[Garry]

I'm having issues getting communications working between an OPLink Mini and a Revolution board.
Can someone please tell me what I'm doing wrong?  I want to use the OPLink Mini as the coordinator.
I have documented what I've done in the attached pdf file.

Garry

[hwh]

The screen captures in your pdf file come out too blurry on my system for me to read all the values but the procedure you described sounds right.

The last time we had this problem we went on for a few days before someone thought to ask the obvious so I'm going to ask it first this time.  Do you have antennas on both the oplink and revo?

[Garry]

Yes, Sir.  I have an Extra class Amateur Radio License and know not to key a transmitter without a load.  Thanks for asking.  I even found a link saying to remove the USB driver for the Revo and let 'Wonders' re-install it.  Still no go.  Maybe I should try another Revo; I did purchase a second one.
I also have a second OPLinkMini!

I have watched you tube videos by Painless360 and he shows how to connect it.
I thought I understood how to do it, but I can't get it to work.  I reduced power to 3.16mw in hopes that might do it, but no go.

I've posted a wordpad/word docx with better pictures.

Garry

[hwh]

I have a General license.

I may be missing something but I don't see anything wrong with the procedure you used or the settings you posted.  It usually takes about 15 - 20 seconds after both are powered up for it to link up.   I even copied your channel assignments to my oplink and revo and they worked.

Maybe someone else will see something or have a suggestion.

-Hank

[Highspeed1964]

I don't know if this would make a difference, but I have mine set to Min Chan = 0 and Max Chan = 250 (430.000 MHz to 440.000 MHz).  It should work with the settings you have unless there's interference on the selection of channels you've chosen.  I'd open it up to the full range of channels to try getting it working and then you can narrow down the channel selection from there if you need/want.

I also have mine running at 115200 baud and my Max Power is set to 25.

Finally, I also have the on-board OPLink (on the Revo) set as the coordinator and the OPLink Mini set as a slave.  I did this so that I could set up two laptops for monitoring (each with its' own OPLink Mini), one set on the Flight Data screen and the other set on the Scopes screen.  This was primarily for use while developing my custom home-built model and I wanted to be pretty thorough in my data before taking flight.  (It's still a work in progress so I haven't flown it yet.)

Hope this helps,

Highspeed

[f5soh]

Hi,

I cannot see your pictures in both files.

Please post a screenshot for both sides. Oplink and Revo.

Laurent

[Garry]

Laurent,
I have 5 screen captures.
OPLinkMini - OPLinkMini configuration
Revo_1 - Revo HW configuration
Revo_2 - Revo OPLink config
Revo_3 - Revo, RX, GPS, built-in OPLink powered by flight battery.  OPLinkMini connectred to PC.  No bind indication.
Revo_4 - Board HW Tab selected and nothing displayed.

I tried my second Revolution board and get the same results.

The Revo and OPLinkMini do work if I set the Revo as 'Coordinator'.  However, I can't control the vehicle
from the vehicle!  I need control from the GCS.

Garry

[f5soh]

Maybe try 57600 baudrate.

Connect Oplink first (coordinator) to computer
Next, connect Revo to external battery.

No need to hide the Serial number
The Revo ID looks strange, only 6 characters

[Garry]

I tried 57600 at 25 mw using a brand new Revo and a new OPLinkMini.  I used the entire 0-250 band.
Still will not show that they are bound.  I get a solid green and flickering yellow led on the coordinator (OPL Mini) and only a blue power led on the Revo.  I know there are alternating blue and yellow leds that flash when I connect the Revo to my laptop and the OPLink appears to be operating, but I'm not sure they should flash when connecting to the coordinator (OPL Mini); more Google searching to do!

Beginning to thing there might be a SW issue.  I programmed USAF Flight Simulators (real-time 20hz) for 20 years and problems do creep into the code distributions.

Garry

[f5soh]

SW issue maybe, i use Oplink as Rc command and telemetry since some time without issues.
If you are a programmer, maybe take a look at source code.
No need Google for that, all answers are here:
https://bitbucket.org/librepilot/librepilot/src

Try setting from scratch.
For testing purposes you can also test if you can get Tx/Rx exchange between two Revo boards, just monitoring the Oplink tab from the one connected to computer.

If you are a ham radio operator, you can easily check if your Oplink (coordinator) really transmit using a spectrum analyser or a UHF talky., you should hear channel switching.

[Highspeed1964]

The Revo and OPLinkMini do work if I set the Revo as 'Coordinator'.  However, I can't control the vehicle
from the vehicle!  I need control from the GCS.

Garry

Not familiar with controlling the vehicle through the OPLink so someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think "Coordinator" just means which is the slave and which is the master for establishing the link.  Unless "One-way" is checked in the configuration screen it should work either way.

Again, I may be wrong here so forgive me if I am.

Highspeed

[Garry]

Guys, thanks for the suggestions.  I'm almost out of airspeed and ideas!  I did make some progress today.
I set my vehicle Revo as slave and used the second one as a Master (Mini replacement).  The OPLink tab does not show any indications that the 'Master' is doing anything except transmitting.  No bind indications or RX indications (totally transparent!).  I am able to go to the vehicle page and move the sliders and do saves to my vehicle's Revo.  This is how I want it configured.  I didn't have a GPS connected, but I should be able to add waypoints using this configuration.

I have 'erased & updated' my 2 Revo's and 2 OPL Mini's.  From what I can tell, they all have rev 15.09.
I just can't get either OPL Mini to communicate with my Revos.

Today brought back memories of me digging through massive amounts of code trying to figure out why something didn't work in software.  I worked the F-15C/E Weapons System Trainers and the F-15S Aircraft Maintenance Trainer.  20 years of extremely long days!  Over a million lines of code and initially 2 sw engineers working the code.  FORTRAN (80%), C, C++, ADA 83(15%), and OpenGL code.  I 'cold started' it by myself (took a year)!

Maybe retirement isn't going to be fun!  I should have been flying my Ugly Stick today!
Maybe I'll give up on trying to use the Revo in an airplane to fly autonomous missions.
Anyone have success using the Revo in an airplane?

Garry 

[f5soh]

Did you test if ground Oplm really transmit using some RF detector or UHF receiver ?

[Garry]

No I didn't check for UHF emissions from the OPL Mini, but from the leds that are flashing I assumed it was transmitting.

Problem Solved!  Here is what I did to get the OPL Mini's to communicate with my Revolution boards.

Reference: http://opwiki.readthedocs.org/en/latest/appendices/bootloader.html
1.  I downloaded the latest bootloader:
OPLMini   4   OPLink Mini bu_oplinkmini.opfw   For use with GCS 13.06.01 and higher

2.  I followed the "How to Upgrade the Bootloader and Erase Settings" exactly.
The final erase gave no indication the it was completed.  I let the leds flash for 5 mins or so, then continued.

When I am connected to the Revolution board, using the OPL Mini, I get RX information and now get a blue signal bar indicating signal strength.

My OPL Mini now has a flickering yellow led and my Revolution board also has a flickering yellow led.
I can go to the Configuration tab and click on HW and see the Revolution board configuration displayed.
I can also go to Vehicle and change to airplane and select elevons.  I should have complete control of the Revolution using the UHF link from my PC.

My testing was done at 20mw and 57600 baud and the entire bandwith of 70cm.  I need to restrict it to appropriate UHF frequencies for my license.

I'm puzzled why the OPL Mini bootloader would prevent a connection link to the Revolution.
I failed to capture the original bootloader, so I don't have a clue what revision it was.
One OPL Mini came from EBay and one from Banggood.

I hope this helps others get their OPL Mini connected to their Revolution!

I want to thank everyone for helping me with this!  I spent several hours testing and reading and by no means am an expert!  I really appreciate everyone making great suggestions and together I believe we have solved the issue. 

Garry....."Gone Flying"!

[f5soh]

I think bootloader has nothing related with issue.
Most sure something related to flash erase not done correctly at some point.

Great, finally resolved