Jenny2657
Mar 07, 2006, 03:03 PM
After seeing this post and becoming inspired: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=151635&pp=15&highlight=6xa+memory
and this one: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=152854 , I became interested in expanding the memory capacity of my Futaba 6XAS, and hopefully putting off buying yet another transmitter for at least a little while. While thinking about this, I decided that I also wanted the ability to copy the contents of the memory chips to and from my PC for backup, and for copying data to and from the internal and external memories via the PC. It also occured to me that the popular freeware program, IC-Prog includes the 24C04 serial EEPROM in its supported devices list. I've discovered that this chip is what the T6XA uses, and that my friend's Airtronics VG6000 uses the chip's bigger sister, the 24C08. Both of these chips are IIC serial "two-wire" eeproms, with no large address or data buses to hand-wire. I suspect that this mod will work on any transmitter that uses these devices.
I also didn't want to make any unsightly permanent modifications to the case and I didn't want to add or reassign any switches, and I feel that I've come up with a somewhat elegant solution to those requirements. The end result is a small connector, hot-glued to the front of the transmitter for expansion modules and a small four-pin PC inteface connector underneath the battery cover.
That said, I wouldn't recommend this modification to anyone not familiar with basic electronic skills and knowledge, as it does involve cutting one trace on the PC board and involves constructing a very small circuit that must fit into a small space. Also, I haven't flown any aircraft with this transmitter as of yet, although it does function normally and the modification does work as intended. I don't anticipate any problems with this transmitter in flight, unless anyone can pose any potential problem.
Attached is a schematic and text file, and I will post photos of the modification if anyone is interested.
Jen >^..^<
and this one: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=152854 , I became interested in expanding the memory capacity of my Futaba 6XAS, and hopefully putting off buying yet another transmitter for at least a little while. While thinking about this, I decided that I also wanted the ability to copy the contents of the memory chips to and from my PC for backup, and for copying data to and from the internal and external memories via the PC. It also occured to me that the popular freeware program, IC-Prog includes the 24C04 serial EEPROM in its supported devices list. I've discovered that this chip is what the T6XA uses, and that my friend's Airtronics VG6000 uses the chip's bigger sister, the 24C08. Both of these chips are IIC serial "two-wire" eeproms, with no large address or data buses to hand-wire. I suspect that this mod will work on any transmitter that uses these devices.
I also didn't want to make any unsightly permanent modifications to the case and I didn't want to add or reassign any switches, and I feel that I've come up with a somewhat elegant solution to those requirements. The end result is a small connector, hot-glued to the front of the transmitter for expansion modules and a small four-pin PC inteface connector underneath the battery cover.
That said, I wouldn't recommend this modification to anyone not familiar with basic electronic skills and knowledge, as it does involve cutting one trace on the PC board and involves constructing a very small circuit that must fit into a small space. Also, I haven't flown any aircraft with this transmitter as of yet, although it does function normally and the modification does work as intended. I don't anticipate any problems with this transmitter in flight, unless anyone can pose any potential problem.
Attached is a schematic and text file, and I will post photos of the modification if anyone is interested.
Jen >^..^<