Aurora gimbal usable ?

[MikeB]

Not on stock if it uses more flash

Mike.

[jhsa]

maybe the gimbals could be hacked then?
something like turning the PCB around for example??

[Scott Page]

I had a semi-official estimate of the availability of the FrSky gimbals being a month after the Taranis are shipping. I'm sure that's subject to revision - but it does tell me not to start holding my breath waiting for them just yet. I plan to swap them out in 7 transmitters. -- 2 sons, wife, 2 training @ club, and my 2 of my 4 transmitters (different configurations). I've got several other friends that may want them too once they check them out.

[jhsa]

so Scott, are you keeping them all for yourself then?

[Scott Page]

Actually I've been debating buying one set and trying out -- or just buy enough to do a bunch at once. If it's a limited quantity available, I'll do them slowly for sure. No telling what component will be the bottle neck for FrSky. If it's the gimbals then I doubt that they will be available this summer, but since I was told they'd be available about a month later -- I'm guessing the some other component or process will be the limiter.

[Xerravon]

Hi,

For anybody interested, these gimbals are finally in stock, just got a shipping confirmation.

http://www.robotshop.com/productinfo.as ... lang=en-US


John

[hpihl]

And are now available from Robotshop europe as well:

http://www.robotshop.com/eu/productinfo ... lang=en-US

Just ordered a pair and luckily have one spare Optrex LCD left

[Stolidedog]

I got a pair a couple of weeks ago from Robotshop. They were on backorder when I ordered them but they shipped them a couple of weeks later. All installed and work great with my Sky9x board.

[sokolum]

(After waiting for 6 months before they where restocked at Robotshop)

Ok, bought couple weeks ago finally Aurora 9 gimbals from Robotshop, dmn the shipping cost is insane high. At the end it cost me around 110 euro's (also had to pay customs). expensive upgrade. is it worth to do it? Not sure, just bought it as because everyone here is crazy in love about the Aurora's and i am foolish enough to buy it (ofcourse i using the replacement board of ersky9x V3.0). Is there a difference about it feels, the spring tension is slightly higher, really slightly. There isn't much difference how it feels when just moving the sticks around, but there is a difference when you make micro movements, you feel slightly a friction with the standard 9X sticks and with the Aurora there is no friction with micro movements.

The Aurora looks deferentially better better build, especially the POT. the Cable management is also way better done.

The replacement itself, removing the standard sticks is easy, open the case and remove the three screws on the outside that holds the gimbal in place. With Aurora in place they have nomore a function. I places them back and put glue to hold them on their place.

Putting the Aurora really takes some time and although it fits and to own a dremel makes your life wonderfull easy... After you put them in place, you have to find your way how to fix them, i just glued them in place, as i never will replace them again. You can't use the screws that kept the 9X gimbals in place, so be aware!

After to put them in place, i can happen you have to replace the two outer wires of the POTS, i did have to replace for two sticks movements, it few minutes work only.
And ofcourse don't forget to calibrate them, now i have to trey them out soon

EDIT: I have bought the Aurora 9 sticks/gimbals as i am flying Quadcopters. For i will feel the difference with the Aurora's. The next question that raise my thoughts, what about resolution? You read now more about 10/11/12 bit resolution (1024/2048/4096 steps). For a quadcopter i can see definitely a reason to go for a system with a higher resolution (if the flightboard and ESC support this), i am wondering if this ever achievable with SKY9x?

[capitaineflam25]

Hi,

i've just replaced my radio gimbals with the Aurora sticks, i've raised the gains to 2, it seems to work great.

I've noticed that the values of the sticks starts from 0x200 and ends at 0x600, meaning that i have a resolution of 1024 steps.
With the stock gimbals my values range was 0x0 to 0x800, meaning that i got 2024 steps. Did i lost precision with the new gimbals, is it something that you can feel when flying ?

A few posts ago i've read that we could raised the gain to 4, is it possible ?

Regards

[MikeB]

I doubt you will notice any difference when flying. It would be possible to increase the gain to 4, but you will almost certainly reach either 0 or 0x800 before the stick reaches the end of its travel, particularly if the centre is slightly off from 0x400. That's why I didn't include a gain of 4 as an option.

I suppose, that if you added a resistor at each end of the pot wires, thus reducing the range slightly, a gain of 4 could be used.

Mike.

[capitaineflam25]

Thanks for the explanation.

If someone is able to calculate the ADC_CGR/ADC_COR values for a gain of 4 (i'm not ) i will tell what are the resulting ranges for the sticks so we know.
But like you said, i agree that it won't make any noticeable difference for the pilot.

[MikeB]

If it helps, in drivers.cpp we have:
#define GAIN_LV[tab=30]0x00080000
#define GAIN_LH[tab=30]0x00000020
#define GAIN_RV[tab=30]0x20000000
#define GAIN_RH[tab=30]0x00000008

To get a gain of 4, change 8 to C and 2 to 3 in the values:
#define GAIN_LV[tab=30]0x000C0000
#define GAIN_LH[tab=30]0x00000030
#define GAIN_RV[tab=30]0x30000000
#define GAIN_RH[tab=30]0x0000000C

These values are ORed together for the ADC_CGR register. The offsets remain unchanged.

Mike.

[capitaineflam25]

Thanks a lot, here are the results:

Like you were expecting, some sticks have their min/max values, about a half millimeter before their stop, it's very small, but it's a kind of "dead zone".
So the gain of 2 seems to be the best compromise.

[frasny]

Hello.
I have installed Aurora 9 Gimbal in my 9x. Unfortunately, I have only the normal 9x board with er9x. To have the normal resolution, I have built 4 pieces of Mikes opamp.
Unfortunately, 9x does not start with it. The backlight turns on and that's it. Without opamp it works. But unfortunately only in the lower resolution.
Prior to installation in the 9x I tested the opamps with the gimbal to a 5 volt source. It worked wonderfully.
I have no connection error. I double-checked everything.
Can it be that the collapse 5 volts? I have taken the 5 volts from the black, white, red cable that comes from the board and go to the pot.

many thanks for your help.
excuse my bad English

[MikeB]

Check the connections once more, and don't assume the red wire is +5V or the black wire is ground, measure them to be certain.

Mike.

[jhsa]

Normally on the 9x radio Black is +5v, and Red is ground. The people who built these radios are color blind..
As Mike says, measure to be sure..
João

[bob195558]

The color of 9x Chinese wires have nothing to do with what the wire vales are.
You need to use your multimeter to check for each 9x wire value,
so to know what they are when making your wire connections to the new Gimbals.

Bob B.

[frasny]

Thank you.
I firmly believed that red + and black - is.
Since the error will be.
Can not check it now. Tomorrow.
Is the IC now broken?

[jhsa]

hard to tell.. most of active components do not like reverse polarity very much.. Let's hope not..

João

[frasny]

Hello.
Thank you very much. Now everything works.
It was actually swapped red and black. Red is Negative and Black is positive ... This Chinese ... For me as an electrician, a no go.
The ICs are not broke. All is well.

thank you

[jhsa]

Wonderful. Well done