CARVEC Systems
Contents
1. Overview CARVEC Systems the original designers of the market leading Radian have been developing and improving the system More than 75 of the software has been reworked or re written to produce a new system called the CARVEC G Lock The G Lock will be available in a new processor module which improves and adds to the Radian design However the main stabilisation system has also been developed to work in the existing Radian modules by increasing the processor speed by 25 and optimising or rewriting existing software New 2 axis Tilt Roll or 3 axis Pan Tilt Roll stabilisation from a single module New Proportional mode to set gimbal angles using a dial or shoulder lever New User configurable slew acceleration control to smooth out camera operator inputs and give professional looking movements New Remote gain adjustment for any or all of the 3 axis New CARVEC High Speed Link HSL mode allows a module to be mounted in a remote location eg under the camera tray without any wire bundles to impede gimbal movement A thin 4 core cable connects it to an optional CARVEC Signal Master module The two spare connections can be used as general purpose servo outputs eg camera trigger giving minimal wiring across the rotating gimbal axis News The remote mounting feature will allow connection to other modules in the future which will drive different motor types Improved Supports SBUS 2 re2. RC Radio input stream is valid Slow Flash IMU internal self test failure Page 4 of 22 Configuring the G Lock The G Lock module can perform stabilisation for all 3 axis of a camera gimbal Each axis operates more or less independently of the others apart from a few common settings The easiest way to set the system up is to do one axis at a time whilst the other 2 are not enabled When they are all working OK individually then they can all be enabled Configuration Software Display Windows These are the windows shown on the PC display aan 5 D0 CARVEC G Lock File Window Help Figure 1 The Status Display window Figure shows the status display window This shows you what is happening with the input and output signals The axis which is being shown is lit green To change the axis simply click the desired button on the configuration window It will change to green if the switch was successful Page 5 of 22 a G Lock Configuration Close Default Load Save O 400Hz 200Hz gd Enable Axis Off in Fixed Pos IM Use Raw RC in i OSM2 1024 E On with Spektrum BB On with SM Ist choice Figure 2 The Configuration window Figure 2 is the configuration window which shows all the settings for an axis When you click to change the axis it will automatically read the settings from the G Lock module and update the display The button for the axis selected will change to green if it was successful
3. What is the operating voltage for the module ooooWooooomoWo 15 How do I check the G Lock is configured correctly for the way I have mounted it 15 How do I use a dial on the radio to adjust the gain in real time oooo 15 How Do I Reset a G Lock to the Factory Defaults ooooWoWooo 16 Common Problems amp Solutions ooWoo mona 17 When I operate the tilt the roll axis also changes slightly oooooooo 17 I am not using a Signal Master module and I am not getting any Pan servo output 17 The gimbal servos drive constantly as soon as I apply power to the Signal Master Mod le heigen cyst canta mana sa na tesa aan Rn aa 17 I can t see any input from the G Lock on the Signal Master display 17 Appendix A Wiring diagram for a standalone G Lock oo oo 18 Appendix B Wiring diagram for the G Lock with a CARVEC Signal Master module 19 Appendix C PC connection using the CARVEC USB Adapter ooooooo 20 Adapter hardware connection and pin out oooooomooW W 20 Configuring the Adapter to automatically install as COM10 o ooooooo 20 Changing the PC software to use a different COM port 21 Verifying the PC software connection oiooo ooo Wo WoW W o0co Wo Woomn ailesenddesedbeaanncaedonets 21 Appendix D Entering bootloader mode for firmware upgrade ooo 22 Page 2 of 22
4. COM port of the dongle You need to know what COM port number the operating system has assigned by opening the control panel as described in the previous section On the main PC display click Window gt Comms Port A window will appear which allows you to select the associated COM port Verifying the PC software connection Using the 3 pin to 6 pin cable supplied with the USB Adapter connect the G Lock PC connection pins to the TTL row of pins on the dongle Also connect the Dongle to the PC using the USB lead Now run the G Lock software on the PC It should start without any error messages If it complains about the COM port check all the settings above for COM10 configuration and try again Now power up the Radian and click the Connect TILT button The button should turn green along with the servo gain indicator bar markers This indicates successful connection Page 21 of 22 Appendix D Entering bootloader mode for firmware upgrade To place the module into bootloader mode to enable a firmware update using the CARVEC bootloader system please short together the top pins of Ports 5 and 6 of the G Lock Radian then power on the module Entry into bootloader mode is signalled by both LEDs immediately lighting solid The module is now ready to be updated Please see the documentation for the CARVEC bootloader system for further details Page 22 of 22
5. Clicking an axis on this window will also automatically change the selected axis on the status display Page 6 of 22 Input Channel Monitor Figure 3 The Input Channel Monitor window Figure 3 is the input channel monitor and will show all the signals which are coming into the G Lock module This window is updated is real time so you can move the radio controls switches and be sure what the G Lock is getting This window is not shown by default It is selected from the status window figure 1 under the Window gt Input Channel Monitor option Setting the Mode Channel The mode channel should be set first to ensure the system can be put into the correct operating mode for testing Only one mode channel is needed and it is configured using axis 0 on the Configuration window Click 0 Tilt on the Configuration window It should turn green to indicate the config was successfully read from the G Lock module Now click the number next to Mode and enter the channel you wish to use Remember you can open the Input Channel Monitor window to see which switches to what in real time Click Write after changing the Mode channel to apply the new settings to the G Lock Page 7 of 22 Configuration Window General Settings I O Configuration Slew The input channel used for the slewing of the current axis Mode Only visible for Axis O Tilt Selects the channel used fo
6. Spektrum satellite is being used Port 1 can be used directly for power e Ports 5 6 may be used for power also but obviously the PC cable cannot be connected at the same time During setup one of the servo ports for a different axis could be used e If less that 3 axis are being used the unused servo port can be used for power e The cable from the Rx to the G Lock must be heavy duty enough to supply the power for all the servos being used Page 18 of 22 Appendix B Wiring diagram for the G Lock with a CARVEC Signal Master module Signal Master a Power 3 to 12v 4 Make sure servos are rated for voltage Tilt Axis Servo gt Roll Axis Servo Pan Axis Servo When the Signal Master module is used only 4 wires are required to connect to the G Lock module The G Lock should be configured for HSL in the Data Out box only displayed when axis O Tilt is selected in the Configuration window Page 19 of 22 Appendix C PC connection using the CARVEC USB Adapter Adapter hardware connection and pin out The CARVEC USB Adapter uses a high quality FTI chipset to provide a reliable data connection across all windows operating systems both 32 and 64 bit Gnd ik USB Dongle Module Out Out Port 4 In Port 5 Gnd Gnd C NOTE Do not connect the adapter directly to any RS232 device The module may be permanently damaged Configuring the Adapter to automatically i
7. label goes green on the main window showing the module is connected and working When the Tilt goes green the box HSL Valid should be checked showing the two modules are communicating 5 Open the Input Channel Monitor window so see the input signals to the G Lock module then turn on the RC Tx As you move the sticks the input channels should change just as they did on the Signal Master window earlier Now go through each axis Tilt Roll Pan using the configuration window For each one If necessary you can click Default gt Reset Axis To Factory Defaults to initialise the axis data You must do this for each axis the first time you use a module after it has been upgraded to a G Lock from a Radian Set the slew channel to the appropriate choice as seen in the Input Channel Monitor window When setting the Tilt channel also set the Mode channel You can also set the orientation for the module click the Wizard button to see the available choices Page 13 of 22 6 Now you can tune each axis of the G Lock It is easiest to do these one at a time Uncheck the Enable axis option for the Roll and Pan axis to just leave the tilt axis Connect the tilt axis servo to the Signal Master module port 10 Now tune setup the axis as desired When the Tilt axis is OK check the Enable Axis for the Roll axis and tune setup as desired The servo for Roll goes into Port 11 of the Signal Ma
8. Gimbal Lock System by CARVEC Systems G Lock Gimbal Lock System Radian Upgrade Version User Manual Issue 1 Page of 22 COV ET VIEW MA Na aan anakan Nana ngan 3 Module Pin Assignments Weni mama uan nasa 4 LED AGG atl ONS been mana Man ana aa ea nba En RR Rn 4 GEN AN SNN MEN LAN TE 4 OW banana Bana na comedies E NA EA AD NB G3ins 4 Conticuring the GA Oo anna ain AN mkn an Maan aa NN NN EEE E 5 Configuration Software Display Windows oooooWoo aaaaa 5 Setting the Mode Clarice cease svc SABUN E einen 7 Configuration Window General Settings oooooo oo 8 YO ConfigutatiOn i bin men uan ikan anal 8 Na MA ek ON NN ba 8 Current Angle Demanded Ang lear se SIN EN RB 8 SlewiR ate AAN AAA SNN LE BE ha 9 Slewing Mode one kena nela An a NB inn 9 OpUODS 4 tenan aa EN AS NN NN E RE REE EE 9 RCS CIE ss en ena nia pen ana BN na 10 SW VISION jade alt RR SRI NU BNN en eats 10 Guide to Mounting and Setting Up a G LOCK ooWoooo WWW 11 PrecondigOnS alot bea mana an elsa nga tebu santana Dadan 11 Mount the G Lock to the 91mm bal 32k BN BEBAN 11 Disable unused AXIS kehalaman kn na Na 11 Set the Slewine Mode anna an ain Sana RN Ban NN Nun 11 Select the Input Channels from the radio oWooWoomwo oo X 11 Powerup and TON LEAN SIA sau Gy LA NN 12 Guide to Setting Up a G Lock with a CARVEC Signal Master Module o 12 FAQ Lk bla enam gan ana Maman ama anna eee 15
9. Master module they can be found through the CARVEC forum at www xxx xxx xxx 2s Connect up your RC Receiver s to the Signal Master module and use the Signal Master PC software to decide which of the input channels you want to use for the tilt roll and pan control Also determine which channel to use for the gimbal Mode switch This is usually a 3 position switch which goes from 100 to 0 to 100 approximately Page 12 of 22 3 Assign the control channels to the secondary output as follows Tilt Slew to output channel 1 Roll Slew to output channel 2 Pan Slew to output channel 3 Mode to output channel 4 You might want to also assign a shoulder lever type control to output channel 5 to give the option of proportional tilt control later You can also assign other switches into the output channel here eg for a camera trigger If they are sent to the G Lock they can be used on the 2 spare PWM outputs if desired to avoid running extra wires onto the gimbal As you move the radio controls check the secondary output channel indicator bars are moving with them This is confirming the outputs from the Signal Master are set and we can move on to the G Lock 4 Connect the Signal Master to the G Lock as shown in the diagram in Appendix B Now connect the G Lock to the PC and run the G Lock software Click Connect for the Tilt axis on the configuration window and verify the Tilt
10. alues of the input signal relate to the two values in the max min boxes underneath For example if the slew channel for the axis is mapped to be a shoulder lever or face dial and then the max and min s are set to 0 and 90 degrees then moving the lever or dial through the full range will cause the axis to change between horizontal and vertically down This is especially useful for single operator cameraships If Limit Tilt At Start is checked then the axis will stay at the Fixed Position until the lever or dial is moved to an angle greater than the fixed position This feature is to prevent the axis powering up to an unwanted angle eg vertically down until the control has been moved to horizontal This can prevent the camera lens hitting the ground before takeoff when there is not much ground clearance Options Page 9 of 22 Enable Axis When this is clear the PWM output for an axis will not be driven This is very useful to disable 2 of the 3 axis while configuring and tuning the third It is easier do set up one axis at a time Off in Fixed Pos Disables the stabilisation PWM drive when the mount is in Fixed Position mode This is most useful for the Pan axis to avoid the mount turning before it is airborne Use Raw RC In Normally PPM and Spektrum channels are rearranged to match input functions across different radio systems eg so aileron stick is the same chann
11. ceivers New option to load save configurations from a file Allows quick reconfiguration and resetting back to factory defaults All existing Radian modules are capable of being upgraded to the CARVEC G Lock standard Page 3 of 22 Module Pin Assignments YG PC Link gt Pan Axis out HSL out gt Roll Axis out gt Tilt Axis out SBUS PPM HSL in Radian Spektrum in Pin 1 Connect an SBUS1 SBUS2 or PPM receiver here If a CARVEC Signal Master module is being used then the Secondary Channel output connects here Pin 2 Servo output for the Tilt axis stabilisation or a direct output of any input channel Pin 3 Servo output for the Roll axis stabilisation or a direct output of any input channel Pin 4 Servo output for the Pan axis stabilisation 3 axis version only or a direct output of any input channel or the high speed link output to the Signal Master module Pin 5 6 Connections to the USB dongle for configuration firmware updates Spektrum In Port for Spektrum Satellite receiver Supports DSM DSM2 and DSMX LED Indications Green Fast Flash IMU Aligning Keep module stationary until complete Solid Module running normally Slow Flash One or more of the output drives for any enabled axis has been turned off eg Pan axis off in fixed position mode or a motor drive initialisation failed Yellow Fast Flash One or motors are in the drive initialisation phase Solid
12. dule is not quite straight you will see the roll axis angle change a little bit in a uniform way The module position needs to be adjusted to minimise this cross sensing I am not using a Signal Master module and I am not getting any Pan servo output Check the module is not configured for HSL output click the Tilt axis and ensure Data Out is Servo and also check that when the Pan axis is selected the Out servo selection is set at Stab The gimbal servos drive constantly as soon as I apply power to the Signal Master module The servo outputs for the Signal Master are not set to be driven by the HSL inputs from the G Lock Make sure you have loaded a G Lock config into the SM module If the config is loaded check the servos are connected as in the above diagram I can t see any input from the G Lock on the Signal Master display Make sure a G Lock config has been loaded into the Signal Master The G Lock signals should appear in channels S 01 S 02 and S 03 of the secondary channel inputs If they do not check that the G Lock module has been configured to be HSL output on Port 4 This is done using the G Lock PC configuration program on the configuration window click the Tilt axis and an option appears in the IO Configuration section Page 17 of 22 Appendix A Wiring diagram for a standalone G Lock Pan Axis Servo Roll Axis Servo Tilt Axis Servo SBUS PPM Rx Notes e Ifa
13. el for all If a Signal Master module is used all the selections and rearrangement is done there so this option should be unchecked to avoid confusion DSM 1024 Check this box when using a Spektrum satellite Rx which is set for DSM 1024 operation Leave it clear for DSM2 2048 and DSM X systems On With Spektrum causes an axis to be disabled unless it s control is coming from the Spektrum port This is useful for a dual operator setup where the camera operator uses a Spektrum radio On with SM 1 choice this is similar to the On with Spektrum option but is for when using an external Signal Master module When this option is set the axis will be turned off if the source is not the Ist choice selection in the signal master module It enables an axis to be Off when controlled from one radio but on when controlled from another eg dual operator setup Restart Clicking this button will cause the module to do a reset without having to disconnect power It is recommended to do this after changing the config as many settings do not apply until the module is restarted Sw Version This box shows the current G Lock software version Page 10 of 22 Guide to Mounting and Setting Up a G Lock Preconditions The G Lock expects all servos to be modified to 360 degree rotation and have fixed resistors fitted instead of the normal feedback pot Make sure you have a power supply capable of supplying the r
14. equired current to the servos without causing a G Lock brownout condition This happens if the voltage drops below 2 2v If the G Lock appears to reset or behave erratically then this is a likely cause Mount the G Lock to the gimbal Choose the mounting point for the G Lock module The G Lock is an on axis stabilisation system and so must be mounted on the axis it is stabilising The available orientations of the module are shown on the configuration window of the PC app Hold the mouse pointer over each one to see a more detailed description of how to mount the module Clicking the Wizard button will show a graphical representation of each orientation NOTE The Orientation is set along with the tilt channel configuration It is not visible if the roll or pan axis are being configured After the G Lock is mounted you should verify the movement of each axis as described in the Q amp A section Disable unused axis It is best to concentrate on one axis at a time so uncheck the Enable Axis option for the others as you set up each one Set the Slewing Mode If you want to use rate slew ig from a spring loaded stick then make sure the Absolute slew mode box is NOT checked Check the box if you want to control the axis from a shoulder lever or dial type control Select the Input Channels from the radio Page 11 of 22 If you are using a CARVEC Signal Master module the first step is to configure the Signal Mas
15. le and Fixed Pos are the maximum minimum angles and the angle where the axis is driven for the fixed position mode These must be set for No Limit and Hold for the pan channel for normal operation Current Angle Demanded Angle Page 8 of 22 These boxes show the angle the G Lock module is actually at and also the angle it is trying to get to This is a useful tool because it allows you to check the G Lock is configured for the correct sensing axis Slew Rate Max Rate This is the maximum rate the slewing will go regardless of the stick input To Fixed This is how fast the mount will drive back to the fixed position Slew Rate Max Rate defines the maximum speed the mount will move for operator slewing and To Fixed defines how fast it will drive back to the fixed position Accel and Slow Down are used to configure new smooth slewing function The Accel function makes the slewing smoother whilst the Slow Down is used to compensate for overshoot when in fixed position mode Accel has a useful range of about 10 very slow to 100 When Accel is changed the slowdown angle is also automatically calculated but can be adjusted if the mount overshoots when driving to a fixed position Slewing Mode Absolute Slew Mode If this box is checked the axis will work in proportional mode as opposed to rate mode In this mode the 100 and 100 v
16. nstall as COM10 The RC Signal master module will attempt to connect to COM 10 when it starts If there is no COM port10 then an error will result It is useful to configure the module to always install as COM10 This is done as follows 1 First connect the module and allow windows to automatically install the device driver 2 When itis finished go to the Control Panel Windows 7 from the start menu Windows 8 Put the mouse pointer in the lower left of the screen right click the mouse and select Control Panel 3 From the control panel click Device Manager 4 In the device manager window click Ports COM amp LPT to expand it and there should be a USB Serial Port ComX where X is a number assigned by the operating system 5 Right click the USB Serial port then left click Properties 6 In the properties window click the Port Settings tab 7 Next click the Advanced button 8 In the COM port number use the drop down box and select COM10 9 Now click OK If windows gives you any warning just click Yes to continue Page 20 of 22 Now each time the USB Adapter is attached it should come up as COM10 However if you plug it into a different USB port it may go back to another number so this procedure needs to be repeated Changing the PC software to use a different COM port As an alternative to using the above method the PC software can be simply changed to match the
17. r turning the stabilisation between Off Fixed Position and On Gain Selects the channel used to control the gain for the selected channel from the radio Each channel has it s own Gain channel setting The current Gain can be seen in the main display window Note If the RC signal for the gain channel goes all the way to 100 the G Lock will use the value stored in the config data This allows a safe value to be easily set but also allow changing it in flight if required Out This is the output drive selection for the axis Axis 0 Outl Axis 1 Out2 and Axis 3 Out3 pins of the G Lock The output can be set to be the Stabilisation drive to the servo motors or it can be set to be any of the input channels This allows an unused output to be configured as a general PWM output eg for camera triggers The PWM output for each channel can be configured for pulse rate and pulse null using the settings next to the channel configuration Deadband defines the region around the stick centre where the input is ignored Data Out Only when Axis 0 selected This defines the function of the OUT3 port also used for the Pan servo Select HSL if the module is being used with a Signal Master module or else Servo fora PWM output When Servo is selected the Out function for the Pan channel works as normal Max Min Angles Min Angle Max Ang
18. se a dial on the radio to adjust the gain in real time If you want to change the gain remotely assign the required radio channel to the Gain on the configuration window be sure to select the required axis first The operation of the Gain control can be verified on the Status display Note that if the gain control is reduced to the minimum the gain used will be from the configured gain instead When the correct gain has been found you can leave the dial in the right position then connect the G Lock PC software and read off the gain from the Status display be sure to select the desired axis You can enter this into the actual config data for the axis and disable the external gain control or use it for setting up another channel Page 15 of 22 How Do I Reset a G Lock to the Factory Defaults Loading in a new configuration file resets all parameters You will find a default configuration file at the support forum carvec proboards com Page 16 of 22 Common Problems amp Solutions When I operate the tilt the roll axis also changes slightly The G Lock module needs to be mounted accurately in it s selected orientation If it is not the roll axis may pick up some movement of the tilt axis To check the roll axis alignment disconnect the servo motors and connect the module to the PC Now click to select the Roll Axis Next operate the tilt axis by hand through the normal range of operation If the mo
19. ster module Finally do the same for the Pan axis Port 12 on the Signal Master Please refer to the other sections in this document to learn what options are available If you have problems please refer to the Common Problems and Solutions section or the online forum at carvec proboards com Page 14 of 22 FAQ What is the operating voltage for the module The module will operated from any voltage from 3 5v to 12 volts without damage and so can run off a 2S LiPo pack directly Be sure your servos are capable of handling the voltage you intend to use How do I check the G Lock is configured correctly for the way I have mounted it This can be done by looking at the Current Angle in the configuration window With the servos disconnected select each axis in turn and check the angle changes as you move the mount by hand The angle should change as follows Click Connect Tilt on the Status window and check it turns green The Current Angle on the Configuration window now shows the G Lock tilt angle Check that the angle goes negative as the tilt axis is tilted nose down and positive as it tiltes nose up Now repeat the Axisl Rolly For this axis the Current Angle should go positive as you roll the gimbal right wing low Finally repeat for Axis2 Pan The angle should go more positive as you rotate the gimabl clockwise It will wrap at 360 degrees back to zero degrees How do u
20. ter so that all of your selected Radio control channels come into the G Lock module as channels 1 for Tilt 2 for Roll 3 For Pan 4 For Mode If you are not using the Signal Master module connect your radio and use the Input Channel Monitor window to choose which channel to use for the slew control Note The mode channel is selected on the configuration for axis 0 Tilt It is usually a good idea to do this axis first Power up and Tune If everything is set properly and power applied the G Lock should automatically find the direction to drive the motor and slew the axis to the fixed position It is now a case of adjusting the axis gain to get the desired response A radio channel can also be used to adjust the gain remotely Refer to the Q amp A section for details Guide to Setting Up a G Lock with a CARVEC Signal Master Module When using a Signal Master module the best way to set the system up is to do the Signal Master module first then the G Lock module second The purpose of the Signal Master module is to connect to the RC receiver s and allow you to select which signals go out to the G Lock module Then it takes the servo drives back from the G Lock and generates the PWM outputs for the servo motors This section just gives the basic steps please see the user manual for the Signal Master module for the specific details 1 Load a predefined G Lock configuration for your receiver into the Signal
Download Pdf Manuals
Related Search