OpenTx - what is the fuss really about?

[Andy48]

1. Load Companion, and select edit Companion preferences:

2. Then click on Simulator Settings and select a folder to download to.

3. In the simulator, you will find the camera icon when you click on the Taranis Simulator tab.

Another way to get this shot, and to get any Companion screen shot is to use the Windows program "Snip" which comes with Win7 onwards. You will then need to save the file.

Finally save all the snips or screenshots into a picture album on this forum to be able to get them to appear in the post. Simply pasting an image seems to work but you will get a too many characters message when you try and add the posting.

[David Tayler]

Thanks Andy48,It now works a treat.Lots of lovely screen shots.

[Allan Bennett]

My Companion screen doesn't reflect the real screen 100%: It doesn't show the model image which I've selected, and which does show in my transmitter's screen; and it doesn't make any of the native sounds, or the extra ones I've installed, which are all working in my transmitter.

Is this just the way it works, or is there some setting I've missed?

[Andy48]

You need to copy the contents of the SD card to your PC, and then use the Companion and Edit preferences as above. Go to the Radio Profile tab and put the correct path for your SD card. The folders in the PC file should match the actual SD card folders exactly.

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

Posted by Andy48 on 19/10/2016 17:06:35:

Posted by Chris Bott - Moderator on 18/10/2016 17:48:34:
Matty - Great example that sticky throttle cut.
Another example of different ways to do the same thing would be that I would probably use Special Function "Override" to apply the output of your L2 to the throttle channel.

I find you have to be very careful using Override or it can have unintentional consequences. The special function 'Override CHxx' doesn’t take in account the min/max, direction, etc. specified in the output menu. Only the PPM Centre parameter is used. If you're not very careful, servos can be driven out of their mechanical limits and in the wrong direction...

Edited By Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator on 19/10/2016 17:47:50

Using Override for throttle cut on en electric model and setting the point it holds the throttle channel at as -100% seems an absolutely perfect choice of use for Override, IMHO.

You want it to override any other settings in the channel (actually it's unlikely that there will be any), and go to exactly the point that keeps the motor stopped.

[Mike Blandford]

When calibrating the sticks I would also recommend just moving each stick in one direction at a time, e.g. either up/down or left/right. Sometimes, if you move a stick to a corner, one direction moves a bit further than you get just moving it up/down or left/right.

Mike.

[Allan Bennett]

I've already got my SD card on my PC, and my Edit Settings screen has its path in the SD Structure Path box, but still no sound or vision on the simulated transmitter.

Not a big deal though for, as I said, it all works on my trannie.

[Andy48]

The problem is around thd area I pointed to. Without some further information as to exactly how you have the files set up it is difficult to give any more help.

[Allan Bennett]

Here's my Radio Profile settings screen:

The ...\sdcard folder is where I've copied the contents of the SD card.

But what I don't understand is what files are supposed to be in whatever path is selected in the Simulator Settings tab; is it not supposed to also be the contents of the SD card?

[Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator]

Yes - the SD directory must contain an exact copy of whatever is on the SD card that is in your Taranis!

Also - I know this sounds really stupid - but the path mane is absolutely correct? The SD diectory is under Companion2.1? You see mine is a manually made copy of the contents of the SD directory, from the Tarnais, made when the Taranis was connected via the USB, to a special driectory set up for it on the PC. The location of this then became my SD structure path.

BEB

Edited By Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator on 21/10/2016 20:37:04

[Andy48]

It could be that you've put your copy in the program directory and don't have permission to access it. Its more usual to put it in your own user area as in my screenshot above.

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

Allan, can you check the folder names match exactly. I only ask because you have \SD card in the picture and \sdcard in your forum post. Obviously these are different, and would not work if that's how it is on your PC.

Edited By Chris Bott - Moderator on 21/10/2016 21:00:18

[Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator]

Obviously, now we have started, we should finish off this query of Allan's - but it is technically "off topic". This thread is about specific, practical and working programming examples in OpenTx, not general general OpenTx questions.

But, I think that a thread that brought together OpenTx questions and queries would be useful - so I've made one, OpenTX Questions.

So, can I ask that:

If your post is an OpenTx question - like how do I....., or why doesn't this work..... Please put it in the OpenTx Questions thread.

If your post is about a currently working bit of OpenTx programming that you think others might be interested in - or you just feel proud of and would like to show off (no harm in that!), then you are welcome to either put it in this thread or make a new thread of your own for it. I would suggest that if it is something small and self-cointained then add it here; if its a larger project make a new thread. But its your choice.

The reason for this is that if you look on RCGroups for example at Taranis you will find threads many thousands of posts long and with absolutely no internal structure. They just ramble from one Taranis/OpenTx topic, question, information, announcement to another! There is masses of valuable information in there - but in reality its next to useless because you can't find anything without wading through 100s of pages of post. At least this way we will have a little order and things wil be easier for people to find in the future. I hope!

Thanks

BEB

[Allan Bennett]

BEB, sorry about going off-topic (the topic of this thread did seem rather wide-ranging actually). Someone else has asked the same question in a new thread yesterday, so maybe we should continue there?

I've checked my directory structure, and the name and path are exactly as in my screen shot, not the way I wrote it in my text. I'll try, later today, moving things to a "user" directory, and see if that makes it work. Otherwise, it's a simple job to check it in my transmitter, so it's not really a big deal if there's no sound on my PC.

[Bob Cotsford]

Sorry BEB, but just to add a final note - I'm pretty sure Andy is right, I seem to remember that I had to move my sdcard folder to my H: drive because of permission issues in the program directory.

[Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator]

Please don't worry guys its not a big issue - I just thought that if we can separate the two things (demos from quiries) it will make it easier in the future.

Don't cut this one short I'm perfectly happy that we try our best to solve this problem for Allan

BEB

[Allan Bennett]

Bingo! I've copied my SD card folder into a C:\Users\Allan .... folder, and it's now working. Thank you to everyone who's chipped in on this. I'll now delete it from the Program Files folder, so I don't get confused in the future.

I've also just remembered that, since "upgrading" to Windows 10, most times I try to move or copy a file I get a message saying I can't do this unless I'm the Administrator -- which I am! So it must be something to do with that.

[Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator]

That's excellent! Good to see it fixed.

BEB

[Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator]

The discussion on slowing servo driven retracts has been moved to the OpenTX Questions and Issues thread as discussed above.

Thanks

BEB

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

I just came across this video that shows a couple of options for using all 16 channels from an X8R Rx.

Just the same way as BEB has here already, and then how to use Ch1-8 on S.Bus and Ch9-16 from the servo pins, all at the same time.

[Devcon1]

Wish I'd delved into the Taranis OpenTx project much earlier as it's a revelation..

To help setup some models with Crow Brakes and to allow easier experimentation I've put together a model mock up.

What a terrific tool Companion is once the logic is understood.

[Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator]

Oh I love it! What a great idea to test your programming out on and to experiment with!

Yes Companion is an excellent tool, streets ahead of anything I've seen for any other Tx. Don't forget that you have simulation capability there too. So you could test your programme on the Companion simulator, and then test further with your physical mock-up - great for ironing out those thorney issues!

BEB

[Devcon1]

I've found Companion invaluable for initial setup, telemetry, timers etc but I couldn't visualise the outputs in terms of actual control deflections.

So this little baby enables me to sit on the sofa, at the workbench, kitchen table or in the bath with out being encumbered with 4 Metres of glider.

Maybe one day those talented people who built OpenTX could create 3D simulators to mirror an actual model.

How lucky are we to have such folk put so much effort into something that so benefits our hobby.

[IanR]

Matty, I hope you read this and have a few moments to answer my query.

I am afraid that, whilst I am managing fairly well with the more basic aspects of the Taranis, the Logical Switch business has got me more or less stumped. I have read and re-read your, and BEB's, excellent posts above but the penny is not dropping. I have set up the simple 2-line (L1 and L2) sticky throttle cut-off by copying your example above and it works fine. However, when switch SF is in the up position - throttle on - it is mighty close to switch SE when that is in the down position and I am concerned that I might accidentally turn the throttle off whilst activating SE.

My query is, how can I set it up so that the throttle is off when SF is up and on when SF is down? I have tried changing the switch parameters in the Logical Switch page but it doesn't work.

Many thanks for any help. Ian.

[Kevin Fairgrieve]

Hi Ian.

 

I use that exact setup on all my electric models.

 

I like many others use the "Special Function" section as opposed to a "Logical Switch".

Hopefully a picture paints a thousand words.

I am sure there are other ways, but this works for me.

 

Kev

Edited By Kevin Fairgrieve on 27/04/2017 18:04:43