Lemon Telemetry Instructions 10-Feb-16 6
The Lemon unit does not have an X-BUS port and is not Spektrum X-BUS compatible. Nor are the threepin JST-ZH connectors (the four small white ones) wired like Spektrum. For this and other reasons,
Spektrum sensors are NOT interchangeable with Lemon sensors.
Do not interchange Lemon and Spektrum telemetry unit hardware and connectors, as the polarities
are different.
The unit has been designed on the assumption that most people will be using a 5V BEC power source.
However it will operate on a voltage of from 3.45 to 7.2V from the receiver. So in practice this power
source can be a 1S LiPo, a 4 or 5cell NiMH pack, a 2S LiFe pack, a separate 5 or 6V BEC or the internal
BEC of an ESC. It should not be used with a power supply over 7.2v, such as a 2s LiPo pack.
Accuracy'and'Limitations'
Signal'Indicator'
The Lemon system does not report Frame Losses (F) and Holds (H) since this is data generated only by
Spektrum systems. Nor does Lemon report individual packet losses on up to four separate
receivers/satellites (A, B, L and R) as Spektrum does.
However the Lemon unit does use the “A” display for a
Signal Indicator value. This is calculated from the number
of packets lost in transmission. A reading of 100 means
that no packets have been lost in transmission, while
smaller numbers indicate losses.
The value is based on the number of packets received
about every half second. In versions of the Lemon unit to
date, it is of limited use and tends to give readings that
range between 85 and 100. Note that, as with some other
telemetry systems, if the data communication link is broken, the last known Signal Indicator value will stay
on the screen until data communication is restored.3
As noted previously, the B, L and R satellite receiver fields are not used by the Lemon system, nor are the
F (Frame loss) and H (Hold) fields. Receiver voltage is displayed on the same screen as the Signal
Strength indicator.
Height'
The unit includes a Bosch BMP180 integrated digital pressure and temperature sensor. Since this is used
to report altitude, the reading will vary with local barometric pressure. Accordingly, in order to display
height above ground level (AGL), which is what most people are looking for when they think of the height
of a model, the Lemon telemetry unit as delivered sets the
altitude reading to zero every time power is connected.
The Lemon altimeter is quite accurate by hobby standards. It
is ambient temperature compensated but will have small
errors due to internal noise, onboard heating of the
components, and natural variation of atmospheric pressure
during the flight. It is normal for the height reading to fluctuate
by up to 6ft/2m, and this variation may increase during
3
A forthcoming version of the telemetry unit will have an improved Signal Indicator function to give more useful and reliable
results that range from 0-100.