If you’re looking to dive into the world of electronics and build your own drone, this PPM Encoder is a perfect choice. Pulse Position Modulation (PPM) is a technique that encodes signals by positioning pulses. This encoder can combine up to 8 PWM (Pulse Width Modulated) signals into a single PPM output.
Many flight controllers, such as the Pixhawk autopilot, only accept PPM-compatible receivers. If your receiver uses PWM, you’ll need a PPM encoder like this one to connect to a PPM-only flight controller.
The PPM encoder transforms standard PWM inputs into a single PPM output, allowing you to consolidate up to 8 channels from a traditional RC receiver into one PPM input for your flight controller, like Pixhawk or APM. The key advantage of PPM is that it simplifies wiring by combining all channels into a single wire, alongside ground and power lines.
Important Powering Instructions:
The included jumper JP1 offers flexibility in powering your receiver, servos, and PPM Encoder. Typically, the power for these components is sourced from the autopilot board, in which case, JP1 should be shorted.
However, if the receiver or servos are connected to a separate power source, and the autopilot’s +5V is also linked to the PPM Encoder via the PPM connector, you **must** remove jumper JP1. This ensures that the autopilot’s power supply is isolated from the separate receiver power supply. Failing to do this could damage the autopilot’s +5V switching regulator.
Note:
The firmware is pre-configured to read 8 channels. If you wish to adjust the PPM encoder settings, such as inverting the PPM signal or modifying the fail-safe values, you will need an AVR ISP programmer for reprogramming.
Features:
- Support the input channels: 8
- Output: PPM SUM × 1 / MUX × 1
- Dimensions: 28 x 19 x 5 mm
- Weight: 12 gm. (containing all the input and output wires)
Specification:
Input Channel | 8 PWM channel |
---|---|
Output channel | 1 PPM channel |
PWM signal cable length (mm) | 60 |
PPM signal cable length (mm) | 90 |
PPM Encoder dimensions | As per below |
Length (mm) | 31.60 |
Width (mm) | 23 |
Height (mm) | 8 |
Weight (gm) | 10 |
Shipping Weight | 0.015 kg |
Shipping Dimensions | 6 × 5 × 2 cm |
Package Includes:
1 x Pixhawk PPM Encoder Module.
1 x JR plug 10P input end of the cable.
1x JR plug 4P output end of the cable.
User Manual
Alexey Mikhaylov (verified owner) –