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Evolution of the mSR X Brushless Mount

Just wanted to share the evolution of my mSR X brushless mount.

I find it’s easier to design on the computer. A digital caliper is a great tool to transfer the measurements into your graphics program. A CAD program is ideal. I am more familiar with Illustrator, so that is what I used. If you can scan your object, you can use that scan as an overlay to trace it’s physical dimensions. Doing it this way allow you to make precise changes on the computer. The low tolerance and need for higher precision is very important at the size of these micro helicopters.

Here’s a previous design for the AP-03 motor. Unfortunately, this motor wasn’t enough power for the mSR X.

Prototype of the mSRX AP03 brushless motor mount. The AP03 doesn't have enough power for the mSRX.

Then print and cut out some on paper. Or you can print onto label paper that you can peel and stick to a plastic credit card. This allow you to cut out the prototype with a xacto knife and scissors. You’ll find you need to do a few to narrow down the design.

Various mSR X AP03 prototypes on paper and plastic

Once you’re happy, you use the same method of printing onto a label paper and sticking it on top of the material you want to make the mount out of. I used 0.8mm weaved carbon fiber sheet. I used a dremel and freehand the cut out and a file to clean up the shape. It wasn’t too difficult work, and didn’t take too long at all. However, if you have access to a CNC router, the prototyping stage goes by so much faster and easier.

Here’s a couple of photo of the final result. I consider it a prototype, but it could qualify for production work. It’s very polish and wowed the owner of the mSRX and friends who have gotten to see it in person.

 

I felt that the stock mSR X was very underpowered the first time I got to fly it. Because it was underpowered, I couldn’t bail out of bad situations. The positive quality of the mSR X is quickly the flybarless heli respond to your cyclic command. It was near instant. It’s a pity that it lacks power. On top of that, there seem to be a huge problem where the stock brushed motor tend to die very early deaths. There’s a whole thread from owners tracking the issue.

After the mod to a brushless motor, the mSR X finally has the pop I like to see in my micro heli. I personally think it should have came this way from the factory. It is definitely worth it for those with mSR X. The brushless ESC, motor, mount and wires all weigh less than the stock brushed motor. Isn’t that amazing?

Stay tune for the rest of the how to’s on this series. Until then, take a look at preparing for flashing the ESC here: Silicon Labs USB Toolstick Mod for BLHeli Flashing

Categories: Brushless, Helicopter, mSR X
4 Comments on Evolution of the mSR X Brushless Mount

Xieda 9958 er9x Settings

Just a quick post. Some people who have flashed their Turnigy 9x to use the er9x firmware can load my Xieda 9958 model into their radio using the eepe (EEPROM Editor for er9x FW). You can get a copy of eepe for Windows, Mac and Linux here: http://code.google.com/p/eepe/

Then use the eepe program open up my Xieda 9958 model and save it to yours.

Link: Daryoon’s Xieda 9958 settings for er9x

Some info about the settings…

Two primary flight modes:

  • The FN switched to ID0 will put your heli in a more aggressive mode. Negative expo to make your cyclic controls more sensitive in the middle. The throttle curve is a little more aggressive. Uses curve 1.
  • The FN switched to ID1 has zero expo and a more “gentle” throttle. Uses curve 2. If you want a linear throttle curve. Set your throttle stick to use curve 3.

Flip the rudder D/R switch to add more negative expo to the rudder. If find it’s good to have the head of the heli whip around quicker using the negative expo.

POT3, which is labeled as “PIT TRIM AUX.2” is a mix that adjust endpoint. Fly with that POT at 100% for full throw. Rotate it slower if you need to go into “junior/beginner” mode. Same function as the factory transmitter junior/senior mode, but with more choices in between. :D

The flight timer is set to 5mins and will beep at the last one minute and each of the last 10seconds of flight. It is link to the throttle stick so the timer only counts down when the thottle stick is move away from zero.

Lastly, the throttle cut function works. Just activate the throttle cut switch and your main motor shouldn’t spin. Good safety.

Let me know if you guys have any difficulty and I can write up a more thorough guide. Also, remember you need to calibrate not only your sticks, but your POTS as well. It’s all done in the same location. I do it each time I flash the firmware.

Categories: Helicopter, Xieda 9958
1 Comment on Xieda 9958 er9x Settings

Silicon Labs USB Toolstick Mod for BLHeli Flashing

This is part 1 of my series on the Blade mSR X Brushless Conversion using Steffen’s BLHeli firmware for the XP 3A ESC. The information in this post is also applicable for those of you doing a brushless conversion on the Blade mCP X and will be flashing the XP 7A and XP 12A ESC. All those ESC, along with the DP 3A and Supermicro 3.5A uses a Silicon Labs based chip, so you will need to do the following modification.

Step 1: Obtain the SiLabs USB Toolstick:

The USB Toolstick can be purchased from Digi-Key or from Silicon Labs themselves. Digi-Key ships it out fast and there was no order minimum.

Step 2: Open the USB Toolstick:

Using a guitar pick or a folded over piece of plastic from toys/food packaging, you can insert between the halves like so and twist to pop the halves apart. Then work around the perimeter to easily open the plastic case to get into PCB board. This prevents any damage to the plastic housing which we will reuse later to reassemble the USB Toolstick.

Wedge a piece of plastic to open up the USB Toolstick

Step 3: Soldering Points – Wiring:

Here’s the solder points you need to be aware of. We will use red, black and white wires to match Steffen’s original post.

  • Side A: Here is where to solder the white (C2Data) wire. It also shows the two pins (2 and 4) that will need to be soldered together. (Alternatively, if you need to be able to use the USB Toolstick for other projects, you can simply wire up a switch that when enabled, bridges those two pins.)

The white wire solder point and the two pins you need to solder together.

  • Side B: On the reverse side, you can solder a red (C2CLOCK) and black (GND) wires to these two legs.

Solder the red and black wires to these pins.

I run the red and black wires through the holes so all three wires are on one side like so.

SiLabs USB ToolStick all wired up.

 

Step 4: Drill holes for the connector:

I wanted to add a connector. So I drilled 3 holes into the USB ToolStick’s case. This was easily accomplish by temporarily taping the connector I am using to the case to act as a template. Then used a 1mm drill bit to drill at each point of the connector legs. Simply insert the connector through the Toolstick housing and soldered up the red, black and white wires to it. The connector should be held in tightly if done right. The connector I used came with my XP 3A ESC.

Alternatively, you can simply drill a single hole to pass all three wires through the case. Then solder up a connector to them outside the case.

Here is a photo of the result of this step. I can see the position for the black, red and white wires to help me orient the mating plug that goes to the ESC.

USB ToolStick with connector

 

Step 5 Final: Reassemble USB ToolStick Case:

Once the wiring is done, it’s easy to snap back on the case you took apart in step 1. Here is a look at the modified USB ToolStick with the connector installed into the case. We are ready to use the modified SiLabs USB Toolstick to flash the ESC with BLHeli firmware. This will be outlined in Part 2 of the mSR X Brushless Conversion series.

SiLabs USB ToolStick modified for BLHeli Flashing.

 

Categories: Brushless
2 Comments on Silicon Labs USB Toolstick Mod for BLHeli Flashing