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Here is the USER INFO and the USER AREA to ask questions
Connections: The Board ships with two RED jumpers installed.
The one by the SD Card socket , is used to tell the board that the SD card is installed
Jumper Installed = SD CARD Present - ENABLED
Jumper Removed = SD CARD not present - DISABLED

The second jumper is on the Head Phone output.
There is a switch in the headphone jack that tells the Amplifier to switch to Headphone mode , when a plug is inserted.
So the jumper is needed when the Headphone expansion Jack is not installed to short out the "switch"
Jumper Installed = Speaker Output - Enabled
Jumper Removed = Speaker Output - Disabled

Schematics: Be Careful with the LCD connectors , they work much differently than the stock 9x one. Front Connector for Stock 9x glass LCD
With the brown LCD lever in the UP or OPEN position
The lcd cable goes on top of the Brown lever
Push the cable in firmly , some of the contacts will still be visible.
Press DOWN on the two brown TABS to lock the cable in place. Mid Board Kyocera / Optrex Upgrade LCD:

Use your finger nail to "flick" open the Brown lever Insert the LCD Cable, contacts facing down into the connector
Make sure the cable is in straight and then Press the brown lever Down
until it locks into place. Using the SD Card Connector:
The SD Card Connector uses a Slide to Lock / Open Latch.

Slide the lid back , to unlock it , and flip it open Insert your Memory card Close the lid to secure the SD Card , and SLIDE it forward to Latch it.

IF YOU JUST POPPED the lid off ....dont worry , its very easy to do. The Metal Latch Lid from the SD connector hinges on two small pins. Sometimes the metal tabs on the latch are bent out a bit , allowing
the latch to fall off the hinge tabs. Slightly bend the tabs so they are straight again.
Now clip the tab on one side , and then pop the other side on its hinge.

I think it's the fo-shiznit!

I love the fact you can have the other rotary encoder as an option.
And, seeing that there is a plugin display adaptor, you can a wider variety of options, possibly two differently addressable ones?

Oh, and I'm working on the ntsc coding Brent... it's a learning curve to programme the Tiny... but hopefully by next season, it will do something! WOO!

- The LCD expansion connector is now a standard 0.1" dual header. There is a small expansion adapter to add / move the
main display.

why add another adapter?

- The SD - card can be removed without removing the pcb or cutting a slot. There is a right angle expansion adapter to
allow access through a small slot in the battery compartment.

still prefer drilling method, so no doors need to be opened, just move sd closer to Tx box surface (just my liking)

- Constant current LED backlight drive - needs no series resistor.
great!
- Direct PCB mount for 7 way Navagation switch for DIY case builders.
great!
- TTL - Com1 - Telemetry input.
isn't this same as before?

Hmm dunno
I thought you had it pretty much spot on with Rev B brent
I can perfectly understand your wanting to "tidy up" the board around the reg's,
but to my mind this is using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
Just my opinion

Clive

Veery nice, especially the reg cleanup, SD card and 7-way thingy. Oh, and the TTL COM port! One of the reasons I wasn't going for the board is that my FrSky modules have all been modified to TTL levels internally in order to avoid adding a converter on the stock board, no more problem now

Still hesitating though, X12D is close...

Very nice!

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

If the 5 volt regulator is not LDO, will there be any problems for those using two LiFe cells (6.6V)?
I assume the co-processor is included, even if it is on a plug-in board.
Is COM1 available as both TTL and RS232? My telemetry connects to the internal 3-pin RS232 header on COM1.

Note: While the switch/encoder may mount on the board, this does not work for the standard 9x case, it needs to be raised off the board.

Mike.

Still early days for me, only just getting going on this, all of the above looks good to me.

Longer term, I'm thinking of things like head movement tracking, and how to get that to link to the camera control on FPV, but that's very much longer term.
Easy way to connect some extra switches to the board?
Easy way to connect another joystick type device as an alternative for head movement tracking?

That's enough for now, and probably a bridge too far, but hey, if we don't ask.........................

The co-processor, already available on B1, has 11 'spare' I/O lines. These may be digital input, digital output or analog input, so you requests are already catered for, just need some programming to implement them.

Mike.

Excellent. Have 3 B1's here that are only waiting for the new rotary PCB's to arrive and they will be being fitted to sets that are waiting for them. Let the fun begin. Not completely sure about the vertical nature of the learning curve, but that's the way it goes. Sharp edge, bleeding edge, it's all down to the pressure applied from those behind you

The SD card was moved because MOST people did not like cutting a slot in the radio. ,and you still cant reach it easily once you do.
This allows for the SD card to be re-located if wanted , but still retains the stock SD socket.

The LCD adapter , allows the board to be used after the USER has damaged the on-board LCD connectors. It also allows the display to be re-located...or you could mirror the main display , or add a second display , as this can be addressed seperately . Using a standard regulator and pcb footprint , makes it easy to upgrade to a drop in switching unit.
Only the audio is running from 5V , so if it drops out of regulation ...should not be a issue ....The real goal is not to allow more than 5V to feed the 3.3V regulators , to control their heat dissipation.

The NAV encoder support is for the DIY case builders , you would still need a adapter board to mount in the 9x case ...
The Nav switch takes up room where the co-processor was so...

I moved the co-processor to a small pcb , to make it easier for the user interface to ..... or replace if damaged... My Idea was to drop the board price , and make it a option.

There has always been a spot to access the COM1- TTL side of the Serial port chip. The contacts are in the middle of the "DN" switch.
If there is nothing plugged into the rs232 side of the serial ports , the chip goes into shutdown , this should give access to the Rx/TX -TTL lines without the RS232 driver chip interfereing. I just put a proper header spot and a couple of 1R series resistors to allow the driver chip to be disconnected completely if desired.

-Brent

Looking good!

About the SD card, would it be possible to make it accessible through the DIN cable when the board is in USB mode? If there is a software solution for this, the hardware wouldn't have to change and people could still opt to cut a slot in the 9x case for easy removal if they want, or upgrade their current board to the V3 board and keep using their existing slot.

like the option of the LCD add on card, and if I'm not mistaken, this could then be an easier way to allow for alternate display devices, either because of upgrade, or colour, or change in design, or lack of availability of the normal display, and the only change is the displace connect/driver card, rather than having to do nasty things to the main board.

Might even be worth making this board the normal, and only having one connection on the main board, then having different display boards to cover the HK or other connector that is there on the present board. If nothing else, it also frees up a bit of space on the main board, and reduces the component count on the board, and makes the whole connect, swap, experimenter scenarion easier, as it's a simpler swap if it's just a pin header card.

Brent, on the co-pro board, there are 4 pins not used? would it be an idea to have those pins have a pads broken out if they were needed for future projects/expansion... and I don't know what those pins are, so maybe they are just nothing.

Glv wrote:About the SD card, would it be possible to make it accessible through the DIN cable when the board is in USB mode?

That's the goal, but the software developers haven't managed it yet. Who knows how long it will take, so an alternative "clean" solution is welcome in the meantime.

Wow I have another 9x on the way because I love this radio with the Sky board so much I wanted a spare. I was about to order another board but I'm really glad I waited. Put me on the list for one.

Brent, is a scheduling already defined & any idea about availability?

-Fritz

I'm still playing with the design....it has yet to be prototyped and then tested....

With all these new radios coming out ...I'm not sure that there will be any demand for a the Board.

-Brent

New radios cone out all the time.

What is important is... will they still make the 9x as we know it? Without that... the board has no function.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

You can think about fitting an lr32 battery under the coprocessor option board to keep rtc...

Rob Thomson wrote:New radios cone out all the time.

What is important is... will they still make the 9x as we know it? Without that... the board has no function.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

Sorry, I don't agree.. Then the real hacking starts.. Finding a nice case, new gimbals, sliders, a new LCD.. Basically a custom radio.. People are already trying to do that..

viewtopic.php?f=26&t=8&view=unread#p8306

Others are already fitting the aurora gimbals..
So, the board has no function?? naahhh...

João

P.S. - It would help if the price could come down a bit though

when these new Tx comes out we probably will see a flood of stock T9X sold at ebay cheap from people don't do FW upgrades. How many T9X were sold? Probably cheaper than the HK Turnigy without module, Still worry about casing availability?

They're fitting aurora gimbals because the stock ones are c**p, not because they want to bling their TX

exactly, one more reason.. who needs the stock ones then? who needs the stock case to build a tx with the ersky board then?
switches you can even use the ones you buy at digikey or similar.. pots, the same.. so, what's really needed is someone design a nice case with the display on top and Bob's your uncle..

João

Lol...

In principle I agree with you. In practice....

Bottom line is that Brent is still governed by business rules of supply & demand. Unless an alternative case and gimbals can be found (or someone who can make them) there will not be enough demand to justify the cost of developing and selling the boards.

So yes... the real hacking can start.. but that will only be within the reach of a few people who are capable of it; and have access to the required equipment to make a decent case etc.. The board will go from being a simple drop in to give your radio a massive boost; too a component in a jigsaw puzzle of other bits to make the radio work.

Now for me... I am up for doing that. I enjoy it. But for most people they just want a drop in easy to get up and running system - All for under $150.

So where does this leave the board? Low demand = High Price?

Personally.. I hope they keep selling the stock radio without an RF stage. I don't think this will happen.

The module transmitters days are numbered. It is not in the interest of manufacturers to create modules. Eventually they will stop selling the modules. If they sell you a radio with an integrated rf system; you are forced to use their RX's. Thats where they make the money. So how will we get an RF stage into the future sky9x radio?

So... where does this leave things long term?

Lots of hard work from all on the forum to pull together a completely unique product!! It will be hard work!

Possibly.. the hardest at this point is a unique and good looking case that people can just buy; as well as some gimbals!

Of course.. I am just speculating

I think JHsa need to ask your friend about that CNC laser machine to cut a Tx box will fit optrex/or a color screen by skynorth and the proper sizing for Aurora gimbal. actually Walkera gimbal does not feel bad at all if it is cheaper.

I hope you make the 3.0 board, I plan to use it to mod a JR12X (the jr radio have a faulty CPU pcb).

Brent could even produce his own radio.. but the RF module could be a problem as you say..
Anyway I don't believe that frsky would stop producing the modules.. there are a lot of old radios that can be upgraded..

JUoão

kaos wrote:I think JHsa need to ask your friend about that CNC laser machine to cut a Tx box will fit optrex/or a color screen by skynorth and the proper sizing for Aurora gimbal. actually Walkera gimbal does not feel bad at all if it is cheaper.

Agreed!

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

I can ask him..