Help with interfacing nordic RF chip to PIC controller

[brew]

I saw this IC from noric nRF24L01

**broken link removed**

and it seems efficient and very useful. Is it possible to interface this with the usual PIC microcontroller?nRF24L01 supports SPI

regards,
brew.

 

[Jack// ani]

Yes, its possible and has been done.

Get yourself a breakout board with built-in antenna: 2.4Ghz Wireless nRF24L01+ Transceiver Module [RF-IS2411] - $7.95 : MDFLY electronics, Your electronics supplier! and you're ready to roll.

 

[brew]

Yes, its possible and has been done.

Get yourself a breakout board with built-in antenna: 2.4Ghz Wireless nRF24L01+ Transceiver Module [RF-IS2411] - $7.95 : MDFLY electronics, Your electronics supplier! and you're ready to roll.

the module looks very promising but it isn't available in any local stores and shipping costs a lot so i'm afraid i can't use that. do you have any other suggestions? the application for the IC is a wireless keyboard.

 

[Jack// ani]

Hmmm, well those modules are also available at ebay.com with free shipping.

Making RF module from scratch can be pain in the ass, soldering those small chips especially, however, it totally possible.

 

[brew]

Hmmm, well those modules are also available at ebay.com with free shipping.

Making RF module from scratch can be pain in the ass, soldering those small chips especially, however, it totally possible.

hey, i saw this other module: Transceiver nRF24L01+ Module with Chip Antenna - SparkFun Electronics

is this the same as the one you referred to me? also, interfacing this with a pic controller is just easy right? do i still have to configure the module itself? e.g program, add some circuitry.

 

[Jack// ani]

Yes, the one by Sparkfun is also based on the same chip manufactured by Nordic Semi.

You don't have to put any additional at hardware level, module itself is self sufficient. Rest of the configuration will be done through SPI by software. Here is one quick example for your reference: nRF24L01 wireless transceiver - Cookbook | mbed

 

[brew]

Yes, the one by Sparkfun is also based on the same chip manufactured by Nordic Semi.

You don't have to put any additional at hardware level, module itself is self sufficient. Rest of the configuration will be done through SPI by software. Here is one quick example for your reference: nRF24L01 wireless transceiver - Cookbook | mbed

this means i have to do some programming on the nRF2L01+ chip? because i thought at first that the one i should program is the PIC microcontroller that i will be interfacing it with....

 

[Jack// ani]

this means i have to do some programming on the nRF2L01+ chip? because i thought at first that the one i should program is the PIC microcontroller that i will be interfacing it with....

Yes, you only have to program the PIC!! Where did you pick idea of programming nRF2L01+ itself?

You program the PIC to send configuration data to the RF module, and once it done you can send data packets.

Hope this helps

 

[brew]

Yes, you only have to program the PIC!! Where did you pick idea of programming nRF2L01+ itself?

You program the PIC to send configuration data to the RF module, and once it done you can send data packets.

Hope this helps

does nRF2L01+ have it's own library for the PIC to access?

 

[Jack// ani]

does nRF2L01+ have it's own library for the PIC to access?

Datasheet of nRF2L01+ has all the commands listed that you need to program your PIC for to send over via SPI.

If your PIC C compiler has built-in SPI function, which most of them do, its shouldn't be a problem.

 

[brew]

Datasheet of nRF2L01+ has all the commands listed that you need to program your PIC for to send over via SPI.

If your PIC C compiler has built-in SPI function, which most of them do, its shouldn't be a problem.

i didn't know that haha.thanks. i feel so noob. anyway sorry for having lots of question, another question sir, Why is it that the operating voltage of the one in sparkfun is 3.3v while the one in MDFLY is only 1.9v? the operating voltage of the actual IC is only 1.9V? thanks alooooooot!

 

[Jack// ani]

Operating voltage range is from 1.9 to 3.3 volts. It means 1.9V is minimum and can go up to 3.3V maximum.

 

[brew]

Operating voltage range is from 1.9 to 3.3 volts. It means 1.9V is minimum and can go up to 3.3V maximum.

yes, i know that.but it says in the specification of the module in sparkfun that the operating voltage is 3.3v. since nRF24L01+ is a transceiver, i can use two modules to communicate to each other right?

 

[Jack// ani]

yes, i know that.but it says in the specification of the module in sparkfun that the operating voltage is 3.3v. since nRF24L01+ is a transceiver, i can use two modules to communicate to each other right?

Got it, the one at Sparkfun has onboard lower voltage dropout (LDO) regulator on it. So in that case 3.3V will be bare minimum because after some voltage drop across the regulator say 1V, you are at 2.3V which is pretty close to 1.9V.

Yes, you will two of those to communicate with each other.

Good luck

 

[avirajose]

hey i'm new to wireless ...
I just need to send data from a pair of transmiters to a pair of recievers simultaneously. Since the same frequency is blocking me.... I decided to go for seprarate frequency for each pairs...

can i adjust the frequency of the tranciever via coding or any hardware modification?....
did any tranciever allows me that..