Problem with CRSF for VTX support (TBS Unify Pro32 HV)

First of all I’m talking about connecting the VTX to the controller (F765-Wing) directly, I don’t use any Crossfire receiver either.

Also to say that the SmartAudio v2.1 protocol works perfectly.

I configure my VTX to use the CRSF protocol. I set SERIAL5_PORT=29. I reboot and nothing, it doesn’t detect the VTX.

I make the relevant configurations for SmartAudio and everything works perfectly.

I need some help to take advantage of CRSF.

Thank you.

There are some long standing bugs with VTX/CRSF on the TBS side. I have been waiting more than a year to get them fixed. maybe this year.

If you are only using your serial port for VTX control then I would use SmartAudio - the advantage of CRSF is that you can save a serial port if you have a CRSF RX as well.

First of all, @andyp1per, thank you very much for your quick response and for your magnificent work in the development of this great project that is Ardupilot.

With your answer I know that, for the time being, I will stick with SmartAudio as the protocol to manage the VTX.

I thought that CRSF, being bidirectional, would allow me to get some telemetry from the VTX to show it on the OSD.

Thanks again for everything

This is true for the Unify EVO, but not for the VTX that you have (OSD info)

@andyp1per, I am trying to control power on TBS UNIFY PRO32 with the MatekF765. I have gone thru all the parameters both CRSF and Smart Audio one at a time but cannot control the power settings.
Video Transmitter Support — Copter documentation.

VTX is unlocked, and I have the RF Meter hooked up to validate the power level. No matter what I do it is reading 31dBm. But on the OSD I see it change from zero to 1000mW as flip switch on my radio.

Rx/Tx are connected to UART8 = Serial5 parameters set as

Not sure what to change?

Focus on smart audio. It is unlikely at this point that the CRSF VTX issues will get fixed.

I’m struggling to have my CUAVv5+ connected to the Unify EVO with CRSF protocol.
Do you know if this mode works with this VTX ?

I did test with an evo and it did work, but its been a while since I tried

In the ardupilot doc here I see that the VTX seems to look like to a unify EVO. However the CRSF connection in this page is on the RX2/TX2 interface of the EVO.
The TBS documentation does not state that. Who’s right ?

It probably doesn’t matter I think you can configure either

Well. I don’t manage to have the OSD of my unify EVO updated by my FC.
I’ve reinitialized all the params and restarted from scratch the config.
Still not OK.

Telem2 Tx → EVO Rx2
Telem2 Rx → EVO Tx2
EVO config → CRSF

VTX_ENABLE = 1
OSD_TYPE= 4
SERIAL2_PROTOCOL=29

Grrr

if you use protocol 29 then only the VTX information is sent. It sounds like you want the telemetry displayed - that requires a regular CRSF setup and I am not sure it will work without a CRSF RX in the loop.

Yes you’re right, I’d like that the GPS position, altitude and so on is displayed.
And I don’t have any CRSF RX in the loop.
Damn… I was too optimistic.

It is the same for Smartaudio? Can the FC telemetry be forwarded through this protocol to my VTX OSD?

Smart audio has no support for telemetry by design - you have to use CRSF.

I have a feeling that when I wrote the code I did try this in standalone mode and it worked. Since then there have been some changes to support RX loss and I think these might be preventing the telemetry getting processed. Maybe you can raise an issue on github and I will take a look when I have time.