FrSky EU Firmwares: Why, What & How

[quadfather]

This article has been updated on 04/01/16 to reflect the changes of the latest EU firmwares, and to correct some inaccuracies.

This is an attempt to shed some light on the pit of confusion that is FrSky';s EU firmwares for transmitters and receivers.  This article is stickied for reference.

If you';re familiar with flashing FrSky products jump straight to The crucial bit! and read on.

Why EU Firmwares?
FrSky';s X-type RF modules and D16 mode receivers were not compliant with the ETSI EN 300 328 v1.8.1 standard.  They issued a number of firmware updates since January 2015 in order to sell on the EU market.

The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) has released a Harmonised European Standard for Wideband Transmission Systems operating in the 2.4 GHz band.  This standard has been adopted by the powers that be, and it';s now a legal requirement for sale in the EU that all devices falling into this category are certified.  That';s pretty much anything wireless we use on a daily basis, WiFi, Bluetooth, RC transmitters, etc.  If you have trouble going to sleep at night, here';s the standard for a quick path to the land of nod.


What RF module and what';s D16?
The RF module handles the communication to the receivers.  The Taranis has an internal XJT module, and external modules are available for use in other radios.  For the purpose of this article I will just refer to them as the XJT module.

The XJT module uses several protocols to talk to the receivers.  D16 is one of them, and it';s used for the X-range of receivers, i.e. X4R, X4R-SB, X6R and X8R.

There are two more protocols, D8 and LR12.  D8 is used for legacy receivers, those starting with D or V in their name, e.g. D4R-II, D8R-II+, V8FR-II, VD5M, etc.  Lastly, the LR12 protocol is for the long range receiver L9R.


What';s a firmware and why should I care?
In a nutshell firmware is software for embedded devices.  For example, Android and iOS on your mobile or the BIOS of your computer';s motherboard are types of firmware.

The Taranis has two firmwares.  One is the operating system (OS, i.e. graphics, controls, functions, etc), the other is for the RF (XJT) module.  These firmwares are independent of each other.  Updating the OS on your Taranis does not update the XJT module, and vice versa.

If you have a pre-2015 Taranis and buy new D16 mode receivers manufactured for sale in the EU, you wouldn';t be able to use them.  You can';t just update the OS to the latest version and expect it to bind with your new receivers.

It';s important to understand the difference between the two firmwares.  There is plenty of Internet chaff simply referring to "radio firmware" and such, when they mean one or the other, or don';t know that there is a difference.

The operating system is indirectly affected by the legislation, i.e. selection of the protocols in the model setup.  To the best of my knowledge, this is the only difference between the EU and non-EU operating systems.


The crucial bit!
This is important, your XJT module and any D16 receivers must match.  Either both have EU firmwares, or both have non-EU firmwares.  The D8 and LR12 mode receivers are not affected by this choice.  If you';re sticking with EU firmwares, then make sure to upgrade both the XJT and D16 receivers to the LBT firmware.  The latest LBT firmware fixes some issues present in older EU firmwares.


How do I make it all work?
The simplest solution is to update your stock Taranis firmware to the latest OpenTX 2.1 branch without ticking the EU box in the Companion settings.  OpenTX 2.0, while stable, is no longer developed.

The reason for this is that, despite FrSky';s claim to have dropped D8 and LR12 modes from the EU firmware for the RF module, these modes actually still work.  They were merely omitted from the mode selection in the operating system.  The same is true if you have installed OpenTX with the EU option enabled.

I';m giving a couple of scenarios for likely combinations of old and new devices that you may have.  Check the sticker in the module bay, it should tell you if your Taranis is an EU model or not.

For the EU Taranis with old and new receivers:
* Install the latest OpenTX firmware and do not enable EU-mode.  You will be able to use all receivers types.
* If you also have D16 mode receivers from before 2015 make sure to update them to EU firmwares.
* The LBT firmware is recommended at this point.

Options for pre-2015 or non-EU Taranis with old and new receivers:
A. Upgrade any new D16 mode receivers to the last non-EU firmware, or
B. Buy an external EU XJT module for new D16 mode receivers, or
C. Upgrade the internal XJT module to the current EU version, and
  1. Install the latest OpenTX firmware and do not enable EU-mode, and
  2. Upgrade any old D16 mode receivers to match


FrSky Receivers
D8 Mode
* D4R-II
* D6FR
* D8R-II plus
* D8R-XP
* Delta-8
* V8FR-II
* V8R4-II
* V8R7-II
* V8R7-SP
* VD5M

D16 Mode
* X4R
* X4R-SB
* X6R
* X8R

LR12 Mode
* L9R


FrSky Radio Modules
* XJT (D8, D16 & LR12 modes, internal for Taranis, JR-type external module for other radios)
* XFT (External XJT module to fit Futaba radios)
* DJT (D8 legacy protocols only, JR-type external module)
* DHT ("Hack" module, D8 legacy protocols only)


The future...
In 2014 the EU has quietly passed a directive preventing users from flashing non-compliant firmwares to their wireless devices.  This seems mostly aimed at people flashing their routers, but we may well get dragged into this.  This will take effect in June 2016.


A firmware upgrade tutorial
Flashing S.Port Devices through the Taranis with OpenTX 2.1
http://www.multi-rotor.co.uk/index.php?topic=14805.0


Threadlocked.  If you have questions or wish to discuss anything regarding this topic, please start a new thread.

[quadfather]

This article has been updated on 04/01/16 to reflect the changes of the latest EU firmwares, and to correct some inaccuracies.