swapping ST16 channel

JoePGM · Feb 23, 2017

See this video , the idea of using left stick to control camera is really great. Anyone knows how to do that?

BobW55 · Feb 23, 2017

Either he figured out how to hack the ST-16 firmware, or he went inside the ST-16 and moved the wires to the potentiometers around. Would love to know where the YAW control ended up.

prathbun · Feb 24, 2017

Looks to me like it went to the camera pan knob...

Haydn · Feb 25, 2017

thats really cool.
I have asked him to dropbox a copy of his model... hopefully he does that so we can import it and have a muck around with it.
Looks good.

jcowgar · Feb 25, 2017

BobW55 said:
Either he figured out how to hack the ST-16 firmware, or he went inside the ST-16 and moved the wires to the potentiometers around. Would love to know where the YAW control ended up.

You should be able to do all of that in the channel mapping, I do not think any hacking or rewiring should be necessary. Today is a bad flying day, so maybe I'll play around a bit with it indoors with props off.

jcowgar · Feb 25, 2017

OK, I was able to do this via Channel Mapping. I'll make a video tutorial later today, but with a twist, if I can figure it out

. I am going to make it to where the left stick altitude controls Altitude when the tilt mode switch is in A or V, but it will control tilt if in the center position. The left stick yaw will still control yaw if the pan mode switch is in F or G, but it will control pan if the pan mode switch is in the center.

Michael Brown · Feb 25, 2017

jcowgar said:
You should be able to do all of that in the channel mapping, I do not think any hacking or rewiring should be necessary. Today is a bad flying day, maybe I'll play around a bit with it.

I agree, most of the switches can be changed in the channel mapping, but you better know what you're doing. Can't imagine using the camera tilt as your movement up and down though.

Twowingers · Feb 25, 2017

Y?

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

jcowgar · Feb 26, 2017

Wanted to give an update. I made the video yesterday, but due to weather did not get a chance to actually fly it at all. I also need to spend some time editing the video to make it more useful, there is an hour of raw video, I'm sure I can condense it. I'll have it up for you guys in a day or so. Sorry about that. I should have taken into account editing/fly time when making my above statement about recording a video.

Thanks!

jcowgar · Feb 26, 2017

Michael Brown said:
I agree, most of the switches can be changed in the channel mapping, but you better know what you're doing. Can't imagine using the camera tilt as your movement up and down though.

Yes, although I did it like that in the video I actually talk about this for a minute. It is not a fine control. More than that, if you switch over into the "Left Stick is Gimbal" mode, and your tilt slider controls the altitude, and your tilt slider is up or down, guess what? Your H will immediately begin to climb or descend.

Although I show how to do it in the video, what I think I would do for my personal H is simply leave the Altitude and Yaw unmapped while in the "Left Stick is Gimbal" mode. Therefore, the H will simply remain at the same altitude and yaw heading while in the new mode.

BobW55 · Feb 26, 2017

@jcowgar
Would be interesting to see your list of what channels control what.
I believe a few of the channels may be mixed to provide the desired result.

I would caution anyone not familiar with channel mapping and mixing not attempt to change yours. While simple in theory, it can have disastrous results if you are not careful.

jcowgar · Feb 26, 2017

BobW55 said:
@jcowgar
Would be interesting to see your list of what channels control what.
I believe a few of the channels may be mixed to provide the desired result.

I would caution anyone not familiar with channel mapping and mixing not attempt to change yours. While simple in theory, it can have disastrous results if you are not careful.

Yes, through this exercise, I mapped out what channels do what and what inputs affect the channels. I guess working in the channel mixer with the various curves available does not really scare me that much. I've been building models from scratch doing very complex, multiple channel input mixes for a long time. It is not something one should mess with if they do not clearly understand what is going on. In my video I am making about the subject, I try to show what is happening as we go along. It is not a video do step 1, 2 and 3, then you're done. I hope by the end, one will understand what was done and why.

Anyway, the channel mixing... now I am using Mode 2, so I am not yet sure if you're using a different mode how it will affect things. Before I'm done, I'll configure my ST16 for a different mode.

Ch1 = Throttle, J1 and B1. B1 is the Arm/Disarm switch. When pressing, it sets Ch1 output to be -25% regardless of throttle position
Ch2 = Aileron, J4
Ch3 = Elevator, J3
Ch4 = Rudder, J2
Ch5 = Flight Mode, S4
Ch6 = Return to Home, S4. This channel goes to 150% when S4 is in Home position
Ch7 = Tilt, K2
Ch8 = Pan, K1
Ch9 = Tilt Mode, S1
Ch10 = Pan Mode, S2
Ch11 = Gear, S5
Ch12 = ???, it is connected to B2 which the manual says is for future expansion

Now, interestingly, Ch13-Ch24 are grayed out. I did not find any channel that is bound to the Obs Avoidance switch. Nor does the Obs Avoidance switch change any of the outbound channels, at least according to the channel monitor. That makes me wonder how the avoidance system is enabled/disabled.

It's been quite fun learning how the ST16 works internally. The mixing capabilities are quite nice. It even has 9 point spline curves, a few mixing modes and priority levels.

Dr Delta · Feb 26, 2017

No, it is not me, but this dude really knows about ST16+.

cheers!

BobW55 · Feb 26, 2017

Supposedly the ST-16 is a 16 channel radio. Wonder if 13-16 have to do with GPS ON/OFF and switching between video mode and Photo mode?

jcowgar · Feb 26, 2017

Dr Delta said:
No, it is not me, but this dude really knows about ST16+.!

Thanks the links but it seems it is all in German, I can't understand anything he is saying.

Dr Delta · Feb 26, 2017

jcowgar said:
Thanks the links but it seems it is all in German, I can't understand anything he is saying.

Pity. Maybe learnig some German and watching what he does takes less time then finding out yourself.
Dude might be willing to translate the important parts too, why not ask?

jcowgar · Feb 26, 2017

BobW55 said:
Supposedly the ST-16 is a 16 channel radio. Wonder if 13-16 have to do with GPS ON/OFF and switching between video mode and Photo mode?

The thing I don't understand is that if 13-16 were for those items, you would think that when you change any of those settings that the channel monitor would change the output of those channels, which are displayed, but it does not.

jcowgar · Feb 26, 2017

Dr Delta said:
Pity. Maybe learnig some German and watching what he does takes less time then finding out yourself.
Dude might be willing to translate the important parts too, why not ask?

I may ask, but I have everything working and understand why it works. It's really not that much different than mapping channels and mixes with other radio systems such as Futaba, Spektrum and FrSky.

Dr Delta · Feb 26, 2017

jcowgar said:
I may ask, but I have everything working and understand why it works. It's really not that much different than mapping channels and mixes with other radio systems such as Futaba, Spektrum and FrSky.

cool.

BobW55 · Feb 26, 2017

I have a Taranis Plus. If it were not for that radio, I would be afraid to touch anything on the ST-16.
Like you said, once you understand outputs and mixes it is not that hard.