Hi,
I would like to control the tilt and pan function of a 3 axis gimbal with Pixhawk but not the automatic stabilisation… Is possible to isolate the manual movements of these 2 axis from the automatic movement through Pixhawk?
Thanks.
Peter.
[quote=“Peterev”]Hi,
I would like to control the tilt and pan function of a 3 axis gimbal with Pixhawk but not the automatic stabilisation… Is possible to isolate the manual movements of these 2 axis from the automatic movement through Pixhawk?
Thanks.
Peter.[/quote]
Hi
from your picture I believe you are using a DYS 3 axis gimbal, which has a AlexMos controller, running 2.3b5 firmware.
I have the same gimbal, and already managed to get pitch control. I connected Signal and Ground (only) from the AUX 1 port of the PixHawk to one of the ports of the AlexMos controller. On the AlexMos controller we can choose what each port does so you must make the connected port to Pitch.
On my radio system DX9 connected by Sbus to the PixHawk on the PC/Mac software on the optional hardware function you must enable RC9, which apparently corresponds to the AUX1 port and determine which radio channel controls it (check the way the Instructions say to control the Tarot Gimbal, which to this setting work).
I’m still trying to find a way to control Yaw, but didn’t have the time yet.
brgds
Luis
Thanks Luis, yes it is the DYS…
I’ve not connected the gimbal yet, will try this week at some point…
Does running in PPM cut off all signals from the receiver’s ‘normal’ connections, i.e. direct connection to the rx/tx rather than running through Pixhawk?
It depends on your receiver
From what I’ve learned so far, if using a Spektrum satellite we can only use the number of channels that the receiver we’ve used to bind has.
On my case, I’m using this
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__38392__OrangeRx_R800X_Spektrum_Compatible_DSMX_8Ch_2_4Ghz_TwinPort_Rx.html
In this case I have simultaneous output on the SBus port and on the transmitter ports. Unfortunately this receiver only exposes 8 channels on its ports.
The current APM code only responds to only 8 channels, or I haven’t found a way to make it respond to more…
I believe that the Taranis receiver X8R can expose on its ports channels 9-16 or 1-8 selectable with simultaneous SBus output. That’s where my knowledge ends… 
Great stuff Luis, thank you…
I’ll try to find out about my radio tomorrow, there’s a very helpful chap I’ve been introduced to at the Graupner importers, he’ll know for sure…
[quote=“luisvale”]
Hi
from your picture I believe you are using a DYS 3 axis gimbal, which has a AlexMos controller, running 2.3b5 firmware.
I have the same gimbal, and already managed to get pitch control. I connected Signal and Ground (only) from the AUX 1 port of the PixHawk to one of the ports of the AlexMos controller. On the AlexMos controller we can choose what each port does so you must make the connected port to Pitch.
On my radio system DX9 connected by Sbus to the PixHawk on the PC/Mac software on the optional hardware function you must enable RC9, which apparently corresponds to the AUX1 port and determine which radio channel controls it (check the way the Instructions say to control the Tarot Gimbal, which to this setting work).
I’m still trying to find a way to control Yaw, but didn’t have the time yet.
brgds
Luis[/quote]
Hi Luis,
I think this diagram explains how to get control of the 3rd (yaw) axis, we need a separate board by the look of it which is disappointing as I just assumed yaw would be controllable out of the box…
github.com/diydrones/ardupilot/issues/374
Peter.
[quote=“Peterev”][quote=“luisvale”]
Hi
from your picture I believe you are using a DYS 3 axis gimbal, which has a AlexMos controller, running 2.3b5 firmware.
I have the same gimbal, and already managed to get pitch control. I connected Signal and Ground (only) from the AUX 1 port of the PixHawk to one of the ports of the AlexMos controller. On the AlexMos controller we can choose what each port does so you must make the connected port to Pitch.
On my radio system DX9 connected by Sbus to the PixHawk on the PC/Mac software on the optional hardware function you must enable RC9, which apparently corresponds to the AUX1 port and determine which radio channel controls it (check the way the Instructions say to control the Tarot Gimbal, which to this setting work).
I’m still trying to find a way to control Yaw, but didn’t have the time yet.
brgds
Luis[/quote]
Hi Luis,
I think this diagram explains how to get control of the 3rd (yaw) axis, we need a separate board by the look of it which is disappointing as I just assumed yaw would be controllable out of the box…
github.com/diydrones/ardupilot/issues/374
Peter.[/quote]
Hi
I ended up solving the problem in another way. I now have all 4 inputs of the gimbal under control.
I changed the radio system to a Taranis X9D with the X8R receiver. I’ve binded the receiver in mode 4, which exposes channels 9 to 16 on the receiver pins and also has SBus output that connects to the PixHawk.
I connected channels 13 to 16 from the receiver directly to the gimbal and now have all 3 axis under control and I programmed a mode change on the remaining channel 
As a plus, I’ll also be connecting the telemetry from the PixHawk to the Taranis…
Case solved
Luis
Luis,
I have the exact same hardware and would love to get some more details about your setup.
Jeff
Hi
I’ve been somewhat busy with this but my current setup is:
PixHawk Flight Controller
3DR 433 Telemetry Radio
3DR Bluetooth Module
DJI E300 Tuned Propulsion System
DJI F550 frame
eBay cheap landing skid
DYS 3 axis gimbal with GoPro Hero3+ Black
X8R Receiver
Teensy 3.1 for telemetry conversion to FrSky https://github.com/chsw/MavLink_FrSkySPort
Everything running from 4S 5800 mAh battery
[attachment=1]20140709_184313_Rua_Te_filo_Braga.jpg[/attachment]
[attachment=2]20140709_184300_Rua_Te_filo_Braga.jpg[/attachment]
I’m about to change to a different frame - HMF S550 - where I’ll be saving almost 200g
[attachment=0]20140823_140456_Rua_Te_filo_Braga.jpg[/attachment]
What can I do to help you?
[quote=“jlvjeff”]Luis,
I have the exact same hardware and would love to get some more details about your setup.
Jeff[/quote]
Luis,
The new frame looks great.
Your earlier post about your connections to the gimbal.
I have only been able to get pitch and yaw working.
Not sure how you made the third connection.
you state you programmed a mode change in the remaining channel.
Please explain what happens when you use that control.
Thanks,
Jeff
I connected channels 13 to 16 from the receiver directly to the gimbal and now have all 3 axis under control and I programmed a mode change on the remaining channel
ok.
I have the gimbal off at the moment, but will try to explain clearly.
First of all cabling.
I use 2 servo cables and on one of them note that I’ve removed the (+) connection. Like this I’m sure that there is no power coming to/from the receiver that could damage anything. I’ve kept only ground on that cable so that the signal wire has a reference.
The other servo wire keeps all the connections but it will be connected horizontally on the remainder signal connections (we already have one ground, no need for more) simplifying wiring between the receiver and the gimbal.
the cable
[attachment=4]20140824_181835_Rua_Te_filo_Braga.jpg[/attachment]
Connections on the gimbal
[attachment=3]20140824_182707_Rua_Te_filo_Braga.jpg[/attachment]
On the gimbal the cables go to
- RXP
- RXR
- FCP
- FCR
[attachment=2]20140824_183605_Rua_Te_filo_Braga.jpg[/attachment]
Note these connections and check to which channels they correspond on the receiver (I have mine on ch 13, 14, 15 and 16)
Now to the Gimbal software you must assign each of these connections to a specific action, like moving the pitch or something else.
Here you can see only 2 actions (out of the possible 4) defined:
[attachment=1]Screen Shot 2014-08-24 at 18.56.03.png[/attachment]
Now the mode change.
You can have different profiles on the gimbal (I use one with follow-me enabled, other with follow-me disabled and another with practically no stabilization on the gimbal, i.e. the gimbal follows the frame)
The 4th connection can switch between those profiles and/or other actions defined on this screen (here I have a 3 position switch to control this on the radio)
[attachment=0]Screen Shot 2014-08-24 at 18.56.17.png[/attachment]
Hope it helps
Luis
ps- you can see that there are wires missing on the gimbal. That’s because I took it apart to measure it so that I can have a 3D Printed case
[quote=“jlvjeff”]Luis,
The new frame looks great.
Your earlier post about your connections to the gimbal.
I have only been able to get pitch and yaw working.
Not sure how you made the third connection.
you state you programmed a mode change in the remaining channel.
Please explain what happens when you use that control.
Thanks,
Jeff
I connected channels 13 to 16 from the receiver directly to the gimbal and now have all 3 axis under control and I programmed a mode change on the remaining channel[/quote]
Luis,
Great explanation and want to thank you for the time you spent getting back to me.
This clears things up for me a bit.
I was trying to figure out why there were two choices for roll and pitch vs fc-roll and fc-pitch.
I see you have nothing assigned to the fc mapping and my guess is you could assign the roll to that if you wanted to?
which of the 4 pins in your setup sends the signal to the “command assignment” to trigger the mode change?
Thank you once again for all your help.
Jeff
Hi
With the configuration we can do on the AlexMos software just forget about the names of the pins, they’re simple labels that we must make correspond to actions we want.
According to the documentation from AlexMos the FC-Roll and FC-Pitch are there to receive input from a flight controller, so the flight controller could determine the behavior of the gimbal. On the PixHawk with 3.1.5 we can only use Roll so, I didn’t use that option.
Yes, you can have roll connected, but it becomes irrelevant and I didn’t use it, so just removed the assignment.
No specific pin assigned for the mode change. Just get a piece of paper and do a schematic of the existing labels and determine your own assignments.
I named my pins on the controller ABCD and A is channel 13, B Channel 14, etc…
On the AlexMos software I know that from top to bottom is ABCD, so the actions I choose are ch13, ch 14, etc…
Yes, this is a mess, but it’s the price we have to pay for versatility. Sometimes I wonder if going all DJI stuff wouldn’t be better, but…
The screenshots I posted before are old, and might not correspond to what is now done, so don’t take them literally.
luis
[quote=“jlvjeff”]Luis,
Great explanation and want to thank you for the time you spent getting back to me.
This clears things up for me a bit.
I was trying to figure out why there were two choices for roll and pitch vs fc-roll and fc-pitch.
I see you have nothing assigned to the fc mapping and my guess is you could assign the roll to that if you wanted to?
which of the 4 pins in your setup sends the signal to the “command assignment” to trigger the mode change?
Thank you once again for all your help.
Jeff[/quote]
I recently stumbled across this page and its EXACTLY what im looking for and couldn’t find on RCGroups.
I have a DX9 and can already control the pitch, but i want to do both up down and left right…
I have a lot of questions but am still researching, for now just one major one…
What on your DX9 did you program to control the pitch and roll?
Thanks guys! Love the crowd here, good stuff!!
-Sacramento CA
Chris
As you might have seen above, I swapped the DX9 for a Taranis. Problem solved instantly.
O wow, half the price of my DX9 and twice as much! So, I see from the photos I have found there looks to be two switches around where your finger tips would be and used for the gimbal, so you could fly with the thumbs AND control the gimbal with your fingertips?
Yes, that’s one way to do it using the shoulder rotating knobs.
the price difference is a bit higher considering the native telemetry vs optional on Spektrum
And a PC/Mac configuration and emulation app, that saves thousands of click, click, roll, click , and the voice prompting that says what we want, in the language we want, when we want, even responding to telemetry events…oh, and custom telemetry screens
[attachment=0]Screen Shot 2014-08-26 at 20.36.45.png[/attachment]
and the gimbal control like I have it now
[attachment=1]Screen Shot 2014-08-26 at 20.31.12.png[/attachment]
[quote=“luisvale”]Yes, that’s one way to do it using the shoulder rotating knobs.
the price difference is a bit higher considering the native telemetry vs optional on Spektrum
And a PC/Mac configuration and emulation app, that saves thousands of click, click, roll, click , and the voice prompting that says what we want, in the language we want, when we want, even responding to telemetry events…oh, and custom telemetry screens
[attachment=1]Screen Shot 2014-08-26 at 20.31.12.png[/attachment]
My DX9 was $500, this one looks around $200… what? And what do you mean by “the native telemetry vs optional on Spektrum”? Is this assumed because I would need to get not only the Taranis Transmitter but also (obviously I would need a new one) a new receiver on my quad as well, a 16ch one like this [X8R receiver]? And all the ones I find only have 8ch, what am I missing and how can these two items cost MORE than my DX9?
Also, my DX9 has two “shoulder rotating knobs” as well but they are notched, click when used… This (I would think) would cause jumpy actions to the gimbal… Are the Tarnais ones smooth?
What I meant is that on the Spektrum one must buy the telemetry gadget TM1000 (usd50) to enable telemetry+plus the additional telemetry sensors.
On the Taranis the included (yes, included on the usd202 price - http://www.alofthobbies.com/frsky-taranis-x8r-combo.html) receiver X8R already is a telemetry hub and can send without sensors rssi and the rx voltage. The X8R receiver also outputs SBus and you can use it to connect those 16 channels, and choose what the pins on the receiver do (channels 1 to 8 or 9 to 16). Connecting to the PixHawk is a single wire from the SBus output on the receiver to the RCIN port on the PixHawk.
For using the APM/PixHawk Mavlink telemetry displayed on your radio there is a project that is already displaying PixHawk telemetry on the Taranis github.com/chsw/MavLink_FrSkySPort .
The shoulder rotating knobs on the Taranis are smooth with a notch at mid point (smoother than any of the Spektrum notches).
One caveat on the Taranis. It has a learning curve, because it is like a blank sheet of paper. Compared with the Spektrum which is like a form sheet with spaces to fill the blanks.
Just download the supporting software (CompanionTX) and try to program a model. No need to have the radio to do it, but you’ll have a good idea of the challenges. And watch this YouTube channel with lots of tutorials youtube.com/user/PagesFlyingCircus
btw: I still have the DX9, because nobody around here wants to buy it, even second hand with less than a year old…so I use it for 2 small foamie planes.
[quote=“sacdronepro”][quote=“luisvale”]Yes, that’s one way to do it using the shoulder rotating knobs.
the price difference is a bit higher considering the native telemetry vs optional on Spektrum
And a PC/Mac configuration and emulation app, that saves thousands of click, click, roll, click , and the voice prompting that says what we want, in the language we want, when we want, even responding to telemetry events…oh, and custom telemetry screens
[attachment=1]Screen Shot 2014-08-26 at 20.31.12.png[/attachment]
My DX9 was $500, this one looks around $200… what? And what do you mean by “the native telemetry vs optional on Spektrum”? Is this assumed because I would need to get not only the Taranis Transmitter but also (obviously I would need a new one) a new receiver on my quad as well, a 16ch one like this [X8R receiver]? And all the ones I find only have 8ch, what am I missing and how can these two items cost MORE than my DX9?
Also, my DX9 has two “shoulder rotating knobs” as well but they are notched, click when used… This (I would think) would cause jumpy actions to the gimbal… Are the Tarnais ones smooth?[/quote][/quote]