RFDesign RFD TXMOD User manual

www.rfdesign.com.au
RFD TXMOD
User Manual
PRJ-TXM-MAN-001
RFDesign Pty Ltd
7/1 Stockwell Place
Archerfield, QLD 4108
rfdesign.com.au

RFD TXMOD User Manual
www.rfdesign.com.au
–Version 1.2 –Status –Issued for use
Document Number –PRJ-TXM-MAN-001
Page
1
Table of contents
1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................2
1.1 Product Description ................................................................................................................2
1.2 Getting to know the product ..................................................................................................2
2 RC –TXMOD Compatibility .............................................................................................................4
3 Getting Started................................................................................................................................5
3.1 Radio Controller Configuration...............................................................................................5
3.2 TXMOD Configuration.............................................................................................................5
3.2.1 Configuration Webpage..................................................................................................6
3.2.2 Wi-Fi Configuration.........................................................................................................6
3.2.3 TXMOD Internal RFD900x Modem settings..................................................................12
3.3 Vehicle Modem.....................................................................................................................16
4 Ground control station software ..................................................................................................18
5 Antenna Recommendation...........................................................................................................19
6 Technical Specifications................................................................................................................20
6.1 TXMOD Power Consumption................................................................................................20
6.2 Modem Specification............................................................................................................20
6.3 Wi-Fi Specifications...............................................................................................................21
6.4 TXMOD Radio Controller Interface.......................................................................................22
6.5 TXMOD Compliance..............................................................................................................22
6.6 Physical Dimensions..............................................................................................................23
7 Useful Links ...................................................................................................................................24

RFD TXMOD User Manual
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–Version 1.2 –Status –Issued for use
Document Number –PRJ-TXM-MAN-001
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1Introduction
1.1 Product Description
The RFD TXMOD, or TXMOD, has been designed to work in conjunction with the Taranis X9D Radio
Control Transmitter from FrSky and other compatible controllers. The RFD TXMOD transmits the
PPM stream from the controller to the vehicle via the RF Design long range telemetry modems while
also receiving telemetry data from the aircraft. The telemetry data can be broadcast to a computer
or smart device by the TXMOD’s built in Wi-Fi module.
1.2 Getting to know the product
Figure 2 - TXMOD top (left) and bottom (right) views
Figure 1 - Typical Application Diagram.

RFD TXMOD User Manual
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Table 1 - TXMOD Description
#
Description /Note
1
Antenna
connectors
For information about antenna selection refer to section 5 in this document
or to the RFD 900x Modem datasheet linked in section 7.
2
Heat sink
The heatsink, visible through the top cover, is required for proper operation
and should not be covered while the unit is in use.
3
Status LEDs
Red
Blinks slowly a few times - establishing link to a Wi-Fi client.
Blinks rapidly for some time - flashing the modem firmware (using
‘spiffs.bin’ file explained in 3.2.2e)
Solid - device initialisation has completed
Green ∗
Blinking –RFD modem looking for a link
Solid –RFD modem bound to another modem
4
Button
Press 5 times within 5 seconds to reset all Wi-Fi settings to default values.
(Red LED will turn off, blink 3 times and go solid after resetting default Wi-Fi
settings)
5
Tabs
Mechanical clips to lock the TXMOD into the radio control socket.
6
RC and
TXMOD
Interface. ∗∗
a
PPM
Sends RC data into TXMOD.
b
+6 V
6V supply positive terminal (not used by the module)
c
+Bat
Positive battery terminal (supply for the module) ∗∗∗
d
GND
Ground
e
-
Not connected
∗Green LED will be enabled after ‘First Run Wizard’ explained in section section 3.2.2 0.
∗∗Interface between RC and TXMOD is done through a female 0.1” pitch connector.
∗∗∗See Table 2 below for module supply ratings and section 6.1 for the relation between battery voltage and
current draw with different battery types.
Table 2 - TXMOD Supply Ratings
Parameter
Minimum
Maximum
Units
Supply Voltage (+Bat relative to GND)
+5
+18
V
Operating Current Draw
N/A
1.2*
A
∗Rating for TXMOD with RFD modem set for maximum 1W transmit power measured at 5V supply.

RFD TXMOD User Manual
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–Version 1.2 –Status –Issued for use
Document Number –PRJ-TXM-MAN-001
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2RC –TXMOD Compatibility
The TXMOD has been designed to fit into the rear expansion bay of an FrSky Taranis X9D Plus. It may
be compatible with other transmitters however the determination of this is the user’s responsibility.
Check that the dimensions of the slot and the pin configuration of the connector at the back of your
RC match those specified for the TXMOD. For detailed information on the TXMOD dimensions refer
to section 6.5 and pinout details can be found in Table 1 above
Figure 3 - RC External RF module slot dimensions.

RFD TXMOD User Manual
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–Version 1.2 –Status –Issued for use
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3Getting Started
The RFD TXMOD setup has five elements.
3.1 Radio Controller (RC) configuration
3.2 TXMOD Wi-Fi access configuration
3.3 TXMOD RFD900x Radio Configuration
3.4 Vehicle (paired) RFD 900x modem configuration
3.5 Ground Control Station (GCS) configuration
3.1 Radio Controller Configuration
a) Enable PPM mode on radio controller
This guide is based on TARANIS X9D PLUS radio controller (RC). Specific instructions on activating the
required mode on other RCs should be sort in the relevant device manufacture’s manual. Please
check the transmitter for RFD TXMOD compatibility and ensure it supports the same interface.
- Switch on the RC and choose the vehicle you intend to operate.
- Navigate to the Model Setup sub-menu
- Scroll down until you find the External RF configuration section, as shown in figure 4.
- Choose “Mode PPM” to enable external PPM stream for the TXMOD.
Figure 4 - PPM mode configuration on TARANIS X9D PLUS RC.
3.2 TXMOD Configuration
- With the RC switched off, remove the rear protective cover from the radio controller and insert the
TXMOD.
- Ensure the TXMOD is inserted fully into the opening and the two tabs have locked in place.
- Switch on and observe the TXMOD’s LEDs. The red LED will blink and then go solid during the
power up sequence, as per the descriptions in Table 1, and the green LED will indicate the state of
the modem link with the modem on the aircraft. Note: The green LED functionality will only be
enabled after the ‘First Run Wizard’, see section 0, is completed; before that it will remain off.
The configuration interface webpage and the communication settings for both the Wi-Fi and the
RFD telemetry links are described throughout this section.

RFD TXMOD User Manual
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3.2.1 Configuration Webpage
Figure 6 - Configuration home page
The configuration home page provides basic information on the RF Design TXMOD, such as the
software versions, MAC and IP addresses and links to the various configuration pages. The default
address is http://192.168.4.1/ . This interface allows the user to configure both the Wi-Fi and the
long-range communication settings. Follow the steps described in the following section.
3.2.2 Wi-Fi Configuration
An active Wi-Fi connection is needed to configure the TXMOD. On first power up, the TXMOD will
default to access point mode, with SSID of the format ‘TXMOD-XX-XX-XX’, where the XX are unique
hexadecimal characters relating to the unit MAC address.
a) Connect to TXMOD Access Point
- Use your computer or smart device to search for and connect to the access point Wi-Fi network
generated by the TXMOD (use ‘TXMOD123’ as default password). Note: It may be necessary to
disable mobile data, on tablets and phones, to force the browser to use the TXMOD network.
Figure 7 - Network settings. A) Windows 8.1. B) Android.

RFD TXMOD User Manual
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b) First Run Wizard
- Point your preferred browser to the TXMOD IP address (by default http://192.168.4.1/) to access
the configuration homepage of figure 6. Alternatively, it can be accessed by the URL http://TXMOD-
XX-XX-XX.local where the X’s are the same as the X’s in the access point network name. Note: This
second option will require the installation of some support software for correct operation, for detail
please see section 3.2.2 d).
- On the home page, see figure 6, click on ‘Go to First Run Wizard!’ button to access the wizard
shown in figure 8 which will guide you, step by step, to configure your module.
- Power up the remote modem. Note: If the remote RFD900x modem was supplied in kit with the
TXMOD both modems should already have the correct firmware. If not or if TXMOD firmware has
changed due to an update, refer to section 3.3 for a guide on how to update the remote modem
firmware version. The version is displayed on the ‘Device Info’ section of the homepage interface of
figure 6 under ‘Internal modem version:’.
- The modems should lock, indicated by solid green LED on the vehicle modem, if no link is
established, green LED blinking, reset both modems to default settings. If there is an ongoing issue
try resetting the TXMOD by pressing the button on the TXMOD 5 times rapidly, after it has rebooted
the wizard can be restarted.
- Follow the wizard steps
Once the wizard is successfully completed, your device is ready to be used and further configuration
is optional.
Figure 8 - First run wizard
c) Change Network Settings
- Open a web browser and enter the module’s IP address by default in AP mode http://192.168.4.1/
-Click on ‘Wi-Fi/Network Setup’ or ‘General settings’–depending on what firmware version you are
using, to access the Wi-Fi setup interface of figure 9.

RFD TXMOD User Manual
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–Version 1.2 –Status –Issued for use
Document Number –PRJ-TXM-MAN-001
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- Change the desired settings and press save.
- Finalise the changes by power cycling the TXMOD. Note: Changes to the network settings may
require a change to the Wi-Fi connection that you use in order to connect, e.g. selecting the new Wi-
Fi name, or forcing the system to forget an old network password.
Figure 9 -WiFi settings configuration page on firmware version 1.4. Some of the options will not be available on older
firmware versions.
Table 2 –WiFi Settings/General settings parameters description
Parameter
Description
Wi-Fi mode
This sets the module to act as an access point (default) or as a station on an
existing access point, such as a home network.
AP SSID
Is the SSID used for creating the Access Point (AP).
AP Password
This is the password that will be used for the access point. It must be a
minimum of 8 character long
Wi-Fi Channel
Allows the user to set the channel as per the Wi-Fi 802.11 standard definitions
this can be used as needed to prevent interference or meet the requirements of
the network that the module is joining. The default is channel 11. The most
commonly used channel set is 1, 6 and 11.
StationSSID
The SSID of the network that the TXMOD should attempt to join.
Station
Password
The password of the network that the TXMOD should attempt to join.

RFD TXMOD User Manual
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Parameter
Description
Station IP
The static IP address to assign the TXMOD when joining the network. (Note this
may require appropriate settings to be made on the network router. Once
assigned as a station the landing page for the TXMOD settings becomes the
Station IP address that was assigned.)
Station
Gateway
The Gateway IP address of the network that the TXMOD should attempt to join.
Station Subnet
The Subnet Mask of the network that the TXMOD should attempt to join as a
station.
Host Port
This is the UDP host port number. This is the port that you will direct a
connection to in UDP mode
Client Port
This is the UDP client port number.
Baudrate
Baud rate of the serial link with the modem. It must match the modem serial
speed setting to allow the two to communicate.
S.PORT output
enable
You might enable S.PORT passthrough if your hardware supports it. This allows
the Mavlink telemetry data to be converted and displayed on compatible RC
transmitter. You can modify the original TXMOD hardware to enable that
feature or use the TXMOD2 that supports it out-of-the-box.
Battery 1
capacity
This parameter is used to set the battery 1 capacity to be displayed in your RC
transmitter screen if the S.PORT output is enabled.
Battery 2
capacity
This parameter is used to set the battery 2 capacity to be displayed in your RC
transmitter screen if the S.PORT output is enabled.
d) TXMOD as a station
Using the TXMOD on an existing Wi-Fi network, e.g. to provide telemetry data to a GCS while still
allowing access to the internet, for example to download maps, can be done a couple of ways
Basic users
Supporting software requirements:
For Windows and Linux users this will require the installation of a support software like Bonjour
Services from Apple for Windows (https://support.apple.com/kb/DL999?locale=en_US) and Avahi
for Linux. Windows users may also need to use Chrome (or Chrome based) browser as this has good
support for the Apple software.
Procedure:
Once the supporting software is installed.
- Connect to the TXMOD in default AP mode go to Wi-Fi settings
- Choose ‘Station’ in ‘Wi-Fi Mode’, set the correct SSID (in StationSSID) and password of the network
in “Station Password”, leave “Station IP”, “Station Gateway” and “Station Subnet Mask” as 0.0.0.0
then press “Save”
- Finally reboot the device.
You can connect the to the Wi-Fi network with the TXMOD on it then open the browser and enter
the following address http://TXMOD-XX-XX-XX.local where the X’s are the same as the X’s in the
access point network name. If you cannot access using the URL, you will have to log into your router