RC transmitter mixing instead of flight controller?

Hello all,

I'm new here, so bear with me, pls :-) My background is RC cars and boats, and very little flying, but I want to get more involved in flying. Preferably with helicopters and possibly with a FPV system.

The Quadrocoptors has caught my attention, and I'm considering building a simple system, but whereas motors/ESCs/radiogear is pretty straightforward, I'm more concerned about getting into flight controller programming, which seems to be a discipline in itself.

Now my question is, would it be possible to use the mixing capabilities of my traditional "computerized" 8-channel Graupner MX-16s radio to create the required ESC-output for the four ESCs? Will there be dimensions enough in the mixing? My idea is to use the Speed/Power channel as a master for all four motors and then mix with tilt/yaw/rotation in the transmitter.

I'm not considering to implement a gyro, so that should simplifymixing requirements, but it may prove too much of a handful to fly?

If this idea is a dead end, what would be the most simple and affordable controller to get?

Thanks

Mike

rotor-platforms are very dynamic for just straight mixing. The gyros are constantly giving the control system a means of being able to tell how much input or output that motor is giving out. There are no encoders or anything of the like on the motors, so without measuring actual movement the quadrotor has no idea how much it is or isn't correcting itself.

The only way I can think of this being plausible is in a fixed environment like a large room that is using camera tracking to track and proportionate individual motor balance remotely, and then send the command to the quad (however the only thing that changes is that the control equipment moves off-quad)

From a learning perspective, i'd find/build a KK, MK, or Wii based control board. They are low on features compared to the APM platform, however since it's mostly just stabilization electronics and no other features, it's easier to learn the basics of what keeps the heli in the air. They are also very cheap and will get it flying minimally.

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Mike O August 9, 2011 at 3:05pm

nubli, hikkakaru,

thx for your replies. I have just ordered a KK board, which seems to be the most inviting option for me at this level.
hikkakaru August 8, 2011 at 12:36pm

rotor-platforms are very dynamic for just straight mixing. The gyros are constantly giving the control system a means of being able to tell how much input or output that motor is giving out. There are no encoders or anything of the like on the motors, so without measuring actual movement the quadrotor has no idea how much it is or isn't correcting itself.

The only way I can think of this being plausible is in a fixed environment like a large room that is using camera tracking to track and proportionate individual motor balance remotely, and then send the command to the quad (however the only thing that changes is that the control equipment moves off-quad)

From a learning perspective, i'd find/build a KK, MK, or Wii based control board. They are low on features compared to the APM platform, however since it's mostly just stabilization electronics and no other features, it's easier to learn the basics of what keeps the heli in the air. They are also very cheap and will get it flying minimally.
nubli hashim July 27, 2011 at 5:38am

you can mix in the radio for tricopter and quadrocopter, but a gyro on every motor is almost a must. almost impossible to fly four dimensional mixes without gyro. even single gyro also a nightmare to fly without like traditional heli.
simply said get a controller.. I learn it the hard way. there cheaper controller board lie KK, MK but ArduCopter get bigggg room for more future development...
just my 2 cent thought

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RC transmitter mixing instead of flight controller?

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