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documentation:booster:start [2021/10/20 05:22] – [3.2. Remote Control Power] gregk | documentation:booster:start [2022/05/25 10:02] (current) – gregk | ||
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===== Community Supplied Instructions ===== | ===== Community Supplied Instructions ===== | ||
- | The documentation has two sections. The NoLimitDronez team compiled | + | The documentation has two sections. The NoLimitDronez team created |
{{: | {{: | ||
+ | |||
+ | While there are community provided videos published in the above link, No Limit Dronez has not confirmed the accuracy or correctness of this content. The generic details below were created by No Limit Dronez, and should be followed. Failing to follow these instructions will invalidate your product warranty. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== Before you start ===== | ||
+ | All of our boards are tested at the factory as part of the production process by automated machines. In addition, we do a quick power up test on the bench in our distribution center, to confirm a signal light comes on for both 2.4 and 5.8 before dispatch. | ||
+ | |||
+ | We have had multiple users who have cooked their boards, through bad installation. We list below the most common mistakes. | ||
+ | |||
+ | - **Heat**: Leaving a board connected to power for long periods before mounting using an appropriate exoxy compound or using a cooling fan can cause damage to the board. If powering up without permanent mounting, make it a brief momentary operation for the test you are performing, or if you want to do a longer test you MUST use a fan. | ||
+ | - **Voltage**: | ||
+ | - **Bad Antenna Connection**: | ||
+ | - **CE board with FCC aircraft**: The CE boards should be used in CE locations, and FCC boards in FCC locations. If you have previously installed a FCC software mod, this MUST be removed before powering on your aircraft with the booster boards. Do NOT use an FCC board with the modded GO4 app. | ||
+ | - **Skipping a voltage regulator**: | ||
+ | |||
+ | Each of these errors can be detected upon examination. Warranty claims due to the above installation errors will be rejected. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== WARNING ===== | ||
+ | Before getting excited and taking your first flight, remember that your equipment is not a superhero. While your bird can leap tall buildings in a single bound, its batteries don't last forever. Below, we include a story from one customer who was so excited about the superpowers of extended range that he forgot about fuel. We have edited the text for readability, | ||
+ | |||
+ | //Guys!! You are not going to believe this!! I just flew my inspire 2 10.6 miles away! (17 km). I used one of your booster modules on the inspire and my r/c. I did not lose the video feed at all!! So freakin amazing, dude!!!! But now I have to find my bird because I ran out of battery juice and crash-landed about a mile away, coming back home. But it was still freakin awesome!!"// | ||
+ | |||
+ | //Fxxx man, I shouldn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | //BUT I KNEW IT!! I kept telling everyone that you can put tons of power to your r/c, but when you're that far, you have to have added power to your video feed and transmit power back to your r/c.// | ||
+ | |||
+ | //YOU GUYS CRACKED THE CODE!! THESE LITTLE MODULES ARE FxxxING AMAZING!!!! Sorry, please excuse my French. I'M SO FxxxING HAPPY!!!! // | ||
+ | |||
+ | //If I can salvage the video, I'll shoot it to you guys so the world can see these little things REALLY WORK!!!!// | ||
+ | |||
+ | //Now I need to work on an auxiliary battery and buy another bird. | ||
+ | (I just hope my wife doesn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | //I don't know what she would do with them; I'll leave that to your imagination, | ||
+ | You and your company have a blessed day!!!// | ||
+ | |||
+ | Now to our customer who shared that story, we wish you the best of luck as you protect your next aircraft from loss of power, and your other assets from your wife! | ||
+ | |||
+ | UPDATE: Our customer sent one more update after reading our documentation update using the information he provided to us. We just had to do one more update, so here it is. | ||
+ | |||
+ | //Oh my f$#@ing god man! I laughed so hard I farted in front of my mother-in-law' | ||
+ | |||
+ | //I have tried so many boosters. I've even tried routers and repeaters with patch antennas. I hate patch antennas because you have to be pointing the thing straight at your drone. And every time that I got to 6 miles, I would start losing my video feed, and by the time I got to 7 miles, I would go dark.// | ||
+ | |||
+ | //So what do you think I felt when I got to 6 1/2 MILES with a super rock-solid video feed using your boosters? But wait! There' | ||
+ | Never have I flown my bird so far that I don't have enough juice to get back.// | ||
+ | |||
+ | //Thanks, guys. You didn't make my day. YOU MADE MY MOTHERFxxxING YEAR BRO!!!! | ||
+ | I hope my wife doesn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | So. While it is humerous to read the story, let me add one final note. Dont make that mistake. We are including this warning here, to help save you from the same fate. Fuel is an important factor that should be remembered at all times. Always have a backup landing location in mind, in case you need an emergency landing. | ||
+ | |||
===== 1. Whats in the kit ===== | ===== 1. Whats in the kit ===== | ||
- | The components in your package will differ depending on your selections during the order process. If you requested a pre-assembled kit, you could skip the pre-assembly instructions later in this document. | + | The components in your package will differ depending on your selections during the order process. If you requested a pre-assembled kit, you could skip the pre-assembly instructions later in this document. |
==== 1.1 The Booster Boards. ==== | ==== 1.1 The Booster Boards. ==== | ||
- | The booster board (Figure {{ref> | + | The booster board (Figure {{ref> |
<figure booster> | <figure booster> | ||
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==== 1.5 Antenna Connector Wires ==== | ==== 1.5 Antenna Connector Wires ==== | ||
- | The existing antenna lead will be disconnected from the RF board within your drone and your remote control and connected instead to the booster board. The connectors on the booster-board are all Ipex-1 connectors. The wires provided (Figure {{ref> | + | The existing antenna lead will be disconnected from the RF board within your drone and your remote control and connected instead to the booster board. The connectors on the booster-board are all Ipex-1 connectors. The wires provided (Figure {{ref> |
<figure ipex1ipex1> | <figure ipex1ipex1> | ||
- | {{: | + | {{: |
- | < | + | < |
</ | </ | ||
<figure ipex1ipex4> | <figure ipex1ipex4> | ||
- | {{: | + | {{: |
- | < | + | {{: |
+ | < | ||
</ | </ | ||
Line 135: | Line 187: | ||
<figure ipex1mmcx> | <figure ipex1mmcx> | ||
- | {{: | + | {{: |
- | < | + | {{: |
+ | < | ||
</ | </ | ||
Line 156: | Line 209: | ||
- Solder | - Solder | ||
- Heat-resistant two-part epoxy glue for mounting the booster and power modules securely. | - Heat-resistant two-part epoxy glue for mounting the booster and power modules securely. | ||
- | - Heatshrink to insulate your step-up/step-down boards. | + | - Heatshrink to insulate your relay, |
- | - A basic multimeter | + | - A basic multimeter. |
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- Connect a Red wire to pin 8 on the relay. | - Connect a Red wire to pin 8 on the relay. | ||
- Connect a Red wire to pin 6 on the relay. | - Connect a Red wire to pin 6 on the relay. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The diagram below summaries all of the above to make this child' | ||
+ | <figure stepupblock> | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | |||
+ | And this version is identical, but shows a StepDown board in use. | ||
+ | <figure stepupblock> | ||
+ | | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | </ | ||
==== 3.3 Insulate Relay and Power Modules ==== | ==== 3.3 Insulate Relay and Power Modules ==== | ||
- | Before | + | Before |
===== 4. Planning ===== | ===== 4. Planning ===== | ||
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===== 5. Install, test, and Reassemble ===== | ===== 5. Install, test, and Reassemble ===== | ||
- | Now, it's time to actually | + | Now, it's time to install the board in your aircraft. If you have an available 5-volt power supply, you can use this to power the board and plug in the antenna leads to your equipment |
- | Further | + | The instructions |
==== 5.1 Aircraft Connection - Generic ==== | ==== 5.1 Aircraft Connection - Generic ==== | ||
- | Assuming you have completed pre-assembly, | + | Assuming you have completed pre-assembly, |
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=== 5.1.2 Test Antenna Connection - Generic === | === 5.1.2 Test Antenna Connection - Generic === | ||
- | As mentioned above, testing is important. Before you connect aircraft power to the booster power module, you could use a bench power supply as an input for testing purposes. Turn on both the aircraft and booster power modules, and verify the connection. However, depending on your aircraft you may not be able to use your flight battery while the aircraft is partially disassembled. Only proceed with this testing if you are able to power your aircraft before re-assembly. BUT: | + | As mentioned above, testing is essential. Before you connect aircraft power to the booster power module, you could use a bench power supply as an input for testing purposes. Turn on both the aircraft and booster power modules, and verify the connection. However, depending on your aircraft, you may not be able to use your flight battery while the aircraft is partially disassembled. Only proceed with this testing if you can power your aircraft before re-assembly. BUT: |
* Please make sure your bench power supply meets the requirements of the power module before testing. | * Please make sure your bench power supply meets the requirements of the power module before testing. | ||
- | * Use commonsense. | + | * Use commonsense. |
* Do not turn on power unless your antenna wires are securely connected. | * Do not turn on power unless your antenna wires are securely connected. | ||
- | * During testing, isolate the components to prevent | + | * During testing, isolate the components to prevent short circuits. |
* Test quickly. The aircraft components and the booster board are designed to operate in the air. Without airflow, they may heat up and cause damage if left powered up for too long. | * Test quickly. The aircraft components and the booster board are designed to operate in the air. Without airflow, they may heat up and cause damage if left powered up for too long. | ||
- | If your antenna signal path is connected correctly, you will be able to see your aircraft connection status on your remote control | + | If your antenna signal path is connected correctly, you will be able to see your aircraft connection status on your remote control or connected display. However, you need to test from at least 30 meters away from the aircraft for this test to be valid. Even if your antenna wire is not connected correctly, you will still have localised signals radiated from the boards and leads. However, please return to power down the equipment as soon as possible after a successful test. |
=== 5.1.3 Aircraft Power Connection - Generic === | === 5.1.3 Aircraft Power Connection - Generic === | ||
- | The booster board requires power. | + | The booster board requires power. |
=== 5.1.4 Aircraft Board Mounting - Generic === | === 5.1.4 Aircraft Board Mounting - Generic === | ||
- | It's time to mount the new booster circuit board inside your aircraft. We highly recommend using a two-part epoxy glue that is designed for thermal bonding. This will ensure that heat from the boards will be dissipated appropriately. One glue that would be appropriate is available via [[https:// | + | It's time to mount the new booster circuit board inside your aircraft. We highly recommend using a two-part epoxy glue designed for thermal bonding, and this will ensure that heat from the boards will be dissipated appropriately. One glue that would be appropriate is available via [[https:// |
- | * Decide where to mount: Review other sections of our documentation to confirm if a recommended mounting location is suggested for your aircraft. If not, you should try to identify an area that will have enough room to allow airflow around the board while in flight. | + | * Decide where to mount: Review other sections of our documentation to confirm if a recommended mounting location is suggested for your aircraft. If not, you should try to identify an area with enough room to allow airflow around the board while in flight. |
* Glue it down: Follow the directions with your provided thermal epoxy glue for mounting. | * Glue it down: Follow the directions with your provided thermal epoxy glue for mounting. | ||
* Insulate: Ensure all wires are insulated appropriately, | * Insulate: Ensure all wires are insulated appropriately, | ||
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=== 5.1.5 Aircraft Reassembly and Testing === | === 5.1.5 Aircraft Reassembly and Testing === | ||
- | Now that the core work is done, you will need to reassemble your aircraft. | + | After you complete |
==== 5.2 Remote Control - Generic ==== | ==== 5.2 Remote Control - Generic ==== | ||
Just like the aircraft, you have two tasks ahead. Connect the antenna signal wires and the power wires. If you decide to use the relay, you need to connect to two power sources: one for the relay coil and one to supply the power module. | Just like the aircraft, you have two tasks ahead. Connect the antenna signal wires and the power wires. If you decide to use the relay, you need to connect to two power sources: one for the relay coil and one to supply the power module. | ||
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* Do not turn on power unless your antenna wires are securely connected. | * Do not turn on power unless your antenna wires are securely connected. | ||
* During testing, isolate components to prevent a short circuit to other components. | * During testing, isolate components to prevent a short circuit to other components. | ||
- | | + | * Test quickly. |
* You should test from at least 30 meters away from the aircraft for this test to be valid. Even if your antenna wire is not connected correctly, you will still have localised signals radiated from the boards and leads. | * You should test from at least 30 meters away from the aircraft for this test to be valid. Even if your antenna wire is not connected correctly, you will still have localised signals radiated from the boards and leads. | ||
- | If your antenna signal path is connected correctly, you will be able to see your aircraft connection status on your remote control | + | If your antenna signal path is connected correctly, you will be able to see your aircraft connection status on your remote control or connected display. Please remember to power down the equipment as soon as possible after a successful test. |
=== 5.2.3 Remote Power Connection - Generic === | === 5.2.3 Remote Power Connection - Generic === | ||
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== 5.2.3.1 Remote power connection - Switch - Generic == | == 5.2.3.1 Remote power connection - Switch - Generic == | ||
- | If you intend to use a switch, this will be simple. You have a red and black wire with a free end from the pre-installation build. Connect those wires to your battery source. Connect the red to the positive, and black to the negative. Please note: You are responsible for turning off the power switch when not in use to prevent battery drain. | + | If you intend to use a switch, this will be simple. You have a red and black wire with a free end from the pre-installation build. Connect those wires to your battery source. Connect the red to the positive and black to the negative. Please note: You are responsible for turning off the power switch when not in use to prevent battery drain. |
== 5.2.3.2 Remote power connection - Relay - Generic == | == 5.2.3.2 Remote power connection - Relay - Generic == | ||
As part of pre-assembly, | As part of pre-assembly, | ||
- | Control power: The two wires from pin 1 and 8 on the relay need to connect to a power source that will only be active when the remote is powered up, such as a cooling fan. Check community supplied aircraft specific documentation for details of a suitable power source. If no details are available for your equipment, you can test using a multimeter to assist in locating an appropriate supply. This connection is only used to power the relay coil, drawing minimal | + | Control power: The two wires from pin 1 and 8 on the relay need to connect to a power source that will only be active when the remote is powered up, such as a cooling fan. Check community supplied aircraft specific documentation for details of a suitable power source. If no details are available for your equipment, you can test using a multimeter to assist in locating an appropriate supply. This connection is only used to power the relay coil, drawing minimal |
Main power: The other two available red and black power wires need to connect to the main battery power supply. The intent here is to get as close as possible to the raw power coming from the battery cells. | Main power: The other two available red and black power wires need to connect to the main battery power supply. The intent here is to get as close as possible to the raw power coming from the battery cells. | ||
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* Connect the free end of the red wire from pin 6 on the relay to the positive terminal from your battery. | * Connect the free end of the red wire from pin 6 on the relay to the positive terminal from your battery. | ||
+ | **IMPORTANT NOTE**: We have heard that some installations have connected the relay coil to a power source that is active even when the remote control is off. Make sure you use a multimeter to check the voltage going to the power modules to confirm zero volts when the remote control is turned off. | ||
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{{: | {{: | ||
* Turn off the power supply before removing or replacing the antenna. Powering the board without an antenna may cause damage to the booster board. | * Turn off the power supply before removing or replacing the antenna. Powering the board without an antenna may cause damage to the booster board. | ||
- | * The amplifier generates heat. Please be sure to provide sufficient heat dissipation. | + | * The amplifier generates heat. Please be sure to provide sufficient heat dissipation. |
* Improper installation may cause damage to the amplifier or the host device! | * Improper installation may cause damage to the amplifier or the host device! | ||
* Please observe the local electromagnetic radiation regulations. Proper use of these amplifiers is your responsibility. | * Please observe the local electromagnetic radiation regulations. Proper use of these amplifiers is your responsibility. | ||
+ | ===== Frequently Asked Questions ===== | ||
+ | ==== Can I install a board in one end only? ==== | ||
+ | You can do anything you like, but does it make sense? Probably not. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Data protocols require bi-directional communication. For example, After the remote sends a packet to the aircraft to descend, the aircraft acknowledges the packet. If you only amplify at the remote control end, your remote won't receive the acknowledgement and think the aircraft is out of range. | ||
+ | |||
+ | You CAN try one end and test it when you get your kit, but we recommend installing it on both ends. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Can you install my kit for me if I send you my equipment ==== | ||
+ | We would love to, but we do not have the scale to do this work. However, we are in the process of building a partner network - so if you are interested, send a support ticket with your country and state, and we will try to find someone near you. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Do I need an FCC or a CE board ==== | ||
+ | The booster boards are designed to work with the default signal level for your country. In broad terms, FCC is suited for USA and Canada only, and CE is suitable for the rest of the world. Contact support to remove the FCC mods if you are in a CE country and have an FCC mod active. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Why is it essential to have the correct board? Isn't FCC better? Imagine an audio amplifier. If the input volume is too loud, it will sound distorted when you hear it. Or, if you have a low audio input, you need to turn up the volume to listen, but you get a lot of background pop and static noise. It is the same with the boosters, and you need to match them to your equipment output signal level. | ||
+ | |||
+ | And what about the FCC mod? Why can't you leave that turned on? There are a few reasons. Firstly, a future update to your firmware might not work with our mod. We do not want you to have an aircraft stuck on an incompatible firmware version unable to fly because you have un-matched boosters. But even if you did not have that issue, there is one other factor. During the boot-up sequence, the FCC mod is enabled by one of our mod scripts. We have not tested the impact of any comms that might happen before that script is executed on the booster board performance. For the sake of simplicity, we recommend using the boards to match your geo country in all circumstances. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Why is my remote control battery draining so fast? The aircraft batteries are intelligent, | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== Booster Board Myth Busters ===== | ||
+ | ==== RC Battery Drain using relay with power off ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Some have commented that their RC batteries are getting drained even with the RC turned off. Let us analyse this myth. | ||
+ | |||
+ | If we look at the wiring diagram in section 3.2.2 Relay Switched Power, the output voltage from the relay to the boosters is not connected when the relay coil is not powered. The instructions in section 5.2.3.2 Remote power connection - Relay - Generic ask you to connect the relay coil input to a power source that will only be active when you turn on the RC. In other words, when the RC is off, this connection point should not provide any power. | ||
+ | |||
+ | If you correctly connect as per the instructions, | ||
+ | |||
+ | MYTH BUSTED. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== RC Battery Drain from relay during operation ==== | ||
+ | There has been a lot of unfounded speculation that the relay is the cause of all problems, including world hunger. (Well, maybe not world hunger, but let's get to the facts). | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Mavic 2 RC battery has a rated capacity of 2970mah. The battery capacity for other devices will be different, but it is not a significant factor when looking at the other numbers. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The specifications for the relay indicate it draws 21.1 ma on the coil at 5 volts. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Doing a simple division, 21.1 tells us that if we only power the relay, it will last for 140 hours on a fully charged remote control battery. But don't forget, that is ONLY if the RC is on. When you turn the RC off, the relay will not draw any current at all. | ||
+ | |||
+ | MYTH BUSTED | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Bypassing the step up or step down modules ==== | ||
+ | Some people think it is good to bypass the step up or step down modules to reduce power drain and increase battery life. The power modules consume a small amount of power during the voltage conversion, but it is insignificant compared to the booster boards. | ||
+ | |||
+ | We recommend pulling raw battery voltage as a power source. If you pull 5 volts from elsewhere in your aircraft or RC, it may draw more power than that part of the circuit is rated to provide. You could damage other parts of your device, all to bypass a power module. You should only use an alternate direct 5 volt supply in your equipment if you are confident that you can draw sufficient power at the point you are connecting to, and the voltage will remain constant as the aircraft battery drains. | ||
+ | |||
+ | PLAUSIBLE, but NOT RECOMMENDED. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Power usage for the booster boards in the RC ==== | ||
+ | There has also been criticism that the booster boards will flatten your RC battery during normal operation. Let's find out how long a booster can last on a regular battery. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The rated power supply current is 1200 mA. If this is the only device connected to your RC battery, it will drain a fully charged battery in 2.475 hours. So yes, it will reduce battery life, but not unrealistically. That is the price to pay for the extra range. | ||
+ | |||
+ | BUSTED | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Power usage for the booster boards in the Aircraft ==== | ||
+ | There has been criticism that the boosters will reduce flight time excessively. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The capacity of a Mavic 2 battery is 3850 mAh. For a flight time of 30 minutes, the aircraft is therefore consuming 7700 mA on average. Assuming 1200 mA, the introduction of the booster board will reduce flight time by an estimated 15% | ||
+ | |||
+ | BUSTED | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== It gets too hot ==== | ||
+ | One user has reported " | ||
+ | |||
+ | A radio amplifier will convert power into amplified RF. One of the byproducts of the process is heat. The specifications of the booster boards refer to requirements for passive cooling. What does this mean? It is mandatory to mount the board to allow heat dissipation. During testing (before permanent installation), | ||
+ | |||
+ | BUSTED |