PINNED - Plug & Play PGDT for Radio Control

[RC Hopeful]

Very nice Woody. I cant wait to see it in person.

[woodygb]

Now that I have the first one built ... using a slightly different layout than previously ....the others should be easier to build.

I have 4 Arduino's on order and they should be here tomorrow ....I'll inform you when the batch is complete.

[SMA Dad]

Nice soldering skills, and a crafty layout. I wouldn't have thought to piggyback the digipot on the Arduino. What did you use to insulate the two?
Anyway...Great Job!

[woodygb]

No insulation is required as nothing electrical touches ...just a small blob of hot glue on top of the main Arduino chip to hold the digipot in position whilst constructing.

Also note that RST has been repurposed as a VCC ..the tracks to that pin are cut and a 5v wire is run to it on the under side.

This makes the pin layout easy and sensible... from Left to Right.

Rudder Elevator Aileron GND VCC RX TX

[Burgerman]

I think for the average non hobby user that doesn't understand RC receiver's, you are going to need to fit 3x 3pin receiver/servo cables clearly marked, on/off, steer, forwards/reverse.

Because 99 percent of people do not understand the concept of 5v, 0v, signal... They will not understand you only need 5 wires for 3 channels! And expect 9 wires or 3 connectors. And so will never get it to work.

That way it becomes plug and play for many more people?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/30-x-3-pin-Re ... 27d17764cd

They are male both ends so cut in half gives 60x 3 inch cables.
There are 30cm ones too, so that gives you 6 inch cables cut in half.

[RC Hopeful]

In regards to Woody's hot glue, I have actually used it before with stainless steel sewing pins to construct a make-do low-voltage lighting plug for my parade float addition to my wheelchair. It worked 100X times better than I had though it would.

[mous3]

BM's point about the connectors is a very good one as not all rc receivers are in the same but with the plugs you'd be sorted in a few mins and swaps 35mhz to 2.4G becomes a 5 min job,

[woodygb]

I think for the average non hobby user that doesn't understand RC receiver's, you are going to need to fit 3x 3pin receiver/servo cables clearly marked, on/off, steer, forwards/reverse

Whilst I understand what your saying ..this seemingly simple mod ( 3 rows of 3 pins ) adds complexity to the build that I cannot really accommodate.

Seeing as how the pin spacing on the receivers is symmetrical .. I envisaged ( for the Spektrum range of receivers ) just 2 plugs ...one for power ... and one ( seeing as how the channel pins are in order Rud Ele Aile ) for the 3 signal pins.

The other alternative would be three leads ... one with pos , neg and a channel and two of 3 pin plugs with just the signal wire .... marked accordingly Rud Ele & Aile.....marking them on/off ( Rud ) , steer ( Aile ) , forwards/reverse ( Ele ) would IMO be very confusing.

[Burgerman]

The other alternative would be three leads ... one with pos , neg and a channel and two of 3 pin plugs with just the signal wire .... marked accordingly Rud Ele & Aile.

That's what people will expect. (I expect that this is what they will expect! Or all three with neg, pos, power)

[woodygb]

Or all three with neg, pos, power

..I can do that ...but the extra neg , pos wires in two plugs will be dummies... simply because they aren't required and I can't see the point of wiring them in.

[Burgerman]

Quite.

[mous3]

I have 5 pin recever outputs at 45 deg. They have shared positive and negatives and 2 separate signals the receiver can switch 2.4G to 37mhz, as can my Multiplex transmitter the most important thing is clearly marking the signal outputs rudder drive or 1,2,3

[mous3]

My funky radio can let my control 2 aircraft/ items at the same time one on the left stick and one from the right of course each can only have throttle 2 on of off functions and basics turn up down or forwards reverse in this mode of use one side puts out 2.4G the outher side 37mhz. So i have only played with this on an rc car and radio interrupted 3 Chanel powered glider by it worked I could drive the car around a course of cones and maintain a happy holding paternal with the glider, now if I replace the car with my wheelchair.... Yes both have full fail safe I set the car to all stop power off and the glider to throttle off wing control surfaces to center elevator to center rudder to 25% left
No It's not put and play Multiplex would most likely have hart failure if the knew that the program code can be/ has been so comprehensive hacked
You can switch off one side at the moment it set to 35mhz takes priority 2.4G to fail safe and shut down returning full house control to the aircraft's left hand stick in mode 2

[Burgerman]

You can also do that by using 2 (or more) Spektrum rx on any 2.4ghz radio. And use one RX for each channel if you want. But why on earth would you want that?

[mous3]

Flying cross-country race can then drive chair left-hand and fly right as my pod is mounted right-hand can't fly left hand but can drive. Allso handy for landing out as a Natt's fart is enough to get my DLG back of the deck onthe slope now a turn ratio for launching DLG would be cool originaly the quirk was accidently discovered when buddy boxing wirelessly with the 2.4 module in the back i forgot to switch off my 100s model on 35mhz and it was noted that the air brakes where activating no fail safe on that one. When i opened the throttle for heli_bee's hotliner that he was giving me acrobatic lessons with. We then hacked the software so we could control this quirk. The rc car was just a random test to make sure the new code worked safely and predictably. Hadn't though of it as potentially usefully till now.

[Burgerman]

I see.

Well any 2.4ghz system is way more interference proof than 35, 37, 72mhz.

And...
You can bind 2 or more separate receivers at once when you do the initial bind/failsafe setting etc.

So you can have left stick to control your chair and 2 or 3 channels...
Right stick to control models that way too.

I have the left stick (rudder) to control my chairs Left/right when flying fast stuff as I cant turn around fast while doing high speed low passes etc. Having said that I cant say I ever used it.

Since I don't need rudder on these fast things. You just bank and yank... Ail/Elev to fly. Leaves rudder to rotate the chair if I need it.

[mous3]

I'm not ready to make the full jump to 2.4 yet to many models flying no issues on 37mhz (16 last count) and a transmitter I like and can program without geting a headache, I will leave my Multiplex when I finally make the hop but the ergonomics will have to be as good for me at present and give me free rain over how i chose to setup and fly. Grupnear and Magregor Jr are interesting boxes but out of my price range for now i fly with a tray cos I can't hold my tx so pizza box style is better for me.

[Burgerman]

Convert it to 2.4. Its easy. Just get any DSMX type module, or just the board (orange do one) and connect the wires... Inside your TX is a simple PPM type signal, and a power/neg supply.

I used to fly 35 and 72mhz since it came out. But have had interference or been shot down by other users, etc so many times I lost count.

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/stor ... odule.html DIY
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/stor ... ible_.html LONG RANGE

Many more options. And many systems. Including the http://dragonlinkrc.com/v2/
http://www.tslrs.com/
http://www.readymaderc.com/store/index. ... 11_189_191

These are all much safer better systems that will work with your old transmitter.

[mous3]

I have never had any issues my range is a huge 5 miles I can not shoot outhers down on power up. And their transmitters are to weak to efect me. 2.4 is line of sight its easily interrupted by walls WiFi you name it but but PPMX and PCMX don't really care. I have the 2.4 module that plugs in the back and talks to multiplex magregor Jr and groupner systems It's just clumsy and the full 2.4 only system for my mpx EVO is not as user adjustable. I have people trying to shove 2.4 at me all the time then I stay up as they get shot down with a blast of radar from full-size aircraft taking off and landing just 1/2 mile away.

[Burgerman]

Well you have just 500mw RF power and a narrow data bandwidth. And just one frequency. You wont get 5 miles from that without a super sensitive long range receiver. And they pick up noise equally well... You may get 1 or a bit more miles reliably in ideal conditions. I have seen almost 2 miles on 35mhz maximum. Tested via many FPV flights and watched the failsafe kick in. So called Long Range systems on 430mhz that are hopping, with very sensitive specialist dual diversity receivers get 2 to 6 miles. And are less reliable than 2.4ghz as far as interference or shared frequencies.

I have 2.4ghz, and its working on 2 different frequencies at once all the time. And is also hopping both of these channels across the whole band of around 80 "channels". What's more 2.4ghz only needs to transmit and receive for around 1 to 3 percent of the time to fully communicate as at this frequency you can send a lot of data fast in a small "packet" of encoded encrypted data. As such its almost immune to the sort of interference that 35, 37, 40, 70, 72mhz is shot down by. You can literally have 100s of transmitters on at once on the same frequencies, or Wi-Fi, radar, etc. Its just not an issue.

And I also have some 32x the power output of a "normal" 2.4ghz RC transmitter @ 3.2watts Radiated. Or 6x the power of your 37mhz system.

I guarantee that apart from being way less prone to interference by the very nature of how the 2.4ghz stuff works, than the xx mhz systems. Due to being frequency agile, and using 2 different frequencies at any one time, multiple receivers in different positions, and at different polarizations, and massive data bandwidth. It also has at least 3x the range, and is BETTER through walls and trees than your 37mhz is too just because of the silly power output I chose to use.

I have tested my own 500mw 35mhz RC gear against my boosted 12x transmitter, and its got nowhere near the transmitting capability through walls or trees. The 2.4 simply works better here through any amount of obstacles than the 35mhz systems. And they have about 1/4 the range at best before failsafe kicks in.

I swapped my powerchairs over to 3200mw of hi-bandwidth frequency hopping 2.4ghz with 4 satellite receivers, from the old PCM Futaba 500mw of 35mhz, precisely because it works much BETTER through the walls of my house, garage, van, etc. There are now never any "failsafe" events as I used to get on occasion with the old low frequency 35mhz RC system.

Yes 35 (37) MHz penetrates walls etc better theoretically. BUT the system as a whole is worse, you need one channel to yourself, and with no diversity you can be shut down by dead null spots, reflected signals, RF noise etc too easily.

[mous3]

I'll hop out of the stone age when I'm ready I know their are advantages with 2.4 but if it ain't broken why fix it, for me it comes down to cash I don't have much if any after bills so what little I have goes on the things I need most urgently and a full hop on to the 2.4 is way down on the list as It's just a nice new toy that dose what I have already working fine but in some ways better. The 500 pounds I would need to spend to fully swap all my kit is not worth it as far more pressing needs, motors, house adaption to finish garden 5k for my next service dog well you get the picture. One extra tank of petrol can blow a whole months cash budget

[Fulliautomatix]

Hey Woody, Can I get one?

[woodygb]

Yes.

I have two paid for and ready to send out ..... plus another 2 nearly ready.

I think that one of them is "spare" .

[woodygb]

It will be slightly easier for me to keep track of requests and orders if you email me .
woodygb@orangehome.co.uk

[ex-Gooserider]

Just read the new RC page, and it looks great - but either BM is getting "Freudian" on us, or there is something we just haven't been told...

(emphasis added)

So then, just some simple components and passive resistors, a voltage regulator chip, and a few capacitors for stability. That's all it took. And a lot of careful fiddling and setting up. Worked reliably and faultlessly for about 10 years. Then a fiend on my forum called woodygb built me a better setup! This page used to explain how to do all of this stuff. But that was in the past. Now, there's no need! He will sell you a plug and play interface that's ready to go. See bottom of page.

Thought you didn't believe in this sort of stuff BM???

(Couldn't resist...)

ex-Gooserider

[woodygb]

[Burgerman]

Oops. I never read anything I type...

[woodygb]

Pic of finished interface.... just some R/C servo cables to purchase and perhaps a cheap label making machine.

DSCF0001sm.jpg (124.55 KiB) Viewed 26107 times

@ mous3 ... Your programming cable is "fixed" the diode was placed in the correct WHITE coloured wire according to my pic ...BUT ...the Chinese manufacturers do not follow any specific rules ..so they had decided to have them the other way around.... thus the diode needed to be in the RED wire not the WHITE.

I've also had your VR2 apart ...much easier to work on than the VSI....and there shouldn't be any major problems with building an interface for it.

[woodygb]

Can people please download this set of instructions for installing / initialising the interface and give comments.

http://1drv.ms/1o7vDGx

[Burgerman]

I took the liberty of turning it into a pdf file and fine tuning it a bit!

Added some, fixed some errors and grammar, odd fonts, spacing etc.

www.wheelchairdriver.com/INSTRUCTIONS.pdf