DX5e with AR8000 and Radians

Gustavo: The DX5 is a five channel radio. So I'm making a guess that it follows the convention for the first four channels (note: Spektrum unfortunately fail to publish which channels they use -- I've checked both the AR8000 manual and the DX5 manual.

I believe the usual convention is (other people, jump in and correct me if I'm wrong):
Channel/Control
1 / Thro(ttle)
2 / Aile(ron)
3 / Elev(ator)
4 / Rudd(er)
5 / Specific switch on transmitter (probably AUX1 on AR8000). On the DX5, you need to know whether you're operating it in Mode 1 or Mode 2. Then check page 3 of the DX5 manual where there are two images that show where the the Channel 5 switch is.

Now you know the channels, you can program up the Radian sensors the way that you want them.

I'll make an assumption -- that you'd like the following set up:
Right hand stick backwards/forwards: Tilt.
Right hand stick left/right: Yaw (Pan).

The right hand stick backwards and forwards normally controls the Elevator, so that means it's on channel 3.
The right hand stick left/right normally controls the Ailerons, so that means it is on channel 2.
The channel 5 switch controls, errr....channel 5. You can use it to control the Mode of the Radians. It looks like it's just a two position switch so off will mean that the Radians are disabled, and on, means stabilized with operator control of tilt and pan.

Freefly recommends that you do not have control over roll -- the system will keep the camera horizontal automagically.

Now I would recommend that you watch Tabb's detailed video that tells you how to connect up the system.

I watched it twice!

As you watch it, I would recommend that you have the Pinout Diagram from the Radian documentation open in front of you so that you can be reminded of what the Radian connections are.

You will program up the Mode value for each Radian sensor to be 5 -- that's the channel which will switch the Radian's off or on.
Program the Slew value for the Pan sensor to be 2 (that's channel 2, the right hand stick left/right).
Program the Slew value for Tilt sensor to be 3 (that's channel 3, the right hand stick forwards and backwards).
Program the Slew value for the Roll sensor to be off -- no channel is used to control it, it just does its thing by itself.


Hope this helps get you started.
Andy.

 

Hi Gustavo:
Can you provide very specific details of what you have connected to what, please? I'm afraid it's impossible to guess what might be wrong without understanding how you have things connected up. Sorry.

Andy.

 

Gustavo:
How many Radian sensors do you have and to which axes are they connected, please?
More particularly do you have one connected to the roll axis of the gimbal, one one connected to the tilt axis? We can worry about the pan axis later -- it's easier to set up roll and tilt first.

Thanks
Andy.

 

OK. The easiest to start with is the tilt. Firstly, can you confirm you have updated the firmware in all three Radian servos to the latest version of the firmware that was released this past week.

See the thread http://forum.freeflysystems.com/index.php?threads/radian-firmware-1-02-posted.215/

If you have updated the firmware, then connect the output from ELEV to Port 1 of the tilt Radian servo. Initially do not have anything else connected. Just Port 1.

Confirm that you have installed the FTDI Virtual Com Port drivers, please?

If you have, connect up the Radian USB cable/adapter to ports 5 and 6 of the tilt sensor, start up the Radian software (you may need to adjust the COM port to whatever COM port the Radian adapter is showing up on -- us the Windows Device manager to find that out) and confirm that you can "Read" the current settings from the sensor.

Then click on Tilt-1 to set the default values for the tilt servo and "Write" those values out to the servo just as a test.

if that works without showing any errors, then set to the gain to 100%, and set the Slew value to 3 (that's channel 3, the right hand stick backwards and forwards).

Write these new values to the servo.

Power off the gimbal.

Once you have done that, connect up the tilt servo to Port 4 of the tilt servo and power the gimbal back up.

Turn on your transmitter and you should now be able to move the right hand stick slowly forward and back and see the camera gimbal tilting back and forth.

Let me know how far you get.

Andy.

 

Josh is correct, Gustavo.
Do I understand correctly that you can move the servo using the right hand stick of the DX8, please? You have radio control of tilt? You can adjust the speed of motion etc, later. The first thing to do is just getting it to work. The second thing is to get it to work right.

If so, now you can connect up the Radian roll sensor. You will need to provide ground and +5v to it only. The roll servo is not usually controllable from the DX8 -- the Radian will keep it level. You can provide power from the AR8000 by plugging the servo cable into, say, AUX2 (which you're not going to use for control but is a convenient place to pick up ground and +5v) and connect that to Port 1 of the Radian roll servo.

Initially, do not plug in the roll servo until you have programmed the Radian sensor.

Then connect up the Radian cable and use the Radian servo to program up the Roll-1 defaults. Set the gain to 100%, and the Mode to 5. Slew can be set to zero (off) as you will not have radio control over the roll servo.

Once you've done that, power off the gimbal, and then plug in the roll servo to Port 4 on the Radian roll sensor. Power up the gimbal and you should see the gimbal "twitch" as the roll Radian sensor powers up, calibrates and then levels the Radian roll sensor (which should also have the effect of leveling the camera gimbal). Note that "level" is determined just by the angle of the Radian roll sensor -- nothing else. You may need to adjust the Angle Trim a degree or so to get the gimbal really level (use a spirit level on the transverse booms to be sure the gimbal is level). Remember to write the new values back out to the Radian roll servo! (I've forgotten in the past and then wondered why nothing changed!)

I'm not sure what country/time zone you're in, Gustavo, but it's 23:35 Pacific Time in Portland, Oregon, so I'm going to bed now. I'll check on how you're getting on first thing tomorrow.

Good luck.
Andy.

 

Hi Gustavo: Sorry about the typo for the DX5e.

The reasons why the PWM wiring is doubled are:
1. With PWM, each Radian sensor must be connected directly with the Receiver. You cannot "daisy chain" them.
2. You also see a separate direct wiring between the Receiver and the Radian servos for the Mode control. Again, you cannot daisy chain them.

Do I understand correctly that you have everything working now? If so, well done!
Andy.

 

Gustavo:
I'm not familiar with the Orange Rx. As far as I can tell is is a knock-off "clone" for the Spektrum AR6100.

I did do some Google searches for you and found documents that:
1. Describe the channels used.
2. A setup diagram.

However, I've not been able to find anything specific that confirms that the OrangeRx DSM2 is PWM -- but if you can plug a servo directly into a channel on the receiver and have it work, then I suspect it must be. Satellite receivers are, I suspect PPM (all channels combined).

Anyone else got any definitive data?

Andy.

 

Yes, but remember:
1. Have the Cinestar sitting on the table to allow the Radian sensors to initialize. Have the Mode switch set to "Off" otherwise the Pan servo will start to spin faster and faster (because it's actually trying to turn the gimbal -- but it can't!)

2. So suspend the Cinestar by the battery plate and then turn the Mode switch on so that the gimbal is stabilized and you have control over tilt and pan.

Now you can fine tune the tilt, roll and pan gains. You want the largest gain number without a servo oscillating (waggling) back and forth. In my case, for example, the pan servo gain is at 80%. Anything higher and the gimbal waggles back and forth.

Hope this helps.
Andy.