Heng Long circuit schematics and CPU types

[NigelDerEnglander]

Hi folks,

This is for the hardcore electronics/software guys amongst us all!


I started off with the two-speed HL tanks some 3 1/2 years ago. These used a 4-bit Winbond microcontroller. Being a PIC programmer by 'trade' I made a piggy-back board and tried to emulate the basic functions with a PIC microcontroller. I got some of the way then gave it up when the RX13 SnS boards came out. These kept blowing transistors so that kept me occupied circuit-wise, and of course the locking-up problem whereby the tank stopped and fired continuously till the power was switched off.
This was obviously a case of poor software in the microcontrollers so the idea of doing my own software arose again. But I still didn't get round to it.


Anyway, the RX-14 and now the RX-18 have come out. So this week I ordered an RX-14 (for historic purposes) and an RX-18 (as I expect I'll gradually convert my tanks to these) to see what they had on their boards.

I assumed somewhat foolishly that the microcontrollers would have changed, but of course, I can now see that they haven't. They've just got different/better/more software in them.
Obvious really! After all, my own job is almost exactly the same: use the same/similar hardware and improve the software to make it do more things (or just remove the bugs the previous guy couldn't fix!!)


So on board we have the the CW003RX and CW020YY 'glob-top' processor boards. The first does the main command decoding and motor controlling and the second the ancillary functions and sound (I guess).

Now I'll get down to what I really want to ask you guys:

1. Does anybody have full schematics of some/all HL boards to date? Or links to them?
2. Does anybody know what microcontrollers have been used on the two processor boards?
3. If so, then does anybody know which are the programming pins and whether their contents can be read back for disassembly?

I haven't managed to wire  up the RX-14 or RX-18 yet, so I haven't been able to compare them to the RX-13. It would be nice though if the CW020YY could be modified with different sounds for different tanks. That's really where I'd like to start modifications if I could.

I'm away most of the weekend, but hopefully someone may have left some useful info by Sunday evening?

TIA

Nige

[Jakeand]

These schematics was made by "Samarkh" (Simon) at RCU forums

Regards

Jake

[NigelDerEnglander]

Hi Jake,

Thanks for that - they're great! more than I have seen elsewhere before (I'm not registered with RCU). I've seen some bits on other forums in the past, Heng Long tiger forum, then RC Panzer Ketten, but never complete.


Looks like I'll be using the printer at work in secret this Friday afternoon when most people have gone home!


Now all I need is the RX-18 schematics and some way to identify which CPU chips are in the glob-tops!


Nige

PS Decided to power up the RX-18 and give it a go with a test setup of motors and an LED test board I made yonks ago for debugging blown transistors. The new pinout of the 8-way connector fooled me (made me think I'd got a duff board!) till I cross-checked with the supplied gender-bender cable which flips the wires back to the old standard.
Phew!
::)

PPS Sounds are just the same (bad) as before as far as I can tell. Can't wait to put it into a tank though and see if the PWM really is improved compared to the RX13/14.

PPPS For those who haven't seen an RX-18 in the flesh yet, the one thing no-one has ever mentioned before is how much _smaller_ it is than the RX13/14 boards! It'll make converting a few smaller scale tanks to RC that much easier....

[oztruck]

While you are looking to how to improve the sound, can you also look into how to stop/reduce the recoil of the tracks.

[NigelDerEnglander]

Hi Oz,

There's a lot of hurdles to cross yet!

Identify the CPU make/type.
Workout the pinout.
Hope they haven't protected the code.
Suck out the code.
Disassemble and reverse-engineer it.
Find a way to modify it.
Debug the new software.
Put the new code back in.

It's not a 5-minute job I'm afraid!!

Nige

[oztruck]

Nigel your the man.

You are the first one with enough knowledge to even THINK about doing it.

Can Heng Long help you with any of the information you need. :-\ They might be able to help you and they might even copy your ideas into there next generation boards.

If not think of it as a challenge and a way to help your fellow tankers.

What they have done at Heng Long is Very good but with a bit more work they will be an excellent inexpensive model that is near equal to there competitors product but at a fraction of the price.

Love your work but at 59 my eyes and brain power ain't what they use to be.

[wibblywobbly]

Nigel, you are the man. This is what all HL owners have been praying for. HL designed toy tanks for children, never considering that all these grown-ups would buy them. The sounds and recoil are the weakness in the design, and if you can disable the recoil, and give us decent sound we would swoon at your feet.

It would also be interesting to know what the difference is between HL and Tamiya battle units. The led emitters can easily be replaced by high-intensity ones, plus a resistor, but I would love to know what the sensors are, and how to adapt the circuits to allow TSOP 1738's to be installed. My guess is that the RX18 uses shared circuits and that this may not be easy?

Cheers

Rob G

[tiger205]

hi nige
          as you know i know bugger all about electronics, but i cant help saying i told you so , its what people want, and youre the man to give them what they want

                  Tony

[NigelDerEnglander]

Flippin' eck, guys...just pile on the pressure and expectation!
:-[
Gulp!
:-\

Nige

[971wright]

Hi Nige here is another question for you there is a add on board from germany called the BSU interop which converts the Heng long battle unit to tamiya compatable have you seen this system was wondering if you wold look at it if you P.M. your email will send you pdf files about these units would like your opinion about how they work .
Managed to get them down loaded to the site thanks to Matt upping the download limit there here  http://www.rctankwarfare.com/Forums/ind ... l#msg14430


                regards pete