Rx4R ACCST D16 v2 upgrade

[davesieger]

I just picked up a used X10s and am in the process of upgrading the Tx and a couple of receivers. I am looking for upgrade instructions for the Rx4R. Can someone shed some light on this subject?

Thanks!
Dave

 

[Wayne]

Dave,

At this time we are writing up a guide for the steps on doing this. It will cover pretty much all of the options. Also, we are holding off on suggestiong this upgrade for a bit longer until fixes and testing can be completed. For now the risk is VERY low if you are not running the european (EU, LBT) firmware.

 

[davesieger]

Running OTx 2.3.5. I dont have any models converted over yet. I'm still working on learning setting up models, upgrades etc, then I'll get an old model setup first. If I have to upgrade it again I'll be more comfortable and confident!

 

[HENNY]

Dave
Running Opentx version 2.3.5 is fine and requires no receiver upgrade at this time. I believe what Wayne was referring to is the D16 protocol upgrades which is separate to the Opentx radio operating firmware. Basically FRsky keep control of the transmission protocols as this is the link between the X10S and the appropriate receiver. There is a new version released several weeks ago and this has not been fully tested, so stay where you are and wait for the testing to be completed.
Henny

 

[davesieger]

understood.

 

[TerryH]

Dave,
Here is the process I have used successfully to upgrade the receiver firmware using a X10s and servo extension wire to the receiver.

1) Goto the FrSky website to download the latest Rx firmware, which for your receiver would be at https://www.frsky-rc.com/rx4r/
2) unzip the file, selecting the correct firmware version, then copy the *.frk file to your SD card. Create a folder on your SD card named "FIRMWARE" and place the .frk file in this directory, then insert the SD card into your X10s.
3) Connect your receiver via a servo extension cable from the S.Port on the receiver to the connector on the back of the X10s radio under the rubber cover, it is the center connector. The critical piece of information is the correct polarity, below is an image with the correct orientation, make sure this is correct. The left side is the signal (yellow wire) and the right side is the ground wire (brown wire).
4) On the X10 menu, press the SYS button, select UPDATE. The firmware file name should be shown on the large screen to the left, select it with the right scroll knob, then select UPDATE. The process takes about a minute or two.

The key challenge, I had was knowing the correct orientation of the servo wire on the X10s as all of my servo cables are not keyed and I found no documentation for this info. I used a DVM to measure the voltage on each pin, which allowed me to determine which was the ground pin (right or left) as the center is always power

I hope this helps, as it is a simple process, once you know how to do it. I would defer to others for the correct firmware version to select, as I see there are many options.

Cheers,
Terry

 

[Wayne]

We will be releasing a mini-manual for the ACCST updates for the OpenTX users. There is a bit to it considering all of the different products. But the process isn't too bad at all.

 

[davesieger]

That worked flawlessly! Thanks Terry and Wayne!
Dave

 

[u2builder]

Do you need to disconnect the servos from the receiver when you update firmware ?

If that is difficult can you leave them connected, but disconnect the middle red + wire from the cable that goes from the RX to the TX and power the RX through the ESC. I do this to configure S6R receivers connected to my PC.

I am getting a new X10 Express and have dozens of receivers to update to D16V2 or ACCESS and would like not to have to disconnect servos if possible.

 

[Wayne]

Yes, disconnect as power distribution is the concern.

 

[Konrad]

Would plugging in a Vss (battery) directly into the servo power bus alleviate the risk of powering the servos through the Smart Port? My understanding is the the Smart Port (plus & minus pins) is limited to less than 0.5 amp. This is a real limitation particularly if using digital servos.

 

[HENNY]

The Transmitter powers up the receiver to get it into a flashing configuration mode. So applying power externally may damage the TX?

 

[Konrad]

As these are DC voltages I don't see any issue with phase angles, volts are volts.

 

[u2builder]

If you disconnect the red + wire from the smart port the servos connected to the receiver would not draw current from the radio. The receiver would be powered from an ESC or 4,8V receiver battery. Could the receiver firmware be flashed from the radio in this configuration?

Or does it need to be powered up from the radio, (in which case the servos need to be disconnected)?.

 

[HENNY]

I am not certain but the TX powers up the receiver perhaps in a boot loader mode. So if the receiver is powered externally I believe the flashing process will not succeed.