14mz stick calibration?

[Finless]

Anyone know how to get into the Service menus on the 14mz to do stick calibration? I want to remove my throttle end stops and I know it will need to be recalibrated. I made my own service enabler card for my 9Z but I bet the 14mz is done through button or software. Someone out there has to know how?

Thanks,
Bob

[RCfan]

Hey Bob,

My best guess is that the service menus are enabled via a diagnostic CF card (probably similar to perfoming an update), but who knows. You have to send it into service to have recalibrated. I've asked several times if it's possible to have this made available as part of a future update ... hope to see it someday.

I've had to send both my radios in due to miscalibration around mid-stick and don't want to continue spending money shipping radios or having any downtime.

[Finless]

Well I doubt very seriously it is a "special" CF card. Chances are it is a program like the software update program that gets put on the CF card. Personally Futaba should priovide this to people that want it.... I mean come on! 6 months down the road if I want to recalibrate my stick I should be able to without sending it in!

Hopefully someone will leak out the service.exe or something.

Bob

[Finless]

Hmmmm Actually I have a compiler and dissasembler for Window CE OS. I may have a look at the code and see what I can find but chances are it is the boot strap code that looks for the files. We shall see ;)

Bob

[RCfan]

I'm guessing it hasn't been leaked due to "other" things it might do, e.g. reset pin, etc. I agree, they should release something to allow recalibration. A trip to service just for that is ridiculous.

Keep a good eye on your mid-points (rudder and cyclics) to make sure they always show 0 rate. I just noticed one of my radios has the rudder gimbal off by 2% which isn't a big deal until you use it with something like the GY611/S9256 combo (as I do). Got a slight drift in a hover. Same radio went in for cyclic recalibration a few montsh ago. :( :arggg: Easily fixed by tweaking the rudder AFR curves, but I'd rather not have to deal with it. If they don't release a calibartion tool soon, at least I'm going to need some kind of "dead-band" setting around mid-stick. :(

[Finless]

Found this little tid bit in the resource are of the bin file:D

On, Product ID, Please input the Tx ID, LCD Test, Current Check, Sound Test, Trim/Switch Test
<Enter and Exit : [Return] Key, Cancel and Exit : [ESC] Key

More hacking to come :D

[Finless]

More little clues.... looks like stick calibration is in the OS not a diagnostic.

Test Off,CH1^12,DG,2Multiprop, CH Page Test, On Mode Moving, Test Neutral, Test, Reset, LockUnlock User Name,Calibration, H/W Reverse, Calibration System Stick, Mode set, type airplane heli,

Bob

[Finless]

Ha! found the internal sounds......
Hmmm maybe you can change the intenal sounds like clicks and beeps! Rez hack to the rescue!

Would be nice to change the timer tone if you aks me.

LISTF...INFOICRD....2000-12-04..IENG....Ariko Shimafa.ISFT....Sound Forge 4.0...RIFF5+..WAVEfmt

Bob

[flyinfool]

Bob that is cool that you can and are doing this.
But what dos it all mean?

[RCfan]

Bob, STOP ... PLEASE STOP before you make me brick my 14MZs!!!! :bomb:

Thus far I've avoided the temptation to look at the Futaba update code. It's not like hacking a $25 CVS camera!!!! :(

So I beg you to please stop taunting ... :dontknow :arggg:

:smokin:

[Finless]

OK, I have successfully changed a sound in my 14MZ AND a few graphic images. I will have to do a TON more disassembly to figure out how to force it into calibration.

Also I have confirmed that there is a file that goes ont he CF card to do diagnostics. It was supplied to distributors. Anyone know a distributor that is willing to hand it out... Come on guys! We could all use it please...

I think i might start a 14mz HACKING page and see how much interest it gets.

RCFan, no worries mate... you cant hose your WinCE boot rom so hack away! You can always flash back. We have been hacking on iPAC's for a long time now :D

Bob

[flyinfool]

The way that I heard it was, that the diagnostics CF card will have a "serial number" in the code, so that if it appears on the web some where, Futaba will know where it came from, and that person / shop will no longer get anything from Futaba.
That doesn't mean that some one that knows what they are doing can't hack out the serno.
Apparently Futaba was quite pissed when the "Service Menu Enabler" for the 9Z showed up on the market. Futaba wanted you to have to send in and pay to get sticks recalibrated and such.

I don't know how true this is, but I have heard it from several sources.

First one that I see out, I'll buy one.

[WillJames]

I'd buy one too. I lost count how many people have used my UltraPAQ to recalibrate their 9Z. I also did my own every time I could see it was off.

Interesting stuff!!

[WillJames]

Any new developments Finless? This was getting pretty interesting!! ;)

[Finless]

Well I pretty much can mess with any of the resources like screen graphics etc but it is going to take a lot longer to hack the stick calibration code if it is even there. I did find the routine that looks for programs on the CF card. Problem is there is some unique hardware drivers used (think I found the one that monitors the program switch near the CF card). Bottom line I may need to cal on someone with more WindowsCE expierence ;)

Bob

[Phaedrus]

Apparently Futaba was quite pissed when the "Service Menu Enabler" for the 9Z showed up on the market. Futaba wanted you to have to send in and pay to get sticks recalibrated and such.

I don't know how true this is, but I have heard it from several sources.

First one that I see out, I'll buy one.

I think it has more to do with the fact that there are people out there that cannot figure out dual rates versus end points so giving them access to service level stuff is a recipe for disaster. Some would be fine, many would simply hose up their radio.

[flyinfool]

You're probably right on the hose jobs.
It may be some of both the fear of the hosings and liking the service bucks.

I'll still buy the first service enabler that showes up.