3.b. Signal Connections

RC/analog signals should connect to the interior of the three channel columns, which are located on the left side of the board; this connection is represented by the white wire in the figure below.

The middle column is connected to the TReX’s regulated power (Vcc) through the “+=Vcc” (BEC) jumper and will provide 5 V to your RC receiver or analog controller when this jumper is in place. This connection is represented by the red wire in the figure below. If you want to power your RC receiver or analog controller from a source other than the TReX, make sure you remove the BEC jumper.

Warning: This middle Vcc column is tied to the output of a linear voltage regulator, so current output is limited by thermal dissipation. The regulator will only be able to safely supply a maximum of 100 mA when VIN is 16 V (it has a 1-W power dissipation rating). This is typically sufficient for powering an analog joystick or RC receiver, but it is insufficient for powering servos. If you want to connect servos to some of your RC receiver channels, you must power your RC receiver separately and disconnect the BEC jumper. Attempting to use the TReX’s regulated Vcc line to power servos can permanently damage the TReX.

The exterior column is ground and is represented by the black wire in the figure below. Your input source and the TReX must share a common ground, even if you are powering your input source from something other than the TReX. You only need to make a single ground connection.

TReX RC/serial input signal connections

In addition to RC/analog connections, you can connect the TReX to either an RS-232 (COM) or logic-level (TTL) serial port. Note that you should not simultaneously have both RS-232 and TTL connected. The figure above depicts the two possible serial connections. The serial pins are labeled from the perspective of the TReX, meaning you should connect the TReX’s TX or SO line to your target’s receive line (the green wire in the figure above); your TReX’s RX or SI line should connect to your target’s transmit line (the orange wire in the figure above). On a DB9 connector, pin 2 is your computer’s receive line and pin 3 is your computer’s transmit line.

Warning: It is very important that you do not connect your TReX’s TTL pins (SO and SI) to an RS-232 port. RS-232 serial communication signals range from -12 to +12 V, which is well outside the 0 – 5 V expected on those lines. Only the COM pins (TX and RX) are designed to handle RS-232 voltages.