Ultimate7e tutorial: Processor upgrade

Hey HH.

Here's the link for the ZET6. All on taobao.com

https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=39257101419

Same offer applies if you have trouble ordering it. Also you want to make sure the words "成板“ is in the selection.

bugger i got distracted between opening the tab and replying to the post so i missed both yours and cereal_killer's last posts, hence me asking a redundant question lol. thanks for the offer bud it's much appreciated, but i think i'll stick with the one i found as on the back side of the pcb there is already traces for a spi nor flash chip, also an sram chip (and an eprom chip but I think that isn't really needed) which will be handy for deviation. i think with one of these and one of these screens >> www.mikroe.com/add-on-boards/display/tft-proto/ (hopefully i can find a cheaper alternative as $31 is a bit steep imo) i could revive my dead 7e into an ultimate7/6 hybrid

HH which did you find with flash pads on the back? Same as the one I linked with the JTAG header?

HH, you can try this screen https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=521898154744 .

Alternative (smaller) boards if you want the NAND/PROM/FLASH pads:

• With USB and JTAG https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=37890217891
• Without USB and JTAG https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=25680000954

I wasn't too interested in the extra memory pads as I was looking at using SD cards.

Ok guys got this together so far.




oshpark.com/shared_projects/Re72jlMH

Right now I'm waiting on my 7E display so I can make an eagle part for the 30-pin ZIF connector to add it right on the board. Also gotta add the flash pads and better labeling. Price is ~$5/board.

silpstream wrote: HH, you can try this screen https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=521898154744 .

Alternative (smaller) boards if you want the NAND/PROM/FLASH pads:

• With USB and JTAG https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=37890217891
• Without USB and JTAG https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=25680000954

I wasn't too interested in the extra memory pads as I was looking at using SD cards.

Screen lcd TFT was supported ? if not yet , i hope see it soon ,i can buy it easy at Vietnam

About OLED , i saw Sadsack Diy a Devo with it, maybe he changed code

Cereal_Killer wrote: HH which did you find with flash pads on the back? Same as the one I linked with the JTAG header?

this is the one, if you scroll down the item description it shows you the reverse side of the pcb and tells you what the extra traces are for >> www.aliexpress.com/item/Free-shipping-ST...13010308.0.54.uE45yC

silpstream wrote: HH, you can try this screen https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=521898154744 .

Alternative (smaller) boards if you want the NAND/PROM/FLASH pads:

• With USB and JTAG https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=37890217891
• Without USB and JTAG https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=25680000954

I wasn't too interested in the extra memory pads as I was looking at using SD cards.

thanks for the links bud, does that screen use the same controller as the devo6/8?

Cereal_Killer wrote: Ok guys got this together so far.

oshpark.com/shared_projects/Re72jlMH

Right now I'm waiting on my 7E display so I can make an eagle part for the 30-pin ZIF connector to add it right on the board. Also gotta add the flash pads and better labeling. Price is ~$5/board.

now we're talking! this is going to make things very interesting indeed

Thanks HH!

Can we talk about the power switch real quick...

See here
www.deviationtx.com/wiki/hardware/devo7e

Am I right its powered on any time GPIOA pin 2 is high and pin 3 is low? Is that all it takes? What if I don't want to do it like that and just use a hard power switch that actually kills power? Will that lead to data issues killing the power like that? Can I just permanently pull pins 2 up and 3 down to keep it in its on state as long as there's power then remove power when I want it off (thinking about the likely more typical power switch in the BNF tx's I plan to convert).

Usb mini or micro (I prefer micro, is that OK with people or should I keep it mini like the devo line)?

Final Q for now...
Use the $10 devo display you can only find with MOQ=1 at one place or the same price SPI OLED you can get anywhere? Oled is ~1" smaller but same pixle count technically.

i think the issue with just turning the power off is that deviation doesn't write any changes made to model files unless another model is loaded or the shutdown is triggered, of course this could be worked around and once models are set up you very rarely change them. also micro, or even usb C to keep with the times lol. as for the screen I have no preference really, I was planning on sourcing a screen similar to the devo6/8 without the touch screen as the recent changes pb has made in the menu handling code means the 6/8 can be fully used without requiring it, but my broken 7e also has a working screen in it so it would be easy to re-use that, or another screen altogether.

My thought on this project is keeping it as cheap as possible. I'm wanting to build old useless BNF tx's into usable tx's for buddies / kids / to give away / whatever. I don't need a color screen and definitely don't need touch capability.

Good point about saving changes, didn't think of that... is my thinking on when they're pulled up/down for on/off correct?

This IS NOT supposed to be the official universal tx board that there's a thread about. That project definitely deserves a big powerful 100 pin + STM like in the full size devo line. This is, in my mind a low budget, low feature count EASY way to get deviation running on whatever you want which is why I'm looking at the more basic (and cheaper) B&W display options (original 7E display replacement vs super generic OLED). If such a board existed I wouldn't even be bothering with this but necessity dictates I have to slave over eagle to get what I [we] need...

hi guys
i still can use a usb interface FTDI to load bootloader for devo instead use a USB Stlink ?

Theoretically - yes. The bootloader is in the ROM so it's always available. I did not try it myself though, so can't say for sure.

@Cereal_Killer, the board looks nice, but I would use more powerful power supply. If you going to power RF modules from it your small one can be too weak.

Yeah, I switch USB mode on/off to preserve all changes on AT9 With some small mod we can have this kind of circuit even on AT9, but I don't think it's worth it.

Wow! You guys have gotten active. I just got back from work and finally have a chance to log in. NICE!!!

Cereal_Killer wrote: Ok guys got this together so far.

Right now I'm waiting on my 7E display so I can make an eagle part for the 30-pin ZIF connector to add it right on the board. Also gotta add the flash pads and better labeling. Price is ~$5/board.

One word "awesome". Once you get it sorted I'll order it!

john wrote: Screen lcd TFT was supported ? if not yet , i hope see it soon ,i can buy it easy at Vietnam.

About OLED , i saw Sadsack Diy a Devo with it, maybe he changed code

Devo 6/8 use TFT so yes it is supported. I had read that there were little or no changes to code to get the OLED working.

HappyHarry wrote: thanks for the links bud, does that screen use the same controller as the devo6/8?

As far as I can tell from the code, Devo6 and AT9 can use ILI9341. The drivers are already in there so it should be okay. As for the SPI touch controller, I can't really tell yet, but the data sheets seem close enough. We should be able to get that sorted.

Cereal_Killer wrote: Can we talk about the power switch real quick...

Usb mini or micro (I prefer micro, is that OK with people or should I keep it mini like the devo line)?

Use the $10 devo display you can only find with MOQ=1 at one place or the same price SPI OLED you can get anywhere? Oled is ~1" smaller but same pixle count technically.

I'm inclined to go with a hard power switch if we can (PB has said as much). Basically, I was toying with using the onboard UART bootloader in the 7e. The soft power control really throws a wrench into things cause I can't use that with the UART BL, I need to physically short the power bypass even if I can do a reboot to BL. Having a hard power switch could fix that and we can use a usb->serial board to upload if needed.

I'd like to suggest that you may want to have the usb as a separate breakaway board that can be routed to a convenient place instead of it being on the board itself. That would make it easier to upgrade without opening. The board could have mini pads on one side and micro pads on the other, then we could choose.

If this is a board for modding other BNF controllers, perhaps the OLED works well, as it is smaller and easier to get hold of and shoehorn into the other TXs. Either way, the original LCD is a SPI interface, so the pins would be available whichever way we choose.

If you are taking other suggestions, I'd like to suggest that the pins be repositioned for ease of wiring. There are a few that we would never reassign such as gimbal pots, buttons, trims etc. These could go to a section of the board that keeps wiring neat. The pots would need some sort of RC filter and 3v3/GND and the buttons/trims have some pull-ups.

Getting excited just thinking about it. Let me know if there's anything you'd like me to try, I still have a RET6 board and OLED that can be repurposed from other defunct projects. Can't wait.

i loaded bootloader with usb FTDI . then i connect wire to creat button EXT , and connect STM32 TO usb , but DFUSE can not dectect . What problem ?

john wrote: i loaded bootloader with usb FTDI . then i connect wire to creat button EXT , and connect STM32 TO usb , but DFUSE can not dectect . What problem ?

Could you clarify what you are trying to do? Did you upgrade the processor in your 7e already? Or are you trying to get deviationtx running on a development board?