Turnigy 9xr-pro

Description

Overview

The Turnigy 9XR-pro is a product co-developed with the people from Hobby King by their semi-related brand 'Turnigy'.

It's sold as a 'pro' version of the 9X-series transmitters as a all-in-one product that includes a famous/popular replacement control-board that was sold at [1].

The replacement board provided extended capabilities over the existing Atmega-based platform by using an ARM-based architecture. This board ended up being the base for the FrSky Taranis and now the 9xr-PRO as well.

9x series

The Turnigy 9X series are all 8-channel transmitters allowing great re-configurability and modding.

Original 9x

Atmega based; often modified to allow easy reflashing through broken out ISP-connector.

• Radio-module bay for choosing TX-module technology

The 9xr

Atmega based; provided with modding in mind. New housing.

• Provided with open source software
• Provided with ISP-header for easier re-flashing

9xr-pro specifics

The 9XR-PRO has the same outer appearance as the 9XR; only the internals have been reworked extensively; except for most of the mechanics.

• ARM-based platform
• Voice-enabled
• Haptic feedback (buzzer)
• USB-connection for both firmware-upgrading as well as accessing voice/setting files via USB-mass-storage mode
• Headphone jack
• SD-card with config/firmware/voice.
• Option for adding blue-tooth for telemetry passthrough.

Hardware specs

• Atmel SAM3S ARM Cortex M3 , 32 bit Micro-controller , 512K flash , 64Kb of SRAM
• Inputs for telemetry via Futaba-port. (com2)
• Extra serial-ports for Bluetooth, etc. (com3)
• Option for a rotary-encoder.
• Internal speaker, headphone jack
• SD-slot; included 2GiB SD-card
• Power-jack
• Connection for 3S LIPO-cell via balance-plug connector
• Internal 2.4Ghz antenna option
• Backlighted graphic LCD
• PPM2 output option for second 8-channel PPM output
• 6x 2-position switches
• 1x 3-position switches
• 2x joysticks + 4 trim-switches
• optional extra analog input for rotary-pot, multi-position switch
• optional exrta 2-position switch

See here for a system overview of the 9XR-pro.

History

The 9X-series originally was based on an 8Bit atmega architecture at clockspeeds of 16Mhz. The settings were stored in the internal eeprom of the uC, allowing downloading and editing via the ISP-programming header using an appropriate tool such as 'eepe'.

The 9XR-Pro, was released at the end of 2013 and was based , instead, on a 32-bit ARM architecture, designed by the same person that was behind the ersky9x replacement board, popular with 9X/9XR owners.

The board had been taken as the base for the FrySky Taranis which now shares much of the same possibilities as the Turnigy 9XR-pro as a result of this.

The ERSKY9 firmware has been ported to ARM successfully and thus the 9XR and 9XR-Pro work the same way. There is also Open-TX as an option for replacement firmware that works both with the Taranis and the 9XR-pro and has been named ERSKY9X.

Up to r202 of the ERSKY firmware, the way to read out and change the settings using a PC-application was by using the SAM-BA protocol over serial-port via the USB-connection. This, like AVR-ISP, was originally designed to update firmware, etc.

From r202 and beyond, you can move the two horizontal trim-switches 'inwards' and then turn the transmitter on to have it go into USB-mass-storage mode. This will allow you access to the internal ROM with firmware and 'eeprom' settings-file, as well as the SD-card that contains the Voice-files.

With ERSKY9 firmware, the original 'eepe' tool used for the 9X and 9XR has been ported to use the SAM-BA tool or the USB-mount that the 9XR-PRO provides; as well as being extended with options specific to the ERSKY9X. The tool specific to the ARM-based system is called 'eepskye'.

Tools

EEPSKYE

Build-instructions

EEPESKYE, available here at google-code; note that the packages/downloads provided can be out of date and often relate to the EEPE software and NOT the EEPSKYE tool that one needs for the 9XR-PRO.

As of 20140701, the linux-build can be performed succesfully by doing the following:

• sudo apt-get install subversion build-essential libqt4-dev libqt4-network
• svn checkout http://eepe.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/ eepe-read-only
• For rev. 405, one needs to apply the following patches, listed in bug-reports:
  • fixes linux build-script
  • fixes small UI annoyances Apply with 'patch -P0 < patch when in the right directories (eepe-read-only/src/ for reviewoutput.ui.patch and eepe-read-only/src/eepskye/src/ for the other two)
  • fixes application icon
• go to eepe-read-only/src/eepskye/src/
• run 'qmake eepskyelinux.pro'
• run 'make'

The 'eepskye' tool should now be compiled. Note that it should use qt4 libraries, not qt5 libraries to build. Use the 'qt-chooser' tool with the 'qmake' line to force it to -qt=4 in case it fails to build because of this.

Configuration

TBD.

Usage instructions

Note that down/uploading the 'eeprom' settings via USB only works when the transmitter was set in the right mode, using the following procedure:

• Turn transmitter off; disconnect to USB
• Push two horizontal trim-switches 'to the middle'
• Turn transmitter on
• Wait for it to boot; it will show a boot-loader version
• When booted; connect USB to PC

The device will now expose two drives; one containing two BIN-files, the other containing VOICE-files , mostly. You will need to have the first of these two MOUNTED and READABLE before selecting 'Read settings from Eeprom' under the 'Burn' menu-option.

References

• Manuals/guides for the 9XR-PRO with ERSKY9XR firmware can be found here