Using the nRF24L01 with Arduino

The nRF24L01 is a 2.4 GHz radio transceiver module. It allows you to send and receive data from the Arduino using wireless communication. The module is equipped with an SPI interface and operates at 3.3V, so it can be used directly with the Arduino Uno or with other compatible boards such as the ESP8266. It has a transmit power of up to 20dBm (500mW), which means it is suitable for sending data over long distances, but there is no mention of the range it can provide in practice.

Section: SPI interface pin of the nRF24L01 2.4 GHz transceiver module

The 2.4 GHz nRF24L01 transceiver module SPI interface pins are as follows: MOSI, MISO, SCK, SS. The SPI interface supports clock speeds of up to 4 MHz and can support data rates of up to 500 kbps when using a frame length of 64 bytes (the standard frame length). The maximum number of bytes per frame must be divisible by 5 or 8 bytes, depending on whether you are using half-duplex or full-duplex communication.

Pinout of the nRF24L01 2.4 GHz transceiver module

• VCC (+3.3V)
• GND (ground)
• CE (chip enable)
• CSN (chip select)
• SCK (serial clock)
• MISO
• MOSI
• IRQ (interrupt)

The power pin (pin # 7) is the pin that supplies power to the nRF24L01 transceiver module. It is connected to a voltage regulator which converts the battery voltage to 3.3V and is also connected to a reverse protection diode. This diode prevents damage if the battery is accidentally reversed while working on the project.

The nRF24L01 transceiver module has a termination pin, which is used to reduce power consumption and improve the performance of the nRF24L01 transceiver module. The termination pin is grounded on one side and can be connected to VCC on the other. In this case, it is necessary to use an external resistor (10k ohm) between VCC and the termination pin, in order to avoid noise on the line when using it.

The antenna pin is the same as the power pin and corresponds to ground. The antenna pin is also connected to an SPI interface, which allows it to communicate with the nRF24L01 module using a microprocessor or microcontroller.

Working voltage and current values ​​of the nRF24L01 2.4 GHz transceiver module

The transceiver module used in this project has a 3.3V working voltage and draws approximately 30mA when transmitting. Power consumption halves when the module is listening for incoming signals, so I measured it at 15mA. The maximum output power of the 2.4 GHz transceiver module is 1 W, but can be reduced with a software setting. The lowest power consumption was measured when the module was in sleep mode and consumed only about 0.5uA of current.

Conclusion

The nRF24L01 is a low cost transceiver module that operates in the 2.4 to 2.5 GHz frequency range and uses FSK, GFSK, OOK and ASK modulation techniques to send packets to other radios in the area. The module can be configured using AT commands, which can be sent via a serial port or via Bluetooth. The nRF24L01 is a good choice for hobbyists and engineers who want to build their own cordless communication system. The nRF24L01 has many features that make it a good choice for hobbyists and engineers. It can be used as a wireless transceiver, which means that two devices within a short distance of each other can communicate wirelessly.