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clark board programming mode switch

Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2013 3:45 am
by MichaelC
Just had an idea. Was thinking of how to make it easier to get into the programming mode for the clark board (Jumper on J2 I believe) and realized that since for the clark board install you would disable the switch for the BB/Recoil anyway (i.e. so that there is separate full motor control for the elevation) why not use that switch for the programming mode ? I am thinking of running two wires from the switch to the jumper J2 so that you can turn on and off the programming mode without opening the tank and fiddling with the electronics.

Going to try it now and see how it goes.

Re: clark board programming mode switch

Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2013 10:11 am
by Tankbear
Michael, I thought about doing something along the lines of adding a switch to a servo lead for easy switching but got to admit after the initial adjustments I've not had to really fuss with programming mode.

Tip for you when programming. You can actually use the tank whilst in programming mode. Sounds daft but you use remote set something and then go use tank if happy move to next setting if not adjust again and check. This works on all functions except the servo recoil because your using the same port. You don't need to add jumper, switch on make setting, switch off remove jumper, turn on check tank. (which takes ages)

Also I don't bother saving the settings at the end it just remembers last set so unless your sharing between 2 tanks using preset 1 and 2 no real need.

Hope that helps. :thumbup:

Ian.

Re: clark board programming mode switch

Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2013 4:38 pm
by MichaelC
Ian,

I am not using servo recoil so in theory I can just leave the jumper in. But then I noticed that at least one programming doesn't work when you are not in programming mode. I haven't got a chance to try it out in more detail but when I am not in programming mode, I can't switch the recoil mode. Not something you do everyday anyway.

If you have a chance, try it out and see if you get the same thing. I think it is the power button and when you are not in programming mode the led just flashes 5 times.

After I have a chance to try it out I might just do what you said, leave the jumper in since it does work even in programming mode.

Re: clark board programming mode switch

Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2013 5:08 pm
by B.A.D.A.S.S.Force
I had thought the same Michael / Ian, & was going to make up a connection where I could still have the servo hooked up, but go between programming mode & full servo operation using a switch too. Still might if I can get around to it. 8)

I agree that if you are sharing the board between 2 different tanks the presets are perfect must have feature, but once most people have their tank set up as Ian suggests, they probably won't fuss with the settings much, if at all anymore because the board would most likely be staying in the one tank anyway.

However, I do see the programming aspect of the presets having more use than just for those that want to swap a single board between different tanks.

I can see setting up one tank preset exactly as you would want to battle it with your local tank club or your main group of IR battle buddies that always use a certain standard, like the Tamiya standard, but then set up the other preset possibly for either a second tanker group, or friends & family battles, who might want to use slightly different standards. Possibly all might be able to take advantage of the other features the Clark board offers, & then it's a quick switch of presets to battle with different standards than just those used by Tamiya, like having ammo count, turning off battle damage, making all tanks equal in hits, etc.

Since many tankers are usually good enough people who also like to share their own tanks with others who don't have their own tank, & many times with people who have hardly used or possibly never used an IR tank before, it would be great to keep one preset on the tank as you would need to use it for battling, but then set one of the presets up for a beginner which gives the tank more hits than the typical class that tank would normally have, maybe turn off battle damage altogether, or in the case of the TK22 boards, turn off momentum, all to help the beginner out a bit so they don't get fragged too quickly in a battle where there are a lot more experienced RC tankers.

I am doing the last option, & I do save my settings to preset 1 & set up preset 2 for beginners. So in cases like these, having the presets is quick & easy, & a very useful feature. :D

~ Craig ~

Re: clark board programming mode switch

Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2013 5:44 pm
by Tankbear
MichaelC wrote:Ian,

I am not using servo recoil so in theory I can just leave the jumper in. But then I noticed that at least one programming doesn't work when you are not in programming mode. I haven't got a chance to try it out in more detail but when I am not in programming mode, I can't switch the recoil mode. Not something you do everyday anyway.

If you have a chance, try it out and see if you get the same thing. I think it is the power button and when you are not in programming mode the led just flashes 5 times.

After I have a chance to try it out I might just do what you said, leave the jumper in since it does work even in programming mode.
I've two tanks with servo recoil and managed to reverse it on both clark boards in them. But these are TK20 boards so maybe it is a TK22 glitch?

If your not in programming mode I think only buttons 1 to 4 do anything.

Re: clark board programming mode switch

Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2013 5:47 pm
by Tankbear
B.A.D.A.S.S.Force wrote: I can see setting up one tank preset exactly as you would want to battle it with your local tank club or your main group of IR battle buddies that always use a certain standard, like the Tamiya standard, but then set up the other preset possibly for either a second tanker group, or friends & family battles, who might want to use slightly different standards. Possibly all might be able to take advantage of the other features the Clark board offers, & then it's a quick switch of presets to battle with different standards than just those used by Tamiya, like having ammo count, turning off battle damage, making all tanks equal in hits, etc.

Since many tankers are usually good enough people who also like to share their own tanks with others who don't have their own tank, & many times with people who have hardly used or possibly never used an IR tank before, it would be great to keep one preset on the tank as you would need to use it for battling, but then set one of the presets up for a beginner which gives the tank more hits than the typical class that tank would normally have, maybe turn off battle damage altogether, or in the case of the TK22 boards, turn off momentum, all to help the beginner out a bit so they don't get fragged too quickly in a battle where there are a lot more experienced RC tankers.

I am doing the last option, & I do save my settings to preset 1 & set up preset 2 for beginners. So in cases like these, having the presets is quick & easy, & a very useful feature. :D

~ Craig ~
Never thought of it that way but yeah simply for beginers is always good. I still crash into buildings and other tanks with momentum function. :{ :haha:

Re: clark board programming mode switch

Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2013 6:37 pm
by FreakyDude
OK so if you mod the 2 pins with a switch are you going to use the real recoil? You can use the board while it is in program mode. Having 3 or 4 presets on the board is a great idea but that adds one thing, Cost. Price goes up, I know memory is cheap but that is only one part of a boards cost.

MichaelC your thing that you may have tried to program is probably not a feature of the TK20.
The TK22 has that advantage of having more preferences that a person can set.

Re: clark board programming mode switch

Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2013 7:52 pm
by B.A.D.A.S.S.Force
FreakyDude wrote:OK so if you mod the 2 pins with a switch are you going to use the real recoil? You can use the board while it is in program mode. Having 3 or 4 presets on the board is a great idea but that adds one thing, Cost. Price goes up, I know memory is cheap but that is only one part of a boards cost.

MichaelC your thing that you may have tried to program is probably not a feature of the TK20.
The TK22 has that advantage of having more preferences that a person can set.
I would, because if it is wired correctly I believe it would be possible using a switch so one could just flip between programming mode & a functional servo recoil mode using the switch & not having to open the tank to swap the servo plug with a jumper shunt. Actually, after thinking about this some more, I've made my tanks open up so easily now with the magnet mod, I really wouldn't need to go through the extra wiring up & mounting a switch for this anyway. :think:

I understand the more presets, the more memory needed, & if the current board doesn't have the available memory for it already, then costs would rise to add more. But I don't believe anyone mentioned needing 3 or 4 presets, 2 for me is plenty & already available on the boards! ;)

The option Michael is talking about is on the TK20 too, but you can only set options 1-3 while 4 is reserved for the TK22 boards.
  • Main Gun Function Mode: Press "POWER" key on TV remote to select either
    (1) Tamiya Recoil Mode, (2) HL Airsoft Mode, or (3) HL Recoil Mode, while (4) Gun Elevation Servo Mode is for TK22 boards


One should assume, that with a TK20 in programming mode, you can press the Power button & cycle through having 1, 2, & 3 LED flashes before it cycles back to 1 flash, while the TK22 should cycle through to 4 flashes with the 4 options before going back to 1. If the TK20 goes through 4 settings & flashes for this option too, I guess the 4th would be a default of Tamiya or maybe is unassigned & won't work at all ... totally unsure :wtf:

I cannot remember this 100% either, but I thought while the tank was running, but not in programming mode, you can press any of the remote buttons which are normally used for setting the various options, & the tank's LED will respond with the appropriate number of flashes in return for the current setting for that option. I don't have my boards at the moment to test this, so I may be wrong.

Though in theory if I am remembering that part correctly, if you set the Main Gun Function Mode to (3) HL Recoil Mode, & the tank is running but not in programming mode, then you point the remote at the tank & press the remote's Power button, the tank should respond with (3) LED flashes indicating the current setting for that option. I thought that works for testing the setting for any of the options. Someone with a board can quickly test this out & correct me if I'm mistaken.

~ Craig ~

Re: clark board programming mode switch

Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2013 9:12 pm
by MichaelC
I have the TK20 and the optional talking about is exactly what Craig said. If I am in programming mode I can select different recoil mode but when it is not in programming mode I just get the led flashing 5 times.

When you are joining programming mode, 2 would simulate a hit and 3 would simulate a machine gun hit so there is difference between programming and and non programming mode for these buttons for sure.

I am going to try different ones tonight to see what the practical differences are.

Re: clark board programming mode switch

Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2013 9:13 pm
by MichaelC
I have the TK20 and the option I was talking about is exactly what Craig said. If I am in programming mode I can select different recoil mode but when it is not in programming mode I just get the led flashing 5 times.

When you are joining programming mode, 2 would simulate a hit and 3 would simulate a machine gun hit so there is difference between programming and and non programming mode for these buttons for sure.

I am going to try different ones tonight to see what the practical differences are.