PARAMETER MENU - Special parameters C to K
The points C to K of PARAMETER MENU offer a variety of settings which you may use to further improve the system performance and which allow you to adjust the flight characteristics of the helicopter to suit your personal preferences. Normally for the first flight you don‘t need to make any adjustments here.
Adjustment at the device
When MICROBEAST PLUS is ready for operation, hold down the button until the Menu LED next to point A flashes quickly, then release the button immediately. The flashing menu LED A shows that you've entered menu point A of PARAMETER MENU. To skip to the setting you like to adjust, repeatedly press the button until the corresponding Menu LED flashes. The current setting of this menu point is shown by color and state of the Status LED. Tapping the rudder stick left/right you can decrease/increase the value. If you don't like to use one of the presets, you can edit each setting with the StudioX software/StudioXm app to your likings. In this case when your custom setting does not match the presets the Status LED will stay 'off. You can still choose one of the presets by tapping the rudder stick, but this will erase your custom setting.
When using the bank switching feature (only with PROEDITION firmware) you can only change the settings for bank 1 using the LED menu of MICROBEAST PLUS. The parameters for banks 2 and 3 must be set in the StudioX software/StudioXm app. When disabling bank switching the settings will not change as bank 1 is used by default!
Setup with StudioX
Please note that editing parameters is only possible when the device has initialized completely. If it does not pass initialization sequence check the device status from the status bar on the bottom. If the system does not finish "Receiver init" check the receiver settings and radio setup. If the system does not finish "Sensor init" make sure that it is perfectly standing still and that power supply is stable.
Edit parameters in the software as necessary by either choosing the preset buttons or by clicking the "Customize" link. When using the bank switching feature (only with PROEDITION firmware) you can set parameters differently for the three flight modes/banks and switch between those different settings in flight. When bank switching is deactivated you can only set parameters for bank 1 as this is the default bank.
Setup with StudioXm
Please note that editing parameters is only possible when the device has initialized completely. So as long as the system is not in operation mode the button to open the "Parameters" section is greyed out. If it does not pass initialization sequence check the device status shown in the middle of the screen. If the system does not finish "Receiver init" check the receiver settings and radio setup. If the system does not finish "Sensor init" make sure that it is perfectly standing still and that power supply is stable.
Click the "Parameters" button. You will find the special parameters mentioned above under "Bank 1 - Parameters". You can edit them using the given adjustment buttons. When using the bank switching feature (only with PROEDITION firmware) you can set parameters for banks 2 and 3 accordingly and switch between those different settings in flight. When bank switching is deactivated you can only set parameters for bank 1 as this is the default bank.
Parameter explanation
Speed flight stability (Point C)
When in fast forward flight apply jerky collective pitch inputs to test this parameter. The helicopter should mainly remain in its horizontal flight path during climbing and descending. If the nose of the helicopter is pitching up and down heavily like a swimming dolphin, increase the setting to compensate for this effect. But if the value is too high, the helicopter might feel sluggish and lazy. So it's best to try finding the lowest suitable setting. Note that the Cyclic Gain (usually set by Dial 1) must be set as high as possible as well. Otherwise the pitching up just may be the result of too low reaction of the gyro system in general.
If the helicopter is still pitching up at the highest value and maximum possible cyclic gain, check whether the swashplate has enough cyclic throw at high collective pitch values or use faster and stronger servos and rotor blades with very neutral phasing (for example blades specifically designed for flybarless helis).
| Status-LED | Speed flight stability |
|---|---|
| purple | very low |
| red flashing | low |
| red | medium |
| blue flashing | high |
| blue | very high |
Rudder rate consistency (Point D)
At PARAMETER MENU point D the rudder rate consistency can be adjusted. This parameter comes into play when the tail gyro is operated in HeadingLock mode. It determines how hard the tail gyro tries to maintain a given rotation rate from the transmitter. If the value is set too low, pirouettes will be inconsistent during fast forward flight or in crosswind conditions and the helicopter will slowly drift on the vertical axis when in stationary hovering flight with crosswinds. If on the other hand the setting is too high, the tail gyro will respond delayed to fast directional changes and the rudder stick control feels very inprecise. Additionally the tail might make a slow bounce after stopping from a rotational movement and commute gently while hovering or flying around. So only adjust this parameter as high as necessary.
Parameter menu point D only adjusts some part of the tail gyro control loop. First of all, you must adjust the tail gyro gain in the transmitter and use it to switch the gyro to HeadingLock mode.
- Before adjusting the rudder rate consistency always try to find the maximum amount of tail gyro gain by flying around and using the tail gyro in HeadingLock mode.
- After adjusting the rudder rate consistency it might be necessary to readjust the tail gyro gain! Both parameters interact to each other.
| Status-LED | Rudder rate consistency |
|---|---|
| purple | very low |
| red flashing | low |
| red | medium |
| blue flashing | high |
| blue | very high |
Additional information
Please note that poor tail performance very often may be a sign of a stiff tail mechanics, slop in the tail linkage or an inadequate rudder servo! The tail rotor system in this case does not react as precise as necessary and hinders the tail gyro from working properly. If you cannot increase the rudder rate consistency further than “very low“ or “low“ without the tail rotor starting to slowly oscillate or bounce after doing a full stop, it is very likely that there is a mechanical issue. Also if on the other hand the tail does not turn constantly at high speeds or doesn't turn around at all, even with setting „very high“, again this may be due to a mechanical cause.
Make sure that the maximum blade pitch at the tail rotor neither is too large nor too small. A large pitch angle can lead to a stall of the tail rotor blades. Then the tail rotor produces hardly any thrust, similar to a very small angle. Also check the entire tail mechanics running smooth and without binding. Make sure that the rudder servo is strong enough and that it is supplied with sufficient power (long supply leads cause high voltage loss!). Check that the rudder servo does not get powerless at maximum servo deflection. This can happen if the pulse range of the servo is exceeded. The cause for lacking tail thrust also can be that the tail rotor blades are too small or too soft, or because the rotation speed of the tail rotor is too low!
To gain better tail gyro performance also check for correct servo horn length. If the tail gain in general is very low and the rudder tends to oscillate very easy move the linkage ball on the servo horn further inwards to the center. If on the other hand you have a very large amount of tail gain and the tail gyro still does not seem to be capable to hold the tail rotor in any flight condition, move the linkage ball on the servo horn further out from the center, to get faster response speed when the gyro needs to control the rudder.
Do not change the rudder rate consistency at menu point D in case the tail gyro does not hold well on abrupt directional changes. The rudder rate consistency doesn't compensate for sudden movements! In this case increase the gyro gain (if possible) or use the help of RevoMix feature (point F).