FAQs - JochiPochi/TauLabs GitHub Wiki

Initial setup

I would like to connect a satellite receiver directly to my controller. Do I need to use a specific port?

You can use either the receiver port or flexi port. Note that most receivers need to be powered from 3.3V rather than 5V. In older software version only the flexi port supported satellite receiver binding, but recent versions can bind the receiver from either port.

I can't get the satellite receiver into bind mode - how is this process supposed to work?

After connecting the receiver, start GCS with your controller connected. On the board tab, set the appropriate port (e.g. receiver) to DSM2. Save the settings and power cycle your controller. Reconnect in the right pane go to Browser > Hardware settings and set the DSM bind value to a non-zero value (e.g. 3). Save your settings with the button at the top.

Disconnect your USB cable and connect your 5V batteries to your ESCs, and ensure that the ESCs are connected to your board. On power up the LED on your satellite receiver should start blinking rapidly, indicating that it is in bind mode. The DSM bind value and prototype (e.g. DSM2 or DSMX 10-bit) are not critical for this step - any combination of settings should be capable of getting your satellite receiver into bind mode.

If your satellite receiver LED does not start blinking, then it did not enter bind mode. One potential cause of this problem is bootloader latency. To enter bind mode, the satellite receiver needs to receive a series of pulses within approximately 100 ms of receiving 3.3V. Most boards can not separately control the VDD provided to the satellite receiver, and so it is important that the delay introduced by the bootloader and firmware loading is on the order of 100 ms or less. See the forums for more details and potential solutions.

If you successfully entered bind mode on the satellite receiver, power on your TX in bind mode and wait for the blinking LED to turn solid. Turn everything off, reconnect the USB and set the DSM bind value back to zero. Power cycle the controller and then turn on your TX. The satellite receiver LED should be solid. If it blinks then it indicates that your TX was turned on before your controller - retry with the TX initially turned off. Enter the input configuration wizard and check if GCS responds to your TX controls. If not, then it indicates you need to experiment with port settings for the receiver - see User-Guide:-Spectrum-Binding.

First flights

Immediately after takeoff my copter flips forward/backwards or left/right. What is wrong?

Check that the board is mounted in the correct orientation. If it is reversed then the feedback loops switch from negative (stable) to positive (unstable) and your copter flips over.

My copter does not fly straight/level - it wants to pitch or roll continuously. What can cause this?

First ensure that in GCS you ran Attitude > Automatic level detection on a flat surface. Second, ensure that in Input > Flight Mode Switch Settings that you are flying in a mode with attitude control for roll and pitch. In the absence of input from your TX, the controller will aim to maintain this level orientation. If it fails, check that the trim settings on your TX are zeroed out. Also check the settings in Stablization > Basic. If the integral gains for rate stabilization are zeroed out then it can lead to non-level flight.

A small amount of pitch/roll is normal (less than 1 degree) and can be trimmed out by using the trim switches on your TX followed by selecting Vehicle > Airframe trimming > Set level angle. See the 2nd getting started video for more details. If you need more than 5 degrees of trim and you ensured that your copter was level during automatic level detection then it indicates that there is another problem.