Replacement for the DEVO series for the future

How difficult would it be to mod the Taranis to extend an SPI to the external module bay? From the hardware info page it looks like a few pins are available for a select signal.

Anybody interested in developing a custom hardware that fits deviation with the universal module embedded? So this transmitter can supports all protocol on the fly.

Well I don't think it will be difficult to manufacture the electronic part in small volume in China. The housing is a problem which will be expensive in small volume, but I think we can make use 3D printer to work it out.

Any comments?

SPI to the module bay shouldn't be an issue if we can find enough data lines. But - do we really need SPI? Trying to control individual modules in the bay means we need an enable line per module. So we need some kind of mcu in the bay to act as a switch, which begs the question of whether a different protocol could be used. The DIY multiprotocol guys are working on a serial protocol for this, but they're doing the SPI stuff in the module bay. Would a serial protocol be fast enough to let us put the RF protocol code on the main cpu?

Maybe the Tactic line, say the 850?

Pros: Inexpensive, Lots of switches, Extra Analog inputs, STM32F103 CPU. Well, a clone. Not clear which one. Image at static.rcgroups.net/forums/attachments/3...-IMG_0764%5B1%5D.jpg , docs at www.realsense.com.cn/download/20140113/160325_159.pdf ). NRF24L01+ RF module.

Cons: SPI for the RF module is via a second CPU. No touch screen, monochrome screen.

Taranis X9D would be my choice.
Color display means nothing to me - in fact I like B/W better in the sunlight. From what I've seen, Taranis is quality stuff!

PhracturedBlue wrote: One of the largest downsides of the Taranis, is what does Deviation bring to the table? Once you have a serial module interface, they can add support in OpenTx and Deviation really has no benefit over the native firmware.

Yes... they COULD add support for serial module interface, but they would be SO FAR BEHIND the support for modules that Deviation users enjoy... they'd probably never catch up! We already have tons of already written model files, most of which would only require minor (if any) changes to port over to the new hardware.

Besides, if OpenTx ever had aspirations to support serial modules, they probably would have implemented it already.

Just my 0.02

the multimodule in the taranis now has the protocols selectable by the serial interface, no more using a rotary/dip switch to choose which protocol you want to fly with, just choose it through the tx interface like we do in deviation, there is an unofficial 2.1 and 2.2beta available butnit will be fully supported when 2.2 drops officially.

i realise walkera has stopped promoting and possibly making most of the devention line but who knows how much stock is still out there? could last for a while to come. as for a replacement who knows what to choose, there are quite a few tx's in the range that could be chosen

the radiolink at's as already mentioned
flysky fs-i10
fsfly T-i8

but who knows ifnthe second two even have compatable hardware?

richardclli wrote: The housing is a problem which will be expensive in small volume, but I think we can make use 3D printer to work it out.

Any comments?

you can purchase the taranis x9d casing for about £15/$20 so that's not a concern

It might be interesting to port deviation over to the entire opentx line (9x, 9xr, 9xr pro and taranis). Yes opentx is already in that space, but the fact that so many people already have those transmitters gives us an immediate audience. Two OSes supporting the same hardware is common especially in the open-source space.

Having options from a user standpoint is always good. You can be sure that most opentx users have more than one opentx capable transmitter and would be happy to install deviation if they had the choice to.

With midelic's multi-module and your universaltx, we could effectively do it. The 5 pin ports (after modding) already support serial and ppm plus power, so a "dual processor" type configuration that i've seen suggested in these forums may actually work on that platform.

The entire opentx capable transmitter range is nicely priced from value in the 9x/9xr to high end in the x9e.

My 2cents.

I was searching around and stumbled on this sweet looking tx from flysky. The FS-i6S for $65 on BG ( www.banggood.com/Flysky-FS-i6S-2_4G-6CH-...zO1swCFQyZvAodztEMuw ).

Couldn't find much information about its' internals, but watching a video of removing the spring did provide some hints. It seems to have a 100 pin ST ARM processor, and the way the RF module is soldered in, might suggest a SPI interface. There also seem to be a lot of test pads broken out, so soldering to them may be easier if those points are usable. It has USB and is supposed to be upgradable, so possibly stock bootloader if it is one of the usb, not uart, bootloader enabled chips from ST??? With the top 2 rotatable (not rotary) switches and the 2 power buttons, we would have 6 switches for the menu similar to our demo transmitters. Lastly it has a nice complement of switches (two 2-way, 2-3way, 2 rotatable on the shoulders, and 2 momentary buttons on the rear) and looks really clean, with a B/W touch screen interface.

For the price and if the processor is any good. We might have a winner. I'd take this over the radiolink any day if it ran deviation.

silpstream wrote: It might be interesting to port deviation over to the entire opentx line (9x, 9xr, 9xr pro and taranis).
The entire opentx capable transmitter range is nicely priced from value in the 9x/9xr to high end in the x9e.

This is my transmitter comparision thread (German) on RCN: www.rc-network.de/forum/showthread.php/4...-10-DX6-Super-V2-%29

The result (for me) was clearly the Walkera Devo 10 over Spektrum DX6 over Devo7E and Turnigy 9X/9XPro.

Yes you are right. If people already have one of these Turnigy transmitters they could either install Er9x/OpenTX or DeviationTX and they might do it and be happy.

But telling them that the "solution" is to have DeviationTX on any of the both Turnigys instead of just going with the Devo10 IMHO is the wrong way.
I had seen the plastic on the Turnigy 9X live from a pilot...no thanks! It looks sooo cheap!
Personally I was looking for me for a Spektrum DX8 replacement, not a cheap ugly plastic thing which might need re-soldering all cables all the way...

So if Walkera drops (or had already dropped - the Walkera homepage is cleaned and "old" 2nd homepage directory was completely removed) the Devo 10 line we need to find something BETTER than the Devo10 - like Devo12s (with more supported switches, bigger, display, etc.) - not worse like Turnigy 9X/9XPro...

Yes, I like DeviationTX firmware!
I really like the massive free programming firmware functionality which is provided over Spektrum DX8G1 Airware firmware.
Well you know: Spektrum already stepped up their game with more powerful DX18/DX9 Airware firmware (and more advanced 0815 screens).

But you guys might need to think about what benefit DeviationTX actually provides over OpenTX running on Taranis & kind of transmitters:

1. Doesn't OpenTX already provide (some) more programming functionality than DeviationTX does?

2. OpenTX already has a PC setup tool (Companion) and a GUI model setup wizzard (LUA) which you can launch on the model editor. That is great!
So OpenTX already fills some empty slots which DeviationTX might be missing as of now.

3. Of course DeviationTX provides the standard mixer heli GUI which just works like Spektrum DX8 Airware, which is some big plus for some users (there are users who like newer DX18/DX9/DX8G2 new Spektrum Airware firmware screens.
So this is a plus over OpenTX.

4. Doesn't OpenTX also already provide some more complex flight-mode functionality and telemetry input into mixers which DeviationTX does not (there are two AND logical switches in a complex mixer you can use to build multiple flight-modes, some advanced f-mode stuff might still be missing)?


5. I would clearly see the advantage on the DeviationTX side in easy direct protocol implementation and multi protocol + DSMx including telemetry and chip / HF-module controlling stuff...

Well, I need to tell you that I am not yet using FrSky Taranis with OpenTX or did any programming with it until now - but I am stumbling across multiple threads RC-Network & other forums on Taranis/OpenTX for sure, e.g RC-Heli.de adding automatic-pitch with OpenTX on FBL helis with MSH Brain FBL.

6. It is hard to believe for me that some / all missing features - which are in OpenTX (there is ongoing development too!!!) - will easily find their way into DeviationTX?

7. Maybe bring some more newer "Spektrum Airware" like screens to OpenTX (e.g DeviationTX heli standard mixer GUI) and adding some more newer Spektrum DX9 screens?

8. Taranis is missing Jeti Duplex protocol support, so no Heli FBL system programming within the firmware screens like Jeti (see the other thread)


The future:
Personally I would love to see a new firmware, which combines the power both of OpenTX and DeviationTX

Why trying to re-invent the wheel when OpenTX firmware developers already did their job on some parts?
Why not try to put the best of OpenTX and DeviationTX (which OpenTX is lacking on features/protocol stuff) into one more powerful firmware?

As I am not the "C-code firmware developer" (just a little bit C and Asterisk programming, OpenWRT module cross-compile) and never actually looked into ER9X/OpenTX sources I would be asking myself how this could be technically achieved?


www.deviationtx.com/forum/7-development/...ation?start=20#48293
These where some criteria I gave on linked RCN german forum and transmitter poll thread about switches, bigger display, >1 knob, etc.

YES, Taranis would have a bigger display like Walkera Devo 10! Not worse like Turnigy 9X...
But other transmitters - in the price range like Devo10 - might have one better display too

Spektrum DX9 and DX18 also have nice displays than DX8G1 (but with smaller font pressing more more items on screen) - more expensive - less channels/features...

Well, Graupner MZ24 is not the same price range as Devo10. Devo10 was for me in 2014 a price decision.


How many people actually have a higher-grade Walkera Devo12s & similar running with DeviationTX vs Devo 10 vs Devo 7E?
Try to compare these numbers to higher price grade transmitters like Graupner MZ24 and similar.
IMHO the big plus from Graupner is the "Graupner HOTT" full telemetry receiver protocol.
They also have the GR18 (heli FBL, race acro quad firmwares).


I would somehow feel bad if you guys have to put that much efforts into porting your great DeviationTX firmware just into another sender, but lacking some/all already implemented OpenTX features, which we might be missing in DeviationTX.

Please don't kill me instantly, just some ideas...

Thomas

PhracturedBlue wrote:

HappyHarry wrote: i realise walkera has stopped promoting and possibly making most of the devention line but who knows how much stock is still out there?

Well, I'm not closing up shop right now. I am, however, thinking about the future.

I didn't know the multi-module had serial support already for the X9d. I should get one and enable Devation on it. That really has nothing to do with choosing the successor to the Devo radio, it's something that has been on my to do list for a long time.

One option would be 'enable Deviation on every radio we can' but when it comes down to it, that is difficult to support, and will reduce overall quality. We already see that lack of resources has hampered development on the F series. I still think we need a plan to focus on a few radios that are/and likely will continue to be easily obtainable, in the same price range as the Devo offerings, and bring real value to the table.

i realise that bud, i was just pondering lol

it's quite a recent development, but afaik it's available both in opentx and ersky9x

spreading the devs even thinner isn't a great idea no, so the choice would have to be well made and try to cover as many bases as the devention range covers, and that is very difficult to find

PhracturedBlue wrote: I do like that flysky i6S as a potential 7e replacement. It doesn't look like an STMF103, but it is probably ARM. The RF connector seems to have more pins than I'd expect it to as well. And there doesn't appear to be any on-board serial flash. So who knows what we can do with this thing. But at $65, it is worth it just to see what we get. I ordered one.

I felt it looked like the STM103Vxxx series.



The 9x was a stab in the dark.

I wished I had your purchasing power... and can't wait to hear your findings.

FlySky i6S

128Ko chip