microseconds
Got response 0, round-trip delay: 5276 microseconds
Got response 0, round-trip delay: 9784 microseconds
Got response 0, round-trip delay: 14288 microseconds
Got response 48, round-trip delay: 18876 microseconds
Got response 0, round-trip delay: 23552 microseconds
Got response 0, round-trip delay: 28144 microseconds
Got response 0, round-trip delay: 32732 microseconds
Now sending 10 as payload. Got response 0, round-trip delay: 224 microseconds
Got response 0, round-trip delay: 1188 microseconds
Got response 0, round-trip delay: 5340 microseconds
Got response 0, round-trip delay: 9848 microseconds
Got response 0, round-trip delay: 14352 microseconds

Robin2 · January 5, 2016, 9:26am

Can you post the actual code you are using?

I don't think the crystal should change temperature at all.

What instructions are you using (post a link). I used this Tutorial successfully.

...R

Whandall · January 5, 2016, 10:05am

cimulation:
I am curious to understand how Whandall determined that both modules are non functional. Here are the results from the testing.

That is easy (and your modules are still not responding...)

A running NRF produces something like this when looked at the registers (in my new driver format)

Model        = nRF24L01+
CONFIG       = 0x0E 0b.0001110 16-byte CRC powerUp PTX
FEATURE      = 0x07 0b.....111 dynLength ackPayLoad dynAck
SETUP_AW     = 0x03 0b......11 5-byte addressFormat
STATUS       = 0x0E 0b.0001110 rxEmpty
FIFO_STATUS  = 0x11 0b.001..01 txEmpty rxEmpty
OBSERVE_TX   = 0x00 0b00000000 lost 0 Retries 0
RF_SETUP     = 0x0F 0b0.00111. 2Mbps 0dB
RF_CH        = 0x4C 0b.1001100 76 ~ 2.476 GHz
SETUP_RETR   = 0x2F 0b00101111 Retry 15 after 750 µs
DYNPD        = 0x3F rxp 543210
EN_AA        = 0x01 rxp .....0
EN_RXADDR    = 0x01 rxp .....0
TX_ADDR      = 0x6261736531
RX_ADDR_P0   = 0x6261736531
RX_ADDR_P1   = 0xC2C2C2C2C2
RX_ADDR_P2   =         0xC3
RX_ADDR_P3   =         0xC4
RX_ADDR_P4   =         0xC5
RX_ADDR_P5   =         0xC6
RX_PW_P0-5   = 0x20 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00

My NRF24L01 modules don't get hot.

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NRF24L01 + MEGA and NANO

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