Project Description
Arduino-based, bare-metal RC transmitter with an external programming App for the mixers.

Smart RC TX is an exciting new Arduino-based RC transmitter for remote controlled hobby models.
The novelty of this project lies within the way the transmitter is programmed. We openly depart from the usual rotate-and-click style programming of the currently available transmitters and get rid of all those built-in black-and-white LC-displays in the process.

This way, the transmitter is left in charge of its core responsibility - mixing the stick inputs and delivering the result to the RF module, which can be achieved with even the simplest Arduino boards on the market.
The mixers are programmed with devices most of us have in our pockets these days: smartphones.

This setup has successfully been tested with a DLG glider model, a micro size CP helicopter and a 450 size CP helicopter with a 120deg swashplate configuration.

Current features include:

• 6 proportional channels, extendable to the number of ADC inputs available on the Arduino board
• Servo trims, Dual rates, Expo
• Servo travel limiters
• Freely configurable mixers for each channel, influencing every other channel (currently amounting to "36 programmable mixers" in marketing terminology)
• Configuration App available for Android Jelly Bean (and newer) devices
• Successfully tested with Spektrum compatible RF modules

Future plans include:

• Digital switches to enable/disable selected mixers
• Ability to share set-ups with friends using e-mail, NFC, downloads, etc.
• Porting the configuration App to Windows Mobile and iOS devices