Project 004 · Working subsystem

TBS Unify + Pico test-bench control

A dedicated Raspberry Pi Pico module used to control a TBS Unify analogue VTX as part of a repeatable, low-power RF test bench.

Confirmed hardware. This is the existing TBS analogue transmitter node used on the bench, not the TBS Fusion receiver investigation.

Purpose

The module turns an analogue VTX into a controllable test source for repeatable Sky Serpent experiments. Instead of manually configuring the transmitter for each capture, the Pico provides a software-controlled interface that can be integrated into the wider test-bench workflow.

Architecture

TBS UNIFY TEST NODE

Linux / Labrax test bench

↓

Raspberry Pi Pico controller

↓

Power / enable control

VTX control interface

↘ known test state ↙

TBS Unify analogue VTX

Role in the RF laboratory

The Unify node provides a known analogue RF source that can be switched and configured by the test infrastructure. This allows receiver and detection experiments to be associated with a controlled transmitter state and repeated under comparable conditions.

Safety and repeatability

The bench is designed for bounded, low-power tests with the transmitter connected to an appropriate antenna or load and with power control available independently of the higher-level experiment. The goal is repeatable measurement, not increased RF output.

Integration

The Pico module forms one part of a wider transmission laboratory alongside the separate DJI O4 controller. Both follow the same principle: move repetitive transmitter setup into a controlled hardware interface so Linux-side automation can concentrate on experiment sequencing, capture and evidence.

A future update will add the verified wiring and control sequence from the physical Unify node once those details are captured directly from the finished module.