BLD Configuration Files to start you off

[Carvec Systems]

This thread is for the kind-hearted users amongst you to post their own BLD configuration files to help people start their own tuning.

For each config, please include the following: Gimbal type, LiPo size, Motor types (Pan, Tilt, Roll), Camera type + lens. No need to be too verbose

Example:

Gimbal: CS3, LiPo:4S, Pan:iFlight5108, Tilt:iFlight 5108, Roll:iFlight 5108, Camera:Panasonic SD9

FFMount+SD9(T+R).bld (180 B)

FFMount+SD9(P).bld (180 B)

[kariy]

Anyone using 5208 14 pole motors with success? I got the roll axis working well, but tilt is just either bouncing around ( mainly because of too low D) or if set higher D values bouncing stops but it's vibrating madly. I have tested really many different PID combinations but not getting it there. Now with best settings with only minor vibrations i'm around P120/I 5/D50 / gain70%, but not good though and axis is too slow for stabilization. I've set up several alexmos based gimbals with success so PID:s are familiar for me. Same axis with same payload is working great with alexmos settings 29/0.14/24. Any good starting point settings?

Best,

Kari

[stevet]

Hi Kari

I have just got all I need now so I am about to start with 5208's myself and hopefully will be able to contribute next week. What are you carrying, GH3?

Steve.

[kariy]

Hello Steve,

I have now BMPCC and 12-35/2.8 lens on, but it's very close same weight to GH3. Although all three units (G-lock, 2 x BLD) needs to be connect and set separately, BLD Tuning software is actually really good and faster to tune than alexmos utility and all seems to work nicely, but i think i'm just missing something somewhere, some value is just so totally wrong that it's not settling.

Best,

Kari

[kariy]

I just spent another night trying to tune tilt axis for acceptable level but unfortunately without success, i managed to get rid off worst vibrations or bouncing around with setting combination below (mainly lowering P to 200, I as low as 3 and D to around 50) but now problem is that correction is too slow and not too much torque. Here's my current "best so far" settings, John any ideas what to try next? Really appreciate any help. 

[JohnC]

Kari,

I'm still learning about different configs etc myself - but the general method for tuning seems to be:

1) Lower the I to 5
2) Lower the P and D to something low like 50
3) Gradually increase the P then when it's not stable, increase the D until it is
4) Keep doing this until you have P and D as high as you can, but the graph is a fairly smooth sine wave as you manually move the gimbal. The error may be 2 or 3 degrees during this process
5) Finally increase the I to bring the error down. Increase it until you see some 'wobbles' on the sine-wave of the 'error' graph, then back it off a bit. As a ballpark of a direct-drive gimbal, I is around 40.
6) Finally bring the 'I Angle' down as much as you can without distorting the graphs.

The tuning documentation is being updated as we speak to include this ...

[kariy]

Thanks John, 

There's a PID fields in G-lock, do they affect BLD or are they for servos only?

In BLD Increasing I-angle to 1, and increasing volts a bit and bringing PID:s to 200/4/50 helped for bouncing and vibrations, but now it's way too slow for compensating. Usually it's P what i should increase now, but it does not seem to help, only bringing bouncing with higher values and vibrations if following with D any higher. Is there something else that affect compensation speed more than P?

Thanks a lot for your help. I'm sure this will be a rock solid system, when i just find the right values. 

Best,

Kari

[JohnC]

Kari : First I assume you have the camera and everything fitted to the gimbal and properly balanced ?. This is most important.

After tuning the P and D, you should be getting 1 or 2 degrees error on the graph. Now increase the I to bring it right down. Keep increasing until you see it oscillating then back off. I should be between 25 and 50. If you get to about 40, start bringing the 'I Angle' down instead in 0.1 degree steps.

[kariy]

Yes gimbal is balanced well and i even keep cables connected to camera as they affect to balance. This particular gimbal/setup has been in use with alexmos board several months already, i just added G-lock modules and swapped the motor wires, so mechanically should be ok.

I get almost 8 degrees errors in graph if shaking gimbal in my hands. If i increase I higher(value) than 5, it just starts bouncing if disturbing axis by hands. Then i have to follow with D and increase it to get rid off bouncing (low frequency) but get high frequency vibration instead.

So around 200/5/50 are only PID:s so far without vibration or bouncing, but problem is compensation for shaking the gimbal is way too slow. With compensation i mean stabilization of axis, not returning back after disturbing axis by hand. I think there's now some other value what is wrong at the moment, what affects to the speed of stabilization more than P? Problem is same if i increase P to 400, only get new problems with vibrations. I know "I" affects to the speed of the correction after disturbing axis by hand, and it's fine at 5, could be even as low as 3 or 4.

I have set up several alexmos setups so far, and haven't actually bump into this kind of problem before even with very wrong settings, all SBGC controllers have initially kept the position of axis precisely even with way too low values. What i've found normally P affects more to "power" alongside volts, but not that much speed.

[JohnC]

Kari: The first thing to check in situations like this is that everything is mounted solid to the gimbal with no play at all - particularly the G-Lock itself. Is it stuck down tight ?. What gimbal/motors/camera have you got on there ?. Your I is very low : a minimum is usually about 25. You should tune the axis with low I and then bring it up at the end. Remember the Gains and PID are probably not the same as AlexMOS so don't be afraid to do things a little differently.

[kariy]

Yes all mounted tight, Radian is fixed with double side tape and secured with cable ties. Motors 5208 150T. Now after playing it few hours tonight i'm even more lost with it. I tried to remount the imu(radian) and turned it other direction. I thought it might be good idea to confirm the sensor is ok, but now it's gone completely mad. I have reset the direction in g-lock direction wizard few times and now i cannot get it anywhere. It bounces randomly around all the time, P and D has no effect any kind and I does effect but only between boucing and vibrating. If i turn roll axis a bit, tilt axis throws to the ends like it was wrong axis.

I do have confirmed following things:
- Direction in wizard is correct, and i do have pushed the write button and restarted the imu
- Motor direction is correct, direction test tilts up.
- Tilt motor is on port 6
- I reflashed both g-lock and BLD back to "brushless defaults" with files on here forum, and set all back again with no difference
- It worked earlier with exactly same settings, i remounted imu back to original position which worked earlier, and changed imu direction back in wizard.


I think i need a few days break with this and start over with fresh mind after smoke has cleared. 

[Admin]

Kari: There is some new firmware for the BLD modules (0.8) and also a new PC app for the G-Lock. The issue for the PC App was with some orientation settings not getting defaulted which it sounds like you may have stumbled across. The links are on the forum. The BLD issue was the possibility of losing the config settings when a lot of electrical noise was around the module. Everything is fixed now.

[colin]

This is my configuration.  RC Timer brushless gimbal with a black magic pocket 12-35 lumix stabilised lense.  Not perfect but its getting there.  John perhaps you can have a look and give me your opinion.black magic Pan.bld (180 B)Black magic T+R.bld (180 B)

[JohnC]

Colin:

The first thing which stands out is how low your I is. Did you try bumping it up ?. It really brings the maximum stabilisation error down. You want to be in the range of about 25 to 40. Also you want the I angle as low as you can get it - but making this smaller will reduce the maximum I you can use before it oscillates. I usually aim for less than 1 degree for I Angle on tilt + roll and somewhere under 2 degrees for pan.

[kariy]

Jan 20, 2014 10:25:05 GMT Admin said:

Kari: There is some new firmware for the BLD modules (0.8) and also a new PC app for the G-Lock. The issue for the PC App was with some orientation settings not getting defaulted which it sounds like you may have stumbled across. The links are on the forum. The BLD issue was the possibility of losing the config settings when a lot of electrical noise was around the module. Everything is fixed now.

Thanks John, i flashed both BLD:s to new fw and that indeed helped for problem appeared yesterday making whole axis going nuts, now it's controllable again, responds to PID value changes and it's possible to continue tuning.

I went through again all possible PID combinations (well obviously not all but roughly) from P 20 to over 1000 following with D and I, and i end up again around P 150-250, I 4-6 and D around 50-60 are only working values without vibrations or bouncing. Unfortunately it's still too slow for stabilizing axis. Error value is 5-6 when shaking and axis is visibly lagging behind. I have ordered some new motor types 5108 etc if that helps but i wouldn't bet for it to make huge difference. At least with my experience different motor types (almost same size) haven't really required dramatically different values before. 

Any ideas? i'm quite sure there's something else what should be adjusted along PIDs.

Kari