Instructions for Getting 6 Flight Modes in APM 2.5 with a Devo-10
The configuration I'm using at the moment provides for a 6 flight modes using a combination of the AILE D/R 2 pos switch and the FMOD 3 pos switch. In addition I'm using the GEAR switch to select Simple Mode and and the AUX5 rotary knob to tune the Pids.
Wiring
Whilst the Devo-10 is a 10 channel controller, the APM2.5 only takes 8 inputs. For simplicity, I've connected them as follows:
APM Devo Rx
1 (Roll) 2 (Aileron)
2 (Pitch) 1 (Elevator)
3 (Throttle) 3 (Throttle)
4 (Yaw) 4 (Rudder)
5 (Aux1) 5 (Gear)
6 (Aux2) 6 (Aux 1 / Flap)
7 (Aux3) 7 (Aux 2 / Gyro)
8 (Aux4) 8 (Aux 3)
On the APM Ch5 is used to select flight modes, Ch6 can be used for Tuning Pids and Ch7 has a few options including selecting Simple Mode.
Switch Mapping on the Devo-10
To allocate the FMOD switch to the Rx Ch5 (Gear) to change Flight Modes:
- Model Menu->Device Select->Flight Switch: FMOD SW
- Model Menu->Device Output->Gear: FMOD SW
- Model Menu->Device Output->Gear Function: Active
To allocate the Aux 5 rotary knob to Ch6 (Aux 1 / Flap):
- Model Menu->Device Output->Flap: AUX5 KB
- Model Menu->Device Output->Flap Function: Active
To allocate the Gear switch to Ch 7 (Aux 2 / Gyro)
- Model Menu->Device Output->AUX2: GEAR SW
- Model Menu->Device Output->AUX2 Function: Active
To allocate the AILE D/R switch to Ch 8 (Aux 3)
- Model Menu->Device Output->AUX3: AILE D/R
- Model Menu->Device Output->AUX3 Function: Active
Mission Planner
With your APM connected to the Mission Planner and the Devo-10 paired with the Rx, carry out Radio Calibration, moving all the switches and rotary knobs. You should see Radio 5 going through 1100, 1500 and 1900; Radio 6 between 1100 to 1900; Radio 7 - 1100 and 1900; Radio 8 - 1100 and 1900. Don't worry if these figures are plus or minus 1 or 2.
In the Flight Modes menu you should now be able to switch between 3 different flight modes. And in the Standard Params->ArduCopter Config menu you can allocate Ch 7 Opt to Simple Mode, and Ch6 Opt to tune one of the parameters (make sure you read instructions elsewhere in this forum and the wiki on how and what to tune).
Note that with Ch 7 Opt to Simple Mode, there are no visual indication in Mission Planner that Simple Mode is selected - but it does work.
Modifying the switches to get 6 Flight Modes
Now for the tricky part - currently FMOD gives us 1100, 1500 and 1900. The ideal figures we're looking for are 1165, 1295, 1425, 1555, 1685 and 1815. What we will do is get the FMOD switch to produce 1165, 1425, and 1685 and then use AILE D/R to increase the FMOD output by 130 to give us 1295, 1555, and 1815:
- Function Menu->Travel Adjust->Gear: +65.0% -65.0%
- Function Menu->Sub Trim->Gear: -19.0%
- Function Menu->Program Mix->Mix 1: Normal (press Ent to Hold All Servos)
- Function Menu->Program Mix 1->Master: AUX3
- Function Menu->Program Mix 1->Slave: Gear
- Function Menu->Program Mix 1->Pos 0 (+): +50%
All the other settings in Program Mix 1 should be left at their default settings. Press Ext several times to return to the default screen on the Devo-10.
Now go back to Mission Planner and do the Radio Calibration again. You should be able to get the 6 distinct values on Radio 5.
Now go to the Flight Modes menu as set up the modes as you require.
And Finally
Please bear in mind that I'm very new to this game myself. I played about with a lot of settings on the Devo-10 before getting to this solution so there may be one or two bits I've inadvertently missed out - please let me know if you have any problems and I'll adjust the instructions accordingly. Also, there may well be other ways of achieving all this - I'm simply letting you know how it works for me and hopefully that will set people off in the right direction.
Safe Flying.
Replies
Hi Steve,
I am quite new to Devo radios and APM but have been flying quads for a while. I am having problems following your instructions on my brand new white devo 10 radio and RX 1002. I have a strange issue, If I try and follow your instructions I fall when I get the the bit where the rotary knob is set to operate channel six. I have no flap function on my radio menu's at all. I get in the model menue device outputs sps3,2,1 gear,Rud DR, Aile DR,Elev DR, Mix SW, and finally FMod SW but I do not get aux 1 flap anywhere in the menu. In mission planner I have the throttle channel also operating channel six on the AMP . It looks like there is a mix or something on my new radio this is it's first mode I have ever set with itl. The radio has never been used before this model, any idea what might cause the throttle to also move the channel six in Mission planner, the green status bar moves both throttle and channel six when operatin the throttle This is stopping me following on with your instruction. If anyone more expert than me can offer any help it would be great, I have used a set of batteries in the transmitter trying to get this to work. Non of the mixes on the function menu are set and I can not find anything that might cause it.
Thank you for the tutorial it helps people like me a lot I am finding information overload is happening in my small brain.
Gary
Steve, thank you very much for your information, it is very helpful. I want to ask you which receiver you use, are you using a Walkera receiver with "Data Bus", like the RX705 or the RX703A, or another one with a PPM encoder?
Regards.
Works Great. Made my experience much more enjoyable. I had been using channels 7 & 8 to get five modes. Everytime I try to read their manual my eyes glaze over and my brain goes to white noise.
Thanks Steve, manage to get all my flight mode working on my Crius AIOP V2 by following your guide and modified some of the output( i not using Gear but using Aux 5). I had been trying for half a year on these but never success, now i m going to test all the 6 flight mode, well done.
Thanks for the write-up, got it working!
I have a couple questions you might be able to help me out with.
1) I cant get telemetry to work with the devo 10. I heard there might be a certain module or receiver you need to use but cant find anything on this, do you know anything about it?
2) Is there a way to get ALL of the D/R's setup to just one switch? I have the same setup as you right now so im using the aileron D/R switch. Id like to just set it up to have one switch activate all of the D/R's.
3) When I use your setup, I have "radio 8" on my APM board activating from the aleron D/R switch, but it is mixed with "radio 5" in order to get the 6 modes. Is there a way to assign "radio 8" to another unused switch? (I have everything set and wired to same as you)
Thanks alot man!
You need walkera's telemetry modue CTL01-D.
Thank you so much Steve. That's impressive you figured that out. I had a feeling there was something in the program mix that would make it work but never would have come up with that. Thanks for sharing.
I don't know if its a typo, or I just did something differently, but for me, I needed to set Program mix 1 master to AUX2 and not AUX3. I am guessing this is because in device output AUX2 is set up for the gear switch. Could just be that I used gear and mix switch vs the AIL D/R
Anyway, Thanks again!
Hi Steve,
May i know this setting can used for my Walkera Devo 7 or not? Currently running with RX702 and only get 3 position switch flight mode.
Regards,
Nelson
That's is such a good write-up I'm tempted to go buy a dev-10 just to try it out. This will be a great help to many (esp considering the decent quality and price of the dev series)
I'll see if i can get this in the wiki, let me know if you find anything to be incorrect :)
Cheers