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Pixhawk with BaseCam (AlexMos) SimpleBGC Gimbal

Posted by airmazingvideo.com on September 17, 2014 at 9:56pm

Hello,

Does any of you have experience to install a BaseCam (AlexMos) SimpleBGC gimbal to the Pixhawk, or have the technical knowledge to inform me if this is possible?

More information about the brushless gimbal controller can be found here: http://www.basecamelectronics.com/simplebgc/

I used this gimbal in combination with DJI Naza V2. I assume the Pixhawk can be used as well to control the gimbal (if DJI can do it, Pixhawk should definitely be capable). The gimbal controller board will take care of stabilizing the 2-axis tilt & roll. I only want to be able to control the camera pitch. Is this possible?

Thanks for suggestions.

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Tags: basecam (alexmos) simplebgc, pixhawk, simplebgc, gimbal
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Replies

  • turdsurfer May 20, 2015 at 2:59pm

    Has anybody been able to get the Pixhawk's tilt and/or roll output on RC13 and RC14? 
    This can be done be setting the RC*_FUNCTION value to 7 or 8 for the appropriate channel.

    I want to use it so that my gimbal can use a follow mode in one of it's profiles and because it supposedly helps the gimbal controller to be more accurate in non-follow mode.

    The problem I have, using firmware 3.2,  is that RC13 never outputs a signal when I set RC13_FUNCTION to 7 or 8. All the other AUX channels (including RC14) do output tilt and roll signals when I set them to do so.

    The documentation, that lacks details, shows connecting the gimbal to AUX1 (RC9) and AUX2 (RC10). I can't do that as I have 12 channels in use and all my other AUX channels below RC13 are set to pass through for switches, lights, etc.

    • Joe Dietrich > turdsurfer May 20, 2015 at 4:25pm

      What type of TX / RX setup are you running?

      With Futaba, there is a certain TX mode you have to select to get 14 channels (transmitting).  And with Futaba, if using S-Bus, it should support up to 18 channels (with an 18 channel TX).  What I have done using my Futaba T14SG is to use the R7008SB RX in mode D whereby it assigns ports 1 through 6 on the RX as channels 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and I don't use the Pixhawk for any of those channels (I just plug my non-flight controller related switches, 3-source video switcher, tilt, roll devices straight in to the RX on these reassigned ports).

      That may not help much with the tilt / roll control between the Pixhawk and the gimbal controller (for fine control / adjustment), however I could never get that to work even when I had assigned those functions to lower RCxx functions, just above those assigned to the flight controller.  Maybe I should go back and try...

      Also, I plug SBus straight into the Pixhawk RCin.  The DYS 3-axis gimbal with the Alexmos controller supports Sbus input, and the Pixhawk has SBUS (out), maybe connect those together and that will provide a pass-through function???

  • Mike Taylor May 19, 2015 at 4:38pm

    My setup will directly copy what I have with a tarot T2D into Alexmos for my Nex5 via Pixhawk. I have the T14SG and converted over to SBus but I run in a different mode (4 I think!?). I have 1-8 via Sbus and 9-14(16) via the Rx. I run retracts via the Rx for the moment but will switch to APM: Copter in 3.3 for auto-retracts.

    Anyhow. I run Aux1 for my tilt from Pixhawk but allow Tarot (and simpleBGC) to control the actual gimbal. It should work fine. I'll let you all know.

    cheers,

    M

    • Joe Dietrich > Mike Taylor May 20, 2015 at 4:30pm

      It should, I have done the same thing.

      I just don't like my 3-axis DYS very much (using Alexmos controller).  I just can't seem to get the fine tuning needed to take the vertical (pitch) vibrations out of the gimbal (not prop balance related).  My DYS just never looks as nice as my DJI H3-3D (of course it costs twice as much) videos.

  • Taag March 15, 2015 at 2:55pm

    Hi, I'm planning to mount a gimba to my drone based on Pixhawk. Can you tell me the advantages of using Alexmos board in comparison with the pixhawk native control mode? Thank you very much

    • Patrick Leschinski > Taag March 21, 2015 at 4:00pm

      The pixhawk native control only uses servos. A brushless gimbal is MUCH smoother. Servos are fine for keeping the camera where you want it for surveying or something, but for cinematography, you need a brushless like Alexmos, STorM32 or BruGi

  • Gregmaan March 1, 2015 at 11:52pm

    I am also looking for a solution with the 32bit board:

    I use the FC inputs/outputs RC9/10 to emulate the 2. IMU and RC_Tilt on RC11 for manual control.

    But I also want to control the gimbal with the MP.

    Is there a best Practice solution e.g. Maybe controlling the gimbal over the serial line could give more options?

    Cheers Gregor

    • Ivan R > Gregmaan June 10, 2015 at 11:01am

      let me know if you find the answer to this...am interested on doing the same thing!

  • Justice Bentz February 9, 2015 at 9:33pm

    Anyone using arduplane w/ gimbal connected to pixhawk? 

  • Espen Lee January 9, 2015 at 5:45am

    Hi,

    Does anyone have issues with the gimbal not targeting at GSC during follow me mode, current issue is whenever i activate follow me, my quad follows me but the gimbal tilt up all the time. i was wondering anyone has this problem?

     

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