Arduino Based Weather Station

[angryowl]

6 minutes ago, Gina said:

I linked RST to GND and TX to RX on a new Nano but the loopback didn't work.

Whilst you were typing was the RX LED echoing your keystrokes?

[Gina]

No.  Just the red LED on continuously.

[angryowl]

3 minutes ago, Gina said:

No.  Just the red LED on continuously.

But when connecting the Nano to the PC it was identified as a COM port, right? The loopback test only tests the USB serial converter on the Arduino and not the Atmega. Is the Nano a CH340G clone or has it got the FTDI chip? If you haven't already I would completely remove the serial driver from the PC and re-installing it. It's strange that this is happening on multiple boards on multiple computers!

[Gina]

It's a CH340.  Testing with Linux Mint.  I could try Windows 7...

[angryowl]

Yeah, I would try Win7. Maybe reinstall the CH340 serial driver, if that doesn't do it perhaps you could try upgrading or downgrading the IDE version on the Win7 machine. Another possibility would be that the boot loader somehow got corrupted but on all boards seems very unlikely.

[Gina]

Loopback is working on the Win 7 machine

[Gina]

The same board with links removed still won't let me upload a sketch.  On Win 7 with all the same settings.

[angryowl]

8 minutes ago, Gina said:

The same board with links removed still won't let me upload a sketch.  On Win 7 with all the same settings.

Okay so the CH340 works so there's not much point in reinstalling the driver for it or changing the IDE version I think. I'm thinking there's something wrong with the Atmega chip or an issue between the Atmega and CH340 as it does not seem to be responding to the USB to serial converter.

To me sounds like it's a corrupted boot loader although I can't imagine how it would have gotten that way. Another possibility would be a fried Atmega chip. Problem is to re-burn a boot loader I think you need a working Arduino...

Another thing you could try is keeping the reset button pressed for a few seconds just before an upload and see if that works?

I may however be totally wrong and it could just be something simple and easily fixable as you get the same behaviour from three boards. 

[Gina]

The ATmega chip is working as it shows the one second flashing of the default sketch.

Could be boot loader I guess though I don't see how it could have been corrupted. 

Tried keeping the reset button pressed for a few seconds before the upload - no difference.  And there is no sign of data being received - just the flashing LED from D13.

 

[Gina]

I have a few more new Nanos I could try.  I don't see how they could be harmed by connecting to the Win 7 laptop.  I might order some more perhaps.

[Gina]

WOW!!  Got one working   A different batch - I could tell from the packaging - CH340G label on it, the others had nothing.  Unfortunately, I have only one with that packaging and two more of the other packaging.  Looks like I have a bad batch.

Edited December 16, 2017 by Gina

[Gina]

Now then, do I risk wiring it up to the MLX90316?   Think I'll leave it until tomorrow - have a couple of things to sort out first anyway.

Edited December 16, 2017 by Gina

[Gina]

MLX90316 pin connections :-

1. Vdd +5v  Capacitor to Gnd    Red
2. TEST         Connect to Gnd
3. SS                                            Orange
4. SCLK                                        Yellow
5. MOSI                                        Green
6. TEST1      Connect to Gnd
7. Vdig         Capacitor to Gnd
8. Vss/Gnd                                    Brown

Edited December 16, 2017 by Gina

[Gina]

Arduino Nano connections :-

1. Brown      Gnd                4 & 29
2. Red          +5v                27
3. Orange    SS        D10    13
4. Yellow      SCLK    D13    16
5. Green      MOSI    D11    14
6. Blue         INT0     D2      5

[Gina]

Anemometer Hall sensor connections :-

1. +5v    White
2. Gnd    Black
3. Data   Grey

[Gina]

Connections to MLX90316 breakout board.

 

Edited December 17, 2017 by Gina

[Gina]

Connections on the breakout board.

 

 

[Gina]

Connections to Arduino Nano.

[Gina]

Sensor wiring.

[Gina]

Arduino Nano wiring.

[Gina]

Testing...  Have Arduino Nano connected to Win 7 laptop and displaying Serial Monitor but just getting a high speed run of strange characters which I don't think is right

[Gina]

I can see why I think   Wrong baud rate

[Gina]

Well, that one thing cured but now I'm getting -1 which I reckon is saying there's an error.

[Gina]

Read carefully through the MLX90316 datasheet and can see no mention of error output.  But generally where the device gives a positive number to show a measurement an output of -1 indicates an error and therefore I assume that I am getting an error from the sensor chip.  I have Googled till I'm blue in the face for any information about MXL90316 errors.  The datasheet says an error will occur if the magnetic field is to weak or too strong.  So this is one possibility.

[Gina]

The MLX90316 check is fine otherwise it wouldn't read the angle and display an angle of -1.  So I guess this means the chip is working.

void loop() {
  if (mlxMetro.check() == 1) { 
  ii = mlx_1.readAngle();
  Serial.print(ii);
  Serial.println("");
  }
}

I've tried removing the sensor from the mounting and also pulling out the vane axle with its magnet.  Also tried the axle magnet on the top of the sensor chip but still a repeating "-1" on the display.