openmesh on simblee range problems

[Pete]

I have created a build system that will install openmesh on simblee chips, and it appears to be mostly working. However, range is very poor, like max 2ft. I have tried adjusting tx_power, and channel to see if interference was the cause. I have even tried changing the bitrate to 250Kbit using RADIO_MODE_MODE_Nrf_250Kbit.

With the simblee chips using SimbleeCom I can get a much better range, like 20ft or so.

I'm guessing something may be misconfigured with the radio, but I'm running out of things to try.

[Turbo J]

Those Simblee have no documantation about the actual chip they use - but it sure looks a lot like an NRF51x. But you may be wrong here, as they seem to use their own software.

If you have only 2 ft range - check your antenna setup. I can get about this far without having a working antenna at all. Measuring antenna performance at 2.4 GHz requires expensive equipment, unfortunately.

[Thomas Olson]

Pete is correct RF DIgital uses pin 31 to shunt the antenna so you only get effetively Near Field Performance. The Simblee does use the 3rd generation nRF51288 whereas the RFduino uses the limited early generation 1. And they insist on keeping their firmware proprietary. So if you blow it away and use the Nordic libraries you will have to take into account the pin 31 oddity. BTW, the Simblee includes both crystals and internal chip antenna.

[Thomas Olson]

Agh, nRF51822. Can't edit my own posts.