TrainingSphere - 10 - Programming the transmitter

Programming the Transmitter

Since the hardware is finished, it's time to work on system setups.

First of all, I programmed the transmitter (a Taranis X9D. BTW, if you don't know the Taranis, google it: it's a open-source transmitter, so you can do everything you want with it!)

The first thing to do is... to upgrade the transmitter firmware. This is required not just to have the latest version, but because the European version of the transmitter is shipped with a firmware that does not support D8 modulation, which is the only modulation supported by the receiver I installed on the TrainingSphere.

Upgading the firmware is very easy

1. Remove the TF card from the card slot of TARANIS Plus battery compartment, and insert into the computer's SD reader
2. Download the firmware from FrSky website download section and copy the .bin file into the “FIRMWARES” folder on the SD card
   
3. Insert the TF card back into the card slot of TARANIS Plus battery compartment.
4. Turn on the transmitter while pushing T1 and T4, the screen will display "Taranis Bootloader". Choose "Write Firmware", and then press the ENT button.
   
5. Select the bin file that you’d like to upgrade to and then press the ENT button.
   
   
   
6. Wait and succeed, turn off the transmitter.

I created a new model for the training sphere

I selected the multirotor option, as this is the most closed to the training sphere. I initially selected the "helicopter" option, but in this case you will be asked to select the channels for cyclical, tail rotor, etc

Then I choose the proper channels for each command, namely throttle, pitch, roll and yaw

After the model wizard has completed, I edited the model to make the following changes:

1. entered the model name
2. select the output format to D8
3. select the channel for selecting the flight mode (channel 5) and for the RTL (Return to Launch) function. The latter is not strictly required since the training sphere is not going to use GPS, but in any case it doesn't harm

That's completes the transmitter setup. Next step is to bind the transmitter to the receiver. This is a very common procedure, and there are a lot of very clear tutorials, like this one . The basic steps are

1. press the switch button on the receiver and turn it on
2. switch on the transmitter, select the model and scroll to the [Bind] command. Press the ENT button
3. the red LED on the receiver will flash. This means that the receiver has been  bound
4. cycle the power on the receiver