Information about firmware versions
The software that is installed on your MICROBEAST PLUS controller is what we call a "firmware". This firmware can be updated (i.e. for improvements, fixes, new features, ...) by downloading a file from the internet and flashing this on the device. To distinguish between firmware files each firmware has a unique version number "X.Y.Z" where "X" is the major version, "Y" is the minor version and "Z" is the patch version. You can say that when the major version ("X") changes then a lot will be different between two versions. When minor version "Y" increases, there will be a few new features or parameters. A change in "Z" is only a patch or fix that shouldn't be greatly noticable expect for some very little improvements. From the changelog below you can find out differences between versions. In general it is always recommended to stay with the latest version as this should give you the most features and benefits.
Reading the current firmware version
When connecting your MICROBEAST PLUS with the StudioX app or software the firmware version is the first thing you will see when the overview screen opens. In case there is a firmware update available usually there also should pop up some information message. Then you may update your device right away or read here what has changed in decide if it's useful for you to update.
LED display of the device
Reading the firmware version from StudioX is the most convenient way but it also to read the firmware without the help of an external device. After powering up MICROBEAST PLUS it performs a brief initialization phase. A quick self test turns all menu LEDs on simultaneously and the Status LED cycles through all colors. Then, for about 3 seconds, the Status LED turns red and the first two digits (X and Y) of the internal firmware version are shown. In the remaining time a running light of the LEDs A - G signals that the sensors are being calibrated and the LEDs H - N do indicate the initialization of the receiver signals. During the initialization phase (i.e. when viewing the firmware version or later) briefly push the button to display the third digit (Z) of the firmware version. Here the Status LED flashes purple. Again briefly press the button and the color of the Status LED changes to flashing blue. Now you can read the firmware‘s data version "X.Y" from the display. If you press the button for a third time, the Status LED goes off and the hardware version "X.Y" of this MICROBEAST PLUS device is displayed. Press the button for a last time to leave the version display and to view the running light for status information.
Representation of values
The representation of all values is in binary using the Menu LEDs. When a Menu LED is lit up this stands for "1", when the LED is off this means "0". The least significant bits are A and H. The type of value that is currently displayed is represented by the color of the Status LED as described above.
Firmware version
As mentioned above the firmware version consists of three values "X.Y.Z". "X" and "Y" are displayed automaticaly before the
initialization sequence. "X" is represented by Menu LEDs A - G, "Y" is represented by letters H - N. The "Z" value is
shown if the button is pressed once while initialization takes place. To display "Z" all LEDs A - N are used.
Data version
The data version consists of two values "X.Y" which are displayed at the same time through menu LEDs A - G
for "X" and H - N for "Y".
Hardware version
The hardware version consists of two values "X.Y" which are displayed at the same time through menu LEDs
A - G for "X" and H - N for "Y".
Changelog
Here you can see what has changed from one version to the preceeding version.
When updating from firmware 4.x.x or lower to Version 5.x.x you will loose all your settings. Please carefully read the Version 5 instruction manual and do the basic setup again.
5.1.2
- Tail gyro
- center rudder servo when heli is on gound by giving brief stick input "left-right-left-center"
- Governor
- improved performance of governor in nitro and electric mode
- no throttle lock at full speed when headspeed does not increase fast enough in nitro mode
- use logging feature to get more insight what the governor actually does, i.e. it will tell you that chosen head speed is too high when head speed can't be reached or only can be reached at nearly maximum throttle
- AttitudeControl (stabilization) (PROEDITION only)
- when using Bank Switching and AttitudeControl with separate switch channel you can now do both, set fixed AttitudeGain in a bank or use the separate switch. So AttitudeControl is always active in this bank when the gain is set to greater than 12 by software. When it is set to 0, the separate switch will determine when AttitudeControl is on or off.
- in 3D - Mode you can enable/disable stabilization when the heli is in exact vertical position, so you may be able to practice maneuvers in which the heli is nearly upright more easily, i.e. funnels or hurricanes
- Setup
- at SETUP POINT K (Pitch adjustment) you can see the actual thrust stick center position when the Status LED is off. You can use this to identify a little stick offset which may cause your pitch not being at 0 degrees when the stick seems to be in center position!
- added visualization when performing a factory reset
- increased Quick trim range
- Receivers
- using SRLX receivers the internal function assignment of MICROBEAST PLUS was not similar to the transmitter display/function assignment of the radio manufacturers, this has been changed so that Microbeast uses different assignments for each manufacturer. (Please note: due to this update you will have to do the radio setup and function assignments once again after the firmware update to version 5.1.2 when using a SRLX receiver)
- StudioX
- added data logging to be viewed in StudioXm and StudioX V3 (Note: log data is only temporary and will be erased when removing power from the device!)
- added possibility to perform factory reset by software
5.0.4 PROEDITION
- AttitudeControl
- Now you can use Boost Pitch also in 3D-Mode and Rescue Bailout mode without(!) pitch. So the heli will get a short lift when the heli is leveled but then you will regain pitch control immediately.
5.0.3
- Basic functionality
- now fully adjustable (Setup & Parameters) also with StudioX computer software or StudioXm mobile App; see manuals for further information
- added support for FlySky iBus and Jeti EXBUS serial line input data
- Spektrum/JR remote satellite can be directly connected to pin board of MICROBEAST PLUS (Spektrum Adapter not required anymore); see manual for further information
- added separate trim values for aileron, elevator, collective and rudder
- removed "User defined" presets instead you can directly edit a value with StudioX/StudioXm if necessary
- reworked adjustment in Receiver Menu:
- Receiver Menu Point A: automatic receiver type detection; see manual for further information
- Receiver Menu Point A: changed LED colors for receiver types and also changed receiver type naming; see manual for further information
- reworked adjustment in Setup Menu:
- in general values and presets are changed using the rudder stick; menu options (selecting servos, changing adjustment positions) are set with aileron; when directions are setup correctly, left stick decreases a value and right stick increases a value
- Setup Menu Point C (Rudder pulse width): swapped LED colors for 760µs and 960µs (now 760 = purple and 960 = red) so that the values are increasing in the given order from purple (lowest) to blue (highest)
- Setup Menu Point F (Gyro/Rudder direction): no need to check gyro direction by user anymore, instead teach the rudder direction to the system; see manual for further information
- swapped Setup Menu Points G and H (now H = Swash servo directions and G = Swash mixing)
- now supports up to 4 swashplate servos (when choosing 90° eCCPM swash mixing at Setup Point G and using a single wire receiver); 4th servo (2nd elevator) is connected to CH7 output
- Setup Menu Point J (Cyclic throw): measurement and neutral positions can be selected as often as you like now, so you can even check positions after the setup was finished; see manual for further information
- Setup Menu Point K (Collective pitch): no need to teach the stick end positions anymore, instead the user has to adjust the pitch range initially so the stick movement and range is shown correctly on the display; see manual for further information
- Setup Menu Point M (Cyclic directions): no need to check swash gyro compensation by user anymore, instead teach the stick directions to the system; see manual for further information
- reworked settings in Parameter Menu:
- Parameter Menu Point A (Quick trim): added collective trim and rudder trim can be done with rudder stick now; see manual for further information
- Parameter Menu Point L (AttitudeControl Mode): swapped LED colors for different modes (now purple = Angular mode, red = Bailout rescue, blue = 3D - Mode)
- throttle failsafe indicator (only when using Single line receiver): when throttle is higher than failsafe position and failsafe engages during power up, the system will lock throttle after initialization and the Status LED will flash red/blue!
- reworked adjustment in Governor Menu:
- Governor Menu Point D: swapped LED colors for displaying Autorotation and Governor at maximum speed (now purple = Autorotation, blue = Governor at maximum speed)
- Internal headspeed governor
- increased range for electric governor to be used with SAB Goblin Fireball: Maximum headspeed now 5000rpm
- ProEdition
- added new feature "Bank switching" (can be enabled with StudioX/StudioXm only) which allows to set parameters for three flight conditions; when used gain adjustment using the dials and gyro gain adjustment with the radio are disabled, instead the gains and parameters are all set with StudioX/StudioXm; see manual for further information
- Rescue Boost allows to give additional collective pitch for a given amount of time when activating rescue bail out or 3D - Mode (with or without pitch control)
- 3D - Mode no does not engage when the helicopter is in upright vertical position which gives a better control when training 3D maneuvers while 3D - Mode is active
- StudioX
- added FFT tab to show frequency spektrum of the sensor input to visualize vibrations, especially interesting when planning to use the AttitudeControl; see StudioX manual for further information
- added event logging function to better understand what the system is doing during operation and to give more information for support team
4.2.0
- Basic functionality
- modified flight parameters and gain settings on cyclics according to our team pilots, giving a more stable and precise control
- limited function of control loop when heli is standing on the ground. This prevents from swash showing "weird movement" when doing some test on the work bench and prevents the heli from tilting by accident during take off.
- Internal RPM Governor
- softstart can be disabled using StudioX for use with ESC that have built in softstart, i.e. Castle Creations ESC in "External Governor Mode", ALIGN RCE-BL ESCs in "Heli linear mode/Heli mode 1" or other ESC with softstart (but no governor!)
- Added governor rpm display when switching into idle up showing the set rpm and actual rpm, giving a better clue to see if TX is setup correctly and what rpm the system is sensing (see: Governor usage)
- AttitudeControl
- added vibration detection to prevent from using wrong sensor information when vibrations are disturbing the sensors (this can lead to AttitudeControl not leveling super accurate anymore, especially after a few flight minutes doing 3D flight and FFF, but should be accurate enough for leveling and saving the heli in case of emergency)
- modified stopping curve and stick fading when AttitudeControl is enabled; gives more precise stick control and more smooth heli movement; no more servo jumping during bench test
- modifiable stick angle in StudioX Expert Parameters for Flight trainer mode no acts as hard angular limit.
4.1.5
- Basic functionality
- JR DMSS satellite support (RJ01 remote satellite); connect satellite using the Spektrum satellite adapter
- systems with AR9020 fixed firmware only working with Ar9020 receivers (no receiver type selection here!)
- Bugfix: Spektrum DSMX satellites can also be used in 22ms mode, not only with 11ms frame rate
- Bugfix: initialization will not finish when Spektrum SRXL receiver is used and transmitter is still switched off
- Bugfix: tail rotation rates in HeadingLock mode can be set up to 1000deg/s by increasing servo throw of rudder channel
- Bugfix: Single-Line receiver can be connected to Microbeast PLUS even when receiver Setup Menu Point B is opened already
- Internal RPM Governor
- optimized Governor control algorithm
- more options for tweaking the Governor by using StudioX Expert setting (Thrust and Cyclic FeedForward; Gain adjustment)
- more sensitive soft start for electric drives
- Safety feature: throttle lock during initialization phase; if throttle is high during and after init throttle will stay locked until it's lowered
- Transmitter throttle can be lower than set throttle low point also in electric governor mode. This allows to set low throttle point as close as possible the motor starting point but still throttle can be lower in the transmitter, i.e. when the ESC needs lower throttle values for initialisation or when ESC does stop motor at a lower throttle value.
- When failsafe throttle is lower than set throttle low point in electric governor mode, then failsafe throttle position will be used as autorotation bailout position instead of low throttle position. This is necessary for some ESC that start motor at the set lowest throttle value but stop motor only farther below this point (i.e. ALIGN RCE-BL45X ESC).
- increased maximum allowed value for fast rpm spool up/autorotation bail out for nearly instant regaining head speed (be careful: make sure rotor blade bolts are tight otherwise rotor blades may fold in when using very high spool up rate!)
- added more deadzone for throttle stick detection when performing throttle low/high position setup so these menu point can be skipped without detecting stick movement by accident
- Bugfix: StudioX will show the correct RPM Governor mode when system is still performing initialization sequence
- AttitudeControl
- AttitudeVector initialization in any position (no need to keep the helicopter in upright position during power up, i.e. you can lay the heli to the side for initialization when it's windy)
- new feature for Bail out rescue mode: when inverted heli will be leveled in inverted hover first and then turned around only over roll axis. With this the loss of height typically is lower compared to immediately turning it around over all axis. Feature is on by default and can be switched off using StudioX Expert Settings.
- new feature for Bailout rescue and 3D-Mode: locking cyclic stick input when AttitudeControl is enabled (Warning: Be very careful! Use at your own risk. Be aware that the system can fail due to different external factors). Feature is off by default and can be switched on using StudioX Expert Settings.
- new feature for Flight trainer mode: Change tilt maximum tilt angle (stick scale) using StudioX Expert Settings. Default is 45°. As the tilt angle is directly depending on stick input you may increase or decrease the angle here in case the transmitter is only not sending 100% stick output, i.e. when using dual rate function to limit rotation rates in normal flight.
- Normal-Rate tail gyro mode now available even when AttitudeControl is used. But only when AttitudeControl is controlled by separate switch channel!
- Tail gyro gain and AttitudeControl now have similar display scale, so i.e. 50% gyro gain will show the same letter as 50% AttitudeControl gain
- removed resetting of AttitudeControl mode and Governor mode when changing receiver setup
- optimized pitch management during turn around in Bail out rescue mode with pitch
- optimized stick fading for Bail out rescue and 3D - Mode, so flying around even when one of these modes is switched on feels more natural
- no pitch management once the heli was leveled in Bail out rescue or 3D - Mode with pitch and when flying around while one of these modes is still enabled
4.0.0
- The internal RPM Governor can be used for electric and glow helicopters. It has built in soft start and autorotation bail out function. The control it quite similar to electric speed controllers with governor function, so you simply set your throttle curves as switches for "motor off", "headspeed 1", "headspeed 2" and "autorotation bailout". Adjusting complex throttle curves is not necessary anymore and the helicopter will maintain the specified rotor head speed over the whole flight. Optional the nitro governor can be also used in classic style with throttle curves and a separate switch for governor/rpm control.
- AttitudeControl overs different modes of self leveling. These are "Bailout rescue mode", "3D-Mode" and "Flight trainer mode" with angular limitation. Basically when you activate the AttitudeControl it will turn your helicopter back to level position when you release the sticks. Some modes additionaly apply collective pitch input and lock your thrust stick in the ground direction. So the unit will turn your helicopter and keep it leveled in hovering flight regardless of how the pilot moves the stick.
3.2.0
- supports new SRXL receiver types: Spektrum SRXL and Multiplex SRXL V2
- added rudder servo sub trim feature
- changed Status LED colors at Setup Menu Point M (Sensor directions) to be similar to MICROBEAST version 3.0.12
- safety feature for Receiver Menu: to change/setup receiver type and channel assignment you must go through the complete menu otherwise nothing will change
3.1.3
- Bugfix: receiver channel initialisation could cause unit to start without stick control