help needed

hi . im really struggling with setting up the node id     programming is over my head at the minute but im eager to learn 

ive just built a nanode rf as a base and an emon tx and any help or pointers in the right direction in getting them to talk to each other would really be appreciated 

thanks in advance Roy 

jagerp's picture

Re: help needed

From one Noob to another.  When I did the build of my emontx, emonglcd and setup up the nanaode rf I made some mistakes and a fair few of them but I learnt heaps from them as well,

Best bit of advice is to read read read. build guide for emontx gives a wealth of information

http://openenergymonitor.org/emon/emontx

http://openenergymonitor.org/emon/modules/emontx/assemble

 

http://openenergymonitor.org/emon/modules/emontx/firmware

The emontx firmware page gives vital information as to the

  • Arduino ide
  • Libraries
  • assuming you already have a FTDI cable

best to get the emontx working first and understand the information being outputted in the serial window before tackling the nanoderf. Then you can worry about recieving and posting the info to emoncms.org, don't worry I made a few mistakes with this as well :)

 

Hope this help.

 

Paul :)

Robert Wall's picture

Re: help needed

Node ID's are simply an identifier for the source of the data that's being launched into the air. When one of the units receives that data, it checks the Node ID and based on that, knows how to decode and use the data, or indeed whether to ignore it totally. We've published a list of "standard" Node ID's, but there is no necessity to use that list - you can choose whatever you like in your system.

The list is at the end of this in Building Blocks: RFM12B - Part 2 - Sending Data Between Modules

roy swaby's picture

Re: help needed

 paul

you are a gent 

ill try that and see how i get on 

i have been reading everything but the setup process is with the raspberry pi  as the emonbase so keep getting lost 

thanks once again 

roy swaby's picture

Re: help needed

thanks Robert 

i can see the blank outputs from my nanode rf in the serial monitor of arduino  but as far as i know i havent given it an id and not paired it with my emontx this is where i get lost 

thanks for your help 

Robert Wall's picture

Re: help needed

The starting point is your emonTx. If you have downloaded one of the example sketches from Git, the node ID should be set up as standard and when you plug in the serial monitor, you should see numbers every 10 s or so. At the same time the LED flashes.

If you don't, you need to find out what's not right there. When you've got that going, leave the emonTx running and move to the NanodeRF. The same thing applies - the sketch should have the emonTx's NodeID ready set and correct (but if it's one of the ...multinode... sketches, it receives from any node), and you should see in the serial monitor there the data coming from the emonTx formatted ready to send on to emoncms.

The only thing you're likely to need to set in both sketches is the radio frequency - set it to match the RFM12B modules, which are tuned to a specific band and you can't change that.

 

roy swaby's picture

Re: help needed

Thanks for all the help

i can now see the reports from my emon tx and my nanode rf

im not sure exactly how i did it but i was successful . i have uploaded many examples in the process and am not sure what the best one for me is 

form my emon tx i would like to measure temperature and 3 cts and possibly 1 pulse,

could one of you nice people help me with selecting the correct examples to upload on both my nanode rf and my emon tx to allow me to do this 

jagerp's picture

Re: help needed

Hi Roy first thing is to have a browse on github in conjunction with the module and building blocks section of the website.

 

https://github.com/openenergymonitor/emonTxFirmware.

 

There isn't one specific sketch that will suit your needs but as a starter draw a mud map/ diagram of your exact needs.

  • then it might be best to test each different type of input you have chosen with a specific sketch to suit that input this way learning as you go and initial fault diagnosis is limited to one section at a time.

    • Temp search; first to identify the address if you are having more than one temp sensor but best to know the address even if you have one as it makes it easier to add more later. https://github.com/openenergymonitor/emonTxFirmware/tree/master/emonTx_temperature_examples/temperature_search  Also worth reading is http://openenergymonitor.org/emon/buildingblocks/DS18B20-temperature-sen...
  • Then the pulse input worth reading http://openenergymonitor.org/emon/buildingblocks/introduction-to-pulse-counting and sketch on github https://github.com/openenergymonitor/emonTxFirmware/tree/master/emonTx_Pulse
  • using 3 cts there are a few options, measuring current only with a set voltage, 3 cts with one reference voltage and 3 cts with 3 reference voltages.

 

https://github.com/openenergymonitor/emonTxFirmware/tree/master/emonTx_C...

https://github.com/openenergymonitor/emonTxFirmware/tree/master/emonTx_C...

https://github.com/openenergymonitor/emonTxFirmware/tree/master/emonTx_C...

each of the above have their pros and cons depends what type of data you really need.

 

Once each has been tested you can combine the bits you want together, someone might have a sketch that will suit your needs that they can share with you.

 

I printed out the sketches so i could see them side by side and omit/include the bits i wanted. you will need to adjust your final sketch so everything is declared, correct libraries included and emontx payload as well but if you have got to that point with everything tested you should be an expert or a copy and paste expert like me. :)

while only new to this forum thought i could help even though there are more qualified that may also offer assistance.

 

cheers Paul

 

roy swaby's picture

Re: help needed

paul

thanks for your help and  advice im beginning to see your logic and it was helpful in pointing me in the right direction to understand the way things work 

temperature problem

ive been messing about with various programs etc and cannot seem to get the temperature working on any device 

all i ever get is a reading of 12700 for any device i try to use 4 different devices which i presume is a default reading , is there something obvious i am not doing ? 

thanks in advance 

roy

 

Robert Wall's picture

Re: help needed

You're talking about the DS18B20 Digital Sensors?

Have you run the sketch that interrogates (all) the sensor(s) and plugged the serial number(s) into the monitoring sketch (see edit below)? Each sensor has an unique number given to it in manufacture, and your monitor sketch needs to know this so that it can interrogate it. If you've not done this, it will never work.

The procedure isn't directly explained in http://openenergymonitor.org/emon/buildingblocks/DS18B20-temperature-sen...

but there is a comment in the sketch. You need GitHub emonTx temperature example  which includes the sketch (temperatre search) to extract the serial number from the DS18B20.

Let me know if this was your problem, and I'll update the page.

[edit] If it's the low-power sketch you're using, that assumes you have only one sensor and reads the sensor slightly differently, so that isn't your problem!

[edit 2: I've updated the page ]

roy swaby's picture

Re: help needed

thanks Robert

                               i am talking about the ds18b20 sensors ive tried the hardwired version and the encapsulated model both  on the emon tx 

, i have also build a dht 22 (am2302)  in a remote temperature node and uploaded the low power temp and humidity example 

the only reading i have seemed to have success with  is from a remote temperature node with the low power temp example with a ds18b20 fitted

i have downloaded all the examples into my library and read the above extensively but i am just not getting  what i have missed

regards roy          

Robert Wall's picture

Re: help needed

"the only reading i have seemed to have success with  is from a remote temperature node with the low power temp example with a ds18b20 fitted"

That makes me think you haven't got the address of your sensor entered into the sketch correctly. Have you run the temperature search sketch? You should see something like this:

Temperature search
waiting 6 seconds before printing
{ 0x28, 0x94, 0x82, 0xE0, 0x03, 0x00, 0x00, 0x96 }

and it is those 8 numbers that you paste into your sketch like this:

// By using direct addressing its possible to make sure that as you add temperature sensors
// the temperature sensor to variable mapping will not change.
// To find the addresses of your temperature sensors use the: **temperature_search sketch**
DeviceAddress address_T1 = { 0x28, 0x94, 0x82, 0xE0, 0x03, 0x00, 0x00, 0x96 };
DeviceAddress address_T2 = { 0x28, 0x85, 0x7A, 0xEE, 0x02, 0x00, 0x00, 0xDC };
DeviceAddress address_T3 = { 0x28, 0x95, 0x51, 0xEE, 0x02, 0x00, 0x00, 0x0F };
DeviceAddress address_T4 = { 0x28, 0x95, 0x51, 0xEE, 0x02, 0x00, 0x00, 0x0F };

(If you have only one sensor, make the other 3, and all the other references to the unused ones, into comments, or just delete the relevant lines).

Do you get error messages, or simply "12700" always?

(Caveat: I've never tried to use one!)
When you tried the DHT22, did you get the dht library (https://github.com/adafruit/DHT-sensor-library)  and install it into the correct place (see http://openenergymonitor.org/emon/buildingblocks/installing-arduino-libr... - but if you're running Windows, it is "libraries" directory below your Arduino IDE).
It looks to me as if you need that.

roy swaby's picture

Re: help needed

Robert

                      thanks for your help i entered the address manually in , after running the temperature search and it seems to work fine 

in reply to your question there were no error messages just readings of 12700 on all temp examples tried 

with regards to the dht22 i originally got an error message when compiling as i had not added the dht sensor library to my library 

once this had been added it loaded ok but the temperature showed again as 12700

Robert Wall's picture

Re: help needed

So the DS18B20 is now working properly, but you cannot get a proper reading from the DHT22?

I do not have one, so I cannot test it for you. I have looked at the sketch and cannot see that "12700" is being set artificially (as an indicator of an error) so these are the things I would check:

Do you have the correct connections? (identified pin1 correctly?)
Do you have the pull-up resistor?
Have you selected the correct type (DHT11/DHT21/DHT22)?

I suggest you read this: http://learn.adafruit.com/dht  It looks as if the emonTx sketch is based on the Adafruit one and it might shed some light on your problem.

You will of course have to translate the connections to the emonTx temperature port: On the Adafruit drawing the red wire goes to the emonTx jack plug ring, the black to the sleeve and the green to the tip. The 4k7 pull-up resistor should be fitted on the board (R9) instead of the 10 k shown on the Adafruit diagram.

roy swaby's picture

Re: help needed

Robert

             The DS18B20 is working fine but the 12700 was the reading that i see on all attempts with this prior to your help 

ie before, on the temp- power example on an emon tx i would see 12700 on all 4 temperature readings and the power would show normally 

it appeared on all readings on all temp examples  and that is why i thought it was a default reading 

 

on another note do you know the ratio of the sct -013-000  ct that is commonly used with OEM

and also i was wondering if there was a way of up grading the board / components and ct  so that i could measure the main incommer into the building which is a 300a 3 phase supply . 

i appreciate all your help and i am so far more knowledgeable from this forum 

 

Thank you 

Robert Wall's picture

Re: help needed

See Test report: Yhdc SCT-013-000 Current Transformer

You might find it hard to obtain a 300 A  c.t. with a sufficiently large VA rating to generate the 1.1 V rms that the emonTx needs for the best resolution - most seem to have a maximum output of 0.333 V. If you can find one, it is simply a matter of using that and substituting the correct value of burden resistor, bearing in mind that you might have to mount the burden off the emonTx pcb.

If you have 3 incoming phases, that raises a whole new set of problems, I suggest you search these forums for comments and solutions - there are many.

roy swaby's picture

Re: help needed

Thanks Robert

                                   

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