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Problems connecting the dx8 to radian

Discussion in 'Radian' started by Alistair Bullock, Aug 1, 2014.

  1. Alistair Bullock

    Alistair Bullock New Member

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    Hi Guys,

    I just joined this forum after reading some great threads to hopefully help me setup my 3 axis gimbal on my cinestar 8. I read somewhere to start off by tuning the tilt axis, then roll, then pan. I have plugged my bec into port 1, port 2&3 are empty, port 4 is the tilt servo and port 6&7 is the USB, with the Spektrum satellite plugged in to the Radian.

    When I power it on, it quickly turns 90degrees to face downward with a slow green flashing light on the radian. Is this due to no resistor? The company I purchased the gimbal from (heliguy.com) did not seem to send any with it.

    I suppose my main question is how do I "bind" or connect my dx8 to the radian as the computer software is saying it is not connected so when I try and "read" the radian to set it and then "write" it says it is timed out.

    I feel I have jumped in the deep end by trying to set up the amazing Freefly 3 axis gimbal as my very first gimbal setup but I am going into the aerial photography business.

    Any help would be greatly appreciated! Any help on fpv setups would be hugely helpful aswell!

    Thank you all!

    Alistair
     
  2. Andy Johnson-Laird

    Andy Johnson-Laird Administrator
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    Alistair:
    You might want to check out the on-line video tutorials for the Radian Gimbal at http://freeflysystems.com/media/tutorials.php

    The short answer to your questions are:
    1. Yes you do need resistors for the servo motors.
    2. To program the Radians you need to use an MK USB EDIT: Radian USB Adapter and connect to each Radian in turn to program each one to its appointed role -- you cannot connect to just one Radian and program all the others. The MK USB adapter needs specific software drivers to make the adapter "present" to the operating system as a COM port.
    3. Yes. You have jumped into the deep end -- there is a lot to learn!
    4. You will find that there are many useful threads on this forum so befriend the Search Forums button at the top left-hand corner.
    5. When it comes to Mikrokopter electronics (and it will), use the Google search technique of preceding your questions with "Mikrokopter." For example: mikrokopter error codes
    6. To bind your receiver to the transmitter is a completely separate operation. You will need to refer to the manual for the particular Spektrum transmitter (Tx) and receiver (Rx). One thing that puzzles many folks (including me), is how do you bind a Spektrum satellite receiver -- and the answer is that you need to have it connected to a main Spektrum receiver in order to bind it.
    7. You are correct -- tune one axis at a time -- use a cable tie or a twist tie to secure the roll and pan axes while you tune tilt -- be sure to unplug the servo connector so it doesn't "fight" the cable tie though (EDIT: That's for the servos that you've tied up and are not presently tuning!). Also make sure that all the clamps are tight, as well as the screw that holds the small pulley onto the servo. Any mechanical play will cause vibration.

    Other advice that has been expressed on the forum:
    8. Be prepared to get frustrated -- these are complex systems with interactions you may not understand.
    9. Use the diagnostic strategy of disabling unnecessary subsystems the better to analyze specific failures. (I first learned this as "take stuff out until it works and then add stuff back in.")
    10. When testing, only change one thing at a time. Sometimes the "sweet spot" is a very narrow zone, so if you make big changes you will under and overshoot the sweet spot and conclude that there is no sweet spot.
    11. If you have not flown copters before, invest in a flight simulator like AeroSimRC -- it has a good fidelity model for the Cinestar 8. Fly the sim for 30 hours of flight time before you try and fly the Cinestar for real. If not, you will discover a new meaning of "expensive crash."
    12. If it flies, it vibrates.
    13. If it flies, it crashes. Use a toy copter (e.g. Blade mQx) as your "training wheels."
    14. You will never be thin enough, rich enough, have enough RAM or a big enough hard disk, or have enough backup copies. (Sorry....couldn't resist this last one...but it's true. I have a complete backup Cinestar 8.)

    Hope this helps.
    Andy.
     
  3. Alistair Bullock

    Alistair Bullock New Member

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    Hi Andy,

    Thank you so much for all of this info! I'm wondering if you could point in in the direction of the drivers I will need to use the radian usb as when I hit 'Connect' in the radian software I am unable to connect to my DX8. My dx8 is bound with the spektrum satellite because when I push the Aileron stick to the right it sends a signal to the servo(in this case tilt as I am trying to program that first) and tilts downwards. I have tried searching this forum as well as others along with Youtube videos to try and find out where I am going wrong but I seem to have hit a brick wall and I am slowly driving myself insane.

    Cheers,

    Ali
     
  4. Andy Johnson-Laird

    Andy Johnson-Laird Administrator
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  5. Andy Johnson-Laird

    Andy Johnson-Laird Administrator
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    Alistair: I just realized something -- you wrote: "when I hit 'Connect' in the radian software I am unable to connect to my DX8."
    The arrangement you need is PC (USB Cable) -> Radian USB adapter (JR 3-wire connector to 2x3 connector) -> Radian.

    You do not need to connect PC -> DX8.

    Andy.
     
  6. Alistair Bullock

    Alistair Bullock New Member

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    Hi Andy, thanks for your response. I have downloaded the drivers and tried to read and write my tilt radian but it is saying "timed out"?

    Also when I wanted to connect my dx8 it is because on the Radian software the sliders for, Slew, Mode, Aux and servo out are red whereas I have seen in people's videos along with Freefly's videos I have seen their sliders are green. I am getting a solid yellow light on my radian which suggests that the radian and dx8 are talking somewhat.

    I haven't a clue where I am going wrong so any of your thoughts on this will help.

    Cheers,

    Ali
     
  7. Andy Johnson-Laird

    Andy Johnson-Laird Administrator
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    By "downloaded" do you mean "downloaded and installed," please?
    Can you confirm in the Windows Device Manager that you see a new device pop up under COM & LPT when you connect up the Radian adapter to your computer via USB cable?

    If you do not, then there is no way that you will be able to establish the connection -- and the problem is confined to Windows and drivers.

    What is actually going on is that the DX8 has a switch on it that is sending a signal via a specific radio control channel -- and that channel has been preprogrammed to be the "Mode" control for all of the Radians, turning them from Off, to Stabilized (but holding a Fixed position for the camera) or Stabilized Slew (where the radio control operator can move the position of the camera).

    So first you have to program up the Radians to use the Radio Control channel you want to be the Mode control, and then you have to configure the Transmitter to make sure that the physical switch you want to use controls the correct (and corresponding) radio control channel.

    As other forum members will doubtless confirm (especially those who purchased the various DVDs/Videos I've produced on these kinds of topics), not having a clue what I was doing has never held me back.... :rolleyes:

    Why should it limit you, eh?

    Andy
     
  8. Jason Smoker

    Jason Smoker Active Member

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    Try changing the usb inport number in the freefly software I have to that every time i think it comes to number 10 but I have to change it to number 8.
     
  9. Andy Johnson-Laird

    Andy Johnson-Laird Administrator
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  10. Jason Smoker

    Jason Smoker Active Member

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    Not that one the com port in the software there are 10 selections you can choose from
     
  11. Alistair Bullock

    Alistair Bullock New Member

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    Yes I downloaded it and tried to install and it said the driver had already been installed.

    There is a device which comes up when the Radian is connected to the computer and I have changed the adapter settings to COM port 10.

    That makes sense, I will wait until I get the Radians programmed and then work on getting the right settings with my DX8.

    Very true Andy, encouraging words and I hope I can get it working soon so I can start filming!

    Cheers,
    Ali
     
  12. Alistair Bullock

    Alistair Bullock New Member

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    Hey Andy,

    What are your DVDs/videos based on and are they readily available to watch?

    Cheers

    Ali
     
  13. Andy Johnson-Laird

    Andy Johnson-Laird Administrator
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    Ali, there's more information here: EDIT correct link is here: http://rathergoodguides.com/dvds/
    You can either purchase standard definition video DVDs from Quadrocopter or download high definition video files from that specific web pages for each video above.

    The Cinestar one covers just the standard Cinestar 8 (not the HL). The ones that cover MK Tool, and MK_GPXTOOL (for GPX file analysis), cover earlier versions of the programs -- but as they are beginner's guides, they are still applicable.

    Andy.
     
  14. Alistair Bullock

    Alistair Bullock New Member

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    Hi Andy,

    The link you sent was a CNN report on a hospital being hacked?

    Cheers,

    Ali
     
  15. Andy Johnson-Laird

    Andy Johnson-Laird Administrator
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    Ooops. Must have not got the correct link on the clip board.
    Sorry about that.

    This the correct link: http://rathergoodguides.com/dvds/

    Yeah...that's better. Good job it wasn't link to one of the darker corners of the Internet... :rolleyes:

    Andy.
     
  16. Alistair Bullock

    Alistair Bullock New Member

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    Hahaha no problem Andy!

    Thank you for the link, what would you suggest I watch to help me with my gimbal?

    That is true, there is some dark places out there.

    Cheers,

    Ali
     
  17. Andy Johnson-Laird

    Andy Johnson-Laird Administrator
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    Hi Ali:
    Sorry....I've not done anything for gimbals, I'm afraid. The only tutorials I've seen on the Radians are on the FF web site at http://freeflysystems.com/media/tutorials.php -- scroll down. They're all subtly marked "Radian" or show the gimbal with Radians. :)

    Andy.
     
  18. Jason Smoker

    Jason Smoker Active Member

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