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BASE RF FAIL

Submitted by bramper on Tue, 24/04/2012 - 08:52

With the latest version of the firmware, I now have a - BASE RF FAIL - on the gLCD. sometimes everything works fine, but when I have the message on the display, it stays there. Also the clock isn't right, he doens't sync with the server. So I think there's no connection between the gLCD and the emonBase (nanodeRF).

The NanodeRF does communicate with the emonTX and the server. I see the data on http://vis.openenergymonitor.org

But not the temperature.. (what is normal with this problem)

 

what's wrong here? Anyone with the same problem (and maybe e good solution)??

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TrystanLea's picture

Re: BASE RF FAIL

Submitted by TrystanLea on Tue, 24/04/2012 - 09:44.

Certainly sounds like there is no RF comms between the base and glcd, all the right symptoms, base fail, clock is not right and no temperature. Is it intermittent or always a problem? How far away from the base station is the glcd? Are they on the same frequency? 

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bramper's picture

Re: BASE RF FAIL

Submitted by bramper on Wed, 25/04/2012 - 08:33.

They are al at the same frequency of 868MHZ. At first it was an intermittent problem, but now (without making some changes) it's always the same. They are all laying on my desk (distance <1m) for testing :-)

Earlier, when I powered the emonTX, the gLCD always displayed aprox. 8 - 10 W (noise) but now it always shows 0W. So you would think there is no communication between the emonTX and gLCD but I haven't the message -TX RF fail - so they are connected (I got this message when I disconnect the power of the emonTX).

 

 

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bramper's picture

Re: BASE RF FAIL

Submitted by bramper on Wed, 25/04/2012 - 08:32.

Ok problem with the 0W found... there was:   consuming = emontx.power2; insteat of   consuming = emontx.power1;   I feal like i'm a muppet :-)

 

But on the other hand I still have the BASE RF fail and just when I use this:

 

 

  if ((millis()-last_emontx)>20000){
      glcd.drawString_P(64,0,PSTR("--Tx RF fail--"));
       digitalWrite(greenLED,LOW); digitalWrite(redLED,HIGH);  //Red LED's when the emonTX is not connected
    }
   else if ((millis()-last_emonbase)>20000) {
       glcd.drawString_P(64,0,PSTR("-Base RF fail-")); //Blink if the BASE is not connected
       digitalWrite(greenLED,LOW); digitalWrite(redLED,HIGH);
       delay(1000);
       digitalWrite(greenLED,HIGH); digitalWrite(redLED,LOW);
       delay(1000);
   }else{
       digitalWrite(greenLED,HIGH); digitalWrite(redLED,LOW); //Green LED: everything is conected
   }
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glyn.hudson's picture

Re: BASE RF FAIL

Submitted by glyn.hudson on Sun, 29/04/2012 - 16:10.

Hi Bramper,

Try using the latest emonGLCD code from Github. I think the problem was caused by an over-reactive error message I introduced, the timing was just too tight i.e it was reporting RF fail now and again even when nothing was wrong. I've increased the time between when the emonGLCD receives no RF and when it reports a failure. 

If you are still experiencing 'emonBase fail' messages and the time on your emonGLCD is not being autocorrected then you do actually have a problem with the communication between the emonGLCD and emonBase. 

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