RFD TX Module User Manual
www.rfdesign.com.au
17
Version 1.0 Last update 07/03/2019
the bottom of the page) and reboot the TX Module. You have successfully updated the firmware. To
update the firmware on the vehicle modem, refer to
section 3.3.
3.3
Vehicle Modem
The modem chosen on the vehicle side should be an RFD900x and should be flashed to the same
firmware version than the one in the TX Module and it should be higher than v2.55 in order to ensure
proper communication.
Initial configuration of the vehicle modem should be done connecting an FTDI cable as per figure 17.
The black cable of the FTDI, i.e. pin 1, should connect to pin 1 on the modem, and using the RFD tools
or a serial terminal programme, download links can be found in
section 7
, the settings can be applied.
This is required when pairing with a new modem not supplied with the kit, as the default settings of a
new modem will not match with the TX module modem, or after changing TX Module modem setting.
A jumper between pins 2 and 3 on the top row is necessary when powering the modem from the FTDI.
Figure 17 - Modem connected to FTDI cable (pins 1,3,5,7,9,11) to enable serial communications.
*Jumper (pins 4&6)
.
To configure the modem using the RFD900 tools, download and install the software using the links on
section 7
if it is not installed on your computer yet. Launch the programme and the configuration
interface of figure 13 should pop-up. Use this interface to configure the parameters described in
Table
3
- RFD900x parameters
. When connected directly through the FTDI cable the vehicle modem will
appear as local.
An important setting on the vehicle modem is to set modem GPIO1.1 as a PPM output. This allows the
modem pin 15 to output the PPM stream received from the TX Module modem. To enable this, check
the
‘
CPI1_1R/COUT
’
box in any and ensure
‘
CPI1_1R/CIN
’
is unchecked (on the TX Module modem this
is already set the other way around by default). Then save the settings to upload the configuration
onto the modem.
To flash a new firmware, first download the latest version of firmware using the links in
section 7
. Do
use
a version below v.2.55. Then on RFD900 tools click on ‘Upload Firmware (Local)’ and
choose the
*.bin file you just downloaded. Wait until the process finishes (a message will appear at the bottom
of the page) and reboot the TX Module. You have successfully updated the firmware.
After the modem has been configured correctly it will be able to link with the TX Module modem,
indicated by a solid green LED on both devices. From this point onwards the FTDI cable is no longer
needed to configure the vehicle modem. Instead this can be done over the air via the TX Module using
the remote modem settings any of the methods described in
section 3.2.2
. This only works while the
modem in the vehicle and TX Module are linked as indicated by a solid green LED.
