Hello all,
Is there no way to detect the difference between RFM69W and RFM69W in software, or at least output a notice that it has been incorrectly configured? In my default configuration, I have the radio face-down, so if I solder it in place, the information is lost forever. I suppose I could take to marking them before I flip them, but thought I'd ask if there was a way to detect this otherwise.
Thanks,
C
There is no way in software because the implementation is the same. Hardware wise there is an obvious difference. There are a SOT-70 package and a SOT89 package, they are only present for the RFM69HW. The little dot on the chip reflects the frequency band, white/gold is 433mhz, grey is 915mhz.
Yes, I can see the hardware difference. The issue is that when I flip the board over and solder it to my PCB, I can no longer see the difference in the radio because it's between the moteino and my pcb.
So what happens if you program an RFM69W with RFM69HW options?
Colin
What happens is you are telling it to use the wrong PA path which results in almost nil output power. It's like fueling your car with the wrong fuel at the gas station :)
The HW is just a hardware implementation of the higher power amplifier, which is like having turbo on your car, you can't tell unless you lift the hood.
In turn you can use your own marker or a small sticker or something to have a visual indication what transceiver you're using.