We will be releasing a transmitter module for the Aurora 9 in the near future. There has been some talk about latency with the Aurora 9 and Hitec AFHSS system. You will see from the info and pictures in the next post that the latency is is real. The problem is about 50/50 with their transmitter code and 2.4GHz system.

Our new module will let you use sensors plugged into our receiver and see these on the Aurora 9's display just like it was part of the Aurora 9's sensor system. Just like with the Aurora 9 setup, without any sensors you get the receiver battery voltage and in our case you also get the signal strength. We put the signal strengh in the GPS meter. So if you go to the cockpit display, you can see the signal strength in dB.

We also working on support for the stock Hitec telemetry system so it can be plugged directly into our receiver.

So, what are the advantages of our system over the Hitec 2.4GHz system? Here is a list:

Wireless firmware updates
Wireless settings changes
Faster - less latency
Fastet servo outputs available (absolutely no swash plate interactions)
Support for more sensors options
Much lower receiver voltage operation (down to 2.1v - no need for SPC)
Smallest receivers (<3g and only $29.95)
6, 8, and 10 channel receivers available

The latency test was conducted using the same test equipment. The equipment consisted of a RIGOL DS1102CD digital storage scope / logic analyzer, an Aurora 9 transmitter, and an A123 battery pack for the receiver.

The channel 1 scope input was connected to switch "F" on the Aurora 9. This switch was used to trigger the capture. The channel 2 scope input was connected to the digital data output (for the module) on the Aurora 9. This is the data that is sent to the module. The logic analyzer inputs (D0-D7) were connected to the receiver pins.

The Aurora 9 was setup so that channel 1 was AUX4 (as was channel 8). When switch "F" was toggle from high to low, the data was captured. This shows the sequence of events that occured after the switch changed states. What we are looking for here is the amount of time it takes for the change in the switch state to appear on the servo pin. In this test case, it was how long does it take from the time the switch is thrown until the wave form on channel 1 goes from skinny to wide.

The worst case scenaro was chosen for time. The Hitec system has a total latency of 56.8ms. With our new 2.4GHz module, that latency is reduced by 21.2ms!

Let's talk servo outputs... nobody, and we mean NOBODY has faster servo outputs that we do. Forget "grouped" outputs where 2 servos are output at pretty close to the same time. How about ALL of the channels output at virtually the same time. 3 channel CCPM has aboslutely ZERO swash plate interactions! 3D Helicopter pilots get 100% perfectly predictable control!

ooh, data with pictures... it's a like a geek playboy...

Pretty tight. This just may change my opinion of XPS in a big way.

Looks really nice, but if there is no SPC, how do you get the flight pack voltage in electric models?

Personally, I think anybody who tells you that a human being can tell the difference between .00056 seconds and .00035 seconds is yanking your chain. Most casual pilots can discern time in tenths of a second, few can discern hundredths of a second, and nobody is going to tell the difference to the detail of two one-thousands of a second. This nitpicking is really for pro pilots, IMO.

The best way to improve response time on ANY remote control vehicle is to use better servos. Changing to a high speed digital servo will be visibly noticed by ANY pilot.

Not that XPS shouldn't brag about their system, it's fast and accurate, which will give extreme pilots peace of mind. And the XPS wireless module is seriously slick. Mine won't run in windows 7, but it works great on my Win XP laptop.

When are the Aurora XPS modules going to be available? And will sensors plug into servo slots somehow, thus reducing available servos? The Hitec receivers have dedicated data ports for telemetry functions, so all servo slots can be used for servos. Also, will it work with older XPS receivers and with the little 6 channel receivers? Hitec 6 channels don't have the data port for telemetry.

And can we from outside the US get them directly from XPS, or do we still have to go through the local distributor who appears to have lost interest in your system? In my case, the distributor is NTC which is based in Singapore.

chewy

Originally Posted by Wind_of_Change

Personally, I think anybody who tells you that a human being can tell the difference between .00056 seconds and .00035 seconds is yanking your chain. Most casual pilots can discern time in tenths of a second, few can discern hundredths of a second, and nobody is going to tell the difference to the detail of two one-thousands of a second. This nitpicking is really for pro pilots, IMO.

"Most casual pilots can discern time in tenths of a second"... we're talking about half of one tenth of a second. So maybe it's more than a casual pilot, but it's still rather serious. May seem like splitting hairs, but it's not 0.00056 and 0.00035, it's actually... 0.056 and 0.035 of a second.

The best way to improve response time on ANY remote control vehicle is to use better servos. Changing to a high speed digital servo will be visibly noticed by ANY pilot.

...and if you were already running high speed servos, well, you're hosed

Originally Posted by beenflying

Looks really nice, but if there is no SPC, how do you get the flight pack voltage in electric models?

Through a telemetry sensor that can measure voltage, temperature, RPMs, etc.

Originally Posted by Wind_of_Change

Personally, I think anybody who tells you that a human being can tell the difference between .00056 seconds and .00035 seconds is yanking your chain. Most casual pilots can discern time in tenths of a second, few can discern hundredths of a second, and nobody is going to tell the difference to the detail of two one-thousands of a second. This nitpicking is really for pro pilots, IMO.

A human can tell the difference. Trust me, everyone from paintball players to classical pianost can tell the difference just a few milliseconds makes.

Originally Posted by Wind_of_Change

Not that XPS shouldn't brag about their system, it's fast and accurate, which will give extreme pilots peace of mind. And the XPS wireless module is seriously slick. Mine won't run in windows 7, but it works great on my Win XP laptop.

ALL of our software works fine under Windows 7 (and every version of Windows clear back to Win95). Under Windows 7 (just like 64bit Vista) you must install and be running all of our programs in Administrator mode.

Originally Posted by Wind_of_Change

When are the Aurora XPS modules going to be available? And will sensors plug into servo slots somehow, thus reducing available servos? The Hitec receivers have dedicated data ports for telemetry functions, so all servo slots can be used for servos. Also, will it work with older XPS receivers and with the little 6 channel receivers? Hitec 6 channels don't have the data port for telemetry.

There is no release date yet. We are still testing, but we do expect them soon.

Our Nano receivers do not have a data port, but they are extremely small (much smaller than Hitec's 6 channel receivers). Our new 8/10/12/16 channel receivers all have data ports, as do our current 8/10 channel receivers. Our receivers have a dedicated telemetry port (labeled B/T).

Originally Posted by chewytm

And can we from outside the US get them directly from XPS, or do we still have to go through the local distributor who appears to have lost interest in your system? In my case, the distributor is NTC which is based in Singapore.

chewy

You are able to order any product directly now.

Oops, sorry, you're right. I moved the decimal too far, thought he said .56 milliseconds.

Even then, only hard 3d pilots and xtreme chopper guys would notice, so it's not going to affect the average pilot. I fly pretty aggressive 3D, and the Aurora is really locked in, better than any of my previos 7 radios.

But if you're running high speed digital servos and flying extreme aerobatic choppers, and you can honestly tell me the Aurora isn't fast enough for you, then you are in an EXTREME minority. I think you guys take these extreme positions about minute fractions and turn them into ridiculously overblown issues that affect one in maybe a thousand pilots.

Even then, I'm a huge fan of these modular systems. So if XPS can deliver a product that's a fraction on a fraction of a second faster, and turn it into a profitable product that benefits bleeding edge pilots, then more power to them! Every ounce of innovation that they can bring to market only pushes the quality of what's available in the future, and I applaud their efforts! I was a very early adopter of XPS tech, and am always eager to see what they're going to dream up next.

I am not a hard 3D pilot, but I can tell the difference between the MX-16 and the Aurora 9 (even with our new module) when flying my foamie.

Originally Posted by JimDrew

I am not a hard 3D pilot, but I can tell the difference between the MX-16 and the Aurora 9 (even with our new module) when flying my foamie.

That is hard to believe.

Udo

I thought it would be too, but it is true. I hope that Hitec fixes this issue.