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Octaquad

Posted by Quentin Mayberry on June 9, 2014 at 3:09am

I have built an octaquad and am using AC3.1.5. I am also using a servo operated stabilized camera mount and (using A11 & A10). I wanted to use the camera shutter servo, but all 8 of the RC outputs are used on our APM 2.6.

Does anyone know if it is all right to use a Y lead for each esc combo so it then only uses 4 RC ports instead of 8. Obviously it would have to then be setup as a quad, i.e. each motor and prop turning the same way on each arm, effectively giving redundancy.

I used this method on a fixed wing twinstar (both esc's on a Y lead going to the throttle channel) with an APM 2 that worked fine, but have never tried it on a quad.

Any firmware programmers out there know if this will work, before I embark on making the mods as it would be a large investment to lose if it didn't?

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Replies

  • T3
    Richard Boyhan June 10, 2014 at 11:31am
    Bypass the APM and go directly from your receiver to the camera. More radio channels gives you more options. With a nine channel receiver you can use the ninth channel to control whatever. Actually anything above 5 channels can be used to control whatever. You need 4 channels for flight, 1 channel for flight modes. 6-8 are optional for whatever. I normally use 6 to either tune or control camera pitch, 7 for RTL and nothing for 8.
    • Quentin Mayberry > Richard Boyhan June 10, 2014 at 2:14pm
      Yes I already do that. But it would be nice to have the APM trigger the camera when reaching waypoints. It wasn't a problem when we were using quads, we could program the mission and it would fly autonomously and take the photos. Made the jobs simple! I guess I could look at a relay for the trigger, then I believe it may work from A9.
  • OG June 9, 2014 at 3:22am

    would be less of an issue if you get a 9 channel radio

    • Quentin Mayberry > OG June 9, 2014 at 4:08am

      Why would that make any difference as there are only 8 RC outputs on the APM?

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