PPM inputs on Turnigy 9X running ER9x.

[EraJomppa]

Okay, first off: I built a headtracker (link to the project on RCG) using an arduino that plugs into the trainer port and inputs the head movements (all 3 axis if I wish) to 3 different channels that I can choose (at input, choose PPM1-8). It works like a charm and I can trim it using the GUI provided.

I want more! How hard would that be?

Let me explain as best as I can what I want... I'm planning on doing a project with my friend (part of that is making a plane) and we want to use a custom made PC simulator controls to actually control an RC model. One way to do this would be to route the potentiometers from the simulator controller into an arduino and with the arduino connected to the Radio transmitter input the controls to the PPM channels.

I have never made any programming on arduino before. I'v read a lot of tutorials on their site, I'v modified some multiwii sketches but that's all.

I'd like to know if there is someone who is competent with arduino stuff to maybe help me with stuff if I run into problems and/or maybe even help developing some of the code?

BTW I also would like to include the headtracker program into the same arduino so that we could have both the headtracker and simulator controls going through the arduino into the PPM channels of the transmitter.

I dare not read what I just wrote because I think it might not make sense to me either... But if you grasped the idea, please share some thoughts on the matter

 

[EraJomppa]

Reason I want to do this with arduino, is since I can leave the transmitter pretty much unmodified (I'v already modified it a lot but I would not have to modify it further). The other choice would be to strip the potentiometers from the radio's sticks and put them to the simulator controller (or rewire the transmitter to rather use the potentiometers of the simulator controller).

The other reason being, if I can leave the transmitter untouched, all the controlling of the RC plane can be done via the simulator controller. This leaves the controller free for emergency situations! If for example my friend is flying the plane (he is not an RC pilot, he flies full scale gliders) and he makes an error or the FPV signal goes down, I can be there with the transmitter in hand ready to overtake the control of the plane and fly it safely down LOS.
If we rip the wires out of the potentiometers of the radio, there is no backup safety controller.

 

[EraJomppa]

I think this would call for a bigger, higher capacity, Arduino board. I don't know how hard it might be to merge something new into the existing code of the headtracker, but I think that translating potentiometer (analog input) into PPM signals might not be too hard if you have the knowledge of how the PPM stuff works (I'm a bit blurry on the subject yet, but I'm trying to study when I have time).