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Line 3: − − ===Which servos can be used with MICROBEAST / MICROBEAST PLUS ?=== − A rule of thumb to find well suited servos for you flybarless helicopter: '''As strong as necessary, as fast as possible, with less dead band as available.'''<br /> − <br /> − Servo torque in kg/cm should be at least 3-4 times the heli weight (in kilogram). Speed should be at least 0.1s/45°. The faster the better. In addition the servo should be very precise, have little gear backlash and a low dead band. And of course it should be a digital servo that supports high frame rates (200Hz or more). Also using special heli servos which are designed for maximum vibration resistance is a good choice.<br /> − <br /> − Note that all the speed is useless if the torque is not enough. In doubt when two servos of a series are only slightly different in speed and torque, normally the more powerful is in advantage.<br /> − <br /> − Anyhow, if in doubt ask the manufacturer of the servo if it can be used in combination with flybarless/gyro systems. Not all servos can handle the additional stress of getting different control signals every few milliseconds. Also it must be said that not all servos can be used at maximum frequency even if so it is told on the servo's data sheet. Depending on air temperature, voltage level and heli size it is possible that servos can not be driven at their limit as the servo motor or electronics may heat up too much.'<br /> − <br /> Line 27:
Line 17: − <br /> − − ===MICROBEAST / MICROBEAST PLUS with single SPEKTRUM remote satellite on large helis=== − ''Why is using a single SPEKTRUM remote satellite directly connected to MICROBEAST / MICROBEAST PLUS only recommended for helis equal or smaller than 450 size?''<br /> − We say it is not safe to use a single remote satellite on anything bigger than TRex 450 size as the chassis on larger helis may hide the satellite in different flight situations. So you will loose direct sight between TX and RX more easily on larger helis. Additionally with larger helis typically you fly further away than with small helis, so this doubles the risk of loosing the RF link when the satellite antenna is hidden. Using an EU Version of the SPEKTRUM TX it is very likely the RF link may get disturbed in such situations as these radios do not have so much RF power output. If using an US version of the SPEKTRUM radio with 300mW output power this can be different though. But also here we can't give a general rule, as the quality of RF link depends on many other factors like such mentioned above (Where is the satellite placed? Is direct sight to the TX in any flight condition guaranteed? How far do you fly away? Are there obstacles in your flying field like tress or houses? ...). So it's hard to give a definitive limit and we only recommend to use this setup on small helis as this can be considered as safe application.<br /> Line 41:
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Line 123: − <br /> − − ==Receiver menu== − − ===SPEKTRUM AR9020 SRXL signal output=== − ''I'm using firmware 3.2.0 (or greater) which is stated to support the Spektrum SRXL serial wire signal but MICROBEAST PLUS does not recognize my SPEKTRUM AR9020 receiver at Receiver setup menu point '''B''' (Status LED stays red).'' − − Unfortunately the communication protocol of the SPEKTRUM AR9020 receiver is not fully compatible to the SRXL specification. We provide a special MICROBEAST PLUS firmware with modified SPEKTRUM SRXL protocol so that the AR9020's SRXL output can be used anyway. You can get this firmware by using the [[StudioX_UpdateInstructions/en|update functionality of StudioX]]. It has the same version number as the standard firmware but is additionally marked with the words "modified SRXL for SPEKTRUM AR9020".<br /> − <br /> − '''Note:''' When using this special firmware it is not possible to use receivers from Multiplex-RC with SRXL V2 signal output, neither is it possible to use SPEKTRUM receivers that are compliant with SRXL standards (i.e SPEKTRUM AR7700). The firmware does not allow to use any other type of receiver, so [[Manuals:MB_Plus:Receiver_setup_menu_A/en|Receiver setup menu point '''A''']] will be skipped automatically! Otherwise this modified firmware does not differ from the default firmware.<br /> Line 137:
Line 183: − − ===The gyro sensors do not seem to work correctly.=== − ''The rudder servo does not react or reacts very slowly to rotation of the helicopter. (The same happens to the elevator axis.)''<br /> − Maybe the gain of tail gyro is too low. − * Check assignment of gain channel and adjust the gain in the transmitter as described [[Manuals:MB_Plus:Flying|here]]. − * Check for correct wiring or setup of tail gain cable/channel. − Additionally when the elevator doesn't seem to work either, maybe the wrong mounting orientation has been selected. So select the correct mounting orientation in Setup menu point '''A'''.<br /> − <br /> Line 213:
Line 251: − <br /> − − ===When moving the rudder stick in Heading Lock mode the servo does not go back to center positions but stays somewhere.=== − This is normal behavior when using the gyro in Heading Lock mode!<br /> − <br /> − − ==Further observations== − − ===After updating MICROBEAST PLUS from Version 3.x.x to Version 4.x.x. the collective pitch does not work correctly anymore=== − As version 4.x.x can be upgraded with the AttitudeControl functionality it is required to set up thrust stick directions. Firmware Version 3.x.x did not provide such parameters therefore you must set the thrust stick positions by adjusting the collective pitch at Setup menu point K. Otherwise you can only control collective pitch into one direction. '''Please read the [http://www.beastx.com/download/manual/microbeast/BeastX_ProEdition_V4.0.0_EN_0715.pdf MICROBEAST PLUS ProEdition Addon manual] carefully. There are also a few other things that are different to Version 3.x.x and that need to be readjusted.'''<br /> − <br /> − − ===My servos are getting warm/hot, is this normal?=== − Similar to a tail gyro a flybarless system is constantly working and correcting. So the servos are moving much more frequently than if they are controlled manually. Additionally to that the servos are usually driven with higher frequency to enable the system giving commands to the servos as often and quick as possible. And because of the abolition of mixing levers and the support of the auxiliary rotor plane the servos have to resist higher forces in flight. − − This results to a higher power consumption and a stronger heat generation which is usually not critical. However under adverse conditions this can reach a critical range (e.g. at very high air temperatures or even if the servos are installed near other heat sources such as electric motors). In this case try reducing the driving frequency and/or the input voltage.<br /> − <br /> − − ===Servos react somehow "notchy" at high frame rate. Is MICROBEAST damaging my servos?=== − If the servos are approved by the manufacturer to this driving frequency, this is a normal effect. The servos get new positioning signals four times faster than if they are connected to a conventional remote control receiver. Especially servos with brushless motors run very hard and direct which causes slightly jerky movements in modes with high servo frame rate. This is totally harmless to the servos and you will not notice in flight operation. − − From MICROBEAST software version V2.0.0 onwards a special filtering algorithm was installed which slightly mitigates these rough servo movements.<br /> − <br /> − − ===Why do the swashplate servos run very slowly when testing on the bench?=== − This is absolutely normal. The movement of the stick gives the MICROBEAST only a command to control the helicopter. The sticks do no longer control the servos directly. So you cannot say exactly what the MICROBEAST will do with the servos when you push one of the sticks.<br /> − <br /> − − ===I use DualRate in my radio to decrease rotation rates but MICROBEAST / MICROBEAST PLUS still drives my servos to full deflection when testing on the workbench.=== − This is absolutely normal and doesn't say anything about the rotation rates you will see in flight. Similar to the tail gyro in HeadingLock mode the system measures rotation rates and tries to maintain the rotation rate that is commanded by stick input. Now if you move the stick while the heli is standing on the ground you tell the system to rotate the heli with a certain speed. The system measures the speed and sees that nothing is happening. So it will apply more and more servo input in order to move the heli but as the heli can't move the servos will be driven to the maximum allowed deflection.<br />
Importing a new version from external source
<br />
<br />
==General questions==
==General questions==
===MICROBEAST PLUS vs. MICROBEAST PLUS HD===
===MICROBEAST PLUS vs. MICROBEAST PLUS HD===
<br />
<br />
When using a separate receiver battery i.e. on nitro or gas helis using MICROBEAST PLUS HD is the ideal way to connect the battery to your RC system. In addition to the adequate connection plug here you have an integrated switch system for switching the heli on and off, so there is no need to buy an extra switch.<br />
When using a separate receiver battery i.e. on nitro or gas helis using MICROBEAST PLUS HD is the ideal way to connect the battery to your RC system. In addition to the adequate connection plug here you have an integrated switch system for switching the heli on and off, so there is no need to buy an extra switch.<br />
<br />
<br />
===Is it possible to connect 4 swash plate servos to MICROBEAST / MICROBEAST PLUS ?===
===Is it possible to connect 4 swash plate servos to MICROBEAST / MICROBEAST PLUS ?===
No, sorry this is not possible. At the moment all our devices only support helicopters with 3 swashplate servos.<br />
No, sorry this is not possible. At the moment all our devices only support helicopters with 3 swashplate servos.<br />
<br />
===After updating MICROBEAST PLUS from Version 3.x.x to Version 4.x.x. the collective pitch does not work correctly anymore===
As version 4.x.x can be upgraded with the AttitudeControl functionality it is required to set up thrust stick directions. Firmware Version 3.x.x did not provide such parameters therefore you must set the thrust stick positions by adjusting the collective pitch at Setup menu point K. Otherwise you can only control collective pitch into one direction. '''Please read the [http://www.beastx.com/download/manual/microbeast/BeastX_ProEdition_V4.0.0_EN_0715.pdf MICROBEAST PLUS ProEdition Addon manual] carefully. There are also a few other things that are different to Version 3.x.x and that need to be readjusted.'''<br />
<br />
==Servos==
===Which servos can be used with MICROBEAST / MICROBEAST PLUS ?===
A rule of thumb to find well suited servos for you flybarless helicopter: '''As strong as necessary, as fast as possible, with less dead band as available.'''<br />
<br />
Servo torque in kg/cm should be at least 3-4 times the heli weight (in kilogram). Speed should be at least 0.1s/45°. The faster the better. In addition the servo should be very precise, have little gear backlash and a low dead band. And of course it should be a digital servo that supports high frame rates (200Hz or more). Also using special heli servos which are designed for maximum vibration resistance is a good choice.<br />
<br />
Note that all the speed is useless if the torque is not enough. In doubt when two servos of a series are only slightly different in speed and torque, normally the more powerful is in advantage.<br />
<br />
Anyhow, if in doubt ask the manufacturer of the servo if it can be used in combination with flybarless/gyro systems. Not all servos can handle the additional stress of getting different control signals every few milliseconds. Also it must be said that not all servos can be used at maximum frequency even if so it is told on the servo's data sheet. Depending on air temperature, voltage level and heli size it is possible that servos can not be driven at their limit as the servo motor or electronics may heat up too much.'<br />
<br />
===My servos are getting warm/hot, is this normal?===
Similar to a tail gyro a flybarless system is constantly working and correcting. So the servos are moving much more frequently than if they are controlled manually. Additionally to that the servos are usually driven with higher frequency to enable the system giving commands to the servos as often and quick as possible. And because of the abolition of mixing levers and the support of the auxiliary rotor plane the servos have to resist higher forces in flight.
This results to a higher power consumption and a stronger heat generation which is usually not critical. However under adverse conditions this can reach a critical range (e.g. at very high air temperatures or even if the servos are installed near other heat sources such as electric motors). In this case try reducing the driving frequency and/or the input voltage.<br />
<br />
===Servos react somehow "notchy" at high frame rate. Is MICROBEAST damaging my servos?===
If the servos are approved by the manufacturer to this driving frequency, this is a normal effect. The servos get new positioning signals four times faster than if they are connected to a conventional remote control receiver. Especially servos with brushless motors run very hard and direct which causes slightly jerky movements in modes with high servo frame rate. This is totally harmless to the servos and you will not notice in flight operation.
From MICROBEAST software version V2.0.0 onwards a special filtering algorithm was installed which slightly mitigates these rough servo movements.<br />
<br />
===Why do the swashplate servos run very slowly when testing on the bench?===
This is absolutely normal. The movement of the stick gives the MICROBEAST only a command to control the helicopter. The sticks do no longer control the servos directly. So you cannot say exactly what the MICROBEAST will do with the servos when you push one of the sticks.<br />
<br />
===I use DualRate in my radio to decrease rotation rates but MICROBEAST / MICROBEAST PLUS still drives my servos to full deflection when testing on the workbench.===
This is absolutely normal and doesn't say anything about the rotation rates you will see in flight. Similar to the tail gyro in HeadingLock mode the system measures rotation rates and tries to maintain the rotation rate that is commanded by stick input. Now if you move the stick while the heli is standing on the ground you tell the system to rotate the heli with a certain speed. The system measures the speed and sees that nothing is happening. So it will apply more and more servo input in order to move the heli but as the heli can't move the servos will be driven to the maximum allowed deflection.<br />
<br />
==Tail gyro==
===The gyro sensors do not seem to work correctly.===
''The rudder servo does not react or reacts very slowly to rotation of the helicopter. (The same happens to the elevator axis.)''<br />
Maybe the gain of tail gyro is too low.
* Check assignment of gain channel and adjust the gain in the transmitter as described [[Manuals:MB_Plus:Flying|here]].
* Check for correct wiring or setup of tail gain cable/channel.
Additionally when the elevator doesn't seem to work either, maybe the wrong mounting orientation has been selected. So select the correct mounting orientation in Setup menu point '''A'''.<br />
<br />
===My gyro gain seems to be very low. What is the best gyro gain value?===
The gyro gain value is just the amount of servo deflection the system will add to the rudder servo during one control loop process. So how much gain is needed highly depends on your mechanical servo throw. If the tail pitch makes a huge step even at very little servo throw, then you will only need very little gain. If you have very a short servo arm and/or very long tail pitch control arm which allows to control the pitch in very little steps, you will be able to go very high on gain setting. So from an absolute point of view there is no good or bad setting. Set the gain as high as possible and as high as necessary. When gain is too low in general, the rudder won't be held in position properly. If gain is too high the tail will wag and osscilate quickly, as the servo is making too much pitch deflection and the gyro is overcompensating. Usually you will end up with a gain setting somewhere around 50% as most helicopters have similar tail mechanics in regards to tail pitch throw. But having a different value is no reason to worry about as long as the tail is held in place by the gyro properly.<br />
<br />
If you can't find a good setting in between "too high" and "too low" and you have a very low gain value this may be a sign that your servo arm is too long and thus the servo stepping is not precise enough. In this case move the tail linkage closer to the servo center position (shorter servo arm) to get a more precise servo stepping. As a result you will have to increase the gyro gain but also you will be able to adjust the gain more sensitive.<br />
<br />
===When moving the rudder stick in Heading Lock mode the servo does not go back to center positions but stays somewhere.===
This is normal behavior when using the gyro in Heading Lock mode!<br />
<br />
==Receiver menu==
===SPEKTRUM AR9020 SRXL signal output===
''I'm using firmware 3.2.0 (or greater) which is stated to support the Spektrum SRXL serial wire signal but MICROBEAST PLUS does not recognize my SPEKTRUM AR9020 receiver at Receiver setup menu point '''B''' (Status LED stays red).''
Unfortunately the communication protocol of the SPEKTRUM AR9020 receiver is not fully compatible to the SRXL specification. We provide a special MICROBEAST PLUS firmware with modified SPEKTRUM SRXL protocol so that the AR9020's SRXL output can be used anyway. You can get this firmware by using the [[StudioX_UpdateInstructions/en|update functionality of StudioX]]. It has the same version number as the standard firmware but is additionally marked with the words "modified SRXL for SPEKTRUM AR9020".<br />
<br />
'''Note:''' When using this special firmware it is not possible to use receivers from Multiplex-RC with SRXL V2 signal output, neither is it possible to use SPEKTRUM receivers that are compliant with SRXL standards (i.e SPEKTRUM AR7700). The firmware does not allow to use any other type of receiver, so [[Manuals:MB_Plus:Receiver_setup_menu_A/en|Receiver setup menu point '''A''']] will be skipped automatically! Otherwise this modified firmware does not differ from the default firmware.<br />
<br />
===MICROBEAST / MICROBEAST PLUS with single SPEKTRUM remote satellite on large helis===
''Why is using a single SPEKTRUM remote satellite directly connected to MICROBEAST / MICROBEAST PLUS only recommended for helis equal or smaller than 450 size?''<br />
We say it is not safe to use a single remote satellite on anything bigger than TRex 450 size as the chassis on larger helis may hide the satellite in different flight situations. So you will loose direct sight between TX and RX more easily on larger helis. Additionally with larger helis typically you fly further away than with small helis, so this doubles the risk of loosing the RF link when the satellite antenna is hidden. Using an EU Version of the SPEKTRUM TX it is very likely the RF link may get disturbed in such situations as these radios do not have so much RF power output. If using an US version of the SPEKTRUM radio with 300mW output power this can be different though. But also here we can't give a general rule, as the quality of RF link depends on many other factors like such mentioned above (Where is the satellite placed? Is direct sight to the TX in any flight condition guaranteed? How far do you fly away? Are there obstacles in your flying field like tress or houses? ...). So it's hard to give a definitive limit and we only recommend to use this setup on small helis as this can be considered as safe application.<br />
<br />
<br />
Check very carefully whether all cables are plugged in correctly and all the plugs are connected properly at the correct position (Beast & receiver!). Especially in the vertical direction, not just 2 pins must sit on the header. Also make sure that the polarity is correct on all connections.<br />
Check very carefully whether all cables are plugged in correctly and all the plugs are connected properly at the correct position (Beast & receiver!). Especially in the vertical direction, not just 2 pins must sit on the header. Also make sure that the polarity is correct on all connections.<br />
<br />
<br />
==In flight==
==In flight==
===How can I increase rotation rate for aileron, elevator and rudder?===
===How can I increase rotation rate for aileron, elevator and rudder?===
<br />
<br />
2) Stick is commanding a rotation even when it seems to be in center position. Check all your trimmings on the transmitter. They must be 0 in all flight modes. Make sure to keep the sticks centered during power up as the system learns stick center positions each time it performs the init sequence. This is necessary because most often stick potentiometer positions vary slightly, i.e. due to different ambient temperature. This issue can solved by using stick deadband but to keep deadband as low as possible and to increase overall performance MICROBEAST / MICROBEAST PLUS learns stick position directly before flying. However, if you see your sticks do not center properly, i.e. when pushing and releasing the stick softly the servo starts to creep into one direction and only will stop when tapping the stick into the opposite direction, then you can increase the Stick Deadband at Parameter menu point E.<br />
2) Stick is commanding a rotation even when it seems to be in center position. Check all your trimmings on the transmitter. They must be 0 in all flight modes. Make sure to keep the sticks centered during power up as the system learns stick center positions each time it performs the init sequence. This is necessary because most often stick potentiometer positions vary slightly, i.e. due to different ambient temperature. This issue can solved by using stick deadband but to keep deadband as low as possible and to increase overall performance MICROBEAST / MICROBEAST PLUS learns stick position directly before flying. However, if you see your sticks do not center properly, i.e. when pushing and releasing the stick softly the servo starts to creep into one direction and only will stop when tapping the stick into the opposite direction, then you can increase the Stick Deadband at Parameter menu point E.<br />
<br />
<br />