Oatley K190A & K190B 4 channel 433 MHz long range TX & RX Kit

[Dawnra]

Hi All,

Just a query. Has anyone had success interfacing the Oatley 4 channel 433MHz TX K190A & K190B kit with picaxe for sending variable logging data wirelessly to another picaxe unit with RX kit. I was hoping to use one of these kits in a data logger built to monitor the data from my wind turbine. The four switches (channels) of the K190A (TX) unit are selected by tying them to 5V. I have the rf link working from all four switches. If I high/low output pin of the picaxe 18X1 in the TX circuit to two of the switch inputs of the Oatley tx unit the corresponding output of the RX unit becomes 5V 0r 0V. I am using this with a picaxe 18X1 logging circuit to show whether my mains inverter is switched on and whether the dump load on the turbine regulator circuit is on or off as these only require logic on or off.
Ok after the long winded bit. Is it possible to use one of the other channels to send variable data from the turbine (ie. current - voltage) to the RX unit to output on LCD screen. I have tried all manners of simple picaxe code from various threads posted on this forum of sending and receiving variable data without success. Any help provide would be gratefully received before I pull the last of my hair out.

Mike

 

[papaof2]

I have tried all manners of simple picaxe code from various threads posted on this forum of sending and receiving variable data without success. Any help provide would be gratefully received before I pull the last of my hair out.

Mike

You *might* be able to pass data at a VERY slow rate, as the encoder/decoder chips are designed for basic on/off operation - not data transfer.

You needto know the maximum reliable on/off rate of the encoder/decoder pair, including any changes caused byother channels changing state. Connect a PICAXE to be the "button" on one of the transmitter inputs and put an LED on the corresponding output of the receiver. Run a loop on the PICAXE with
for b0 = 1 to 20
high x
pause 500
low x
pause 500
next
and change the pause values to halve the time (pause 250, pause 125, ext) until the receiver no longer follows the transmitter. Then slow it down one more level for reliable data; i.e., if errors begin at 62ms, then use 124 ms as a safe value.

Translate the cycles per second you get into a baud rate and see if it's possible to run that baud rate on the PICAXE. If not, you get to write your own serial communications code :-(

John

 

[Dawnra]

Thanks for the reply John.

I'll give it a go and see if I have any success with it. If all else fails I could unsolder the tx and rx modules from the kit PCBs and try it direct.

Thanks

Mike

 

[manuka]

I don't know these units, but reflect that instead of writing your own serial code, perhaps just simply greatly underclock the PICAXEs at each end? Stan.

 

[Dawnra]

Hi Stan,

If I dont have success with the Oatley modules I will buy some modules that are proven to work. I got the Oatley modules for another purpose and just thought they might transfer variable data from my picaxe ADC board to a data logger. I might try underclocking just to see if I can get rf link working.
Thanks for the advice.

Mike