can you verify radio hardware using software?

hexibot43 · January 06, 2014, 10:11:42 PM

If I have a Moteino installed in such a way that I cannot get a view of the radio chip is there a way to get an ID of the radio that is installed via software?

Felix · January 07, 2014, 04:05:23 AM

You can easily tell whether it's RFM12B but not if it's a W or HW RFM69, since the differences between W and HW are simply external to the main RF chip.
One obvious way to tell is to program with the wrong/right settings. Say you got a HW and you program for W, or vice versa, the RF output will be almost nothing. When you match with the right setting, the signal will become very strong.

hexibot43 · January 07, 2014, 04:17:37 PM

Ok I was trying to find a good picture or something to help me verify that I have all correct radios on all modules. Is there something discernible between the radios visibly? So if I think I have all rfm69w modules for 915mhz. How can I see it? I'm asking because I'm only getting 20' range. So I know I'm doing something wrong. I am using a monopole at 82mm as the antenna at each end. Both antenna in the vertical straight position. I'm just trying to double check everything. I just need about another 10' of range.

Would lower the bit rate help?

Thanks,

Marcello

hexibot43 · January 08, 2014, 12:41:43 AM

Found images of the RFM69W, and RFM69HW in datasheets. Thought I would post here for anyone else wanting an easy way to verify whether they had the High Power or Low Power version of this radio.

RFM69W by hexibot43, on Flickr

RFM69HW by hexibot43, on Flickr

I added a white arrow to point to the one of the two chips that I used to determine RFM69w or RFM69hw.

LazyGlen · January 08, 2014, 07:41:49 AM

Quote from: hexibot43 on January 07, 2014, 04:17:37 PM
Ok I was trying to find a good picture or something to help me verify that I have all correct radios on all modules. Is there something discernible between the radios visibly? So if I think I have all rfm69w modules for 915mhz. How can I see it? I'm asking because I'm only getting 20' range. So I know I'm doing something wrong. I am using a monopole at 82mm as the antenna at each end. Both antenna in the vertical straight position. I'm just trying to double check everything. I just need about another 10' of range.

LOL, When I first read your post I thought you were looking for a way to see the radio waves traveling between the radios. Now I see that you are trying to identify if you have one of each. That makes much more sense.

Looking at the photos I don't see much difference. Have you tried reloading the original send and receive sketches to be sure you didn't change any of the setup while writing your code? Only getting 20 feet seems a very short distance. My radios are 433MHz, but I get at least a hundred feet, even with one in a steel commercial building.

LG

hexibot43 · January 08, 2014, 10:12:14 AM

Yeah, I figured it would figure itself out as I was working on everything else but now I'm down to it. There are two black chips on the left side of the HW that I don't see on the W. The first Moteino I de-soldered from a circuit board to look at the radio looks like the HW. I have since un-commented the define for the HW in the code. Tried it with all three of my Moteinos. My reception seems to be the same. Loaded the original code back into two of them. Tried with the define for HW commented and uncommented. Still not given me any insight.
So now I'm wondering how you tell what frequency the radio is tuned? Or are they all the same and the frequency differences are done in software? I'm guessing there is a part number on the side of the radio I can't see?
The Datasheets for the radios don't have much of anything on identification besides stating the part numbers to order.
Is there a part # on the side of the radio that is towards the Moteino? Is the grey dot on top of the chip for the radio an indication of anything?

NixHydra · January 08, 2014, 07:44:49 PM

@hexibot43,

Am attaching a photo of the rear of a Hope RFM69HW wireless module. As you can see all that wonderful information that you were asking about is clearly displayed. As a matter of fact, a little while back I posted a blog entry on this forum, for a R4 Moteino socketed wireless module. The idea of quickly being able to pull the module off the Moteino, turn it over and check out the wireless module details, then plug the module back in and then we are good to go, without a tedious soldering iron getting in on the act, was a major consideration of that design. Please see following link.

http://lowpowerlab.com/forum/index.php/topic,203.0.html

cheers,

hexibot43 · January 08, 2014, 09:36:24 PM

NixHydra,

You are my hero. I really wish I had seen this picture somewhere earlier. I am going to stage two tonight. So how do you de-solder something like that? I pulled out my electric desoldering gun, and quickly realized there is no way the tip of that thing is going to do me any good. I'll check your link and hope it dishes up an answer to that question.

Thanks

hexibot43 · January 09, 2014, 12:27:51 AM

Finally! I knew it was something stupid I was doing. I just found my issue. And before I did anymore de-soldering! I had somehow deleted the code lines that turned the radio to high power only on my node side. But that sure did it. I was running with a gain of -84 before, and now I'm at -33. Between that and the idea that I had somehow started out with RFM69w and not RFM69hw. I just looked at my receipt where it cleared states RFM69hw 915mhz. It now works a block away without issue. It's all on me.

Thanks everyone for the help. Now back to real problems.