[LukeZ]

Also, thank for the snoop file but my thought there was to try firing the cannon and see what Snoop says, just to make sure it is reading your transmitter correctly.

One other thing - I see you have the engine set to auto-start with throttle. I haven't tested this with the Micro but it might not work very well in keeping synchronization. The Micro has some limitations when it comes to the engine starting and stopping. You can read here the recommended way to control the engine with the Micro, which involves a 2-position switch on your transmitter.

I also see a bug in OP Config in that when you select the Micro on the Sounds tab the turret and elevation sound checkboxes should be hidden since they don't do anything with the Micro. This is just a visual error and isn't related to the issues you're having with the cannon fire function, but it's good you helped me notice it.

[Wibbly]

The quest continues...

I tried setting the 'gear' two way switch on the tx to Engine On/Engine Off. What this actually does is engage and disengage the transmission.

I have tried autostart set to off on both the Micro and the TCB, but the second I turn the power on the cannon sounds repeatedly. I can even unplug Prop 2 and the cannon sound keeps going. If only connect the USB and activate the OP Config this will also activate the repeating cannon sound.

It seems that the cannon sound is triggered by power to the Arduino rather than any switch on the radio, or setting in the OP config, or Flash ?

I only just noticed that you are in Amiens...I used to live close to Chateaubriant further west. I've been down your side a couple of times to see the WW1 sites etc.

[LukeZ]

In my experience when things are going this crazy something very simple has been overlooked. You mention that your transmitter switch engages/disengages the transmission. That is not correct if what you assigned the switch to is "Engine - Toggle On/Off." Are you possibly using a mis-matched version of firmware on the TCB with software in OP Config? Update both to the latest to make sure they are compatible with each other.

Then forgetting the Benedini for the moment, verify that your transmitter is triggering the correct functions that you expect with the correct stick/switch movements using Snoop. For example you should be able to see the cannon fire displayed in Snoop when you move your turret stick up. If not, get those things resolved, either by running through Radio Setup again, or double-checking your function-trigger assignments, etc...

As for the Benedini, are you remembering to write the parameters to the device when you change them in TBS Flash? You may also want to re-write your sounds to the Benedini just to be safe.

Re Amiens, I only just moved here a couple weeks ago from the USA. I'll be here for the next several months. Where are you located in England? I may be heading over there later next year.

[Wibbly]

It appears that I misread the instruction:

Due to the way the engine is started on the Micro, if you assign the individual “Engine - Turn On” and “Engine - Turn Off” functions on the TCB to a 2-position switch on your transmitter, the Micro will begin playing the engine sounds when you turn on the device, even if the switch on your transmitter is on the Off position. In order to avoid this, use the “Engine - Toggle On/Off” function instead of the individual on and off functions, and assign that to a 2-position switch. One position will toggle the engine, the other position will do nothing. Keep the switch in the nothing position when you start the TCB and it will then remain synchronized with the Micro.

I'll try again using the correct function...

[Wibbly]

Just to check, should I be setting:

Micro - Autostart off, but set to Engine Sound or Manual Start.
TCB - Autostart off.

I tried swapping the Engine On, Engine Off, for the toggle, but it is still engaging and disengaging the transmission. The engine sound starts as soon as the power is switched on.

The repeating cannon sound has gone, but it won't generate the sound on left stick up.

I am in no rush with this, so please don't think that I am expecting instant responses, I can pick up the replies anytime.

[LukeZ]

Hi Wibbly, if I'm sitting in front of the computer anyway I don't mind responding.

For the engine settings, the Wiki in its current state is confusing and I need to update it.

EDIT: this message was a bodge. Here is an edited version:
For the Micro the Engine Type in TBS Flash should be set to "Autostart." In this case the Micro will start the engine sounds as soon as the throttle is advanced and it will stop the engine when idle for 20 seconds. You still need a function on the TCB to start the engine, and the TCB will conveniently blip the throttle signal to the Micro when that function is called. But since there is no way to tell the Micro to turn off the engine the best method is to make the TCB match the Micro settings. In that case, go to the Driving tab of OP Config and check the option to "Auto Start Engine with Throttle." Then also tell OP Config to "Auto Stop Engine when idle for: " and select 0.3 minutes (approximately 20 seconds).

The transmission is automatically engaged by the TCB as a convenience to the user whenever you start the engine (subject to a user-defined delay that you can set in OP Config). So that is why you are seeing that message in Snoop. 

I didn't see in Snoop that you tried to fire the cannon. While Snooping try moving your turret stick up and see if Snoop shows cannon fired.

[LukeZ]

Good grief! The Wiki really needed some changing, my apologies. The whole bit about using a switch to toggle the engine should have gone under the Mini page on the Wiki, and not the Micro page. In fact on the Micro there is only one engine-start option that is supported, and that is Auto Start (set in TBS Flash). Under this method the Micro will auto start the engine with the first blip of throttle (which the TCB automatically sends when you start the engine using a TCB function). The Micro will also auto-turn off the engine when idle for 20 seconds. I have updated the Wiki on these topics.

You still need a function when using the Micro to start the engine, and technically this can still be a switch, but there will be no way for the switch to turn off the engine, only on. With the Micro the only way to stop the engine is for the Micro to detect idle for 20 seconds. So in this case it probably actually does make most sense to for the function to start the engine on the TCB to be the built-in function that is selected with the "Auto Start Engine with Throttle" checkbox on the Driving tab of OP Config. In that case you don't need to create any other function triggers for engine stuff, just check that option and blip the throttle.

So ignore most of what I said about engine stuff above and I will go back and edit it.

However it sounds like your main issue has been the cannon fire sound which I hope we can still resolve.

[Wibbly]

Lol, that was exactly what it was doing originally, I thought I was going mad, I was checking and rechecking the wiring, the TBS flash parameters, and the TCB.

I'm just glad it was working it was designed to do.

Ok, I will revert it to how it was, and await a suggestion for the cannon sound. No rush at all.

The only pointers I can give are that the muzzle flash is working off the high intensity flash pin, and that the servo recoil works fine, and that both are driven off left stick up centre.

If the missing sound can be linked to a function, I can add it to the same trigger. Your knowledge is far greater than mine, if the TCB is reading the TBS sound library and can isolate individual sounds, then being able to read Sound 2 from the function set up would solve it. Then again I may be hallucinating....

I did wonder whether the cannon sound defaults to a different trigger, but tried all stick positions and switches (though none of the other switches are active) to no effect.

(Just for anyone that is reading this and wondering what the TBS parameters are on the right side, PWM etc. The Benedini is primarily a sound board. These settings allow anyone to create a sound, and then trigger a servo when the sound is activated, the far right parameters determine the servo range and speed. It's quite clever, as it can drive two devices, such as a linear servo or a standard servo, it can even be linked to lights).

[LukeZ]

Ok, if the flash and servo recoil are working on left stick up then we know the function trigger is working (you could have used Snoop also as suggested).

The other thing you could try is putting a regular hobby servo on the Prop 2 output that normally goes to the Micro. We are just sending regular servo signals to the Micro so its fine to replace it with a servo instead.

When used with the Micro the Prop 2 output has three positions - servo center which tells the Micro to "do nothing." Cannon fire is one extreme, and machine gun is the other extreme. When you fire the cannon the servo should blip over to one side if the signal is being sent correctly to the Micro. The blip won't last very long and your servo will probably not have time to travel all the way to one end because the signal is rather short, but you should still see the servo blip.

If you assign a "Machine Gun - Fire" and "Machine Gun - Stop" function to some other control on your radio you should see the servo move the other direction. This one is easier to see visually because when the machine gun is turned on the signal is sent and held until the machine gun is turned off, whereas the cannon fire is just a single quick pulse.

If that works then we can assume the issue is with your Micro somewhere.

[Wibbly]

Hi Luke

Quick question. Haven't had a chance to test the Micro signal with a servo yet, well I did try it but the servo never moved a muscle, but I need to check it isn't a duff servo just to be sure.

If I can get to a friends this week, and get him to download V3 or later of the TBS Flash, would this theoretically allow the Mini board, rather than the Micro, to function seamlessly? I only ask because the engine start (blipping the right stick) is a much better way of starting the tank, and also shuts the sounds down after a few seconds of idle. The board is quite loud, so having it auto shut down would be the preferred way to go. 

[LukeZ]

Yes, if you can get either Flash v3 or v4 then you should be able to use your Mini.

[Wibbly]

Managed to test the servo on Prop 2, with the Micro. I hooked up the servo +/- to the VR and the signal to the Prop 2 pin on the Arduino. Blipped the left stick up and the servo went one way, so I am assuming that this confirms the correct signal going to the micro.

I will have to wait till I can get access to V3+ Flash to check out the compatibility of the Mini board. Hopefully within the next few days, it's a 140 mile round trip! 

[Wibbly]

Having visited a friend, and having had a play around, I now have everything working. Eg Engine sounds, and cannon fire. I used the Mini board, and set everything up as per the Mini wiki.

One exception, I had to use Autostart in the TBS Flash, as otherwise I got the start up sound on right stick up, but once that stopped there were no running engine sounds.

It was downloading your parameter file for the Prop settings that did the trick in the end. As to whether this file will work on the old version of Flash I don't know?

It would appear that Flash 3 or 4 is required to allow the DasMikro boards to play with the TCB nicely, but as to whether there is a way around this, only you will know.

[Wibbly]

I did it, the DasMikro Micro, now plays the Cannon sound, and without using TBS Flash 4.

It was the engine start up sound glitch with the Mini that made me think.

Screenshots are attached of the settings that I used. I used the Tiger 3 soundset. The bottom two sounds will need to be removed as they take up to much memory, they are only voices anyway.

[jhamm]

Hi Wibbly,
this isn´t new information...
Look at the Wiki?http://openpanzer.org/wiki/doku.php?id=wiki:tcb:tcbinstall:sound_benedini_micro

The 2nd Coder start the Cannon or Machine Gun Fire which is Sound 1 and 2 at the Playlist.