28 juin 2009

Some screenshots of the PC appli

Here are some screenshots of the application running on the PC. The radio is connected to the PC through a serial/usb cable. Each change done within this interface is applied immediately to the radio. Each model configuration can be stored/retrieved, they are just plain ASCII files.


The first tab is for stick configuration, it allows to calibrate the stick and set various positions:


Next tab allows to configure channels (servos). Each channel(servo) is shown in a row with all its mixes and settings that have been configured. By clicking on a button, the configurable settings of the mix are shown. Each mix has its own settings, they depends on how the function has been implemented within the radio.


Each servo may have any number of "smix" and "trans" functions. A "smix" defines a mixer, that means that this function will simply add a value to the current servo position. Several "smix" will be added together, this can be used for instance to define Vtail, snap, or diff or any function that need to add or sub some input to the current servo position.


The "trans" type allows to transform the servo position. For instance to limit the course, or to reverse, to adapt the servo pulse, etc...



13 juin 2009

First flight with an airplane





Today, I flew an Acromaster with the radio RCHv2 (5 servos). It worked like a charm. No interferences, no problems at all. I used the new program interface I developped for PC for programming on the field. I was a bit afraid to bring a PC to the field, because of the screen brightness and the Sun. But a neetbook with good screen, like the Samsung NC10, it's ok and very usable. Even if the software interface is not tuned for high contrast (one more thing in the todo list), it is still readable and can be used to tune the settings at the field.
With the new radio, I found the plane more precise and accurate and more confortable than with my Futaba 12Z... Strange isn't it ? Probably the feeling is due to my happiness to fly with the radio and also may be 2.4Ghz transmission.