[AllanG]

Well the good news is that I've finally built both TX and RX boards. ....

I finished the TX (version 2.5) first and it seems to run ok - the tx led flashes regularly and using debug and serial monitor I've seen temperature and humidity readings as well as system stats.

The not so good news is that I've just finished the RX board (version 5.02). I'm using a 4x20 LCD display and on power up and programming the Nano, it initialises but then hangs - the display shows the 4 lines of WeatherDuino Pro2 by Werk_AG, a line of hearts and lastly the version number (1.5 b013). It then shows on the first line a date and time (started at 01-01-2000) but then just hangs and nothing else happens - the clock doesn't update and the unit doesn't respond to the pb1 button being pressed.

Voltages are all nominal and in the right places, I've checked, rechecked and checked again the connections, soldering etc and have substituted all the main components - Nano, RTC board, RX module and so on but results are still the same.

I've run the flash memory test and also the i2c scanner and all seems ok there:

Security register (byte 64 to 127) :
0xB, 0x4, 0x12, 0x13, 0x34, 0xE, 0x1F, 0x22, 0x0, 0x0, 0x39, 0x0, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0x30,
0x30, 0x4D, 0x32, 0x38, 0x32, 0x34, 0x32, 0x18, 0x57, 0x4E, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0x43,
0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF,
0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF,
Status register :10001100
Manufacturer ID :
1F
Device ID (part 1) :
22
Device ID (part 2) :
0
Extended Device Information String Length :
0


and


Scanning...
I2C device found at address 0x27 !
I2C device found at address 0x50 !
I2C device found at address 0x68 !
I2C device found at address 0x77 !
done

I don't really know what to check next, any suggestions would be very welcome!!

Allan.

[uncle_bob]

Probably will need Werks expertise to crack, but it sounds like something may not be initialising.
Can you post the contents of RX config tab?

There's also a testing line that's set to false, change that to true and see if it boots successfully?
#define TestMode false

[werk_ag]

It also seems to me just an initialization issue.
Just for test, you could try uncle_bob suggestion and in the user config options change the TestMode var to True

Code:

#define TestMode True

Alternatively, power on your TX unit, keep it 1 meter away from the RX unit, and power on the RX unit.

Initialization procedure may take from 30 seconds to around 2 minutes, please wait until the Com_LED, goes OFF.

After a successful initialization, put the VP1 switch at close position and start up Cumulus software. The RX clock will be set automatically.

Please, let us know the result.

[AllanG]

Uncle_Bob, Werk_AG, thanks for the suggestions. I should have said that I've already tried defining TestMode as True but it has no effect at all. Here's the RX_Config tab contents as I have just tried again, unsuccessfully, to start up....

// --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
// User configurable options
// --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

#define Station_ID 0xA1 // Station_ID, use the same value in all TX units
#define Relay_ID 0xA3 // Relay_ID, use the same value in all WD units

// --- Define Software Operation Mode
#define Work_Mode 0 // Mode 0= Davis VP2 Emulation Mode, Mode 1= EasyWeather Mode

// --- Define your Display type
// --- Chosing TFT automatically disables the data logger function (no memory for both)
#define DisplayType 1 // 0= TFT, 1= LCD 20x4, 2= LCD 16x2

// --- Define Backlight TimeOut
// --- With old RX boards, version <= 3.01 always set this value to 0
const byte BackLight_Timeout = 15; // Timeout for display backlight in minutes (1 to 255). 0 = Always ON

// --- Define Display unit Formats --------------------------------------------
#define Date_Time_Format 0 // 0 for dd-mm-yyyy, 1 for yyyy/mm/dd
#define Temp_Display_Unit 0 // 0 for ºC, 1 for ºF
#define ATM_Display_Unit 0 // 0 for mBar, 1 for inHg
#define Rain_Display_Unit 0 // 0 for mm (no other options)
#define Wind_Display_Unit 1 // 0 for Km/h, 1 for mph, 2 for m/s, 3 for Knots

// --- Fine adjusts for Inside Temperature and Barometer
const int TemperaturaInt_offset = 0; // Inside Temperature Fine Adjust in Tenths of Degree (-4 = -0,4ºC)
const float pressure_offset = -1.0; // Pressure Fine Adjust in mB

// --- Some Data from your Weather Station location
#define LATITUDE 534 // Put here your Station latitude in tenths of degrees North
#define LONGITUDE -28 // Put here your Station longitude in tenths of degrees (minus for West)
#define ELEVATION 68 // Put here your Station height above sea level in Meters

// --- Define Roll Over Hour for Meteorological Day
#define MeteoDay_HStart 0 // Use values from 0 to 23

// --- Define Wind Speed and Wind Gust resolution
#define VP2_WindRes 2 // If set to 2, set Cumulus Wind Speed and Wind Gust multipliers to 0.448. Wind Resolution 0.72 Km/h
// If set to 1, set Cumulus Wind Speed and Wind Gust multipliers to 0.224. Wind Resolution 0.36 Km/h
// WARNING !!! Setting this variable to 1 allows a better wind speed and gust resolution,
// but also limits both of them, to a maximum reading of just 91.8 Km/h
// This setting only have effect when the software is used in Davis VP2 emulation mode
// If set to 0, system uses Standard Davis 1 mph wind resolution.

// --- Define the type of your inside Temperature / Humidity Sensor
#define InsideTH_Sensor 1 // 0= DHT22, 1= HTU21D

// ---- Lets define the source or type of our main outside sensors
// ---- If you have all the sensors connected to only one TX board, always select Unit 0 as source
// ---- Define the source of your main Temperature / Humidity sensor
#define TH_OutUnit 0 // 0 for Temp/Hum sensor connected to TX_Unit 0, 1 for Temp/Hum sensor connected to TX_Unit 1
// --- Define your main outside Temperature / Humidity Sensor
#define MainOutTH_Sensor 0 // 0 for sensor type SHT21 or HTU21D, 1 for sensor type SHT1x or DHT22
// ---- Define the source of your Main Wind sensor
#define WIND_OutUnit 0 // 0 for Wind instruments connected to TX_Unit 0, 1 for TX_Unit 1
// ---- Define the source of your main Rain Gauge
#define RAIN_OutUnit 0 // 0 for Rain Gauge connected to TX_Unit 0, 1 for TX_Unit 1, 2 for Auriol RF Rain Gauge
// ---- Define the source of your main Solar / UV sensores
#define SRUV_OutUnit 9 // 0 for Solar Rad / UV sensors connected to TX_Unit 0, 1 for TX_Unit1, 9 for not used
// ---- Define installed Solar / UV Sensors
#define Solar_Sensor 9 // 0 for not present; 1 for present
#define UV_Sensor 9 // 0 for not present; 1 for present


// ---- Extra Sensors Mapping
// ---- Define the TX source and sensor number of each of the five extra sensors, insert 9 if not used.
// ---- Sensor number 0 is for type SHT21 or HTU21D. Sensor number 1 is for type SHT1x or DHT22
// ---- First field = TX unit number, Second field = Sensor number (0 or 1) in the TX unit
// ---- Example: {0,1} - First extra sensor, is sensor 1 from TX unit0
// {1,0} - Second extra sensor, is sensor 0 from TX unit1
#define ExtraSensors { {9,9},{9,9},{9,9},{9,9},{9,9} }


// ---- Broadacasting Data Settings
#define Relay_Data 1 // 0= Disables Data Relay, 1= Enables Data Relay

// ---- Data Logger Settings
#define Logger_Enable 1 // 0= Disable 1= Enable
byte ARCHIVE_PERIOD = 1; // Default Archive Period in Minutes (Usable values: 1, 5, 10, 15, 30, 60 or 120)

// ---- Define your RX board main version number
#define Board_Version 5 // Use 4 for all RX boards v4.xx, use 5 for RX boards v5.xx

// ---- Test Mode ON/OFF
#define TestMode true // false= Normal working mode, true= Test mode only (no logger, no usb connection)

// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
// End of user configurable options
// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Indoor and outdoor temp/humidity sensors are both SHT21)


I've also made sure TX and RX are separated by 2-3 metres, started TX first, waited a minute or two then started the RX but still no change. I've left the RX module running for more than 30 minutes and it still doesn't complete initialisation - the Com_Led remains lit the whole time but the TX led doesn't light or even flash at all.

Any other things I should check or change - I'm probably making a very simple mistake somewhere??!!

Allan

[werk_ag]

(Indoor and outdoor temp/humidity sensors are both SHT21)

Hi, Allan

Maybe the problem is here.
The RX software don't have support for an SHT21 as indoor temp / humidity.
The indoor temp / humidity sensor should be an DHT22 or an HTU21D.
I'm afraid that the HTU21D library can't be used with an SHT21.

[uncle_bob]

Just to note, that Jaycar have the DHT22 if you don't have one handy.
Not cheap there though :/
http://www.jaycar.com.au/Kits%2C-Science...o/p/XC4246

Slightly cheaper here:
http://www.jaycar.com.au/Kits%2C-Science...e/p/XC4432

[AllanG]

(Indoor and outdoor temp/humidity sensors are both SHT21)

Hi, Allan

Maybe the problem is here.
The RX software don't have support for an SHT21 as indoor temp / humidity.
The indoor temp / humidity sensor should be an DHT22 or an HTU21D.
I'm afraid that the HTU21D library can't be used with an SHT21.

Ah, that's certainly something I've done wrong then and is hopefully the cause of the problem as it is very easy to fix...

When I bought the SHT21 sensors for the TX unit I bought a couple extra as spares. The boards are marked with both SHT21 and HDU21 like this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HTU21D-Temperatu...SwHnFVkRNv

so I thought SHT21 and HTU 21 were basically the same thing and are interchangeable. Checking the module with a magnifying glass, the chip on my module is definitely a SHT21 so can't be used for the RX board.

Looking on ebay for HTU21D modules, there are some available which are very clearly HTU21D as they are on red boards and are marked only HTU, but as uncle_bob has pointed out in previous posts, are often 3.3 volts so best avoided. Others are available though with, like mine, both HTU and SHT marked on the board as in the link above.

I'm now guessing that the breakout board is used for mounting either SHT or HTU chips, so when buying we need to search for whichever chip we want and ignore what's marked on the board?!!

Anyway, to make sure I get it right for the RX unit I've ordered a DHT22 which should arrive on Monday...

Thanks for the advice and support and of course I'll report as soon as it arrives.

Allan.

---

Just to note, that Jaycar have the DHT22 if you don't have one handy.
Not cheap there though :/
http://www.jaycar.com.au/Kits%2C-Science...o/p/XC4246

Slightly cheaper here:
http://www.jaycar.com.au/Kits%2C-Science...e/p/XC4432

I've accumulated all sorts of stuff here over the years, uncle_bob, but right now sadly a DHT22 module isn't among it

Thanks for the links, although I'm in the UK and yes, it's fairly expensive to begin with so I hate to think what it would work out at if they shipped here! I ordered one from a UK-based supplier last night (8am uk as I type this) which should arrive Monday and cost me £5. I could have got it for around £3 from Asia but didn't want to wait. The Jaycar ones are £9 or £11

Thanks for your support and I'll hopefully be reporting success at the beginning of next week...

Allan.

[uncle_bob]

I'm in the UK

Oh, for some reason I thought you were in here in Australia

[AllanG]

Oh, for some reason I thought you were in here in Australia

The reason you thought that is probably 'cos Aus seems to have cornered the WeatherDuino market!!

I'd really love some Aussie sunshine and warmth for a change so would happily come and join you, but with component prices like Jaycar's I think I'll stay in the UK....

A.

[AllanG]

The DHT22 arrived today and it's mostly good news, I'm almost there!

My RX board now initialises properly and goes on to display as it should indoor and outdoor temps, humidity etc. The outdoor ones are exactly as I expect but there's something wrong with the indoor ones - the temperature is reading a pretty cold -2507.9 degrees and 4071.3 for humidity!!

I've rechecked wiring & connectors, all's ok and there's 5.0v at pin 1. Is there anything else to check or is it likely to be a faulty DHT22??

Allan - getting excited now that I'm very nearly there.....