NoggietheNog

Recently had a discussion about various radio systems and ended up wondering what exactly stop i.e Futaba radios from been compatible to Graupner receivers?
-FrSky have this module that make them compatible with other system.. Why is the module required?
If its a matter of hardware, isn't it possible to bypass with firmware?

Maybe a naive question, but curious..

MaxSouthoz

I'm interested too, Noggie.

rgburrill

Transmission protocol. In order to make the most money each (well almost each) company has their own transmission protocol so that only their receivers can talk to their transmitters. That's what the DSM, FAAST, AFHSD(?), etc means. And even in one company there are multiple versions of the protocol so that FlySky, for example has three versions and unless you pay for the top transmitter you don't get downward compatibility. It's all about dollars. Or euros. Or yuan.

NoggietheNog

rgburrill,

Thanks for the comment, so basically what you say, there is no unique hardware (coding) in play here for the various transmission protocols?

modtron

This is where it "can" start to wrong in a big way.

None of the major manufacturers will release their own coding to outside companies.

Futaba for example will not release any of their own individual coding to anyone.
So the copies are back engineered to work as best they can.

They will never be as good or secure as the real article.

modtron
Oxford UK

rgburrill

It depends on what you consider hardware and who is doing it. Some "hardware" is fpga based which is in the strictest sense firmware (coding). But some is gate array based which is real "hard" coded. Again, cost is the driving factor and quantity drives cost. But there are copies that run the same protocol. The Orange receivers are the most prolific examples I can think of and they copy the protocols of Futaba, JR/Spectrum, and I don't know who else. are they just as good? I don't know - I don't use them. But there is indeed unique hardware since some of the basic protocol differences affect power consumption to a large extent and that is what sets some of the manufacturers apart from others. The days of FM are gone. You have to pick a protocol you want to stick with. I like AFHDS2A as in the i6S, i9X and I!0. I just wish when FlySky came out with AFHDS3 they would have kept backward compatibility with AFHDS2A. The iA6B is a great aircraft receiver and the iA6C is excellent for cars, boats and quads.