S6R receivers

[Mike Briant]

I recently got the S6R and the STK from T9 Hobbysport. I seem to have had similar initial problems to people on here but, thanks to tinkering and suggestions from members of this and other threads (for which I'm most grateful) I think I'm getting somewhere.

Initially my problem was trying to get Windows to install drivers for the STK and for the S6R config tool to recognise it. More by luck than judgement this resolved itself after using this http://zadig.akeo.ie which someone in a group on Facebook suggested. So I then did the calibration process in the S6R Config Tool and installed the Rx in my flying wing.

My biggest tip, as others have no doubt found, is follow the step by step process that follows and even if you don't think you're going to need a function (my flying wing will not need knife edge or hover modes) set up the switches etc on your Tx as otherwise things don't work properly. Basically don't leave anything out even if you think it doesn't apply to you.

1. Bind Rx

2. Calibrate the Rx using the Config Tool

3. Set up three position switches for channels 10 and 11 - I didn't understand the whole M + H bits in the manual so I just set the channels to a three position switch and it seemed to work without any other adjustments.

4. Set up channel 9 (for gain adjustment) to a switch or slider - failure to do this meant that my stabilisation mode didn't work.

5. Do the self check function by powering on the Rx with servos plugged in and then holding and releasing the bind button. Bue light comes on, after a while the servos move and then hey presto you have full control. Before doing this I had no control of the servos at all.

Missing out any one of these steps seemed to cause problems for me.

Now I have everything working although for some strange reason, in order to get the right corrections in stabilisation or auto level mode, I've had to mount my Rx sideways even though all the manuals say antennas end of the receiver should be pointed to the front. However with the Rx installed that way, when I changed the pitch of the model it tried to correct with roll compensation and vice versa.

 

 

Edited By Mike Briant on 20/11/2016 10:33:40

Edited By Mike Briant on 20/11/2016 10:34:36

Edited By Mike Briant on 20/11/2016 10:35:27

Edited By Mike Briant on 20/11/2016 10:35:57

[Denis Watkins]

Just a note, I don't have mine fitted to a Delta or Elevon tail, I have 2 fitted to a high wing and low wing model, and working antennas forward as per instructions. Somehow your aileron and elevator are opposite, but a visual check when switched on is that a surface will lift as that axis is lifted, eg the left aileron will lift when the left wing is lifted from horizontal

[Geoff S]

Mike Briant's experiences echo my own, particularly the need to program a slider/pot on channel 9 to adjust gain. That is far from clear in the manual.

I went up to the field yesterday hoping to test mine in anger. It's fitted into my foamie Riot as a 'sacrificial' test aeroplane. I connected everything up at the field and proceeded to go through pre-flight checks of the controls before doing a range check only to find I didn't have any left aileron control. Everything seemed OK in my transmitter set up and it was too cold to mess about so I packed the Riot away and got out my Ballerina. Just one hairy flight when I took off on full rates (deliberately because I'd forgotten they were he far too sensitive 'Miller' settings) for some reason wildly out of trim and into a lot more unstable air at flying height. Somehow I sorted it out enough to get it into a greaser landing (phew!) and decided it wasn't my day and came home

It wasn't until I got home and tried to think what could be wrong with my S6R that I remembered I hadn't done the self-check after fitting the battery with the model upside down. Duh!!!! I've reproduced the symptoms in the workshop then initiated the self-check (via a switch to ch 12) and everything checks out OK. So I could have flown after all in ideal conditions to check the stabilisation. Another day, then, but when that'll be I don't know. The weather doesn't look too brilliant for the next week.

Mike: Your program to allow channels not needed for stabilisation (Ail2 and ele2) would be very useful. It's annoying to have a 6 channel receiver and have1 or 2 of the channels not able to be used for other things like (say) retracts or flaps. When do you think you'll have it usable?

Geoff

[Mike Briant]

Yes Denis I'm not sure why the elevator and aileron corrections are round the wrong way. I've tried changing the servo leads round or changing the assignments on the Tx but still the only way to get the correct stabilisation is to mount the Rx sideways. Otherwise when I pitched the model up or down expecting the elevons to move together to bring the model back to straight and level, one elevon would go up and the other down which would obviously cause the model to roll, not pitch back to level flight if that makes sense.

If I get to the bottom of why this is I'll let you know.

[Mike Blandford]

Mike Briant: Did you set the "Mounting" value in the S6R using the configuration tool.

Geoff: OK, I've posted a first version here: **LINK**, with instructions.

Mike.

[Mike Briant]

I set the orientation of the receiver in the config tool Mike, i.e.: flat and pointing forward. Is there another setting I need to look at?

[Attilio Rausse]

Mike Briant

Having looked at the instructions I think you aren't supposed to do the mixing in the transmitter instead the S6R will do this for you (you must use S6R config to tell it you have a flying wing) also you are not supposed to use channel 11. You will still need to program CH9 & CH12.

set up a mix for which ever switch you wish to use for changing flight stabilisation modes say SE. SE(up) is autolevel : SE--- is off : SE(down) is stabilisation.

Hope this works for you

[Geoff S]

Posted by Mike Blandford on 20/11/2016 16:44:45:

Geoff: OK, I've posted a first version here: **LINK**, with instructions.

Mike.

Thanks, Mike. I've downloaded and unzipped it but I can't easily try it because the S6R is installed in a model that's up in the 'hangar' above my workshop and I busy with my little Se5a which definitely won't be using an S6R as it would almost double the weight of the model

Geoff

[Mike Briant]

Hi Attilio, yes I don't have any mixes set up on my transmitter but I do have aileron and elevator inputs set up on channels 1 and 2 as without those the controls don't work.

I've set it up as a flying wing in the config tool and specified how the Rx is mounted. Also whether I have channel 11 set up or not doesn't seem to make a difference. All very curious lol

[Mike Blandford]

Maybe you need to change the direction of compensation for the ELE channel.

Mike.

[Mike Briant]

The direction of compensation is correct. What's wrong is that it's correcting roll with pitch and pitch with roll lol. I think for now I'm going to test fly it with the Rx mounted sideways as it all works like that. My test model is expendable so fingers crossed and new pants on standby

[Mike Blandford]

But that is my point. If one of the elevons compensation is reversed, you swap roll and pitch, don't you?

Mike.

[Mike Briant]

Ah yes of course. Sorry, I misunderstood. That makes sense. I'll look at that tomorrow. Thank you Mike.

[Mike Briant]

You were absolutely right Mike. So well done and thank you for that.

[Mike Blandford]

An idea that might be useful. I'll try it myself sometime when I get my S6R into a model and fly with it!
The stabilising gain, if set OK for low speed operation may be too high for high speed. Since the master gain is controlled by CH9, try reducing the gain as the throttle is advanced:
CH9: +50% P2 Offset(50%)
*-20% Thr Offset(80%) [a MULTIPLY multiplex mix]

With the throttle fully down, the gain is as set by the pot (P2 in my case on ersky9x).
With the throttle fully up, the set gain is reduced to 60% of the value set by the pot.

You could use a curve rather than a fixed, linear reduction.

Mike.

[Frank Skilbeck]

Posted by Mike Blandford on 22/11/2016 15:53:08:

An idea that might be useful. I'll try it myself sometime when I get my S6R into a model and fly with it!
The stabilising gain, if set OK for low speed operation may be too high for high speed. Since the master gain is controlled by CH9, try reducing the gain as the throttle is advanced:
CH9: +50% P2 Offset(50%)
*-20% Thr Offset(80%) [a MULTIPLY multiplex mix]

With the throttle fully down, the gain is as set by the pot (P2 in my case on ersky9x).
With the throttle fully up, the set gain is reduced to 60% of the value set by the pot.

You could use a curve rather than a fixed, linear reduction.

Mike.

Or you could add an airspeed sensor and feed the actual airspeed back in, apparently some of the Powerbox gyros have this option built in.

One potential problem with reducing gain as the throttle is opened is that if you were say landing at low speed and needed to go round again and opened the throttle quickly you'd have reduced the stabilising effect when the model is still at low speed and also experiencing some torque roll as the propeller is accelerating to speed.

[Mike Blandford]

Of course an airspeed sensor would be useful for that, I was trying to keep it simple.

You could always add some slow or delay (or both) to the second mix on channel 9. Then the change of the stabiliser gain won't happen immediately, giving the aircraft time to change speed.

Mike.

[Mike Briant]

A related and possibly stupid question. I've put the gain adjustment on the right slider. How can I tell whether high gains are with the slider at the top or bottom? When I move the model about it's not immediately obvious whether the surfaces are moving more or less depending on where I put the slider.

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

Mike if you're not able to notice the difference then I'd suggest it's not changing the gain. On the monitor screen the bar needs to move from centre to one end, as you move the control.

[Mike Briant]

On the Taranis screen it's showing that the slider is moving it's full range of travel but I can't see any obvious change in the amount of correction of the control surfaces. So yes it's probable that the gain is not changing. I'll have to have a closer look at that channel.

[Mike Briant]

Just found the answer on another forum. "I put the gain on a dial also and found out that center is 0 gain and either end is max." So when I was moving the slider from end to end the gain wasn't changing because both ends are max gain. Doh!

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

That's what I was getting at Mike, the gain channel needs to move from centre to one end.
This can be achieved with 50% travel and 50% offset.

[Mike Briant]

ah yes sorry, I misread your post the first time. Now I see what you meant. All becomes clear...lol

Many thanks

[Mike Blandford]

I've posted another update to SportSet:
Graphics for the mounting options added, I also reduced the size of the graphics data so the .exe gets smaller.
Offset angle and enable values added.
Single COM port selector with 'scan' button to re-discover available COM ports. This is useful if you start the program before you plug the STK in.

Mike.

 

Edited By Mike Blandford on 24/11/2016 17:21:32

[Mike Blandford]

For anyone running linux, I've managed to build a copy of SportSet for Linux. I've posted it along with the windows version.

Mike.