Raspberry Pi/Linux with the nrf24l01+ & RF24Gateway

 A guide/example of advanced RF24/nrf24l01+ usage and monitoring on Linux devices

Overview:

There are many examples of basic RF24 usage, but not so many demonstrating complex communication scenarios and networking. The RF24 communication stack is free, with all development information, examples, code and documentation available on GitHub, designed with Arduino and RaspberryPi/Linux devices in mind.

The RF24 stack generally follows the OSI model, and provides a separate library for each layer, with efforts toward proper documentation for each layer. This allows any type of data/communication to pass over the radios, including TCP, UDP or any other protocol, and users can write their own code to link devices together using any layer(s).

So, what can we really do with these little radios?

The nature and low-cost of the system allows literally anybody with interest in wireless communication to setup, deploy, and experiment with small scale, self-healing wireless networks, or start writing their own code with the core RF24 driver, in a very short period of time.

The stack currently does not include sensor specific code or functionality, it is simply a communication stack which enables all kinds of different functionality.


Requirements, Hardware Setup & Installation:

1. A Raspberry Pi or Linux device a compatible radio device connected
    RPi Install Script

2. An Arduino device with a compatible radio device connected
    Arduino Install (Select RF24, RF24Network, RF24Mesh, RF24Ethernet libraries)

See the RF24 docs for hardware setup info & installation
Note: Please report any issues at https://github.com/TMRh20/RF24/issues

Demonstration and Information:

The video below demonstrates how to use RF24Gateway in general - Setting up nodes and communicating over RF24 using RF24Network, RF24Mesh, and standard protocols (ICMP, HTTP, SSH), along with monitoring

1. Config on RPi & Arduino devices
2. Complex mesh networks: How the different layers (RF24Network,RF24Mesh & RF24Ethernet) can be used with RF24Gateway
3. RF24Ethernet: Simple TCP/IP communication and web server running on Arduino over RF24
4. RF24Mesh: Node config & interaction with RF24Gateway
5. RF24Network: Node config & interaction with RF24Gateway
6. How to use WireShark to monitor user payloads with RF24Gateway and LUA Wireshark dissector script (using laptop w/SSH & X11 forwarding in this example)
7. How to configure Raspberry Pi as a standard node in an existing RF24Mesh
8. How to sniff RF24Network, RF24Mesh, and RF24Ethernet traffic using RF24Gateway & Wireshark(optional)
9. Tacos... oops they were already eaten, maybe next time

As shown in the video, any nodes running RF24Ethernet, RF24Mesh or RF24Network can be used with a master node running RF24Gateway, allowing users to try out or utilize the different layers quite easily.

RF24Ethernet: Provides TCP/IP communication. Very simple and reliable way to control on/off devices via a web browser or scripting. Has all functionality of lower layers.

RF24Mesh: Provides automatic (mesh) networking for RF24Network. RF24Mesh networks are self-healing and dynamic in nature.

RF24Network: Provides addressing, routing, fragmentation/reassembly of payloads via manual/statically defined wireless networks.

See the detailed overview and related pages at http://nrf24.github.io/RF24Ethernet