olnico

Thank you Stephane.
You're having a 5 dBm better reception than what I have on average.
How many paces did your range test give you?

Could you send me the files by email ?

Aquilon

Range test was stopped around 100 paces without any error.

Files go to your mail...

Stéphane

olnico

Got two more flights today with the system and found out that the Tx box did not write anything on the card.
I realized that the card shall not be formatted like the old units ones.

The 2.4 Ghz micro SD cards shall be formatted in FAT32 with allocation unit size of 4096 bytes. Full format required for a brand new card.

I also had some problems to start the range test sequence.
The proper procedure is to:
1) Switch the Tx ON. The Test LED lights up one time for about a half of a second.
2) When the amber test lED is out, immediately press button one until the test LED goes ON again
3) Release button two. The test sequence will last 1 minute as explained in the manual.
4) If you need a longer time, Switch the Tx OFF and proceed with the same sequence again.

I also noticed that having the laptop plugged to the Tx unit while doing the range test is of a great help.
One can actually see the reception quality live from the "receiver configuration" window. The LQI box stands for Link Quality Indicator and tels you how your system is performing.
When the LQI parameter drops below 40%, you'll start to get the red warning LED go ON and get failsafes.

Note that when the frames drop from 100 to a lower value, the link will get slower since less order frames will be transmitted to the plane.
However, even with 20 frames, the plane is still flyable.

The Weatronic link transmits 100 frames per second. Each frame consists of the orders coming from the transmitter and some data generated by the antenna module ( mostly link quality related ).
The Tx systems send the flight orders at a rate taht is much slower than 100 per second. For example, the JR/Graupner PPM system works at 45 fps, and the PCM system at 25 fps. This rate can be seen in the "source frame" column of the NavView window.

Every time the antenna module is ready to send a new frame to the Rx, it will look if the order has been updated by the Tx. If not, it will send the last order generated.
So for the PPM UNI mode, the system will send two identical order/frames in a row, and 3 identical every 10 frames.
In the PCM mode, the system will send 4 identical orders/frames in a row.

As you can see, even is you loose half of the frames, you will not feel it on a PPM mode.
You can afford to loose 3/4 of the frames on PCM mode before noticing it.
Quite robust...

Edgar Perez

My Feedback: (13)

All this great functionality is having me wish the 12FG module fix is finalized[]

olnico

Hi Edgar,
I am planning to convert my American 12FG to Weatronic as well.
What problem do you have with the module ?

Edgar Perez

My Feedback: (13)

I have been told they are fine tuning the unit becuase of jittering found. At jetpower Alvin confirmed that the testing will be completed soon[]. The USA importer is waiting this to be able to sell it to me

jeanfi

Hello Oliver,

I am still waiting for my SD card reader I have ordered.
Unfortunately, I did not formatted the SD card as you say on your post. I don't know if Stéphane did it ?

Anyway, I will post the results of my flights very soon.
For people interested, I am checking the Weatronic link quality on an active airforce base in France with an active radar system.


See you
Jean Philippe

David Gladwin

Hi Guys,

Yes, I believe it is the the right antenna looking at the plug side.

I have now installed an 8 Micro into a 5 meter Nimbus sailplane with a Powerbox as there are so many servos in the wing, 4 flap, 4 aileron and 2 airbrakes. With the Powerbox handling 7 channels and one channel direct to the receiver operation looks to be entirely normal, no compatibility problems even with three Matchboxes to distribute the signals. All I need now for flight test is something to tow it up !

The big 12-30 is now installed in the Reaction for flight test, hopefully next week. I will post some log files whan I have done the first few lights. Power supplies chosen are Duralite 4 cell (redundant) 4300 main battery and Duralite 2150 two cell pack all with 16 AWG cables.

Incidentally I bought a Dell Mini computer to take to the fiels for Weatronic use as I do like to look at the data during and after a flying session, Giga Control, Nav View and Rx control all installed.

This computer seems perfect for such use, small light, fast and quite cheap. Strongly recommended.

Keep the info coming !

Regards,

David.

PS Oliver, When binding you ALSO need to press the bind button very shortly after switch on , just pressing the bind button after around 1 minute and the bind function does not work. A guy on the other Weatronics thread could not bind his receiver, pressing the button immediatley after switch on fixed his problem.

jeanfi

Hello All,

Below is my Nav Logs.
I think everything was ok during the flight especially good when I was flying near the big sized radar of the airforce Base !!

Olivier, please, what do you think of this log file ?
I can send to you the original file.

Jean-Philippe

olnico

Hi Jeanfi.
Please check the file, it doesn't show on the thread.

olnico

OK Jeanfi.
Your files show a problem.
What is presented here is the ground phase.
A normal flight log should show a bathtub shaped curve.
Have a look at this one:



When the plane goes away from you during takeoff, the RSSIs decrease. When you come back from the flight on landing, the RSSIs will increase again.
Also the end of the recording will show a Rx status of 0 and - on the Rx frames when you shut down the Rx batteries.
Your log just ends abruptly. I think that the data recording stopped in the middle of the takeoff phase each time.

Two options here: either your data down link stops abruptly during takeoff and cannot be recorded on the card for whatever reason, or the data writing peripheral stops working after a few minutes. I would opt for the second option, because in case of a down link errors you should have a few 168 Tx codes and - showing on Tx frames . This is not your case.


I would try to reformat the card completely as explained above first. Do not use the quick format option. Try then to leave you system ON for 10 minutes to see if you get 10 minutes of recording on the card. Try then to do the same thing while going away from the Tx with the plane for about 10 minutes and check if you see the bathtub curve and the 10 minutes recording.

That should troubleshoot the problem fairly well. Please keep us updated.

olnico

Guys here are my last 3 flights from yesterday:



Lowest RSSI 1 rx:-86,5 dBm
Lowest RSSI 2 rx:-87,5 dBm
Lowest frame rx1:74
Lowest frame rx2:44

Average RSSI rx values: -70 dBm
Failsafe 0
losses of feedback communication ( 136/168 events ) for a total of x seconds: 2 events for a total of 8 seconds


Lowest RSSI 1 tx: -97,5 dBm
Lowest RSSI 2 tx: -127 dBm
Lowest frame tx1: 5
Lowest frame tx2: 0

Average RSSI tx values: -92 dBm




Lowest RSSI 1 rx: -89 dBm
Lowest RSSI 2 rx: -90 dBm
Lowest frame rx1: 61
Lowest frame rx2: 28

Average RSSI rx values: -73 dBm
Failsafe 0
losses of feedback communication ( 136/168 events ) 2 times for a total of 10 seconds.
Code 72: 31 times
Code 100: 1 time


Lowest RSSI 1 tx: -110 dBm
Lowest RSSI 2 tx: -110 dBm
Lowest frame tx1: 0
Lowest frame tx2: 0

Average RSSI tx values: -83 dBm





Lowest RSSI 1 rx: -106,5 dBm
Lowest RSSI 2 rx: -91,5 dBm
Lowest frame rx1: 17
Lowest frame rx2: 23

Average RSSI rx values: -75 dBm
Failsafe 0
losses of feedback communication ( 136/168 events ) 10 events for a total of 31 seconds
Code 72: 51 times
Code 200: 3 times


Lowest RSSI 1 tx: -119,5 dBm
Lowest RSSI 2 tx: -119,5 dBm
Lowest frame tx1: 0
Lowest frame tx2: 0

Average RSSI tx values: -86 dBm

The last flight was obviously much worse than the other ones in terms of RF link. However I did not notice it during the flight ( no failsafe frames, not red LED blinking, no slow down on the control )

What I am sure about is that it is not related to the outside temperature. I left the rx in the sun before the first flight of the day and the Rx recorded up to 51 degrees C on the log.
I was at 44 degrees on the two subsequent flights.

I think that the degradation in the Rf link performance might be related to the level of electromagnetic noise at that moment.

I also need to find out what the Rx codes of 72 and 200 mean.

olnico

Here is a typical Log from Stephane for comparison:



Lowest RSSI 1 rx: -80 dBm
Lowest RSSI 2 rx: -80,5 dBm
Lowest frame rx1: 31
Lowest frame rx2: 33

Average RSSI rx values: -68,5 dBm
Failsafe 0
losses of feedback communication ( 136/168 events ) 3 times for a total of 11 seconds.


Lowest RSSI 1 tx: -99,5 dBm
Lowest RSSI 2 tx: -104 dBm
Lowest frame tx1: 0
Lowest frame tx2: 0

Average RSSI tx values: -83,5 dBm

Stephane has a better RF link than I do on average. I think that this could be explained by the level of electromagnetic noise in Dubai.

The best indication of the uplink quality is to look at the surface of the frames lost: the surface created above the green and blue lines for the whole flight

The more surface is left above the lines, the worst the uplink is.
Note once again that the signal should be degraded about 100 times more on average to get a noticeable rf link alteration ( control slow down and failsafe events ).
So the rf uplink is incredibly strong on this system.

olnico

Thank you David.

Any information about codes 72 and 200 on the Rx side ?

Aquilon

Rx side :

Code 72 = 64 (battery low) + 8 (HF connection OK)

Code 200 = 64 (battery low) + 8 (HF connection OK) + 128 (unidirectionel mode)

Please check your battery level during flight and compare it to the Rx battery warning level.


Stéphane

olnico

Thanks Stephane.
My battery warning level was set too high at 5,7V

David Gladwin

Satus codes:

Regards, David.

olnico

Wow, fantastic David.
This has gone straight into my documentation folder...

oistein

My Feedback: (1)

Reading all these fantastic things about the Wetronic 2.4 i wonder if there is a place you can buy it using credit card online?

olnico

Hi Oistein, how's life doing ?
You can order on the Weatronic online shop:
http://www.weatronic.com/de/shop

I can't tell you if they catched up with the orders delays yet. Th only thing I know is that they had hundreds kits at the Jetpower fair.

JPZ

Hi Olivier

Here 3 files from last WE in Lure ( 25years of Mach 2.2)

First is my Skygate Hawk with 12-30 GPS
Second is my AW Hawk with 12-22 R
Third is my CARF Hawk with 12-22 gyros


JP ZARDINI

ZN LINE
CARF REP
WEATRONIC DEALER

Aquilon

JP,

You are the Hawk's Man !

See you...

Stéphane

JPZ

Hi Stef

Thanks

More pics on the Mach 2.2 post

JP

olnico

Hello Jean-Pierre.

Log 1 is fine, log 2 and 3 are not readable because the first window is showing nothing relevant ( you might want to reset the view by selecting " Y-scaling" then "show possible values".

I can see that you've had a frame rate down to 11/17 for 1 second on the first log. Beware that if you get no frames for 1/3 of a second ( or 30 lost frames in a raw ) then you get a failsafe.
Knowing that there are 100 frames per second and that the lost frames might no be evenly distributed throughout the second, I think that 10 valid frames in a second is a bare minimum. So this log shows a bare minimum performance to me. Also note that, as far as I can see with the picture resolution, the lowest RSSI Rx1 and RSSI rx2 seem pretty reasonable ( around 82 dBm ? ).

You might want to check on the 3D graph of the navview where this event happened and see how far you were/ in what orientation ( actually I can see that this event happened at 480 m away from the initial point, which is not far ).

You may want to check my article in the latest RCJI issue for more precisions on how to do this, or you can send me the log files if you have any doubts.
If you have more questions, I'd be happy to answer them. I'll be in Paris for the next two days.

oistein

My Feedback: (1)

Hi Oliver,

I tried the online stuff, but it did not work at all yestrday However, i was able to get hold of them by email and they returned am innvoice to be payed by pay pal so i should be able to get the stuff soon i hope. Might have to do first test indoor though as the weather is not cooperating at all here.

Looking forward to test the stuff, although i am a bit reluctant as the FASST system have been perfect so far. The reason i want to test it is the online logging only. So if anything happens there is an answer to it. Of course i would rather be flying without problems than flying with problems and knowing why....

I should have a job coming up in Dubai this autumn, will contact you then. Have to see som flying while am there. Will probably be working at Dubai dry docks down town....

Hope everything is fine you too..