My 9Xtreme Installation

[jhsa]

WARNING - I just installed some Taranis gimbals on another 9x radio. I was surprised that the Rudder stick wouldn't move to the right even after calibration. Found the reason, 2 of the wires were swapped on the little trim board at the factory, and then corrected on the stick itself. So, the colour code for that stick wasn't the same as all the other sticks. This seems to be a rare event though. If you notice the same problem, this is probably the cause. Here is a picture.

Here are some pictures of my 9Xtreme installation. Some of the pictures were copied from other posts/threads. The one from the switch board without the protection diode, and 2 pictures of the gimbals.
I wrote some comments on the pictures.
I hope you find this useful.
I did install 4 push buttons on the back of the radio, but only 2 are supported at the moment. When more are supported they are ready. Hopefully Mike will find time to implement them With so many free pins on this radio it would be nice to be able to add more buttons and switches
Feel free to ask questions. i will do my best to answer them

João

Protect the Radio against reverse polarity

This was the diode I used, But any Schottky diode rated at 20V / 3A should do the job. this one is rated at 40V / 3A.

MBRA340T3G_40V_3A.pdf

(54.82 KiB) Downloaded 626 times

Install Taranis Gimbals

Just a little note here. Some people are cutting the backplate to make the Taranis gimbals fit when installed the same way as the 9X gimbals were.. Well, there is absolutely no need for cutting the backplate (and a few important tracks with it that you will have to trace and fix) if you install one of the gimbals inverted as shown in this little tutorial. As you will see, you will only need to cut/grind 3mm of plastic on one of the gimbals only.. Very easy..

Install 9Xtreme Board, 3 Position switch and Speaker

Thanks to bob195558 for this picture.

Replaced ELE switch with a 3 position switch. See picture above and picture below (Green Text).

Install 4 Pushbuttons on the back of the radio

20-PushButtons_3.jpg (48.4 KiB) Viewed 35186 times

Install a Taranis Slider

Haptic (vibration)

3-Haptic.jpg (24.54 KiB) Viewed 34510 times

10-Haptic.jpg (69.7 KiB) Viewed 34510 times

Bluetooth

Attention - This guide might not apply entirely if you have a different bluetooth module. Here I describe how I installed my Bluetooth module in my 9XT radio. Yours might be different and require different procedure
For some more information, please visit also:

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=7640

[OctavioS]

I have to say it's a very good and clean installation. Great job.

[jhsa]

Thanks. Will add the haptic when I receive the motors..

João

[OctavioS]

Perhaps I'll make that mod.

Enviado do meu Galaxy S6 edge através de Tapatalk.

[mmilan]

Thankyou jhsa! Beautiful photos and very clear and concise annotations. This is like a "wiki" installation guide.

Mike

[jhsa]

Good that you find useful. After I also installed the haptic, I will put all pictures inside a zip file and upload it so people can just download all of it in one go..
I think the most useful might be table I have made for the Taranis gimbals connections. If you have non amplified gimbals and connect them as in the table, You won't have to invert any of the stick in the firmware.. Easy.

João

[CivicBill]

Nice one Most help full.

Bill

[lancaster]

Great job jhsa
Thanks for posting the information and photos
The modifications are now very clear and its something everyone can consider as we continue using the 9X
regards
Hans

[MikeB]

You might try the test version I just posted here: viewtopic.php?f=126&t=7751&p=103194#p103194. You might have 4 push buttons available! (Can you make that thread 'sticky'?).

Mike.

[lancaster]

The extra push buttons seem interesting and apparently simple to install

How would they be incorporated into the mixes and firmware?

regards
Hans

[MikeB]

You just set the signal in use for them in the hardware menu, then they appear in the lists of switches for use, just after the TRN switch.

Mike.

[jhsa]

You might try the test version I just posted here: viewtopic.php?f=126&t=7751&p=103194#p103194. You might have 4 push buttons available! (Can you make that thread 'sticky'?).

Mike.

Mike, I think it is done. Can you please confirm that it is sticky now?

You just made my day, thank you so much.. Downloading the test version right now..

João

[jhsa]

I confirm PB3 and PB4 are also working.
This firmware is getting more and more powerful by the day..
Thanks Mike

João

[ckleanth]

how about something like this
http://www.digikey.co.uk/product-detail ... ND/2642171
some hot glue and sugru to finish nicely

[jhsa]

Guys, I just added a warning to the first post about something that happened to me while installing the Taranis gimbals on another radio..

João

[bob195558]

WARNING - I just installed some Taranis gimbals on another 9x radio.
I was surprised that the Rudder stick wouldn't move to the right even after calibration.
Found the reason, 2 of the wires were swapped on the little trim board at the factory,
and then corrected on the stick itself. So, the colour code for that stick wasn't the same as all the other sticks.
This seems to be a rare event though. If you notice the same problem, this is probably the cause.

Hi João,
Yes! I have had it happen to me on some 9x radio's also.
The Chinese seem to be colorblind when it comes to wire colors on the 9x radios.

Bob B.

[jhsa]

If I was paid for my work as much as they do I think I would be color blind as well

João

[bob195558]

Yes, that's true, and there is no child labor laws in China too.

Bob B.

[s_mack]

That isn't true. They do have child labor laws. You have to be 16 to be employed in China. Of course, murder is illegal here but it happens... so I can't say if their laws are widely respected.

[Grantman]

I also did the Taranis gimbal upgrade, but I trimmed the backplane instead of flipping the throttle. Added sliders as well, not functional yet but I can wire them to P1/2 if needed in the meantime.

[MikeB]

Just tested code to handle one extra pot on the 9Xtreme. Three more should be possible, but I need to do rather more work than adding one!

Mike.

[jhsa]

I also did the Taranis gimbal upgrade, but I trimmed the backplane instead of flipping the throttle.

I really don't understand why people do it this way. More work, you can cut tracks on the backplate that need fixing afterwards and you have to find first which ones you did damage, and you end up with reversed sticks anyway
Only to have the gimbal on the so called right position? It works the same upside down
The other way, you just need to trim 3 milimeters of plastic, done..

João

[Grantman]

I did it that way because I liked where the wiring ran more than I liked the acre of backplane. The tracks were traced before the mod (some of us actually plan these things out) so repairs were a no brainer. I might actually replace the backplane with one of my own etchings so I have no reservations about cutting it up.

[jhsa]

Ahh, that's something else But for most people is easier to install the gimbals as shown on the first post.
Some people already cut traces they shouldn't when cutting the backplate.. That's why I mentioned it.. Sometimes we plan stuff, but at the end there is always something we didn't check.. It happens to me all the time..
João

[LTMNO]

Great mods Joao, well done..
How is that speaker, looks very good and like the fit?'
Sound good and clear?

[jhsa]

I'm documenting the rest of the mods right now will post them later when ready. I hope all fits in the first post

The speaker is very good. Loud and very clear. One think I like is that covers only the area where the holes are.
What I also like is that it is a 2 Watt speaker and therefore there is less change of getting damaged by the amp that as far as I know puts out more than just 0.5W

João

[s_mack]

Which, as I've said many times, doesn't matter worth a lick. It could be rated for 100W but if we're only putting out < 0.5W then we're only putting out < 0.5W. Again, it is *rated* for 1.7W... that's the max it can output. The speaker is *rated* for 0.5W and that's the max it should handle. It is fine.

[jhsa]

So if the 9XT is only outputting 0.5W, which one is the "gain" resistor so I can change it? [emoji14] I would like about 1.5W if possible

João

[MikeB]

There isn't a single gain setting resistor as it uses complimentary inputs. Effectively, there are two 130K resistances as the input ressitors, reducing these increases the gain. One is an actual 130K resistor, the other is, for historical reasons, a 10K resistor in series with a 120K resistor. The two resistances must be kept the same as each other.

Mike.

[jhsa]

Thanks Mike, are they 1%? also what would be a good start value?

Thanks

João