FrSky range sucking

I'm having problems with FrSky Rx's. Basically, the range is miserable. Maybe 100ft.

Ok, I checked the power setting. That's 150mW. I've tried two different CC2500 units (the second recommended BG on e), a number of different Rx's, and swapping antennas. I'm not sure what to check next. At this point, I'm thinking maybe it's something in what I'm doing to get the thing installed, and I need to go with an XL2500 instead of the BG CC2500.

Anyone got any recommendations?

Your module has PA and LNA? If so, I would assume that you have the LNA_EN and PA_EN pins jumpered to their correct GD02 and GD00 pins?
....or are you using the MM?

I'm using the nightly build. Connecting those two pins is labeled as "4.0.1 and earlier." Is that incorrect, and they need to be connected unless it's on an MM?

mwm wrote: I'm using the nightly build. Connecting those two pins is labeled as "4.0.1 and earlier." Is that incorrect, and they need to be connected unless it's on an MM?

www.deviationtx.com/forum/6-general-disc...0-for-frsky-rx#28027

I'm not sure, as I did the MM build, and the MM board traces take care of all of the necessary pin jumpering(if that is even a real word) for you.
If I'm not mistaken, I think you need to go by the colored dots shown on PB's Module pin ordering wiki if you are running the current Nightlies. So the PA (pin #9) jumped to the GD00 (pin #7), and the LNA (pin #10) jumped to the GD02 (pin #5). (oops, had these pin #'s screwed up earlier, fixed now)

That said, I am not positive about it. Someone here has certainly connected the CC2500 directly, without the MM, and could confirm and will reply

In the meantime you could map the traces of the MM v1.3 schematics to confirm that those pins are common to each other.

EDIT: From what I understand from this text, " *4.0.1 and earlier (older) : Connect 9->3.3v and 10->GND. Leave 5 and 7 floating " , if you were using the earlier(older) F/W you would need to jump pin 9 to pin 1, pin 10 to pin 6, and leave GD00 and GD02 open.

aMax wrote:

mwm wrote: I'm using the nightly build. Connecting those two pins is labeled as "4.0.1 and earlier." Is that incorrect, and they need to be connected unless it's on an MM?

www.deviationtx.com/forum/6-general-disc...0-for-frsky-rx#28027

That sketch is a bit goofy, as it appears that pins 5, 7, 9, and 10 are all tied to pin 8, which is not the case, but it gives a good picture when assuming the horizontal lines do not attach to pin 8.

EDIT: I guess if they were connected, there would be a dot on their intersections. D'oh!

Wow, I totally misread the Wiki page. I have since added the two jumpers, and the RSSi (the real RSSI, as documented by FrSky, not the not-really-a-percentage value that the current nightly displays) jumped by ~40dB. I can't range test it now, because, I should be asleep, but wanting to know if this fixed the problem kept me awake, so I fixed it so I could get to sleep.

Not only that, but I made the same misread in the NRF24L01 install, so I fixed that while I was at it. This fixed a problem I was having with the nightly builds and my V323 not responding properly. So that bug is now closed.

If someone doesn't beat me to it (anyone with a bitbucket account can edit the wiki), I'll tweak the ModuleList page to be more explicit in the instructions, giving the wiring for post-4.0.1 as well as 4.0.1 with each module. After I do a range test on the thing.

Thank you all. I guess I should ask earlier in the process - I would have had this fixed months ago! But I now have two Banggood CC2500's I'm not currently using. I think I want to keep one, but I'm willing to give the other to the first person who helped and PM's me willing to send me an SASE for it.

mwm wrote: Wow, I totally misread the Wiki page. I have since added the two jumpers, and the RSSi (the real RSSI, as documented by FrSky, not the not-really-a-percentage value that the current nightly displays) jumped by ~40dB. I can't range test it now, because, I should be asleep, but wanting to know if this fixed the problem kept me awake, so I fixed it so I could get to sleep.

Not only that, but I made the same misread in the NRF24L01 install, so I fixed that while I was at it. This fixed a problem I was having with the nightly builds and my V323 not responding properly. So that bug is now closed.

If someone doesn't beat me to it (anyone with a bitbucket account can edit the wiki), I'll tweak the ModuleList page to be more explicit in the instructions, giving the wiring for post-4.0.1 as well as 4.0.1 with each module. After I do a range test on the thing.

Thank you all. I guess I should ask earlier in the process - I would have had this fixed months ago! But I now have two Banggood CC2500's I'm not currently using. I think I want to keep one, but I'm willing to give the other to the first person who helped and PM's me willing to send me an SASE for it.

In general I am interested by the wiring for the BG CC2500 module (with uFL). There is a problem with Wki wiring for >4.0.1 & NB if I understand well ?

The wiki is right. I just want to repeat the wiring instructions for >4.0.1 underneath each image. Others have been confused by this in the past.

RedSleds wrote:

aMax wrote:

mwm wrote: I'm using the nightly build. Connecting those two pins is labeled as "4.0.1 and earlier." Is that incorrect, and they need to be connected unless it's on an MM?

www.deviationtx.com/forum/6-general-disc...0-for-frsky-rx#28027

That sketch is a bit goofy, as it appears that pins 5, 7, 9, and 10 are all tied to pin 8, which is not the case, but it gives a good picture when assuming the horizontal lines do not attach to pin 8.

EDIT: I guess if they were connected, there would be a dot on their intersections. D'oh!

Are there any binding dots as shown at double GND on the CYRF? You found it in the end....
This shematic was part of an Arduino MM project.from midelic...... and this is working.
www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2165676

mwm wrote: Thank you all. I guess I should ask earlier in the process - I would have had this fixed months ago! But I now have two Banggood CC2500's I'm not currently using. I think I want to keep one, but I'm willing to give the other to the first person who helped and PM's me willing to send me an SASE for it.

It's gone. Thanks to all again.

Well, the range test was fine - worked great out to 120 yards, which has me on the far side of the field and standing in my neighbors carport. Hope to get it wet after work today.

Wiki has been tweaked. Please check it and let me know if you think I screwed things up.

This CC2500 module's GDO0 and GDO2 dot colors appear to be swapped from the other two CC2500 modules.

**********************************************************
XL2500 (Ebay) : www.ebay.com/itm/110983783515



*4.0.1 and earlier: Connect 9->GND and 10->3.3v. Leave 3 and 8 floating

After 4.0.1, connect 3->10 and 8->9
**********************************************************

On the other two modules, the PA_EN pin is jumped to the GDO0 pin(which is orange in their pics), and the LNA_EN pin is jumped to the GDO2 pin(which is dark gray in their pics).

This module(the XL2500 (Ebay) : www.ebay.com/itm/110983783515 ), according to the dot colors on the image in the Wiki, seems to have the PA_EN pin jumped to the GDO2(which is orange in its pic), and the LNA_EN pin jumped to the GO0 pin(which is dark gray in its pic).

Perhaps it makes no difference? ...or is there a mistake with the pin designations? I do not know.

Here is the schematic from the ebay page:


From what I can see, it appears that the PA_EN and the LNA_EN(RFC???)designations on the Wiki image have been swapped compared to the ebay schematic.
On the Wiki page, the PA_EN is pin #10.
On the ebay schematic, the PA_EN would be pin #9
So, which is correct? ...I don't have a clue.

aMax wrote: Are there any binding dots as shown at double GND on the CYRF? You found it in the end....
.....<snip>.....
www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2165676

I grew up looking at wiring diagrams that looked like this:


Perhaps not proper electronics schematic standards, so as not to confuse us laymen. I never took any electronics courses in High School, ....in the span of 43-47 years ago.

RedSleds wrote: T
From what I can see, it appears that the PA_EN and the LNA_EN(RFC???)designations on the Wiki image have been swapped compared to the ebay schematic.
On the Wiki page, the PA_EN is pin #10.
On the ebay schematic, the PA_EN would be pin #9
So, which is correct? ...I don't have a clue.

Why not? These are special custom made pcbs. I would never use one that had no imprint.
If you use a different module than the common ones others had used, you have to trust the seller and if there is any doubt, use Google and collect as much information as you can get. Thats´s the norm..

The ebay CC2500 module that is linked in the ModuleList Wiki appears, to me, to be the exact same as the pic in the Wiki.

What is confusing is that in the Wiki, the first two CC2500 modules show the PA_EN pad jumped to the GDO0 pad, and the third CC2500 module (the ebay one) shows the PA_EN pad jumped to the GDO2 pad. The Wiki pic of the third one does not show the back side(actually, none of them in the Wiki shows the back side), where the pins are labeled as to what each of them is.

Not that it is really a concern to me, as I used the Multi-Module and a different CC2500, which sorted out the necessary pin jumps for me, but someone may have trouble getting it all sorted if they get the ebay module, tries to wire it without using the MM, and if the Wiki is incorrect.

that is what i have the ebay module. the wiki connects 3 to 10 and 8 to 9. on the picture the colors are wrong i think.

You're right, the colors were wrong. Key word: "were". Fixed now.

thank you mwm. i am going for it installing the xl cc 2500.

mwm wrote: You're right, the colors were wrong. Key word: "were". Fixed now.

Sometimes I am right!

Thanks for fixing the WIKI, it will save a lot of confusion and grief for the next guy(s) that references it for adding that particular module.