Is Tx battery voltage read-out adjustable?

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08 Jul 2015 01:04 - 08 Jul 2015 01:05 #35235 by RedSleds
The displayed Tx battery voltage on my DEVO 10 is quite a bit lower than the actual voltage of my 2200mAh 3S lipo, as checked with an above average digital multi-meter. It's not a Fluke, but it is not a Harbor Freight freebie one either. Although I have never checked it against a comparable DC voltage standard, I think it is pretty accurate.

Currently(pun intended), my DMM reads the battery voltage as 12.42v, and the read-out of the Tx reads it at 12.24v, a difference of 0.18v. Would that be a reasonable difference as a result of current draw when the Tx is powered up v.s. checking under no load with the DMM? It doesn't seem to affect the Tx displayed voltage read-out, whether transmitting at 100uW or at 100mW, or with the display LED on or off.

Which brings me to the question, .....is there any way to adjust the Tx read-out with a F/W and settings solution, or is it simply a function of some fixed component on the main board that has to be lived with?

DEVO 10 - Multi-module with nRF24L01 +PA +LNA, A7105 +PA, & CC2500 +PA +LNA transceivers.
Nightly Build: v4.0.1-548bbf5 (6/9/2015)
Last edit: 08 Jul 2015 01:05 by RedSleds.

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08 Jul 2015 03:26 #35238 by mwm
No, you can't adjust the value displayed. But it's not all that critical, either. You can set the alarm to whatever value you want, and you'll need to learn to watch for the display voltage getting near it whether the display is accurate or not.

Unless you're regularly taking your battery out and checking the voltage with a meter, the accuracy of the displayed voltage won't matter much. I use NiMH batteries and pretty much never take them out of the Tx.

Do not ask me questions via PM. Ask in the forums, where I'll answer if I can.

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08 Jul 2015 03:34 #35239 by Cereal_Killer
Replied by Cereal_Killer on topic Is Tx battery voltage read-out adjustable?
I've never needed to build from source but it seems like, with the changes in voltage readings I see after some nightly updates, that there's likely a battery scale in there somewhere to adjust the meaning of the voltage divider reading right?

In DeviationFW absolutely MWM is correct- there is no adjustment, but I'm pretty sure it is changeable, weather changing it is practical or not to you is the question (also note, I concur with MWM that the little it's off by is a non-issue, I too use NiMH and charge in the devo and never take the batteries out to measure and have never had an issue...)

Taranis X9E | DEVO 10 | Devo U7E | Taranis Q7

What I do in real life: rivergoequestrian.com/

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08 Jul 2015 10:26 - 08 Jul 2015 10:27 #35245 by PhracturedBlue
Replied by PhracturedBlue on topic Is Tx battery voltage read-out adjustable?
The voltage is measured through a reference on the chip. The algorithm is Voltage = Input * X / Y +Z (where X, Y, and Z are constants). I determine the values of X, Y, and Z by applying a series of known voltages and measuring the Tx output. I then do a linear fit to get the best values possible. This assumes the reference is linear with the actual voltage. While it is pretty close, it is not perfect, and so you cannot get the voltage to be exactly correct at all points. If you want to rebuild, you can adjust the values in target_defs.h but it is unlikely to help you get better accuracy at all voltage levels. Then again, I did not do the measurements assuming a 3S battery
Last edit: 08 Jul 2015 10:27 by PhracturedBlue.

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16 Jul 2015 21:58 #35543 by RedSleds
Replied by RedSleds on topic Is Tx battery voltage read-out adjustable?
Thanks, I don't possess the required skill set to do a rebuild at this time, if ever. :unsure:

So, I suppose the next best thing to do is to calculate the difference between the displayed voltage and actual battery voltage, lower my Tx's critical low voltage alarm value by that much, and just ignore that the displayed voltage is showing levels, that if were true & actual, would result in LiPo damage. Not ideal, as I think maybe I am sometimes borderline OCD, ....or is that AR?!
WWMD?(What Would Monk Do) ;)

Just for the sake of argument, how difficult would it be to determine corrective values, and rebuild the F/W? Is it something a relative novice could manage? I am not really concerned with accuracy over the entire high to low range of voltage, as I am for just the bottom end that would result in battery damage if allowed to drop too far. Any special software or hardware needed to accomplish a rebuild? Perhaps would only have to do it one time, once the new version of Deviation is released, and if Nightlies are no longer required to fulfill my R/C needs.

DEVO 10 - Multi-module with nRF24L01 +PA +LNA, A7105 +PA, & CC2500 +PA +LNA transceivers.
Nightly Build: v4.0.1-548bbf5 (6/9/2015)

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18 Jul 2015 21:06 #35633 by RedSleds
Replied by RedSleds on topic Is Tx battery voltage read-out adjustable?
Is this where I need to start? >> bitbucket.org/deviationtx/deviation/overview <<

Is there anyone willing to help me (I'm not very code-savvy) get through the process of doing so? I imagine it will be a long, painful process for me, and I don't expect a lot of hand-holding, but I also know that I will hit a lot of roadblocks along the way that I won't be able to figure out all on my own. Gentle nudges in the correct direction would be appreciated.

DEVO 10 - Multi-module with nRF24L01 +PA +LNA, A7105 +PA, & CC2500 +PA +LNA transceivers.
Nightly Build: v4.0.1-548bbf5 (6/9/2015)

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19 Jul 2015 11:03 #35650 by mwm
Yup, that's the instructions that exist.

You'll also want to find a guide on setting up the DSCM mercurial, and then cloning the source from bitbucket. confluence.atlassian.com/display/BITBUCK...th+Git+and+Mercurial looks like a good start, except they tend to push git and we use mercurial.

Do not ask me questions via PM. Ask in the forums, where I'll answer if I can.

My remotely piloted vehicle ("drone") is a yacht.

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