The control board comes preprogramed with just about any multi-rotor up to 6 rotors. You don't have to re-flash your board to configure for a new setup. This board also features a single 3-axis MEMS gyro chip which is much more streamlined than the old insert of a large vertical board.
The i86 stabilizer is primarily made for multi rotors but airplane pilots can use this too. To setup the board refer to the included diagram, flip the DIPs, make a few calibrations with your radio, and you're ready to fly!
We've installed the i86 on our TwinStar II ARF foam flyer. The TwinStar II is a great FPV flyer and we thought it'd be the perfect plane to try this stabilization board on. We setup an FPV station so Josh can watch the onboard camera live and give us an instant review of how well the board works to stabilize our plane.
Flying with the i86 stabilizer off, Josh could see from the FPV live feed that the plane was flying shaky in the wind, as expected. So we did another flight with the i86 turned on. But first we had to make a few calibrations and do some stick centering.
With the board off, we turned the pitch to zero and on our radio, we centered all of our trims. We powered the board up and checked the gyro compensation to be sure they are working correctly. We switched some of the banks on the control board because our ailerons were reversed. The elevator was correct. The rudder was reversed, so we switched that.
On a side note: The HobbyKing manual currently doesn't list the banks correctly, the banks on the board are setup as: 5-6 controls yaw, 3-4 elevator (pitch), 1-2 roll.
Although there will always be some uncontrollable shaking or vibration that will occur, the i86 board seems to improve the stability of our plane. In addition to the i86 board, you can improve your FPV video results and your planes stabilization by balancing your plane and your props before flight.
Links to some of the items mentioned in this episode:
Hobbyking i86 Multi-Rotor Control Board
Twin Star II ARF
FPV Station
Balancing your plane
Balancing Props
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Good episode. Though you did say you were going to do side by side comparison...
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Gyro's have come a very long way, but this i86, for $20 is flat out awesome. I do wish it had a cover (box) but for the low price I can deal without that. I'd like to see you review it on a 3D foamy, because with mine, I have been able to hover hands-off. One handed knife edge passes all the way down the runway and absoloute rock solid high alpha.
Thanks flitetest!
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http://kiwitricopter.blogspot.co.nz/2012/11/arduino-rx-stabilization-code.html
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Just got my board and when i switch it on, after turning on my tx of course, I just get a flashing red led. The manual states no signal???????
Any advise would be appreciated.
Nick.
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