Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Scouser on January 2, 2011 at 9:10am

 Hi Johann,

 

My Easystar has ailerons, and a AR 6200 receiver, but I also use a DX7 transmitter.

I use the flap switch to control my 3 auto pilot modes and program the switch values as follows:-

 

          Switch             FLAP                    ELEV

            NORM            UP 50%                0%

            MID                 DN 25%                0%

            LAND             DN 90%                0%

My autopilot is the the UAV Dev Board, so I put these values into the options header:-

#define MODE_SWITCH_THRESHOLD_LOW                             2600

#define MODE_SWITCH_THRESHOLD_HIGH                            3400

You may already have a scheme for progamming the failsafe. The Spektrum Rx continues to generate servo pulses when the signal fails, but it sends the throttle closed signal that it learnt when the Rx was "bound" to the TX. Before I bind the system, I program the Tx's throttle channels lowest value to LOW 150% (using the travel adjust menu). After binding I return the throttle's lowest value to LOW 100%. Then I use these failsafe values:-

#define FAILSAFE_INPUT_CHANNEL                                        THROTTLE_INPUT_CHANNEL

#define FAILSAFE_INPUT_MIN                             2000            // changed from 1500 for Spektrum radio

#define FAILSAFE_INPUT_MAX                                                   4500

 

You can mix switched channels but it is very easy to get very mixed up. I did this with a DX5 which didn't have a 3 position switch.

Powering the Rx through any port is fine.

 

all the best.

 

Scouser

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Permalink Reply by Johann Van Niekerk on January 2, 2011 at 10:39am

Hi Scouser

Thank you for your reply and input the picture is bit more clear but I am a noob as they call it when it comes this,I am not sure how to ask the question to get the answer what i want but Im going to try my best.

Lets start at Setup

when setting up the radio I move all the sticks and 4 Ch registers in CLI.great

then Mode setup comes along and I flip all the switches on the remote until i see movement and evertime that is AUX2 so by flicking the rudder stick I can chose between all the modes then once I have auto or stabilize selected I hit enter then in modeswitch test I can flip the switch to go from Manual to Auto and back works great. My question is how do I know what and where to find the other switches inputs if that makes sence and where do i program the ms for each switch to detirmine each mode.

 

Please tel me if that made sence otherwize ill try again

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Permalink Reply by Johann Van Niekerk on January 2, 2011 at 2:34pm

Okay

 I did a factory reset of the DX-7 and got it working sort of  I can now use the flap switch but on AUX2 still somehow and when in Mid position switch I can flick the rudder stick to go trhu all he modes. but not the autopilot engage light does not switch of when it is set to manual mode or any other mode but stabilize and other stuff works . Scouser do you maybe know how to select witch stick to use fr flicking thru the modes because at the moment it is on throttle so when i go to full power mode changes.

Thank you for any help

Regards JOhann

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Permalink Reply by Scouser on January 3, 2011 at 4:52am

Hi Johann,

 

Which autopilot are you using?

 

I assume that with an AR9000 Rx, AUX2 is the default flap channel. Page 56 of the DX-7 manual covers allocating switches to different channels.

 

My autopilot is the UAV Dev Board and I allocate one channel exclusively to selecting the autopilot modes, but I leave the failsafe function on the throttle channel. The board's designer used the throttle channel to control the autopilot modes because he had a glider, but we don't have to. With this autopilot any channel can be linked to any function. If you are also using the UAV Dev Board, I can send you my #options header.

 

If your autopilot isn't the same as mine then the channel allocation will be different and there may be another way to control the autopilot modes.

 

I found the DX-7 mixing and programming quite confusing. I had to introduce changes one at a time and check that the results were what I intended. The manual is correct, just not what I am familiar with.

 

All the best,

 

Scouser

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Permalink Reply by Johann Van Niekerk on January 3, 2011 at 6:48am

Hi Scourser

Im useing Adru Pilot mega with oil pan

I have a feeling my remote might not be the same as yours... is it?

The switch on top left hand side is a FLT mode switch that has three pos and is currently 0,2,4 in the APM code

 

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Permalink Reply by Scouser on January 3, 2011 at 7:20am

Hi Johann,

 

My transmitter is exactly like yours. I have re-labeled that FLT MODE switch as Autopilot - OFF - STAB - NAV. These are my three autopilot modes. Off equals manual - Stab equals stabilisation ON - Nav equals navigate i.e. full autopilot.

I made a typo and called your Rx an AR9000, but I see it's an AR7000.

You can download the manual from here:-

http://www.spektrumrc.com/ProdInfo/Files/DX7_Manual.pdf

The "Programmable Mixing 1–6" is on page 31 of 56 (or page 56 in my printed copy!)

I'm not familiar with the Adru Pilot mega.

 

all the best,

 

Scouser

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Permalink Reply by Scouser on January 3, 2011 at 8:05am

Hi Johann,

 

Some of my confusion arose because my DX-7 (and yours) has the switches and labels set-up for helicopter operations.

Page 17 of 56 of that down-loadable manual shows the fixed wing switches and labels.

When we select TYPE - ACRO the switches operate like those on page 17, except the GEAR function is on the 2-position switch on the front, and FLAP MIX is on the the 3 position switch on top!

 

If you tell me what outputs you want when you select the various switches, I will try to help. If you describe the outputs as pulse lengths it will avoid confusion about channel reversing etc. So My Flap switch is

N - Max pulse length

1 - Mid pulse length

2 - Min pulse length

 

I hope this helps,

 

Scouser

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Permalink Reply by Johann Van Niekerk on January 3, 2011 at 8:38am

Hi Scouser

That explains a lot so the switches is set up for heli, okay let me explain what i have done and what i want to do.

 

My UAV has a rudder ,elevator,throttle thats all I want to control , I want to use the other switches for different things.

 

I did what you explained about the following

 

"

          Switch             FLAP                    ELEV

            NORM            UP 50%                0%

            MID                 DN 25%                0%

            LAND             DN 90%                0%

My autopilot is the the UAV Dev Board, so I put these values into the options header:-

 

#define MODE_SWITCH_THRESHOLD_LOW                             2600

#define MODE_SWITCH_THRESHOLD_HIGH                            3400

You may already have a scheme for progamming the failsafe. The Spektrum Rx continues to generate servo pulses when the signal fails, but it sends the throttle closed signal that it learnt when the Rx was "bound" to the TX. Before I bind the system, I program the Tx's throttle channels lowest value to LOW 150% (using the travel adjust menu). After binding I return the throttle's lowest value to LOW 100%. Then I use these failsafe values:-

#define FAILSAFE_INPUT_CHANNEL                                        THROTTLE_INPUT_CHANNEL

#define FAILSAFE_INPUT_MIN                             2000            // changed from 1500 for Spektrum radio

#define FAILSAFE_INPUT_MAX                                                   4500 "

 

 

 

and that helped alot already because i can toggle trhu 3 different modes on that switch, but when following this it says that you can flip through all the modes.

This I have confirmed because I got it working some what yesterday but very dogy as sometimes it worked sometimes it didn't maybe because the stick I had to flick was the throttle stick  ;-) LOL.

 

All I want to have is Manual ,Auto, RTL providing I understand the mission planner correctly because if I do then if i plan a 5 waypoint mission and waypoint one is CMD_take_off and waypoint 5 is CMD_LAND then I would only need those 3 modes on the remote manaul for saftey reasons , Auto for the mission, and RTL for any problems.?

Am I understanding this correctly?

 

Then second part of this is in the Config.h file the flight modes and channels has to be defined if you want to I do not exactly understand what they mean in the setup guide exactly because the only thing I have defined is my GPS and the mode switching still works. so why must i do that?

Third thing my 3 pos switch is showing up as tx through AUX2 is that okay ? and then I seem to have rudder/evelvator mixing how do i get ride of it or must i leave it the way it is.

 

Thanx for all your help Scouser

I dont know how they expect you to know all these terms in the manaul and what they  do 

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Permalink Reply by Johann Van Niekerk on January 3, 2011 at 9:12am

I get that msg just before I move my sticks when setting up the radio have any idea what that means?

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Permalink Reply by Scouser on January 4, 2011 at 6:57am

Hi Johann,

 

I'm happy that you have the switch on top of the radio operating as you want now. I think that using it to select Manual ,Auto, RTL is the right way to go.

I can't help with the other questions because I'm not familiar with your autopilot.

 

all the best,

 

Scouser

Permalink Reply by Johann Van Niekerk on January 4, 2011 at 7:08am

That's cool Scouser
, thank you for all your help