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Messages - LukeZ
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151
« on: May 26, 2021, 11:07:39 PM »
Hi RCBM, Several things. First, you certainly do have one of the mal-constructed TCBs from Hobby King. There are any number of thing that can be written on the correct MOSFETS, and not all the same. But only one thing can be written on the wrong ones and that is 23eg. So that is unfortunate, but as for your second one, I think it should be ok. As for the lights, you're right, it's all in the Wiki but I admit it's a steep learning curve. Basically you need to go the Functions tab, select one of the light functions, there are several, but for example "Light 1 (Headlights) - Turn On." Then in the Trigger Source drop down there are again tons of options but you will probably just want to assign this to an aux channel, for example if Aux 1 is a two-position switch you could select "Aux Channel 1" for the Trigger Source and "Pos 1" for the Trigger Action. Then click add to link this function to this action. Next repeat the process but select the Turn Off function and set the Trigger Action to Pos 2. Now when you toggle this switch the light will turn on and off. You can also verify that things are working correctly by connecting with Snoop on the Firmware tab and watching the messages that appear on the screen as you toggle the switch. Now as for the barrel, my first guess would be that you need to perform (or re-perform) the Radio Setup process, here is the wiki page on that and there is also a video there. Maybe something else is going on but this seems to me the most likely. If Radio Setup wasn't completed correctly, or at all, then all kinds of strange behavior will occur. Radio Setup teaches the TCB exactly what the center points are for your sticks, for one example. If it doesn't know that it will make a guess which will inevitably be wrong, and what will happen is that what you see as the stick resting in the center position it reads as some kind of positive command, so you get the movement that you see when you'd rather there be none. So I'd try to go through that first of all and see if it helps. But if it doesn't, let me know!
152
« on: May 24, 2021, 09:06:15 PM »
Hi RCBM, Unfortunately the only real work-around is to replace the MOSFETS with the correct version, which requires some rather fine soldering and I don't recommend it unless you've done a lot of similar work before, otherwise it is too easy to damage something and make things worse. There is also not a good method of substituting another output for the airsoft functionality, for two reasons: first, the defective TCBs had the wrong MOSFETS on 8 outputs which include all the LED outputs. But more importantly, the airsoft (and mechanical recoil) units have a switch that the TCB needs to read as an input in order to know when they have completed a cycle. So you need both an output and an input on the TCB as well as the code to tie them together, and right now that is only possible on the specific Airsoft connection on the board. You certainly could use a receiver controlled switch (or a 5 volt relay circuit connected to one of the general purpose I/O outputs) and then just manually turn on/off the airsoft. This will not be very precise and you will probably end up shooting twice in one go, or not at all, but I suppose it's better than nothing. You might want to confirm for sure that your board is indeed defective or whether something else might be going on. Can you read what is written on any of the MOSFETS Q1 through Q8? Here is a diagram that shows where they are. If it says "23eg" that is bad news. Alternatively if the writing is unclear, as mentioned above if the board has the wrong MOSFETS then none of the light outputs will work (Aux output, L1, L2, Brake, MG), the IR transmitter will not work, the IR notification LEDs will not work (these are the LEDs inside a Tamiya apple), and the mechanical recoil/airsoft output will not work, for a total of 8 outputs. By "not work" the behavior we typically see is that they are always on no matter what. Is this what you observe on the other outputs as well? For example, you can try to connect an LED to the L1 port and assign a trigger to the headlights on/off function and see if you are able to turn it on or off, or whether it is always on no matter what.
153
« on: May 24, 2021, 08:49:08 PM »
1) When using LEDS for lights off the various pins, is the pin output 5v so i would need a resistor for correct led voltage ? I noted that on the Russian chaps schematic he used resistors on the green and red presumably board indicator leds but not on the lighting leds, or was this just an oversight on the lighting leds ?
Correct, all outputs from the Mega chip are 5 volts, so yes, you should use an appropriately sized resistor for whatever LEDs you intend to connect. LedCalc.com is a good site for figuring this out. Keep in mind also that each pin (output) of the Mega chip can only source a maximum of 40mA! On the TCB board we have the Mega chip driving MOSFETS, and these MOSFETS actually switch on or off the LED outputs, so the current available on the TCB is much higher. But when you are using an off the shelf Mega board you are just connecting things directly to the processor so you have to respect this maximum current draw. As for the Russian example, I suspect he just omitted some resistors for simplicity or maybe forget to include them in the schematic, but anyway they are necessary. 2) I use direction indicators on my tanks when using a TCB from the 2 IO ports on the TCB does anyone know which pin outputs these will be on the Mega board please ?.
There is a handy PDF available in the second post of this thread (or you can click here) that shows all the TCB outputs mapped to what their label is on the Arduino Mega board. You can see the the general purpose I/O A is mapped to the Mega A9 and B is mapped to A8 ("A" for "analog" which is how it may be written on your board).
154
« on: May 20, 2021, 10:43:17 PM »
Hi RCBM, sorry for the slow reply, and it sounds like you have figured things out in the meantime with the help of Jurgen so that's great.
Just for completeness I'll respond to your earlier post.
The solid red and blinking green LED that you described is to indicate that you have placed the board in the special state of communication with OP Config. But to check the connectivity with the receiver that I was talking about, you need to be in normal operation mode, ie, not connected to OP Config. If you want you can remain connected to your computer but just don't "Connect" to OP Config (you can open a Snoop connection if you want, that is a listen-only mode). Or just leave the computer completely out of the equation. Then when you attach a receiver and apply power you can see if the red and green LEDs blink quickly or not. If they do, that lets you know the TCB has not recognized your receiver.
Jurgen was also correct - of the four receivers you listed only the ORX R920X V2 is compatible, which you have now confirmed. The other three are PWM only (not to be confused with PPM, which the TCB can read). PWM receivers have one output per channel; this is the classic style that has been around for decades. But the TCB requires a receiver that combines (or at least has the option to combine) all channels into a single signal - as the Wiki says, this will be PPM, SBus, or iBus which are the three main industry standards in use today. (Some manufactures use the term CPPM instead of PPM, but it's the same thing).
The range of choice you have for receivers is really dependent on what communication protocol you're using - by this I mean, what protocol is used between the transmitter and the receiver (and which is completely different and unrelated to the protocol from the receiver to the TCB). It sounds like you are using a Spektrum module in your Jumper TX. Spektrum is one of those companies that likes to do things their own way. Some people like their transmitters and if that's what you have then you're stuck with their ecosystem, and they don't seem very keen on releasing affordable receivers with these modern protocols (hence why the Chinese are selling Orange receivers like hotcakes). But if you're going to use a module-based transmitter like the Jumper, then you're free to do whatever you want. An FrSky module or Multi-Protocol module as Jurgen suggested will give you lots more options in the receiver department.
But what you have now certainly works, so no need to change it! You can buy more Orange receivers and you're good to go.
155
« on: May 18, 2021, 11:33:23 PM »
Hi RCBM, and welcome to the forum. Ports: OP Config has been tested and works on both Windows 7 and 10 so I think the operating system is not the problem. The most likely issue is the USB drivers. Have you installed the FTDI drivers on your computer(s)? Here is the page in the Wiki that describes the process you need to go through, for each TCB that you own. Radio not detected: You've identified that OP Config gives you a "radio not detected" message when you try to run through Radio Setup. However the problem is almost certainly upstream from OP Config. First the TCB board itself needs to be able to read the radio signals from the receiver before it can pass them on to OP Config. So let us focus on that part first. The red and green LEDs on the TCB will flash rapidly if it is unable to read the receiver. Once it can read a receiver, the lights will quit flashing ( and go on to indicate other things in normal operation). If your board is giving you the flashing light routine, then the TCB itself has yet to read the receiver and therefore it will be fruitless to try getting OP Config to display the channel data. So in your case, are you getting these flashing lights? Encouragingly you have been able to get your friend's receiver to work, so we know the board is functioning correctly. Now the question is, what specific model of receiver are you trying to use that does not work? It sounds like you've tried a lot, but pick your favorite from the bunch and let me know what model number it is. Once we know that we will know whether to put it in the top or bottom slot on the TCB, this should not be a guessing game but something we do deliberately. We will also be able then to look at the receiver's documentation and see what is required to make sure it outputs a PPM, SBus or iBus signal, and on what output.
156
« on: May 15, 2021, 09:38:42 PM »
Yes, that will certainly work, if you have the space for it. There are smaller versions of the Mega, do a search for Mega Pro Mini.
In the past I have considered adding a second servo recoil but the main problem is there would be no good way for the user to set up the endpoints or reversing.
157
« on: May 14, 2021, 12:04:58 PM »
Hi Wim, good question, but unfortunately no, the TCB does not presently have the ability to control a second cannon recoil.
158
« on: May 01, 2021, 05:19:50 PM »
Hi Sub, any Mega board that says "Arduino Compatible" (which should be all of them) will work. The official Arduino board is more expensive because you are paying to support the Arduino project, but the clones should be just that - clones with exactly the same hardware.
159
« on: April 15, 2021, 01:46:20 PM »
I'm glad you were able to get everything sorted out. Getting the directions right with a tank model can be confusing as you have found, because it is possible to have reversed channels and things seem to work most of the time but then when doing neutral turns suddenly it seems not to work. The best approach is as you have done, do the Radio Setup first and confirm that when you move the stick forward or right OP Config says "forward" or "right," and then wire the motors so they turn the correct direction.
You are right, the LED graphic only showed up on the Board Layout page in the Wiki. I've added it a few other locations as well and hopefully that will help others.
And happy tankin to you!
160
« on: April 15, 2021, 01:36:15 PM »
Very good, your persistence has paid off! Thanks for reporting back.
The FS-i6 upgrade is a good one, I've done it myself and it makes it a good transmitter at a very affordable price.
161
« on: April 12, 2021, 08:36:08 PM »
Another thought - I have gone and read the manual for your Viper ESCs. They require a calibration routine to set their end-points, which is somewhat inconvenient to do with something like the TCB. Also, if you have Speed Limits set in OP Config (for example, slower in reverse than forward), and then you did the ESC calibration, that is quite likely to give you uneven neutral turns.
It would probably be best to remove the TCB entirely from the equation while doing the ESC calibration. Make sure the end points in your transmitter are set to +/- 100% for the throttle channel, plug the ESC directly into the throttle channel on your receiver, and perform the Viking calibration. Then do the second ESC, also plugged directly into the throttle channel of your receiver. After both calibrations are done, now you can connect the ESCs to the TCB and see if that helps anything.
162
« on: April 12, 2021, 08:31:35 PM »
As you know the neutral turn on the TCB is defined as a turn command with no (zero) throttle command. Otherwise if it detects any throttle (forward or reverse), it will instead just perform a regular turn. There are actually various kinds of "normal" turns possible (Turn Mode), but at any rate, if any forward or back is detected it will not be a "neutral" turn where one track is moving at the exact same speed as the other track in the opposite direction.
Therefore, the first thing to check when neutral turns don't seem to work correctly, is whether we are accidentally in any way sending a throttle command, however small, since this will negate the effect.
We have several ways to confirm whether what we are "telling" the TCB and what it is "hearing" are the same thing. The quickest and easiest are the onboard green and red LEDs. If the TCB is performing a neutral turn, one or the other will blink (red for left, green for right). So if you can try doing your neutral turn that doesn't seem to be working, and you notice one of the LEDs is in fact solid, then you can deduce that somehow a throttle command is being sent against your wishes. The other way to confirm what is going on is to use Snoop, which I always recommend to everybody.
There are several reasons why throttle commands might be being sent even if you don't think they are: A) the TCB hasn't got your throttle channel center point memorized correctly, B) you accidentally or otherwise applied some trim or subtrim to the throttle channel on your transmitter, or C) your radio system is not perfectly stable and so even when the throttle stick is left untouched the signal is kind of wandering around a bit and the TCB interprets this as forward or reverse.
The fixes for these three are A) re-save your stick centers in OP Config, B) check the trim/subtrim on your transmitter (best to do this first in fact), and for C) you can increase the deadband on your throttle channel.
But first as I say, check the LEDs or Snoop to see whether the TCB is doing what you are telling it or doing something else.
163
« on: April 12, 2021, 03:30:08 PM »
Yes, go take a lay down!  Who can say what happened...
164
« on: April 12, 2021, 03:00:54 PM »
What is the exact model number of your receiver?
We know it worked before, so something has changed. You need to try to figure out what that might have been!
165
« on: April 12, 2021, 02:38:53 PM »
I have just done a stupid thing whilst connecting my TCB to the computer i forgot to switch on my TX now it says cannot read radio, the TCB can upload to the OPZ and i can alter things on it and it will accept the commands but will not read the radio its just flashing all the lights for radio signal failure, i have removed and checked the RX its fine That's not a stupid thing, you are allowed to connect to the computer with the radio off, that's fine, I do it all the time. When you say "it can't read the radio," do you mean that you are trying to run through Radio Setup in OP Config and that is where you are getting the message? Or do you mean more generally, even when not connected to the computer, your TCB is not recognizing your receiver? What transmitter and receiver are you using? Did you maybe accidentally change a setting so the receiver is no longer in PPM/SBus/iBus mode?
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