Topic: The Tiny OSD III as an alternative. installation and use.
No topic here: Which is "better", the Tiny OSD or another? Everyone does what they want.
The product: The Tiny OSD III comes from Skylark. It is also sold by HobbyKing as Tiny OSD III without the "Skylark" brand name. The hardware is the same for both variants. However, HobbyKing does not have the associated USB cable for firmware upgrades. The price is $108 (Skylark) and $105.42 (HobbyKing).
http://www.skylarkfp...0&product_id=81
http://www.hobbyking...nt_sensor_.html
The weight of all components ( OSD , GPS, sensor) is 44 grams. The Tiny OSD needs a power supply of +5V. It can be connected directly to a FatShark or ImmersionRC FPV transmitter for power , or draw power from the NAZA or a receiver. The current sensor draws its (tiny) operating current directly from the flight battery and can be connected to 3S or 4S. However, it does not supply power to the OSD . The measuring range is up to 80A (HobbyKing states 60A). The signal from the camera can be PAL or NTSC standard.
Display: Two different display modes can be set: simple and F16. HobbyKing's Tiny OSD comes by default in F16 mode, which is presented below:
Installation suggestion: The Tiny OSD can be attached in the phantom with Velcro on the main circuit board next to the NAZA. The GPS sensor is also attached with Velcro in the arm of motor #3 (=rear left) inside, at the inner end of the arm. Caution: Receiver chip up! The orientation of the GPS module doesn't matter, it doesn't have to point in the direction of flight like the GPS of NAZA. The current sensor fits inside the side panel next to the battery compartment. Good tip from a colleague: attach with hot glue. The not completely inexperienced model builder is recommended to desolder the plug of the current sensor and solder the power supply cable directly (= much weight saving and much less space required).
Electrical connection: This is as simple as it gets. The set includes the connection cable to the current sensor and the GPS and a three-wire connection cable with servo plugs. Be careful not to accidentally connect the current sensor to the GPS input (breaks the OSD ).
On the other side, the OSD has 2 connectors with 3 pins each.
One connection ( 1 ) contains the pins RSSI / +5V / GND. You can leave RSSI open (no connection) and the 5V power supply comes to the remaining two pins. I took the +5V from the FatShark transmitter, there the red wire from the 5-pin connector. The same power supply is also used for the FPV camera, so the red cable contains a Y junction and goes from the transmitter to both the camera and the OSD . The same applies to GND. The black wire from the 5-pin transmitter connector has a Y junction and goes to the camera and OSD .
The other connector ( 2 ) contains three pins for VIDEO-OUT, VIDEO-IN and GND. I have connected: VIDEO-OUT of the OSD with VIDEO-IN of the Fatshark transmitter and the video signal of the FPV camera with the VIDEO-IN of the OSD . Complete! That's it. The GND pin of the OSD next to VIDEO-IN can remain open because the two GNDs are connected to each other within the OSD anyway.
Variant: If you operate the OSD with a separate voltage source, then +5V and GND of the voltage source go to the first connection 1 (voltage supply of the OSD ) and GND of the second OSD connection ( 2 ), GND of the camera and GND of the 5-pin plug of the FatShark transmitter must be connected to each other.
Firmware: The firmware can be upgraded using a separately available USB cable, which is connected to the connector on the Tiny OSD where the GPS module is normally connected. The HobbyKing Tiny OSD III firmware version 2.0 corresponds to the Skylark firmware version 2.8.
Configure and calibrate: PC software (Windows) is available on the Skylark website to calibrate the Tiny OSD for current and voltage measurement. You need a separate USB cable for this. Various display options can be configured: Display "simple" or "F16". Display in metric masses (meters, km/h) or imperial masses. Display of flight data summary after landing (HobbyKing version defaults to metric, no flight data summary).
Start-up: The FPV camera must be running when the OSD starts up so that the OSD can recognize the image standard used. For cameras, which are available very quickly, it is sufficient if the camera and the OSD are supplied with power at the same time. In case something goes wrong: The Tiny OSD has a reset button.
In addition to the connection description for the Tiny OSD III, here is a picture. And a warning: The Tiny OSD may only be powered by an FPV transmitter if this transmitter provides a regulated +5V. Please check this in each individual case before you connect it like this. Various FPV transmitters make the input voltage from the 3S battery directly available again at the output. That doesn't work, and it shortens the lifespan of the OSD enormously 
(down to milliseconds).
So if you don't have an FPV transmitter that supplies +5V, you have to supply the OSD with 5V from another source, for example via a voltage converter.
Here is the promised connection diagram:
No topic here: Which is "better", the Tiny OSD or another? Everyone does what they want.
The product: The Tiny OSD III comes from Skylark. It is also sold by HobbyKing as Tiny OSD III without the "Skylark" brand name. The hardware is the same for both variants. However, HobbyKing does not have the associated USB cable for firmware upgrades. The price is $108 (Skylark) and $105.42 (HobbyKing).
http://www.skylarkfp...0&product_id=81
http://www.hobbyking...nt_sensor_.html
The weight of all components ( OSD , GPS, sensor) is 44 grams. The Tiny OSD needs a power supply of +5V. It can be connected directly to a FatShark or ImmersionRC FPV transmitter for power , or draw power from the NAZA or a receiver. The current sensor draws its (tiny) operating current directly from the flight battery and can be connected to 3S or 4S. However, it does not supply power to the OSD . The measuring range is up to 80A (HobbyKing states 60A). The signal from the camera can be PAL or NTSC standard.
Display: Two different display modes can be set: simple and F16. HobbyKing's Tiny OSD comes by default in F16 mode, which is presented below:
- Header: GPS coordinates and GPS reception status.
- Center left: airspeed numeric and running scale to show direction of change (faster or slower).
- Center right: Altitude numerically and running scale. The flight altitude is determined with a barometric sensor on the OSD and appears to be very precise.
- Bottom left: Current current, voltage (battery under load) and total consumption in mAh. Can be calibrated.
- Bottom center: angle to home point with arrow (left/right) and distance from home point.
- Bottom right: RSSI reception strength (not used with the original Phantom receiver) and flight time.
- Center: A radar view as a "top view" with the home point icon in the center and a moving icon showing the position of the copter relative to the home point and its approximate heading. north is up. The distance is not to scale, so the moving symbol does not move out of the display area even at large distances.
- Missing: variometer, artificial horizon, current flight direction as a numeric display, numeric flight attitude data; just "tiny" (and "tidy").
Installation suggestion: The Tiny OSD can be attached in the phantom with Velcro on the main circuit board next to the NAZA. The GPS sensor is also attached with Velcro in the arm of motor #3 (=rear left) inside, at the inner end of the arm. Caution: Receiver chip up! The orientation of the GPS module doesn't matter, it doesn't have to point in the direction of flight like the GPS of NAZA. The current sensor fits inside the side panel next to the battery compartment. Good tip from a colleague: attach with hot glue. The not completely inexperienced model builder is recommended to desolder the plug of the current sensor and solder the power supply cable directly (= much weight saving and much less space required).
Electrical connection: This is as simple as it gets. The set includes the connection cable to the current sensor and the GPS and a three-wire connection cable with servo plugs. Be careful not to accidentally connect the current sensor to the GPS input (breaks the OSD ).
On the other side, the OSD has 2 connectors with 3 pins each.
One connection ( 1 ) contains the pins RSSI / +5V / GND. You can leave RSSI open (no connection) and the 5V power supply comes to the remaining two pins. I took the +5V from the FatShark transmitter, there the red wire from the 5-pin connector. The same power supply is also used for the FPV camera, so the red cable contains a Y junction and goes from the transmitter to both the camera and the OSD . The same applies to GND. The black wire from the 5-pin transmitter connector has a Y junction and goes to the camera and OSD .
The other connector ( 2 ) contains three pins for VIDEO-OUT, VIDEO-IN and GND. I have connected: VIDEO-OUT of the OSD with VIDEO-IN of the Fatshark transmitter and the video signal of the FPV camera with the VIDEO-IN of the OSD . Complete! That's it. The GND pin of the OSD next to VIDEO-IN can remain open because the two GNDs are connected to each other within the OSD anyway.
Variant: If you operate the OSD with a separate voltage source, then +5V and GND of the voltage source go to the first connection 1 (voltage supply of the OSD ) and GND of the second OSD connection ( 2 ), GND of the camera and GND of the 5-pin plug of the FatShark transmitter must be connected to each other.
Firmware: The firmware can be upgraded using a separately available USB cable, which is connected to the connector on the Tiny OSD where the GPS module is normally connected. The HobbyKing Tiny OSD III firmware version 2.0 corresponds to the Skylark firmware version 2.8.
Configure and calibrate: PC software (Windows) is available on the Skylark website to calibrate the Tiny OSD for current and voltage measurement. You need a separate USB cable for this. Various display options can be configured: Display "simple" or "F16". Display in metric masses (meters, km/h) or imperial masses. Display of flight data summary after landing (HobbyKing version defaults to metric, no flight data summary).
Start-up: The FPV camera must be running when the OSD starts up so that the OSD can recognize the image standard used. For cameras, which are available very quickly, it is sufficient if the camera and the OSD are supplied with power at the same time. In case something goes wrong: The Tiny OSD has a reset button.
In addition to the connection description for the Tiny OSD III, here is a picture. And a warning: The Tiny OSD may only be powered by an FPV transmitter if this transmitter provides a regulated +5V. Please check this in each individual case before you connect it like this. Various FPV transmitters make the input voltage from the 3S battery directly available again at the output. That doesn't work, and it shortens the lifespan of the OSD enormously
So if you don't have an FPV transmitter that supplies +5V, you have to supply the OSD with 5V from another source, for example via a voltage converter.
Here is the promised connection diagram:
