Raspberry Pi Virtual Reality Arcade -- Episode 364

Yeah you caught something important.

the rf modules listed are ones availabe at the time that should work for that application, wiring is the same as with the 5,8ghz. Signal ,gnd and power it is that simple. Receiver and sender need to be tuned to the exact same frequency. BUT here is the catch: it is not legal to use these modules in all countries and for some specific applications, the law differs vastly among places and has significantly changed since that video was published (almost two years).
I have used a 5,8Ghz transmitter that I modified to allow for only 20mW of transmitting power and restricted it to the B-band to be legal at my specific location(at that time). the modules listed are ISM band and only allowed for short bursts as someone else nearby could use the same frequency for a garage door  or a weather station. Meanwhile new applications for that spectrum are prohibited in my area.

5,8Ghz also gives you a better trasnission rate but lower reach.

Its not possible to give advice or an rf solution that will work for everybody or is even legal in that persons location so you need to inform yourself about your specific needs.

to my knowledge the specific module I used is no longer available.

But in general: you want:

Analog transmission

An ISM range that is usable without license

maybe tunable frequencys or auto-hopping

good antennas

conenctions are just signla , power, gnd

Hi Clem,

Great video, but I can't seem to grasp the connections for each part in the video accurately. 
For example, the listing AM-RX12E-433P -  RF RECEIVER MODULE, 433.92, -110DBM is shown before the video cuts into "Component layout and solder" part but I do not see how it is connected to the Raspberry Pi board (or if I have missed it do let me know) Also, is there a difference in connection from the 5.8GHz transmitter used in the video and the TRANSMITTER 433.92MHZ 3KBPS SIP listed?

Thank you!

Hi,

first this is not a typical beginner project and its not as well documented as a beginner needs, so be aware that things can go poof when mistakes are made. I also only recall stuff from memory and this is two years back.

1)the headers are just there to allow me to plug/unplug stuff , just to allwo changing it around without sodering. use headers whenever possible, that a golden rule of making as Ben heck said "build things you can take apart". Some of them may be unused in the final build.

2) the switch selects band and channel of the 5,8ghz module, the particular one is modded to suit the legal requirements of my country of residence so you need to find out what you need to do for your location on your own here is a handy guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nt6kYWbMQIM
its the same circuit for the sender module that I used and the switch is connected the same way. the  grey wire is a coaxial cable (so two wires in one) they connect the output signal and its corresponding gnd to the antenna plug mounted on the side of the decive and that connects to the 5,8ghz antenna.

3) the lipo I used is a 2s (two cell) lipo the battery + and minus lead go to the  BEC that regulates them down to 5V, the other wires of the battery go nowhere. they are the balance wires just used to charge it with an RC-lipopack charger.

the varaint with a power boost1000 requires a single cell lipo (with bigger capacity)-> + and - go to the powerboost1000 (no other wires present).
but to make this work with a pi, you need to make at least two of the power supply assemblies, to double up on deliveryble current, for a Pi1 or 2 you need 2A for pi3 and 4 you will need 3A.therefore 3 assemblies are required.

there are nowadays for sure easier or more convenient ways to do this, keep in mind that project is several years old.

Don't wait for my responses, the number one hack in making stuff is not to ask people but to gather information yourself from the internet and learn to interprete it.
Not every answer you get will be correct (not even mine are guaranteed to be correct), and nobody will write code for you. I recommend starting with tiny easy projects and working your way up building upon stuff you already did.

Hi Clem,

This is to inform that I am new to Rpi and have just started to work with it. This project is a very big kick for me and I would like to give it a try. If you can help me understand it better, It'd be really helpful. Couple of questions might be a very basic, but I would like to get more clarity on the following items : -

1) Purpose of header used in PCB

2) Purpose of RKZC switch on the 5.8 video module and where does the grey wire from the module get's connected?

3) Where does the other end of the lithium battery go? 2 wires are connected to the power booster. I can infer it from the diagram. Where does the other 2 go?

If I can get clarity on these items first, I can complete the circuit.

Thanks for understanding. I hereby await your response.

the BEC that I eventually ended up using came from my stockpile of old project parts, it once belonged to a nrc plane. but you should get by if doubling up ont hte powerboost or just use any other means of supply that allows for 5V @3A

Thank you...!!!
Additionally the power boost that you've used is different from the one you had listed in your product listing table.

here is a list of the testpoints

PP24 COMPOSITE VIDEO

PP25 AUDIO_L

PP26 AUDIO_R

PP27 VBUS (USB 5V power)

PP34 GND

you just connect them to corresponding pins on your other modules  (audio L to audio L and so on)each also need a common gnd and volatage supply, I advise against sniffing the power off the pi but taking it from the PSU/BEC to avoid overloading the pis pins.

If the game runs you must see an output on these points with an oszilloscope or by feeding the signla into a capable device (I used an old portable tv).
if not then you need to activate Composite and audio output first in the OS. back the ni had to adapt a file, but I think in the current version of RPI-OS you can do it in the GUI.
default all signals go to hdmi0 but we want them on Conmposite and analog audio.

Hi Clem,

Can you elaborate on the connection of the Adafruit stereo amplifier module. You mentioned that it is connected to the test points of the audio left and right. It is a bit confusing.

Which PINs from the Adafruit go to the Rpi

Can't power a pi from 3,7V directly without boost and protection.
that was the module that was available at the time.

but as you see i nthe video i replaced it with a BEC salvaged from a model aircraft and a 2s lipo to get more juice out of it.
You can make this work with two powerboost 1000 as well and 2 1s lipos.

on most projects the  reason for a particular module is : I nned to solve X challenge--> that module is available and gets it done fast.
on other porjects I design such a circuit  from scratch to fit certain specifiactaions like size and power, but not on this one.

If I may....!!! Why have you used "2465 -  PowerBoost 1000 LiPo Charger 5V 1A Boost"

Wanted to understand the reason