Lockdown Radio Control
Introduction
This is a very full featured 16 channel Radio Control system for models of all kinds. I've been developing this project since Lockdown in May 2020.
I and several friends have flown many models with it for about 4 years so far, without any problem.
It's proven to be as good as, and in some respects better than, popular commercially available radio control systems, as well as the other open source radio control firmware.
It is also far cheaper. Though I doubt that a really equivalent commercial system even exists.
I estimate the cost to be only around £120 per transmitter, and around £35 per receiver depending on where you buy the components.
The microcontrollers are Teensy 4.1 in the transmitter and Teensy 4.0 in the receiver. These use the ARM Cortex M7 (at 600 MHz) which is probably the fastest MCU used in any radio control system.
The transceivers are Ebyte's ML01DP5 for the transmitter, and two ML01SP4s for the receiver.
The screen is a Nextion NX8048P050 5" Capacitive touch screen.
The sticks used are FrSky M9 Hall Sensor Gimbal.
The digitial trims are also FrSky (X9D Plus transmitter parts Trim switch).
The cases for the transmitter and receiver are 3D printed in whatever plastic you prefer. I prefer PETG.
This repository contains not only the code for the transmitter, its screen and the receiver; but also the Gerber files for the printed circuit boards, the .STL files for the cases etc. and the text files for the help screens (to go onto the SD card.). So there's nothing to stop anyone from buiding one.
If you would like to make one, I'll be happy to help you. Email me (Malcolm Messiter mmessiter@gmail.com).
Eventually I plan to put building instructions onto this repo. I would have already, but I have been busy writing the code.
Features
New features are added from time to time, especially when requested by users and other club flyers.
Here is a brief summary of the features supported at the time of writing (August 2024): -
- 16 Channels.
- 4 flight modes.
- 32 mixes (mix inputs or outputs).
- 90 model memories.
- 11 PWM servo outputs.
- Model memory backup and restore using internal SD card.
- 50 Hz FHSS using 82 separate frequencies on the 2.4 GHz ISM waveband.
- 200 Hz frame rate for very low latency.
- 12 BIT resolution.
- Wireless Buddy Box for training beginners.
- "AMS" (Automatic Model Selection) loads correct model memory automatically on connection to model.
- Buddy transmitter also automatically loads the same model memory as Master has loaded.
- Wireless model memory sharing. This allows copying model memories across to another transmitter without removing any SD cards.
- Telemetry including model volts (and GPS, temperature & barometric pressure, when using custom sensor hub)
- Speaker gives critical voice messages and other audio prompts.
- User defined Channel names.
- User mapped input and output channels.
- 5 point editable curves for every channel and every flight mode. Supports straight, smoothed, and expo.
- Failsafe.
- 4 user definable switches.
- Digital trims, rates, subtrim, servo reverse, servo speeds, macros, timer, log files, etc., etc.
- Support for SBUS, PWM (with definable frequency and centre position), and PPM.
- Support for third party transmitter models (JR type).
- Context sensitive help screens for all functions.