[NSRCA-discussion] Futaba FASST System

[Tony]

I had the privilege of sitting next to Don Anderson (Hobbico/Great Planes)
at Dave Browns retirement dinner last Saturday evening in Muncie, Indiana
while attending the EC meeting.

I asked Don about what was happening, and he said that there was a 10
micro-second window that, if the TX was powered down during this time, and
then re-started, it could cause the EPROM to reset.  

Great Planes tested all of their stock (a BIG NUMBER!) and only found a
total of about 20 sets that were programmed from Futaba with the problem.
They then took several of these sets and set up a test program to cycle the
power to make them reset.  After MANY hours of turning these TX's on and off
and on and off and on and off....  they couldn't get ANY to reset.  Finally,
they cut the power wire from a battery pack and installed a momentary
push-button to quickly cycle the power to see if they could get a failure.
Finally after TWO HOURS of this (boy is my finger hurting!) they finally got
a single unit to reset.

In practical application, they don't believe it would happen to units in the
field, but it is possible.  


Tony Stillman, President
Radio South, Inc.
139 Altama Connector, Box 322
Brunswick, GA  31525
1-800-962-7802
www.radiosouthrc.com

-----Original Message-----
From: nsrca-discussion-bounces at lists.nsrca.org
[mailto:nsrca-discussion-bounces at lists.nsrca.org] On Behalf Of Ron Van Putte
Sent: Sunday, January 27, 2008 10:30 AM
To: NSRCA Mailing List
Cc: Mel Duval
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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