Explore

Lab 11 - Motors and controls pt.2

Overview

In Lab 11, students will simulate the avionics, controls, and motors used in the Believer aircraft, focusing on powering, arming, and ensuring proper connection and calibration of the system components. The lab involves setting up and calibrating the DATX, verifying its inputs and outputs, and ensuring proper parameter settings in the hardware and LUA script. Students will also create a mock-up of the Believer's avionics by connecting sensors to the Cube and testing system health, mapping control inputs to servo outputs, and preparing tables for RCMAP_X and SERVO#_FUNCTION parameters. Additionally, they will set up the motors and controls by connecting servos and ESCs, calibrating the ESC according to the provided guide, and testing motor function with a throttle ramp-up. The lab concludes with updating the team wiring diagram and submitting a comprehensive lab report with calibration evidence, answers to questions about the system setup, and an e-Portfolio reflection, to be exported as a PDF for assessment.

⁠

You will be powering and arming the system. An armed system can spin up the motors. Always pin the throttle.

Resources

Ardupilot Parameters

Open Link

Servo

Open Link

ESC

Open Link

Motor

Open Link

RX/TX

Open Link

Cube Wiring Quick Start Guide

Open Link

Servo Functions

Open Link

ArduPilot Overview

Open Link

⁠

Tables

Include your RCMAP_X, SERVO#_FUNCTION, and DATX input/Servo output tables here.

Assignment

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

Task

We will be calibrating your DATX and ensuring that proper parameters are set.

Power on your DATX

Move your sticks around and observe and note where your DATX believes your sticks are.

Navigate to the “HAREWARE” screen and perform a sticks calibration

Navigate back to your home screen and ensure that your controller is now calibrated by moving the sticks and observing the onscreen position indicator.

Navigate to your LUA Script and Click on the “Tracer Micro TX”

“hold down menu ... BANG”

In Radio Setting, ensure that your Multi-Bind is enabled.

Connect your RX to the cube and power it on.

press tiny button on the receiver

selecting model 6

Navigate back to your LUA Script and Select “Tracer Nano RX”

(if you do not have this option please bind your RX under “Tracer Micro TX”)

Select Output Map and make sure that Channel 1 is SBUS. Do not modify any other channel.

Add an image of this change and show your instructor

⁠

Avionics Setup

Task

In this section, we will build a mock-up of the avionics as they will be installed in the Believer.

Using the previous labs as a guide, connect all sensors to the Cube.

Test that all systems are a go.

Attach a screenshot of the Platform Health Status from GCS below.

⁠

With your FCU connected to GCS, make a table for the following parameter sets

RCMAP_X

There are 6 parameters - record the name and the current setting.

RCMAP_X

RCMAP_X

Name

Parameters

RCMAP_BRAKE

RCMAP_FLAP

RCMAP_PITCH

RCMAP_ROLL

RCMAP_THROTTLE

RCMAP_YAW

There are no rows in this table

⁠

SERVO#_FUNCTION

There are 7 active parameters - record the name and current setting.

Table 3

Table 3

Name

Parametes

SERVO1

FlaperonRight

SERVO2

FlaperonLeft

SERVO3

Throttle

SERVO4

Throttle

SERVO5

VTailLeft

SERVO6

VTailRight

SERVO7

Rudder

There are no rows in this table

⁠

Connect your DATX and verify connectivity in the ribbon.

⁠

View your servo outputs in the Live Data tab (more on this in the next section)

⁠

Right Stick

Right Stick

Name

Flaperon on L and R

Vtail L and R

There are no rows in this table

⁠

in stabilized, rolling plan makes rudder roll when using right stick

manual - computer does not help you fly, so you need to adjust rudder yourself, the computer adjusts it for you

Left Stick

Left Stick

Name

Rudder

Throttle input

There are no rows in this table

⁠

Throttle input won't go when disarmed

Add a table above that links your DATX control input with the Servo Outputs above. For example, list all servo outputs that the right stick control.

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

Task

Obtain the remaining electronics to complete your set (two ESCs, two motors, and four servos)

Based on your tables above, connect one servo and one ESC to FlaperonRight and Throttle as appropriate.

Obtain instructor sign off: Rose signed off didn’t give me anything to put :)

Before moving to the next step, try to move the connected servo. Does it work?

No it does not work because it is not getting power through the cube. Powered through the pin board bus.

Connect your ESC to the thrust stand and apply power.

Include a photo of your setup:

⁠

Now try moving the servo again. Does it work now?

Find the ESC Calibration Guide for your ESC in the

Resources Section⁠

Perform a ESC Calibration augmenting the manufacturer’s instructions with the following caveats:

The aircraft must in manual mode and be armed in GCS.

Note: with the aircraft armed, the motor can spin up.

Confirm with instructor that Calibration was performed correctly.

Gently ramp up the throttle to 100% to verify that the motor works.

operating off of 6S LiPo battery, each cell has 3.7 V...22.2V...checking for current on potential difference

showing 2 A, no potential difference...turned current all the way up after we confirmed no potential difference to not destroy instruments

we put the ESC wires in the path to power the cube...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

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

Wiring Diagram

Using the information in the two tables above update your team wiring diagram with the correct wiring for the Cube’s servo rail.

Reflection

For Lab 11, we focused on simulating the Believer aircraft’s avionics by calibrating the DATX, configuring parameters, connecting sensors to the Cube, and verifying control inputs and outputs. We then connected and calibrated servos and ESCs, tested motor functionality, and updated the wiring diagram.

For our first task, we got Group 6’s DATX and powered it on. We held down the menu option... then bang, the micro TX popped up. We made sure that Channel 1 is SBUS and then showed the TA. Once that was completed, we headed over to calibrate the DATX and make sure that the controller didn’t prematurely hit the edge of the calibration.

Our next task was to make sure that the GCS was working properly and read our DATX inputs. Once that was confirmed, we had to determine what did the right stick control and what did the left stick control. Right stick is flaperon L and R and the V-tail L and R. Left stick controls rudder and throttle input. The throttle won't go when the DATX is disarmed.

For the electronics and motor control station, we had to spin up the motor to see if it would work correctly. The ESC was connected and checked by Prof. Rose. The ESC was connected to the Cube and everything was confirmed to function properly. During an emergency, the Cube has a failsafe. The Cube will have power from the backup power source and you can control the UA manually, but telemetry data will not work. This is due to the diodes diverting power.

Overall, this lab was putting everything all together. If you messed up during the previous labs, it would show during this lab, but everything went smoothly. There were moments where I thought we were going to have to repeat some steps, but I think Group 6 held it together and finished strong without much of an issue.

Want to print your doc?
This is not the way.

Try clicking the ⋯ next to your doc name or using a keyboard shortcut (

CtrlP

) instead.