Please can someone help with a Devo F4

Hello All.
I really hope someone is still active on here and can help me.
I have already successfully modded and upgraded a devo7e and a devo10, but I’m running into problems on a devo F4 (I wanted to use the fpv capability)
I have installed deviation from the last nightly build and all initially seems ok. But I’m running into a problem when selecting a protocol.
I use Spektrum on all my planes and need either dsm2 or dsmx.
I know these should work on the std hardware, but on the F4, when I try to select a protocol other than DEVO. The transmitter just restarts.
Is this a known problem? Can anyone help at all?
Many thanks in advance
Mal

I don't have that radio so can't test directly. What is the firmware version displayed in the About Deviation screen? After a restart check the filesystem for a file errors.text. If the contents are anything other than the word "empty" please upload the file and I'll try to help.

The DSM protocols haven't changed in forever so if you don't need something specifically in the nightly build please try the last 5.0.0 version here .

Thanks Hexfet.
It’s 5.0.0.
I have to download from the nightly because the usual folder doesn’t hold a file for the f4.
I have tried all sorts tonight. The file errors is empty so nothing useful in there.
I saw a vague reference to possibly needed a bigger memory chip but I don’t seem to be using all the space as it is.
The standard file system only has the protocol files for devo and dsm2. I have tried deleting these and adding new. Renaming the dsmx file to devo and adding that. And also replacing the dsm2 with dsmx.
All fail. The transmitter will work fine on the devo protocol, but if I try to select another protocol in the transmitter it freezes.
If I just load the file system with a dsmx protocol, and amend the model files in notepad to be dsmx instead of devo. It won’t turn on.
I’ve also tried taking working protocol files from my devo 7e and I have the same problem.

In the version string what is after the 5.0.0? That's what identifies the specific build.

When building the f4 firmware all the protocol modules are listed in the protocol/ subdirectory in the zip file. I don't know why you'd only see devo and dsm2. Section 2.3 of the 7e User Manual says the deviation uploader must be used to manage the filesystem on the f4 (same as f7). Is that how you're doing it?

Selecting a protocol in the model setup might cause problems if all the protocol module files are not present. Just "passing over" a protocol can cause an attempt to load the module file. Not sure what happens if the module file is missing - I don't have any handsets using modular build to test with. Even setting the model first in the model.ini file might not avoid the problem.

Hi again.
When I turn on the transmitter, it says
Deviation
Devof4-v5 0 0-c84450e

To install the system I followed the instructions here;
www.deviationtx.com/wiki/installing_on_f_series

It all went fine. Installed firmware via the walkera upload tool. Then used the usb step to copy the devo.fs file into the route directory which then allowed the tx to turn on.

Yesterday I used buildfs to extract the files from Devo.fs and I can view all the files.
In there I can see that there are only 2 protocol files, Devo and dsm2.

I don’t know where to look in the file systems to see what the tx is looking for but it absolutely makes sense to me that if it is looking for a missing protocol it could lock up. How could I see this and possibly amend.

I’m happy to have the system purely have just dsmx as all my planes are modern Spektrum.

The firmware file is here
www.deviationtx.com/downloads-new/category/2830-2021-06-11#
I installed the 4th from the bottom as I understand the Xms file higher up needs additional memory which I don’t have.

Does that all make sense?

Ta

Yes thanks, that's helpful. I haven't worked much with the modular builds so did a little learning.

The default devof4 build only includes the devo and dsm2 protocol modules. That implies I'm wrong about missing protocol modules being a problem. Still I have that memory from a while back so it might be worth a try.

I'd try using buildfs to create a new devo.fs that includes the protocols that are scrolled through when selecting dsmx in the model setup. Copy the wk*.mod and dsmx.mod files into the protocol/ directory in the filesystem directory you extracted, then create a new devo.fs file from that.

Seems unlikely to help but don't have any other ideas

Good shout.
I’ll try that tomorrow and report back.
I will go through my devo 7e and see just what protocols are between Devo and dsmx.
Fingers crossed.

So no luck.
It’s really odd. I’ve been playing with different files all night and it feels to me like there is a problem with the protocol files on the f4

I have systematically been through every single file in the main folder that’s loaded to the f4 (taking known good files from the devo 7e

The issue seems to be when I change the protocol files.
If I add the dsmx or dsm2 files from another location. I have the same issues.
If I load the devo file from another location, the transmitter won’t turn on.

Now as the transmitter automatically loads in devo. I can only assume that there is something different about the files somehow as the my work fine on the devo7e

Adding protocols from the devo f4 xms file doesn’t work either.

I’m at a complete loss now

The protocol .mod files are different between devo7e and devof4 builds. Use the .mod files from the devof4 zip. The f4-XMS build won't work unless the extra memory is installed.

You might also try the build from the latest master branch, which is here . But I don't see anything in the git log that would affect the F4 between the build you're using and this build.