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OpenTX for MacOS


robk
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I have recently started using OpenTX using a Radiomaster TX16S. My computer platform is MacOS and searching around the net I can find very little (i.e.virtually nothing) on the peculiarities of using OpenTX with this system, everything is focused on Windows with an occasional mention of other platforms limited to something like 'or do whatever MacOS/Linux requires'.  

 

Is it worth having a thread that can help out users with problems? Although much is the same I have had some issues with finding out how to update firmware for instance. What do people think?

 

 

 

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Hi Gary

 

Thanks for getting in touch. So here goes...

 

The OpenTX Companion software works fine and it is connecting with my TX (Radiomaster TX16S) without a problem. I did however have a problem updating the firmware. It was not possible within OpenTX Companion. I kept getting various messages that meant it wouldn't play ball. However, I found a work around. I copied the up-to-date firmware to the SD card (along with the up-to-date SD card data) and than installed it from that using the screen below. Two questions - on the screen it now shows the correct firmware on the bottom line but the old firmware on the top one 'OpenTX Bootloader' - does this matter? Also, despite the (Windows) advice sites saying once the new firmware was installed I would need to re-calibrate the controls the TX never asked me to do that. 

 

IMG_3405.JPG

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This has cropped up in RCGroups OpenTX threads a few times but as I'm not a Mac user I didn't pay too much attention.  I seem to remember there being discussion about the way that the Apple system tags files and folders, unfortunately RCG threads aren't the easiest to search though google might find something under 'opentx and Mac os'.

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@robk

I'm not a Mac user either but I might be able to answer part of your query.

When the manual / advice site say that you may need to recalibrate the controls, it doesn't mean that it may ask you to do it. It means that when the new firmware is installed, your previous calibration data may be lost, therefore you need to recalibrate it again for the controls to work from end to end as they should.

i.e. always re-calibrate after a firmware update.

 

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I can confirm that the MacOS adds extra files ( recovery files/folders rings a bell ) when you write to a file system eg an SD card or flash drive. These generally do not cause a problem when Windows reads the drive. However if memory serves correct the code that picks up the OS executable file from the firmware folder only ever expects a single file. If more exist it does not execute until the offending xtra files are deleted. In my experience it is easiest to undertake the deletion of the unwanted files you create on the SD card with a windows OS. 

 

While I use companion for reading and displaying telemetry logs I only run the FrSky OS on my Horus so can not fully answer your question. That said I can happily add image files for example directly to the SD from the Mac. If I want to add new firmware then I will generally use my old windows laptop to transfer files and use the standard FrSky OS to do the rest.


As an aside I have not yet found a text to speech module on the Mac that produces the correct audio format while there are several on Windows that do the job; so again I use the Windows laptop for that job.

 

hope some of that helps. All from memory as I type so hopefully I have remembered correctly.

 

Tim

 

 

 

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Thanks for all for advice and getting involved. I have moved a bit further myself by experimentation. I found I could update the Bootloader from within the TX so that seems OK. I have now added two planes to the TX using different older DSM2 receivers. I added curve (expo) travel within Companion too. I also found out how to do range checks today and found that the range seemed to exceed what I was getting with the old Spektrum DSM2 TX - great! I am not sure how to change the timer from countdown to count up (for gliders) and start it from a switch but Im working on it.

 

Tim - thats good advice about adding and removing files from the SD card. It just sits on my desktop when I connect the TX and its how I updated the firmware so I should eb able to do the same on the Mac. I will try an image next time and see if that works. Gary - I will recalibrate them again now as per your advice. 

 

I must say so far I am liking OpenTX and my Radiomaster a lot so far...

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I have been doing ok with setting up my models using OpenTX but have come across a brick wall with one of them - need some help. Its an indoor Flyzone SE5a which uses a Tactic receiver I believe. I have bound it using SLT V1 6 Channel protocol (it is only 3 channel but thats the lowest one available). The throttle and elevator work ok but no response on the rudder no matter what I do. The only switch I have set is on the throttle cut which is working fine. Tried rebinding it and its still the same. I used the same set-up for another indoor 3 channel (which is DSM) - no problem with that one.

 

Any ideas for troubleshooting this?

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2 hours ago, Gary Manuel said:

Ignore the labels on the receiver that say "Rudder" etc.

It's the channel numbers that you are interested in, not the arbitrary name that the manufacturer has given them.

Hi Gary

The rx in this plane is a ‘brick’ with combined servos so this does not apply. It has just three channels so I assigned 1, 2, 3, and 2 and 3 are working - Rudder on 1 not working...

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12 hours ago, robk said:

Hi Gary

The rx in this plane is a ‘brick’ with combined servos so this does not apply. It has just three channels so I assigned 1, 2, 3, and 2 and 3 are working - Rudder on 1 not working...

I see. In that case, the only test I can think of is to confirm that all 3 channels are working in the channel monitor, especially rudder on channel 1.

If the receiver is just a brick, is it possible that it uses channels 2,3 and 4? i.e. try assigning rudder to channel 4 instead of 1.

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1 hour ago, robk said:

Gary - that worked. I switched the channels around and it worked first time. Thanks

Glad to have been of service.

Eliminate all other possibilities and what remains must be the truth.

 

25 minutes ago, Tim Ballinger said:

Gary the Fixer ! There’s a career out there waiting. ? 

No thanks. The one career I had nearly finished me off.

 

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  • 2 months later...

I have another problem. I have set up one of my planes on the tx and reversed the aileron channel which works fine however the trim tab for that channel still goes in the old (now reverse) direction. I can't seem to find out how to reverse the trim tab as well? I actually crashed a plane as I was adding in more trim in the direction I thought it needed when actually was adding it in the reverse direction. 

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Hi Ron

I have just sorted it out - found the answer on another thread. I had reversed the aileron in inputs. I changed that back to positive and reversed it in outputs and all was well. No doubt you were going to advise the same solution.

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I use an FrSky Taranis tx and an apple MacBook - no problems (other than my own inability to get my head around the transmitter's logic) with the combination. I don't remember any difficulties downloading or setting up Open TX Companion.

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