Trace:

Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

Link to this comparison view

Both sides previous revisionPrevious revision
Next revision		Previous revision
Last revisionBoth sides next revision
documentation:booster:start [2022/03/30 21:59] – gregkdocumentation:booster:start [2022/05/17 09:38] – gregk
Line 18: Line 18:
 We have had multiple users who have cooked their boards, through bad installation. We list below the most common mistakes. 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.+  - **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**: If the input voltage to a board is too high, this may damage the board. Test supply voltages before connecting to a booster board.   - **Voltage**: If the input voltage to a board is too high, this may damage the board. Test supply voltages before connecting to a booster board.
   - **Bad Antenna Connection**: If the output antenna line is poorly connected, this can cause the output signal to be reflected. Make sure the antenna connection is secured before use.   - **Bad Antenna Connection**: If the output antenna line is poorly connected, this can cause the output signal to be reflected. Make sure the antenna connection is secured before use.
Line 260: Line 260:
   - 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's play. The first version shows a StepUp board.
 +<figure stepupblock>
 +{{:documentation:booster:stepup.png?400|}}
 +<caption>**Relay Wiring Diagram (Step Up)**</caption>
 +</figure>
 +
 +And this version is identical, but shows a StepDown board in use.
 +<figure stepupblock>
 + {{:documentation:booster:stepdown.png?400|}}
 +<caption>**Relay Wiring Diagram (Step Down)**</caption>
 +</figure>
  
  
Line 357: Line 369:
 As part of pre-assembly, we have four wires ready to be connected. As part of pre-assembly, we have four wires ready to be connected.
  
-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 current to power the ready.+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 21.1 milliamps when your remote is turned on to power the relay. This is insignificant, and will not have any noticeable impact on battery life.
  
 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.
Line 363: Line 375:
   * 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.
  
  
Line 390: Line 402:
  
 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. 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, and once you turn them off, there is no power drain caused by custom mods like the booster boards. The remote control is different. The relay output contacts get power directly from the battery, and the relay coil is powered from a switched source elsewhere in the remote. The relay coil power should only be active after turning on the remote control. To prevent mistakes, use a multimeter to check the voltage going to the power modules is zero volts when the remote control is not turned on.