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Feature suggestion, Servo test mode
- Xermalk
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I was wondering if its possible to implement a mode where the tx sends continuous channel input over a timeframe.
With configurable speed ,interval and intensity of the commands.
For example negative/positive pitch and right/left rudder for a helicopter.
This would let you do a bench test of your servos in a more realistic manner.
There would obviously have to be warnings before this mode activates, so that one does not have motors connected. Or having servos bind and burn out.
Edit: basically what im looking for is a pre-programmed macro of somesort that shakes all the servos at varying speeds and intensity for 5 minutes or so.
This would weed out the really bad servos before one takes of. And would also make for a decent test of servos after a crash.
Place a few helicopters next to eachother with this mode on and youd have a decent harlem shake video .
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- chuneault
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- cmpang
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Xermalk wrote: So
I was wondering if its possible to implement a mode where the tx sends continuous channel input over a timeframe.
With configurable speed ,interval and intensity of the commands.
.
that was one of the few nice features in my aged Futaba FF9. With this, you can perform range check without other's help.
Set the FF9 in servo scan mode, let it stands and take your receiver to move around to see how far to go before servo gitter...
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- Hexperience
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I have a mix that does it now, but because the servo speed is not applied it just flips the channel back and forth about a million times a second... :0
There are 10 types of people in this world. Those that understand binary and those that don't.
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- Xermalk
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Hexperience wrote: Once PB moves the servo speed function so that it can be used in the mixer, then we can just program the mixer to do it.
I have a mix that does it now, but because the servo speed is not applied it just flips the channel back and forth about a million times a second... :0
Well well well, that would be perfect for testing those 0.00001s servos
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- Xermalk
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- Xermalk
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I would really like to have this feature for testing the servos on my 450 build.
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- PhracturedBlue
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The mixer is a type (like replace, add, min, max) so it is only available as a 'Complex' mixer. It compares the Source to the calculated value (after applying scalar and curves) and then uses the offset as the 'speed' value. I need to think of a better way to do it, ideally without adding yet another variable to the mixer structure, but this shows that it is possible to code it into the mixer as we've discussed.
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- Xermalk
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Still waiting for a few parts so build is paused.
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- PhracturedBlue
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When you set the mux-type to 'delay' the curve actually represents time for the servo to go from 0-100%.
So the typical use would be to have the 1st mixer define the expected value, and the 2nd mixer to apply a delay using a 'fixed' curve type (using 'scalar' to define the amount of delay). you could have non-linear delay as well if you are so inclined.
The question I have is how slow should it be?
typical servos can complete a 0-100% sweep in 0.1 to 0.2 seconds.
We have a total of 100 steps available.
Currently I am using 1 step = 0.1 second. So on a 0.1s servo, a value of '1' would have no effect, a value of '2' would be half speed, a value of '10' would take 1 second to go from 0-100%, and a value of '100' would take 10 seconds to go from 0-100%
There are other algorithms, but this one seems to make the most sense to me, so the question is really: What is the finest granularity you want control at? Is 1/10sec fine enough for 0-100% or should we go finer (at the cost of the slowest sweep)?
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- Xermalk
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Could the granularity be written so we can have a modifier for it in the ini file or something? That would be the best from all viewpoints.
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- PhracturedBlue
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- Xermalk
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Though any test you can do on the bench is one less risk of failure in the air.
Running the servos on the bench for 5-10 minutes and then checking so they aren't hot. Is a good way to minimize failures.
You could also do a poor mans brownout test by running the servos and motor at full speed. Obviously without any blades and strapped down to something robust.
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- PhracturedBlue
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FYI, I will likely remove support for the limits-based speed before the next release
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- Hexperience
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Using my emu build from the latest deviation.
There are 10 types of people in this world. Those that understand binary and those that don't.
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- PhracturedBlue
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- Hexperience
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There are 10 types of people in this world. Those that understand binary and those that don't.
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- myxiplx
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I may not need it, but I've just read a thread with tips about reducing startup wobble, and one piece of advice was to spool up at 0 pitch, using idle up and a soft start.
I have a nitro heli, so no ESC, but I'm wondering if I could program my own soft start. Would adding this delay setting to my idle up throttle mix work?
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