©2010 Skookum Robotics, Ltd
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Under
Inputs From Receiver
, the
Pilot Elevator, Aileron, Rudder and
Collective command percentage
is given as a guide for setting up your radio.
See Section 10, Step 3 for details about how this data is used to help setup your
SK720.
Control Tab
The
Control
tab is found in the
Offline Setup Values
region of the main SK720
setup software window, as shown in Figure 19.2 below.
Figure 19.2 – SK720 Setup Software
Control
Tab
Type:
When the
Satellite Receivers
option is selected in this field, the SK720
will look for control inputs from the “SAT RX” ports and servo ports IO-A
to IO-C will become outputs. Otherwise, ports IO-A to IO-E will be set to
receive signals from a traditional radio receiver’s outputs.
Auto Trim at Init:
With this feature enabled, the gyro will use the aileron,
elevator, and rudder stick centers it receives at initialization as neutral cyclic
and rudder (as applicable). If disabled, the gyro’s inputs will need to be
trimmed at the radio for each flight due to drift in the stick’s sensors.
Set Throttle Failsafe:
After setting up your ESC or throttle servo, use this
button to tell the SK720 what your throttle channel idle setting is. This sets
the fail-safe if you lose the radio link, and helps improve auto-rotations.
Stick Dead Bands:
To avoid drift due to small errors in stick centering, a dead-
band can be set for the cyclic (elevator and aileron) functions as well as the
tail (rudder). 1 to 2 percent is a good value for most radios (note your radio’s
centering may change with temperature). For scale models, larger dead band
can give a solid control feel while in stationary hover. Note that all
helicopters should have some dead band on rudder.
Mounting Orientation:
The motion sensing directions can be flipped or rotated
90° to allow the gyro to be mounted in a variety of orientations in your
helicopter. See Section 10, Step 3 for details on how to use these options.
©2010 Skookum Robotics, Ltd
44
Swashplate Tab
The
Swashplate
tab is found in the
Offline Setup Values
region of the main
SK720 setup software window as shown in Figure 19.3 below.
Figure 19.3 – SK720 Setup Software
Swashplate
Tab
Swashplate Type:
Select your swashplate and mechanical mixing type. Options
are 120 eCCPM, 135/140 degree eCCPM, 90 degree mechanically mixed
(separate servos for each of elevator, aileron and pitch control), and 90
degree 3 or 4 servo eCCPM where servos are directly connected to the swash
but 90 degrees apart.
Swash Ring:
Limits motion of the swashplate to prevent binding when large
amounts of both elevator and aileron cyclic are used (i.e. assume the
swashplate is round, not square).
Piro Comp:
Compensates for the effects of rapid yaw rates on cyclic stability.
This is important for 3D stunts and when flying in wind.
Mixing:
The SK720 takes over swashplate mixing. The inputs to the gyro must
be separate channels for elevator, aileron and pitch (collective) control. This
gives the full precision of your radio set rather than losing half of its
precision with in-transmitter mixing. It also allows for extra mixing features
normally only available on high-end radios such as Swash Ring and Servo
Equalizing. See Section 10, Step 4 for details on how to use these options
when setting up your helicopter.
Elevator Cyclic:
Percentage of full swashplate motion at full stick deflection for
elevator cyclic. You can reverse the elevator servo using the Rev checkbox.
Aileron Cyclic:
Percentage of full swashplate motion at full stick deflection for
aileron cyclic. You can reverse the aileron servo using the Rev checkbox.
Collective Pitch:
Percentage of full swashplate motion at full stick deflection for
collective. You can reverse the collective servo using the Rev checkbox.
Phase Trim:
Rotates the plane of cyclic action about the main shaft, to allow
correction for gyroscopic and aerodynamic effects. It also allows the use of 3
