DIY Trigger Style Remote with Telemetry - Complete Guide

sure its already shared but let me drop it again https://easyeda.com/orhanyoruk/kumandam in this project i ordered files named ‘‘rx’’ and ''FINALsmd" im not sure if the others are ok or even finished. it is for infamous reset problem. you did that aswel by adding a cap between reset and gnd pins. here https://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?topic=256771.30 post number 37 explains if you connect a cap(10uf) in series with a resistor(470Ohm) you avoid damaging reset switch or anything else. well that worked like a charm for me but on the pcb theres a place for mcp 130-450. it is supposed eliminate reset issue but havent tested myself so im not sure. going to order these if i ever make another remote https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Free-shipping-10pcs-lot-MCP130T-450I-TT-MCP130-SOT23-3-new-original/32823005999.html?spm=a2g0s.8937460.0.0.130d2e0ejSGG0x

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Oh one more thing… how are you juicing the lipo charger board? Thru the Arduino USB?

Oh no, just like firefly remote I use a seperate usb mini port tho I only connect 5v and gnd pins. There’s a place for it on the pcb too on the bottom left corner there’s a polarity marking on it too. So connecting it is just like any other dm or trigger switch. This charger/booster board really saves a lot of space and hassle. If it is proven to be reliable then I think it’s the best choice. edit: actually if there was a bit more space infront of the usb port of arduino board i could have connected 2 data wires from external port to nano port and 5v/gnd pins to chargerboard. this is how i wired my firefly and it gives you the luxury to program your arduino without opening the case. you can probably solder data wires behind the usb port of arduino nano but they really fine and i dont think i can solder wires to those microscopic pads. relocation of usb port opening would work too. i dunno its not much of a big deal you dont program it everyday so its fine like that.

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Anyone selling these?

I was going to order the MCP 130 myself, but I’m am not sure if the 130 version would work with the Arduino Nano. Doesn’t the reset pin need to be grounded to be activated?

I think the difference between 120 and 130 is that the 120 version has a low level reset output while the 130 has a high output level reset. (Edit: Not correct)

This guy use the 120 version on the Arduino due (3.3V)( post #32) https://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?topic=256771.30

PDF: http://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/en/DeviceDoc/11184d.pdf

yes i added mcp 130 to my pcb design according to that post and its completely optional. the guy on the post uses 300 version so it can watch over 3.3v line. i designed mine with 450 version in mind so it can watch over 5v line. mcp 130 has internal pull up resistor which you need to add to mcp 120 from external sources because it doesnt have it. also like you said it needs to be grounded and it is grounded. it has 3 legs 1-reset, 2-gnd, 3-source voltage to watch over. but then again i didnt test it yet so im not sure if it is going to work… for now cap and resistor combo is incredibly simple and efficient. completely eliminates the problem. i have lc filter and low esr cap on receiver but the problem was still there. i even have 220uf tantalum cap on transmitters 5v line but still problem persists so its not up to those components. nothing seems to work except for the cap/resistor or possibly mcp120-130 solution.

Thanks for the reply. Ordered some to try out. I’ve previously tried the capacitor/resistor fix. It fixed the start up problem, but I had to remove the capacitor to be able to upload software to the microcontroller. Are u experiencing any problems when uploading software to the uC when the cap and resistor are present?

to be honest i added the cap/resistor combo as a last minute update on the build so everything was already updated and installed but if thats gonna be a problem im definitely going to buy mcp130’s to try them out. in our local shop they only have mcp130-300 which is no good to me. i need something close to 5v so it can actually work with my pcb. seems like aliexpress is my only option again :slight_smile:

booster/charger module gets too warm almost hot and battery get warm with my 5V 2A phone wall charger. then i switched to my computers usb power and everything became cool to touch so another note on that.

When uploading it will stall, hit the reset button when it stalls and off you go! Worked for me the last 20 times I had to upload the firmware with the cap soldered over the reset pins

Can you replace a capacitor on the charging board to bring down the charging amps? Or is it something else that is getting hot

i didnt actually touch the board i was holding it from the outside so it must be even hotter in the inside but i stopped the charging let it cool off and powered it from computer everything is cool. dunno what caused it. looking at the product page https://www.aliexpress.com/item/6W-5V-UPS-mobile-power-Diy-Board-Charger-Step-up-DC-DC-Converter-Module-for-3/32790658678.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.19834c4d6RLP6F it says charging current 0-1A is it supposed to be current going in to the module or actual charging current feeding into battery its not really clear to me. thats allright tho i have plenty of 1A chargers laying around, shouldnt be a problem.

Ah okay so you juiced it with too many amps. On the charging side did anything get hot?

yea when i fed it with 2A everything got hot but after switching to computers usb power (which is i believe 900mA for usb3.0) everything is cool and charging is just finished now. im glad i didnt blow anything up as i dont have a spare board :confused:

@ervinelin I was wondering if you got the same flysky antenna. In the product pictures it looks like it has some sort of sleeve on it but mine doesnt. Also got this one on the left see how they both perform

I use the one on the right… It fits just nicely at the back of the remote where my palm hits the remote.

The little tab at the end can be broken off

Yes it’s really slim, it looks quite big and fat in the pictures but it’s gonna fit well

i have 3 types of antennas at the moment. worst of them is whip antenna. it sometimes work sometimes doesnt. in above picture antenna on the left works good when theres nothing in between but as soon as i put it in the remote and hold it signal is intermittent. flysky one has a very strange behaviour, in open space its ok but when i put it in the remote signal is gone, disconnects for good. interesting this is when you pick up the remote and hold it, it connects and never disconnects maintaining a strong connection. as soon as i put the remote down bam there goes the signal. just dunno what to say :smiley: but considering you are supposed to hold the remote all the time it is acceptable. antenna placement has a big role on the other hand firefly remote has those crappy modules with ceramic antenna but it seems to be most reliable one. forgot to mention i have this module in the receiver side with internal antenna. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/CDEBYTE-2PCS-Lot-SPI-SMD-Module-E01-ML01S-2-4GHz-0dBm-110m-nRF24L01-Wireless-RF-transceiver/32803028476.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.37a94c4dTgts39 it works good and you dont wonder if your antenna is lacking or not. if i ever build another remote i think im gonna use from those on both ends (tx and rx) + it is only $1.11 for a piece which is probably the cheapest one at the moment. for good measure i will build another receiver with external antenna and test it the same way. see if it makes a difference. may be having external antennas on both ends will make a difference.

Update:

seems like i had a half build receiver which i didnt know of :smiley: i quickly attached it to my pc to power it and started testing all possible combinations. first i would like to say antenna placement is like a night and day. the way i positioned the antenna in the transmitter works just perfect! no signal loss no disconnections and it is rock solid. end part of the antenna must face the bottom of the transmitter, other way around is just terrible. frsky antenna was still playing up when i installed it on transmitter side so i gave it a go on receiver side. transmitter was as it is in the picture with frsky antenna on receiver side. this combination gave me the best result. i went outside of my apartment walked towards the elevator and it is like 25 meters away and 3 apartments in between. cant even imagine how many walls are in between but there was a solid signal. then i swapped frsky with the other one which makes the same antenna on both sides and signal was like a tad weaker. i would say it has 1-2 meters less range than the previous combination. i was really satisfied with the result then i just tried the same connection test with my board which has the module i linked in post above with internal antenna. as soon as i step outside my apartment and walk like 2-3 meters signal disappears. modules with external antennas are just superior as long as they have optimal antenna placement. but then again we dont fly rc planes or remote control cars we need to be on the board when using the remote but knowing that you have a long range on your wireless system may help with the trust issues :slight_smile:

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Yes this mimics my experiments as well. Antenna placement within the transmitter is critical… For me the frsky PCB antenna worked the best with it being placed on the back side edge of the casing facing my palm.

Honestly I don’t know why it’s soooooooo sensetive.

Erv.

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I just found mcp130t-475 chip in some online store. When they arrive hopefully in a week gonna report back if it can replace cap resistor solution

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