Simple 3D-printed NRF remote - Arduino controlled

ESK8 Electronics
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1756

Yeah, that’s something I’d be pretty worried about… soldering that NRF was a real MF.

Further information for diagnostic purposes:

  • Remote boots correctly when micro usb connected directly to nano, but not from battery
  • Battery is fully charged
  • Boots every time after reset button pressed
  • Once remote has booted correctly (screen turns on) it pairs with the receiver every time (suggests NRF modules wired correctly?)
  • Receiver doesn’t seem to need any rebooting, gets straight into it every time. But then the receiver doesn’t have an lcd screen, which is the main symptom of the problem with the remote.

Here’s a list of things I’ve tried:

Added 10K resistor from RX to GND

Added 22pF capacitor from RST to GND

Moved 10K resistor, so now from RX to TX

Jumped TX to GND, with 10K resistor between RX and TX

Checked resistance between all points on the NRF chip - confirmed no shorts

Double checked wiring schematic for NRF - confirmed wired correctly.

Checked battery voltage - 4.5V

Checked voltage from boost converter - 5.6V

Tried alternative battery (LG HG2 - 4V) - identical behaviour from remote (won’t boot from turning on switch, boots from pressing reset)

Interesting observation - if I open the circuit by disconnecting the battery, then reconnect the battery, the remote boots correctly. This is leading me to believe the issue is with the switch or the 10K resistor wired to Analog 2 (I’ve connected this to the switch).

EDIT

Can confirm the fault was with the 10K resistor and switch. I had wired the resistor to the side of the switch going to the charging board/battery. This meant the resistor was closing the circuit between the battery and analog pin 2.

I switched the resistor to the other leg of the switch, and everything is working perfectly.

Now the question is whether I should remove the RX resistor and RST capacitor? Any harm having them there if I’m not using them?

1759

ok now I feel a bit confused. I made already other remotes for VESC 4.12. Now on one of min board I moved to Flipsky 6.6 and the remote was working but I didn’t get any real data on the remote. I read that I need to update the library. So I deleted the old VESC library and install the new one https://github.com/SolidGeek/VescUart?files=1. I then dowload the last developer branch https://github.com/SolidGeek/nRF24-Esk8-Remote/tree/development. I opened them up add the library as usual for receiver and transmitter. Change the address on both of them and uploaded

(I wanted to upload a picture but the forum give me error message, please check the links) https://www.dropbox.com/s/2tlu0djbvm7yxgu/IMG_20181020_202301.jpg?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/hle84j6bbdr7rby/IMG_20181020_202218.jpg?dl=0

All went fine but if I simply test to turn pair the remote with the receiver doesn’t work anymore. Do you know what I am missing? Every time there is something new :laughing: I tested the remote and receiver just by powered the receiver with the PC. Before was working like that.

ah BTW on the VESC 6.6 I am using Ackmaniac firmware, did someone tried with his firmware already the new vesc library?

Thanks guys!

EDIT: @clistpdx man could you give me your opinion. Sorry to bother :grin: I would like to have back the remote in working condition as before

1760

Im having an issue where the reciever wont connect to the remote unless i unplug and replug the PWM cable. It doesnt matter the order I boot up the Board or remotes. Its strange. My only idea is to have a push button on the outside of the case that lets me reboot the nano, but thats a silly solution.

1761

In that case seems like the receiver is freezing. Did you tried to add a mcp130 chip to the receiver? It takes care of the voltage drops. A small 22uF cap should also help in case is easier to find it. You can search for both in the thread.

1762

I followed @SeeTheBridges tutorial, ill have to find how to add that thanks. Which version of the Mcp130 chip should i get? I’m a Mechanical Engineer, electronics are not my best friend

1 Like
1763

@solidgeek Great work! I didn’t see it in the thread, but I did read that you have some connectivity issues.

Have you noticed and iterated on the position of the Bluetooth Antenna relative to your hand? Bluetooth signal is attenuated due to water and your hand is a big source of water.

Doug

1764

I used this one 10pcs/lot MCP130T-450I / TT MCP130 SOT23-3 new original

1765

That’s strange… I never used any capacitors or something and it always works. I don’t know what unsre doing different. I also just use cheap Chinese nano clones ect.

Now I just use an capacitor to make the hall sensor more stable, but that’s it.

Maybe my software is a bit different? I use my own fork… I developed an version of this remote to use the Adafruit Feather M0 with build in Lipo control and telemetry. An all in one solution.

1200×900

This shit works awesome. U can even pair new receivers and switch between different boards… solidgerk is not working anymore on this branch. He has some other project at the moment.

2 Likes
1766

I’m having 2 types of disconnects riding my board with this remote, and frankly both terrify me. most often the board just returns to neutral, i improved this by adding an lc filter onto the rx power supply and some caps onto the nrf power on the receiver, still happens a bit though. the second variety locks the board in it’s set power for 2-5 sec, which once nearly resulted in me going under a bus, but there seems to be no way to predict which one will happen, anyone have any ideas short of just adding more caps?

1767

What components are u using? I never had this issue…

1768

I’m using a chinese arduino nano, nrf24 module, got 4 capacitors on the power pads for the nrf24 and another on the power for the arduino

1769

Hi sorry to bother you but seems you are active on this topic, could you please check my previous post?https://www.electric-skateboard.builders/t/simple-3d-printed-nrf-remote-arduino-controlled/28543/1759?u=rey8801 I basically moved to VESC 6.6 and so I used the new library for the UART port. Since there the remote doesn’t pair with the receiver anymore. Am I missing something? Thank you!

1770

the one from the bom, cause there are many chinese ones with bad voltage regulators?

1771

Has nothing todo with the VESC. The UART is completely separated from the paring or anything else.

tune both, remote and receiver into DEBUG by uncommenting the // from // define DEBUG and check the address. Could only be an address issue. Do u use the latest development commit?

1 Like
1772

You are right about the UART library, cna not be that. It’s just becuase is the only thing different compare to before. I used the last delevopment commit as I linked in the post https://github.com/SolidGeek/nRF24-Esk8-Remote/tree/development. Is it right? Do I still have to add the library or once they are installed in the arduino IDE they will be uploaded automatically? Here the picture of how I did it https://www.dropbox.com/s/2tlu0djbvm7yxgu/IMG_20181020_202301.jpg?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/hle84j6bbdr7rby/IMG_20181020_202218.jpg?dl=0

Thank you a lot!

1773

Ahhhhh ok, at first remove all the things u added manually. Or simply just delete your sketch and download a new untouched version from the link u posted before. Open the sketch from the transmitter and upload the code without adding anything. Just open the stecht. Adjust the port and push upload.

U added accidentally some code to your sketch image

All this at least is wrong :slight_smile:

1 Like
1774

Ok perfect. It actually it was what had to be done in the previous version. Those ones are the libraries. Anyhow I will try that, thanks.

1775

Yes, I have to add the library’s to the Arduino IDE but not add them manually to your sketch. All the code I have marked is not needed, because the libarys u need are written below. So what u did, was to add it in the code and add a lot of unessassery code above the main #include code. Give it a try and then we can see what’s next.

1 Like
1776

Ok tried like that. Downloaded the development files again. Didn’t add anything manually. Only Change the address in both receiver and trasmitter. Upload all fine. The remote and receiver still don’t pair. I didn’t change my nrf24 and U8g2 libraries. Are you also using these ones IMG_20181022_192955

1777

I have a newer version of the u8g2 but this should not matter…

open TOOLS - SERIAL MONITOR uncomment // #define DEBUG

upload code and show us what’s going on on the first lines… there should be a problem with the address or the transmission.