Modify Aura Control Mode Settings

[toryander]

I've been working through the Aura users manual. It's kind of like whirlpool and sucks you under. I'm trying to figure out how to get a little more stick control in stabilize mode. Currently, my aircraft turns so slowly with full left stick that I think it's going to go out of range. I'd like to change the setting to allow a just a little more rotation and rudder. Perhaps I'm asking for something far more complicated than I expect, but I thought I would see what someone with experience has to say on this. Someone might point out that I should take it out of stabilize mode to turn more quickly. I did this and immediately lost control and the wings folded and it fell like Icarus out of the sky.

Just an additional note: I believe part of my turning problem is that the rudder isn't involved. I noticed that when I tested my aura that there was no rudder with aileron (mix) (as in Trainer model on Pocket from FT) and there was no rudder with the rudder stick. I'm thinking I have plugged my rudder servo into the wrong pins on the Aura (Pin 5). If I plug it in to pin 3 (2nd aileron) perhaps rudder will move with aileron? I would test it, but I've crashed and broken all my planes. It will be a bit before I get back in the air.

 

[LitterBug]

Yeah. In Stabilized mode, I raise the max angles for roll and pitch so I can turn faster and drive down on the runway. Roll is a single limit, pitch has max climb and max descent angles. Not sure what would happen if you go past 90 degrees, but I don't believe it will let you. FYI, The way Flex Innovation does "catch" mode is by doing a high alpha climb setting.

I need to load up the flex configurator on a windows box to get you a screenshot. Accidentally wiped the windows partition on my laptop, which only gets used for things that won't run in Linux like the Aura Configurator.

 

[toryander]

Sounds good. Looking forward to the screen shot. I'm really tired of crashing my planes, but need a little more leeway in stabilize mode.
"Accidentally wiped the windows partition on my laptop, which only gets used for things that won't run in Linux" One of my sons feels the same way about windows. He's also a Linux man.

 

[LitterBug]

What you are looking for is the "Angle Cmd" section for roll and pitch. Default is +- 65 max roll and pitch is 30 down and 45 up as seen above.

 

[LitterBug]

One of my sons feels the same way about windows. He's also a Linux man.

Good Boy! I have been using it since the mid 90s. Been using Unix in general since the early 80s.

 

[toryander]

I've been pondering what you've told me. I've attached a picture. To allow more roll rate in Control Mode B (Low Gain) I need to increase the "Roll" Angle command to something more than what is currently shown? Second question: Does the Rate P-Gain at the top and the Angle P-Gain near the bottom have anything to do with it. I'm confused with the Angle command because it says -+65, but I'm only getting 3 or 4 degrees of roll in stabilize mode (low gain).

One other note that may or may not be relevant: My rudder doesn't seem to be in use when using Aura. I have it plugged into pin 5. Should it be in pin 3 (aileron) if there is an aileron/rudder mix? Is the lack of rudder causing my low roll?

 

[LitterBug]

If you are talking about deflection of your control surfaces, those don't really mean anything when the plane is not in the air in anything other than full manual mode.

The gain setting is for the PID controller and I have never really needed to mess with those.

The angle command is the only setting that I have had to change. 65° of roll is what you should be able to achieve in that mode.

Perhaps there is another issue. Maybe in the radio or radio calibration on the Aura. First of all, make sure you do not have any mixing or low rates set up in your radio. The Aura needs to see the sticks as they actually are.

Click on the live data box while attached to the configurator on the first page. (Make sure to take your prop off first). At the bottom of the first screen, you will see a representation of what the Aura believes your stick positions are. Move your sticks around and the display on the Aura should match exactly.

If the sticks don't match, then we need to look at the settings on your radio.

What Radio and Receiver are you using?

 

[toryander]

I'm using the Pocket ELRS tx and the Radiomaster er4 rx. I've checked the sticks as you showed and they match perfectly. I'm using the preconfigured Aura Model that came with the Pocket from FiteTest. There is a "Mix" screen present (ail, elv, thr, rud at 100 weight) but no mixing of control surfaces. Sitting here on the ground with stabilize mode on all of the control surfaces have full range. I noticed my rudder is working as it should with rudder stick. I haven't been using that in my turns (used to the 'trainer' ail/rud mix in 'Trainer' model). I suppose that will make a difference if I use that in my turns with Stabilize mode? I'll create a new pair of wings (with carbon rods inserted this time) and do another test. Testing is hard for me because I keep crashing and breaking and it takes so much time to fly again. (I've seen in a couple of videos that I am supposed to set servos to 125% but I don't see a servo screen anywhere in my Pocket menus.)

 

[LitterBug]

I'm using the Pocket ELRS tx and the Radiomaster er4 rx. I've checked the sticks as you showed and they match perfectly. I'm using the preconfigured Aura Model that came with the Pocket from FiteTest. There is a "Mix" screen present (ail, elv, thr, rud at 100 weight) but no mixing of control surfaces. Sitting here on the ground with stabilize mode on all of the control surfaces have full range. I noticed my rudder is working as it should with rudder stick. I haven't been using that in my turns (used to the 'trainer' ail/rud mix in 'Trainer' model). I suppose that will make a difference if I use that in my turns with Stabilize mode? I'll create a new pair of wings (with carbon rods inserted this time) and do another test. Testing is hard for me because I keep crashing and breaking and it takes so much time to fly again. (I've seen in a couple of videos that I am supposed to set servos to 125% but I don't see a servo screen anywhere in my Pocket menus.)

The 125% is for Spektrum transmitters because they default to shorter throws than other radios.

Usually servo throws on the ground are limited in the gyro/stabilized modes. Only Manual normally has full throw on the ground. The stabilized modes use the gyro to determine how fast the roll/pitch is happening to limit the speed to what max roll/pitch rates are set to.