Problem with using multi-node nRF24l01+ with Arduinos

Question

I have 3 nodes in my system. One centralNode and two sensor nodes (right and left).
Sensor nodes transmit data to the centralNode and receive from it. centralNode may transmit to both nodes and receive from them.

I'm using an Arduino nano for central node and Uno and Mega for sensor nodes. I'm using nRF24's base module (with regulators and caps and all) but one node does not have base module (Although I've given it a descent 3.3 V and bypass caps).

Here is my problem:
1- It seems the centralNode can't detect which nodes data it is receiving. I can sometimes get it to work using different delays for sensorNodes but again, on reset it messes up the data. How can I detect which data's reading the centralNode is receiving?

2- How can I use radio.available(??) I've put 0, 1 , 2 and pipe addresses in ?? but it does not work (prints garbage data) radio.available's API

Here are the codes: centralNode:

/*
   Testing multi-node functionality of nRF24l01+
   This is centralNode code

   BOM
   1 Arduino Nano centralNode
   1 Ardiuno Uno rightSensorNode
   1 Arduino Mega leftSensorNode
   3 nRF24l01+
*/

#include <SPI.h>
#include "RF24.h"
#include <printf.h>

#define CEpin 6
#define CSpin 7

RF24 radio(CEpin, CSpin);
byte addresses [][6] = {"1Node", "2Node", "3Node"};

int rightNodeCount = 0;
int leftNodeCount = 0;
void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200);
  Serial.println(F("This is the central node"));
  printf_begin();
  radio.begin();
  radio.setPALevel(RF24_PA_MAX);

  radio.openWritingPipe(addresses[0]);
  radio.openReadingPipe(1, addresses[1]);
  radio.openReadingPipe(2, addresses[2]);
  radio.startListening();
  radio.printDetails();
}

void loop() {
  if (radio.available()) {
    radio.read(&rightNodeCount, sizeof(rightNodeCount));
    radio.read(&leftNodeCount, sizeof(leftNodeCount));
  }
  //  if (radio.available(1)) {
  //    radio.read(&leftNodeCount, sizeof(leftNodeCount));
  //  }
  Serial.println("centralNode is reporting:");
  Serial.print("centralNode address : ");
  Serial.println((char *)addresses[0]);

  Serial.print("rightNode address : ");
  Serial.println((char *)addresses[1]);
  Serial.print("rightNodeCount = ");
  Serial.println(rightNodeCount);

  Serial.print("leftNode address : ");
  Serial.println((char *)addresses[2]);
  Serial.print("leftNodeCount = ");
  Serial.println(leftNodeCount);

  Serial.println("---END OF REPORT---\n\n\n\n");
  delay(500);
}

rightSensorNode:

/*
   Testing multi-node functionality of nRF24l01+
   This is rightSensorNode code

   BOM
   1 Arduino Nano centralNode
   1 Ardiuno Uno rightSensorNode
   1 Arduino Mega leftSensorNode
   3 nRF24l01+
*/

#include <SPI.h>
#include "RF24.h"
#include <printf.h>

#define CEpin 7
#define CSpin 8

RF24 radio(CEpin, CSpin);
byte addresses [][6] = {"1Node", "2Node", "3Node"};

int rightNodeCount = 0;
void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200);
  Serial.println(F("This is the right node"));
  printf_begin();


  radio.begin();
  radio.setPALevel(RF24_PA_MAX);

  radio.openWritingPipe(addresses[1])

  radio.printDetails();

}

void loop() {
  rightNodeCount++;
  Serial.println("Sending data to centralNode");
  Serial.print("rightNode address : ");
  Serial.println((char *)addresses[1]);
  Serial.print("rightNodeCount = ");
  Serial.println(rightNodeCount);
  radio.write(&rightNodeCount, sizeof(rightNodeCount));

  Serial.println("---END OF REPORT---\n\n\n\n");
  delay(1000);
}

leftSensorNode:

/*
   Testing multi-node functionality of nRF24l01+
   This is leftSensorNode code

   BOM
   1 Arduino Nano centralNode
   1 Ardiuno Uno rightSensorNode
   1 Arduino Mega leftSensorNode
   3 nRF24l01+
*/

#include <SPI.h>
#include "RF24.h"
#include <printf.h>

#define CEpin 7
#define CSpin 8

RF24 radio(CEpin, CSpin);

byte addresses [][6] = {"1Node", "2Node", "3Node"};

int leftNodeCount = 0;
void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200);
  Serial.println(F("This is the left node"));
  printf_begin();

  radio.begin();
  radio.setPALevel(RF24_PA_MAX);

  radio.openWritingPipe(addresses[2]);


  radio.printDetails();

}

void loop() {
  leftNodeCount++;
  Serial.println("Sending data to centralNode");
  Serial.print("leftNode address : ");
  Serial.println((char *)addresses[2]);
  Serial.print("leftNodeCount = ");
  Serial.println(leftNodeCount);
  radio.write(&leftNodeCount, sizeof(leftNodeCount));

  Serial.println("---END OF REPORT---\n\n\n\n");
  delay(1000);
}

Answer 1

Each sensor point should send its address to the central point and this is how the central point knows the source of the message. Then after the central point receives a message, after if (radio.available()) command receive the data just once (not twice) and then use another if statement to determine which sensor has sent a message (by reading the sent address) and then print.

pseudo code:

if (radio.available())
{
    radio.read(&RXbuffer, sizeof(RXbuffer));
    if(RXbuffer.address == sensor1_address)
    {
        print "this is sensor 1"
        print RXbuffer.address;
        print RXbuffer.data;
    }
    else if(RXbuffer.address == sensor2_address)
    {
        print "this is sensor 2"
        print RXbuffer.address;
        print RXbuffer.data;
    }
}

In your code (inside if (radio.available())) you are trying to receive rightNodeCount and lefteNodeCount eventhough at that time just one of them was received.

EDIT:

It seems that RF24 uses dedicated pipes to know the source of the information. The following code should work:

pseudo code:

unsigned char pipe_num;

if (radio.available(&pipe_num))
{
    radio.read(&data, sizeof(data));

    if(pipe_num == 1)
    {
        print "this is sensor 1";
        print data;
    }
    else if (pipe_num == 2)
    {
        print "this is sensor 2";
        print data;
    }
}