The Things Node Battery consumption

End Devices (Nodes) Hardware
1

Hi All,
I’m using The Things Node with the “TTN-Basic” example that I’ve modified only in the instruction “node->configInterval(true, 3600000);” for setting a 1 hour send interval.
If it could be useful I could make available this sketch, but how could I attack it to this message ?

After a first experience with this configuration that stopped working after about 1 week for exhausted battery, I setup a new test recording the transmitted data.
Also in this case in few days the battery voltage go down, as reported by the following log file (I deleted the fields of no interest for a shorter reporting, leaving only battery and date/time):

[
{
“battery”: 4536,
“device_id”: “rse-test-device”,
“event”: “button”,
“light”: 21,
“raw”: “EbgAFQiF”,
“temperature”: 21.81,
“time”: “2017-12-21T09:20:22.277291212Z”
},
{
“battery”: 4568,
“time”: “2017-12-21T09:26:33.608461698Z”
},
{
“battery”: 4234,
“time”: “2017-12-21T14:42:56.73167685Z”
},
{
“battery”: 4266,
“time”: “2017-12-21T14:50:31.027222609Z”
},
{
“battery”: 4272,
“time”: “2017-12-21T14:50:35.649350654Z”
},
{
“battery”: 4266,
“time”: “2017-12-21T14:50:38.258353207Z”
},
{
“battery”: 4260,
“time”: “2017-12-21T14:50:40.768809264Z”
},
{
“battery”: 4266,
“time”: “2017-12-21T14:50:51.557843912Z”
},
{
“battery”: 4246,
“time”: “2017-12-21T15:47:19.387962178Z”
},
{
“battery”: 4214,
“time”: “2017-12-21T16:51:49.931626951Z”
},
{
“battery”: 4182,
“time”: “2017-12-21T17:56:20.125487307Z”
},
{
“battery”: 4156,
“time”: “2017-12-21T19:00:50.19619722Z”
},
{
“battery”: 4130,
“time”: “2017-12-21T20:05:20.250003796Z”
},
{
“battery”: 4104,
“time”: “2017-12-21T21:09:50.397486438Z”
},
{
“battery”: 4092,
“time”: “2017-12-21T22:14:20.561565069Z”
},
{
“battery”: 4072,
“time”: “2017-12-21T23:18:50.723778176Z”
},
{
“battery”: 4054,
“time”: “2017-12-22T00:23:20.828944155Z”
},
{
“battery”: 4040,
“time”: “2017-12-22T01:27:50.938201379Z”
},
{
“battery”: 4028,
“time”: “2017-12-22T02:32:21.010911366Z”
},
{
“battery”: 4014,
“time”: “2017-12-22T03:36:50.974826449Z”
},
{
“battery”: 4002,
“time”: “2017-12-22T04:41:20.858860748Z”
},
{
“battery”: 3988,
“time”: “2017-12-22T05:45:50.789943018Z”
},
{
“battery”: 3976,
“time”: “2017-12-22T06:50:20.34048516Z”
},
{
“battery”: 3970,
“time”: “2017-12-22T07:54:50.40617983Z”
},
{
“battery”: 3956,
“time”: “2017-12-22T08:59:20.55189994Z”
},
{
“battery”: 3950,
“time”: “2017-12-22T10:03:50.637508393Z”
},
{
“battery”: 3944,
“time”: “2017-12-22T11:08:20.636951206Z”
},
{
“battery”: 3930,
“time”: “2017-12-22T12:12:50.721869099Z”
},
{
“battery”: 3924,
“time”: “2017-12-22T13:17:20.916806559Z”
},
{
“battery”: 3918,
“time”: “2017-12-22T14:21:50.91715161Z”
},
{
“battery”: 3912,
“time”: “2017-12-22T15:26:21.11174715Z”
},
{
“battery”: 3904,
“time”: “2017-12-22T16:30:51.22151674Z”
},
{
“battery”: 3898,
“time”: “2017-12-22T17:35:21.233086464Z”
},
{
“battery”: 3898,
“time”: “2017-12-22T18:39:51.34180935Z”
},
{
“battery”: 3892,
“time”: “2017-12-22T19:44:21.486441509Z”
},
{
“battery”: 3886,
“time”: “2017-12-22T20:48:51.637407543Z”
},
{
“battery”: 3880,
“time”: “2017-12-22T21:53:21.91076232Z”
},
{
“battery”: 3872,
“time”: “2017-12-22T22:57:51.708775259Z”
},
{
“battery”: 3872,
“time”: “2017-12-23T00:02:21.923677059Z”
},
{
“battery”: 3866,
“time”: “2017-12-23T01:06:52.144642639Z”
},
{
“battery”: 3866,
“time”: “2017-12-23T02:11:22.313405269Z”
},
{
“battery”: 3860,
“time”: “2017-12-23T03:15:52.694561369Z”
},
{
“battery”: 3854,
“time”: “2017-12-23T04:20:22.920006539Z”
},
{
“battery”: 3846,
“time”: “2017-12-23T05:24:53.109583509Z”
},
{
“battery”: 3846,
“time”: “2017-12-23T06:29:23.326049979Z”
},
{
“battery”: 3840,
“time”: “2017-12-23T07:33:53.41047346Z”
},
{
“battery”: 3834,
“time”: “2017-12-23T08:38:23.5714919Z”
},
{
“battery”: 3834,
“time”: “2017-12-23T09:42:53.851772656Z”
},
{
“battery”: 3828,
“time”: “2017-12-23T10:47:24.151732551Z”
},
{
“battery”: 3822,
“time”: “2017-12-23T11:51:54.492056985Z”
},
{
“battery”: 3822,
“time”: “2017-12-23T12:56:24.799838148Z”
},
{
“battery”: 3814,
“time”: “2017-12-23T14:00:54.89998345Z”
},
{
“battery”: 3808,
“time”: “2017-12-23T15:05:24.93278879Z”
},
{
“battery”: 3802,
“time”: “2017-12-23T16:09:55.074621019Z”
},
…

"battery": 3692,
"device_id": "rse-test-device",
"event": "interval",
"light": 15,
"raw": "DmwADwcO",
"temperature": 18.06,
"time": "2017-12-24T22:16:08.832780338Z"

},
{
“battery”: 3686,
“device_id”: “rse-test-device”,
“event”: “interval”,
“light”: 15,
“raw”: “DmYADwcO”,
“temperature”: 18.06,
“time”: “2017-12-24T23:20:39.105427512Z”
},

Do you have any suggestion about this issue ?
Thanks

2

you have a link for that code example ?

3

You should get it from this link
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JNQj074u7zamD70N7sWVCuMAAO-uK4PN/view?usp=sharing

4

ok tnx… looking at it now because I’m not familiar with the code (and I don’t have a node like that)
but it looks like its not going into deepsleep between measurements/transmission

5

Thanks BoRRoZ,
the first time i used the node, it lives for some weeks with a consistent use for evaluate the area coverage of my gateway with TTN-mapper app.
After that (I don’t remember to have modified the sketch), the battery problems appears.
It could be an hardware problem ?

6

When I received all the goodies I initiated 2 Nodes with the default TTN script
Both drained the batteries in roughly 10 days… so that’s about 10 * 24 * 60 = 14400 pings ???

With 8 nodes still unused; am now waiting for a sh*tload of AAA batteries :smile:

for dutchies: 9,95 euro for 48

7

Check you have the latest firmware in the Microchip module: http://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/en/DeviceDoc/RN2483_1.0.3%20(Public).zip

Older firmware does have an errata where the sleep current drifts around.

8

Thanks JDP,
I’m not in expert in this field and for what I found around I started by download the LoRa Development Suite for Linux (http://www.microchip.com/Developmenttools/ProductDetails.aspx?PartNO=dv164140-1) for upload the new firmware version, even it seems that someone had problems with this tool.
Even if I make it executable in ubuntu 17.10, it doesn’t start and doesn’t produce any warning.
lorasuite.
I’m missing something ?

9

I was finally able to install the tool on Ubuntu 64 bit 17.10 following these steps:

I posted the problem I had later related to the firmware update to another specific forum thread (Where to find RN2483 firmware updates)

10

I successfully updated “the things node” RN2483 to version 1.0.3. Instructions here: HowTo: Update RN2483 Firmware on ‘The Things Node’ to prevent excessive battery drain

but due to the bug in the file selection dialog, I had to switch to win10.

12

Does this update really solve the battery problem? my node was already 1.03 and lasts only 7 days.

13

almost there :wink:

15

It would be interesting to know what sleep current you have after the update. I have a TTN Node v1.0 here which draws 0.9mA when the example program “Basic” sleeps. This would translate in a battery lifetime (3xAAA 1000mAh) of about 46 days / 1.5 month.