[FAQ] Most common Plug&Sense! issues

Below are listed the most common issues that may arise when using P&S for the first time.

• Cannot Upload Program.

Please take a look on this checklist in order to see if you are missing any basic step.

Waspmote v15 checklist

It is for Waspmote, but is also valid for Plug&Sense!.

• My P&S is rebooting, What can I do?

Resets are usually due to a low battery level. Check the battery level,you can use the getting-battery-level example. We do not recommend working with battery levels under 20%-30%, without taking it into account in your code.

• How can I know which battery type has my P&S?

Waspmote Plug & Sense! includes a back sticker where it is shown battery type. Normally P&S units have a rechargeable 6600mAh battery, but non-rechargeable 26Ah battery is also possible.

• How can I recharge my P&S?

You can charge the battery with USB or solar panel. The ON / OFF button can be in ON or OFF position to charge the battery.

Obviously, non-rechargeable batteries cannot be recharged with any method.

• Recharging times.

A complete battery charge can last 14 hours using USB cable or 20 hours through solar panel connector. The USB can reach 480 mA of charging current, while the solar panel connector can reach 330 mA.

• How to reduce battery consumption of a waspmote P&S.

On P&S! devices, hibernate mode is not possible. However, you can use sleep and deepSleep modes. Besides that, try to turn on things only when your are going to use them and just after using then, turn them off.

• How can I check my P&S hardware?

You can use the factory default code to check your hardware: https://development.libelium.com/waspmote-factory-default/

Take a look into the first printed lines on the serial monitor. They will say your radio protocol and some other relevant data.

• How to configure the Xbee inside a P&S

X-CTU tool from Digi can't be used in this case. You have to configure It by code, like in the example code 802 01: Configure XBee.

• My P&S nodes can't communicate to each other. what can I do?

1. Check that the nodes have the same radio module.
2. Check that both XBee have same networking parameters (PANID, CHANNEL, etc).
3. Check destination MAC address.
4. Check your node have the antenna connected.
5. If you can not connect, you can use XBee example codes: Configure parameters, send packets and receive packets.

You can find more communication examples here: https://development.libelium.com/waspmote/code-examples

• External Solar Panel.

This panel should be connected to the external solar panel connector. Do not connect any sensor on this connector and also do not connect the solar panel to a sensor connector. You can damage internal circuitry.

If you are planning to use your own solar panel or power supply, maximum allowed voltage on the solar panel connector is 12V. A voltage between 6-7 V is optimal. We only recommend using official power sources.
If you want to use the solar panel connector to charge the battery in case of indoor installations, there is a special cable for it.

• ON/OFF button.

ON/OFF button includes a red ring LED, which can be managed by software. The usage of this LED will increase power consumption due to external LED consumes 9.1 mA.
By default, Waspmote Plug & Sense! comes with a code that blinks briefly (3 times in less than one second) this led when it is turned ON.

• How to read data from SD files.

It is not possible to directly read the SD files as a pen drive. You should use a code to read the files and print its info by USB or send it via wireless. Use the sd-04-read-file example to read a file and the sd-06-list-files example To list all the files.

• More Questions about P&S.

We recommend to spend some time reading the documentation available in the development section:
https://development.libelium.com/plug-and-sense/documentation

For further questions, custom designs or available products, please contact our sales department through filling next form
https://www.libelium.com/contact/

or by email: sales [at] libelium [dot] com