The RC radio function chaine Every electronic device needs power. In case of RC products it is always battery power, as the models are always used out side and are „ portable devices “. In the beginning of RC radios it was no question, that the power supply for each device, TX and RX with its servos, and also switch was supplied from the radio producer. Even the designated charger for it was in the range of the radio producer. Now, in a time, were thousands of different batteries, thousands of different chargers and thousands of different switching devices are offered from the market, the user is completely free which power supply he wants to use. The producer of radio link is responisble for product liability, but as everybody can use what he wants to install to the receiver and to supply battery voltage, he can`t guarantee for the complete function chain of a customer At the same time, were thousands of servos, complex accessories, aso. for the airplane, which are connected to the receiver, are offered, the users tends to not be informed about it, as they don`t invest time into understanding the technologies behind. They only want to use it. In addition, the function chain of a radio is using radio waves, which cant be seen, can`t be taken in hands. There is no obvious proof that it works. So if something happens, the user always says: The radio link was interruppted, the radio link is the reason for my damage. Even the receiver is only a very small part of the complete function chain in the todays airplanes. So it is obvious, if producers of a radio want to survive, we must supply a complete function chain for which we can be responsible. It is not to say to the user he must use all what we suplly, it is only to be able to say for what we are responsible. Producers can not be responsible for the customers hobby Of course what we supply as a function chain must be usefull in practice.

The RC radio function chaine The minimum which a RC producer must supply as a radio is TX, RX and the battery supply and switch: The TX besides al control functions it must have a battery and a prescribed charging advise. The charging socket must allow to charge slow and fast. I have seen thousands of TX, in 80% of it the customers changed the charging socket because it was not designed to fullfill the customers demand. The RX It must have the desired amount of servo connectors and a battery connector. As long as it is not more than 4 servos one connetcor (JST) is enough. But bigger receivers with more servo connetors must supply an additional high current connector. If a switch is supplied with a set of TX and RX, it must be a switch which can be used in practice. The switching ON/OFF accessories for the RX with all its connected servos and accessorie devices. This is a critical part of todays radio devices, installed in an airplane. Since 35 years, the JST connector is like a standard in RC receivers. This was akoy with the current of the servos at that time, and more than 8 servos were not possible. Since 30 years the current drain of servos and the amount of servo channels is increasing every year. As there was no solution from radio suppliers to scale to this increasing demands, suppliers like Power Box or Emcotec in Germany, and many others arround the world came up. They devided power supply of receiver and servos and added devices which could transport enough power to the servos. For this use it was OK, as the complexity and amount of electronic parts was only low. But the amount of necessary servo leads increased.

The RC radio function chaine But Power Boxes didn`t stay at the initial reason, to supply high current to the servos. Power Boxes later on could connect to 2 receivers and switch between both, if Fail Safe occured in one of them. Only one receiver receiving. In addition these devices offered more and more functions like servo output duplicating, adjustments for servo alignment, servo throow, speed, endpoints, aso. Also telemetry functions using the bus systems. And of course the control the power from 8V down to 6V aso. Of course all that by adding much more components. Most negaive and technical critical: Adjustment of Frame time. With that it can happen that after a ceratin time a receivers starts new or a gyro starts new My experience with all the todays power boxes: It is much more dangerous to use it as flying without it. All this only happened because the receiver producer doesn`t offer a right and powerful power supply connector. With that, most of the problems are solved, without adding so many components and software. And all the other functions a power box is supplying can be solved with RX programming (see new products) Then the only missing part is a switch with high current, and if more security is necessary a switch with dual battery supply But most of all Futaba could offer a complete function chain.

The RC radio function chaine, battery supply Suggestion for battery supply of RX systems We need additional high current connector at receivers from 8 channel on and higher For higher class receivers we need RX programming system. This substitudes Power Box functions. As battery switch we can use mechanical, better electronical switch. But for receivers from 8 channel on it must have high current connector and thick lead diameter. With high current servos it must be supplied a manual which explains what the minium battery size and type would be, if used with 1, 2 or more servos at one receiver Also it must inform about batteries, charging and servos It also must explain, that for the charging it self the customer is responsible. We need own dual battery switching devices for high current. We don`t need voltage downward control, as the best constant voltage control is a pefect battery. As long as all Futaba servos can be used with 2 Lipocells, it is not necessary. We need one type of battery which we explain as the only type to guarantee for the Futaba function chain. I suggest A123 LiFePo cells, they are capsuled in metal case and very strong, work with negative temperatures too and don`t have self discharging. Futaba is strong enough to set this as a standard Higher class battery supply devices must show the battery content under high load, and software and display which shows the current drain and discharged capacity. This also must be possible with telemetry data. With this the main parts, the function chain is under own control. Lots of direct product/ideas are existing.