Project:Nanode/FAQ

My Nanode can't access the ENC28J60 and comes up ENC28J60 Version 0

Nanode uses an ethernet library which was written specifically to drive the ENC28J60 ethernet controller.

This device is used on several similar designs, and it must be noted that the library needs to be tailored so that it correctly addresses the ENC28J60 via digital pin 8, and not pin 10 as used in some ethernet shields.

To do this look at the DHCP test sketch and identify the line

es.ES_enc28j60Init(mymac);

for Nanode version 5 users this should be changed to:

es.ES_enc28j60Init(mymac,8);

Pin 8 is the pin used by the microcontroller to select the ENC28J60 for the SPI bus and if you don't add this, the MCU won't be able to communicate with the ENC28J60.

If you forget to do this, when you first power up there will be a message

ENC28J60 Version 0

This will appear as ENC28J60 Version 7 after the change has been made and you will know that all is well.

We are in the process of creating a Nanode specific library that defaults to pin 8, so this change will not be needed in the future.

How do I get in touch with other people with Nanodes?

Have a look here for Register of Nanodes and Users
Use the webchat client that runs in your browser.
Or point your IRC client at #nanode on irc.freenode.net.
The #nanode channel IRC chat logs can be viewed here

If you've not used IRC before there are many tutorials out there for you. [1] [2] [3] [4]

If you're unsure of IRC etiquette, this guide might be worth a glance. More irritable users tend to get annoyed at away messages, so you may want to find out how to turn this off.

A good option if you have a server is to set up a screen session to run Irssi so that you don't miss anything. [5] is a good guide to using screen and Irssi.

How do I connect External Power to my Nanode?

There are at least 3 ways to power the Nanode

With a 5V FTDI cable or adaptor
With a standard USB lead
With an external dc power supply

When using the FTDI cable, put the black wire closest to the USB socket.

With external dc power, use a supply less than 12V, 9V is preferable and connect the positive to the screw terminal closest to the Magjack and the 0V to the next terminal along.

If you want to use 12V or higher, you will need to fit a suitably sized TO220 heatsink (say 50mm x 25mm)to the tag of the 7805 regulator. The Voltage range for the regulator is 7V to 35V, but in the interests of power efficiency and overheating we do not recommend more than 12V dc.

What are the other screw terminal for?

Nanodes can be connected to networks in a number of ways, and the screw terminals provides a low cost wired serial bus. Nanodes can be wired together using 4 core telephone cable or network cable, which provides power distribution and communication between Nodes. A separate wiki page describing this feature will be published in the near future.

Why do I need an FTDI cable? (and where can I get one ?)

The Nanode is intended to be a low-cost ethernet-connected arduino alternative for use in sensors, distributed control etc. As a result, it will usually be deployed in a fixed location once the code has been written, and the software will not often be changed. To reduce the cost, the board does not include the FTDI USB-to-serial chip commonly used on Arduino, but instead uses an external cable that can be re-used on other nanodes (or, indeed, other programming projects).

Sources of these cables are listed in Project:Nanode/Programming_cables