I would like to be able to run MK Tools whilst in the air to watch balance, etc. I understand that XBee is the way to go. Is it possible to connect it to the SmartOSD that I have (which is using the Navi board's DEBUG connector) without removing that connection? And did anybody ever figure out if you could run the XBee connected to a Radian? Thanks!
Yeah. I had the same question. The answer I was told was "connect up the Xbee to the 10-pin header on the Smart OSD board." I think it was Casey that said that....not to assign blame....just recounting perceived fact. Disclaimer: I've not tried this. But, as you know, the motto of the software business is: "It should work." Let me know whether it does work so I can avoid trashing my SOSD board as well. Heh, heh.... Andy.
Yes, the corollary to that motto is, "what could possibly go wrong"? I believe that's inscribed on more than one tombstone. So if I did want to bail on using the OSD, the XBee just plugs into the Navi board's DEBUG port, right? And once there, MKTools can be convinced that it's connected just like USB, but in the air?
Nothing can go wnorg. Yes, Xbee goes into Navi board just like the MK USB ribbon cable. MK Tool does need any convincing....it doesn't even know that the Xbee is in circuit -- it proceeds fat, dumb, and happy that it has a USB serial device to talk to and doesn't know there is gap where there was cable... DO NOT USE XBEE FOR FIRMWARE UPDATES -- it is not a reliable enough link. Sorry to shout in ALL-CAPS. Joking apart: I'm pretty sure it's safe to hook up the Xbee to the Smart OSD. I've just been searching for the email, but I can't find it.....but I know I asked someone at QC and was told "connect to the 10-pin header on the SOSD." Andy.
Ok gents. For the SmartOSD board there is a 4 pin connector JP1 that is used to connect the XBee or equivalent. The only 10 pin is to connect the SmartOSD to the Navi board. You will need to make a custom cable but that is pretty easy to do. Most electronics stores will have a 1x4 connector similar to a standard servo connector. So you would need a 1x4 and the do a recycle on the 1x5 that is on one end of your existing connection cable. Or simply order some of each from hansenhobbies.com. In a pinch you could use a couple of 3 pin side by side. If you want to use the Xbee to program the SmartOSD there is a setting in the software but I never had much luck with it. Generally programmed with a USB cable. And once you settle on your screens there isn't much need to change the layouts. And Steve, yes if you don't use the SmartOSD then it plugs into the Navi Debug port.
Gary: Do you have a different Smart OSD? See the uploaded image. There are two 10 pin headers on mine. I was planning to connect to the presently unoccupied 10-pin header, but it sounds like that is not what I should do. Andy.
I found the email. It was Riley at QC who discovered this. Plug the Xbee or MK USB in the UART2 connector. See the image below that he sent me. EDIT: The image is from http://smart-electronics.eu/index.php/en/smart-osd (Rotate the image 120 degrees clockwise in your mind's eye to match the image above.) He recounts that (a) it works and (b) he thinks he found this information on the Internet but doesn't recall where.
Andy looks like an updated board. They had talked about future changes over on the MK forums. So if UART2 is a 10 pin then that is a change from a year ago where it was a 5 pin. Were you able to use the same cable with no changes that would normally connect to the MK stack? Makes it much easier. Update, I did find the discussion over on MK forum that they were changing to an MK standard UART which would be much easier to setup with the Xbee. Interesting that the manual still has the old boards and layouts.
Yeah. Just plugged it in now and it works fine. I bought the Smart OSDs I have from QC back in May-July of 2012. Well, just as well we know how to connect up to both the old and the new boards. Andy.
Thanks, guys! I ordered the XBee from Quadrocopter. Looking forward to getting the insights I might be able to glean from it.
Looks like there are at least 3 versions of the SmartOSD. The original was a handbuilt red board. That was replaced by a black automated machine built board. Along about Dec 2011 they announced the change to a 2x5 MK compatible UART port. I must have one of the last of the boards prior to that change since I got mine in January 2012. Strange that the website still has instructions for the old boards.
Yeah I noticed that myself. Took me an hour to realize that the labels were changed had to really go back and forth to correlate my board with what is on their manual.
Will the X-Bees be able to plug in directly to the without some voltage divider esister. My understanding and it may be backwards is that the OSD is biased with a 5volt reference and the X-bee or in my case the 3DR radio needs 3.3V as the logic reference value? I have never been able to get UART2 to talk to the the MKUSB adapter.
Shaun since I don't have the newer board all I can offer is a suggestion. If it works with your Xbee/3DR then it should work with the MKUSB board. When you hook up the MKUSB did you have the jumper installed? It should work without the jumper.
I never tried my 3DR radio on it yet. To answer your question, yes I did have the jumper off. When I plug that 10 pin connector from the mkusb and turn the power up the aircraft with the Lipo on I do not seem to get any response through kopter tools. my Osd does not seem to be piping the data through that port. But if Andy says he got it to work maybe I need to we examine my connections on it. I suppose I could have baffooned it by having the cable orientation reversed, usually I am carefull about that. If I can get my 3dr radio to work that would be awsome. Right now I only use that radio on my small dji hex that I control with an arducopter FC.
Two things. Thing 1: I got the XBee thing from Quadrocopter, and attached it to the other 10-pin port on my SmartOSD (see below) and MK Tool was able to find it and life is good. Works great. Thing 2: Despite the fact that the XBee is plugged directly into the SmartOSD, the smart software can't see the SmartOSD. I've tried all kinds of combinations of configuring the software, but it won't work. Like I said in Thing 1 above, I know it's working because MK Tool can talk to it on COM 8 just fine. But I quit from MK Tool, open SmartOSD software, change to COM8, click "Open", and nothing happens. Getting screens or anything results in a Timeout. Any ideas?
In the SmartOSD software you need to make the switch to using the Xbee. On the Options menu pick Connected Via Radio. Also check the Global Parameters and confirm that the UART port is Xbee Port and Buffered. That should get you connected. But a warning and YMMV. I have tried for over a year to do the programming of the screens via the wireless. I have never gotten it work flawlessly. Lots of lock ups and freezes. If you suddenly find that the screen on your goggles/monitor at startup is only flashing the Bootup sequence (SmartOSD) logo you will need to reinstall the software/firmware using the USB port. I hope with the newer boards maybe this has gone away. My board was in the middle of the series, V1-Red, V2 Black, V3 2x5 connector for UART 2 where you connect the xbee.
Thank you, Gary. I don't think I tried that particular combination. I'll try that in the morning. Cheers!