[NSRCA-discussion] Futaba FASST System

[John Pavlick]

Ron,
 Great question. One way to find out would be to find someone who has 
screwed up their FASST system Tx (re-initialized the ID to 0000) and see if 
your Tx controls their Rx too. I'm thinking that the ID that we're concerned 
about is stored in the FASST module NOT the Tx itself though. Think about 
it. You can put a FASST module in a 9Z. When the 9Z came out, 2.4GHz was 
only popular in car radios. It's very unlikely that the 9Z has a unique ID 
assigned to each Tx. I could be wrong but I bet the ID is embedded in the 
module NOT the Tx itself. One way to verify this would be to take 2 
identical FASST systems that are working correctly (i.e. each one controls 
it's own Rx) and swap Tx modules. If they now control the "other" Rx then 
the ID  is embedded in the module.

Unfortunately you still can't verify that your module / Tx / whatever has 
not been re-set to ID 0000 unless you have a known "bad" system. What a 
bummer. The ID should be completely non-volatile, not stored in EEPROM or 
Flash. I guess Futaba doesn't use Maxim / Dallas ID chips.

John Pavlick
http://www.idseng.com

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ron Van Putte" <vanputte at cox.net>
To: "NSRCA Mailing List" <nsrca-discussion at lists.nsrca.org>
Cc: "Mel Duval" <duvalj at cox.net>
Sent: Sunday, January 27, 2008 10:29 AM
Subject: [NSRCA-discussion] Futaba FASST System


>  I've been thinking about the problem that occurs with the Futaba
> FASST system when the owner turns on the transmitter and turns it off
> within the 5 second "boot up" period.  Namely, that the transmitter's
> code defaults to 0000 and the owner must rebind the receiver to the
> new transmitter code.  However, EVERYONE who does this now has a 0000
> "unique" code in their FASST system and can control other airplanes
> with the same code.
>
> I wonder what happens  to the ordinary transmitters with a new FASST
> system module plugged in.  Do non-FASST transmitters also have this
> code and, if I've turned on my transmitter and turned it off within
> the 5 second "boot up" period, has my transmitter gone to the default
> code?  I know I've done this with my transmitter and I'm sure I'm not
> the only one.  For example, I decide to do some transmitter
> programming and turn on my transmitter.  Then I decide to go to the
> mode in which my transmitter's RF section is not transmitting, so I
> shut it off and go to the "no RF" mode, all within 5 seconds.  Did I
> just make my transmitter's code default to 0000?
>
> This could be really bad if the situation I described is true.
> Please tell me it isn't like this.
>
> BTW, check out this url:  http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/
> showthread.php?t=807785#post9017413
> The thread involves modeler's experiences of testing their FASST
> systems at local hobby shops with Futaba's "FASST test station".
>
> Ron Van Putte
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