This is a simple totuorial showing you how to add Bluetooth and GPS to your TX16S:
Software:
Ai-Thinker serial port debugging assistant (docs.ai-thinke...)
or
HTerm (www.der-hammer...)
and optionally:
UBLOX u-center v22.07(www.u-blox.com...)
STL Files and other downloads:
drive.google.com/drive/folders/1SwYJUNcq_uOHvnscYHomzXt47cd0DGmA
Bluetooth setup:
Hardware:
MK1: FrSky Bluetooth Module (www.aliexpress...)
MK2: AT-09 / HC-10 Bluetooth BLE Module (www.aliexpress...)
4-pin Molex PicoBlade 1.25 (www.ebay.co.uk...)
Configuration:
1. Using a USB-TTL module, connect your Bluetooth module to your PC and open up an AT terminal. You can use any you like but I like to use the one from Ai-Thinker.
2. Select the COM port that you have connected your BLE module. Enure that you have connected TX and RX correctly.
3. On many boards, the BAUD RATE is set by default to 115000, but yours may not be. If you send somehting like AT+NAME and you get a response with random jibberish, change the baud rate and try again until you find the right one. Once you do, you can change the name. Follow the AT-09 data sheet for how to change the name of the BLE module. Change it to something random for now because the TX16S will rename it automatically, if you have enabled bluetooth in your custom firmware. If not, and rember you don't actually need to have bluetooth enabled in your build settings, you can name it to the default "TX16S by sending the command AT+NAMETX16S
4. You also need to make sure that your BLE baud rate is set to 115000. To do that, use *AT+BAUD8*. Once you make this change, you'll also need to chnage the baud rate of Ai-Thinker.
5. Your BLE module is now ready and all you need to is crimp female Dupont connectors to the 4-pin Molex PicoBlade cable.
6. Whilst you are doing this, it is worth lifting up that locking tab on the PicoBlade connector and swapping the wires around such that they fit the description on the motherboard, i.e. 5V is red, G is black, Tx is green and Rx is yellow.
7. Go into the radio settings and select *Telemetry Mirror" from the dropdown menu of AUX2.
GPS Setup:
Hardware:
Beitian BN-220 (www.aliexpress...)
Any other thin GPS module may work, but the baud rate for the GPS needs to be 9600 and the data output format needs to be NMEA.
1. If you want to test the BN-220 GPS module, you can use software like UBLOX u-center to ensure that the baud rate of your GPS module is 9600 and that the output is NMEA.
2. Same as with the Bluetooth BLE module, connect the USB-TTL adapter with the GPS unit, open the software, connect to the correct COM port ensuring that you have selected 9600 as your baud rate and wait for GPS satelites. u-center allows you to check the data, but you can also you can also just monitor the output of the GPS using Ai-Thinker or HTerm. If you see items like $GNRMC
and $GNGGA in your output, you should be good to go. The zeros and blank spaces only mean that you have no GPS fix at the moment.
3. As this GPS can work within a voltage range of 3.3V to 5V, you can connect it directly to AUX1, which is adjacent to the main processor on the radio. A diagram showing all ports can be found in on the Google drive link from above.
4. Use the STL file to print a thin version of the speaker mount and change the original part of this part. There are two versions of the file. I printed v1 of the file and I wasn't too happy with how it fits, but v2 should be perfect.
5. Mount the GPS underneath the Tx16S logo using some rolled up Gorilla tape as shown in the video.
6. Use the included connector cable with Dupont connectros on the other side and plug them into a 4-pin connector.
7. Take some 90-degree male connectos and remove the plastic holder and trim the short side by about 2mm to avoid a short with the screen below. The motherboad uses 2mm spacing on the holes so with some gentle persuasion, all the pins will go in and make contact witht the port.
8. Add some Gorilla tape to the gps connector and adhere the connector to the motherboard. I did not solder my connectors be it was not benefitial. This is only temporary while I get the right connector.
9. Go into the setting menu and select GPS from the dropdown menu of AUX1.
CREDITS TO RISTO FOR ALL HIS HELP!
You can add the modified Yappu Telemetry LUA Script by Risto if you want your Radio to be shown as a location, rather than your take-off location. The files are here:
github.com/rot...
If you would like to see transmitter GPS implementation in INAV for features like RTO (return to operator) or Follow-me modes, support my Feature Request on GitHub here:
github.com/iNa...