Gyro Gov Users Manual

8/7/2019 Gyro Gov Users Manual

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G y r o / G o v

Heading Hold Gyro & Rotor Speed Governor for Model Hel ic opter s

760/1520 μ s System / MEMs Technology

Ins t ruc t ion Manua l

6/15/2009



Table of Contents

1 Specifications...................................................................................................................................... 5 2 Introduction........................................................................................................................................ 2 3 Precautions ......................................................................................................................................... 2 4 Package Contents ............................................................................................................................... 2 5 System Overview................................................................................................................................. 2

5.1 Gyro/Gov Layout ................................................................................................................... 2 5.2 Interfacing the Gyro/Gov ...................................................................................................... 3 5.3 Voltage Requirements............................................................................................................ 4 5.4 Mounting Considerations ...................................................................................................... 4

6 Governor Sensor Installation............................................................................................................. 4 6.1 Step 1 – Magnet Install on Cooling Fan ............................................................................... 5 6.2 Step 2 – Sensor Install on Mounting Bracket....................................................................... 5 6.3 Step 3 – Sensor Install on Engine.......................................................................................... 6 6.4 Step 4 – Fine Adjust of Sensor Position................................................................................ 7

7 LCD Programming Interface............................................................................................................. 7 7.1 Connecting the LCD............................................................................................................... 7 7.2 Menu Hierarchy ..................................................................................................................... 7 7.3 Navigation Joystick ................................................................................................................ 9 7.4 Entering/Exiting Programming Mode................................................................................ 10 7.5 LCD Backlight Control........................................................................................................ 10

8 Model Utilities................................................................................................................................... 10 8.1 Loading a New Model .......................................................................................................... 10 8.2 Renaming the Active Model ................................................................................................ 11 8.3 Save & Exit ........................................................................................................................... 11

9 Servo Setup ....................................................................................................................................... 11 9.1 Throttle Servo....................................................................................................................... 12 9.2 Rudder Servo........................................................................................................................ 13 9.3 Save & Exit ........................................................................................................................... 14

10 Transmitter Model Calibration ........................................................................................................ 14 10.1 Throttle Stick Calibration ................................................................................................... 14 10.2 Rudder Stick Calibration .................................................................................................... 15 10.3 Tx Model Calibration Testing............................................................................................. 15 10.4 Save & Exit ........................................................................................................................... 15

11 General Model Setup........................................................................................................................ 15

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11.1 Setting Model Type .............................................................................................................. 16 11.2 Setting Gear Ratio................................................................................................................ 16 11.3 Main Rotor Direction........................................................................................................... 16 11.4 Governor Target Direction.................................................................................................. 16 11.5

Gyro Orientation.................................................................................................................. 16

11.6 Governor Sensor Type......................................................................................................... 17 11.7 Governor Activation ............................................................................................................ 17 11.8 Stick Enable .......................................................................................................................... 18 11.9 Stick Disable ......................................................................................................................... 18 11.10 Gyro Gain Mode ............................................................................................................. 18 11.11 Tx Gain Function............................................................................................................ 19 11.12 Save & Exit...................................................................................................................... 20

12 Flight Mode Setup............................................................................................................................ 20 12.1 Flying Style ........................................................................................................................... 20 12.2 Setting Target RPM ............................................................................................................. 21 12.3 Governor Mode .................................................................................................................... 21 12.4 Electronic Correlator........................................................................................................... 21 12.5 Max Yaw Rate ...................................................................................................................... 22 12.6 Rudder Curves ..................................................................................................................... 22 12.7 Save & Exit ........................................................................................................................... 22

13 Advanced Setup Options................................................................................................................... 23 13.1 Gyro Gain (P) ....................................................................................................................... 23 13.2 Gyro Gain (I) ........................................................................................................................ 23 13.3 Gain Adapt with RPM......................................................................................................... 23 13.4 Clockwise Pirouette Braking............................................................................................... 24 13.5 Counter-Clockwise Pirouette Braking ............................................................................... 24 13.6 Throttle to Rudder Mixing.................................................................................................. 24 13.7 Rudder to Throttle Mixing.................................................................................................. 25 13.8 Gov Gain (P) ......................................................................................................................... 25 13.9 Gov Gain (I) .......................................................................................................................... 25 13.10 Gov Ramp Up Time........................................................................................................ 25 13.11 RPM Frame of Ref.......................................................................................................... 26

14 Setup Verification............................................................................................................................. 26 14.1 Governor Sensor Signal Strength ....................................................................................... 26 14.2 Governor “Hit Count”......................................................................................................... 27 14.3 RPM....................................................................................................................................... 27 14.4 Governor Stick Activation Test........................................................................................... 27

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14.5 Governor Switch Activation Test........................................................................................ 28 14.6 Governor Switch/Stick Activation Test .............................................................................. 28 14.7 Yaw Rate Commands........................................................................................................... 28

15 System Stats ...................................................................................................................................... 28 15.1

Avg RPM with Standard Dev.............................................................................................. 28

15.2 Max RPM.............................................................................................................................. 29 15.3 Max Clockwise Yaw Rate .................................................................................................... 29 15.4 Max Counter-Clockwise Yaw Rate..................................................................................... 29 15.5 Time on Engine..................................................................................................................... 29 15.6 Reset System Stats................................................................................................................ 30 15.7 Reset Engine Time................................................................................................................ 30

16 Preflight Checklist............................................................................................................................ 30 17 In-Flight Setup ................................................................................................................................. 30

17.1 Rudder Servo Setup ............................................................................................................. 30 17.2 Throttle to Rudder Mixing .................................................................................................. 31 17.3 Pirouette Braking................................................................................................................. 31

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List of Figures

Figure 4-1 Gyro/Gov Complete Contents........................................................................................ 2 Figure 5-1 Gyro/Gov Electronics ..................................................................................................... 3 Figure 5-2 Interfacing the Rx, Sx, and Governor Sensor ................................................................ 3 Figure 5-3 Interfacing the LCD Programming Module..................................................................... 3 Figure 5-4 Gyro/Gov Mounted on Radio Tray ................................................................................. 4 Figure 6-1 Magnet Installed in Engine Cooling Fan ........................................................................ 5 Figure 6-2 Sensor Mounting Brackets............................................................................................. 6 Figure 6-3 Sensor Mounted on Bracket – View 1............................................................................ 6 Figure 6-4 Sensor Mounted on Bracket – View 2............................................................................ 6 Figure 6-5 Sensor Actuation Diagram ............................................................................................. 6 Figure 6-6 Sensor Install on Engine ................................................................................................ 6 Figure 6-7 Sensor Position Fine Adjust ........................................................................................... 7 Figure 7-1 Summary View ............................................................................................................... 7 Figure 7-2 Summary View (RUD full Left) ....................................................................................... 8 Figure 7-3 Summary View (RUD full Right)..................................................................................... 8 Figure 7-4 Summary View (THR to Max) ........................................................................................ 8 Figure 7-5 Top-Level Programming Menus..................................................................................... 8 Figure 7-6 Programming Menu Heirarchy ....................................................................................... 9 Figure 7-7 Navigation Joystick ...................................................................................................... 10 Figure 7-8 Simulated LCD Backlighting in Night Conditions ......................................................... 10 Figure 11-1 Gyro/Gov Vs Transmitter Gain Conventions ............................................................. 19 Figure 11-2 Gyro Mode Functionality Vs Gain Range................................................................... 19 Figure 11-3 Tx Gain Function Diagram ......................................................................................... 20 Figure 12-1 Flying Style Yaw Rate Responses............................................................................. 20 Figure 12-2 Rudder Curves ........................................................................................................... 22 Figure 17-1 Rudder Servo at Trim................................................................................................. 31 1 Specifications

Gyro/Gov System Specifications:

Min Typical Max Units

Voltage Rating(*): 3.6 6 12 VCurrent Draw (⊗): 45 70 150 mAPWM Resolution: 16 16 16 bitsServo Frame Rate (¥): 76 152 305 HzLength 2.4 2.4 2.4 inWidth: 1.5 1.5 1.5 inHeight : 0.5 0.5 0.5 in

Weight: 35 35 35 gOperating Temperature 15 68 115 deg FGov Sensor Voltage: 4.8 5 5.2 VGyro Sensing Range: -1600 +/-1600 1600 deg/s

(*) Max volatage corresponds to Gyro/Gov only, not receiver, servos, switch, etc…(⊗) Max current draw represents LCD Programming Interface at full backlight illumination.(¥) Servo frame rate corresponds to Analog, 1520 μs Digital, and 760 μs Digital Servos



2 Introduction

Congratulations on your purchase of theGyro/Gov , a high performance Heading HoldGyro and Rotor Speed Governor in a singlepackage. This device was designed from

the ground up with the full dynamics of thehelicopter in mind and exploits therelationship between the throttle and yawchannels with its hybrid control system toimprove upon both rotor speed and yawstabilization / heading control, while offeringcapabilities not possible with twoindependent devices.

Programming is performed using adetachable LCD and 4-direction joystick tonavigate through the highly intuitivehierarchical menus, with all setup

parameters stored for up to 8 models. TheGyro/Gov is also universally compatible withall governor sensor types and throttle / rudder servo types, so once setup,swapping between 8 helicopters withdifferent governor sensor types, servo types,gear ratios, sign conventions, travel limits,flight mode settings, governor enablecriteria, gains, etc... is done by simplyloading that model's name into memory.The Gyro/Gov also tracks the total enginerun-time on each of 8 models with its unique"Time-On-Engine" display for help withscheduled maintenance... designed tosupport the entire fleet.

This instruction manual contains a warningmessage, a list of package contents, asystem overview of the Gyro/Gov tofamiliarize you with its layout, electricalrequirements, and interface polarities, aswell as a step by step guide through each ofthe setup menus of the Gyro/Gov to get itconfigured for flight. At the end is a QuickSetup guide that covers the minimum setupprocedure for those who want to get flyingas quickly as possible.

3 Precautions

This product is not a toy! It is a highperformance flight control system for radiocontrolled helicopters requiring proper setupto avoid accidents or injuries. It is theresponsibility of the owner to operate this

product in a safe manner as its improper usecould result in serious injury otherwise. It isalso recommended that you seek theassistance of other more experienced radiocontrol modelers or associations if you areat all in doubt of your own abilities. Asmanufacturer, we assume no liability for theuse or mis-use of this product.

4 Package Contents

While unpacking your Gyro/Gov Complete product, you should find the followingcontents included in your package, asshown in Figure 4-1:

Gyro/Gov Complete

• Gyro/Gov Electronics (1)

• 2-Line Backlit LCD Module (1)• 3” Ribbon Cable (1)• 6” Jumper Wires (5)• 18” Hall-Effect Sensor Harness (1)• Sensor Mounting Brackets (2)• Magnets (2)• Instruction CD (1)

Figure 4-1 Gyro/Gov Complete Contents

Note that if you have placed an order forsomething other than the Gyro/Gov Complete package, you will have received asubset of these contents, as specified inyour particular order. In that case, verifythat the contents matches your order, andkeep in mind that at least one LCDProgramming Interface is required toprogram any number of Gyro/Gov’s you mayhave purchased.

5 System Overview

5.1 Gyro/Gov Layout

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The Gyro/Gov electronics package, shownin Figure 5-1, contains the hybrid controller’smicroprocessor as well as the gyro sensorand amplification circuits. The pins on theright hand side of the package are the inputsfor the throttle and rudder servos, up to fivereceiver channels, and the governor sensor.A dividing line separates each category(servos, receiver channels, and governorsensor) for help with identifying where eachplugs in. The servo inputs are at the top,labeled “Throttle Servo” and “Rudder Servo”for the throttle and tail rotor pitch controlrespectively. After the first divide, thereceiver channels are next, labeled “RxThrottle”, “Rx Rudder”, “Gain / Bias”, “FlightMode”, and “Gov Enable”. After the nextdivide is the input for the governor sensor,labeled “Gov Sensor”. Across the bottom ofthe device is a row of 16 pins for the LCD

Programming Interface, and the 4-directionalnavigation joystick used to move through theprogramming menus on the LCD is just tothe right, labeled “Menu Select”.

Figure 5-1 Gyro/Gov Electronics

5.2 Interfacing the Gyro/Gov

Please note that the ground side for allservo, receiver, and sensor inputs (usuallycolored black on Futaba & Hitec productsand brown on JR products) is at the far right(edge facing) side of the Gyro/Gov , labeled

“Ground Side“ for clarity. The signal side(usually colored white on Futaba, yellow onHitec, and orange on JR products) is at theleft (center facing) side of the inputs towardthe input label names. Notches at the left ofeach input accommodate the tabs on theFutabaJ type connectors (supplied with theGyro/Gov Complete package) to forceproper orientation of these inputs. Thelabels “WHT”, “RED”, and “BLK” are also

printed at the top of these input pins tofurther help with the proper orientation, inthe event a FutabaJ type connector is notused with the Gyro/Gov. In general, thesignal side is at the left, power is at center,and ground is at the right. Make sure toorient your inputs properly, as an improperconnection could potentially damage theGyro/Gov’s internal circuitry. Figure 5-2 shows the Gyro/Gov properly interfaced withtwo servos, five receiver channels, andgovernor sensor to illustrate the properorientation of these inputs.

Figure 5-2 Interfacing the Rx, Sx, andGovernor Sensor

The LCD Programming Interface isconnected via the included ribbon cable withthe LCD facing the user as illustrated in

Figure 5-3.

Figure 5-3 Interfacing the LCDProgramming Module

Note that the LCD programmer must beplugged into the Gyro/Gov at power on forthe LCD to be properly initialized.Otherwise, either cycle power or flip the gyrogain switch 3-times to re-initialize the LCD

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while it is plugged in. Note that using thegyro gain switch to re-initialize the LCD with3 successive switch flips a) only works if thegyro gain actually changes with each switchflip, and b) also re-initializes the gyro biascapture, so the helicopter should not bemoved during this procedure.

5.3 Voltage Requirements

The Gyro/Gov was designed to operate offof a wider range of voltages than either yourservos or receiver for maximumcompatibility. It will run off a battery supplyvoltage anywhere from 3.6V – 12V.However, it should be noted that theGyro/Gov receives its power directly fromthe input receiver channels and the throttle& rudder servos receive their power directly

from the Gyro/Gov power bus (the same asthe receiver voltage), so do not use avoltage that will damage either your servosor receiver. Note that while many digitalservos can run off of 6V or even higher withsome brands, most high-speed tail rotorservos are only rated at 4.8V. So if, forexample, you are using a 6V battery and themaximum voltage rating on your high speedrudder servo is 4.8V, be sure to either:

a) Regulate your entire system at 4.8V sothat the receiver, Gyro/Gov , and rudderservo all operate off of this 4.8V level, or

b) Power the receiver and hence Gyro/Gov with the 6V battery, but place a 4.8Vregulator between the Gyro/Gov and rudderservo.

5.4 Mounting Considerations

The Gyro/Gov employs the top-of-the-lineMEMs gyro with vibration & shock rejection.Thus, it is not as imperative, as with othergyro systems, that you go out of your way todampen vibration externally with anexpensive gel material or foam paddeddouble-stick tape, etc… The Gyro/Gov ’sbuilt-in vibration & shock rejection allows itto work while simply mounted with velcrostrips to your radio tray. With this type ofinstallation, you can more easily move theGyro/Gov from one helicopter to anotherusing the Model Utilities menu to load up thesetup parameters for each model. While

external vibration dampening is not required,you should still look for a suitable mountinglocation with as minimum vibration aspossible. If, for example, your radio tray isnoticeably resonating in a hover, this is not agood situation and you would want to eitherrelocate the Gyro/Gov or stiffen the radiotray to prevent this type of vibration. Alsonote that while the Gyro/Gov may bemounted either right side up or upside down,it must be mounted such that it is parallelwith the ground while landed (i.e. on a flatradio tray) so that it’s internal sensing z-axisis aligned with the helicopter’s main mast.DO NOT mount the Gyro/Gov on an inclinedradio tray or the sensing axis will be rotatedfrom the helicopter’s yaw axis, and you willnot get the correct result. Figure 5-4 showsan example of the Gyro/Gov properlymounted to a radio tray, using Velcro strips

and oriented parallel to the ground whilelanded.

Figure 5-4 Gyro/Gov Mounted on RadioTray

6 Governor SensorInstallation

The Gyro/Gov can be easily configured towork with any R/C governor sensor typethrough its setup menus, so if your machinealready has a governor sensor installed that

you are happy with, this entire section canbe skipped. If, however, your helicopterdoes not already have a governor sensorinstalled, and you would like rotor speedgovernor control capability, follow theinstructions in this section to install theprovided magnet & sensor with yourGyro/Gov Complete package.

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6.1 Step 1 – Magnet Install on Cooling Fan

In order for your Gyro/Gov to measure rotorspeed with the included hall-effect sensor, amagnet must be installed on the bottom side

of the engine cooling fan with its South Polefacing out. Most models have pre-drilledholes for one or two magnets to be installedhere. If yours does not, you will need to drillthese holes yourself. Drop the engine fromyour helicopter in order to get to the coolingfan more easily & determine whether pre-drilled holes are there that fit your includedmagnet(s). Note that only one magnet isrequired for proper operation. If additionalmagnets are used (perhaps as a counter-balance to the sensed magnet), make surethat only ONE magnet has its South Polefacing out, and all others do not, as theSouth Pole is the side the Gyro/Gov sensorwill be detecting once per revolution.Installing multiple magnets with more thanone South Pole facing out of the enginecooling fan would result in incorrect RPMmeasurements and thus must be avoided.

Once you have access to your enginecooling fan and have either verified that apre-drilled hole already exists or have drilleda small hole yourself, install your magnetwith a fast drying epoxy making sure itsSouth Pole is facing out. If you wish to

install another magnet on the opposite sideof the cooling fan to act as a counter-balance (although this is not required), makesure that its North Pole is facing out. Figure6-1 shows the proper installation of a singlemagnet on the bottom side of the engine’scooling fan with its South Pole facing out. Ifyou are unsure of which side is the SouthPole, either test with a magnet havinglabeled North and South poles (the SouthPole of your disk magnet will repel the SouthPole of your marked magnet & be attractedto the North Pole ofyour marked magnet), or

use your Gyro/Gov’s “General Model Setup”menu to verify you are getting governorevents (or “hits”) when the correct side ofthe magnet is held to your sensor. To dothis, interface your provided sensor with theGyro/Gov as described in Section 5.2, enterprogramming mode by applying a joystick<center-push> for at least one second, andnavigate to the “General Model Setup”.Enter this menu with another joystick

<center-push> and navigate to the “GovSensor Value” submenu. In this submenu,pass the sensor over a given side of themagnet & watch if the digital value changesbetween 0 & 100% as the sensor movesover this side of the magnet. If not, flip themagnet over and try this experiment again.When you see the Gov Sensor Valuechange upon passing the sensor over agiven side of the magnet, this is the SouthPole you want facing out of the enginecooling fan. If the reader is concerned thattheir machine has a pre-existing magnet &sensor combination installed with themagnet's North Pole facing out, this is not aproblem as long as your pre-existing sensoris compatible with that magnet configuration.i.e. As long as you leave your pre-existingmagnet & sensor combination in place, nomodifications are necessary. If, in the

future, however, you decided to changesuch a sensor out for your Gyro/Gov sensor,you would then need to flip the magnet suchthat its South Pole was facing out.

Figure 6-1 Magnet Installed in EngineCooling Fan

6.2 Step 2 – Sensor Install on Mounting Bracket

Two different sized mounting brackets areprovided for machines with smaller 30/50size engines, and larger 60/90 size enginesas shown in Figure 6-2. The lower, widerside with large adjustment slots will interfacewith your engine using your engine mountbolts, while the upper, thinner side will beused to affix the sensor harness.

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Figure 6-2 Sensor Mounting Brackets

Choose the appropriate mounting bracketthat best fits your model and install thegovernor sensor as shown in Figure 6-3 andFigure 6-4.

Figure 6-3 Sensor Mounted on Bracket –View 1

Figure 6-4 Sensor Mounted on Bracket –View 2

Use two small zip ties around the sensorharness going through the slots on eachside making sure they are secure. Thenbend the sensing element over 90 degreesand use a quick drying epoxy to affix theback (flat) side of the sensor housing to thetop edge of the mounting bracket. Note thatyou want the beveled side of the sensor

facing out (as this is the sensing side), andthe flat side of the sensor attached to the topedge of the mounting bracket.

The workings of this sensor are illustrated inFigure 6-5 showing that as the South Pole ofyour disc magnet passes over the beveledside of the sensing element, the sensingelement is activated, which will occur onceper revolution as your engine is running.

Figure 6-5 Sensor Actuation Diagram

6.3 Step 3 – Sensor Install on Engine

Next install the mounting bracket with yourtwo engine bolts as shown in Figure 6-6 .

Figure 6-6 Sensor Install on Engine

You will need to remove the engine boltstemporarily in order to install your governorsensor mounting bracket. The bracketshould be oriented such that the top sensorside is close in towards the engine, bringingthe sensing element in line with the path ofthe magnet you have installed. Do not

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tighten these bolts down hard in this step asyou will want to perform a fine adjustmentnext to get an optimal magnet to sensorspacing setup.

6.4 Step 4 – Fine Adjust of

Sensor Position

To perform the fine adjustment of yourgovernor sensor position enter ProgrammingMode on your Gyro/Gov by applying a

joystick <center push> for at least onesecond and navigate to the "General ModelSetup" menu. Enter this menu & navigate tothe "Gov Sensor Type" submenu andensure "Digital" is selected if you are usingthe sensor supplied with your Gyro/Gov.Next move one submenu to the right until"Gov Sensor Value" is displayed. From hereyou want to verify that the distance you havetemporarily set will cause the value tochange from 0% to 100% as you rotate theengine such that the magnet passes overthe sensor. Adjust the sensor to magnetspacing until this happens consistently.

Figure 6-7 Sensor Position Fine Adjust

7 LCD ProgrammingInterface

7.1 Connecting the LCD

Connect the LCD Programming Interface tothe Gyro/Gov as described in Section 5.2 with the LCD oriented as shown in Figure5-3 and then apply power to the system forproper LCD initialization to take place. Ifyou wish to re-program in the field withoutshutting down and re-starting your

electronics simply flip your gyro gain switch3 times to re-initialize the LCD forprogramming.

7.2 Menu Hierarchy

7.2.1 Summary Views

When proper initialization occurs, you willsee the “Helo Controls” splash screendisplayed for 2 seconds followed by thesetup summary view. The setup summaryview was designed to provide the pilot with aquick summary of the most important setupparameters at a glance. It displays theactive model name on line 1 for verificationthat you have loaded the correct model intomemory, and shows the battery voltage,RPM commands, gyro mode, and gyro gain

on line 2. The RPM value reflects thecommand for the current state of thetransmitter, thus flipping through flightmodes, i.e. Normal, Idle-Up1, and Idle-Up2,the RPM setting for each mode can bequickly verified. The gyro mode is displayedas either “HH” for heading-hold or “NM” fornormal rate mode and the gyro gain isdisplayed as a percentage from 0 to 100%.Flipping your gyro gain switch or adjustingthe gain on your transmitter you can verifythe gyro mode and gain setting at a glancein this summary view. An example of the

setup summary view with default modelname for model 1 is shown in Figure 7-1.Note that the model name can becustomized to any 16 character alpha-numeric name you desire.

Figure 7-1 Summary View

Additional summary information is displayedfrom here when the rudder is moved full left,full right, and the throttle moved to max.When the rudder is moved full left, moredetailed information about the flight modesetup is displayed as shown in Figure 7-2.

With the rudder held to the left, by flippingyour flight mode switch you can view theFlying Style setup for that flight mode

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(defining the base gyro and governor gains)as well as the max pirouette rate for thatflight mode in degrees per second. In theexample above, the user sees that for thecurrent flight mode they are in 3-D modewith a max pirouette rate of 1440 deg/s. Inthis way, the user can quickly verify theflying style & pirouette rate setup withouthaving to re-enter programming mode.

Figure 7-2 Summary View (RUD full Left)

When the rudder is moved full right, the usercan verify the governor enable status whilemoving the throttle up and down and/orflipping the governor enable switch. As

shown in Figure 7-3, the user has the rudderfull right to view the governor enable statusand has the throttle and/or switch at aposition which would engage the governor.In this way, the governor engagement statuscan be quickly verified without having to re-enter programming mode.

Figure 7-3 Summary View (RUD fullRight)

When the throttle stick is moved to itsmaximum value, you can view your enginerun-time at a glance as shown in Figure 7-4.In this view, the user has moved the throttleto maximum to see that the engine run-timefor “Model 1” is 2 hrs and 26 minutes. Notethat if you are viewing these summaryscreens with your transmitter in Idle-Up flightmodes with a V-shaped throttle curve, youmay see this engine run-time summary viewwhen the throttle is at bottom as well. (i.e.since this might be full throttle in Idle-Up 1 or

Idle-Up 2.)

Figure 7-4 Summary View (THR to Max)

7.2.2 Programming Menus

To enter programming mode, push & holdthe navigation joystick with a <center push>for at least 1 second. The words “EnteringProgramming Mode” will be momentarily

displayed and you will enter the top-levelprogramming menu at the first item, “ModelUtilities”. From here you can move acrossall top-level menus with <left> and <right>movements of the joystick. When you see amenu item you wish to enter, use a <centerpush> to enter that programming menu andremember that another <center push> willbring you back out to the top-level menusagain. At the top level, <up> and <down>movements of the navigation joystickcontrols the LCD backlight illumination. Youcan either bring up the LCD backlighting insmall incremental steps with successive

<up> pushes or push and hold in the <up>direction for a smooth and rapid increase inbacklight illumination until the maximumlighting is reached. Always remember thatthe LCD uses a large amount of current torun, and an even greater amount when thebacklighting is active, so use this featureonly when necessary. And remember todisconnect the LCD Programming Interfacewhen programming is complete to eliminatethe current draw in supplying power to theLCD. So, in summary, a <center push> for1 second enters programming mode, <left>

and <right> joystick movements moveacross the menu choices and the selectedmenu choice is entered with a <centerpush>. Within a menu choice, another<center push> brings you back to the toplevel, and from the top level, a <centerpush> held for 1 second exits programmingmode to lock the Gyro/Gov settings duringflight. The words “Exiting ProgrammingMode” will be displayed and you will be leftback at the Summary View at this point.Figure 7-5 shows a block diagram of the top-level menu options and the flow that would

occur with successive <right> joystickdepressions.

Figure 7-5 Top-Level ProgrammingMenus

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7.2.3 Sub-Menu Heirarchy

Once a top-level menu choice has beenentered with a <center push> of thenavigation joystick, you can move across thesub-menus within that choice with either

<left> or <right> movements of the joystick.To change values or selections associatedwith any sub-menu, use the <up> or <down>motion of the joystick. In general, digitalvalues will typically rail at their maximum orminimum allowable values when their limitsare reached while selectable options will rollover with continued <up> or <down>movements. So, for example, when settingthe maximum yaw rate for Normal modefrom within Flight Mode Setup, continued

<up> depressions of the joystick willeventually saturate at the maximumallowable yaw rate when reached, whilesetting a selectable parameter such asRudder Servo Type from within Servo Setupwill continuously roll from Analog to Digitalwith successive <up> depressions. Thefunction of each programming mode will beexplained in detail later on, however, the listof all sub-menu options under each top-levelmenu item is shown in Figure 7-6for reviewwith representative values/settingsassociated on Line 2. This graphic can beused to help first time users familiarizethemselves with the programming heirarchyand all menu selections available.

Figure 7-6 Programming Menu Heirarchy

7.3 Navigation Joystick

A close-up image of the 4-directionalnavigation joystick used to program your

models by moving through the heirarchicalprogramming menus is shown in Figure 7-7.It is located just right of the LCDProgramming Interface pins and labeled“Menu Select” on your Gyro/Gov. Arrowsshow the <left>, <right>, <up>, and <down>directions of joystick motion and the joystickcan also be pressed in with a <center push>like a button. In general, <left> and <right>

motion is used to move across menus orsubmenus. A <center push> Is used toenter and exit programming mode, enter &exit top-level menus saving model

parameters on return to the top level. Andan <up> or <down> motion changes valuesor selections of a sub-menu item, orchanges the LCD illumination if used at thetop-level menus. The use of this navigation

joystick was chosen as a more intuitivemeans for traversing the hierarchicalprogramming menu & user friendlyprogramming method than the use of

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embedded switches requiring a small tool toreach each individual switch.

Figure 7-7 Navigation Joystick

7.4 Entering/Exiting Programming Mode

To enter programming mode, press & hold a joystick center push for > 1 second. Oncecomplete, exit programming mode with apress & hold from the top-level menu toeliminate the chance of the joystick gettingbumped in mid-flight. Or simply togglepower on Gyro/Gov and it will come up innon-programming mode by default.

7.5 LCD Backlight Control

The LCD backlighting is adjusted with an<up> or <down> motion of the joystickanytime you are at the top-level menu.

Once a sub-menu item is entered forprogramming, however, the <up> and<down> joystick functionality is used forparameter modification, so remember tomake your backlighting adjustments at thetop-level only. The joystick can either benudged successively for step changes inbacklighting or, if held for 1 second, thebacklighting will be continuously increasedor decreased until a desired lighting level isachieved. Remember that the use of fullbacklighting will drain your battery more-sothan no backlighting, so use this feature

sparingly and only as needed, i.e. for night-time programming. The figure below showsthe effect of successive LCD backlightincreases.

Figure 7-8 Simulated LCD Backlighting inNight Conditions

8 Model Utilities

All setup params forup to 8 machinesare stored to

custom model names within the Gyro/Gov.

The model utilities menu is where you canaccess these models. You can either load anew model into active memory, or simply re-name the existing active model from thismenu. Each of the 8 models have defaultnames of “Model 1”, “Model 2”, … “Model 8”,but can each be customized within thismenu if desired. Use the navigation joystickto move across the top level menus until“Model Utilities” is found and then apply a

joystick <center push> to enter this menu.

8.1 Loading a New Model

To load a newmodel into activememory (when

either swapping the Gyro/Gov betweenmachines, or simply to store a differentsetup configuration for the same machine),apply a joystick <center push> toacknowledge the “Switch Models?” sub-menu prompt. Once entered, use the

joystick <up> / <down> motion to scrollthrough your saved models in memory.When you see the model name you wish to

load, apply a joystick <center push> toselect this model. If you have not yetchanged your model names, you will see thedefault model names, “Model 1”, “Model 2”,etc… scrolling by with each <up> / <down>motion. If you have re-named your models,you will see your custom names, such as,“Green Synergy N9”, “Yellow Vibe 90”,“Silver Raptor 50”, etc… as you scrollthrough and again simply apply a joystick<center push> to select the model you wishto load when you see it.

Once you change the active model, yourGyro/Gov is now configured for thathelicopter in every respect. It has nowloaded all setup parameters from gear ratioto servo types to gyro and governor gains togovernor sensor type to governor enablecriteria, gyro and governor sign conventions,max piro rates, etc… and, after a “Save &Exit” is performed as described in Section8.3, will remain configured for this helicopter

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until a different model is loaded. The totalengine run-time will now only accumulate forthe new active model as well. Once theprogramming mode is exited, the new activemodel will be displayed in your LCDSummary View for a constant reminder as towhich model is currently loaded into theGyro/Gov’s active memory.

8.2 Renaming the Active Model

To rename a model,first load the modelyou wish to rename

into active memory following the procedureoutlined in Section 8.1. Next use the <left> / <right> joystick motion to move across the“Model Utilities” submenu items until“Rename Model?” is displayed. Apply a

joystick <center push> to enter thissubmenu. Within this submenu, the currentname for the active model will be displayedwith a blinking cursor at the position at whichthe character can be changed.

Use <left> / <right> joystick motion tomove the blinking

cursor to the position you wish to change thecharacter. Then use <up> / <down> joystickmotion to change the character, and notethat an <up> or <down> motion held for

more than one second will result in a rapidmovement through the alpha-numericcharacters. Once a character has beenchanged to the desired letter, simply moveright or left to advance to the next letter tobe modified with <left> / <right> joystickmotion. In the image at left, the cursor hasbeen moved under the “M” in the defaultmodel name, “Model 1”. At this point, any<up> / <down> motion of the joystick willbegin changing this character as desired.

When you’vefinished renamingyour model, apply a

joystick <center push> to return to the“Model Utilities” submenu choices. Notethat it is not important that you center thename on the screen as it will be auto-centered for you once the name is complete.Remember to perform a “Save & Exit” asdescribed in Section 8.3 to permanentlystore these changes to your Gyro/Gov.

8.3 Save & Exit

After either loadinga new active modelor renaming the

active model, you must perform a “Save &

Exit” for this change to be permanentlystored within your Gyro/Gov. From withinthe “Model Utilities” submenu, use <left> / <right> joystick movements until you see the“Save & Exit” menu displayed. Apply a

joystick <center push> to acknowledge thesave & exit and return to the top level menuitems. Your model utilities changes will nowbe permanently written to the Gyro/Govmemory and will remain in the Gyro/Govmemory through subsequent power offs.Note that powering off the Gyro/Gov prior tothis step, or failing to move to this submenu& applying a “Save & Exit” will result in yourmodel utilities changes not beingpermanently stored to the Gyro/Gov, soalways remember to perform this step.

After performing the“Save & Exit” andeither toggling

power to the Gyro/Gov or exiting ProgramMode, you will see the new active modelname displayed in your LCD SummaryView, such as that displayed in the image atleft. This custom name will now alwaysremind you of which model parameters the

Gyro/Gov has loaded into active memory.

9 Servo Setup

The “THR / RUDServo Setup” menuis where you

configure the active model’s servo settingswithin the Gyro/Gov. This is an importantstep in the setup process as it tells theGyro/Gov what type of throttle and rudderservos you have installed on the activemodel, which it uses to determine servopulse types to send out, pulse output rates,and gain adjustments based on the servotype and servo speed. This is also wheretravel limits can be adjusted to preventbinding on either servo. Use <left> / <right>

joystick movements at the top level menuhierarchy until “THR / RUD Servo Setup” isdisplayed and then apply a joystick <centerpush> to enter this menu. Once entered,

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use <left> / <right> joystick movementswithin the “Servo Setup” menu to view thevarious submenu servo setup options.

9.1 Throttle Servo

The first servo to setup is the throttle servo,abbreviated “THR” within the Gyro/Govmenu displays. You will need to tell theGyro/Gov whether this is an analog or digitalservo, if digital whether it uses normal pulse-width modulation (PWM) or super-narrow760 μs PWM, the speed of the servoentered as its time constant to reach 60 deg,and finally set its travel limits.

9.1.1 Throttle Servo Type

At the “THR Servo Type” display, use <up> /

<down> joystick motion to toggle between“Analog” and “Digital” to set your throttleservo type for the active model. Make sureto only select “Digital” if you are certain youare using a digital servo, as the higher framerate sent to a digital servo could damage ananalog servo.

At left, an “Analog” servotype is selected.

At left, a “Digital” servotype is selected.

9.1.2 Throttle PWM Type

At the “THR PWM Type” display, use <up> / <down> joystick motion to toggle between“Normal” and “Super Narrow” to set yourthrottle servo’s pulse-width modulation(PWM) type. The “Normal” PWM type is themost common using a center pulse width of1.5 ms, while the “Super Narrow” are thehigh frame rate servos with a center pulse of760 μs. It is very unlikely that you will be

using a throttle servo with Super NarrowPWM as these are generally used only forthe rudder. However, this option is madeavailable for full universal compatibility. Donot select the “Super Narrow” PWM typeunless you are actually using this type ofservo, as a digital servo using the “Normal”PWM type will not function properlyreceiving the narrower pulses and could alsobe damaged. Note that this option will not

even be available if an “Analog” throttleservo was selected, in which case the“Normal” PWM type is used.

At left, the “Normal” 1.5ms PWM type isselected.

At left, the “SuperNarrow” 760 μs PWMtype is selected.

9.1.3 Throttle Servo Speed

The next throttle servo parameter to setup isits speed spec, defined by a time constant toreach 60 degrees. Typical values for astandard PWM type digital servo areanywhere from 0.09 to 0.18 sec. The highframe rate Super Narrow PWM type digital

servos can be as fast as 0.04 to 0.06 sec.Use <up> / <down> joystick motion tochange this value to the appropriate speedfor your throttle servo. The range of valuesthat can be entered here go from 0.01 to0.25 sec.

At left, a 0.14 sec timeconstant has beenentered for the active

model’s throttle servo.

9.1.4 Throttle Travel Limits

The last throttle servo parameter to setup isits travel limits. Although this functionalitycan also be done from most transmitters, itis provided here as a fine tuning mechanismthat enables you to adjust your throttleservo’s range of motion so that it reaches itsfull extents without binding. The negativeside and the positive side endpoints are bothshown simultaneously, however, only one isactivated at a time based on the throttle stickposition on your transmitter. Move yourthrottle stick to min throttle and then use<up> / <down> joystick motion to adjust the

low end travel limits of your servo. Thenmove your throttle stick to max throttle andadjust the high end servo travel limits. Notethat depending on your transmitter’s throttleservo sign convention, you may be adjustingeither the negative or positive parameter onthe Gyro/Gov’s “Throttle Limits” display ateach point. It is not important whichparameter is being modified, as signconventions will be taken care of later in the

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“Tx Model Calibration” setup of Section 10.In this submenu, an upward joystick motionalways increases the digital value displayedand always represents further servomovement outward increasing the servo’srange of motion, while a downward joystickmotion always decreases the digital valuedisplayed and restricts the range of servomotion.

At left, the throttle servotravel limits have beenincreased by 2% at the

low end & reduced by 4% on the high end.

9.2 Rudder Servo

The next servo to setup is the rudder (or tailrotor pitch) servo, abbreviated “RUD” withinthe Gyro/Gov menu displays. You will need

to tell the Gyro/Gov whether this is ananalog or digital servo, if digital whether ituses normal pulse-width modulation (PWM)or super-narrow 760 μs PWM, the speed ofthe servo entered as its time constant toreach 60 deg, and finally set its travel limits.

9.2.1 Rudder Servo Type

At the “RUD Servo Type” display, use <up> / <down> joystick motion to toggle between“Analog” and “Digital” to set your rudderservo type for the active model. Make sureto only select “Digital” if you are certain youare using a digital servo, as the higher framerate sent to a digital servo could damage ananalog servo.

At left, a “Digital” servotype is selected

At left, an “Analog” servotype is selected.

9.2.2 Rudder PWM Type

At the “RUD PWM Type” display, use <up> / <down> joystick motion to toggle between“Normal” and “Super Narrow” to set yourrudder servo’s pulse-width modulation(PWM) type. The “Normal” PWM type usesa center pulse width of 1.5 ms, while thehigh frame rate “Super Narrow” uses a 760μs center pulse width. Do not select the“Super Narrow” PWM type unless you are

actually using this type of servo, as a digitalservo using the “Normal” PWM type will notfunction properly receiving the narrowerpulses and could also be damaged. Notethat this option will not even be available ifan “Analog” rudder servo was selected, inwhich case the “Normal” PWM type is used.

At left, the “Normal” 1.5ms PWM type isselected.

At left, the “SuperNarrow” 760 μs PWMtype is selected.

9.2.3 Rudder Servo Speed

The next rudder servo parameter to setup isits speed spec, defined by a time constant to

reach 60 degrees. Typical values for astandard PWM type digital servo areanywhere from 0.09 to 0.18 sec. The highframe rate Super Narrow PWM type digitalservos can be as fast as 0.04 to 0.06 sec.Use <up> / <down> joystick motion tochange this value to the appropriate speedfor your throttle servo. The range of valuesthat can be entered here go from 0.01 to0.25 sec.

At left, a 0.06 sec timeconstant has beenentered for the active

model’s tail servo.

9.2.4 Rudder Travel Limits

The final rudder servo parameter to setup isits travel limits. Although this functionalitycan also be done from most transmitters, itis recommended that you set yourtransmitter’s rudder endpoint adjusts to +/-100% for all flight modes and, if using dualrates, select the highest rate which gives themaximum servo throw for this setupprocedure. Also note that while in thismode, all yaw stabilization loops aredisabled and the rudder servo follows therudder stick commands directly for setuppurposes. Thus there is no need to entergyro rate mode prior to this setup procedure.The negative side and the positive sideendpoints are both shown simultaneously,however, only one is activated at a timebased on the rudder stick position on yourtransmitter. Move your rudder stick to full

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left and then use <up> / <down> joystickmotion to adjust the left side travel limits ofyour servo. Then move your rudder stick tofull right and adjust the right side servotravel limits. Note that depending on yourtransmitter’s rudder servo sign convention,you may be adjusting either the negative orpositive parameter on the Gyro/Gov’s“Rudder Limits” display at each point. It isnot important which parameter is beingmodified, as sign conventions will be takencare of later in the “Tx Model Calibration”setup of Section 10. In this submenu, anupward joystick motion always increases thedigital value displayed and alwaysrepresents further servo movement outwardincreasing the servo’s range of motion, whilea downward joystick motion alwaysdecreases the digital value displayed andrestricts the range of servo motion.

At left, the rudder servotravel limits have beenreduced by 3% at the left

side & increased by 2% on the right side.

9.3 Save & Exit

Always remember to apply a joystick<center push> to save your work in a givenmenu & return to the top level menuhierarchy. Until you use a <center push>and see the words “Saving ModelParams…”, as you are returned to the toplevel, the setup for all of these sub-menushas not yet been permanently saved to theGyro/Gov. If you forget this step, your setupwill remain in RAM memory and will persistas long as the Gyro/Gov is powered on.However, the setup data will only beretained on subsequent power cycles afterapplying a <center push> and saving yoursetup to the Gyro/Gov’s ROM memory.

At left, this display isprovided after a joystick<center push> saving all

setup parameters on the return to top level menus.

10 Transmitter ModelCalibration

Transmitter ModelCalibration is one ofthe most important

setup items of the Gyro/Gov. This menu is

used to map the transmitter stick positions(and associated pulse widths) to theGyro/Gov as well as automatically determinesign conventions for both the heading hold &rotor speed governor controllers, eliminatingthe need for trial & error based signconvention setting. This menu is consideredso important that the Gyro/Gov will actuallyinhibit your model from taking off (withcontrol of the throttle channel) if you areattempting to spool up an active model forwhich the “Tx Model Calibration” has not yetbeen performed, in an effort to prevent apossible lift-off with reversed gyro signconvention that might otherwise haveresulted in a crash. So if you are everattempting to lift off into a hover, and as theblades are spooling up, the engine issuddenly brought down to an idle, this is anindication that you have forgotten to perform

the “Tx Model Calibration” for this model.

To perform this calibration, use <left> / <right> joystick motion from the top levelmenus to scroll thru your menu selectionsuntil “Tx Model Calibration” is displayed.From here, apply a joystick <center push> toenter “Tx Model Calibration”. Once entered,you will be prompted through the “Tx ModelCalibration” submenus with each <right>

joystick motion requiring you to 1) moveyour throttle to its maximum and hit enter, 2)move your throttle to its minimum & hit

enter, 3) move your rudder full right & hitenter, and 4) move your rudder full left & hitenter. The phrase “Hit Enter” refers to theapplication of a joystick <center push> ineach case and should only be performedwhen your stick is held at the appropriateposition requested by the Gyro/Gov. Oncecomplete, a verify window will allow you toverify the accuracy of the calibration. Acenter-push from here will return you to thetop-level menus.

10.1 Throttle Stick Calibration

Push your throttlestick to itsmaximum value and

apply a joystick <center push> once there.

Next bring yourthrottle to itsminimum value and

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apply a joystick <center push> once there.

10.2 Rudder Stick Calibration

Now move yourRudder stick all the

way to the right andapply a joystick <center push> once it isthere.

And finally moveyour Rudder stick tothe far left and

apply a joystick <center push> once it isthere.

At this point the Gyro-Gov will save your TxModel Calibration to the Active Model’smemory and move you to the next LCD

submenu for calibration testing.

10.3 Tx Model Calibration Testing

The “Verify Tx Sticks” submenu is providedto test your transmitter model calibration andverify that the Gyro/Gov is now reading yourtransmitter sticks properly. In thissubmenu, simply move your throttle &rudder sticks to their limits & verify that thedigital display corresponds to the position ofeach stick. When throttle is at the bottom, itshould display as “0”, and at top should

display as “100”. When rudder is at full left,it should display as “-100” and at full rightshould display as “+100”. Do not beconcerned if you see a “-99” at rudder fullleft or “+99” at rudder full right, however,perform the calibration again if the valuesyou see do not seem to correspond at all tothis convention. The calibration can beredone by simply using a <right> joystickmovement to get back to the start of thismenu and you will be prompted to movethrottle to max again, and so forth. Or if youhave already applied a joystick <center

push> and are back at the top level menus,simply re-enter the “Tx Model Calibration” toperform it again if necessary. Note that youwant to make sure your flight mode is setupso that when the throttle stick is brought tothe bottom, it really represents a minimumthrottle condition. For example, you wouldnot want to be in Idle-Up mode using a V-shaped throttle curve for this calibration asthe throttle stick to the bottom may represent

50-60% throttle in this flight mode. Theimages that follow show the displays youshould expect to see as you move yourthrottle & rudder sticks around in the “VerifyTx Sticks” submenu.

With throttle at minimum

and rudder stickcentered, you should see

values of approximately (0,0) on the display.

With throttle at maximumand rudder stickcentered, you should see

values of approximately (100,0) on the display.

With throttle at minimumand rudder full left, youshould see values ofapproximately (0, -100)

on the display.

With throttle at minimumand rudder full right, youshould see values of

approximately (0, +100) on the display.

10.4 Save & Exit

Once properly verified, apply a joystick<center push> to return to the top levelmenus and your Gyro/Gov has nowautomatically calculated sign conventionsand transmitter stick extents for the headinghold and governor controllers.

11 General Model Setup

General ModelSetup is used to setall parameters that

remain constant for the active modelselected, i.e. parameters such as gear ratio,governor sensor type, etc… that do notchange with flight mode. Use <left> / <right> joystick motion along the top levelmenus until “General Model Setup” isdisplayed. At this point, apply a joystick<center push> to enter this menu option.

Once in General Model Setup, use <left> / <right> joystick movements to view thedifferent submenus to setup and use an<up> / <down> motion to modify theselection for the currently displayedparameter. Remember to apply a joystick<center push> when finished with GeneralModel Setup to return to the top level menus& save all parameters.

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16

11.1 Setting Model Type

The first General Model Setup parameter isthe “Model Type”. Use <up> / <down>

joystick movements to select the “Model

Type” that best matches the active modelyou are programming. There are manypopular model types to choose from in theGyro/Gov database, however, if your modelis not listed simply select from one of thegeneric options available, such as “Nitro 50”,“Nitro 90”, “Gasser”, etc… and move on.The selection of model type is simply usedto pre-load default setup parameters tomake the programming task easier for theuser, as well as estimate the massproperties of the helicopter being flown.

At left, the Predator 90

Max was selected as themodel type for the active

mode being programmed.

Use a <right> joystick movement to move tothe next submenu after selecting anappropriate model type.

11.2 Setting Gear Ratio

The next parameter to program for theactive model is its gear ratio. If your modeltype was in the Gyro/Gov’s database, thisfield will hopefully be pre-populated with thecorrect gear ratio already. If you need tomodify this parameter, however, simply use<up> / <down> joystick movements tochange this value to the correct gear ratiofor this model. Note that pushing & holdingthe joystick <up> or <down> for more thanone second will result in the value changingmore rapidly so you can get to your desiredvalue faster. If you are unsure of yourmodel’s gear ratio, either look this value upin its user’s manual, or simply count theteeth on the main & pinion gear and divideto obtain this value. For example, if the

main gear has 180 teeth and the pinion has20 teeth, the gear ratio would be 180/20 =9.0. The Gyro/Gov allows you to enter thisparameter to the hundredths place, so roundoff to the nearest hundredth when dividing.

90one.

At left, the gear ratiocame up defaulting to8.18 for the Predator

Max, which the user has left al

Use a <right> joystick movement to move tothe next submenu after entering yourmodel’s gear ratio.

11.3 Main Rotor Direction

The next parameter to program is yourmodel’s main rotor direction as observedfrom above, i.e. looking down on thehelicopter. Most nitro helicopters haveclockwise (CW) spinning main rotors. Somegassers use counter-clockwise (CCW)spinning main rotors. Simply look at thedirection of spin & then use <up> / <down>

joystick motion to select the appropriatevalue for this submenu item.

At left, the “CW” directionwas selected for this

nitro helicopter.

Use a <right> joystick movement to move tothe next submenu after entering yourmodel’s main rotor spin direction.

11.4 Governor Target Direction

The next parameter to program is thegovernor target spin direction. The term“governor target” refers to the target thatyour governor sensor is looking for eachrevolution, such as a spinning magnet for a

hall-effect sensor or switch, or a spinningreflective surface for an optical sensor. Forsingle stage transmissions (most common),this will be in the opposite direction as yourmain rotor direction. But for multi-stagetransmissions you will need to look andverify the governor target’s spin direction,again as viewed from above the helicopterlooking down.

At left, the magnet’s spindirection is programmedfor this model as

counter-clockwise (CCW) as viewed from above.

Use a <right> joystick movement to move tothe next submenu after entering yourmodel’s governor target spin direction.

11.5 Gyro Orientation

The gyro orientation will be “Right Side Up”if you have mounted the Gyro/Gov so that it



17

is sitting right side up on your helicopter. Iffor some reason you needed to mount itupside-down due (i.e. with the navigation

joystick facing downward), you would needto change this parameter to “Upside Down”with an <up> or <down> joystick movementto toggle the parameter. This parameter isused in the automatic determination of theheading controller’s sign convention.

At left, the Gyro/Gov isprogrammed with theinformation that it is

mounted “Right Side Up” on this model.

Use a <right> joystick movement to move tothe next submenu after entering yourGyro/Gov’s mounting orientation.

11.6 Governor Sensor Type

The “GOV Sensor Type” sub-menu allowsyou to setup the Gyro/Gov to work with theparticular governor sensor installed on theactive model. Use <up> / <down> joystickmovements to select your model’s sensortype. If you plan on using your Gyro/Govwith multiple helicopters, it is not a problemif each machine uses a different type ofgovernor sensor. Once setup, all of thisinformation is stored with your custom modelname and loaded when you swap theGyro/Gov between helicopters.

The default sensor typeis “Gyro/Gov”, the sensormade by Helo Controls.

At left, the Futaba GV-1sensor type is selected.

.

.

At left, the ThrottleJockey sensor type isselected.

At left, the CY ATGsensor type is selected.

At left, the AerospireMulti-Gov sensor type isselected.

At left, the Stator Gatorsensor tpye is selected.

At left, the CSM RevLocksensor is selected

At left, the CSM RevMaxsensor is selected

At left, a generic Opticalsensor is selected.

At left, the SpektrumBackplate sensor isselected.

Use a <right> joystick movement to move tothe next submenu after entering yourmodel’s governor sensor type.

11.7 Governor Activation

The next submenu is called “Gov Activation”and allows you to set the means by whichthe governor function will be activated fromyour transmitter. You can use stick

activation only, switch activation only, orrequire that the stick & switch both meettheir enable criteria to engage the governorif desired. The specific functionality of theseactivation types will be addressed insubsequent submenus. Here it is onlynecessary to choose whether you want“Stick Only” activation, “Switch Only”activation, or “Stick & Switch” governoractivation. Note that if you plan on using“Switch Only” governor enable logic, thegovernor will not disengage when you hityour “throttle hold” switch to perform an

auto-rotation unless you additionallyprogram your radio to flip the “governorenable” switch along with the “throttle hold”.If this is not done, and you attempt an auto-rotation by hitting your “throttle hold” switchonly, the governor will continue to run aslong as your “governor enable” switch has itenabled. For this reason, take extremecaution in using the “Switch Only” enablecriteria and recognize that this will notdisable your governor until that specificswitch is thrown. The safest activationcriteria is the “Stick & Switch” which requiresthat two criterion be satisfied to keep thegovernor running. Also note that in additionto these transmitter based criteria, thegovernor additionally will not activate untilyour rotor speed has reached a value of atleast 70% of the commanded RPM toprevent a runaway situation while starting onthe ground. This 70% criteria is hard-codedwithin the Gyro/Gov and cannot be modifiedby the user for safety reasons.



At left, the selection“Stick Only” is made.

At left, the selection“Switch Only” is made.

Use a <right> joystick movement to move tothe next submenu after selecting thegovernor activation method you prefer.

11.8 Stick Enable

Whether you have selected “Stick Only” or“Stick & Switch”, this submenu must beprogrammed to set the “Stick Enable”criteria. If you have selected “Switch Only”this submenu will be marked “N/A” and you

may skip ahead. Note that the Gyro/Govemploys dual-threshold governor stickenable logic. One threshold sets the enablecriteria while a second threshold sets thedisable criteria. In this way, you can set ahigher enable criterion, such as 25%, toenable the governor function and a lowerdisable criterion, such as 10%, and thus notworry that the governor will be inadvertentlydisabled if you ever lower the throttle stick to24% while flying. Use <up> / <down>

joystick motion here to set your governorenable criteria, on a scale from 0-100% andrealize that this values DOES NOT also setthe disable criteria.

At left, the governor stickenable is set to 25%throttle stick.

Use a <right> joystick movement to move tothe next submenu after setting the governorstick enable criteria.

11.9 Stick Disable

Next set the governor stick disable criteria,

noting that its maximum value is limited tothe governor enable criteria.

At left, a value of 10% isused as the governor

disable criteria.

Use a <right> joystick movement to move tothe next submenu after setting the governorstick disable criteria. The next three

submenus are simply governor enable logictests to help you verify you haveprogrammed the governor enable logiccorrectly.

11.10 Gyro Gain Mode

The next submenu enables you to programyour Gyro Gain Mode as interpreted by theGyro/Gov’s heading hold and/or ratestabilization controllers. Note that the gainfrom your transmitter is always interpreted inthe so-called “GY” convention, in which thecenter value is taken to be 0% gain, and thegain increases from center to 100% in eachdirection. So, if you are using a Futabatransmitter setup in “GY” gain mode, yourgain values will correspond precisely to thatof the Gyro/Gov. i.e. A 0% gain (at centerpulse) will also be a 0% gain in theGyro/Gov, a 100% at the high end will be100% in the Gyro/Gov and a 100% at thelow end will be a 100% in the Gyro/Gov aswell. If your transmitter does not use the“GY” gain mode convention, and only goesfrom 0% to 100%, note that your 0% willcorrespond to the Gyro/Gov’s low side 100%gain, your 50% will correspond to theGyro/Gov’s 0% gain, and your 100% willcorrespond to the Gyro/Gov’s high side100% gain. The question that is asked inthis submenu is simply whether or not youwish the Gyro/Gov to change yaw control

modes when the gain crosses from one sideof the spectrum to the other. i.e. When thegain crosses 0% in “GY” mode or crosses50% in the normal mode. If you would likethe lower half of your gain channel values torepresent gyro rate mode and the upper halfto represent heading-hold mode, you wouldselect the “H-Hold / Rate” option here. Ifyou would simply like to always be inheading hold mode, regardless of whetheryour gain is on the upper half or lower half,you would select the “H-Hold Only” optionhere. Of if you would simply like to always

remain in rate mode regardless of whichside your gain is on, you would select the“Rate Mode Only” option here.

At left, the Gyro/Gov isprogrammed to interpreta low side gain as Rate

Mode and high side gain as Heading Hold.

At left, the Gyro/Gov isprogrammed to stay in

18



19

Heading Hold mode regardless of gain value.

At left, the Gyro/Gov isprogrammed to stay inRate Mode regardless of

gain value.

The gain convention used by the Gyro/Govas well as how this compares with twopopular transmitter brands in typical setupmodes is shown in Figure 11-1 forreference. Note that at minimum transmittergain (Min Tx Gain), the Gyro/Gov interpretsas 100% gain at the low end, and at maxgain from your transmitter (Max Tx Gain),the Gyro/Gov interprets as 100% gain at thehigh end, and mid gain from your transmitteris interpreted as 0% gain by the Gyro/Gov.

Figure 11-1 Gyro/Gov Vs TransmitterGain Conventions

If you have setup your “Gyro Gain Mode” toeither “H-Hold Only” or “Rate Mode Only” a100% at the low end (Min Tx Gain) or a100% at the high end (Max Tx Gain) wouldbe equivalent. If, however, you have setupyour “Gyro Gain Mode” as “H-Hold / Rate”the min transmitter gain would be interpretedas 100% gain in Rate Mode and maxtransmitter gain would be interpreted as100% gain in H-Hold Mode by the Gyro/Gov.And regardless of how your “Gyro GainMode” is configured, the mid transmitter gain(Mid Tx Gain) will be interpreted as 0% gainby the Gyro/Gov effectively disabling allelectronic yaw stabilization and/or headinghold control. The gyro mode functionalityversus gain range as interpreted by theGyro/Gov is shown in Figure 11-2 for each“Gyro Gain Mode” selected for clarity.

Use a <right> joystick movement to advanceto the next submenu after selecting yourGyro Gain Mode for this model.

Figure 11-2 Gyro Mode Functionality VsGain Range

11.11 Tx Gain Function

The next submenu enables you to programthe functionality of your transmitter’s “gain”channel. The Gyro/Gov can be configuredto interpret this signal as either a gyro gainadjust or an RPM bias from your pre-programmed governor target values. If usedas a “Gyro Gain”, the value from yourtransmitter is used to adjust the gyro gainwithin the Gyro/Gov, with a center pulse (of0% in GY mode) value taken as 0% gain…i.e. no yaw stabilization control. If used asan “RPM Bias”, the value from yourtransmitter is used to digitally bias the RPMin either the positive or negative directionfrom center pulse. i.e. In this mode, a centerpulse (of 0% in GY mode) is interpreted asno RPM bias, while a value of 40% on thehigh side in GY mode would be interpreted

as “add 40 RPM to the commanded values)and a value of 40$ on the low side in GYmode would be interpreted as “subtract 40RPM from the commanded values”. So inthe “RPM Bias” mode, if your Tx gain wasset at +40 on the high side and your RPMsettings for Normal Mode, Idle Up 1, andIdle Up2, were 1500, 1700, 2000respectively, your new commanded valueswould be 1540, 1740, and 2040 for eachflight mode. In this mode, the gyro gain issimply using its programmed values andignores this signal completely.

At left, the “Tx GainFunction” is programmedto act as a gyro gain.

At left, the “Tx GainFunction” is programmedto act as an RPM bias.



To further illustrate the effect of the “Tx GainFunction”, Figure 11-3 is provided. The topblue arrow labeled “Gyro/Gov” representsthe gain value from the transmitter asinterpreted by the Gyro/Gov, regardless ofmode or configuration. The next two bluearrows labeled “Gyro Gain” and “RPM Bias”illustrate how the Gyro/Gov will use thisvalue depending on the configuration of the“Tx Gain Function” from this submenu. If setto “Gyro Gain”, a gyro gain factor will beapplied, where a 50% applies a factor of 1.0using the nominal factory default Gyro/Govgains, a 100% in either direction will apply afactor of 2.0 on the factory defaults, a 25%gain will apply a factor of 0.5, etc… and thegyro modes will be interpreted as configuredby the “Gyro Gain Mode” submenu. If set to“RPM Bias”, the gyro gains will not bealtered by the remote Tx value at all, and the

value will be used as a delta applied to yourprogrammed target RPM’s. With this setup,you can remotely adjust your RPM targetsby up to +/-100 RPM.

Figure 11-3 Tx Gain Function Diagram

11.12 Save & Exit

Once finished withGeneral ModelSetup remember to

apply a joystick <center push> to save allparameters & return to the top level menus.

12 Flight Mode Setup

The Flight ModeSetup menu is usedto set all

parameters that can be changed as afunction of flight mode, i.e. Normal, Idle-Up1, and Idle-Up 2. Use <left> / <right>

joystick movements to find the Flight ModeSetup menu and apply a joystick <centerpush> here to enter Flight Mode Setup.Once entered, use <left> / <right> joystickmovements to move across the submenuoptions, use <up> / <down> joystickmovements to change selections, and useyour 3-position flight mode switch on yourtransmitter to view the settings of eachsubmenu. Note that the symbols “(N)”, “(1)”,and “(2)” are used to let you know whetheryou are setting a value for Normal Mode,Idle-Up1, or Idle-Up2. To change settings,an <up> / <down> motion of the joystick willmodify the submenu’s selection for thecurrently displayed flight mode. Rememberto apply a joystick <center push> whenfinished with Flight Mode Setup to bothreturn to the top level menus & save yourwork.

12.1 Flying Style

The first flight mode parameter is “FlyingStyle” which effectively sets both the gyro &governor controller’s default base gainsbased on this selection to produce aparticular flying quality for this flight mode.The choices here are “Recreational”, “3-D”,“Scale”, “Camera Ship” ,and “FAI” which canbe selected for each flight mode with <up> / <down> movements of the joystick while inthe corresponding flight mode.

Figure 12-1 Flying Style Yaw RateResponses

Figure 12-1 gives a representative look athow your helicopter will approach a pirouetterate of 500 deg/s under several differentflying styles. In this example, the servo is upagainst its limit during the acceleration

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phase, however, the difference in theresponses can be seen as the final value isapproached.

At left, Normal mode setto “Recreational” flyingstyle.

At left, Idle-Up 1 modeset to “3-D” flying style.

At left, Idle-Up 2 modeset to “FAI” flying style.

Use a <right> joystick movement to advanceto the next submenu after selecting yourflying styles for each flight mode.

12.2 Setting Target RPM

The next flight mode setup submenu letsyou to set the target RPM values for eachflight mode. The phrase “Target RPM” isused as a reminder that the commandedvalue may not be achievable if your engineis not tuned properly. For each flight modeselected with your transmitter, use <up> / <down> joystick movements on yourGyro/Gov to set the desired RPM for eachmode. Note that a push & hold on the

joystick for more than one second will initiate

rapid value changes to help you get to yourdesired value quicker.

At left, Normal mode setto 1500 RPM.

At left, Idle-Up 1 modeset to 1700 RPM.

At left, Idle-Up 2 modeset to 1600 RPM.

Use a <right> joystick movement to advanceto the next submenu after selecting targetRPMs for each flight mode.

12.3 Governor Mode

The next submenu allows you to set theGovernor Mode for each flight mode. Thechoices here are “Governor”, “Limiter” or

“Off”. The governor mode operates at alltime once enabled by the transmitter &activated. The limiter mode kicks in onlywhen you have exceeded your target RPMand acts to bring the RPM back under thislimit. In the off mode, neither the governoror limiter will run in this flight mode,regardless of stick and/or switch positions.Use <up> / <down> joystick movements toset the governor mode you would like foreach flight mode, selected by yourtransmitter.

At left, Normal mode isset to run in governormode.

At left, Idle-Up 1 mode isset to run in inlimitermode.

At left, Idle-Up 2 mode isset to run in governormode.

Use a <right> joystick movement to advanceto the next submenu after selecting governormodes for each flight mode.

12.4 Electronic Correlator

The electronic correlator uses thetransmitter’s throttle curves to feed-forwardthis predicted throttle position within eitherthe governor and/or limiter controllers. This

functions just as on a full-sized turbinehelicopter, providing phase lead to the rotorspeed governor control system, aiding in thetask of holding constant rotor RPM ifenabled. This feature should not be enableduntil you have properly setup your throttlecurves for the active model in use.

At left, Normal modedoes not use theelectronic correlator.

At left, Idle-Up 1 is

programmed to use thetransmitter’s throttle

curves by enabling the electronic correlator.

At left, Idle-Up 2 isprogrammed to use thetransmitter’s throttle

curves by enabling the electronic correlator.

Use a <right> joystick movement to advanceto the next submenu after selecting whether

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you would like the electronic correlatorenabled for each flight mode.

12.5 Max Yaw Rate

The next submenu allows you to digitally set

the maximum yaw rate that a full rudderstick deflection will command. As eachgyro is pre-calibrated, you can set values inunits of degrees per second (deg/s) to get avery predictable pirouette rate for amaximum rudder stick deflection. Forexample, setting a value of 360 deg/s heremeans that at full rudder stick deflectionyour helicopter will execute a pirouette rateof precisely 360 deg/s, or one revolution persecond. Setting a value of 720 deg/s wouldgive you a pirouette rate of two revolutionsper second. Setting a value of 1440 deg/s

would give you a pirouette rate of fourrevolutions per second. The Gyro/Gov’smaximum sensing range is 1600 deg/s,beyond the pirouette capabilities of mosthelicopters. Use the <up> / <down> joystickmovements here to set your maximum yawrates for each flight mode.

At left, a max yaw rate of360 deg/s is set forNormal mode.

At left, a max yaw rate of1440 deg/s is set for

Idle-Up 1.

At left, a max yaw rate of720 deg/s is set for Idle-Up 2.

Use a <right> joystick movement to advanceto the next submenu after setting themaximum yaw rate for each flight mode.

12.6 Rudder Curves

The next submenu allows you to apply ashaping function to your rudder stickcommands. The choices here are “Linear”,“Expo 1”, and “Expo 2”. The linear performsa one to one mapping from your transmitterstick and does not modify the shape at all.The Expo 1 provides a small amount ofexponential to your rudder stick to providemore resolution around center stick. The

Expo 2 selection provides a little moreexponential to provide even more resolutionaround center stick, while still reaching themaximum value at the extents. Thesemodes are beneficial when using extremelyhigh maximum yaw rates, such as 1,600deg/s so that the rudder stick is not sotouchy around center stick.

At left, the Normal modeis set to use a Linearrudder curve.

At left, the Idle-Up 1mode is set to use Expo2.

At left, the Idle-Up 2mode is set to use Expo1.

Figure 12-2 Rudder Curves

Use a <right> joystick movement to advanceto the next submenu after setting yourrudder shaping function type for each flightmode.

At this point, DO NOT FORGET to apply a joystick <center push> to save all yoursettings to the Gyro/Gov’s permanent

memory & return to the top level menus. Asa reminder, this is repeated in the nextsection entitled “Save & Exit”.

12.7 Save & Exit

Once finished withFlight Mode Setupremember to apply

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a joystick <center push> to save allparameters & return to the top level menu.

13 Advanced SetupOptions

13.1 Gyro Gain (P)

The next submenu lets you directly modifythe gyro’s proportional gain. The headinghold & rate stabilization controllers are bothaffected by this gain adjustment. This isalso the gain you can adjust remotely viayour transmitter if in the “Gyro Gain” mode.If you do not wish to use an additionalreceiver channel for remote gain control,however, you can modify this parameterthrough your LCD Programming Interfaceinstead. The proportional gain is primarilyresponsible for setting the bandwidth of thiscontroller. The default proportional gains forall controllers are at 50%, and should not beadjusted unless necessary. The setting ofindividual controller gains is considered anadvanced technique that should only bedone by experienced users.

The Normal mode gyroproportional gain is set to50%.

The Idle-Up 1 mode gyroproportional gain is set to50%.

The Idle-Up 2 mode gyroproportional gain is setto 50%.

Use a <right> joystick movement to advanceto the next submenu after setting your gyroproportional gains for each flight mode.

13.2 Gyro Gain (I)

The next submenu lets you directly modifythe gyro’s integral gain. The heading holdcontroller is only affected by this gainadjustment, as there is no integration in thegyro rate mode. The integrator gain isprimarily responsible for the speed at whichthe controller finds trim. If you would like tokeep your yaw axis bandwidth as high aspossible, but notice some lightly damped

oscillation in your responses, you may wantto reduce this gain before adjusting theproportional gain to keep your bandwidthhigh. What you will sacrifice with a reducedintegral gain is a reduced disturbancerejection capability to gusts and/oraggressive flight maneuvers. The defaultintegral gains for all controllers are at 50%,and should not be adjusted unlessnecessary. The setting of individualcontroller gains is considered an advancedtechnique that should only be done byexperienced users.

The Normal mode gyrointegral gain is set to50%.

The Idle-Up 1 mode gyrointegral gain is set to50%.

The Idle-Up 2 mode gyrointegral gain is set to50%.

Use a <right> joystick movement to advanceto the next submenu after setting your gyrointegral gains for each flight mode.

13.3 Gain Adapt with RPM

The next submenu provides a choice as towhether or not you would like the Gyro/Govto dynamically correct its gyro gain on the flywith RPM. Since the yaw torque isgenerated by the tail rotor, whose thrustincreases with the square of rotor speed, theeffective gyro gain also changes with thesquare of rotor speed as well. This meansthat any over-speeds, under-speeds, RPMchanges with flight mode, mean youreffective gyro gain is changing as well. Byenabling the “Gain Adapt w RPM” feature,the Gyro/Gov compensates for this effect byadjusting gyro gain with changes in RPM onthe fly. Use <up> / <down> joystickmovements at this submenu to either enable

or disable this feature for each flight mode.

At left, Normal mode isset to enable gain adaptwith RPM.

At left, Idle-Up 1 mode isset to enable gain adaptwith RPM.

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24

At left, Idle-Up 2 mode isset to enable gain adaptwith RPM.

Use a <right> joystick movement to advanceto the next submenu after setting your gainadapt preferences for each flight mode.

13.4 Clockwise Pirouette Braking

If you would like additional braking from aclockwise pirouette, you can control this byincreasing the parameter in this submenu.If, on the other hand, you feel there is toomuch braking already, and would like aslightly looser stop from a clockwisepirouette, you can get this effect bydecreasing this parameter and entering anegative value. The valid range of valuesgo from -25% to +25%. Use <up> / <down>

joystick movements to modify this parameterfor each flight mode.

The Normal mode is setfor 0% additional CWbraking.

Idle-Up 1 mode is set for5% additional CWbraking.

Idle-Up 2 mode is set for0% additional CWbraking.

Use a <right> joystick movement to advanceto the next submenu after setting your CWPiro Braking preferences for each flightmode.

13.5 Counter-Clockwise Pirouette Braking

If you would like additional braking from acounter-clockwise pirouette, you can controlthis by increasing the parameter in thissubmenu. If, on the other hand, you feelthere is too much braking already, andwould like a slightly looser stop from acounter-clockwise pirouette, you can get thiseffect by decreasing this parameter andentering a negative value. The valid rangeof values go from -25% to +25%. Use <up>

/ <down> joystick movements to modify thisparameter for each flight mode.

tThe Normal mode is sefor 0% additional CWbraking

Idle-Up 1 mode is set for5% additional CWbraking

Idle-Up 2 mode is set for0% additional CWbraking

Use a <right> joystick movement to advanceto the next submenu after setting your CCWPiro Braking preferences for each flightmode.

13.6 Throttle to Rudder Mixing

The next submenu, “Throttle to RudderMixing”, allows you to apply a throttle torudder mixing term in a way not possiblewith transmitter mixing. As opposed tosetting up throttle to rudder mixing on thetransmitter, where a non-zero yaw ratecommand would end up sent to the gyrocontroller, this type of mixing is applied in afeed-forward fashion (similar to the way inwhich your throttle curves are fed forward inthe electronic correlator) while the yaw ratecommand remains unchanged. For bestresults, it is recommended that you setupthis parameter while in gyro rate mode.From a hover, execute a rapid climb-outmaneuver & watch how much of a yawexcursion takes place. Increase yourthrottle to rudder mixing term until this yawexcursion is minimized and note that onlypositive values are allowed here as the sign

convention is determined from your model’smain rotor spin direction entered in GeneralModel Setup. Once a throttle to ruddermixing term is found that minimizes yawexcursion to a rapid climb-out while in gyrorate mode, you can leave this value in placewhile flying in heading hold mode. Thiscorrection is now applied in a feed-forwardfashion giving a pre-emptive rudder actionbefore the heading controller even sensesan error. Once again, use <up> / <down>

joystick movements to modify this mixingterm.

At left, the Normal modehas 0% throttle to ruddermixing.

At left, the Idle-Up 1mode has 12% throttle torudder mixing.



At left, the Idle-Up 2mode has 12% throttle torudder mixing.

Use a <right> joystick movement to advanceto the next submenu after setting your

throttle to rudder mixing terms for each flightmode.

13.7 Rudder to Throttle Mixing

The next mixing term available is the“Rudder to Throttle Mixing” which enablespre-emptive throttle control action with largeyaw rate commands. This mixing term isalso fed forward in the governor control loopand sums with the electronic correlator ifenabled. In this way, both your throttle

curves and rudder commands are used aspre-emptive throttle control mechanismsadding lead to your governor controllerwithout affecting its stability. Note that withthis mixing term, as well, the sign conventionis automatically taken care of and you areprompted only for a mixer magnitude for thismodel. Use the <up> / <down> joystickmovements to modify this mixing term foreach flight mode.

At left, Normal mode isset with 0% rudder tothrottle mixing.

At left, Idle-Up 1 is setwith 16% rudder tothrottle mixing.

At left, Idle-Up 2 is setwith 16% rudder tothrottle mixing

Use a <right> joystick movement to advanceto the next submenu after setting yourrudder to throttle mixing terms for each flightmode.

13.8 Gov Gain (P)

As with the gyro controller, you can alsomodify the individual gains of the governorcontroller if desired, although this isconsidered an advanced technique andshould only be performed by experiencedmodelers if desired. This submenu allows

the adjustment of the governor controller’sproportional gain, with the nominal valuebeing 50%. Use the <up> / <down> joystickmovements to modify this gain for each flightmode if desired.

At left, Normal mode is

set with the default 50%P gain.

At left, Idle-Up 1 mode isset with the default 50%P gain.

At left, Idle-Up 2 mode isset with the default 50%P gain.

Use a <right> joystick movement to advanceto the next submenu after adjusting thegovernor controller’s proportional gain foreach flight mode if desired.

13.9 Gov Gain (I)

The next submenu item is the governorcontroller’s integral gain. The default valuefor this gain, as well, is 50% and should onlybe modified by experienced modelers ifnecessary. None of the Gyro/Gov’scontroller gains are expected to requireadjustment, however, the ability to modifythem is left in place for maximum flexibility.Use the <up> / <down> joystick movementsto modify this gain for each flight mode if

desired.

At left, Normal mode isset with the default 50% Igain

At left, Idle-Up 1 mode isset with the default 50% Igain.

At left, Idle-Up 2 mode isset with the default 50% Igain.

Use a <right> joystick movement to advanceto the next submenu after adjusting thegovernor controller’s integral gain for eachflight mode if desired.

13.10 Gov Ramp Up Time

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The next submenu item is the “Gov RampUp Time” which allows you to set theGyro/Gov’s RPM command fader’s delaytime when switching from one RPM toanother. A value of 3 seconds in Normalmode, 1 second in Idle-Up1, and 1 secondin Idle-Up2 would result in a 3 second fadeto reach the Normal mode RPM, and 1second fade to reach either the Idle-Up1 orIdle-Up2 commands. If no fade is preferred,these values can be set to zero, and thenew command will be taken instantly by theGyro/Gov in which case the only delay willbe that of the rotor’s response time inreaching the new RPM command.

At left, the Normal modeis set with a 3s ramp uptime.

At left, the Idle-Up 1mode is set with a 1sramp up time.

At left, the Idle-Up 2mode is set with a 1sramp up time.

Use a <right> joystick movement to advanceto the next submenu after setting thegovernor ramp up times for each flightmode.

13.11 RPM Frame of Ref

The last flight mode submenu is the “RPMFrame of Ref” which allows you to enablethe Gyro/Gov to transform rotor speedmeasurements from the body relative sensorframe into an inertial coordinate frame formore accurate RPM measurements whileexecuting a rapid pirouette maneuver. Use<up> / <down> joystick movements to togglebetween “Relative” or “Inertial” for this menuoption.

At left, the Normal modeis set to use the bodyrelative RPM

measurements.

For more aggressiveflying in Idle-Up 1 mode,the Gyro/Gov is set to

transform RPM measurements to an Inertial frame.

The Idle-Up 2 mode isalso configured totransform RPM

measurements to an inertial frame of reference.

At this point, DO NOT FORGET to apply a joystick <center push> to save all your

settings to the Gyro/Gov’s permanentmemory & return to the top level menus. Asa reminder, this is repeated in the nextsection entitled “Save & Exit”.

14 Setup Verification

14.1 Governor Sensor Signal Strength

The “Gov Sensor Value” sub-menu allowsyou to see the digitally sampled value

coming from your governor sensor. Use thissub-menu to both a) ensure you haveselected the correct governor sensor type,and b) to verify that the distance betweenyour sensor and magnet is adequate. In thecase of a digital sensor, you want to verifythat the sensed value changes from 0% to100% as you rotate the engine moving thetarget magnet (or reflective surface foroptical systems) over the governor sensor.It is not important whether the value reads0% or 100% when the target area is directlyover your sensor. It is only important that itchanges value only once as it crosses overyour sensor. If you see odd behavior, suchas multiple changes from one pass, chancesare you have selected the wrong governorsensor type. In this case, use the <left>

joystick motion to go back to the previoussubmenu & select the correct governorsensor type. In the case of an analogsensor type, it is again unimportant whetheryou see a high value or a low value whenyou move the target area over the sensor. Itis only important that you see an adequatechange in values. The low value must beless than 20% and the high value must be

greater than 70% for proper sensing. If youare not getting proper value changes adjustthe spacing between the governor sensorand its target. After using this sub-menu toverify you have selected the proper sensortype & set the spacing properly, the nextsub-menu will let you verify the overallgovernor functionality.

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Using an analog sensor:

With an analog sensor,such as the GV-1, atypical value when

magnet is away from sensor might be 4%.

With an analog sensor,such as the GV-1, atypical value when

magnet is directly over sensor might be 96%.

Using a digital sensor:

With a digital sensor,such as the one suppliedwith your Gyro/Gov, a

value of 0% results when target is overhead.

With a digital sensor,such as the one suppliedwith your Gyro/Gov, a

value of 100% results when target is away.

Use a <right> joystick movement to move tothe next submenu after testing & verifyingyour governor sensor strength with targetabove & away from sensor.

14.2 Governor “Hit Count”

The next submenu is called “Gov Hit Count”and is used as another aid in verifying thatyour governor sensor and target andGyro/Gov are configured properly for thegovernor function to work. In this mode, acounter variable is simply incremented every

time the Gyro/Gov senses the governortarget on your model. This value shouldonly increment by one each time the targetis moved past your sensor. If this is nothappening, something is not configuredproperly. If you see odd behavior when yourotate the governor target past your sensor,such as the value running up 5 or 6 countsin one pass, you have most likely selectedthe wrong sensor type. In this case, go backtwo submenus, change your sensor type,and try this experiment again. When youhave verified that this value increments by

one with each pass of your governor target,you can be assured that your Gyro/Gov isconfigured properly and your governorhardware is also configured properly.

At left, the “Gov HitCount” has accumulateda value of 7 after the

user has moved the target passed sensor 7 times.

Use a <right> joystick movement to move tothe next submenu after verifying you get onegovernor “hit” per revolution of your engine.

14.3 RPM

The RPM display is simply used to verifythat your RPM’s are being calculatedproperly. It is not advised that you run theengine while viewing this menu. Instead,simply rotate your engine cooling fan leftand right past your sensor magnet and verifythat reasonable values are being produced.If, for instance, the RPM value continued toread 0, you would know you had a problem.

An RPM of 25 isdisplayed at left.

14.4 Governor Stick Activation Test

If you have selected either “Stick Only” or“Stick & Switch” governor activation, thissubmenu will be active & allows you to movethe throttle stick around & view whether thegovernor would be enabled based on thestick criterion only. So if you have selected“Stick & Switch”, the switch position isignored in this test phase. You are simply

attempting to verify that the enable logic isworking properly from the point of view ofthe governor stick only.

With throttle at bottom(0%), the governor isdisabled.

As throttle advances to22%, the governor is stilldisabled.

After crossing the 25%activation threshold, thegovernor is now enabled.

Lowering throttle to 12%the governor remainsenabled

Lowering throttle to 9%the governor is nowdisabled

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Once you are satisfied that the logic meetsyour expectations, use a <right> joystickmovement to advance to the next submenu.

14.5 Governor Switch Activation Test

If you have selected either “Switch Only” or“Stick & Switch” governor activation, thissubmenu will be active & allows you to flipthe switch you have plugged into the “GovEnable” port of the Gyro/Gov and verify thegovernor enable logic is working asexpected. You will see the words “GovEnabled” for one switch position and thewords “Gov Disabled” for the other switchposition. If you wish to reverse theenable/disable switch direction, do this atyour transmitter end by reversing this switch

function.

At left, the governor isdisabled when switch isflipped back.

At left, the governor isenabled when switch isflipped forward.

Use a <right> joystick movement to advanceto the next submenu if satisfied with theswitch enable tests.

14.6 Governor Switch/Stick Activation Test

If you have selectedthe “Stick & Switch”governor activation

method (recommended by Helo Controls),this submenu will let you verify thecombinational logic of stick & switch toenable and/or disable the governor. Fromwithin this submenu, move your throttle stickup and down while flipping the governorenable switch back & forth and verify thatthe governor enable logic all works asanticipated within the Gyro/Gov. If either“Stick Only” or “Switch Only” was selected,this submenu will show an “N/A” on itssecond line display.

At left, the currentcombination of stick &switch positions would

disable the governor.

At left, the currentcombination of stick &switch positions would

enable the governor if rotor speed >= 70% desired.

Use a <right> joystick movement to advanceto the next submenu if fully satisfied with the

“Stick & Switch” enable tests.

14.7 Yaw Rate Commands

The yaw rate command menu is provided asa quick verification of what calibrated yawrate your stick movements will command.Move the rudder stick left & right while in thismenu to see what pirouette rate will becommanded at each stick position.

At left, the rudderstick commands

266 deg/s.

15 System Stats

The last top levelmenu item isentitled “System

Stats.” This menu simply provides governorstats, pirouette rate stats, and total enginerun time for the active model for your review.From the top level menus, apply a <centerpush> with your joystick to enter “SystemStats”.

15.1 Avg RPM with Standard Dev

The first system statistic is average sensedRPM for each flight mode. Use your 3-position flight mode switch to togglebetween flight modes and view the averageRPM and associated standard deviationcalculated over the course of your flightswhile in each particular flight mode. Notethat these values are only computed whilethe governor is engaged. Also note thatthese computations are cumulative over all

flights, so if specific stats are wished to beaccumulated over one particular flight, youmust first reset the system stats to clearthem from memory. Some example displaysfor this mode are shown below.

In Normal mode, theaverage sensed RPMwas 1500.2 with a

standard deviation of 8.

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In Idle-Up 1 mode, theaverage sensed RPMwas 1700.4 with astandard deviation of 12.

In Idle-Up 2 mode, theaverage sensed RPM

was 1599.8 with astandard deviation of 8.

15.2 Max RPM

The next system statistic to view is themaximum RPM sensed while in each flightmode. Note that seeing maximum valueshigher than the standard deviations shownin the previous submenu is normal, as thestandard deviation represents the RPMrange that was remained withinapproximately 63% of the time. A

momentary dip or overspeed that may haveonly occurred for a fraction of a second willbe captured and stored in the “Max SensedRPM” submenu for review. Use your 3-position flight mode switch to view eachmaximum.

In Normal mode, themaximum sensed RPMwas 1518.

In Idle-Up 1 mode, themaximum sensed RPMwas 1734.

In Idle-Up 2 mode, themaximum sensed RPMwas 1624.

15.3 Max Clockwise Yaw Rate

The next system statistic for review is themaximum clockwise yaw rate sensed foreach flight mode. Note that the maximumyaw rate set for each flight mode may not bephysically achievable by your helicopter,depending on several factors. The valuesshown are simply the maximum clockwise

yaw rates measured in the course of yourflights since a system stats reset. If younotice you are not achieving as fast a yawrate as you had hoped, try increasing rotorspeed and testing again, as you will be ableto achieve a higher pirouette rate withincreased rotor head speed.

In Normal mode, a CW315 deg/s piro rate was

sensed.

In Idle-Up 1 mode, a CW1260 deg/s piro rate wassensed.

In Idle-Up 2 mode, a CW680 deg/s piro rate was

sensed.

15.4 Max Counter-Clockwise Yaw Rate

The maximum pirouette rate in the counter-clockwise direction is also kept track ofindependently, for reference. These valueshave negative signs representing thecounter-clockwise direction and will showyou the maximum pirouette rate yourhelicopter reached in the counter-clockwisedirection through the course of your flights.

In Normal mode, a CCWpiro rate of -345 deg/swas sensed.

In Idle-Up 1, a CCW pirorate of -1048 deg/s wassensed.

In Idle-Up 2, a CCW pirorate of -694 deg/s wassensed.

15.5 Time on Engine

Any time your model’s engine is running, theGyro/Gov is keeping track of its run-time.This run-time can be viewed for the activemodel in your Gyro/Gov’s memory byviewing the “Time on Engine” display in thissubmenu. The engine runtime is given inhours, minutes, and seconds. You can usethis total engine runtime to help withscheduling maintenance tasks and reset thetimer when that maintenance has beenperformed. Or simply use to find out howmuch run time you are getting out of a gallon

of fuel.

At left, the total enginerun time shows 1 hour,26 minutes, and 18

seconds on the active model loaded in memory.

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15.6 Reset System Stats

If you wish to reset the system stats(excluding total engine runtime), thissubmenu allows that option. From here,with one joystick <center push> you can

reset the governor stats and pirouette ratestats in order to have them re-calculatedfresh for your next flight. Do not worry aboutthis clearing your total engine runtime, asthis has its own submenu selection.

At left, the submenudisplay asks if you wouldlike to reset system

stats. A joystick <center push> would achieve this.

15.7 Reset Engine Time

If you would like to reset your total engine

runtime, and start counting from zero again,the “Reset Eng Time?” submenu selectionallows you to do this with a joystick <centerpush> from this submenu. Note that allother Models in memory will not be affectedby this… only the active model’s engineruntime will be cleared.

At left, the submenudisplay asks if you wouldlike reset the total engineruntime. A joystick

<center push> would achieve this.

16 Preflight Checklist

Before each flight:

• Always check the transmitter andreceiver battery voltage to ensure itis adequate to complete the flight

• Power on the transmitter andGyro/Gov with the transmitter’srudder stick centered. Do not touchthe Gyro/Gov, helicopter or rudder

stick for at least 3 seconds as theGyro/Gov initializes. If thehelicopter is inadvertantly bumped,turn the system power off and onand allow it to re-initialize properly.

• Do a quick control surface test to besure all servos are functioning andmoving the swashplate, tail rotorpitch, and throttle correctly.

• Verify that the gyro is operatingcorrectly by quickly twitching it ineach direction and ensuring the tailrotor pitch is compensating in thecorrect direction. If this direction is

incorrect, perform the “Tx ModelCalibration” over again, or the modelcould yaw uncontrollably in flight.

• Verify that the governor sensor isplugged in and still at the correctdistance from engine cooling fan.

• Always exit programming mode byapplying a joystickc center pushheld for at least one second fromthe top level menus before flying.

17 In-Flight Setup

After setting up your Gyro/Gov for flight andperforming the preflight checklist, you willwant to perform the following in-flight setupprocedures on your first flight tests.

17.1 Rudder Servo Setup

Although the Gyro/Gov has Heading Holdcapability, and will find rudder trim itself, it isstill beneficial to ensure your tail rotor pitch

is set at trim when the servo horn is at a 90deg angle. This ensures a linear actionabout trim when corrections from one side orthe other. You would not want to beoperating, for instance, in a situation wherethe servo has to remain almost fullydeflected just to reach the tail rotor’s trimangle or the yaw response will be veryasymmetric and corrections to the deflectedside will have diminished control authority.

To perform the rudder trim setup, set theGyro/Gov’s “Gyro Gain Mode” in Rate mode

only from the “General Model Setup” menu,configure your helicopter with approximately8 deg of tail rotor pitch at center rudder stick,and liftoff into a hover. Be prepared forpossible adverse yawing motion at first anduse rudder action to correct. Note thedirection you were needing to apply a ruddercorrection, land the helicopter, and nudgeyour rudder trim in that direction to correct.Repeat this technique, lifting into a hover

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again, noting the required rudder stickdirection to hold zero yaw rate, land andnudge your rudder trim in that direction untilyou can liftoff into a hover and the helicopterdoes not yaw anymore, or at least has avery low yaw drift rate. Once this is done,you will want to re-position your tail rotorservo such that the trim position you havefound is obtained while the rudder servo isat a 90 deg angle as illustrated in Figure17-1. This will ensure a symmetric, linearaction about the helicopter’s tail rotor pitchtrim angle and give you the capability toswitch between Rate mode and HeadingHold mode while in flight.

Figure 17-1 Rudder Servo at Trim

The benefits of Rate mode include anextremely snappy response with virtuallyzero overshoot from a hover, and near

hands-off the rudder stick flying while in fastforward flight as the tail rotor and/or verticalstabilizer create a weather-vaning effectallowing the helicopter to be flown aroundwith nearly bank-only inputs, not requiringexcessive turn coordination between thelateral cyclic and rudder sticks. Thehelicopter also flies with minimum drag inthis mode as the body will self align with therelative wind due to the weather-vaningeffect. In advanced rotorcraft UAV’s thismode is often referred to as Airspeed Modeand used to conserve power and increase

endurance as flight with no sideslipminimizes drag, and hence, power required.

17.2 Throttle to Rudder Mixing

Before switching out of Rate mode, this isalso a good time to setup your Throttle toRudder Mixing from the “Advanced SetupOptions” menu. Although you may beaccustomed to gyro’s requiring that you

disable all throttle to rudder mixing on yourtransmitter so that the gyro does notinterpret this as a non-zero yaw ratecommand, the Gyro/Gov allows a throttle torudder mix in a feed-forward fashion since itis aware of both your throttle and rudderstick positions. For example, during a rapidpunch-out maneuver with rudder stickcentered, the Gyro/Gov is aware that thedesired yaw rate is zero while a large throttlecommand was applied, and can apply feed-forward rudder action ahead of the Ratemode or Heading Hold controllers whileleaving the rate mode command ZERO.Note that you will still want to ensure alltransmitter mixes to the rudder channel aredisabed.

To setup this mixing term, make sure youare in gyro Rate mode with 0% throttle to

rudder mixing initially set on the Gyro/Gov.From a hover, perform a few rapid climb-outs and observe the yaw transient thatoccurs from this maneuver. Land andconnect your LCD Programming Interface toadjust the throttle to rudder mixing term.You will not need to worry about the sign,only the magnitude, as the main rotordirection has already been programmedduring your General Model Setup. Increasethe throttle to rudder mixing and repeat thistest until you have found the mixing valuethat best attenuates the yaw excursions. At

this point, you can leave this value set inyour Gyro/Gov for either that flight modeonly, or copy it to each flight mode so youwill have this same level of throttle to ruddercontrol mixing for each flight mode while ineither Rate mode or Heading Hold. InHeading Hold mode, this allows the rudderto respond to a fast punch-out maneuverbefore a yaw rate is even sensed by thegyro system.

17.3 Pirouette Braking

With the Gyro/Gov setup in either Rate orHeading Hold mode, from a hover perform aseries of heading turns in each directionbrought to a rapid stop and observe thestopping behaviour. If you notice one sideseems slightly looser than the other, use theCW or CCW Piro Braking gains from the“Advanced Setup Options” menu to get amore consistant result to each side. If, forinstance, you notice that when braking from

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a clockwise rotation the response is slightlylooser than counter-clockwise, increase the“CW Piro Braking” gain to compensate. Thisgain is only applied during the brakingmaneuver, and nominal gains resume oncethe yaw rate has been arrested.

Gyro Gov Users Manual

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