9Xtreme Upgrade Board for 9x Radios

[s_mack]

I measured more carefully, and there isn't quite enough room for the first board, but a cable with plug can take its place and requires less room. Just a little more labour intensive to make (therefore more expensive).

If $5 sounded reasonable, I imagine I could get a few hundred made up. Woulď enough people want it? Beats me.

[lancaster]

I would suggest that only the 3S socket is supplied on a new small board - this would simplify the fitting by taking less space and at the same time suit the battery choice favoured by many people, ie the 1500 3S Life.
Although it would be convenient, I am not convinced you would sell many of these as most users should be capable of fitting the correct plugs with correct polarity to the board socket.

[ShowMaster]

That and a big red warning label over the power connector warning of no warranty if reverse voltage is connected?
I'm not being cruel, but there comes a point where the owner must take responsibility for their actions.
Even offering a ready made polarized adapter power cable would be ignored by some because that can save $5 and make their own, or so they think. So many stock 9x tx's have been blown up by the owner adding a life or lipo in my club over the years, that I gave up offering to fix a lot of them. If I do, it's $ now.
Same thing happened to the Taranis. People hook up their smart chargers to the jack, many to avoid the $7-10 12v PS charge if it's not included. Others just assume it's ok.
Again, a red warning sicker on the power connector that if removed, you understand the polarity issue and will be careful, is recommended.

For TV show recordings we always put up a legal disclaimer sign that basically says, you are being recorded for broadcast everywhere. If you're caught on camera by your boss, spouse, ex wife, too bad!
We still get persons caught on it!

Maybe an warning/acceptance email before it's shipped?
SM

[jhsa]

As far as I know the 9xtreme doesn't have a power connector.. It uses the one from the 9x radio..

João

[jaskoller]

Ok, ordered the board. Great job guys! Now, I have a 9x with the FrSky DIY installed. I know this has been brought up but I'm still a little confused. What do we have to do to install it if we already have that Module? I know electronics so-so, but not on the level as most of you guys. I can however, plug my battery in correctly!

I can't wait to get the board!

I ordered one to try, and will order another for my other 9x after trying the first one.

[s_mack]

The design intent of the 9Xtreme is for an unmodified stock 9X because we have to have a common starting point to work with. So you *may* need to reverse some or all of the modification you did to install and use the DHT module. The 9Xtreme has inputs for use with the DHT (in addition to or instead of a DJT). So you'll probably just have to disconnect it from your 9X as you have it now, and re-connect it to the 9Xtreme and that should be it. I say "probably" and "should" because a) I don't know exactly what you've done and b) I haven't really considered carefully exactly the modifications done by a typical DHT installation, so I'm not sure off the top of my head if you'll have to reverse anything else. Mike can probably cite it in his sleep.

[jaskoller]

Thank you s_mack. Will there be instructions on how to install the frsky DIY onto the 9Xtreme?

[s_mack]

I'll provide instructions (eventually) from the perspective of a stock 9X. Installing with a stock 9X won't be difficult. Where you might run into difficulty is dealing with your existing modifications, some or all of which you may or may not have to reverse.

[ShowMaster]

As far as I know the 9xtreme doesn't have a power connector.. It uses the one from the 9x radio..

João

Yes I messed up my thinking due to the talk about the 9xtreme board trying to have some form of reverse polarity.

I see from his proposed flat cable battery adapter that it's still going to the 9x MB connector.
So I think the red warning label on the extreme board could be a final reminder. It might help, or not.
I would like to see pictures of a prototype mounted to the 9x MB. It would better explain the design.
Of course I'll know a lot when mine arrives and I see it in front of me, but seeing it installed would answer many questions.
SM

[vahegan]

When I want to add a simple reverse connection protection, I usually use a very simple and inexpensive protection circuit consisting of a diode in reverse connection to the board to be protected and a small fuse in series to the battery connector. If the battery is connected correctly, the diode is closed, there is no current, no voltage drop, no losses whatsoever - the circuit does not interfere with the operation of the board. If the battery is connected in reverse, the maximum negative voltage that will go into the board is equal to the diode's forward voltage drop, which is about 0.7V, and this negative voltage will be applied to the board only until the fuse blows from the short circuit current through the diode - short enough to prevent any damage to the board. The disadvantage is that the user will then have to replace the blown fuse - but I believe this is fair price for negligence and invites to be more disciplined next time.

[jhsa]

Maybe use a resettable fuse? It will let pass some little current depending on the fuse but I think will only pass through the diode and fuse?

João

[ShowMaster]

I think what's going on is the 9x by design should have had your circuit from the start. Flysky did in their thinking, design the radio with protection to run on a dry pack they provided with a polarized connector. We users quickly found out that the battery holder even with rechargeable batteries installed, can and does, develop poor contact with the batteries over time. Once the word got out, the DIY battery mods started. Unfortunately, so did wiring up connections with reversed polarity, and plugging a 2 pin connector into the 9x's 3pin, and things just started smoking!

The 9Xtreme board riding along will of course be subjected to the same fate as the 9x main board polarity wise, and that was being focused on. Any DIY added circuit not supplied, will suffer the same incorrect wiring fate by some.
Those of us wise enough to understand and post protection circuits won't need them!

The boards ready to ship any time won't have any protection. I'm ready to try one!

As it stands now, I'll make up an adapter cable out of my 9x dry pack cable to a new HK 1500 ma life I have waiting. Measure twice before using it [emoji3].

My 9x I bought on eBay has a factory type clean telemetry mod in it as part of a Drone setup. I either have to do a simple circuit mod reversal (not power ha ha) or use my new spare m64 9X board. Once I see the 9xt SP board I'll decide what 9X board I'll use. Just in case the modified one has pad issues the 9XT board uses.
I also have a new DJT and XJT module to try out. I haven't kept up, but hopefully I can use the xjt and X receivers and their telemetry features?
So many different/other projects and protocols I'm trying, that it's all running together in my mind.
I'm sure MikeB and Steven will sort this all out for us.
Ok, enough brain storing in polarity. It'll be an interesting busy topic soon enough as boards are delivered.

While waiting, I'm busy restoring my grandparents 67 yr old cuckoo clock and finishing up a new full featured wireless weather station for my flying field,
Solar powered, no internet, but it reports there every 3-5 min. Fun projects while I'm waiting for my 9XT board to arrive.
Oh, yes, I have reverse polarity protection built into it as insurance. I do use polarized power pole connectors but the battery uses a pig tail lug connection.
SM

[bob195558]

Hi Mike,

This is the mod I've done to the 9Xtreme (prototype) board to fix the reverse polarity problem:

PowerMod.png (2.15 KiB) Viewed 10305 times

The track cut needs to be right on the edge of the pad of the pin, as you are only disconnecting the pin, leaving all track still connected together. The diode is added between the connector pin and the track indicated.

This diode then block reverse current through the switch. While there is voltage drop across the diode in normal operation, this doesn't matter as the soft power switch shorts it out so the diode is not then conducting.

For information, when you connect a trainer cable, this actually just turns the soft power switch on. There is also a separate circuit that tells the processor whether the power switch is on. So, if the processor is running, and the power switch is off, the processor knows it is in trainer mode.
Mike.

9xtreme.jpg (30.31 KiB) Viewed 10300 times

It sounds like its not possible, but could we do the Reverse Current Protection Mod on the 9x main board after the power plug, something like you have for the 9xtreme board ?

Bob B.

[MikeB]

I'm not sure it is possible, and still allow the charging circuit to function.

Mike.

[vahegan]

Those of us wise enough to understand and post protection circuits won't need them!

Oh, s*** does happen to all of us! Sometimes you wake in bad mood, or didn't get enough sleep, or you are thinking something else and are only able to gather up your mind when you smell that magic smoke. Which is quite costly and is a huge loss of time in waiting to obtain replacement parts while you'd rather fly.

The boards ready to ship any time won't have any protection. I'm ready to try one!

That goes without saying and we are all impatient to try our boards as soon as possible! We are just doing our best to find simple solutions for any problems that we might be facing due to our own faults.
Steve and Mike are doing a great job and great service to us by making this product and, I am sure, no one of those who preordered the board will complain about the reverse polarity feature.

[s_mack]

Guess what just got finished?

[jhsa]

I can guess, but are you gonna tell us?

[s_mack]

I'll send an email out soon, but yep... the kits are all finished!

[bob195558]

I'm not sure it is possible, and still allow the charging circuit to function.
Mike.

I could do without the charge circuit, have never used it.
I am using 3S 2500 Lipo 3C, which I understand dose not work with the 9x charge circuit
and would be unsafe to charge Lipo's in the 9x radio.

Could the charge be disconnected and then do the Reverse Current Protection Mod
on the 9x main board after the power plug ?

OOP'S ! I mean back board where the battery power plug is.

Bob B.

[MikeB]

I think this would work:
Cut the track where the red line is and add the diode between the switch pad and the track.

It is adding a diode, I think, in the same place in the circuit as the one I added to the 9Xtreme board, but is probably very much easier to do.

I don't think either mod protects the supply to any Tx module in the module bay, the power for that goes from the other pin of the switch, and that power also goes to the regulator for the buzzer.

Mike.

[bob195558]

I don't think either mod protects the supply to any Tx module in the module bay, the power for that goes from the other pin of the switch, and that power also goes to the regulator for the buzzer.
Mike.

Could there be a second mod to protect the Tx module in the module bay too ?
Good time to do it before installing the 9xtreme.

Bob B.

[MikeB]

Sorry, I got that statement wrong! I was thinking about the stock 9X. The 9Xtreme has a processor controlled power switch for the Tx modules, so on the 9Xtreme, they will be protected by the single diode.
If doing this mod, I would suggest removing the 5V regulator on the switch board at the same time, it isn't needed anymore.

Mike.

[bob195558]

That sounds really great Mike !
I will do the Reverse Current Protection Mod on the switch board.
I have removed the wires to the charge plug, is this all I need to do to make sure it is not used ?

Bob B.

[MikeB]

Yes, although the charger circuit would still work. I use it for my (Low Self Discharge) Nimh batteries.

Mike.

[bob195558]

Hi,
From Steven at SmartieParts.com status update for the pre-orders 9Xtreme Boards,
the shipping out may being October 9th or the 12th, 2015.
The pre-order price of $55.20 will be ending very soon !
So there is still a very short window of time to place 9Xtreme pre-orders.

Finished! Yep, that's right. Both the SP Basic and 9Xtreme kits have been completed.
That means from the moment pen first hit the paper to fully completed,
this project took only 4 months, 1 week and 3 days.
I know some of you have been waiting for what feels like an eternity,
but really I'm happy with how the schedule played out.
I want to send a HUGE thanks to Mike B, whose design work sped this project up immensely.
I also want to thank you for your patience and trust in backing a project when I had nothing to send you.
That means a lot!

So when will you get it ? Alright, there had to be some bad news, right ?
It happens that the completion occurred at the start of one of China's many week-long holidays.
The country is effectively shut down until the 6th.
The SP Basic boards are already at the distribution center and will ship out on the 7th.
The 9Xtreme boards are still at the factory and will ship to the distribution center on the 8th
(they need a day to pack them) and they should begin shipping to customers around the 9th I think,
which is a Friday so any delays will push that to the 12th.

Normally the US $10 promo flat-rate shipping has no tracking.
For all pre-orders, your shipment *will* have tracking, however it isn't FedEx kind of tracking...
its that kind that tells you nothing until 2 days after you already have it in your hands.
Still, it is useful if anything goes wrong.
They tell me it should take "5 to 15 business days" to arrive pretty much anywhere in the world.
I can upgrade you to express if you want yours faster (DHL/UPS/EPS).
The cost will vary by destination, but will be a minimum of US$15 extra.
If you want this, reply for a quote.

I am going to take advantage of the Chinese holiday and I'm taking my family out of town from tomorrow morning
(Friday the 2nd) until Monday evening, so I may not be able to reply to questions or requests for shipping quotes
in my normal speedy fashion. I hope you understand. This has felt like a crazy roller coaster to me.
It has been fun, but I'll be happy to get off!

ps. I fully intend on removing the current 20% discount when I get back.
If you know anyone that wants one, give them a heads up that this is their last chance to get it at the current price.
I will be adjusting the final price a little lower than what it shows as "regular", but it certainly won't be as low as it is now.

Steven Morehouse
SmartieParts.com

[ShowMaster]

I'm thinking Nov1 for Los Angeles arrival?
I'll ready!

[jacks23]

HI,

9xtreme board It's compatible with the telemetry module frsky XJT ?

Thanks

[bob195558]

Hi,
The SS34 Vishay Schottky Diodes I have ordered for the Reverse Current Protection Mod,
are estimated to be delivery for Monday, October 12, 2015.
So I should have every thing I need when the new 9xtreme boards arrives.
Looking forward to installing everything at the end of this month.

Bob B.

[bob195558]

HI,
9xtreme board It's compatible with the telemetry module frsky XJT ?
Thanks

Yes it is !

[jacks23]

HI,
9xtreme board It's compatible with the telemetry module frsky XJT ?
Thanks

Yes it is !

thanks bob!!