MRF90XAM9A interfacing help

[ecoli-557]

Changed the registers one more time - still no PLL lock being reported.
Below:

     RF_Init_Values[0] = $2A                                                   'Standby mode, 915-928 MHz, VTune by inductors, ENABLE R1/P1/S1
     RF_Init_Values[1] = $8C                                                   'FSK, max IF gain, Packet Mode
     RF_Init_Values[2] = $03                                                   '100KHz Freq Dev
     RF_Init_Values[3] = $07                                                   '25kbps
     RF_Init_Values[4] = $0C                                                   'for OOK mode, not apliable
     RF_Init_Values[5] = $01                                                   '16Bytes FIFO, 1 byte threshold FIFO interrupt
     RF_Init_Values[6] = $77                                                   '915MHz R1 Reg
     RF_Init_Values[7] = $64                                                   '915MHz P1 Reg
     RF_Init_Values[8] = $32                                                   '915MHz S1 Reg
     RF_Init_Values[9] = $74                                                   '920MHz R2 Reg
     RF_Init_Values[10] = $62                                                  '920MHz P2 Reg
     RF_Init_Values[11] = $32                                                  '920MHz S2 Reg
     RF_Init_Values[12] = $38                                                  'config mode for OOK, not apliable
     RF_Init_Values[13] = $00                                                 'RCV:IRQ0=payload ready + IRQ1=CRC OK
                                                                               'TX: IRQ1=TXdone
     RF_Init_Values[14] = $01                                                  'FIFO starts filling when SYNC detected,TXDONE goes hi when done,
                                                                               'RSSI IRQ when is above level set, enable PLL lock
     RF_Init_Values[15] = $00                                                  'RSSI interupt level zero - minimum
     RF_Init_Values[16] = $A3                                                  'default filters config
     RF_Init_Values[17] = $38                                                  'default filters config
     RF_Init_Values[18] = $30                                                  'sync word ON, 24bits, 0 errors tolerance
     RF_Init_Values[19] = $07                                                  'reserved reg
     RF_Init_Values[20] = $00                                                  'RSII status read register, 0.5dB / bit
     RF_Init_Values[21] = $00                                                  'OOK config reg
     RF_Init_Values[22] = $53                                                  '"S" 1st byte of sync word
     RF_Init_Values[23] = $53                                                  '"S" 2nd byte of sync word
     RF_Init_Values[24] = $53                                                  '"S" 3rd byte of sync word  - my initials!
     RF_Init_Values[25] = $53                                                  '"S" just in case
     RF_Init_Values[26] = $72                                                  'Cutoff fcy = 200KHz, output power = 13dBm 0b000
     RF_Init_Values[27] = $3C                                                  'clk out disabled - default 427KHz
     RF_Init_Values[28] = $03                                                  '3 bytes payload
     RF_Init_Values[29] = $01                                                  'initial MAC ADDRESS, only for test
     RF_Init_Values[30] = $5E                                                  'Fix Packet Lenght, 3 bytes preamble, whitening ON, CRC ON, Node ADDR|0x00|0xFF filtering
     RF_Init_Values[31] = $00                                                  'FIFO autocreal enable if CRC fails, Write to FIFO in stby mode

I'm frustrated ......

[ecoli-557]

I now get a PLL lock indication, I put a wait until PLL lock bit was true before moving on.

            'Verify PLL Lock Flag
PLLwait:    bReg_Address = $0E                                                  'FTPRIREG
            gosub RegisterRead
            PLL_LOCK = 0
            PLL_LOCK = bReg_Value.1
                     'You can test this bit to see if PLL Is Locked
debug "waiting for PLL lock",13
            if PLL_LOCK=0 then PLLwait
PLLdone:
debug "PLL Lock=",bin1 PLL_LOCK,13

Still no received data or IRQs however.
Transmitter gives both IRQ0 and IRQ1 outputs - making some progress.

[Tabsoft]

Progress for sure.
When in TX mode your IRQ0 says you have crossed the FIFO Input threshold and IRQ1 says FIFOFull.

Why don't you try changing your definition of IRQ1 for TX (IRQ1TX) from 0 = FIFOFULL (default) to 1 = TXDONE. This is your RF_Init_Values[13] value.
Then in the Send_Packet: routine after changing the mode to RF_TRANSMITTER, instead of a hard pause 5, use a loop to test for IRQ1 to go high (TXDONE).
This way you can explicitly test for the Transmitter to complete.

[ecoli-557]

Thanks for the additional input TABSoft, I had already changed the $0D register to $08, and still saw no interrupt.
One thing I had noticed, In the Send_Packet routine, I saw you re-write the registers. I had changed your original code changing registers $1F, $0D, $0E, in which you re-wrote the registers to the original value, I changed to read the register 1st, then performed the logic manipulation thinking it may have been an oversight on your part. Still no output:

Send_Packet:    
            'Set Standby mode
            bRF_Mode = RF_STANDBY
            gosub SetRFMode
    
            'Enable FIFO access in Standby mode
            bReg_Address = $1F  'Register 31
            gosub RegisterRead
            bReg_Value = ((bReg_Value & $BF) | $00)
'            bReg_Value = (RF_Init_Values(bReg_Address) & $BF) | $00
            gosub RegisterSet
            'Clear FIFO Overrun
            bReg_Address = $0D  'Register 13
            gosub RegisterRead
            bReg_Value = bReg_Value | $01
'            bReg_Value = (RF_Init_Values(bReg_Address) | $01)
            gosub RegisterSet
            'Set PLL Locked
            bReg_Address = $0E  'Register 14
            gosub RegisterRead
            bReg_Value = bReg_Value | $02                                       'Set LSTLPLL to 1
'            bReg_Value = (RF_Init_Values(bReg_Address) | $02)
            gosub RegisterSet
'debug "Send Packet: waiting for PLL lock",13
'            gosub PLLchk  'Verify PLL Lock Flag
'debug "Send Packet: PLL locked",13
    
            For i = 0 to (TxPacketLen-1)
            'Wite the Packets to the FIFO
            wr_FIFO_Val = TxPacket[i]
            gosub WriteFIFO
            Next i 
   
            'Set RFMode to Transmit
            bRF_Mode = RF_TRANSMITTER
            gosub SetRFMode
            return

Then as you can also see, I also added a bit test to see if in fact the PLL locked - it never did. Just sat there and spun waiting. I don't know what that is telling me. The 2 other places I have the wait until PLL lock do seem to change; the initial initialization and the RCV loop. Don't know what that is telling me either......

I like your advice, and I had thought of doing something similar but my observations in the no IRQ0 or IRQ1 being set, I was looking for a way to test the register to see if the FIFO was ready. Some kind of flag I could use.
I still haven't found it - an easy one.

I have been on MC site and found numerous people grumbling over this radio - I can't believe this is so hard! One guy could never get the packet to work and went for the buffered approach. Many, Many posters have had interrupt issues as well. Seems I am not alone. All the more reason to post actual working code.

My current drain is higher on the transmitter, so I think it is transmitting, and I actually believe the receiver is receiving - I just don't have it set to flag me so I can get the data!

Thanks again for the assist, I owe you several beers! Any other ideas?
Regards.

[Tabsoft]

Sorry I've been busy on other items.
Have you made any further headway or are you still stuck?

[ecoli-557]

Thanks for asking, I haven't done any more on it. I don't have a spectrum analyzer to see if its transmitting, so its really frustrating.
It looks like it should work, but it doesn't so I am still missing something basic I feel.
I appreciate your help, but, I am stuck and like you, I have things I should be doing besides this 'fun' item.

[richard]

these rfm69 chips are easy to use and have loads of working examples to draw information from and are really cheap too

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/RFM69CW-HopeRF-433Mhz-Wireless-Transceiver-with-RFM12B-compatible-Footprint-/181643908981?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a4ad2 1775

I started out with the rfm12b modules and now have developed code that can successfully network the rfm69's with the old rfm12b's . I had similar issues to you trying to get the rfm69's up an running , not having the right gear to see what is really happening makes life difficult . in my case the known working rfm12b net allowed me to get pkt reception code working first after that the tx side just fell into place.