Feature request: Signal generators to channels

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16 Sep 2013 09:19 #13818 by billmester
Hi,

I am sorry, I do not know how to open a ticket, but here is an idea.

I am a noob (<1yr) on choppers, and I seem to be spending more time building them than actually flying them :whistle:

Therefore, I need to do servo testing regularily. For this I am using a $2 separate unit on a bench, detaching wires... you know.

So why not have a programmable function generaton in the mixers? I was especially thinking of 2 waveforms (of logical levels of the emitted signals, to drive servos):
1. triangle wave, with adjustable amplitude, level offset, frequency and phase shift. For cycling servos from piont A to B continuously.
2. square vawe, with adjustable HI level and time and LOW level and time. Mostly to repeatingly operate switches (can be bought/built separately - mainly from dead servos ;-)
3. maybe only emitting a settable amount of cycles (0 is continuous?)

More than one generators could be created (just like any other mixers), for testing CCPM or whatever. They should use a common time-base, so they can run phase synchronized.

Of course, these could be activated by a switch and/or any condition - just like any other items in the Advanced Mixers, and could be directed to channel outputs.

Apart from testing there are other practical uses:
-camera panning automatically (triangle wave)
-camera repeated shooting (Square wave)
-salvo rocket firing (who would do that???)
-LED light blinking/fading without other hardware...
-having scale models on a DEMO stand, with moving parts
-meh, whatever you can think of ;-)

What do you think guys?

thanks,
bm

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16 Sep 2013 09:40 #13819 by billmester
Replied by billmester on topic Feature request: Signal generators to channels
...might as well set some time bases/offsets/frequencies by inputs from pots/trims? ;-)

OK, I'll stop now... :whistle:

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16 Sep 2013 10:00 #13820 by FDR
While I see a good use for it (for example I could use it in a car as a turning indicator), it could be quite dangerous too if you accidentally switch it on while flying. I wouldn't configure it in my models to be switchable, rather use separate configs for that...

BTW it could be implemented by inbuilt functions...

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16 Sep 2013 11:15 #13823 by billmester
Replied by billmester on topic Feature request: Signal generators to channels
hehe :-)

I meant like configuring on one channel, for auto panning a camera, once activated... should be safe ;-)

And the tesing setup is on a separate model... of course...

How do you make a loop from the current functions?

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16 Sep 2013 18:07 #13829 by Hexperience
Replied by Hexperience on topic Feature request: Signal generators to channels
It's been discussed before, but the short story is at this point, we don't have the speed setting on the mix level. Basicly this means, that while it's possible to do a loop, it's not possible to slow it down to a usable speed.

There are 10 types of people in this world. Those that understand binary and those that don't.

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16 Sep 2013 20:06 #13834 by fabien
You can already do a lot of things you ask for by using the virtual channel and complex mix capability.

The first thing is to generate a "saw tooth" wave ( like this ) with the virtual channel, and after using this to generate what you want on your channel.

the "saw tooth" wave :
  • The virtual channel 1 (Complexe mix : 2 Mixers):
    1. add Mux
      • Src : the switch you want use for activate the generation or !VIRT2 for a continuous generation
      • Curve : 3 points (1:0, 2:0, 3:1)
      • Scale : 50 (it's for the speed)
    2. Replace Mux
      • Switch : VIRT2
      • Curve : Fixed
      • Scale : -100%
  • The virtual channel 2 (Complexe mix : 2 Mixers):
    1. Replace Mux
      • Src : VIRT1
      • Curve : 1-to-1
      • Scale : 100%
      • Offset : -100%
    2. Replace Mux
      • Src : VIRT2
      • Curve : Min/max
      • Scale : 100%
      • Offset : 0%

Now that we have the "saw tooth" wave we can generate a lot of different wave by using VIRT1 as source on the desired channel. on the model config join you can find 4 examples : a triangle wave (CH1), a square wave (ch2), an other square wave but with up time different that the down time (Ch3), and a sinus wave (Ch4)
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16 Sep 2013 20:27 #13835 by FDR
Brilliant!
Thanks

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16 Sep 2013 20:48 #13836 by billmester
Replied by billmester on topic Feature request: Signal generators to channels
WOW
sounds very nice ;-)
I will try this tomorrow - still don't understand how the waves are timed, but I'll get it once I'll see it working...
thanks!

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16 Sep 2013 21:55 #13837 by Hexperience
Replied by Hexperience on topic Feature request: Signal generators to channels

fabien wrote: You can already do a lot of things you ask for by using the virtual channel and complex mix capability.




There are 10 types of people in this world. Those that understand binary and those that don't.
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16 Sep 2013 22:01 - 16 Sep 2013 22:14 #13838 by Hexperience
Replied by Hexperience on topic Feature request: Signal generators to channels
Is there any chance this would have a negative effect on the processor?

I'm looking at it... but I can't see how it works... I need more coffee... :)

I'm just sitting here watching channel 4 wave up and down so smoothly...

There are 10 types of people in this world. Those that understand binary and those that don't.
Last edit: 16 Sep 2013 22:14 by Hexperience.

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25 Feb 2015 08:13 #29092 by Parees
Can someone explain how Virtual Channel 2 in the below example behaves? What I'm not able to wrap my head around is, if there are 2 mixers, both of them of mux type "replace" and neither of them has a switch, then how does the output get determined? When is mixer 1 the active mixer and how does it transition into mixer 2 being the active mixer?

fabien wrote: You can already do a lot of things you ask for by using the virtual channel and complex mix capability.

The first thing is to generate a "saw tooth" wave ( like this ) with the virtual channel, and after using this to generate what you want on your channel.

the "saw tooth" wave :

  • The virtual channel 1 (Complexe mix : 2 Mixers):
    1. add Mux
      • Src : the switch you want use for activate the generation or !VIRT2 for a continuous generation
      • Curve : 3 points (1:0, 2:0, 3:1)
      • Scale : 50 (it's for the speed)
    2. Replace Mux
      • Switch : VIRT2
      • Curve : Fixed
      • Scale : -100%
  • The virtual channel 2 (Complexe mix : 2 Mixers):
    1. Replace Mux
      • Src : VIRT1
      • Curve : 1-to-1
      • Scale : 100%
      • Offset : -100%
    2. Replace Mux
      • Src : VIRT2
      • Curve : Min/max
      • Scale : 100%
      • Offset : 0%

Now that we have the "saw tooth" wave we can generate a lot of different wave by using VIRT1 as source on the desired channel. on the model config join you can find 4 examples : a triangle wave (CH1), a square wave (ch2), an other square wave but with up time different that the down time (Ch3), and a sinus wave (Ch4)

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