Arduino 2560 project

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jhamm
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Re: Arduino 2560 project

Post by jhamm »

Hi,
the low voltage detection is very easy to do by
two resistor and one capacitor:
VoltageDetect.jpg
VoltageDetect.jpg (12.28 KiB) Viewed 5028 times
this is a part of this schematic:

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Re: Arduino 2560 project

Post by wibblywobbly »

PPM and Sbus plug straight into the Arduino. Just 3 wires. For SBUS a signal inverter is required. The PWM>PPM converter is smaller than my PWM receiver, so I simply stuck it on top, it doesn't occupy any hull space at all. 4 short cables going from the rx to the converter and one 3 wire cable going from the converter to the Arduino.

The difference between the TCB and the DIY Arduino is that 99% of the circuitry is built into the TCB.

To add an IR battle system to the Arduino will require various additional components.

There are some people out there who have designed breakout boards that simply plug into the Arduino, this makes things very simple. The files are on the OP forum, so if someone who understands these things wants to, they can get one made.
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Re: Arduino 2560 project

Post by Rad_Schuhart »

wibblywobbly wrote:PPM and Sbus plug straight into the Arduino. Just 3 wires. For SBUS a signal inverter is required. The PWM>PPM converter is smaller than my PWM receiver, so I simply stuck it on top, it doesn't occupy any hull space at all. 4 short cables going from the rx to the converter and one 3 wire cable going from the converter to the Arduino.
Yes, but how much room does the PWM receiver and the wires to the adaptor take? How many channels does it have?

Meanwhile...

Image 16 channels

At least on my Panzer IV with tamiya speaker, space is premium and every milimeter counts.

Please dont take it as an argument, lol.
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Re: Arduino 2560 project

Post by jhamm »

He is pinned down on his PWM converter ....
and do not want to step away from the path
Any discussion about this is wasted time
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Re: Arduino 2560 project

Post by wibblywobbly »

I only need 4 channels, the project objective is to get this working as cheaply as possible. Space isn't a problem, even in a Tiger, I have plenty of space for everything. The XT60 plugs take up more space than the rx + converter.

Sure, I could go and spend money, but that isn't what the project is about. It's got nothing to do with being pinned down on a PWM converter, this is simply the cheapest way to get a PWM tx/rx to send the required signals to the Arduino. Not everyone can afford a new transmitter, or an expensive control board etc. This project is to help those people on a tight budget.

If anyone wants to install a PPM or SBUS system + signal inverter that option is always there.

The cost of doing this is almost £100, an SBUS tx/rx would add another £40-50.
It would be about the same price to buy an Elmod board that runs happily on PWM, and that is very simple to install.
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Re: Arduino 2560 project

Post by Rad_Schuhart »

wibblywobbly wrote:I only need 4 channels, the project objective is to get this working as cheaply as possible. Space isn't a problem, even in a Tiger, I have plenty of space for everything. The XT60 plugs take up more space than the rx + converter.

Sure, I could go and spend money, but that isn't what the project is about. It's got nothing to do with being pinned down on a PWM converter, this is simply the cheapest way to get a PWM tx/rx to send the required signals to the Arduino. Not everyone can afford a new transmitter, or an expensive control board etc. This project is to help those people on a tight budget.

If anyone wants to install a PPM or SBUS system + signal inverter that option is always there.

The cost of doing this is almost £100, an SBUS tx/rx would add another £40-50.
It would be about the same price to buy an Elmod board that runs happily on PWM, and that is very simple to install.

That is not correct. A multiprotocol module is 30 euros, you can just plug it at the back of your radio.
The SBUS receiver is 9 euros. How much was the converter? For a little more you have a much better setup.

But the amazing thing is the multiprotocol module works with both the PWM turnigy receivers you (and I) have, the frsky SBUS, and hundreds of other brands.

So for me, the multiprotocol module was indeed a way of saving tons of money. You all know I am the cheapest guy here, and I am running 2 two euros ESCs with my OP board, lol.

But hey, I dont want to derrail your thread, so I wont insist here but Ill be happy to answer any questions you might have in private.

At the other hand, you only need 4 channels???! With the open panzer I am using 16 and sometimes I wish I could use more!... Yep, I know I am a freak, lol.
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Re: Arduino 2560 project

Post by wibblywobbly »

It's not about 'my' transmitter, it's not about 'me' building something expensive, it's a project using Open Source firmware, and cheap components to see what can be achieved. I keep saying that.

If I had a big house I wouldn't buy the smallest furniture on the market to go in it. :haha:

Only recent transmitters allow someone to install a module. What I am doing is getting the DIY TCB to work for those that do not have a modern transmitter, that cannot be adapted to PPM or SBUS.

I am in two tanks clubs, I don't think anyone in one club has anything other than PWM transmitters, and maybe two in the other club that do have them.

The only option they have is to use a signal converter. They cost around £9, they automatically detect the incoming signal and a press of a button selects PPM or SBUS output. They work the other way as well.

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If the converter didn't work I would have abandoned the project, it would make far more economic sense for someone on a tight budget to buy any of the aftermarket boards.

If someone already has a PPM or SBUS tx/rx then they can use that, they just need a signal inverter for the SBUS. Once this is all working I will create a guide that shows the options for those that want to explore them.
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Re: Arduino 2560 project

Post by wibblywobbly »

Shout out to Rad.

Benedini Mini advice needed. I happily admit to being as confused as heck by the official manual, and the TCB set up instructions, so I am hoping you can tell me what I need to do.

The sound file that I have has the Cannon sound as Sound#2.

Looking at the screen for setting this up, I have the parameter tab set up as per the TCB Wiki.

Prop 1 Type
Gas
2nd Function1/2
1st Coder 12 key

(I have no idea if this is correct for the Arduino DIY version).

Coder Function
This is where I am lost. How do I complete the rest of the fields on this screen so that the Cannon sound is triggered by left stick up?

If you can assist, I would be very grateful. :clap:
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Re: Arduino 2560 project

Post by Rad_Schuhart »

Hi, I am sorry to tell you my experiences with the Benedini in combination with the TCB are non existant. I got one prototype OP soundcard and I sticked to it because its easy of use and sound quality.

If you managed to do your own TCB I really encourage you to try to make the sound card, because again its easy of use, capabilities, and also because you can use it as a stand alone device on any other RC thing you might have.

Said that, if you already have the benedini mini, yep, I have to agree with you and the manual is very hard to understand. I began writting a step by step tutorial of the benedini, which when read after the Benedini mini and micro reviews I wrote on my website should clear a lot of people's questions. I will try to push it this wheek while at job, lol. Not sure when it will be ready.

Anyway this is one of the points where you fried my brain. Remember when you said you only needed 4 channels?
Well, I guess one channel for throttle, another for steering, another for turret rotation and another for elevation.
So how in the hell do you expect to trigger the huge amount of the functions rest? If you open the open panzer software and scroll to the
"Functions" window, you will see you need to, first, select function. (In this case, it will be the cannon fire) second, select the trigger source (and that is another channel, for example AUX 1, which is channel 5) and then the trigger action (the position of the switch) which I believe you would like to use the momentary switch in the top of your right hand.

With that, you spend half of a channel, but you still have tons of other functions to activate, like smoke, lights, machine guns, transmision engages among one zillion of user sounds or adjust the volume with a knob. So hence the need of the 16ch SBUS receivers.


Anyway I think this already answer your questions. You might need to tell the TCB what you want to do, because the TCB controls the benedini.

At the other hand, you can directly control the benedini directly plugged to the receiver you have, but learning how to use that board is a complicated process (that I am already writting) in my case I had to do very advanced radio programming and also to change one of the pots in the radio with a 6 positions switch and after some software tweaking to make it look like a 12 positions switch.

For triggering the benedini extra sounds bypassing the TCB you have four options
One of the wires takes one channel to be able to play only two sounds.

And the rest of the sounds either you fit a 12 positions encoder and you select the sound with it, and with another push button you trigger it,
Or you program a lot and have loads of logical switches in different positions,
Or you teach the unit and you flick one switch X times to one side to select it, and another to trigger it. Doable but HELL. I dont think anybody would want to flick 15 times one switch to a side to select the sound 15, and then another switch to the other to play it.
or you can also replace one pot with a 6 positions switch and tweak it to look like a 12 pos.


Complicated, really. So let the TCB do the things easy for you.

If I were you Id start grabbing my radio and programming it all the switches it has, and the desired functions.
Then to connect theTCB to the computer, and mimic those functions in the OP config. Flash the file in the board, and have fun.
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Re: Arduino 2560 project

Post by wibblywobbly »

My Mini isn't plugged into the rx, it's plugged into the Arduino. :D

Multiple functions can be assigned to the same trigger.
The Cannon is assigned to left stick up, anything else can be assigned to left stick up as well.

There is no smoke unit, I always remove them.
There is no elevation, I always set the barrel horizontal and then disable it.

The only thing that I need to do is assign the Mini cannon sound to left stick up, then everything that I set out to do (which I have mentioned numerous times) is complete.

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