EdgeTX

Opening doors for the rest of us

By Greg Gimlick | [email protected] Photos by the author

WHAT IS EDGETX? I asked a friend and he said, "It’s like OpenTx, but different." I now get what he meant, but I was confused at the time. OpenTx is an open-source operating system (OS) for many radios and it’s extremely popular. I’ll admit that throughout the years, I’ve owned three OpenTx transmitters and sold them because my frustration levels exceeded my fun factor.

What is EdgeTx? Well, it’s similar to going from DOS to Windows. The underlying programming is much the same and it gets a computer to do what you want, but it does it using a graphical user interface instead of a lot of command line input.

Before EdgeTx came along, an OpenTx radio required a lot of menu scrolling and clicking. I found it was confusing and slow to go through all of the steps to set up an aircraft then remember how to get back to something that needed adjustment.

EdgeTx has now activated the gorgeous touchscreen that some radios had but were unusable because OpenTx didn’t support them. The display on my RadioMaster TX16S is stunning, and with EdgeTx, it’s a breeze to run through a setup or go back to adjust. Yes, there is still a learning curve, but it finally opened the door for those of us who have wanted to try these radios but previously gave up out of frustration.

My Project Radio

I bought the RadioMaster TX16S with an internal four-in-one module and EdgeTx installed. It arrived with software version 2.6, and I have since updated it to version 2.7.1, which is the newest stable version. Since Jon Barnes already reviewed the TX16S (using OpenTx) in the December 2021 Model Aviation, I won’t go into the details about the actual radio, aside from how EdgeTx makes it better—in my opinion.

I refer to this as my "project radio" because it’s an exercise in learning something new and a project in that regard. I’ve flown several of my established airplanes so that I could compare how things transferred from my other radios over to this. Some protocols in the four-in-one module are open source and are therefore supported by EdgeTx developers.

So far, I haven’t had any issues getting the airplanes from several other radios working on the EdgeTx platform with the four-in-one module. There are preloaded templates for many of the Eachine foamies too.

After it’s booted, the blank screen presents itself for customization. Touching the TX at the top left corner will bring up menu options.

This is the author’s usual screen setup, but it’s infinitely customizable.

Touching the TX icon brings up this menu. Scrolling to the right with your finger offers more options.

Touching select model on the previous screen gives you these options.

Creating a new model presents this window that will scroll down as you work your way through the basics of naming, photos, timers, protocols, and binding.

If you want to use a wizard to set up the model, you select radio settings after you complete the previous screen. When the Tools menu pops up, choose Wizard Loader.

Documentation and Manuals

If you expect a detailed manual, such as what comes with a Spektrum, Futaba, Graupner, or JR product, you are in for some disappointment. There is much information online in various user groups and forums to help you learn but no printed manual.

OpenTx and EdgeTx are developed and supported by a consortium of programmers/coders who put in countless hours for no pay; they do not write a manual for it. I have included a list of helpful resources in the "At a Glance" section. Because it is open-source and constantly under development, there are always updates available, but they are not always "stable release" versions. Be sure to stay with a release version unless you’re an experienced beta-test type.

Before You Do Anything!

Be sure to back up your data! As when you are working on computers, whenever you make a change, back things up first to allow you to return to the last stable setup. I do this when I use EdgeTx Companion on my laptop or make any major changes on the radio. I copied the original SD card when I got the radio. I put the copy in the radio and stored the OEM card so that I can always go back to square one if I want. This might not be important for some models, but with something complicated, it’s nice to be able to return to the old setup if needed. Caution is the key when learning a new radio system. It’s easy to flash a new firmware version of EdgeTx when one comes out, but have a backup made in case something goes wrong.

Wizards

Many complain that there aren’t tools to help you set up a model in these opensource transmitters. That’s not the case. They’re just not located where you’re used to finding them.

With the brands previously mentioned, when you create a new airplane, they’ll run through a set of questions about the engine/motor, wing style, number of ailerons, elevator, flap servos, etc., then set those parameters up automatically. EdgeTx will do the same thing, but it’s found under "radio settings." When that opens, you’ll be in the Tools menu, where you’ll find the Wizard. Just tap on it. It will begin asking the same questions you might have been accustomed to in other radios. This touchscreen approach to setting up an airplane is not only faster, but it removes the question that many have about where to begin.

When setting up a new model with Wizard, go to the screen asking you to select a model first. When you touch on that, it will give the option to create a new airplane or select one of the predefined airplanes. Be sure to create a new model, otherwise, the settings you determine with the Wizard will apply themselves to the airplane previously selected. This has tripped up many of us along the way.

The Wizard screen leads you through the next steps. Simply choose what you want to set up.

This is a sample Wizard screen where you choose what you need to do.

The final Wizard screen lets you choose to save or go back and edit something.

Back in the model settings, this is the Input screen showing the four primary controls. They each have 100% travel and 40% exponential on aileron, elevator, and rudder.

The Mixes screen shows two ailerons with their own servos, flaps, and a mix for rudder and aileron. It also depicts which switch/stick controls the input.

Multiple Ways of Doing Things

These suggestions apply to OpenTx and EdgeTx. Sometimes confusion comes from having two places where you can define the action you want to send to your receiver. The main sections for programming your model are inputs, mixes, and outputs. They are self-explanatory but trip up many. Inputs are the physical manipulation of the transmitter, mixes are how you want them to interact or stand alone, and output is what goes to the receiver.

You can set up a rate (also referred to as weight) in the input for ailerons and also exponential, but it can also be done in the mix section. Arguments are made for either way, and it’s something you might want to figure out for yourself, depending on your situation. If you’re confused as to where some things should go, I suggest setting up a model with the Wizard then going into model settings on the touchscreen and looking to see where the Wizard put things.

EdgeTx Companion

A full explanation of Companion is beyond the scope of this article and could be a series in itself. Briefly, it is a computer program that allows you to connect to your EdgeTx radio via USB and perform backups, modifications, etc. using your laptop/desktop. It has some great features that allow you to set up an airplane and actually simulate the controls to see whether everything is correct. If it is, you can then write that setup to your radio’s SD card via the USB connection.

In my previous attempts with OpenTx, I found its Companion program much easier and faster than trying to program on the radio, but with EdgeTx, I can do things just as quickly on the radio’s touchscreen. This is one of the beauties of EdgeTx.

Customizable at the Touch of a Finger!

You’ve probably noticed my bias for touchscreens. The preview of version 2.8 shows me that some improvements are ahead in the size of the buttons, etc., but it’s not a release yet, so do not try to fly with it if you download it to look at. The bottom line on EdgeTx is how easy everything is to navigate to and manipulate.

For me, it’s faster than a series of scrolling and button mashing. You can still do things that way with EdgeTx, but why would you? This opperating systen brings the power of these open-source radios to a casual user without having to learn multiple menu structures and keystrokes to get there. Touch the wrong one? Touch another to get the right one instead of scrolling out and looking around. Customize your screen with a few touches of the finger. Don’t like it? Change it with a couple of touches.

The Output screen shows the specifications for each output. INV means that the servo is reversed.

Under Special Functions, the author defined a throttle cut override on switch SH.

One of the selections on the opening menu is a channel monitor. It lets you check everything before you try it on the airplane. The author keeps a small one on his default screen for each model.

At a Glance

Resources:

• John at RCVideoReviews has the most comprehensive series of help videos I’ve found to date. His "snippet videos" are short and to the point for specific topics. I’d start here if you’re curious about EdgeTx: https://tinyurl.com/5n6rkd6b.
• Bill Clark has a great list of videos to help you get over the learning hump. Visit https://tinyurl.com/nshdhpk4.
• Lee "Painless360" has a good list of EdgeTx videos at https://tinyurl.com/y8ehx88j.
• Joshua Bardwell is an OpenTx wizard and provides some great videos to help transition to EdgeTx. Visit https://tinyurl.com/4cdks25b.
• John Salt is a great resource if you’re a helicopter person! He touches on EdgeTx but is solidly in the OpenTx group right now. His explanations there will help clear up some stumbling blocks if the menus of either OS confuse you. Visit https://tinyurl.com/5dvc8v4m.
• RCGroups has an EdgeTx thread at https://tinyurl.com/mr4d3hye.

EdgeTx: A Bold New World!

Okay, I might be exaggerating slightly, but the touchscreen technology provided by EdgeTx makes everything easier. I was comfortable with a DOS 3.0 computer, but Windows made it so much better to work with. I was able to do a little with Linux, but until Distros came along with GUI, I struggled. That’s how I felt with OpenTx—I could see the power and couldn’t quite tap into it. Now I can.

I experiment a lot and test things out on a "breadboard" before trying it on an airplane. I back things up and I don’t worry about mistakes because I can always go back. The multi-protocol radio also lets me get all those little helicopters, quads, and airplanes onto one radio: no more carrying a half-dozen odd transmit-ters to the field!

Under Radio Settings in the main menu is an option to set up global variables. The author has some volume and brightness controls set up there along with sound files for each switch that he uses for all of his aircraft. It announces high, mid, low rates, etc. for everything.

Here is a screenshot of EdgeTx Companion on the author’s laptop. It’s just reading all of the settings of a chosen model in the shot, but it has the ability to completely set up a new airplane or adjust an old one and write it to the SD card on the radio via USB. Always back up the SD card before using Companion to make adjustments.

Try it and see if you don’t find that your world opens up just a little bit. If you’re coming from OpenTx, you’ll find the transition extremely easy because you already understand the logic it uses to set things up. It’ll just be amazingly faster for you to do so. I could go on for pages, but hopefully this is enough for you to try it and see what you think. You’re going to like it!