FrSky X-lite and XM+ reciever help

silvrrubi592

New member
I have checked all the wiring and triple checked all the connections. I'm using the F3 Femto board in the Gremlin build kit. The board works in Betaflight. The receiver appears to bind to the radio (steady greenlight). I followed the build video on Youtube for the Gremlin that Flitetest did, and I only changed the receiver type to SBUS, because it's an SBUS receiver according to the paperwork. I also updated the radio and the FC board.

The radio is not "talking" to the model, or at least the model isn't responding. Not in Betaflight, and not when disconnected from the computer.
Anyone have any ideas where I'm going off track? Do I need to update the receiver for it to work, even though it seems to be bound? Is there a way to confirm the binding through software?
 

Chappie66

Active member
Power your receiver/quadcopter back on. Verify that it is showing a solid green light, indicating that it is successfully communicating with the radio. If your RX supports telemetry, you should see radio signal telemetry show up on your Taranis’ screen.

One common problem getting SBUS to work: RX is bound to TX (solid LED on RX) but not getting signal to FC (no activity in receiver tab).
  • Make sure TX is in D16 mode
  • Some FC have built-in SBUS inversion, some don’t. Try setting SBUS inversion on or off
 

pressalltheknobs

Posted a thousand or more times
XM+ does not support telemetry. Very unlikely you will need to update the RX firmware just to get it to work. That RX has been out for a long time and the last update was from march of 2017.

The XM+ does have firmware options around how the RSSI value gets added to the SBUS stream but those are optional. See...
https://www.frsky-rc.com/xm-plus-mini-sbus-non-telemetry-full-range/

There is the mysterious "Fix the bug" comment but it's probably to do with the RSSI feature. Since the RX is apparently binding it's almost certainly working properly as far as emitting an SBUS stream.

Almost certainly the problem is something to do with the SBUS connection/configuration with your FC. F3 based FCs have software configurable inversion on I/O port. Betaflight should let you set it.

On possible issue is the model programming on your X-lite. Generally a default model has CH1-CH4 hooked up to the four stick directions and that should just work. However, for a channel to move in OpenTX you must have at least one line for it on the MIXER page and the Source field of that line must be set to a control either directly of via an INPUT. It is possible to remove the MIXER line for the channel and in that case the channel will not move. Similarly if you want to use more channels than the 4 setup in the default model you must add at least one mixer line for each channel you want to use. D16 supports up to 16 channels and you can set the range of channels used when you select and configure the internal module on the Model setting page. It should be set to 1-8 or 1-16. 1-8 gives slightly better latency
 

silvrrubi592

New member
Power your receiver/quadcopter back on. Verify that it is showing a solid green light, indicating that it is successfully communicating with the radio. If your RX supports telemetry, you should see radio signal telemetry show up on your Taranis’ screen.

One common problem getting SBUS to work: RX is bound to TX (solid LED on RX) but not getting signal to FC (no activity in receiver tab).
  • Make sure TX is in D16 mode
  • Some FC have built-in SBUS inversion, some don’t. Try setting SBUS inversion on or off
I forgot about the inversion thing. i'll look into that.
 

silvrrubi592

New member
Okay, so the receiver is now responding in Betaflight to the radio on the receiver screen, and the channels are now correct. I messed that up in the original set up apparently - and may have been part of the entire problem. Betaflight is now also remembering the board after disconnect. That's another thing that wasn't happening. Now the mode/arm switches aren't responding/getting setup in Betaflight. They have been added on the radio. Could this be a problem between the board firmware and the radio/receiver firmware? I updated board and radio to the newest, but not the receiver.
Also, on the motor screen, with the safety checked to allow motor operation, I can move the sliders and the motors work, but not with the radio. And nothing happens when it's disconnected from the computer. I don't understand. It show's it's communicating, but there' no function.
 

CarolineTyler

Legendary member
Okay, so the receiver is now responding in Betaflight to the radio on the receiver screen, and the channels are now correct. I messed that up in the original set up apparently - and may have been part of the entire problem. Betaflight is now also remembering the board after disconnect. That's another thing that wasn't happening. Now the mode/arm switches aren't responding/getting setup in Betaflight. They have been added on the radio. Could this be a problem between the board firmware and the radio/receiver firmware? I updated board and radio to the newest, but not the receiver.
Also, on the motor screen, with the safety checked to allow motor operation, I can move the sliders and the motors work, but not with the radio. And nothing happens when it's disconnected from the computer. I don't understand. It show's it's communicating, but there' no function.
This series is super for arming issues...
Unless you override it the quad will not arm if the USB lead is connected.
 

silvrrubi592

New member
Yeah, it was over ridden in Betaflight, so that's not it. The switches aren't even active on the receiver tab.
Several hours of combing YouTube, some of them Bardwell's videos, I found someone who mentioned having to set the switches up on the Mixer tab in the radio in addition to the inputs tab. We'll see if this one fixes it. Note to self, just because it's the better reviewed system …… cheaper might be easier. If I had just gotten the big old Spectrum basement model, I would have been flying weeks ago.
 

silvrrubi592

New member
Thank you to everyone who offered advice! It's somewhat functional now.
When they said Open TX was "complicated", it was a vary bad understatement. On the plus side, it works now. I just need to set switch directions now. (SERIOUSLY!! We're that customizable with this thing??) At least the arm switch works, modes doesn't yet. At least I know all the parts do work now.
 

Bricks

Master member
Thank you to everyone who offered advice! It's somewhat functional now.
When they said Open TX was "complicated", it was a vary bad understatement. On the plus side, it works now. I just need to set switch directions now. (SERIOUSLY!! We're that customizable with this thing??) At least the arm switch works, modes doesn't yet. At least I know all the parts do work now.


I know your pain I have Spektrum and thought I would try Frysky picked up a Taranis transmitter to give it a try after 2 months of frustration I sold it and kept my Spektrum. Biggest problem to me was there are many different ways to do the same thing so each write up or video were different which totally confused the heck out of me. Glad you are finally getting it to work .

With the Spektrum DX series there really is nothing FrySky can do that Spektrum cannot only advantage with FrySky is you get more channels with less money.
 

silvrrubi592

New member
I can maybe understand needing to activate the switches and assign the function. But to have to do it on 2 screens, and then basically twice on each screen....on the Mixer screen when I'm technically NOT mixing anything. And nobody, mentioned the 2nd screen. It's mostly working now, I think, so I'll dupe the working one and hope for the best for the future.
 

silvrrubi592

New member
Well, assuming I did it correctly and that's probably not the case again, I removed the one from the Input tab, leaving it only on the mixer tab.....and I added 2 more (for air and horizon mode) and...….yup you guessed it...…...nada. Zilch. Goose egg. Nothing.

Now, I'm not saying you're wrong. I'm just saying that what SHOULD happen and does for others, does not happen in my little horrific corner of the world.
 

Chappie66

Active member
Well, assuming I did it correctly and that's probably not the case again, I removed the one from the Input tab, leaving it only on the mixer tab.....and I added 2 more (for air and horizon mode) and...….yup you guessed it...…...nada. Zilch. Goose egg. Nothing.

Now, I'm not saying you're wrong. I'm just saying that what SHOULD happen and does for others, does not happen in my little horrific corner of the world.
Screen shot of input and mixer screen?

I am no expert, but I have a Taranis as well, and the learning curve was rough at first. Wrapping my head around the fact that the inputs page is virtual; transforming an input type to a virtual input value, like IThr. On the inputs screen is where I do all of my settings that control functionality: throttle curves, hold, rates, etc... so Input 4 could be IThr. Does not equate to channel 4 on a receiver, that is done on the mix page.

On the mix screen (AKA outputs) is where the virtual input value is mapped to an output, IThr (say input 4) = channel 1 or 3 or whatever in the case of FrSky RXs (non FrSky RXs have set channels for AETR or TAER, etc..). It is in this menu that I do mixing, flaperons, flap to elevator, etc...

Not sure if this helps but it made my life a little more simple as I am programming.
 

silvrrubi592

New member
Screen shot of input and mixer screen?

I am no expert, but I have a Taranis as well, and the learning curve was rough at first. Wrapping my head around the fact that the inputs page is virtual; transforming an input type to a virtual input value, like IThr. On the inputs screen is where I do all of my settings that control functionality: throttle curves, hold, rates, etc... so Input 4 could be IThr. Does not equate to channel 4 on a receiver, that is done on the mix page.

On the mix screen (AKA outputs) is where the virtual input value is mapped to an output, IThr (say input 4) = channel 1 or 3 or whatever in the case of FrSky RXs (non FrSky RXs have set channels for AETR or TAER, etc..). It is in this menu that I do mixing, flaperons, flap to elevator, etc...

Not sure if this helps but it made my life a little more simple as I am programming.
Actually, this helps a lot. It proves my point that the switches have to be set up on 2 tabs in the Tx. My arm switch would not work until I added it to the mixer tab. Thank You!!