ERSKY9X Coding

[bob195558]

Info about to much silence in voice file: (viewtopic.php?f=7&t=40&start=3270#p126415).

Edit added: oops ! I posted in the wrong place, my error, should have been here: (viewtopic.php?f=7&t=9062&start=330#p126441).
Thank you João for catching my error.

Bob B.

[jhsa]

Bob, the post you are linking is just a few posts above your latest post

Not really needed at this point?

Maybe if someone else does have the same problem in the future and can't find the info, then it is good and helpful to link to the solution.

João

[RCHH]

In stock at Farnell: http://uk.farnell.com/atmel/atsam4s8ca- ... dp/2215352.

Mike.

Cheers Mike.

Ordered.

[MikeB]

I've got a couple on the way as well.

Mike.

[RCHH]

At least it will be an easier job than the Devo7E - much more room to manouver on the 9X boards ...

[jhsa]

The problem is that I don't know if I could solder one of these with the soldering iron. the AVR chips were already not easy.

João

[RCHH]

It is not too bad soldering the blighters back on. A nice smooth slightly rounded tip and solder paste does well.
The awkward bit with a soldering iron is getting them off. More than once (in a previous assembly/rework life) with LQF packages I have thought all the legs were free only to end up with lifted pads.
There is a paste that works wonders that sometimes had to used in emercency rework where no smd hot air blower was available. Dunno what it was called tho. Solder off or suchlike. Basically a low-melt paste.

[MikeB]

ChipQuik!
I have mine ready!

Mike.

[RCHH]

That's the stuff!

Also of almost invaluable use are paste stencils. Just the right amout of solder gunk in the right places really ends up with perfect bonds. No bridges, no dry joints ...

Just have to find the little box of them I acquired .. ahem!

[jhsa]

Removing the old chip is the easiest part As Mike said, ChipQuik

Need to buy some ChipQuik flux as it is really good.. But it is soooo expensive and hard to get
I would really appreciate if someone let me know where to get really good flux paste, and not so expensive.. Most of the stuff we get on ebay is not so good

Thanks

João

[RCHH]

Removing the old chip is the easiest part As Mike said, ChipQuik

Not so easy without it tho with a soldering iron.

Yeah chipquick is pricy. Look for Rose's or Woods metal ...

[jhsa]

Yeah, thanks.. I'm, more after a good flux at the moment.. I still have some chipquik metal. Without a good flux I can't do anything

João

[RCHH]

If you mean just flux, rather than solder/flux paste, use TK83 'no clean' flux - years old but it is good stuff. Cheap enough on eBay.

I have no idea what paste I use, as I acquired a big dollop of it from my old works. It is very high quality though, that I do know.

[jhsa]

I prefer flux paste (I think it is called like this), not liquid flux. It helps holding the chips down when trying to align them

João

[tsenecal]

ChipQuik!
I have mine ready!

Mike.

dear god... where has this been all my life... i just watched the "ChipQuik SMD removal procedure" video on youtube... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0m_d52m1DU if it works half as well in real life as it does in the video, i have half a dozen "fixes" for other r/c things i want to try this on...

need to find the best/cheapest source for this "ChipQuik" desolder alloy

[RCHH]

I prefer flux paste (I think it is called like this), not liquid flux. It helps holding the chips down when trying to align them

João

Got ya. Solder/flux paste combined. I do have some I bought from eBay back along that is not half bad at all. Will find out what it is exactly for you.

[tsenecal]

Mike,

I am completely open on "yes" or "no" on this... i understand if you think this is an idiot question... but... i have started making my cosmetic changes to a clone of the source code for the firmware for my pistol radio...

there is a string constant defined in menus.cpp for ersky9x that contains hardcoded labels for the switches... specifically line 5478 in my copy... line starts with:
"const char SW_3_IDX[] = ..."

if that string could somehow be moved to the languages files, it would make changing those labels for something else easier (i am thinking for the pistol radio titles like swA thru swF might work better.) i am thinking that if that string were moved to the language files, then i could basically create a "language" for the pistol radio ("pi.h" and "pi.cpp" perhaps) and not have to muck with the cpp files that basically contain real/actual code.

of course if there is a better way to do this, that follows your preferred design layout/coding style, i am 100% in favor of that.... just need to know what that might be

[RCHH]

ChipQuik!
I have mine ready!

Mike.

dear god... where has this been all my life... i just watched the "ChipQuik SMD removal procedure" video on youtube... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0m_d52m1DU if it works half as well in real life as it does in the video, i have half a dozen "fixes" for other r/c things i want to try this on...

need to find the best/cheapest source for this "ChipQuik" desolder alloy

A basic kit called 'Fast Chip' from a company called SRA is UNDER £12 in the UK. 99.99999% as good as ChiQuick to all intents.

Not aware of what country you are from though.

Clone ChipQuick

[tsenecal]

Not aware of what country you are from though.

Clone ChipQuick

updated my user profile, and thanks for the tip.

[RCHH]

ChipQuick

More still

[MikeB]

"const char SW_3_IDX[] = ..."

if that string could somehow be moved to the languages files, it would make changing those labels for something else easier (i am thinking for the pistol radio titles like swA thru swF might work better.)

Quite easy to move it. I'll call it "HW_SWITCHES_STR", the same name already used when compiling for the X9D. It is conditionally compiled in the language .h files.
I've done the source code edit and it compiles, just need to test it still works OK.

Mike.

[elral]

dear god... where has this been all my life... i just watched the "ChipQuik SMD removal procedure" video on youtube... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0m_d52m1DU if it works half as well in real life as it does in the video, i have half a dozen "fixes" for other r/c things i want to try this on...

need to find the best/cheapest source for this "ChipQuik" desolder alloy

This is really amazing! Desoldering was always a mess for me, while soldering up to TQFP100 was not the problem. With this ChipQuik it looks quite easy.
Thank you for sharing, now I have to check where to buy it.
Regards
Ralf

[RCHH]

dear god... where has this been all my life... i just watched the "ChipQuik SMD removal procedure" video on youtube... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0m_d52m1DU if it works half as well in real life as it does in the video, i have half a dozen "fixes" for other r/c things i want to try this on...

need to find the best/cheapest source for this "ChipQuik" desolder alloy

This is really amazing! Desoldering was always a mess for me, while soldering up to TQFP100 was not the problem. With this ChipQuik it looks quite easy.
Thank you for sharing, now I have to check where to buy it.
Regards
Ralf

It is readily available, but if not, an alternative is Woods or Rose's metal that is cheap on eBay.

[RCHH]

I've got a couple on the way as well.

Mike.

Chips arrived half an hour ago. Will get one fitted to my Rev.B board when the sprouts are in bed this evening.

Very fast delivery!

[MikeB]

Yes, mine have arrived this morning as well. I'm just deciding where I'll put the first one. I've got a 'spare' Rev A AR9X board I could use, or I could pull a Rev B AR9X board out of a Tx, or use a RevB SKY board.

Mike.

[RCHH]

I am thinking the same here. Ar9X first I reckon and try that one, as if it goes pear shaped I can get another. Sky boards are as rare as chickens teeth, and I could not do without one.

Just out of curiosity, with the chip upgrade, what are the possibilities for features with ErSky9X in the future?

Of course I know only a few will swap out MCU's, and that would make your time very costly on ErSky9X +

[bob195558]

Hi Mike,
I missed this, we may be able to upgrade our RevB SKY board chips ?
I will want to do this.

Bob B.

[MikeB]

RCHH: JK is looking into the possibility of producing AR9X+ boards with this processor.
The main possibility would be to add LUA script processing, as that needs a lot of RAM (and 120K+ flash).

Bob: Yes, an upgrade to the SKY board to these should be possible. They may be upgraded to the same processor as is on the AR9X and 9XR-PRO boards anyway.

Mike.

[RCHH]

Ooooooo LUA script .... yes please!

[jhsa]

I'm not sure I would like this LUA stuff. But I don't have to use it.
I have noticed that people are trying to use scripts for stuff that the radio can easily do without them
One thing I would like to see ersky9x support is a better screen with more resolution, and I'm not talking about the Taranis display, but something bigger and better. Of course it wouldn't fit in the 9x case

João