Nordic NRF24L01+ radios
The Nordic >nRF24L01+ is a highly integrated, ultra low power (ULP) 2Mbps RF transceiver IC for the 2.4GHz ISM band.
- Proprietary protocol, 1-32 B payload, some kind of FIFOs
- Plus model is controlled over SPI and backward compatible (electric, protocol) with the older model
- Internal linear voltage regulator, 1.9 to 3.6 V supply range
I bought a set of cheap modules to try out some time ago. Talk of these chips has also come up at Tarlab recently. The short range and small packet seem fitting for collecting occasional readings and sending control commands. There is no security whatsoever. Supposedly the chips run on fairly little current and work well on battery power. Having a microcontroller with similar abilities would be convenient. MSP430 and STM32 appear nice at a glance.
The plan
- Put together some kind of unit
- Something to mount these on
- Radio module
- Power (Battery preferred for at least one set)
- MCU
- some kind of IO: switch, led, display, sensor, USB-UART?
- Interrogate a radio
- Send ping or something
- Send data
- Test range, penetration, power drain..
- Profit
- Wardrive :)
Electronics
Threw together a kicad nrf24l01+ component for a start. Note pin 1 location depending on board orientation. This was made from other docs and unverified. A plain schematic might help with initial wrapup. A 2x4 pin header should work as a footprint/module.
Software and firmware
TBD. I don't like working without hardware to test on. Browsing inspirational resources for a start.
Resources
- Nordic product page for nRF24L01+
- Avoid pipe 0
- similar module 8pin (probably same board)
- similar module 8pin, pinout, schematic
- similar module 8pin
- another pinout 8pin
- Boosterpack three pinouts (2x4, 2x5, 1x8)
- spirilis' 430 driver (wiki) (good Free headers)
- with attiny? *duino
- with RPI and 430
- with RPI and *duino
- with RPI and *duino
- with RPI and *duino
- with RPI and *duino
- RPI and *duino libs
- with RPI
- with RPI TCP?
- RPI discussion
- with AVR, "Världens nördigaste multifjärrkontroll"
- Energia lib
- Travis Goodspeed mentions these
- SDR sniffing
- Pimp my hexbug
- AVR OTA bootloader (stm32 planned)