Radio system

Preparing the radio system

You can use nearly any transmitter that provides at least 6 channels. By default 5 channels are used for controlling MICROBEAST PLUS and one channel controls the motor. If using additional features like AttitudeControl or RPM Governor a receiver with single wire output and more channels may be useful to have, but this is not a must.

• Create a new model in your radio‘s model memory.

• Never enable your radio‘s eCCPM mixing function! Disable any mixing functions for the swashplate or rudder. Each function should be assigned to just one receiver channel. All the swashplate mixing will be done by MICROBEAST PLUS. Set your radio‘s swash mixer to mCCPM (mechanical mixing) which is often called “H1”, “1 servo” or “normal“ mixing or disable “swash mixing” if applicable.

• Be sure that all trims and sub trims are disabled and that all servo travels are set to 100% in any flight mode. There mustn't be any active mixing functions (for example rudder revo-mixing). Have a look at the radio’s servo monitor: each stick has to control one channel/servo output (except for thrust stick which typically controls collective pitch and motor). Note when using MICROBEAST PLUS you do not directly control the servos of the helicopter. By moving a stick you give a control command to the system which then performs the necessary servo movements to move the helictoper in the commanded direction. Each control command is bound to one servo output channel of the transmitter.

• Also do not adjust the collective pitch curve at the moment. For the setup procedures it has to be set as a straight line reaching from -100% to +100% (or 0 to 100% depending on radio brand).

• Other functions such as throttle curves, ESC switches or auxiliary functions can be adjusted as usual. But especially for the throttle make sure you can disable the throttle channel and separate it from the collective stick movement for performing the setup. You can do this by using the HOLD switch on the radio or by setting the throttle curve to a flat 0% line. Also it is advisable to create different flight modes for different flight states/rotor headspeeds.

Make sure that the motor in electric models can not start when doing the adjustment work! If the drive battery is used as power supply for receiver, servos and MICROBEAST PLUS disconnect the motor from the ESC.

Spektrum® DSM2/DSMX Receiver binding

Before using your receiver with MICROBEAST PLUS make sure that the receiver is bound to the transmitter and that it is sending output data on the servo outputs and/or single-line port. Please refer to the manual of your radio system to find out how binding procedure is performed with your specific system. Also check if there is the need to perform special settings to enable the single-line data output of the receiver in case you intend to use this output port in combination with MICROBEAST PLUS.

Only in the case of using a single Spektrum® remote DSM2/DSMX satellite receiver directly connected to MICROBEAST PLUS you must bind the receiver by the aid of MICROBEAST PLUS as there is no other option to enable binding procedure at the receiver. Please note that it is very important to bind the receiver first before programming MICROBEAST PLUS and this step must be performed, even if the satellite was already in use and already bound to the transmitter earlier (e. g. in connection with a Spektrum® main receiver unit).

 

Watch out that the motor can not start accidentally when using the BEC of your speed controller to power the unit!

 

When initiating bind sequence you have to set whether you're using a DSMX or DSM2 satellite (the actual selected signal protocol in the transmitter is not relevant!). It is very important to choose the correct type of satellite receiver here, since an improper setting may seem to work but can lead to radio interference or total loss of radio linkage in the subsequent operation!

Insert a Spektrum® “Bind Plug” at the [SYS] port of MICROBEAST PLUS. In case the power is supplied exclusively at the [SYS] connection, to bind a Spektrum® satellite receiver the power supply must be provided temporarily through any of the other ports [CH1] - [CH5]. To bind a DSMX satellite simply switch on the power supply now. The LED on the receiver and LED H on MICROBEAST PLUS will start to flash. You can bind the transmitter as usual (for more information refer to the instructions of your radio control system). To select and bind a DSM2 satellite, hold down the button on MICROBEAST PLUS while switching on the power supply. Now the receiver‘s LED and LED N (!) on the MICROBEAST PLUS will flash. Release the button and bind the receiver with your transmitter. After successful binding procedure the receiver‘s LED will stay solid. LED H respectively N flash alternately to all other LEDs for 2 seconds, then MICROBEAST PLUS will enter receiver setup menu automatically as further setup steps may be required to use this type of receiver. Remove the bind plug and proceed with the setup as described in the following of this manual.

Note:

• Decisive for the selection alone is, which type of satellite receiver is plugged in! It is irrelevant which transmission method between the receiver and transmitter is actually used. Check carefully what type of receiver you have and what type you setup. An incorrect setting is not obvious but will lead to malfunction or failure of the radio link later in use.
• It makes no difference if you pull off the “Bind Plug” during the binding process or leave it connected as you would expect from some “standard” Spektrum® receivers!