| |
High Performance 800 degree/s Gyro Project
The photos are of a prototype high performance helicopter tail gyro based on the
Silicon Sensing Systems Ltd
CRG20 sensor. This device varient used here supports a maximum pirouette rate of 800
degrees/second and features built in temperature compensation. It also has a fully
digital interface implemented as an SPI bus (i.e. no explicit analogue to digital
conversion is required).
Most of the required firmware has now been developed by Martin and myself, and we
have just started flight testing. This is where we discover if our grasp of DSP, PID
control theory and bearing tracking algorithms are actually any good! So far the gyro
is working extremely well.
The "flying prototypes" are constructed on a small surface mount PCB - See the photos
below. These prototypes are approximately twice the size as a Spartan ds760. Once the
design is proven we'll shrink it down by about 60% and house it in a proper case.
We're very excited about this project as it has been a lot of fun to develop, and
we are expecting extremely good performance!
Various Gyro Test Videos
First Glow Powered Flight...
This video is of the
first flight on an OS37 powered Century Hawk 30. We used this helicopter as it’s
old/expendable and no longer really flown, as such it has now become our dedicated
test machine.
We’d not flown this helicopter for a while, and had forgotten how underpowered and
sloppy these old 30 sized helis can be when compared to 50s and 90s. Nevertheless
it will make a useful test bed as so far the gyro hasn’t been flown on anything that
generates any real level of vibration.
The gyro worked extremely well, although it was slightly let down by the twistable
torque tube currently fitted to the model. This need replacing with something
more rigid as we could hear it winding and unwinding in flight!
Ongoing Improvements
- Low noise switched PSU with a 3-10 volt compliance
| | (Design now complete) |
- Much smaller PCB that also incorporates the new PSU
| | (In progress) |
- PC/Smart Phone configuration client
| | (Started, hardware in place) |
- Triple axis Flybar-less varient
| | (Contemplation...) |
GY401 to 9251/9256 or BLS251 Adapter
I designed this unit to sit between the GY401's output and the tail servo. The
unit simply converts from a 1.52ms to a 760us centered pulse stream, with an
output frame rate fixed at 333Hz.
The converter does not expect any particular input frame rate so could be used
with many other gyros that support standard pulse width servos.
The unit also provides a means to set each travel end point for the tail servo, a
feature missing from the GY401 (it only has the facility to either increase or
decrease the overall travel, so with asymmetric tail setups one direction often
doesn't get the maximum throw that it might otherwise achieve).
Setup mode is entered by powering up the device with the push button held down.
Maximum mechanical end points can now be located by using the rudder input in
combination with the push button. As the rudder stick is operated, the servo will
slowly advance or retreat in the particular stick direction, with centre stick
causing it to halt at its current position. The software will force you to set
each end point independently. Once a given limit has been found operating the push
button will store it permanently. After the second end point has been stored the
unit exits setup mode and begins operating normally.
If during flight the unit suffers a brown-out it will flash the LED, or if the
unit is reset as the result of a software problem the LED will illuminate
permanently, this second type of reset should never occur! Errors are persisted
across power cycles and must be cleared by operating the push button.
The unit is based on the 16F628A PIC microprocessor and the software has been
developed in assembler using the free MPLAB development IDE from
Microchip. The complete assembler source
and MPLAB project files are available here: MPLAB_Project.zip 62k
In circuit programming is achieved via ISCP (4 pin header on top left of the PCB).
Power from the programmer is also required and needs to be supplied to the unit
via either the servo or gyro connector.
A full parts list is available here: parts list 2k
The Gerber files required to fabricate the PCB are available here: gerber_247_files.zip 5k
 | Blitz Avro (YS91, 30% Coolpower, GY611, TJ Pro) |  |
| |
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
