[vonTirpitz]

  I've stayed with Qt 5.4 for now.

I believe you are right so I have decided to roll back to the versions you are using.  I had hoped to stay current with the latest Qt versions just out of my habit of thinking that newer might be better.   

[vonTirpitz]

Mostly out of stubbornness, I completely uninstalled my previous Qt IDE attempts and performed a clean installation of the Qt IDE. 

Therefore, I would like to quickly revisit my successful Qt installation for compiling and running the OP Config utility. 

I will simply state that I really, really made the process more difficult than it needed to be the first time by attempting to integrate Qt into my Visual Studio 2015 IDE.   

By rolling back to QT 5.4 (In this case 5.4.2) and using the MinGW compiler and tools for that version, everything progressed quite quickly.  Perhaps someday in the future I will attempt to bring the project build up to the latest Qt version and integrate the Visual Studio IDE.

Anyway, in order to compile and run OP Config (for windows 10 in this case) I performed the following steps:

• Download qt-opensource-windows-x86-mingw491_opengl-5.4.2.exe from here  (mac and linux operating systems are also available)
• Install qt-opensource-windows-x86-mingw491_opengl-5.4.2.exe
• After installation, run QT Creator 3.4.1
• By selecting Tools/Options we can set up a default configuration (build kit) for OP Config
• On the tab labeled "Kits" select the Add Button then type in a Name for the kit.  I used OP Panzer for this label.  Select 'Apply'.
  
  The remainder of the kit fields should have configured on its own during setup and look something like this:
  
  
• Next, extract OpenPanzerProject-OP-Config-7c32c22.zip (or latest release) to your own project folder.
• On the main window in Qt Creator we can now select "Open Project" in order to open OpenPanzerConfig.pro from the project folder.
  
  Important! A popup window will appear stating that No .user settings were found and asking to import the previous settings.  Simply select No then select the newly created build kit and continue opening the project.

At this point you should be able to build the project.  On the left side of the IDE screen select the computer icon that is just above the green "run" arrow icon.  From there, select "release" as your build type (the IDE will default to debug otherwise).  You can now select the "hammer" icon at the bottom left to build the project.


Once the build has successfully completed, you will want to copy all of the sub-folders and .dll files from the officially released version of OP Config into the folder where your newly built OPConfig.exe is located. 



I suspect there are better configuration methods in the IDE to properly create and add these libraries during the build process (without having to manually move them).  However, I am quite satisfied at the moment that anyone can now modify and test changes to the OP Config program. 

Once the build is complete and files copied you should be good to go!  Just select OPConfig.exe and run it.

While I haven't yet messed with the debugger I have been able to build and test all of the functionality in the program short of actually having a TCB to talk to.

By the way, if you receive any compiler errors right off the bat I suggest clearing the system environment (from the project tab on the left side of the creator screen) and running qmake from build menu.  This step really shouldn't be necessary for most of you unless you installed/uninstalled multiple versions of Qt as I had done prior to getting it right. 

Hope this helps and good luck!   

-Marc

[LukeZ]

It's been over a year since I went through all this myself but I do remember it seemed much harder than it really should be to get Qt working. I think we took a different approach but there are probably a hundred ways to skin this cat. To be honest I found documentation to be one of the weak points of the Qt ecosystem, especially in this topic, and they have download links spread out all over their site for different things, and different ways of actually getting their software, which makes it very confusing.

What I ended up using was their Online Installer. It may not (probably will not) actually download exactly what you want the first time, but you can always run the tool again afterwards, select "Add or Remove Components" and install the pieces it missed. Most notably I seem to recall the default compiler was MSVC and what I really wanted was the MinGW compiler, but this was easy to add.

In the screenshots below you can see I actually have Qt 5.4 and 5.6 installed, with the MinGW compiler for both (I also still have the MSVC compiler for 5.4 which I don't need). From within Qt Creator (not the same thing as Qt), I can select which Kit to use and I am able to for 5.6 if I want, but due to the above mentioned issues I've kept it at 5.4 for now (5.4 was the latest release back when I started this project).

Anyway thanks Marc for posting a step-by-step guide. If you can think of something that would make it easier for others to get going let me know. Maybe different arrangement of the files on GitHub, I don't know. What's on GitHub does reflect exactly my own project directory.

I kind of try not even to think about Qt installation and had mostly been happy to forget that chapter in my life... I take images of my C: drive at routine intervals precisely so if my computer crashes I don't have to re-install this thing a second time.

[vonTirpitz]

Since the desktop software and firmware builds seem to be squared away now I figured it was time to go out and invest in some hardware to play and work with while I wait for the TCB.

All I basically started with were two Taigen tanks and a decent computer and some tools from my workbench.   So after a lot of research and investigation I have received (or am waiting for) the following goodies:

• An IR Tiger I from the Taigen S&D section to use as a test bed (Thanks Erik!).
• IBU3s and TPAs from Jerry at the JCSA Store (I wish him the best in retirement- something I hope to enjoy myself someday!).
• A couple of small speakers (12W and 20W) from MCM electronics to test with until the FRS-7 is back in stock (sometime in March I've read).  Your advice on the issue and the current back order nudged me to go ahead and get a couple of sample speakers.
• A new FrSky Q X7 and X4R-SB Receiver from Aloft Hobbies (Thanks again for the advice Erik!).
• And a Sabertooth ESC

I already own a good Laboratory Bench Power Supply so I am planning to use it in lieu of batteries while testing.  A couple of XT-60 plugs from Aloft Hobbies will let me use the extra two leads I had from my Venom Charger. I know the IBU3 will operates up to 12VDC so I'm planning to emulating my fully charged NiMH at about 8.2VDC.  The TCB should work fine in that range (7-15VDC).

Hopefully I should have everything in hand in the next week or two and can fire up the test Tiger.  I'll try and get some sample recordings from the other speakers and post them in a future installment.

[vonTirpitz]

I have started the process of upgrading my test platform (the Tiger I) with an IBU3 so I can play around and experiment with the new hardware as well as familiarizing myself with the QX7 transmitter.

Since the FRS-7 speaker is still out of stock at MCM as well as other vendors I will use a variety of 8W and 20W speakers I picked up to experiment with sound options (Note to self- read the technical descriptions more carefully as the 12W speaker I ordered turned out to only be 8W RMS).  I do not want to use the stock Taigen 3W speaker as I am afraid I would damage it with too much output power. 

One thing I have quickly noticed about this hobby is that I seem to always be short of connectors or wiring harnesses (I had to order a pack of Male JST-XH 1S leads to wire into the speakers). The cost to stock up isn’t too bad but I seem to have a bad habit of overlooking my connection requirements.

So far, I have removed the Taigen motherboard and receiver from my Tiger I as well as the 3W speaker.  My next step will be to wire up the IBU3, a speaker and a FrSky X8R receiver with which to communicate.

I already had the FrSky X4R-SB that I planned to use with the TCB but it didn’t occur to me that the IBU3 doesn’t support SBus until I went to wire it in.  It worked well enough to test the transmitter as well as check out the IBU software but I had to go back and order a X8R so I could get all 8 channels working.  Live and learn…

A few other notable (newbie) learning experiences include discovery that the stock NiMH battery that comes with the QX7 radio has a 2S connector that I did not have an adapter for.  I guess the 9X had a built-in charging port or something but it doesn’t appear to be a feature with the QX7.  Fortunately, the radio accepts standard AA batteries so it wasn’t a show stopper.  (The vendor I purchased from indicated that adapters would be forthcoming after I inquired).

And a 3” speaker sounds small until you get it in your hands and start thinking about where to put it in a 1/16 scale vehicle.  The FRS 7 2.5” is definitely looking to be my go to speaker once they are in stock again.  I still want to try and record some comparative videos with the other speakers to get a better idea about sound quality differences.  If the larger speakers are better quality I might still try to wedge one into that Tiger.   

Despite how novice this might sound I will admit to it anyway as information for any poor soul that is new to the hobby with the tendency to leap before looking.  When I received the FrSky battery with the 2S connector the only thing I had that came close to mating to it was my balance board from the Venom Quad Pro.  The whole thing was confusing the devil out of me so I emailed Venom to find out exactly just how the balance board worked and they politely educated me that it was not capable of charging anything and only acted as a sensor for LiPo batteries.  Makes sense now but for someone with basically no prior experience it needed explanation.

So aside from connecting things up as per the instructions I think I might have an operational Tiger I again this weekend to let me son drive around.  I am sure I will discover and overcome more learning experiences as this progresses.

[vonTirpitz]

Well a number of ideas come to mind as I am tinkering with the new gear and radio...

1) We definitely want to consider adding "pictures" to the Troubleshooting section in the wiki when dealing with wiring or other physical issues.  I'm running into a few of problems that are forcing me to scour all over the place to try and resolve.  Is it the receiver? Is it the radio?  Are your controls configured properly? Why does everything shut down when X happens? Why are the signal pins inverted on version X?  Why didn't the answer work?  etc.  Sometimes answers are still elusive even with explanation.  Pictures help tremendously.

2) The term "Plug and Play" is subjective and doesn't necessitate the omission of instructions and diagrams.   PnP compatibility may change over time as products evolve. 

3) If the circuit board does not clearly label pin 1 on non-keyed connectors then it might warrant a little more description and imagery in the wiki.  From what I've seen this may not be that big of an issue with the TCB but I'll note it to look at when I get my hands on a production unit.

4) I need to really learn more about programming my radio and what some of the settings might be doing without my current knowledge.  If there are parameters that should be set on a particular radio that would affect TCB functions then we will have to add that to the setup and/or troubleshooting sections.

5) The TCB has many features I am already looking forward to having as I am already identifying shortcomings (in my opinion) in existing commercial products from a novices point of view.   It just occurred to me that I may actually get a production TCB working from Hobby King before I figure out some of the issues I am currently troubleshooting....   

More to follow...

Please ignore most of the above as I was playing around with just random electronics and trying to figure out my own new radio equipment.   Most of the above rambling was a result of frustration not at all related to OP.  My apologies.

Nothing to see here....   

Another realization....  If I had actually listed out eight issues then I would have to again figure out the BBCode so I didn't get a .  lol

[LukeZ]

I'm concerned this thread is going to end up confusing newcomers here once the TCB is released. It has what appears to be a helpful title ("Getting Started") but then it discusses things which no user will actually need to get started. Compiling code and setting up Qt are topics of interest only to developers and completely unnecessary for any end-user to concern themselves with.

The list of items you just enumerated could also be quite confusing:

• Implies there are unclear areas in the Wiki, that the board shuts down randomly, pins are inverted, etc... Nowhere is it made clear you are actually referring to a completely different product that has nothing to do with this one, namely the IBU. But of course the IBU is confusing, and they don't even have a Wiki to help you out. The whole motivation behind the Open Panzer project is to get away from the foolishness, insane complexity and lack of documentation common to these other boards. If there are problems with the TCB then by all means we need to correct them but let's not give people the impression we already possess the worst traits of the competition before we've seen the TCB in real life!
• The TCB is not plug and play and we do not want to imply to anyone that it is. That will create false expectations. If people want a plug-and-play solution they need to look at Tamiya, Taigen or Heng Long.
• Every pin on the TCB is clearly labelled. Again we have made a deliberate and thorough effort to distinguish ourselves from every other competitor on the planet in this regard. The IBU and Clark boards are particularly bad in this respect, but if someone didn't know better they might think you were referring to the TCB. Look at the images of the TCB board top and board bottom (you can find these on the Downloads page). You will find nothing that is not clearly labelled. See also the Board Layout page in the Wiki which goes into elaborate detail about every single connection.
• The TCB requires NO RADIO PROGRAMMING. All radio setup is done in OP Config. This lets you use the same radio without any changes across a wide variety of models that may have completely different requirements. I don't like programming computer radios any more than the next guy. The TCB was designed to eliminate that. You DO NOT need mixes, weird endpoints, dual rates, expo, any of that. Again, the only reason you are encountering these issues is because you are using a different product.

Good forum etiquette typically involves creating a "New Topic" that defines a specific topic and sticks to that topic in the discussion. We have to keep in mind these threads are going to stay here for eternity, and be read by many others. My concern is that noobs are going to come in here and see a thread titled "Getting Started" and then get all kinds of turned around or worse, turned off.

The goal of most technical forums is primarily to provide a place to answer (or work through and solve) specific questions and problems, and store that information for others to find later.

At the same time a forum can also be a place for general socializing with others who share our interest, and in that regard threads consisting of non specific chit chat that traverse a wide variety of topics are perfectly fine, but the title needs to make that clear.

So please don't stop what you're doing, I like following your exploration of all things tank related! But I think we should do two things: First, move this thread to the TCB Developer's forum since many of the aspect you delve into are not end-user topics. This I have just done. Second, I would ask that you change the topic title to something better reflecting the discussion here, perhaps along the lines of "Random Experiments" or whatever you like, so long as it doesn't sound attractive or informative to newbies, and makes clear the topic is not about any specific topic. (To change a topic title edit your first post).

[vonTirpitz]

Agreed.  Sorry for rambling off course.

[vonTirpitz]

Well I have made some progress with my efforts to get the IBU3 electronics configured and running in my test tank.

I acquired the IBU3 as my way of learning my way around custom hardware and software that already existed for the past few years in the RC tanking hobby.   Since the production OP TCB isn’t yet available through Hobby King it seemed like a logical path to follow in aiding my effort to learn and comprehend not only fundamental RC concepts, but also gain valuable experience in the custom electronics arena.  While I could build a TCB from the information provided on this website I am going to go with "I am too lazy and lack the patience to do that" and wait for Hobby King to release it...

So, as a precursor to the Open Panzer TCB, I feel that this path would also give me some advantage when it comes to comparing the existing features and capabilities of the Taigen OEM motherboard and IBU3 with the upcoming release of the OP TCB.  As I learn about what is already out there I think I can better understand and appreciate what the Open Panzer project truly brings to the table.  The whole process has given me several ideas and I am looking forward to using the TCB once it comes out.   (One thing I want to definitely look at in the TCB code is when it is controlling the servos how it keep tracks of the pulse count(s).   I believe that the idea is already been touched upon from what I've read about maintaining barrel elevation and having the turret traverse back or stay at a known location but I need to dig into it to see how exactly it works).

==== Self Reminder: Meet the Power Requirements

Anyway, I found myself with a few issues working with the IBU3 initially.  First and foremost, I realized last night that I had set the current limit on my benchtop power supply too low.  With the V2 Taigen smoke unit connected and everything running at maximum settings I needed more than the 2 amp limit I had initially set.  Ultimately, I just set my power supply to provide maximum amperes (~3A) on that channel and so many of the little mysteries vanished and it seems to max out at around 2.8A.    Leave it to a software guy to overlook the power requirements....   

On the flip side, knowing that my Tiger can gobble up upwards of 3A running all out also means I can more accurately calculate how long my batteries would hold up under such conditions.  It also has me thinking about the possibility of wiring up my batteries in parallel to get more run time (alas, this is would be another mini project for a future time).

With regard to wiring, I also need to remember to solder that single ground wire coming out of the IR module in the turret to the switch ground.  I was going to just use a common ground on the IBU module but was told that could have negative repercussions on the electronics should a malfunction occur.  No problem.  Just a little more soldering on my part.

And I want some better cooling fans.   I am not yet running into any thermal issues but I like the idea of keeping electronics as cool as possible and the little PC fans I currently have just aren't moving that much air.  I'll go out to my usual online store haunts and see what is out there....

==== Self Reminder: 2.4GHz can potentially be a noisy environment

An issue I was dealing with in conjunction with my self inflicted power mix up is that I am losing radio contact with the receiver and sometimes get unusual responses from the tank.  The low current may have factored into some of this early on but now that the power issue has been alleviated I am still seeing some problems maintaining radio contact with the X8R receiver.  The fact that I am only a foot away would tend to eliminate distance as a factor.

I first replaced the already installed PCB trace antenna with the “whip” antenna that were also included thinking that might be a factor for some reason.  This change seemed to help somewhat even though I would not think directional aspects would apply.  Maybe someone out there can tell me if the PCB antenna work better in tanks than the whips.  I guess I need to add antennas to my list of reading materials...   

As I continued to pursue this issue a thought occurred to me while I was working with the hardware last night...

My work area is particularly compact and I tend to lay my radio down in front of me in such a way as to where its antenna extends out over my computer keyboard.  The computer workstation is also nearby and I am pretty sure it is just radiating EMI and causing potential radio interference.
 
I suspect that my computer and/or keyboard are to blame as the interference “appears” to go away when I pick up the radio and move it away from these potential sources (I need to figure out a way of getting my hands on a spectrum analyzer one of these days).

Once I clear up the radio interference to my satisfaction I am just about done with this part of my experimentation.  I will likely play around with some of the IBU features such as acceleration mapping as well as using it to test and compare the various speakers I have for audio quality purposes.  In retrospect, I am not really certain I can distinguish and present speaker quality from recordings I've made.  The nuances between speakers that I can hear don't really get picked up by the recording hardware I have and I am sure the recording software I use is likely filtering as well.  More conundrums...   

==== Self Reminder: Learning what my radio can do

My next big target of exploration is going to be the Taranis Q X7 and OpenTX to get a better handle on the programmable features and capabilities it provides.  I have already been told that some folks have been able to program their Turnigy radios and move the IBU3 gun firing from the joystick to discrete switches on their transmitters.   Surely there is a way I can figure out how to do this on the Taranis I have.  Just a little more reading....   

The documents section of the OpenTX website presents an enormous amount of reading material.  So, in addition to the task of reading and understanding the information provided in the Open Panzer wiki , I can also add all this OpenTX and Taranis material to my plate of reading material.  I know that all of this really isn’t a requirement (or necessary) to have fun and use the TCB in my tanks but I would like to know more about my radio and what kind of performance I can squeeze out of it.

In summary, I have to give a nod of credit to forum members and cottage industry owners across the RC and modeling communities as everyone I has been helpful and willing to answer questions (Of which I still have plenty).   And, for me, the Open Panzer project was exactly what I needed to get into this. 

[vonTirpitz]

=== Current Draw Reference (IBU3 Controller, 8W 3" Speaker, FrSky X8R, Taigen V2 Smoker configuration @9VDC):

Powered ON (no USB connection): 0.26A
Powered ON (USB connection): ~0.27A

Powered ON (USB: Engine Startup and Audio 50% volume): ~0.33A
Powered ON (USB: Full Throttle and Audio @50% volume): ~1.7A
Powered ON (USB: ZeroThrottle and Audio @50% volume: Proportional Smoker): ~0.67A
Powered ON (USB: Full Throttle and Audio @50% volume: Proportional Smoker): ~2.6A

Powered ON (USB: ZeroThrottle and Audio @50% volume: Relay Smoker): ~1.85A
Powered ON (USB: Full Throttle and Audio @50% volume: Relay Smoker): ~2.6A

====

I wonder if the Smoker pulls more current if it runs low on oil?  If so, that would be something to look into as a way to automate smoker shutoff if someone hasn't thought of it already.

And, yes, I just tested out my theory from the previous post.  Apparently my keyboard does interfere with the 2.4GHz transmitter when the antenna is within 4-6 inches of it.  Who would've guessed???   Now I wonder if I was premature in replacing the PCB antenna on the receiver. 

[vonTirpitz]

Today, with a little trial and error, I was able to get the functionality I was looking for between the Taranis Q X7 and the IBU3.  Aside from the normal functions I wanted to remove the gun firing trigger from the elevation joystick and assign each gun firing to a discrete switch.

Using the OpenTX functionality I reduced the Weighted value of the gun barrel elevation channel (In my case Channel 1) to 80 to prevent the joystick from reaching the trigger value and causing the guns to fire for both the main gun and machine guns (which would normally fire with the joystick fully engaged up or down).

I then used the Special Functions to enable the switch SC↑ to override CH1 with a Weighted parameter of 100 and likewise switch SC↓ to override CH1 with a Weighted parameter of -100 which effectively fire the main gun and machine guns respectively depending on whether the SC switch was moved forward or back.  I suspect that there are many other ways of customizing this given the spectacular flexibility of OpenTX but I am satisfied with my results. 

IMPORTANT! Make sure to make plenty of backups!  I had to use my original backup a few times to “unbreak” things I muddled with unsuccessfully.     \

At one point I somehow managed to reset the radio so it was giving a low battery alarm at less than 9v.  Finally figured out to get to the radio settings by pressing the Enter and Menu buttons on the Q X7 at the same time (Surprised I haven't found that menu in the OpenTX Companion yet).  Oh well.  I still look at it all as small personal victory.  lol.

[LukeZ]

Marc, just wanted to let you know I've updated the TCB project to work with the new process the Arduino IDE uses for custom boards.

Previously one needed to edit Arduino's boards.txt file and this is what the instructions on the TCB GitHub page said at the time you got set up.

The new method involves giving the Arduino IDE a link and then letting it install the board using Tools->Board->Boards Manager. There are updated instructions (with photos!) in the TCB GitHub repository readme.

You can delete the old entry in your boards.txt file if you want.

New developers hopefully will read the new instructions and be set from the get-go. The new system was a lot of work to set up, but it's easier for the end-user (coders in this case), and also gives us better control of how the code is compiled, and makes maintaining future changes, or even adding new boards later, much easier.

[vonTirpitz]

Marc, just wanted to let you know I've updated the TCB project to work with the new process the Arduino IDE uses for custom boards.

Previously one needed to edit Arduino's boards.txt file and this is what the instructions on the TCB GitHub page said at the time you got set up.

The new method involves giving the Arduino IDE a link and then letting it install the board using Tools->Board->Boards Manager. There are updated instructions (with photos!) in the TCB GitHub repository readme.

You can delete the old entry in your boards.txt file if you want.

New developers hopefully will read the new instructions and be set from the get-go. The new system was a lot of work to set up, but it's easier for the end-user (coders in this case), and also gives us better control of how the code is compiled, and makes maintaining future changes, or even adding new boards later, much easier.

That's great news.  Thanks!  I'm playing with the code this weekend and looking into some emulation options I can test without the hardware.  I'll post if I make any useful progress.

Marc

[LukeZ]

Marc, more updates. I've decided to move all libraries into a src/ subfolder of the sketch folder, rather than having them jumbled in with the user's general Arduino library folder. This means the entire project can reside in a single folder which will make it much easier to manage for people wishing to contribute via GitHub.

I have also released a new version of the custom boards that you should install in Boards Manager. I am new to boards manager and have been learning more about it, so the original needed to be replaced. You should just be able to do this by going to Tools->Board->Boards Manager, selecting the Open Panzer board and clicking Install or Update, but if it gives you problems you might need to delete any Open Panzer packages from:
C:\Users\your_name\AppData\Local\Arduino15\staging\packages\

Sorry for the hassle. Up to very recently this project has been set up in a way that was convenient for me to develop, without much thought to future contributors. So I'm afraid you're a victim of early adoption. I think these various changes will make life much easier for developers going forward.

[vonTirpitz]

Marc, more updates. I've decided to move all libraries into a src/ subfolder of the sketch folder, rather than having them jumbled in with the user's general Arduino library folder. This means the entire project can reside in a single folder which will make it much easier to manage for people wishing to contribute via GitHub.

I have also released a new version of the custom boards that you should install in Boards Manager. I am new to boards manager and have been learning more about it, so the original needed to be replaced. You should just be able to do this by going to Tools->Board->Boards Manager, selecting the Open Panzer board and clicking Install or Update, but if it gives you problems you might need to delete any Open Panzer packages from:
C:\Users\your_name\AppData\Local\Arduino15\staging\packages\

Sorry for the hassle. Up to very recently this project has been set up in a way that was convenient for me to develop, without much thought to future contributors. So I'm afraid you're a victim of early adoption. I think these various changes will make life much easier for developers going forward.

No hassle.  Any improvements are well worth the experimentation.