These instructions explain how to set up a Spektrum DX7 transmitter for 6 different flight modes, using just the 3 position Flaps switch (in combination with the Rudder switch). This way you'll use just one channel for the flight modes and leave the Gear and Aux2 channel open ...
(note that you have to use the DX7 in "airplane mode", not in "heli mode" to fly a quadcopter)
- switch on your remote while pressing SCROLL DOWN and SELECT
- go to "D/R Switch Sel" menu (with the SCROLL UP/DOWN button)
- select "Com Rudd" by pressing the INCREASE button
- go to the "Input Select" menu (with the SCROLL UP/DOWN button)
- press select until you reach "Flap:", make sure it is set to "System" (you can change the setting with the INCREASE button)
- press SELECT
- set "Flap Trim" to "Inh" by pressing the INCREASE button
- switch off the remote
- switch on the remot
- Press SCROLL DOWN + SELECT to access the programming mode
- Go to "Mix1" (with the SCROLL UP/DOWN button)
- go into the menu of "Mix1" by pressing the INCREASE button
- Select "Flap" > by pressing the INCREASE button
- press SELECT to jump to the second position and select > "Flap" by pressing the INCREASE button
- press SELECT
- Set rate to "+100%" and "-50%" (with the INCREASE/DECREASE button, you'll have to put the FLAP switch in the "N" position for the first value and into the "2" position to set the second value)
- press SELECT
- Set SW to "Mix" by pressing the INCREASE button
- press SELECT
- set offset to "10" by pressing the INCREASE button
- Go to "Flap Sys" menu (with the SCROLL UP/DOWN button)
- set Flap Norm = UP to "46%" (with the SCROLL UP/DOWN button)
- press twice SELECT
- set Flap Mid = DN to "8%" (with the SCROLL UP/DOWN button)
- press twice SELECT
- set Flap Land = DN to "100%" (with the SCROLL UP/DOWN button)
- press twice SELECT
- set Auto Land to Inhibit (with the SCROLL UP/DOWN button)
connect now your APM to the Ardupilot Mega Planner, go to the setup page and assign different flight modes to the switch combinations of your remote.
I like to have easy access to the simple mode (just to get very quick out of a difficult situation) which is the reason why I have two switch combinations programmed for simple mode. I have set it the way that simple mode is always selected if the "Flaps" switch is on "N" (away from me), no matter if the "Rudder" switch is on or off. This way I have just 5 modes accessible, but I can very easy and quick switch back to simple mode.
(this is based on the blog post by Limebear)
www.diesunddas.co.uk
Comments
@ Cody
I have the same setup - Pixhawk, DX7 and Satellite. I also have exactly the same problem as you getting the modes setup. Your suggestion may be able to select 6 modes but it uses two channels. The purpose of this thread is how to set up the DX7 to get 6 modes using only one ch. That leaves ch 6 and 7 free for a head tracker for example. If I find a solution to our problem I will post. Jonathan
Hi Cody, you can swap the wires (of channel 5 and 6) going from the receiver to the APM. [I hope I understood your problem correctly]
You should be fine if your values lie (at least) 5 - 10 points apart.
Felix
just make sure that the values (sent by the transmitter) are not too similar/lie too close together,
otherwise it can happen that it jumps between two modes.
Felix
Hi Fred
if you manage to select the modes via radio in the mission planner,
then you will be able to do the same in the field - so you are ok.
Felix
I've never used a DX7 before, but I followed the instructions and it works great. I'd like to use the elevator D/R switch instead of the rudder switch since the elevator D/R switch and the flap switch are right next to each other. In the step where you select COM RUDD, I changed it to COM ELEV, but nothing changed--it works exactly the same. I don't see anywhere else the rudder switch was selected. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Jason
Hi
I don't have my DX7 any more, but I recall that I didn't reach the maximum too.
But it was no problem in the end, I used the Ardupilot Mega Planner to assign the various flight modes to the different positions. As long as you get different values for the different positions/combinations you should be fine as you can assign a mode to each value.
Felix
Hi Felix
My values were correct, but you were spot on, I simply had to delete my model and recreate the profile and I could access all 6 modes! Except... mode 5 (Mix pos 1, Flaps pos N) does not want to change. It stays in Manual mode. I'm not too worried about it, but just curious as to why.
Hi
can you confirm that you have set all the "%" values as shown in the description above?
If this doesn't help, try to reset all the settings for the selected model on your remote and start again with the steps outlined above (maybe you have somewhere something set, which influences your settings).
Hope this helps
Felix
Wonderful, but I can only get 4 modes. I've made a short clip to indicate the signal range of the combinations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0myIPY_iCbM
It's as if I don't have enough spread through the channel. Can anybody help?
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next