Deviation for Devo F4?

Great work PhracturedBlue! Thank you for firing it up so fast!

May I ask a short question? Would It be possible to add switches to the F4 like on the 7E or are there some limitations?

I'll answer you question as soon as I have my F4 in my hands. The screwdriver is waiting impatiently!

mine, too as i couldn't resist of buying it

SirDomsen wrote: May I ask a short question? Would It be possible to add switches to the F4 like on the 7E or are there some limitations?

Yes.
Here is something for the 7E, could be useful:
www.deviationtx.com/forum/how-to/1436-ad...tches-to-the-devo-7e

We should ask Epitaph...

Epitaph wrote: ...

And if the F4’s boards are the same as the F7's, then this should be possible:


Where did you connect the external antenna to and what kind is it? Regular 2.4GHz antenna, like WIFI?

The button matrix in the F4 has two unused connections, like the 7e, so the 3-way switch mod should be a no-brainier... Or so it seems. Also, the processor is the same as the F7 and 7e, but the pins used by the switches of those other transmitters are not carried onto the board. It should be possible to solder directly to the processor and get the functionality, if you are so inclined.

I guess someone needs to just do it.

Don't worry PB, we know it's not as simple as a normal installation for this transmitter, it's a little more involved than that.

That antenna I added is a 5.8ghz antenna for the video feed, as the internal one is absolutely CRAP!! The stick antenna used is just a temp one till I get sorted out the mushroom for it.

That switch is an electrical D/R switch, as in it's installed via resistors direct to the pot, not to the board... same way we used to add RD to non computerized radios in the past. But the switch itself is just a normal switch (in this case 2 pole), and the setup of the plastic inside is exactly the same as the F7, so what you can put on the F7 you can put on the F4. It can take a couple more switches no problem, as well as I still have another shoulder bay free for a switch, although I'm not keen on the shoulder switches as I'm a pincher... I have some pretty blue switch nuts ready to use on this transmitter which match the sticks if this project ends up working and we can add more switches...

A couple of pages back, the diagram shows that there are pins on the processor for added switches, but they are not drawn on the board, so I guess they could be added no problem if a Deviation version can be figured out that can use them, and also, I don't know if they are to switch to ground or what... that would have to be figured out, but I think this transmitter with a little TLC can have a few things added, albeit the limited size of the memory.

Inside for that antenna is just one of these:

Pigtail

connected here:



But, if you do decide to do it, just be careful with that original plug taking it off, you have to take it off carefully and evenly, as in pull up carefully... if you lever it off hard you could end up breaking the socket on the board off with it, then you're going to be in a bit of a mess... and several people have had this happen so it's a known issue when changing the antenna. But it's well worth changing it, as with that simple stick antenna on a test I was getting a perfect signal from 2 blocks away with a couple of concrete walls, furniture, a couple of cars and a truck between the VTx and the VRx... and that was with me on the wrong band (VRx uses B band, and I had my VTx on E band using a 200mW Eachine 32ch module, also with just a simple stick antenna, so there was 0.007ghz difference on the frequency), and of course, that was on the ground, so imagine in the air with no obstructions!!

You was asking if it was a 2.4 WiFi one, so I assume you thought it was for transmitting to the receiver... well, it's not, but there's no reason why you couldn't. The other side to the one pictured has the Tx module, with a bridge of plastic over the same type of connector as the VRx, so you would just have to remove the screws and then the same operation again, remove the connector carefully and replace it with a pigtail, and remember to use a 2.4ghz antenna, not a 5.8ghz one on it. Also, remember, you cannot start the transmitter up without that antenna if you do decide to do it, as it could burn out the Tx module... the video Rx will be fine without an antenna though, as it's not transmitting and therefore has nothing to burn out. But you could perfectly put one antenna on each shoulder, one side for video, one side for transmitter.

Right... problem...

I put the software in as you said, but when i turn the transmitter off and on again, it is just stuck saying "Devention DEVO-F4 Program update.........."

I've tried putting the original firmware back in, and I just can't get it to respond. The original Dfuse program doesn't even recognise the transmitter, the new JAVA program I tried and it loaded with the bar all the way to the end, but didn't work, and trying with the DFU USB driver before with the second option (Walkera Devention), the JAVA program recognises it as a 7E and therefore won't upload it...

Right now, I have a big paperweight that is stuck in program mode

Just in case it's important as to size, I took this screenshot



The new firmware is 110kb + 4kb for the LIB, and the original 0.2A firmware is recognised as being only 70kb in size, this with the JAVA program

As is, the only way I can program anything in is using the JAVA program with the Deviation mode DFU USB program, so, as is, if you want to try something new, it will accept it. If not, how can I put the original firmware back in?

Now, I'm going to be out all day and night today, so I won't be able to try anything today, but I will be available as a guinea pig again tomorrow (GMT+1)

Hi, as I recently reeceived my F4, I tried to upload Deviation as descripted. But I sadly have to report that I got the same result as Epitaph.

The driver problem occured to me as well, I'm using Win10 (I shouldn't have upgraded ). The Walkera driver can't be installed so DFUse doesn't see the Devo anymore. (Verified with my well-working Devo10)
That's why I digged out my old laptop running on WinXP and using DFUse there, it was no problem to wake up the F4 again. So no worries, there isnt bricked anything @ Epitaph

@PB, now you have a second Beta-Tester

I'm not worried, just saying it's not working. Tje program had tje bar going to tje end every time, so it's not that. The Dfuse program doesn't recognise a transmitter plugged in. And the other new one used to program this firmware test, if you use the driver installer to install Devention driver, recognises the transmitter as a 7E, not an F4.

I'll take some screenshots once I'm home tonight. I'm on Windows 7.

welcome back PB,
can you compile one for F7 too?

PhracturedBlue wrote: Here is an updated version of the uploader that will hopefully work for you:
www.dropbox.com/s/afria7zbuut62lq/devo-f...t3-9aef705a.zip?dl=0

At first a verry big thank you for these development... it working great on my F4.

some issues to do on the software but nice to have.

regards,

Micha