Programming the Taranis Q X7 Transmitter for Combat Robotics
The Taranis Q-X7 with OpenTX 2.2 firmware is a remarkably flexible transmitter that can adapt
to very sophisticated control requirements. Unfortunately, all that flexibility comes with a
complex user interface that confuses novices and gives experienced R/C jockeys a bewildering
range of choices. For example: you can’t simply turn on Elevon mixing – you need to build up a
channel mix from the elements available to the transmitter. This takes some thought and
planning.
While there is ample documentation available on the web to explain in detail the theory and
practice of OpenTX, two things led me to write this guide:
1. OpenTX was not developed for combat robots. The available tips and examples are
typically designed for servo-driven mechanical aircraft control surfaces that have
different considerations than do the Electronic Speed Controllers used in robot drive
trains.
2. The basic requirements of setting up a robot drive train and typical weapon control are
relatively simple compared to the capabilities of OpenTX. A robot builder shouldn’t be
forced learn the full scope of the firmware capability simply to get their robot operational.
This guide will skip over the bulk of the theory and provide examples of set-up, tuning, and
troubleshooting for standard combat robot layouts. Once you have your ‘bot operational you can
take time go as deep into control theory as you like.