Jamara Calisto heli PPM-serial interface

[kpapr1]

Hello guys,

I am new to helicopters and I bought myself a JAMARA Calisto. After crashing it plenty of times I got tired and decided to get a simulator. FMS looked great and since there is no interace for its transmitter, I made one myself. It is a serial interface and converts the PPM protocol (which is not exactly as it should be) to serial data. If anyone is interested I can email the schematics (quite simple really) and the code. I can send a programmed microcontroller (AVR MEGA8515). Does anyone know if there is a place to upload everything to a site somewhere?

[Hogman]

[kpapr1]

[Hogman]

[kpapr1]

[Hogman]

Hi kakpr1,

Thanks for your help mate but i think you are slightly missing the point. The PC isn't seeing any input. To answer your questions i am using the latest version of fms downloaded just last week from this site. i have also just tried to run it using my old Futaba Challenger radio and a commercially purchased serial lead for that Transmitter. Again the computer does not see anything. WHY?

What needs to be configured in windows to allow the PC to even see an input?

So the above proves that it is not the Transmitter, or the lead, only thing left is the PC. I keep reading about PPJoy, but i am sure that that program is for those wanting to run the Transmitter output into the PC via the Joystick port. Is that right? i want to pass the signal in through the com port and you tell me that i do not need to configure anything in windows. Then why the F**k does the PC see no input at all!!!!!

PLEASE THINK AGAIN AND HELP ME!

[Hogman]

Hold on mate,

i think i may just have found the problem. The FAQ says that the PIC interface is supported on FMS beta 7. i am running FMS alpha 8.5, the latest version. Is it that i need to be running the previous version in order for the input to serial ports be detected. If that is the case, then why the F**k does the download page show beta 7 as being compatable with windows 98, me, 2k and not XP, whilst the alpha 8.5 is the version that says it is compatable with XP. Could i suggest that if this is the case the the compatability information is clearly misleading and must be causing problems for many users.

What do you think?

[phildc]

To help with diagnostics, there is a sticky in the 'Errors and problems' ->'Windows Version' part:
Sticky: Diagnostic techniques and tools - in case of problems.

Maybe some tools may help you..

Also do a search on 'Zhen Hua' protocol ??

Phil.

[phildc]

Doing some back-reading, I see that you build your interface yourself. Giving technical data could help us to help you...

Phil.

[Hogman]

Hi Guys,

i have found the problem and i believe that it was caused by very poor information given on this site. Sorry but there it is.

i have found that if you are running windows xp and you want to use the serial pic interface, you must be running FMS version 2.0 beta 7 and not the latest alpha 8.5, even though your download page says that alpha 8.5 is compatable with xp, and that beta 7 is not compatable with xp, well at least it does not include xp in with its list of compatable operating systems.

i would strongly suggest that you correct this incorrect and misleading information.

Many thanks to the various people who have tried to help solve my problems and i am sorry that it turned out to be such a simple mistake.

[phildc]

Could someone check this: "8.5 not working on XP in PIC serial" ?

Personnaly, I have the '7' running on XP (home version) with PIC serial and I am not going to check the '8.5'. Maybe there are other parameters that can cause a problem.

I don't like negative comments like 'poor documentation', aso. I prefer hearing 'thank you for this very good FREE software'.

And leaving partial or maybe false info like this on the forum will certainly NOT improve the quality of info for other users.

Sorry, I had to react.
Phil.

[phildc]

And remember to give info about your cable (the cause could be found there) and maybe the serial tests that you did with the cable.
Your posts are very poor in terms of technical info that could be useful.
Phil.

[Hogman]

Hi phildc,

Yes my comments are negative, but they are accurate, at least in my case and i can only speak for my case. i can say this because i unistalled fms 8.5, installed fms 7, and without changing anything else, cable, transmitter, windows settings, etc. upon launching fms 7 and putting in exactly the same setup as i had with fms 8, it worked straight away.

i'm sorry if you didn't like my comments, but check it yourself, and you will find i believe that i am right. So as i said, the information on the download page is misleading and inaccurate.

[phildc]

Hi Hogman, you are 'right' from your point of view, but this does not necessarily mean 'really right' for all XP 8.5 pic serial connections. That's why I asked for other advices.
Let's make it clear:
I will not make the test myself. There are many other users who can provide their own experience, and specialists who can better explain.
I only want that the information given on this forum is accurate and well documented. Therefore I wanted to have more information.
From another point of view (let's call it more 'scientific'), I asked for some tech info from you (for example about the cable) to help diagnose the problem, but until now, you did not provide it.
I do not make it 'personal'. I am not using the 8.5 until now, and I am not planning to do so in the near future. Again, I only want that the best possible info is available. If there is no other post in this topic, it will stay as it is, assuming that everybody is satisfied with the info as it is.

Phil.