Notes: Welcome to Taranis, Part 7: Elevon Mixing

These are notes to accompany the Welcome To Taranis series.  Follow the link to see the videos and other notes.

Part 7: Elevon Mixing

Elevon Information Theory

• Elevon / V-Tail Mixing
• Elevon / V-Tail Mixing Calculations

Motion Rules

• elevator back: elevons up
• elevator forward: elevons down
• aileron left: left elevon up, right elevon down
• aileron right: right elevon up, left elevon down

Procedure:

• Mix the elevator stick on both channels.
  The value will be either 50% or -50%, depending on how your servos are set up.
  If the control surfaces move in the wrong direction, swap the sign.
• Mix the aileron stick on both channels.
  The multiplex parameter will be "add", and the values will also be 50% or -50%.
  Proper motion:  when the stick moves left, the left control surface should raise and the right control surface should lower.  Vice versa for moving the stick right.

Example Mix

Ch 2  Ele    50%
  +=  Ail   -50%
Ch 3  Ele   -50%
  +=  Ail   -50%

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Notes: Welcome to Taranis, Part 6: Setting Up a Four Channel Plane

These are notes to accompany the Welcome To Taranis series.  Follow the link to see the videos and other notes.

Part 6: Setting Up a Four Channel Plane

Safety Note

• Be sure and remove or disable your prop when mixing. 

Example Setup

• Channel 1: Aileron
• Channel 2: Elevator
• Channel 3: Throttle
• Channel 4: Rudder
• Channel 5: Gear

Set up each channel 1-5

• As per the mix instructions in part 5, mix each stick to channels 1, 2, 3, and 4.
• Reverse channels as necessary using Servos menu.
• Likewise, mix one of the switches to channel 5 for the Gear.

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Notes: Welcome to Taranis, Part 5: Dual Rates and Expo

These are notes to accompany the Welcome To Taranis series.  Follow the link to see the videos and other notes.

Part 5: Dual Rates and Expo

Model menu 5

Dual Rates

• Select a switch, change the weight.
• Use "add after" to add a second weight.
• Select a second switch (or same switch, different position), and select a different weight.

Expo

• Edit a stick, change the Exponential value.
• Normally, positive expo value is what you want (softens midpoint).
• Can be combined with dual rate settings as per above.

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Notes: Welcome to Taranis, Part 4: Mixing, The Heart of Taranis

These are notes to accompany the Welcome To Taranis series.  Follow the link to see the videos and other notes.

Part 4: Mixing the Heart of Taranis

Mixer menu is model screen 6.

Simplest case

• map a source to an output.
• e.g. map the rudder stick to channel 4.

Weight

• "scales" the input
• negative weight acts as reverse.
• often better to use "reverse" function on stick menu

Switch mixing

• specify a switch as an input
• top, middle, down maps to 100%, 0%, -100%

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Notes: Welcome to Taranis, Part 3: Binding a D Series Receiver

These are notes to accompany the Welcome To Taranis series.  Follow the link to see the videos and other notes.

Part 3: Binding a D Series Receiver

• Note polarity on receiver.
• remove or disable props.
• on Rx, power on while pressing failsafe/bind button
• on Tx, go to model setup screen
• select mode D8, channel range CH1-8
• select bind, hear beep
• disconnect and reconnect power on Rx
• Tx/Rx bound, controls should be operational

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Notes: Welcome to Taranis, Part 2: Binding an X Series Receiver

These are notes to accompany the Welcome To Taranis series.  Follow the link to see the videos and other notes.

Part 2: Binding an X Series Receiver

• note polarity on receiver.
• remove or disable props.
• on Rx, power on while pressing failsafe/bind button
• on Tx, go to model setup screen
• select mode D16, channel range CH1-8
• select bind
• disconnect and reconnect power on Rx
• Tx/Rx bound, controls should be operational

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Notes: Welcome to Taranis, Part 1: Out of the Box

These are notes to accompany the Welcome To Taranis series.  Follow the link to see the videos and other notes.

Part 1: Out of the Box

Check Battery

• connector in place
• keyed connector in left side

Charge by plugging in wall wart adapter

• older models will show solid charging light
• newer models will blink then go solid
• charger will shut off automatically when battery fully charged

Turning on

• Throttle warning will appear if your throttle is not down
• Switch warning will appear if any switches are not off

Menus

• fast click for model selection menu
• slow click for radio setup menu

Stick Calibration

• radio setup menu screen 7
• center everything and press enter
• move everything full range of motion and press enter

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Welcome to Taranis! Video Series Guide

Here's a series of videos I did in conjunction with Aloft Hobbies an FrSky RC.  It's is designed to get you up and running on Taranis as quickly as possible.

I've got some more in the works.  What topics would you like to see?  Where have I got something wrong?  Let me know what you think!

The screen looks better (a lot!) in HD.

Series Contents

    The series playlist is here: Play All.

    0.  Introduction. (video) (notes)
    1. Out of the box setup. (video) (notes)
    2. Binding an X series receiver. (video) (notes)
    3. Binding a D series receiver. (video) (notes)
    4. Mixing, the heart of Taranis. (video) (notes)
    5. Dual Rates and Expo. (video) (notes)
    6. Setting up a 4 channel plane. (video) (notes)
    7. Elevon mixing. (video) (notes)
    8a. Basic Telemetry. (video) (notes)
    8b. Audio Telemetry Alerts. (video) (notes)
    9. Basic Speech. (video) (notes)

This video series is a coproduction of FrSky RC, Aloft Hobbies, and EastBay RC.

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CME Meeting Minutes, March 11, 2014

CONCORD MODEL ENGINEERS
MONTHLY MEETING MINUTES

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

CALL TO ORDER:  7:30 pm
ATTENDEES: 19     GUESTS:  0


MEETINGS

    Monthly meeting, Second Tuesday, 7:30 at Concord Airport Terminal.

    Friday Fun Fly, Third Friday, 7:00 - 9:00 pm.
    Gym at the Church of the Nazarene, 1650 Ashby Dr., Concord

    This month's Fun Fly is on Friday, March 21.

EastBay RC at the Great Wall of Oakland!

Stop by Friday, March 7, 7pm - 11pm!  They'll be showing two of our videos as part of the Pixar "behind  the scenes" show.

What's the Great Wall of Oakland?
"Every first Friday during OAKLAND ART MURMUR, the Great Wall of Oakland, a 100'x100' projection installation, illuminates the Uptown District with cutting-edge motion art from around the world. Thousands of Bay Area art fans descend upon the area to check out this one-of-a-kind site."

And what's this event?
"For the 3rd year in a row, The Great Wall will present a curated screening of the personal works of Pixar Animation Studio employees on the 100’x100’ urban canvas. This very unique glimpse into the creative minds of our talented Emeryville neighbors is the only public screening of it’s kind, giving Bay Area residents a rare opportunity to view the short films that Pixar employees create in their spare time when they are not working on major blockbusters.