Rx battery telemetry ???

[ShowMaster]

Thanks Kilrah.
Now how do I get at those resistors?
I think the two boards separate but it's not easy. I'm up to trying to bring A1 outside the RX case.

[ShowMaster]

what about lifting pin 16 and adding a new set of divider resistors to ground, pin 16, and the rssi connector?
any update on how to seperate the two rx boards?

[ShowMaster]

[MikeB]

The boards looked to be soldered together to me when I opened mine up.
I thought it would be possible to get to R16 and remove it with the boards still connected together.

On another tack, I'm wondering if it is possible to put together a small board with a processor to do the A2D and feed the values in on the SPort.
I've got some ideas, but need to finish current er9x.ersky9x/eepe/eepskye changes first.

Mike.

[ShowMaster]

What about the idea of lifting pin 16?
I'm in no real hurry but I guess to find out I should try it.
I also own this vacuum desoldering tool.
I may give it a try.
It all depends on making a decision as to what to try. Lifting pin 16 would be easier for most wanting to try the. There's room enough to add a 1/8 1/10 watt resistor divider connected to the RSSI port pins after isolating them.

[Kilrah]

A little arduino pro mini on the sport would work wonders IMO. There's some work in progress to do just that in openxsensor.

Sent via mobile

[ShowMaster]

How close is it Kilrah? I'm not happy about modifying my x8r but knowing only my rec voltage isn't very useful with electric planes. The vario, and hub, and other hanging on things ( like a gingerbread house ) takes up a lot of room. Too bad Frsky couldn't have outsourced the sensors while the Taranis tx was being focused on. You can't buy it if its not for sale.
All I want is to use the new x8r receiver they bragged about and know my lipo voltage, not my rec voltage. Something we all have enjoyed from the start.
It's useless to many of us as it is now.
I'm just disappointed in the x8r after waiting almost a year for the system.
I do like the tx very much. Maybe everyone should email Frsky with their disappointment. I'm going to.
As always, thank you Kilrah for your support and informative comments.
If I was any good at the Arduino and programming I would have made an interface but I'm not.

[ShowMaster]

I reread some of mikes posts and the fas40-100 with smart port sunk in. Do these sensors have a new model number differs t than the older ones? I tried to read up on them but I'm still not sure. I have some that required the hub but never used them yet.
I have many d series receivers and several hubs so I'd better take inventory and see what does what based on their age and model #.

So other than price it seems that maybe the fas40 with the new Sbuss interface in it could have the interface circuit stripped from it just for voltage measurement and a size reduction?

I'm up to ordering one if its a newer version and was in stock somewhere?
I'm sure mine from last year isn't a Sbuss model.

I'm still up to the idea of modifying my x8r but if an existing sensor could be instead it would not risk damaging the rec if others try it.
I think we're all looking for a plug in fix instead of messing with the receiver.

I hope the Arduino savvy ones will find a way to do this, hint.

[MikeB]

I'm not sure how available they are, they are very new. Look at the FrSky site. There is a FCS-40A and a FLVSS.
The FCS-40A is the SPort current and voltage sensor. The FLVSS is the SPort LiPo monitor, measures all cells as well as total voltage.

Mike.

[ShowMaster]

I don't think I see them for sale yet. Maybe someone can get a progress report on when we can expect them?
I'm going to email Frsky asking that question, nothing to lose.

[ShowMaster]

Email sent.

[ShowMaster]

Got a very fast answer.
"the new Lipo battery voltage sensor- SPORT supported will coming out soon.
It can connect with X8R SPORT directly."
Another
"FCS-40A and a FLVSS
will coming out quit soon, current is under final testing."
So I guess I can wait awhile.

[Spoogy]

Duh..again a 40A current sensor... they should do one atleast 140A sensor also.

And another thing what they could do is to add all sensors to one tiny package like that UniSens-e sensor is. I have been seeing that in action and it really is very handy to get all needed measurements. It also can handle 100A, constant, 120A for minute or so and 140A some tenths of seconds. That would be, at least for me, all I need. It's unfortunately that UniSens-e isn't going to support ACCST as they said in their reply email when I requested support for that.

Link just for info if someone is interested: http://www.sm-modellbau.de/shop/product ... 7&cPath=18

[MikeB]

I've been thinking about an add on to provide this. A problem is that something like an arduino pro mini doesn't have an acucuate voltage reference.

Mike.

[jhsa]

OpenXsensor project..

http://openrcforums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=86&t=3420
My build is in the last couple of posts.
I have 2 100A amp built, and lately I built a 50A sensor as well.. the Allegro ACS758 family has sensors up to 200A I think.. Best to use the unidirectional ones as they give better resolution.

The sensor is powered by the arduino so they both use the same voltage.. It seems to work great

João

[Clivew]

Well, after weeks of deliberating, I finally modded my X8R for external A1 input.
I found you really do have to seperate the two boards.
I had to turn up a new de-soldering bit for my adcola vac pump from an old brass adcola soldering iron bit, and drill a 1mm nozzle hole and smaller end to fit between the pins.
That worked well, and it really is quite easy, moving each pin (14 of them) slightly before it cools.Having separated
the boards I isolated the external rssi signal pin, by cutting the trace on the top of the board between the via and C14 (carefully!)
Next step was removing R16 4K5, quite tricky! The right hand end, looking from the pins end is +5v, the left is
the tap for the potential divider. Soldered some fine enamelled copper wire (.25mm?)to the left pad, or
the left side of R15 (1K5)if the pad comes off like mine did!
Then the easy bit, I soldered a 7K5 resistor (short lead) to the rssi signal pin, and finally the enamelled wire to
the other end of it, again short lead. I later found the voltage calibration wasn't too good, so reduced 7K5 to 4K7
which improved it a lot. Should be ok for 3S max I think.
Job done, thanks to MikeB and ShowMaster for getting me started!

CAUTION: DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS UNLESS YOU HAVE A VACUUM SOLDER SUCKER, A GOOD HEADBAND
MAGNIFIER AND ARE PREPARED TO BUY ANOTHER X8R IF YOU WRECK THIS ONE

Clive

[ShowMaster]

What a trooper! Great job.
I do own one if these. It's an oldie but it works.
Great for connector removal.

[Clivew]

Forgot to say, a shorting link from what was rssi out pin and +pin and you can revert to "as it was"

At least electronically, if not physically!

Clive

[LTMNO]

No, the FAS40 and FAS100 send battery voltage as well as current. On er9x, in the list of telemetry items, the current is "Amps" and the voltage is "FasV". I'm using a FAS100 to a D8R-II and don't need a voltage sensor as well.

Biggest problem is I don't think FrSky have got their SPort enabled sensors to the shops yet.

I agree that the lack of a analog input is a backward step.

Mike.

Hi Mike, just curious how you hooked that up and configured in ER9x
Question, do you hook up the Black/Yellow wire to the Digital Port on the D8R II Receiver? Labeled GND/TX/RX (if so, then GND to GND and Tx(from Cable) to RX on Receiver)

Also, in the configuration on Telem Screens just selected what you mentioned above?
What do you set the offsets too, etc... I have the 100A version, I set the Amps to 100 with 0 Offset and what do you do with the Voltage one, leave it at 0?

Thanks for the clarification.

Pino.

[MikeB]

Yes, black/yellow to the serial port on the Rx. On er9x you can set the offset for the current, in the telemetry2 screen, the voltage has no offset, but I didn't think it needed one.

Mike.

[LTMNO]

Thanks Mike, then 100A and I am all set... will test.. cheers.

[Turnero]

Hi, just got a new taranis and am just getting up to speed. Great forum and work going on. I bought two x8r's and was looking to monitor my main supply voltage. Given that A1 is assigned to the rx supply, is there any reason that I cannot supply the rx directly from the supply battery through a voltage divider? The idea being take the supply from 12.6v for a fully charged 3s down to just under 10v (x8r max supply v minus a safety margin) and then use the taranis compensation to make A1 read 12.6 on the Telemetry. I realise this may have some temperature variation on the village readings but other than that I can't see why it would not work.

[Kilrah]

No need to reduce the voltage, 3s would be fine for the receiver itself. But you would be supplying your servos and other things connected to the receiver with 12V, so you need to make sure they support it (hint: they usually don't except for high end "HV" types).

[Turnero]

Hi kilrah, thanks for the quick reply. I did not think of that. I was going to use it on my tri copter with kk2 controller. I think there may be ways round it if I don't connect the rx supply lines to the kk2 board, but it would get messy and I don't want to risk overstress damage. I managed to order the 40a sport current sensor, so problem solved. Can't wait to use all this Telemetry information. Thanks

[fabryd]

Hello, i cant see battery voltage on my taranis (i have flvss on the way), i've a x8r on my phantom, and some friends say they can see the voltage on display, i have 0.00v, i can't set default value of 13.2v, how can i do that???

[philafixit]

I seem to have a problem with reading correct Rx batt volt. Taranis + X8R.
A1 volts on the default screen are sometimes very different to A1 indicated on the telemetry screen, and ditto the annunciated value, very different to actual. The differences can be several volts and appear to get 'locked' into some kind of buffer and not updated.
Only when a large V change is done do the displays update. Thus, I can connect a Rx batt at 5V, and allow it to slowly discharge to 4V and the display and message is stuck at 5V. Cycling the Tx power seems to clear things and we start to get the correct readings for a while. I discovered this whilst experimenting to gradually reduce batt V to check the readout and alarm calibration. I have SH set to read A1 when pressed.
My concern is that a Rx batt coming to the end of its capacity will fail before any kind of alarm is raised resulting in loss of a model. ..Any thoughts on how to overcome?

[Kilrah]

Have you upgraded the firmware of the X8R? There has been a fix for that kid of matters some time ago.

[LubinK]

I picked the "pin16 lift method'" with success on X8R frSky receiver.

I get a new outport port on which I can plug an analog input. Input must be within [0 - 3.3V] range. Devider is to be done externaly. It will be used to monitor 3s lipo pack. Remote control receive this analog input as beeing RxBT.

X8R pin 16 lift to get A1 port like input

X8R pin 16 lifted and made robust to vibrations

[LubinK]

With S8R frSky receiver, pin 14 is the analog input for battery voltage telemetry.

Used the same pin lift method as the X8R described on this thread.
Attached pictures or modified S8R receiver to get an analog input (like A1 port) so as to monitor battery pack instead of the 5V stabilized BEC output !

Input pin acceptable range is within [0 - 3.3V]. Value is received s the RxBT on the receiver side. OpenTx allows calibrating the value depending on the divider made.

S8R pin 14 lifting to connect external analog volt instead of regulated BEC

Added hot glue to protect from vibrations

[MikeB]

Rather than do such mods to the Rx, you could make one of my SPort devices to handle the flight pack voltage, see this thread: http://openrcforums.com/forum/viewtopic ... x8r2analog.
Ready made versions, using a PCB, are available from Aloft in the Us and T9Hobbysport in the UK.

Mike