Binding the RC Receiver
Last updated
Last updated
The RC receiver module has already been installed on the drone in a previous step. Please verify that it is correctly connected on both the receiver (RX) side and on the FC side as shown in the photo below.
Aside from the physical connection we also need to establish a wireless connection between the transmitter and the receiver. This wireless connection happens through a process known as binding. Binding is what will allow us to control the VRC drone with the transmitter and change flight modes, which will become important in Phase 2 of the competition.
Out of the box, the receiver and transmitter should be automatically bound to each other. If this is the case, the RC transmitter display would look similar to the picture below when both transmitter and receiver are turned on (receiving power). Please note the RX battery bar. If this shows a question mark (while the receiver is getting powered), then you will need to go through the binding process. We will cover that shortly.
The TX battery bar shows the remaining capacity of the batteries in the transmitter. However, the RX battery bar does NOT actually show the battery capacity of the drone. It reports a reading of the voltage level (between 4.0 and 8.4 V) that is provided to the receiver module by the FC, which should always be 5.0 V. In our case, it is only useful for verifying that the transmitter and receiver module are communicating with each other.
If your transmitter and receiver are already bound you can skip to the next section labeled Setting the Output Mode. If the transmitter and receiver are not bound, you can do it yourself. Make sure the FC is not powered by the battery or USB cable. Insert the bind plug in the rightmost vertical slot (labeled B/VCC) on the receiver module, see the picture below. You will find the bind plug in a small plastic bag in the transmitter box. The cable that connects to the FC should remain as shown below.
Turn on the transmitter and go to the system view in the settings menu. Select RX bind. It will wait for the receiver to be turned on in bind mode as well. You should now power the FC, which will also power the RC receiver module. The easiest way is to power the FC with a micro-USB cable. When power is provided, the receiver module will go into bind mode because of the jumper wire. The binding procedure should be finished automatically (you might not even notice).
Power everything down and you should now remove the bind plug from the receiver module. It should not remain in the receiver as it will trigger the binding procedure again every time the receiver module is powered. The next time you power up your transmitter and receiver they will be communicating.
