Beginners Taranis programming guide for RC helis.

[Obijuan Kenobe]

Set up 1...you will be shocked how powerful it is.

Setting up others is cut and paste.

obi

[ArchmageAU]

Originally Posted by ToddMcF2002

Wow. Thanks for this guide. I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I bought the Taranis today. Way too many acronyms and generic functions that all have to be related to produce an effect. Looks like a massive time sink and I'm a bit disappointed.

Sorry to sound negative, I know a lot of people put massive effort into producing this. I'm sure I'll learn to like it once I dig in. Obviously there is power in the generic approach.

This hobby is a huge time sink which requires huge intellectual and financial investment. The Taranis requires a large time investment, but little financial investment (relatively for what you get). For Taranis, once you scale the intellectual learning cliff, the view is well worth the effort.

Plenty here to help you with the climb if you need it.

The Taranis is an expert TX at a beginner price bracket.

[ToddMcF2002]

Yes I've stopped sulking and I'm trying to learn. I don't want to gum up your thread here so I'm going to post some questions on my own thread. Thanks for the help!

[linklemming]

So I have been using my taranis for a few months now. Converted all my settings from my DX8 for all my helis in sig using the basic formula in the 1st post (for values on the DX8 that go 0-100, multiply the dx8 setting by 2 and subtract 100, for values that go -100 to 100 (i.e. gyro) use the value as is. All my dx8 channels were at 100% servo travel.

I thought this was pretty straight forward although all my YEP escs required lower throttle values in gov store mode to get the same headspeed which I wrote off to the esc using the dx8 throttle endpoints (I didnt update this on the esc for the taranis).

So today, I fire up the 130x with the taranis and notice that the headspeed doesnt change from IU1 to IU2. I go back to the DX8 and it does,

DX8 settings (IU1=80%, IU2=100%)
Taranis Settings (IU1=60%, IU2=100%)

So the math looks good.

I thought I remember reading somewhere that when converting DX8 settings to OpenTx, that you had to multiply the dx8 setting by 0.8 if that dx8 channel had its travel set at 100%.

I tested this measuring elevator servo travel on the 130x starting with the blades folded back at 0 pitch. 100% elevator travel on the dx8 was about 0.8 of 100% on the taranis. 150% travel on the dx8 was equal to 100% on the taranis (as good as I could measure).

I changed the dx8 throttle travel to 150%, using the IU settings above for the DX8 get the same behavior I did with the taranis (no hs change from IU1 to IU2).

Am I missing something?

The magic number for conversion might actually be 0.67 which is the inverse of 150%. 0.67 makes more sense as my measurements were not down to the nanometer

[ArchmageAU]

Originally Posted by linklemming

....
Am I missing something?

The magic number for conversion might actually be 0.67 which is the inverse of 150%. My measurements were not that accurate and the 0.67 makes more sense.

Nope. You have it about perfect I think. However, I would not alter mixes, I'd alter channel limits.

The Taranis uses actual PPM signal widths. The DX8 uses spektrum's modified PPM limits. To get full PPM sweep on Spektrum, you tend to have to go beyond the limits (or be aggressive on TA).

Instead of changing channel value, alter the channel signals in the limits menu on the the Taranis. This way your TX settings make sense and the heli responds as you expect. (I found this when setting up the 700 as the throttle limits that were beyond 100 for the DX8 where well inside 100% on the Taranis).

[linklemming]

To followup on my post about DX8 vs taranis travel limits. I connected a logic analyzer
to the throttle output of a spektrum ar6115e receiver.

DX8
100% Servo Travel for Throttle
0% PW = 1.11 ms
100% PW = 1.91 ms

Center PW = (0% + 100%)/2 = 1.51ms

Total +/-PW change from center = 40ms

150% Servo Travel For Throttle
0% PW = 0.91 ms
100% PW = 2.11 ms

Center PW = (0% + 100%)/2 = 1.51ms

Total +/-PW change from center = 60ms

Taranis with OrangeRx Module
-100,+100 Limits for Throttle
-100 PW = 0.99 ms
+100 PW = 2.02 ms

Center PW = (-100 + +100)/2 = 1.51ms

Total +/-PW change from center = 52ms

The DX8 100% Servo Travel to Taranis Min/Max Limit conversion = 40/52 = 0.77.

I changed the Taranis Limits to verify the math (-77,+77) and the results were spot on.

Since the taranis at -/+100 Min/Max limits didnt quite match the spektrum range at 150%, I enabled the extended limits on the taranis and set the Min/Max to -125/+125

-125,+125 Limits for Throttle
-125 PW = 0.91 ms
+125 PW = 2.11 ms

Center PW = (-125 + +125)/2 = 1.51ms

Total +/-PW change from center = 60ms (same as dx8 at 150%)

The conversion factor here is a little off from the previous = 125/150 = 0.83

So just multiply the dx8 servo travel by 0.8 to get the equivalent taranis -/+ limits and
call it a day and you can use all your other dx8 settings as is on your taranis

[Obijuan Kenobe]

I have been working with an upgraded mCPX-BL in combo with a Taranis.

I notice a similar thing with my flight modes. When I sent the hypothetical values (roughly flat curves), I did not see any change after +70 or so. I had not done such a thorough analysis, but did figure out how to control my head speed.

I think you geniuses have figured this out for me.

Smack on point is a phrase that comes to mind. Going to look forward to setting a few more throttle steps.

HF does indeed rock.

obi

[Scott page]

I'm new to Helifreak but very familiar with the FrSky Taranis. I thought I'd join the forum to get in touch with a portion of the flying population I don't know much about and help where I can with Taranis questions or concerns.

Just wanted to share a couple things. First is people buying Taranis currently - there is a run of microSD cards that need to be reformatted before they will behave well. As long as people are reformatting new cards they might as well have more current contents than that which is shipped with the Taranis. I have created an updated image for the microSD card with new voices and many new rotary craft icons - about 200 additional icons. I removed the my flash videos from image as they were not well easy to use being in flash and there are many more videos available now. Instead I placed links to my youtube channel and Mark Harrison's. Also more documents - and updated links and documents. The outdated version FrSky is including is 277 meg. My updated is 50 meg.

It can be downloaded @ https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...nisMicroSD.zip

[RedOctobyr]

Welcome Scott!

Scott's expertise with the Taranis, and his continual helping of users and creating excellent how-to videos, is very well known on RCG.

His participation here, adding to the other great users like ArchmageAU, will only benefit everyone

Sent using Tapatalk.

[rob221]

Have been flying with the taranis for about 6 months on my t rex 250 dfc ,trex 450. pro dfc and nx4 all using robird flybarless units. The one thing i havnt been able to work out yet is how to activate s1 and s2 for hover pitch and hover throttle ? Can anyone help . I am using full recievers at moment either hv or standard if this makes a differance
Rob

[ArchmageAU]

Originally Posted by rob221

Have been flying with the taranis for about 6 months on my t rex 250 dfc ,trex 450. pro dfc and nx4 all using robird flybarless units. The one thing i havnt been able to work out yet is how to activate s1 and s2 for hover pitch and hover throttle ? Can anyone help . I am using full recievers at moment either hv or standard if this makes a differance
Rob

OK, I'm confused. What do you mean by hover pitch and hover throttle?

Any TX (Taranis included) only takes inputs (sticks, switches, telemetry) and turns it into outputs (channel signals, sound, display). Is hover pitch and hover throttle some sort of special separate channel input for robird FBL?

Most of us heli pilots, just finesse the sticks to hover and use standard 6ch inputs (Throttle curve, Aileron, Elevator, Rudder, Gyro and Pitch curve). In idle up, throttle is constant and mainly pitch varies. Hover is usually above mid-stick (both in normal and idle up). Idle up pitch curve is commonly linear (-100 to 100).

[LotechGreg]

Rob, using Companion, mixer tab, right click Thr, click Add, name it Thr Trim, source S1, weight to suite( 10 to 15, or 25, you'll have to play with it), make sure Multiplex is Add, hit OK. Pitch, same thing, name it, source S2, or whatever sw you choose, make sure directions are correct, should be GTG. HTH Greg

[rob221]

No using hover throtle and pitch trim is a fairly stsndard system it allows you to make adjustments to the above at about the point of hover either incrrasin throttle or pitch to stabilise hover the trims only work around mid stick and have no effect elsr where on the curvrs used both on flybared and flybarless helicopters

[rob221]

More re the above its especialy usefull to fine tune the pitch and throttle curvrs around the hover on new builds or when changing blades eith different flight characteristics or to combate wind. Can decrease pitch at mid curve to stop balloning due to wind can be set up on the rotory switched s1 or s2. Or the sidr sliders although s1/2 i find better as less chance of moving them by mistake

[rob221]

Originally Posted by LotechGreg

Rob, using Companion, mixer tab, right click Thr, click Add, name it Thr Trim, source S1, weight to suite( 10 to 15, or 25, you'll have to play with it), make sure Multiplex is Add, hit OK. Pitch, same thing, name it, source S2, or whatever sw you choose, make sure directions are correct, should be GTG. HTH Greg

Thanks for that got it going now,was wondering is there a way to make it only operable at mid stick ?

[LotechGreg]

I'm sure there is, but that is out of my area of expertise, beyond my paygrade, WAY above my head at this point... Pmakenzie over on RCG, would be my first ask fer help on this one..

[ArchmageAU]

Originally Posted by rob221

Thanks for that got it going now,was wondering is there a way to make it only operable at mid stick ?

Reading the above, you can use custom switches to determine when throttle or pitch is in a certain range, then only activate the trim is if the custom switch is on. Can also be mixed to allow hover trims at mid ranges only to be active if a defined physical switch is engaged as well (but this may be going too far).

If you post your current (trim enabled) eepe, and the range in which you want it to engage, I'm sure I can modify and re-post with updates. Hard to advise without seeing what has currently been done.

I'm curious about throttle/collective hover trims as I have never looked into this before.

[Pharaoh]

Hey guys,

Now that I've updated to OpenTX 2.0, there will be (or at least there was for me), a problem with the SHs momentary switch throttle hold. Somehow my throttle hold even managed to get totally screwed up and assigned to a completely different logical switch, so be sure to check everything when you update to 2.0, especially logical switches and custom functions. It's also important to note that many sound files from OpenTX 1.x will not work with 2.0, as the valid sound file name character amount has been reduced (8 characters I believe now?).

Here is my LS/CF setup for throttle hold on short press of SH (and SF) and throttle release with a 4 second hold on SH. You can ignore L28 and make sure that you replace SafetyCH3 with your corresponding throttle channel.




Only relevant lines are:
-L29
-L30
-L31
-L32

-SF3

Make sure you test these before you use them. This should remove the need for global variables for throttle hold on the momentary switch, but there could be another reason that ArchmageAU used them that I'm missing at the moment.

[ArchmageAU]

Thanks for the heads up.

I'll have to do the update and update the guide too.

Could be the eeprom translation process is getting confused.

[Pharaoh]

Originally Posted by ArchmageAU

Thanks for the heads up.

I'll have to do the update and update the guide too.

Could be the eeprom translation process is getting confused.

Yup, it could have just been me, too.

There are some other different things, such as not being able to assign channels or logical switches (ex. at the "flight modes" screen, trying to assign logical switches to each FM) until they have been created or edited (At least I think that's different...?). But yeah, not tooooo much of a difference.