R/C - VR2 Joystick interface

[woodygb]

Mous3 kindly sent me a complete VR2 system from her old chair "Davros" to see if I could make a simple..ish R/C interface to plug into the joystick pod.

I now have a working prototype for her to try out and will be posting everything back after this weekend.

Here's the setup inside the joystick pod.

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[woodygb]

A few more pics.

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[ex-Gooserider]

Hmm.... Probably OK electrically, but my aesthetic sense is going "Seriously Ugly...." (sorry...)

As a suggestion, I think the ribbon cable and the IDC connectors that go on it are commodity items that should be available from your favorite supply houses for reasonably short money, even in small quantities...

I would be inclined to make a custom cable with three plugs on it, and a connector with the wiring to the interface that plugged into the 3rd connector - seems like it would be neater...

ex-Gooserider

[woodygb]

As a suggestion, I think the ribbon cable and the IDC connectors that go on it are commodity items that should be available from your favorite supply houses for reasonably short money, even in small quantities...

I actually imported a small quantity from Digikey .

The female sockets to press on to the ribbon cable aren't a problem ..however a plug that does the same doesn't seem to exist.


Digikey.

89361-708LF
90309-008LF
609-2547-ND 90 DEGREE

AWG28-08/G-1/300-R

Aesthetics hardly seem to matter as it's hidden inside the pod.

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[woodygb]

I could however put a female socket where the messy multiple connections are.... and solder a male plug to the interface lead.

[woodygb]

I could however put a female socket where the messy multiple connections are.... and solder a male plug to the interface lead.

Better?

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download/file.php?id=2932

[ex-Gooserider]

Yes, looks MUCH neater / professional...

ex-Gooserider

[Burgerman]

For what its worth mines still problem free, no bugs, runaways, or anything.

Sent an empty chair a mile down an empty runway the other day to worry my fellow flyers at the other end. Quad copter sat on the seat, with its cam and video signal sending a picture back to my goggles sat in the van, so I could see. They pretended not to be interested... They knew it would be me.

[woodygb]

Thanks for that update B.M. ..
The VR2 interface is very similar to the Omni version .

With the VR2 version I use 2 extra pins on the Arduino's board for reading the pods joystick output and a fair bit more code to integrate the signals ... check for failsafe conditions ...and give the joystick priority.

The VR2 interface.. as is ....also works happily on the VSI pod.... I will however be making one very minor wiring mod for the VSI ribbon connector.

I've just posted off Fiona's ( mous3 ) completed VR2 ... a little later than my first post on this thread indicated .. but she's been away ... so sometime... when she's ready ...I'll get a report from her.

[Burgerman]

I cant help but visualise her chasing it across the fields...

[mous3]

BM you are funny? LOL I will test it in in shop rider no chance it will get to far after all it would just find something to get stuck on. I may even use the nasty2.4 kit I have been given

[mous3]

Ok It's all plugged together and it works from the pod as before my receiver and transmitter are talking to each outher but it is not talking to the interface that's ok because though.
My transmitter is output is zero on all chanels that the interface needs for calibration this is normal I need to tell my system what transmitions to output. So is the interface looking for linear + and - 100% outputs on all stick chanels? Or what is it expecting so i can continue.

[Burgerman]

Yes. Press the calibrate button, and move all sticks to extreme positions. Then let go, and wait. After about 5 seconds the LEDs will go out. As you move a stick from the centre they will light up and get brighter.

Then it will work. Interface sees end points, and centre. Fail safe should be set later to the same stopped lights out state. So it wont move when signal is lost. Make sure antenna it high up and away from metal when you test it!

[woodygb]

I did email you some instructions ...I assume that your still having issues with reading your mail.

Here's a zip file.

vr2 instruct.zip

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[woodygb]

So is the interface looking for linear + and - 100% outputs on all stick chanels?

YES.
The interface is looking for a standard R/C pulse and your Aile and Ele servo channels will need to be REVERSED ..the Rudder channel is ON/OFF and you can please yourself which direction you wish to flick the stick to utilise the ON/OFF.

[Burgerman]

And after you calibrate the rudder, you can change channels and use a gear or throttle hold switch for this instead for off.

[woodygb]

The failsafe signal can be neutral or zero ...your choice.

DO NOT SET ZERO AS NEUTRAL.

A Neutral signal is defined as a standard 1500 pulse ...

The total range spread is defined as 2000 - 1500 - 1000.

#define RC_MAX 2000
#define RC_NEUTRAL 1500
#define RC_MIN 1000

With the Transmitter and Receiver ON and the sticks centred ... Press the calibration button ... Calibration will FIRST read your NEUTRAL and then the MAX and MIN values will be read as you move the sticks to their extremes.

[woodygb]

I'm off out now .... back in a couple of hours.

[mous3]

Er I need to make a compatible lead as I can cross plug the drive outputs but that's fine, I'd post a picture but need a way of re-sizing phone shots to Android tablets

[woodygb]

compatible lead?

Having problems with your receiver pin positions and my lead? ...I really should have supplied you with 3 single leads as well as the std servo lead just in case your Receiver didn't match my Spektrum Receiver pin spacing..

[Burgerman]

I think all servos and plugs are pretty much the same and universal. And she is using spectrum anyway now I thought...

[mous3]

I need to boost the input v for the receiver it is not happy as needs 6v - 12v I can do this through the 2nd battery input on the receiver or use a cheep receive without fail safe for testing if that is a problem for the interface. I have a 4v - 6.4v ipd 6ch somewhere just can't find it so over kill on my 12ch ipd
lots of flashy lights no power to the wheels back to the pdf and head scratching.

[mous3]

I think all servos and plugs are pretty much the same and universal. And she is using spectrum anyway now I thought...

Correct and no It's the receiver that differs as not all the pins are in one big block they are in nice enclosed 3 and 5 pin groups one plug one socket hole shrouded by the casing then offset next socket hole so my 12ch has 3 rows off 4 individual 3 and 5 pin sockets and then 2 battery input sockets and the telemetry port totals 16 servo outputs 12 control inputs before mixing.
And all I need is 3ch lol

[woodygb]

The lights will always flash if the interface isn't getting a R/C signal ..they indicate a failsafe condition.

The interface is working on and SUPPLYING 5v ..in fact it's just under 5v ...something like 4.85v.

Take care if you use a separate power source for your receiver .... DISCONNECT THE RED POWER WIRE TO THE INTERFACE ...but leave the Black ground / negative in place.

[woodygb]

Just to try and make the Receiver connections clear.

You have one STD servo lead BUT that is being used for 3 separate signal wires .

PLUS one servo lead with Red and Black that equals POWER /Bat .

The colours used in the pic for the RUDD, ELE , AILE signal wires are purely for clarity and not the same as the servo wires ...


So ..on the servo lead with 3 wires you have WHITE = RUDDER ... RED = ELE and BLACK = AILE ... ONLY ONE wire for each signal channel is required.

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[woodygb]

Signal plug pic.
download/file.php?id=2956

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[woodygb]

mous3 ... your welcome to email me with any questions ... it might be easier especially if your having problems with posting pictures due to size etc.

[mous3]

Thanks I have the signal inputs plugged in and correctly linked up. I just had to take the plastic plug off and connect the individual wires to the signal pins on the Rx I am recharging a 6v pack but it will be an over night job.
So onward with a cheap 6ch no fail safe 4-6v Rx. The board is happy did everything it should and the chair drives so for multiplex EVO systems bind Rx and Tx set to mode 2, assign model name no flight phases and servos to1, Al 2, El 3, Ru without any mix option and reverse the Al input only! make sure you are using a 4.8v receiver set every thing ells as pdf then re-assign 3 to L.gear on a controls witch, change mode to1, 3 or 4 if you want to drive on outher sticks if you a nuts.

then then then

So I need a way to give 6v + to the ipd receivers or find a 4v one It's somewhere

[Burgerman]

That was all Chinese.

Any receivers I ever have had (old style stuff, JR, Futaba, Sanwa (crap) etc were designed for a 4 cell battery originally so 3 to 6 volts works fine. Spektrum for e.g. works from 3v to about 10 or so.

And on all receivers, all the plus +, all the ground -, are connected together. Only the signal pins are separate. A servo for eg just needs a power supply, and a signal. Everything is interchangeable.

Woodys interface needs ANY steering, and any forwards/reverse channel. That means elev/rudder. elev/aileron, etc. And a ON/OFF channel. Woody used rudder for this since almost every set has a rudder channel... I use a gear switch.

I also disabled all trims, and all other channels.

[mous3]

Done just driven rc around the street some odd looks did not venture more than 15m from the transmitter as no fail safe on the Webra 35mhz ppm only,
More tests and info once battery is charged for the ipd and fail safe set up.