Devo 10 - No aile input after nrf24l01??

Very new all of this, but after I did the nrf24l01 I am not getting any aileron response, and it is confirmed by the input monitor which shows no movement. All other channels seem to be responding fine, it's just that I have no aileron. Tried it on both my Trex 150 and HCP80s V2.

This is the module I installed www.banggood.com/DEVO-Transmitter-Tuner-...ys-V922-p-89812.html

I pulled both right stick pots and they each appear to be functioning the same. Not sure of the ohm scale, but measuring signal to either black or read I'm getting zero on one end, around 24 at mid stick, and around 48 on the high side. Elev is working fine.

I'm a fat old 65 yr old, with the expected dexterity, but I checked out all of my soldering points with a magnifying glass before putting power to the devo 10, and they all seemed isolated.

The only other thing I can think of is that I soldered the nrf ground to the devo rf module rather than devo pcb. Guys seemed to be using them interchangeable with equal success.

Any thoughts what may be going on? I know the warranty has been voided, so I may end up eating the tx cost. Mama won't be happy.

thanks.

Steve

It certainly sounds like the POT is working and this is a wire or connector problem. When the wiring is plugged in, can you see continuity from the middle POT pin (yellow) to the other end of that wire? I'm wondering if a connector got shifted out of place? If it's plugging in and continuous, then it's easy to check continuity to the processor, but you need really pointy probes, and you need to eliminate any chances of static discharge. On the Devo 10 you should see continuity from the middle pin of the Aileron connector (yellow) to pin 17 on the processor. IIRC pin 1 of the processor is in the upper right corner (facing from the top of the processor chip).

You can also just plug this POT into the THRO port (or ELEV or RUDD, but the cable probably wont reach) to see if you get movement in the Input monitor. It sounds like a wire or connector problem.

Let us know what you find.

Deal57,

Thanks for the help.

Okay, I am confused by the connector socket designations on the board - the elev pot is connected to a board socket labeled "Throt" - but that is my problem. Anyway, I swapped the pot connectors at the board and as I expected the aile stick monitor now controls the elev. So, that would seem to confirm that both pots are functioning correctly.

After returning the pot connectors to their respective sockets, I found there is NO continuity between middle yellow pin of aile pot and pin 17. I was unable to find a Devo 10 wiring diagram, but I assumed I should count down from the first top right connector pin. Pin 17 is the middle white pin of a connector designated EVEI-V (?? assume that is supposed to be ELEV-V). And, in case I was supposed to count back and forth across the board, in which case pin 17 would be the last pin (yellow) in a 6-pin connector; but, there again no continuity.

I made the assumption I was to make this check without power to the tx.

I really hope I have misunderstood your instructions, because if I have not I think I know what comes next - tugging on pins, connectors, and sockets, then pulling the board to see if the problem lies on its underside.

I hate to take up your time, especially considering the holidays, but only if it's convenient for you I would appreciate any more guidance you might have.

Thanks again.

Steve

p.s. - .......; and we all know - when mama ain't happy.........!!!

The THRO connector on the Devo 10 is the left vertical stick. It's that way on their other models, too. So that's not a problem. Before we go through a lot of troubleshooting, is is possible you might have splashed some solder onto the board at any point? I don't think it is too likely because the problem is with a circuit on the board opposite where you probably connected the NRF... but rule that out before messing around with the processor, ok?

I'm sorry I left out some details about the processor. What I meant by processor pins is the black ~20mm square IC chip in the middle of the board with 100 legs, 25 pins on each side. The output pins on that chip are numbered counter-clockwise, with number 1 on the upper right. Pins 15, 16, 17 and 18 should be Elev, Rudd, Aile and Thro, so 17 is Aile.

The connector on the board labeled AILE, the middle pin, should be continuous through a 100Ohm resistor, to the processor pin 17. It is highly unlikely that this will NOT be continuous, since there are no moving parts, although a poor solder joint on the connector is not unheard-of.

Here are the steps I would take to track this down:
1. You've checked this: Continuity from the middle pin on Pot to the middle pin on the wire going to the Pot (yellow wire). If this is good, connect the wire to the AILE connection and go to the next test. Given that you've already tried the pot in another port, it looks like the pot and wiring are good.
2. Continuity from middle pin on Pot to processor pin 17 (around 100ohms). If good, then its intermittent or a software thing. If bad, its a hardware problem. and we need to make sure the cable and connectors are all performing as needed.
3. Continuity from middle pin on AILE connection on board to processor pin 17 (about 100Ohms). If good, the problem is between the POT and the wire or it's connectors. If bad, check the back of the board at that pin and make sure you don't have a cold solder joint.

I hope this is helpful. You'll really know your TX by the time you get this going!

Hi, well I did find a solder splash shorting pins19 and 20; but, unfortunately I made a mess of things trying to remove it. First I tried a solder sucker, but no luck; so, then I tried wicking. Now I have several pins messed up; and I'm pretty disgusted with myself. I'm just too shaky for such delicate work.

But I want to thank you for your amazing help - it is really above and beyond what I ever could have hoped for. Just sorry I won't be going forward, because the Devo 10 is a paper weight at this point. As a last ditch effort, I took a razor blade and ran it between each of the pins. After powering the tx, it seems nothing has changed; but, I can't imagine that I have created more problems.

Thanks again for what you have done trying to help me out.

Steve

Don't give up yet, these are amazingly capable and robust transmitters. So it's likely you can find someone with the skills to get this corrected. I'm not particularly skilled at removing splashes like that, but maybe someone is near you who can help. Where are you located (city)? I have found that there are a lot of dedicated folks who may be able to help.

Hang in there... Miracles happen this time of year...

Also, do not turn the TX on. I think pins 19 and 20 are Vss and Vref- it's not good to cross the streams...

I live in the SF area. But, with the tx now costing around $120, it's hardly worth repairing.

Having said that, if you know someone in my area I can talk to them.

And, if I decide to try again, I will need someone to add the modules for me.

Man, thanks again.

Steve

Deal,

I hope you are still subscribed and willing to tolerate me some more.

My new Devo 10 and NRF module should be here in a couple of days; and I just wanted to confirm the connections. There are a number of pics available, and most seem to be consistent with the exception of the ground. Does it make any difference if the NRF ground goes to the pcb or the cyrf module? I have seen it both ways, and it seems logical that either should work.

Also, this time I will be using an 8 conductor ribbon cable with 2x4 connectors, so I can plug into the NRF. Cuts down on the soldering and allows for quick disconnect if necessary.

Thanks.

Steve

Yep, still here! The best source for the installation process is to follow the Links menu on the left to the RF module installation guide. I haven't done a module in the 10 so I'm no expert. But I think the ground issue is usually on the 7e and I don't recall it being a problem on the other models. On my 6s I installed a 2.54mm header onto the processor board and use the ground and power there mostly because it is convenient and everything has been working fine.

On my 7e I experienced module failures when I used the ground on the processor board, and it went away when I grounded to the CYRF module. But I haven't heard of such issues with the other TX models.

Your mileage may vary... But by putting the header in my 6s I had options if needed.

Great. The very much!! I'all let you know how it goes.