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Motors and Controls - Nov. 20th, 2025

Overall Objective

The main overall premise of this lab was to the flight controller’s new software and ensure our wiring diagram was correction by going through and setting it up correctly. This also entailed setting the new parameters on the controller, with limits, for the servos on the flaperons. Some problems that I faced was the testing was figuring out how to power the thrust tester to the Cube, while trying not to ground it. We achieved this through ensuring that we had the correct voltage and amperes traveling to Cube. This lab also helped our group get a good understanding of further how the Cube is built with so many redundant fail safes. For example, if the main Cube power is lost, then the main BEC will still power the servos. This is mainly due to the face they are still plugged into the main bus. On the other hand, this was intentionally built in because if the Cube power is lost, then someone could still land the plane instead of having it crash. The only thing that really changes is that you’re flying by wire with no additional aids to help like telemetry data.

DATX Setup

Questions:

What is CRSF and SBUS? What are the differences?

SBUS: Legacy system, one-way protocol that is still used for its widespread compatibility, especially when UART ports are limited

CRSF: Allows for 2 way communication, more robust, and used for modern operations.

What is Multi-Bind on the TBS Tracer?

Allows a single receiver to be bound to multiple transmitter modules simultaneously

eliminates the need to re-bind them

share a unique “cloud ID”, allows same module with the same ID to connect to it

Motor and Control Setup

Questions:

What does the RCMAP_X parameter control?

RCMAP is the controller inputs

What does the SERVO#_FUNCTION control

SERVO is the computer inputs

List all possible power sources for the following systems:

Servo: external battery/LiPo 5V BEC Convertor

Motor: external battery/LiPo 5V ESC

Cube/FCU: external battery/LiPo ... 5V regulator BEC

General Notes

Operating off of 6S LiPo battery, each cell has 3.7 V to equal a total of 22.2V

Checking for current on potential difference

Showing 2 A, no potential difference

Turned current all the way up, on unit, after we confirmed no potential difference to not destroy instruments

We put the ESC wires in the path to power the cube and everything turned on

RC antenna on, GPS on,Pitot Tube, everything working

Failsafe, the cube will still have power from the backup power source and you can control the aircraft manually...but other systems will not work( pitot/gps), intentional

Diodes inside to divert power source in case of an emergency, no feedback but purely fly by wire

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