Hi everyone!
we collected the most frequently asked questions regarding our fully domestic, open-source ELRS scheme and put together a quick Q&A roundup. Below is a summary of the key takeaways from this week’s discussion:
Q1: What frequency band does the TK8620 operate on? Is it 2.4GHz like the SX1280 or Sub-GHz like the SX1276/SX1262?
A:
TK8620 is primarily designed as a Sub-GHz transceiver (supporting 400MHz–500MHz / 868MHz–915MHz depending on the hardware RF front-end design). It is not a direct 2.4GHz drop-in replacement for SX1280.
In this firmware port, we adapted ELRS’s Sub-GHz packet structure and timer loops to match the TK8620’s registers and modulation engine, providing a solid alternative choice for long-range, high-penetration Sub-GHz setups.
Q2: How does TK8620 perform compared to Semtech (SX1276/SX1280)? Does it support LoRa modulation, or are you using FLRC/FSK?
A:
TK8620 is built by Taolink-Tech and natively supports proprietary TurMass™ (DPFSK) technology along with flexible FSK/GFSK engine modes.
In this ExpressLRS port, we tuned its low-level FSK/modulation timing to adhere to ELRS’s packet interval demands. While standard Semtech chips use proprietary LoRa/FLRC, TK8620 achieves comparable high sensitivity and link stability in Sub-GHz long-range scenarios with lower power consumption and high integration.
Q3: What are the maximum supported packet rates (Hz) on this port? Can it reach 500Hz or 1000Hz?
A:
Currently, the TK8620 port fully supports standard Sub-GHz ELRS packet rates (e.g., 50Hz, 100Hz, and 200Hz modes).
Because Sub-GHz RF physics prioritize range and penetration over extreme microsecond-latency, 50Hz–200Hz provides the sweet spot for stable telemetry and control link reliability. Higher experimental rates are currently being tested in the repository’s dev branch.
Q4 : How do we flash this firmware? Can we use the official ExpressLRS Configurator or target custom target definitions?
A: You can build and flash the firmware directly via VS Code + PlatformIO using our provided target configuration files in the repo.
We are actively unifying our target definitions to streamline the workflow. Wi-Fi flashing and Lua script telemetry management on EdgeTX/OpenTX transmitters are supported as standard ELRS 3.5.6 features.
Q5: Are you planning to PR this upstream to the main ExpressLRS master branch? Where can we get test modules/hardware?
A:
That’s the ultimate goal! We believe in keeping open-source truly open. We are collecting community feedback, optimizing stability, and refining hardware target definitions before submitting an upstream PR to the official ExpressLRS repo.
If you are a developer interested in testing prototype hardware, feel free to open an issue on our GitHub repo or contact our dev team directly!
Check out the full source code, build instructions, and setup guide on GitHub: