Send data from Arduino to RC Reciever

Other Hardware Robotics
1

Hello,
I am trying to make myself a drone, but I can't find any source for the problem I am actually encountering.

I would like to be able to connect different device to my drone: one would be a DIY controller, using Arduino boards, and a radio emitter of 2.4GHz using the IBUS protocol, and the other one would be a generic RC controller.

I just got myself lost in my research: nobody talks about it/gives the solution on the forums I've checked, and I am not myself a network engineer.

I found a few interesting libraries about protocols, but I am affraid that I have to pair controllers to the reciever, and I don't know if this is possible with an arduino to code this.

Can somebody, please, help me ? :slight_smile:

Thank's !

2

DO a research on how RC TX/RX work. When you anderstood that, move to sending data.

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Thank's for your anwser, I'll check it right now.

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So I did a couple research, and I found that there are many different protocols for TX that varies depending on the controller brand. If I got it right, it means that, if we would like to make a "generic" reciever for both arduino DIY and other controllers, we might have to code/find the reciever depending on the controller, right ? And that also means that I have to, either use a specific protocol for tx to use on my DIY arduino controller, or make myself one ? @zwieblum

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yep. the easy way (and guranteed to fail in real live): build the TX/RX part yourself. The way that work: get "some" TX/RX with USRT interface (EdgeTX, ...) - then you won't need the Arduino stuff at all but that's a different rabbit hole

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I've red a bit about EdgeTx and OpenTx, both are open source firmwares. I now understand that I can use this for my DIY controller. I think that I get your idea: use the same protocol on the DIY using EdgeTx as a RC reciever that is commonly used such that the reciever works for both DIY and real Rc transmitters ?

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Next bit to read about: ELRS + EdgeTX: Getting Started - ExpressLRS - this will most likely be were you'll end sooner or later

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Thank's a lot for your link, it is very useful and interesting.

If I understand well, we can simply use an ExpressLRS reciever that we connect on our FC (in my case the Arduino), and the ELRS protocol on the RC transmitter to kind of uniform the use and make it compatible with each controller, right ? And if yes, how can we bind the arduino transmitter to the ELRS ?

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Yes :slight_smile:

You bind TX to RX, not the arduino. Enter binding mode goes either by sending a command over UART or (if equiped) a button on TX and RX.

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What do you mean by that ? I don't fully understand your anwser. I'll re-explain my question to make sure it is not confusing :smile:

Do we have a "Bind mode" by going this way ? And if yes, how can I bind my homemade rc controller ?

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Just read the ELSR documentation, you'll see then.

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I think I just got it :slight_smile:

To use the DIY transmitter, I would have to simply connect TX/RX to the ELRS transmitter, and same on the drone side.

To use a RC transmitter, I would have to plug an ELRS transmitter on the back of the radio (if it is available, and if EdgeTX is flashed on the controller).

Is this right ?

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:+1: Just remember that the TX can take PPM and UART/I2C/... depending on the firmware you use, same goes for the RX.

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Alright, thank's for your time and your very useful solution :slight_smile:
Have a nice day :heart:

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