Simple 3D-printed NRF remote - Arduino controlled

@solidgeek awesome design of the remote, i notice you missing a module in the shopping list? the dead man switch/trigger. which module are you using?

Thanks! Yeah I see I forget the trigger button :slight_smile: Its called a 12mm tactile switch: http://www.ebay.com/itm/20PCS-TC-1212T-12x12x7-3-mm-Tact-Tactile-Push-Button-Momentary-PCB-Switch-/281438642731?epid=1546197021&hash=item41870ce22b:g:DfEAAOSwVFlUFCr4

I will add it to the parts list - thanks!

How does it feel in hand @JLabs ?

Going to order all the parts. Waiting for the programme guide. Haha.

Same, this is a much better compact design versus a original GT2B. Can’t wait.

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I am almost finished with the newest version of the remote, including the software! I will post a link to github later today with the source code :smile:

For now you will have to make due with a video and a image of the wiring :slight_smile:

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Pure awesomeness !! What kind of information would we we able to display ??

Im digging the remote. Can’t wait, also, is the code available? I had a semester for java coding on arduinos, maybe I can help out.

o no, this abit hard for me, i no idea about the writing code. any simple way to do that?

It will be very easy, You will have to connect arduino to your computer via USB, open up Arduino app ( free), copy and paste code into it and click upload. More or or less this is it. There are plenty videos on youtube on how to upload code to arduino, Dead easy :slight_smile:

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@solidgeek Love it! I eager to order the parts!

  • The power module: This one from Adafruit is a bit cheaper: https://www.adafruit.com/product/1944 Could it work and does it fit?
  • One features suggestion - adding a hole or something to the enclosure to add connect a leash.
  • Would this work with the new VESC 6 that has NRF built in?

Feals great! I want to make it work now! :+1:

I second @oyta 's leash suggestion…

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@NAF Glad you like it :wink: Well at the moment only data from the remote, fx the remotes battery level etc.

@wmj259 Yeah I have made a github repository https://github.com/MrSolidGeek/NRF24-Esk8-Remote

@benwong I think the hardest part is to assemple everything correctly - without shorting anything! The rest should be easy enough :slight_smile:

@oyta I am not sure if the module from Adafruit would be a very good choice, as it has a normal USB plug for charging something external. I like your idea of a hole to connect a leash, I will try to implement it in the next version! Regarding the built in NRF in the VESC 6, unfortunately there are no documetation on how to establish a connection to the it, and I can’t get an solid answer from the VESC team yet… So at the moment you will have to use a receiver with UART or PPM :slight_smile:

@JLabs Glad to hear it :slight_smile: I am almost done with the software to the remote, however I am having some problems with the transmission part… I can’t seem to establish a connection between the receiver and the remote at the moment. I believe the NRF24 module I am using might be defect or I might accidentally shorted it :confused: I will have to try another one tomorrow - hopefully its just the bad chinese quality thats given me a lesson :wink:

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Looks awesome, regarding the nrf modules make sure you aren’t feeding more than 3.3V into the VCC and use them in low power mode unless you tack a capacitor on there, I fried at least 3 of them by accidentally feeding 5V into them, they work for a few minutes on 5V but will fry out eventually.


You do have one of the fail safes in there already for the timeout but you might want to check out elapsedMillis it makes keeping track of that a little easier.

On the receiver side would check to see what happens if you remove the MISO pin from the NRF to the arduino, when I did that it was still reading available on the receiver side but the arduino would read the data as 255 which then got sent to the ESC as full throttle (basically I’m pretty sure the pin floated high, it did this while bench testing as well).

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Thanks! I just tried changing RF24_PA_HIGH to RF24_PA_LOW and it started working, however only making a connection every second or third try. My older prototype did not have these problems, I will have to dig into this. I think it must be some kind of power issue - even though I already have added a 47uF cap on the NRF24 module.

Thanks for the advice I will try it out :slight_smile:

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You don’t have to install the USB port. You can use the 5V and GND as the output connections instead.

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Heads up: they don’t ship the springs to the US.

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What software did you use to create your controller?