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T5x - Arduino based RC Transmitter

The initial intention for creating that project was to have a small compact RC transmitter compatible with Frsky. In the german speaking forum fpv-community.de a forum member shared his experience with the Hobbyking Turnigy 5x Transmitter

which comes actually very cheap, but proprietary. There was also another project by the same guy (Der-Frickler) where he was using Arduino RC Library to create a little compact Frsky transmitter.

Well, now the idea was to bring both things together, since the Turnigy 5x has a very reasonable good hardware, is quite compact (~30% smaller than a standard transmitter) while still providing plenty of space for hacking inside.

Hardware Mainboard

The next step to get this was a PCB design that can be used as a direct replacement of the original T5x Mainboard.

The mainboard - called 'Turnigy 5x Arduino RcLib Hacking Mainboard' - is prepared to take an Arduino Nano and some other components, still quite easy and quick to be soldered and remaining cost effecient.

Check the hardware page for more details.

Software features

• FrSky compatibility, but should be simply replaceable with Spektrum DSM or others
• 8 channels
• supporting Frsky-Telemetry
• Transmitter Voltage Sensor
• Buzzer
• LED
• 2 3-pos Switches
• 1 2-pos Switch
• 1 potentiometer
• 9 model profiles to be chosen from providing dedicated model related parameters like EXPO/DR-settings, voltage alarm levels, etc.
• 6 flight modes configurable for each model profile.
• flight timer with signaling every minute, last ten seconds and target time reached
• silent mode (disabling buzzer and use LED instead)
• free configurable channel layout for each model profile
• virtual flight mode channel to control e.g. APM or others using a single channel with 6 different configurable values.

currently the software supporting the above claims approx. 14kByte keeping enough space left for extensions like for instance an I2C-Display or whatever other ideas might come up.

PLANNED:

• support for low-cost voice module to realize voice announcements for selected model, telemetry warnings, flight modes, etc.