TBS CROSSFIRE R/C System Revision 2020-11-23 Adaptive Long Range Remote Control System The TBS CROSSFIRE (XF) system is a R/C link system made for FPV enthusiasts. It features unheard of range without sacrificing basic functionality such as being immune to interference from onboard equipment, low latency control or two-way communications including telemetry functionality.
Table of content Attention Getting ready FAQ Note Updating Hardware overview Standard Tx pinout Radio connection JR-bay radios Other radios Antennas Antenna cover Adapter boards FrSky inverter mod Which transmitter is affected by this? How to install the inverter mod Software mod General functions Binding General note/ model match When do i need to bind again Binding issue - Double green flashing Binding issue - OpenTx 2.3.
General setup Cut Failsafe position Transmission frequency Transmission power Operating modes Transmitter LED status indicator Receiver LED status indicator MyVTX RC over MAVLink Special functions - Standard/ Lite TX only External power Status display Up- and downlink status Oled Menu Find Mode Real time telemetry by Bluetooth Head-tracking Receiver functions Output map CRSf Serial SBUS N.i.
Smart Audio Channel number RF Profile Telemetry Available sensors with OpenTX Missing sensors In-built Voltage monitoring Bst connection Additional informations TBS CLOUD Menu Initiate the WiFi module Connection to a WiFi hotspot Opentx setup for crossfire LQ warning in OpenTX Model match in OpenTX (and FreedomTx on Tango 2) Vtx connection by CRSF Vtx connection by SmartAudio Smart Audio or CRSF for the VTx? VTx button is not working Connection to an FC General wiring CRSF with BetaFlight and similar firmwa
WiFi WiFi telemetry with BetaFlight/ INav Wireless configuration with BetaFlight/ Inav by Bluetooth Signal strength in Betaflight - BF < 4.1 and DJI OSD Signal strength in Betaflight - BF 4.
Specifications Type: Long Range Two-Way Remote Control System Band: Europe: 868 MHz SRD Band America: 915 MHz ISM Band RF power Radio Signal & Telemetry downlink: Micro TX V1: Selectable 25mW to 250mW, V2: Selectable 25mW to 1W Standard/ Lite TX: Selectable 10mW to 2W Diversity, Micro and Nano RX: 40mW Receiver sensitivity: Up to -130dBm Antenna: TX: 1x omnidirectional dipole antenna RX: depends on the receiver type (U.
Attention These Long Range Systems are capable of radio frequency transmissions and output power that may be not allowed in your country. Please always check your local RF legislation to set the frequency and output power according to the regulation. A general rule for RC aircrafts is that they must be controlled always under sight of view, check your RC regulation to keep up to date with regulations. Getting ready Getting set up and ready to fly is a quick and simple task.
Hardware overview The following diagram indicates the essential inputs and features of the transmitters and receivers.
Micro transmitter module (V1 + V2): The Micro Tx V2 has the same features and layout as the V1 but with a USB-C connector Nano transmitter module : The Nano transmitter includes the same internals and functions as the Micro Tx V2. It is designed to fit into the mini-modul bay of newer FrSky radios, Tango 2 modul bay and any other radio with the mini-modul bay. If you already own a Micro Tx V2 you can get a retro-fit set to change the housing from JR-style to Mini modul style.
Micro receiver: Nano receiver: 10
Nano receiver pwm version: This Rx is the same as the Nano Rx but with 6 servo connectors installed. This Saves you the need for the PWM adapter board.
Radio connection JR-bay radios If you use a radio with standard jr-bay style module bay, you can easily plug the Crossfire transmitters into them. JR-bay issue When you have set up everything properly in OpenTX but your module still stays off, the radio pins did not slide into the Crossfire Tx. In this case you can bend all the pins in the JR bay just a little bit to the right or left side and plug the module bag in.
Other radios If you own a radio without a JR-bay, you need to use the Standard/ Lite transmitter with their input pins for many trainer-port connectors, which you then connect to the RC In plug. Note: over this connection you can not use CRSF between your radio and the Crossfire Tx. If your radio supports CRSF, you need to feed the signal wire in the plug on the right. Check the Tx pinout for details.
Antennas You got a big variety of antennas for your transmitter and receiver. The antennas that come with your devices work fine and don’t need to be replaced in general. Depending on your environment, your drone and your purpose, you can change them anyway. Here are some of them: Flexible antenna MicroVee antenna Other antennas can be found at the TBS webshop or on VideoAerialSystems.
Antenna cover If you order your Crossfire transmitter after mid 2020, you will notice a cover over the antenna. The antenne can be turned by 90° (both directions) to align it with your receiver antenne. If you want to use a different one or just detach it after the flight, you need to unscrew the cover and break it.
Adapter boards There are many ways of installing the Crossfire Rx into a model like these mounting boards: On some of them you can connect a Unify Nano32 with the Crossfire receiver and use the CRSF connection to control the VTx. FrSky inverter mod When you receive your Crossfire transmitter,there is a small inverter chip included.
Which transmitter is affected by this? The older QX7 radio from FrSky with the S-Port pin at the bottom of the radio. Newer ACCESS radios and older radios than the QX7 (with bottom S-Port pin) don’t need this hardware mod. How to install the inverter mod There is a detailed how-to available at phillip seidels blog Software mod Instead of installing the hardware mod, you can simply lower the speed on which the radio communicates with your radio.
General functions Binding Binding a receiver to your Crossfire is an easy task and does not require 3 hands or any special jumpering. General note/ model match You will notice that you can control any r/c model, even if you changed the model in your radio*. This is caused by the fact that the Crossfire does not monitor the radio model. This means you have to make sure that you selected the right model in your radio before you power up the receiver.
Transmitter First you need to set your transmitter in bind mode. For this you got a variety of options, depending on the radio and transmitter type you use: Lua script (OpenTX radio only): TBS Tango 1: 1. Turn on your radio 1. Turn on your radio 2. Navigate to the Crossfire lua script and 2. Hold the rocker switch to enter the main execute it menu 3. Open the Crossfire Transmitter 3. Scroll down to Devices 4. Scroll down to Bind a nd hit enter 4. Under Crossfire Transmitter 5.
Receiver After your transmitter is in bind mode, you need to do the same with the receiver. This procedure is the same for all receiver types available: 1. Power up the receiver 2. Within 1 minute, push the bind button on the receiver Receiver Update (OTA) Depending on the firmware on your transmitter and the receiver, you might need to update your receiver.
After the update wait for Agent X to synchronize the device with your TBS account. This is done when the dot on the top of the devices turned green Connect your CROSSFIRE to the internet via the built-in WiFi module. You can provide access point information from your nearest wifi hotspot, or create a temporary one on your phone. Wait for it to switch to “Online” under XF WIFI/ About After a few seconds you can navigate back to XF Transmitter/ About. Now you should see your user id.
Binding ● ● ● If you’ve got a bound receiver, just bind/ update it with multi-bind turned off and while it’s connected turn multi-bind on. Wait for a few seconds, then the link will come back again. On a new receiver you can just bind it by the button as usual. On the other CROSSFIRE Tx, just enable “Multi-Bind”. When the first tx is shut down, you can power up the second transmitter. It should bind to this receiver within a few seconds.
Real world example The most common combination is that you already own a Crossfire transmitter to which all your receivers are bound and now you have a second transmitter like the Tango 2. Here is how you get them both running with Multi Bind, assuming that you already got you user id on both transmitters: 1. Make sure both radios got the same firmware version 2. Power up your “old” transmitter and make sure Multi Bind is turned off for now 3.
Failsafe setup The TBS Crossfire supports two failsafe behaviors: cut and failsafe position. Setting them up correctly is crucial for the safety of your model. General setup The failsafe setting is located in the receivers menu. To change the behavior: 1. Navigate in the receiver menu by your radio/ Lua script/ Agent X 2. Open the General menu 3. Change the FS.
Standard/ Lite Tx shortcut For these two transmitters you can run a shortcut to set the failsafe position: - Set the sticks and switches in the position you want them - Push the joystick down - Push and hold it up for a few seconds - Failsafe Set will appear Failsafe test When you have set up or changed the failsafe behavior, it’s important to test the correct function on the ground. To test it: 1. Remove the propeller of your aircraft 2. Power up the radio and the model 3.
Transmission frequency CC Wikipedia The TBS CROSSFIRE supports two different frequency bands, depending on your local regulation. Below is a general overview of the primary frequency segmentation.
You can choose between several frequencies: Frequency Setting Frequency Max.
Transmission power The transmitter’s RF output power is highly configurable and can be selected dynamically via the menu. With 100mW you can achieve 15 km of safe range in rural conditions. It is recommended to use the dynamic power option. This will allow you to fly at very low power and the system will increase the power automatically (faster than you can hit the power switch yourself) if you are about to lose the link.
Dynamic transmission power The system can automatically choose the power level most suitable for the situation at hand. For instance, if you fly close to the transmitter you normally only require minimal TX power and the system will therefore switch to the lowest possible TX power level required to maintain a good up-link. The maximum TX power level the system is allowed to use, can be defined by changing “Max Power” in the configuration menu.
Receiver LED status indicator There are three (Standard Diversity RX) or two (any other receiver) LEDs on the receiver giving you an indication of link- and backup-battery status.
Settings Description Active activate/ deactivate the global vtx settings Band Band settings, Race/ Low/ A/ B/ E/ Airwave/ User Frequency Channel/ Frequency 1 - 8/ 5620 - 5920 Power Vtx power level, 25/ 100/ 400/ max mW *the available pins for the connection can be found in the output map section for the receiver RC over MAVLink If you use MAVLink to connect to your FC, you can send your RC data over the same connection.
Special functions - Standard/ Lite TX only External power Your Standard/ LIte Tx can go up to 2W transmission power. If your Radio can not handle the current for this or you don’t want to drain your radio battery as fast you need to attach an external battery to the XT30 connector. You can use any 2(1) - 3S LiPo for this. To make sure the Crossfire uses the external battery, the voltage needs to be higher than the voltage in the JR bay.
● SNR - Signal-to-noise ratio, compares the level of a desired signal to the level of background noise Oled Menu When you scroll to the left/ right, you can see the other diagnostic screens, showing you informations of you link etc: Find Mode The Find-mode provides you with a way to locate a downed aircraft. A GPS signal is currently required to use this mode. Install our TBS GPS module by BST or any other GPS, connected to a flight controller.
solder pads for a 1s lipo with bms. This allows the transmitter to send the last known GPS coordinates to the display on the transmitter, after certain trigger events have happened. See the operation flow diagram attached on the following page. Direction finder Using the transmitter antenna together with a DIY parabolic reflector, you can estimate the heading of the receiver by looking at the signal strength indicator.
Preparations The find mode needs to be armed before it will take any action. ● Receiver only: ○ ● Receiver with GPS: ○ ● Power up receiver and transmitter and make sure they are connected to each other. Make all steps above and ensure the GPS is having a solid sat lock. Receiver with GPS and TBS CORE PRO: ○ Make all steps above and simulate a take off. This can be done throttle above 3A or walking your receiver until you see the take off message on the OSD.
Link regained Once you got your link back to your copter/plane you can now try to find it. It’s recommended to keep the mode you got your signal back no matter if it’s actually find mode or selected operation mode. ● GPS source attached to receiver ○ The receiver will share the latest coordinates with the transmitter and display them on the OLED.
Real time telemetry by Bluetooth The Standard Tx (not the Lite version) got a built-in bluetooth module that you can use for real time telemetry or wireless configuration of your fc. Depending on the incoming data, the Crossfire selects the Mode for the bluetooth module for you.
destination selection. The selected channel under source will replace the channel selected under destination. This gives you the ability to map your headtracker channels from any channel of the Headtracker input to the RC link frame. XX Source: the channel number where the signal for this axis is incoming.
Receiver functions Output map On all receivers you can select what it should output on which pin. The available options for each differ for the receivers: Receiver pin Output type Diversity RX (standard) Default value 1 PWM Ch1 bis 12, PPM, RSSI, LQ, RSSI/LQ PWM Ch. 1 2 PWM Ch1 bis 12, PPM, RSSI, LQ, RSSI/LQ PWM Ch. 2 3 PWM Ch1 to 12, RSSI, LQ, RSSI/LQ, SBUS, n.i.SBUS, Serial TX, MAVLink TX, CRSF TX, SmartAudio PWM Ch.
Receiver pin Output type Micro V2/ Nano rx Default value 1 PWM Ch1 to 12, PPM, RSSI, LQ, RSSI/LQ, SBUS, n.i. SBUS, CRSF TX, MAVLink TX, SmartAudio, DSMX CRSF TX 2 PWM Ch1 to 12, PPM, RSSI, LQ, RSSI/LQ, CRSF RX, MAVLink RX CRSF RX 3 PWM Ch1 to 12, PPM, RSSI, LQ, RSSI/LQ, CRSF RX, MAVLink RX PWM Ch. 3 4 PWM Ch1 to 12, PPM, RSSI, LQ, RSSI/LQ, SBUS, n.i.
MAVLink MAVLink is a very lightweight, header-only message marshalling library for air vehicles. Most of the common flight controllers support MAVLink message format. For specific message documentation please refer here: MAVLink Messages If you select “MAVLink TX” on one of the available outputs the corresponding output will be set to “MAVLink RX”. There is no hardware flow control required as we support software flow control (RADIO_STATUS message) on both ends.
UART protocol, running over the (Audio)-wire. All versions of Smart Audio are supported. Channel map The channel map menu is almost like the output map, except that you can change the channel order which also affects the channel order for any serial protocol. If you own a radio without flexible channel mapping, you can do it here. This is also used to inject the LQ sensor for your FC. An example can be found in this section.
race-like situation. Telemetry Enables or disables the telemetry for the receiver. When you should disable the telemetry: ● On a race. This frees the band for other pilotes. ● When you got black lines in your video feed. Make sure your cables are shielded or twisted to avoid this issue in general If you disable it, dynamic rf, dynamic power and the telemetry will no longer work. This means you Crossfire Tx will send with the maximum set up power level and switch to 50Hz mode.
Available sensors with OpenTX With a OpenTX based radio you can receive the following sensors, depending on your connected hardware: Datapoint Description Data source 1RSS Uplink - received signal strength antenna 1 (RSSI) TBS CROSSFIRE RX 2RSS Uplink - received signal strength antenna 2 (RSSI) TBS CROSSFIRE RX RQly Uplink - link quality (valid packets) TBS CROSSFIRE RX RSNR Uplink - signal-to-noise ratio TBS CROSSFIRE RX RFMD Uplink - update rate, 0 = 4Hz, 1 = 50Hz, 2 = 150Hz TBS CROSSFIRE
Missing sensors If you got issues finding sensors or only a few appear, make sure you disabled Ignore Instances in the telemetry settings page of your radio In-built Voltage monitoring The Crossfire receivers are capable of measuring the voltage of their power supply . This becomes handy when you use a rc glider where space matters. This feature works on up to a 2s LiPo (max. Operation voltage for all receivers!) for almost all receivers, except for the Nano Rx rev 43 and lower.
If you own a Nano Rx, there is no longer the complete BST plug available on it. In this case, just connect SCL to SCL and SDA to SDA on all devices.
Additional informations TBS CLOUD All the TBS Crossfire transmitters* and the Fusion video receiver includes a built-in WiFi module which allows you a connection with all your gear through the TBS Cloud. This allows for features like VTx follow**, dynamic VTx power** and other upcoming features. Note: at the moment all the Cloud features require a hotspot with internet access. *if you own a Standard Tx from 2015/2016, the WiFI module in the JR adapter is missing.
○ Bootloader: version number of the Bootloader firmware ○ Serial Number: serial number of the WiFi module Initiate the WiFi module To use the Cloud functions, you need to initiate the WiFi module first: ● Download and unpack the firmware files for the WiFi module from TBS ● Connect the Crossfire Tx to your radio and power it up ● Search for a new WiFi network like “TBS_XF_AP_xxxxxx” ● Connect your pc with this network.
● Done LUA script or the CRSF menu work as well: ● Connect the Crossfire Tx to your radio and power it up ● Navigate in the Crossfire menu to WiFI/ General ● Hit Scan to search for available networks ● Under SSID you can select the found network ● Insert the password under P assword ● Click on Connect to start the manual connection ● Done At the moment the self-update check will result in your module is up to date message no matter which version you use! Opentx setup for crossfi
LQ warning in OpenTX The setup for the radio is relay simple: What they mean: L01: Monitors the Crossfire frequency mode, activated when it's not in 150Hz mode L02: Activ when the Link quality drops below 80% (pre warning) AND 50 or 4 Hz mode is active L03: Same as L02 but with the critical warning level at 70% L02 and L03 also got a small delay (0.5s) to avoid warnings when the signal is only bad for a short moment. Note: since Crossfire fw 2.
SF2: same as SF1 for the critical warning For the sounds you can create your own with a free TTS creator on the internet. Model match in OpenTX (and FreedomTx on Tango 2) Model match enables you to make sure that a specific receiver and drone with it only binds if the correct radio model is selected. In case you switched from a drone to a wing and forgot to change the model, the Rx will simply not bind (unless you start the bind procedure).
Model Id (Model Match) in FreedomTx (Tango 2) Model Id (Receiver No.
Vtx connection by CRSF All Unify32 and Evo line VTx’s from TBS are capable of using CRSf to communicate with the Crossfire ecosystem.
Vtx connection by SmartAudio If you own any Unify or any other VTx with SmartAudio capability, you can connect it to your Crossfire receiver as well. ● Select a free output pin capable for SA (check the output map section for available outputs) ● Connect them (Crossfire Tx to VTx Rx/ SmartAudio pad) Smart Audio or CRSF for the VTx? Both protocols had their advantages and disadvantages: ● SmartAudio ○ Single wire connection.
VTx button is not working When the Unify32 detects a signal on the SmartAudio Signal-in pad, it will disable the button. To change the VTx to CRSF or SA, you can unsolder the wire or force your crossfire rx to not output any signal.
CRSF with BetaFlight and similar firmwares In the BetaFlight configurator, navigate to the C onfiguration tab and select Serial-based receiver and C RSF In the Ports tab, enable Serial Rx for the UART where your receiver is connected 57
CRSF with KISS/ FETTEC Depending on the KISS Fc you are using, connect the Crossfire by CRSF to the Fc’s RC input port. In the configurator, enable CRSF as RC Type: Any other FC Depending on your FC, set the output map according to the protocol that it can use.
BST to Eagletree Vector If you use an EagleTree vector Fc, you can connect the ET bus to the BST bus to get LQ and RSSI in the osd as well as telemetry from the FC back into the Crossfire. To wire it up, just connect SCL to SCL and S DA to SDA. A common ground should already exist by the RC connection to the FC. Mavlink with MAV FC’s If you use a FC with MAVLink like ArduPilot/ PX4, you can use the MAVLink capabilities of the Crossfire.
If you use MAVLink, you can also use the RC over MAVlink option to save the extra wiring. The details can be found in this section. If you use the PX4 firmware, you don’t need to configure the telemetry port to get it running. Wireless configuration with ArduPilot/ PX4 by Bluetooth As soon as the receiver receives valid MAVLink packages, the Bluetooth module switches to MAVLink as well.
Wireless configuration with ArduPilot/ PX4 by WiFi Over the built-in WiFi module you can get MAVLink data to your pc or mobile device for live telemetry as well as full MAVLink data transmission (as with the bluetooth module). You need to set up your wifi module for that to work before.
Wireless telemetry Bluetooth Depending on the FC firmware you use, you have to set your Bluetooth module to MAVEmu or Mavlink. Use MAVEmu if you use a non-MAVLink fc firmware. Otherwise the Crossfire will set the Bluetooth module to MAVLink by itself (if MAVLink datas are incoming to the receiver). Then connect your mobile device to the Crossfire Bluetooth module. The connection speed needs be set to 57600baud Depending on the app you are using, you might not need to be in 150Hz mode at the beginning.
WiFi telemetry with BetaFlight/ INav For the WiFi telemetry, you need to wire up your FC with a extra MAVLink connection, as the MAVLink emulation is not (yet) supported by the WiFi firmware: Settings in BetaFlight/ INav On the port where you got your extra MAVLink connection installed, enable MAVLink with 57600Baud in the P ORTS t ab for that UART. Note: You need to cancel the “loading parameter” dialog in MissionPlanner etc, as it will not get past this dialog.
Wireless configuration with BetaFlight/ Inav by Bluetooth With the serial passthrough function of the Bluetooth module (Standard tx only) you can connect to your BetaFlight/ Inav Fc without the for a USB connection. For this to work, you need to connect a second connection between the Crossfire Rx and the FC Note: This will only work while your Crossfire is in the 150hz mode.
Signal strength in Betaflight - BF < 4.1 and DJI OSD If you use an older BetaFlight version or a new one but with a DJI HD system, you need to assign the LQ sensor to a channel. Keep in mind, that the LQ will remain at 100% while the Crossfire is in 150Hz mode! In the Crossfire receiver channel mapping, assign LQ to an unused channel. If you set it up by LUA, you can assign it to channel 1, even when you use the 8 channel mode of the crossfire.
For the OSD tab, set it up like this: Signal strength in Betaflight - BF 4.1 and later Since version 4.1 BetaFlight can read the link information from the CRSf stream. This will give you the RSSI reading in dBm (0 - -130) and the LQ reading similar to the TBS OSD (300 - 0 %). To use this new method, you need to disable the RSSI channel setting in the receiver tab and activate the following elements in the OSD t ab.
CLI commands Rf mode dynamic or forced 50Hz: set osd_link_quality_alarm = 70 set osd_rssi_dbm_alarm = -100 Rf mode forced 150Hz: set osd_link_quality_alarm = 40 set osd_rssi_dbm_alarm = -100 Signal strength in INav In INAV it’s almost the same as with the old BetaFlight methode, except that you don’t need to assign LQ to a channel in the channel map menu. INav reads the LQ from the CRSf stream and outputs it automatically on Channel 17 (from INav).
● RSSI at 1m = -16dBm ● Rssi at 2m = -22dBm The Crossfire can go down to -130dBm before the link breaks up. If you use RSSI as sensor by the channel/ output map menu or as OpenTx telemetry sensor, it will be shown like this: ● -0.1dBm = 100% ● -130dBm = 0% SNR Signal-to-Noise ratio It shows you the ratio between the received noise and your Crossfire signal. To judge RSSI properly you need to know the SNR and compare it with your RSSI value.
Racing environment When using TBS CROSSFIRE control link, it is a requirement that all pilots use exactly the same power output. Use of CROSSFIRE has the same requirement as management of video transmission power output when it comes to racing.
Emergency Update If an OTA update for the receiver fails, it will no longer work. In this case you need to use the built-in emergency update feature: Standard Diversity Rx The standard diversity receiver comes with an onboard usb connection. Therefore you can connect the receiver with you TBS Agent X and update him straight away. Micro/ Nano/ Nano Diversity Rx Since FW 2.
FLARM FLARM is a collision-avoidance system developed in the swiss and mainly used by sailing planes and helicopters. With the TBS Crossfire you are able to send and receive the FLARM track signal and make the airspace a bit safer. FLARM ist ein Kollisions-Vermeidungssystem, dass von Segelfliegern und anderen privaten Leichtflugzeugen genutzt wird. Mit dem TBS CROSSFIRE kannst du dein Modell mit der gleichen Technik auszustatten.
email with your code to unlock the feature. Each license is bound to the receiver and can not be transferred to another receiver! If you lose or sell your receiver, the license is also gone! If you lost the email with the key, open a ticket, including the receiver serial number. Activation of a license When you receive your email with the code, you need to get the old TBS Agent (Agent X is in development for this).
Status display If you own a Standard or Lite Tx, you can see the actual status of your FLARM setup in one of the main screens of the OLed display: Status: no Sat Fix/ Fix - are enough satellites found by the GPS Transmitter: Active/ Inactive - Position transition is enabled (to other airplanes) Receiver: Active/ Inactive - Active if a license is installed Req. Upd. by: XX.XX.
Your aircraft is the center of the radar.
FAQ Some common and some special outlier questions for the CROSSFIRE system.
