Servo Gimbal Channel Output Setup - ArduPilot

I. Principle

To enhance the FPV experience, many pilots use a Head Tracking module, allowing the camera gimbal to adjust its angle as the head turns. Most head tracking modules connect to the RC transmitter via a PWM signal, which the transmitter forwards to the receiver, then to the flight controller, and finally outputs to the gimbal servos to achieve synchronized viewpoint.

II. Equipment Preparation

Hardware

1. Flight Controller: CoreWing F405 WING V2 / CoreWing F405 WING MINI V2 — either one is suitable for this tutorial.
2. RC Transmitter: RadioMaster TX16S / RadioMaster Boxer as examples.
3. Receiver: SpeedyBee ELRS Nano 2.4G as an example.
4. Computer: Used to access the web interface for configuring the high-frequency head or receiver parameters.
5. Servo Gimbal: A two-axis or three-axis gimbal that supports PWM control.
6. Head Tracking Module: A device that supports PWM signal output.

Software

Mission Planner ground control station

III. Specific Settings

Step 1: Calibrate the RC transmitter

1. Open Mission Planner, navigate to Initial Setup → Required Hardware → Radio Calibration.
2. Check channels 9 and 10

• Whether the head tracking module can correctly control channels 9 and 10.
• After clicking the "Calibrate Radio" button, move the head tracking module up, down, left, and right according to actual conditions to complete the calibration.

3. If there is no channel output, check:

• Whether the head tracking module is properly connected to the RC transmitter.
• Whether the RC transmitter has channels 9 and 10 set up correctly.

Step 2: Configure Servo Output

1. Connect the gimbal servos to the S5 and S6 ports of the flight controller.
2. Enter the Servo Output page:

• Set S5 (channel 5) to RCIN9;
• Set S6 (channel 6) to RCIN10;

3. After the settings are complete, power cycle the flight controller.

Step 3: Check whether the gimbal works properly

If the output is normal, mount the servo gimbal and head tracking module onto the aircraft, power the flight controller, and rotate the head tracking module to check whether the gimbal works properly.

• If the gimbal turns left when tilting down: usually the two gimbal servo wires are swapped. Swap the two servo wires.
• If the gimbal turns up when tilting down: the servo is reversed. Check the corresponding servo's "Reverse" switch in the "Servo Output" interface to fix it.

• If the travel is insufficient: adjust the MAX/MIN values of Servo Output and click save.

IV. Q&A

Technical Support QR Code