V
FUTABA 9Z
THE UNOFFICIAL WORKSHOP MANUAL
WARNING:
THE INFORMATION IN THIS MANUAL IS FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND MAY BE INCORRECT, CAUSE DAMAGE
TO YOUR RADIO OR INJURY TO YOURSELF AND OTHERS. IF YOU USE THIS MANUAL YOU DO SO SOLEY AT YOUR OWN RISK.
www.jamesandtracy.co.uk
Copyright 2012 jamesandtracy.co.uk
Page 18 of 84
If you intend to build your own CAMPAC for the 9Z and have a general interest in
building other electronic RC gadgets then you’ll need a PIC programmer (see Figure 8).
This is a piece of kit that can upload code that you’ve either written yourself or have
downloaded from the internet to a PIC MicroChip. There are loads of different models
out there on the market and some of the Chinese copies are very cheap ($12). Do some
research before you buy, and buy only if you have a wider interest in this equipment.
That said, once you have one there are loads of excellent pre-written circuits and codes
for our hobby, so you don’t need to know about electronics to start making your own
custom kit. Using the programmer is very simple, you just hook it up to the PC and
microchip and then ‘burn’ the code onto the chip as you would a CD or DVD. Key things
to look out for in PIC programmers are:
1.
That the PIC Programmer supports the chips you will be using.
2.
Has a good source of software updates to remain usable with newer microchips.
3.
Has USB connectivity
4.
Has ICP (in-circuit programming) capability
5.
Has a ZIF (Zero Insertion Force) connection for hooking up to chips
6.
External power supply possible (USB power can brown out on some chips)
Figure 8 USB ICP PIC programmer with ZIF 'hook up' for the chip in green/blue.
2.3.3. Working with Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs)
Components on printed circuit boards can be damaged by static electricity. I personally
have never blown up a chip this way, but it pays to be careful. Make sure you’re wearing