Freefly FRX Pro User manual
FRX Pro
Overview
Introduction
FRX Pro was designed to increase the performance of Freefly's family of gimbal controllers
by allowing users to achieve increased range and better connections in even the harshest RF
environments. FRX Pro is perfect for professionals who are looking to push their Freefly gear
further to get shots that were previously unattainable.
This manual covers the setup, use, and troubleshooting information needed to successfully
use FRX Pro with your other Freefly gear. We advise reading and understanding this manual
before using FRX Pro with other products in the Freefly Ecosystem!
Throughout the manual, warnings, cautions and notes are used to highlight various
important procedures. These are defined as follows:
In the Box
FRX Pro Kit Contents
Item Quantity
FRX Pro Module 2
COM Cable 300mm 2
USB Cable (A-C) 1
D-Tap Power Cable (DTAP - Molex) 1
5dBi Antenna (RP-SMA) 2
2dBi Antenna (RP-SMA) 2
Zipties 200mm 2
Additional Optional Accessories
Item Use
25mm Pop-n-Lock Used to mount FRX Pro to MōVI Pro and MōVI Carbon
50mm Pop-n-Lock Used to mount FRX Pro to MōVI XL
Screw Mount Pop-n-Lock Used to mount FRX Pro to MōVI Controller and other
products with 1/4-20 mounts.
FRX Pro - Single Module* Replace or add an additional FRX Pro to your Freefly kit
FRX Pro Spare D-Tap Power
Cable* Replace the D-Tap Power Cable in the FRX Pro Kit
5dBi Spare Antenna Set* Replace the 5dBi antennas provided in the FRX Pro Kit
2dBi Spare Antenna Set* Replace the 2dBi antennas provided in the FRX Pro Kit
*Note: These items are not yet available in the Freefly store but will be added soon.
System Diagram
FRX Pro Overview
Item Function
1. Status LED Communicates FRX Pro status to the user
2. Bind Button Binds FRX Pro units to one another
3. UART Port Connects to FRX Pro to Freefly products with UART communication ports
4. CAN Port Connects to FRX Pro to Freefly products with CAN communication ports
5. USB-C Port Connects to FRX Pro to Freefly products with USB communication ports
Setup Overview
Status Light Overview
Connectors and Pinouts
Specifications
Dimensions + Mounting Patterns
Item Dimensions
Length 15.6mm
Height 67.0mm
Width 42.4mm
Mounting Pattern M3 - 15mm x 15mm Grid
Specifications
Item Specification
Weight 62.2g
Input Voltage 5 V - 30V
Item Specification
Input Power >10W
Signal Power 10mW - 1W (User adjustable)
Frequency 902 - 928MHz *
Spread Method Frequency Hopping
Range 1700m [5600ft] (Based on testing) **
Antenna Connector RP-SMA
Operational Temperature Range -20 to 50C
*FRX Pro's alternative frequencies to be released in the near future
**Range is dependent on Signal power settings, RF environment, and line of sight
Using FRX Pro
Mounting
FRX Pro Mounting
Install a FRX Pro module to your gimbal using the Pop-n-Lock dovetail and a Pop-n-
Lock mounted to the pan axis of your gimbal. See the diagram below for suggested
mounting areas on your gimbal.
If necessary you can update the orientation of the Pop-n-Lock dovetail to make
adjust the orientation of the FRX Pro module.
Alternatively you can utilize the zip-tie features machined into the front face of
FRX Pro to secure it to the mounting surface.
FRX Pro Wiring
Gimbal Side
Unplug any devices from COM1 of the gimbal's GCU.
When using FRX Pro you will no longer need the older MC-RX's. These can be
removed from the gimbal.
Use one of the COM Cables provided in the kit to connect the FRX Pro's UART port to
the COM1 port of your gimbal.
Controller Side
For power, connect the other FRX Pro module to an external power supply, such as a V-
Lock battery using the FRX Pro D-Tap Power cable.
For signal, connect the FRX to the MōVI Controller using the USB Cable provided in the
kit.
Ensure you have plugged the USB Cable into the bottom USB port on the MōVI
Controller.
Binding and Setup
FRX Pro Binding
Turn on the gimbal and MōVI Controller that the FRX Pro's are going to link.
The FRX Pro's status light will turn white during boot and standby.
If the FRX Pro modules are already bound and connected to a gimbal and
controller which are running, the status lights will turn green after a few seconds.
If the status light remains white, press the bind button of the FRX Pro connected to the
controller, wait one second, then press the bind button of the other FRX Pro.
Both FRX Pro's status lights will begin flashing white and the modules will initiate
the binding procedure.
Once a data connection is established both the status lights on the FRX Pro modules
will turn green.
If the FRX Pro modules cannot establish a connection the status lights will turn red and
then return to their standby state.
Repeat the binding steps above if a binding attempt fails.
MoVI Controller Setup
To use the MōVI Controller with FRX Pro you must change the MōVI Controller's Radio
Type setting to 'USB'
To access this setting navigate to the MōVI Controller's Radio Config menu and
use the Menu Set knob to change the Radio Type to 'USB'
Once the setting has been changed, 'Write' it to the MōVI Controller's memory by
selecting the 'Write' field on the next line and pressing the Menu Set knob.
To use the old MC-RX with this MōVI Controller, you must set the Radio Type back
to 'Internal'
Use of FRX Pro requires a MoVI Controller that is updated to [v4.1.X or newer](https://freeflysystems.com/support/movi-controller-support).
Use of FRX Pro requires a MoVI gimbal that is updated to [v2.0.X Blackjack or newer](https://freeflysystems.com/support/movi-pro-support/beta).
Running dual MōVI Controllers using FRX Pro is not possible, due to the FRX Pro's large
power draw it consumes the power from both COM ports on the GCU. Please use the MōVI
Controller Receivers when attempting to use two MōVI Controllers.
Updating and Configuration
Configurator
Latest FW + Configurator
Item
1. COM Port Drop down Menu
2. Read Configuration Button
3. Default Configuration Button
4. Write Configuration Button
5. Power Level Setting
6. Aux Baud Rate Setting
7. FRX FW Version
8. FW File Selection Button
9. FW Load Button
Updating FRX Pro
FRX Pro's ship with the latest stable FW preloaded onto each module so no updating is
necessary before use!
To update the FRX Pro module you will need to download the latest FRX Pro FW to a
PC.
You can find the latest FW packages on the FRX Pro's support page.
For the latest MōVI Controller FW, please visit the MōVI Controller Support page.
Connect the USB A-C cable to your computer then plug in the FRX Pro module while
holding down its Bind button.
The status light will turn blue indicating it is in FW Update Mode.
Open the configurator bundled with the FRX Pro FW and connect to the correct COM
port using the drop down menu at the top of the configurator.
If you are using a Mac select the port named 'tty.ubsbmodemXXXXXX'.
With the correct COM port selected, choose the new firmware file using the Browse
button.
The name of the file will be FRX_Pro_x-x-x_xxxxxxxx.enc.
Click the Load button to begin the FW load process. After a few seconds, the new
firmware file will be sent to the FRX Pro module. Wait for the progress to reach 100%.
If FW load fails make sure you are in the FW Update Mode.
FRX Pro modules are updated individually; this means each module must be updated
when a FW update is released.
Configuring FRX Pro
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