[Shorty54]

Hello everyone!  I am a new user of the Open Panzer.  I just received my TCB a few days ago.  I updated it with the new software and tried to get familiar with all the functions.  I am just starting a new tank build that I plan to use the TCB for.
I am sure I will have a few questions, as I always do.  Here is what I have to work with.  I am building a new Tamiya E8 from the M4 105 1/16 kit.  So far for the electronics side I have, Open Panzer TCB, Flysky FS-i6X Transmitter,  FS iA10B Receiver, and Benedini TBS mini.  I plan to use the Tamiya DMD as the ESC and would like to use the Tamiya speaker.  I would like to have 2 machine guns, which looks to be possible.  I will use the Tamiya Battle Unit (apple), IR emitter and either the Taigen flash unit (I have several laying around) or just a bright LED.  I have already made a servo barrel recoil and elevation.  The turret rotation will be stock Tamiya.  If anyone sees any issues or has any extra advice I would love to hear about about before I get too deep and have to go back and change a lot.   

I need to do a little more research on S-bus and I-bus.  I am not sure which one I should use???

The other thing I would like to do, if possible, is to run 2 Transmitters.  I would like to have 2 people control the tank.
One person would drive and the other would have turret control.  I am on the fence on how to do that with the TCB so far??

Thank you,
Shad

[LukeZ]

Hi Shad, I recognize you from RCUniverse, welcome here. Hopefully you don't mind but I've moved this thread to the Show and Tell area since that seems like what it will mostly be, but of course do please feel free to keep asking questions too.

Everything you described in your first paragraph sounds perfectly fine and I see no issues with any of it. Hopefully you also bought the Tamiya adapter cable set so your apple and such will be plug-and-play.

As for your question about SBus vs iBus, you will be using iBus since that is what your FlySky receiver spits out. Most FlySky radios use iBus while FrSky brand uses SBus. However SBus is becoming so popular I have started to see even other brands use it, it is not proprietary. But your FS-iA10B receiver uses iBus so that's what you'll go with.

Using two transmitters will be a little bit more complicated, but possible. The fancy way of doing it would require a more advanced radio, something like the Taranis, QX7, or 9X with aftermarket firmware, and enabling wireless trainer mode. This would allow a second radio to basically piggyback on a single transmitted frequency and you could assign some functions to the master radio and other functions to the student radio, and in the tank you would just have a single receiver and nothing would need to change about the TCB setup.

But that's a lot of money. The simplest way of doing it would be to use a standard hobby radio to control the turret, completely apart from the TCB. You would plug in the elevation servo directly into the second radio's receiver. You would need to buy a small brushed ESC for the turret rotation, something like this would work.

That lets the other guy move the turret but you probably would also want them to be able to fire the cannon. This is where the secondary radio would need to get a signal to the TCB somehow. You could use a receiver controlled switch, something like this (they are also available at Banggood). This switch would be controlled by the turret radio, and the output will be fed into one of the TCB's I/O ports set to input. Then in OP Config you would assign the external input as the trigger for the cannon fire function. If you used two of these switches you could also have the other guy control one of the machine guns as well.

In the tank both radios would need to share a common ground and you would need to be careful to wire the switch to the TCB correctly, but I could help you with that.

This is not something I have tested or ever thought of before, but it should work fine. I wasn't sure what we'd use those general purpose I/O ports for but I knew people would come up with ideas so I'm glad I put them on there.

[Shorty54]

Luke, No problem about moving the thread, after I posted it, I realized I should've posted here.
I did not get the Tamiya cables since they were not in stock in US warehouse.  I have no problem converting the ends over and making adapters to make the wiring work.  Everything will stay in this tank, I dont move electronics around tank to tank.  As far as the 2 radio 2 person system goes, it sounds to complicated for what I wanted.  Before I just had to add another RX.  2 channels went to 1 TX and RX, and the other 2 channels went to the other TX and RX.  It was pretty easy.
Maybe way down the road I will attempt it with the TCB.  I will keep it in mind.  I would also have to figure out how to tie the TBS mini into the sounds on the 2nd driver.  Thanks for the ideas and help.

Shad

[LukeZ]

Before I just had to add another RX.  2 channels went to 1 TX and RX, and the other 2 channels went to the other TX and RX.  It was pretty easy.

This is essentially the gist of my second suggestion that will permit turret movement. If that's all you need then that's all you have to do, though you're right you won't have turret sounds. If you want the second guy to fire the cannon for IR battle or whatever, then I think you need the second radio to trigger the TCB as described. The advantage of that is that you'll still get IR flash, servo recoil, and cannon sound from the TCB without the second radio needing to know anything about that stuff.

Keep us posted and remember, pics or it didn't happen!

[Shorty54]

Luke,
I will work on that.  I have an extra Turnigy Receiver controlled switch, https://hobbyking.com/en_us/turnigy-receiver-controlled-switch-1.html.  I have a few spare esc from airplanes laying around, but they would have brake option.  Some can be disabled.  I'll see what I can figure out when I get closer.  Right now I am building and just playing with the electronics on the bench.  I'll get the camera out too, 

Thanks,
Shad

[LukeZ]

That Turnigy switch should also work if wired correctly.

[Shorty54]

Quick question on the extra ESC for second operator.  Does the ESC need Reverse?  What about brake, does it matter if it has it or not?  I have a few ESCs from some RC planes.  I think I can disable it on some.

Thanks,
Shad

[LukeZ]

Yes it would need reverse otherwise he'd only be able to turn the turret in one direction. I don't think it would matter though whether it had brake or not.

[Shorty54]

Great, thanks, I order the proper one.

Thanks,
Shad

[Shorty54]

Hi
I am having issues connecting to my Radio.  I have USB connected to TCB, TCB 5 on, RX connected to Ibus and Ibus on TCB and Radio on.  I can update software to TCB and shows its connected.  When I try to get into the radio it closes comm port and will not connect to radio.  When I go to Console and snoop, the page fills up with lots of info, so it must be connecting through usb.  Ideas???
Thanks,
Shad

[LukeZ]

You probably already have but double check you are attached to the correct radio connection on the TCB, IBus goes to the one along the top of the board rather than the bottom as shown here.

When the TCB prints out all the information to the console in Snoop mode,  some of the information will be about the radio - whether it detected one, what kind it thinks it is, how many channels, etc... So you should look at that and see if it gives us any useful hints.

You may also need to go into some menu on your transmitter to enable IBus. I have the original FS-I6 and not the newer I6X so the radio firmware may be slightly different. However I have used the iA10B receiver with the TCB so I know it works.

[Shorty54]

Luke,
I managed to get it to work with a slight work around.  I found a link in the help forum with the same exact issue.  I can only connect to the radio during a snoop connection.  Any other time it closes the port. I was able to set all my channels and zero my sticks thanks to the great video you made.  I took a slight break from the build to just mess with the electronics parts.  I'm working on getting the sound and parameters linked up next.  I wanted to use the stock Tamiya speaker with the TBS mini but I was told it could damage the TBS.  I have an amp that I can power it with that has volume control so I might use that.  I'm not sure if you know anything about that or maybe someone else could chime in on Tamiya speakers with TBS mini.  I attached the link below to the help thread I found.  I am using Win7 pro.

Thanks,
Shad


http://openpanzer.org/forum/index.php?topic=51.0http://openpanzer.org/forum/index.php?topic=51.0

   

[LukeZ]

Ok, I see. I thought you were referring to an inability to read your radio during the Radio Setup routine. What you describe is actually a known issue with certain instances of Windows, I have not been able to reproduce it on my end so I've never been able to completely eliminate it, however for those reading this the alternate connection method is described in the Troubleshooting as well as the Connection sections of the Wiki and it seems to work in all such troublesome cases.

I'm not aware of any limitations of the Benedini with the Tamiya speaker. You could always shoot an email to Thomas Benedini to confirm.

[jhamm]

I'm not aware of any limitations of the Benedini with the Tamiya speaker. You could always shoot an email to Thomas Benedini to confirm.

Hi Luke,
the TBS Mini is rated  1,2W / 8 Ohm with 5V Input Voltage.
Thomas offers three different speakers for the TBS Mini:
- Visaton R10S => 30 Watt at 4 or 8 Ohm
-Monacor SPX-21M => 25 Watt at 4 Ohm
- a lttle one called Type BE-2 => 15 Watt at 4 Ohm
Look at here: http://www.benedini.de/html/sound.html#SpeakersE

I think a 4 ohm speaker with 10Watt is the best choice.
More watts reduces the volume and efficiency of the speaker.

[LukeZ]

I agree 4 ohm will give more volume. The question here is, will the Tamiya speaker work? I see no reason why it wouldn't, if the Benedini can handle both 4 and 8 ohm speakers.