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GREMSY PIXY U User Manual

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Summary of Contents for GREMSY PIXY U

  • Page 2 REVISION HISTORY REVISION DATE DESCRIPTION User Manual October 1, 2019 LEGEND Notes are used to highlight special operating conditions or steps of a procedure. NOTE Warnings are used to highlight procedures which, if not strictly observed, may result in personal injury or loss of life. WARNING Tips.
  • Page 3 What’s In The Box Hyper Quick Release Mounting Hyper Quick Release Connect Disconnect Powering Up The PIXY U Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Status LED Indicator Operation Modes PIXY U Has 2 Operation Modes PIXY U Supports Working Operation Swithing Between Modes...
  • Page 4 INSTALLING SOFWARE Steps To Connect BALANCING Mounting The Camera Tilt Axis Front-Back Balance Tilt Axis Vertical Balance Roll Axis Balance Pan Axis balance SOFTWARE - TUNING Stiffness Tuning General Method Step 01 - Tilt Stiffness Step 02 - Roll Stiffness Step 03 - Pan Stiffness Filter Gypro Filter...
  • Page 5 Follow Mode Settings Speed Smooth Window Tilt Lock Rotation Limit Up Limit Down Limit Window IMU SENSOR Gypro Calibration Accelerometter Calibration REMOTE CONTROL SBUS/PPM Settings Receiver Connection Channel Setting JR/SPEKTRUM Settings JR/SPECKTRUM Satellite Receiver Connection Channel Setting UPGRADING FIRMWARE How To Upgrade TROUBLESHOOTING...
  • Page 6 GETTING STARTED...
  • Page 7 GETTING STARTED INTRODUCTION PIXY U is a universal 3-axis gimbal that can handle a wide variety of cameras, features Hyper quick release with integrated HDMI, a variety of I/O interfaces and ability to start up in 2 seconds. USER MANUAL...
  • Page 8 3rd party flight controller, remote control, auxiliary I/O. UNIVERSAL Ability to adjust balancing in 3 axis allows PIXY U to mount a wide range of cameras such as FLIR DUO PRO R, WIRIS SECURITY, SONY QX30… View More Cameras >>...
  • Page 9 GETTING STARTED HIGH PERFORMANCE Advanced gimbal controller designed and GIMBAL CONTROLLER made by Gremsy based on a 32 bit high performance ARM microprocessor providing fast response and accurate calculation. Sensor data and motors correction are updated as fast as 2000 times per second to enable incredibly smooth footage.
  • Page 10 GETTING STARTED SPECIFICATIONS Product Name Pixy U System Type 3-Axis Digital Gyro-Stabilized Weight 1.0 lbs / 465 g Maximum Payload 1.0 lbs / 465 g Construction All Aluminum Input Voltage UBEC 14 – 52V Input Voltage Gimbal 12V / 5A...
  • Page 11 GETTING STARTED PIXY U I/O CONNECTORS HYPER QUICK RELEASE POWER: 12V input. Connect the stable CONNECTORS & PINOUTS 12V output from the provided UBEC to this connector. The UBEC allows 14V-52V input range and output 12V/5A Connector type: JST SM02B-SFKH-TF...
  • Page 12 GETTING STARTED SBUS/PPM: to interface with SBUS/PPM receiver. This port is internally connected to SBUS/PPM port on the gimbal controller. Connector type: 3 pin, 2.54mm pitch JR: to interface with JR/SPEKTRUM satellite receiver. Connector type: JST S3B-ZR AUX: provide 12V output (1A max) to power camera and accessories and optional signals S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6 (0.25A max) for users to connect to other devices such as...
  • Page 13 GETTING STARTED USB: to interface with computer or upgrade firmware. Connector type: Micro USB type B HDMI: to output video from the camera Connector type: HDMI micro TILT CONNECTORS & AUX: Provide 12V output (1A max) to PINOUTS power camera and accessories and optional signals S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6 (0.25A max) for users to connect to other devices such as AV signal or camera trigger, ..This port...
  • Page 14 GETTING STARTED HDMI: This cable allows HDMI video output from the camera to the HDMI Micro connector on the QR. Connector type: HDMI Micro USER MANUAL...
  • Page 15 GETTING STARTED WHAT’S IN THE BOX 1. PIXY U GIMBAL 2. PIXY U ACCESSORIES A. Micro USB Cable F. AUXILIARY Cable 8-pin B. 12V Power Cable (Backup) G. SBUS Cable C. UBEC H. Allen key D. Cable For DJI I. M2.5x5 E.
  • Page 16 GETTING STARTED HYPER QUICK RELEASE MOUNTING HYPER QUICK Using 4xM2.5 to mount the top part onto the frame or damping isolator. RELEASE Pay attention to the arrow on the hyper quick release which indicates the home position or forward position of the gimbal. Connect the UBEC cable to the Hyper QR.
  • Page 17 STEP 3: Rotate the ring clockwise until the mark on the ring aligned with the locked icon. DISCONNECT STEP 1: Rotate the ring counterclockwise. STEP 2: When the mark on the ring aligned with the unlock icon, the PIXY U can be detached from the top part of the Hyper Quick Release. USER MANUAL...
  • Page 18 After connecting to the power supply, the gimbal will perform a series of alignments, self tests, which last about 2 seconds and the status of the gimbal THE PIXY U will be indicated by the Status LED color. During this time, don’t touch the gimbal or camera.
  • Page 19 GETTING STARTED STATUS LED INDICATOR STATE LED STATUS DESCRIPTION Blink Low Battery Solid System Error (Motor or IMU) Blink Calibrating Solid System Boot Blink System Ready Blink Lock Mode Solid Follow Mode Blink Remote with Lock Mode Solid Remote with Follow Mode USER MANUAL...
  • Page 20 GETTING STARTED OPERATION MODES PIXY U HAS 2 OPERATION LOCK MODE: is a stabilization mode where the camera maintains orientation MODES independently of the rest of the gimbal and the orientation can be changed by an external control signal from remote control.
  • Page 21 GETTING STARTED WORKING PIXY U has 2 working operations: Normal and Inverted. OPERATION After powering up the gimbal , it will automatically detect if the gimbal is in inverted operation or normal operation based on pan motor position. During working, switching to other working operation made easy by...
  • Page 22 GETTING STARTED SWITHING Using mode channel on remote control BETWEEN MODES POSITIONS MODES Hight Follow Mode Motors ON Middle Lock Mode Motors ON Motors OFF Using software If there is a remote control signal, changing modes or turning motors on/off by other methods will not take effect because the remote control signal has the highest priority and override the command.
  • Page 23 INSTALLING SOFWARE Desktop software Download at: www.gremsy.com -> Support -> Product Support -> Pixy U USING USB CONNECTION Make sure the Silab USB driver is already installed. The driver can be found at: www.gremsy.com -> Support -> Product Support -> Pixy U...
  • Page 24 INSTALLING SOFTWARE STEPS TO CONNECT 1 - Power ON the PIXY U. 2 - Connect USB cable from gimbal controller to Mac/PC. 3 - Run the gTuneDesktop software. 4 - On Connection Tab, select the Serial option. 5 - Select the correct COM port in the list.
  • Page 25 BALANCING To achieve the best performance from the PIXY U, proper balancing is necessary. Accurate balance is critical in shots where the gimbal will be subjected to extreme movements or accelerations. There are 3 axes that need to be precisely...
  • Page 26 BALANCING MOUNTING Use a 1/4”-20 screw to secure the camera to the camera tray, then put the camera to the tilt cage THE CAMERA USER MANUAL...
  • Page 27 BALANCING TILT AXIS FRONT- When the proper front-back balance is achieved, the camera will stay level when you remove your hands. BACK BALANCE 1. Loosen the thumbscrew 2. Tighten the thumbscrew and knob underneath the camera tray and the to lock the camera and camera tray in top bar knob.
  • Page 28 BALANCING TILT AXIS VERTICAL When the proper vertical balance is achieved, you can rotate the camera in any angle and it will stay at that position. BALANCE 1. Rotate the tilt axis so that the 2. Tighten the thumbscrew. lens is pointing upward.Then, loosen Sometimes, the vertical balance vertical adjustment thumbscrew, could not be achieved, the front-back...
  • Page 29 BALANCING ROLL AXIS BALANCE When the proper left-right roll balance is achieved, the camera will stay level when you remove your hands. 1. Loosen the thumbscrew 2. Tighten the thumbscrew to lock the underneath the roll bar, then gently roll bar in position. slide the roll bar left or right until roll axis remains level.
  • Page 30 BALANCING PAN AXIS BALANCE Tilt the gimbal about 20 degrees from the verticality, identify if the gimbal is front heavy or back heavy. Slide the pan axis slider until the camera does not swing. 1. Loosen the thumbscrew, then 2. Tighten the thumbscrew to make gently slide the pan axis slider sure pan axis slider is locked in backward/forward until it doesn’t...
  • Page 31 SOFTWARE - TUNING After the camera is balanced on the Gremsy, it’s time to fine tune some parameters for best performance.
  • Page 32 SOFTWARE - TUNING STIFFNESS TUNING Stiffness setting has a significant impact on the performance of the gimbal. This setting adjusts the degrees to which the gimbal tries to correct for unwanted camera movement and hold the camera stable. The higher you can run the setting without vibration or oscillation, the better.
  • Page 33 SOFTWARE - TUNING STEP 01 - TILT STIFFNESS Slowly increase this setting until you feel an oscillation in the tilt axis, then reduce the setting until the oscillation subsides. Make sure there is no vibration when tilting the camera up and down and when moving the gimbal in any orientation. STEP 02 - ROLL STIFFNESS Slowly increase this setting until you feel an oscillation in the roll axis, then reduce the setting until the oscillation subsides.
  • Page 34 SOFTWARE - TUNING FILTER The purpose of the filters is to eliminate noise and vibration due to structural resonances in the camera, lens, or gimbal. Setting the filters too high or too low can cause signal disturbances that can reduce the overall stabilization GYPRO FILTER Defines the strength of the filter applied to Gyro sensor output.
  • Page 35 SOFTWARE - TUNING EXPERT / ADVANCED There are some expert parameters that normally do not need to be adjusted. Leave these parameters at default settings unless they are required for SETTINGS troubleshooting. HOLD STRENGTH If “Auto power adjustment” is enabled, “Hold strength” will be the minimum power level required for the corresponding axis.
  • Page 36 SOFTWARE - TUNING GAIN Defines how fast each axis will return to commanded position. To reload default expert settings just press “Default” in the expert menu. DEFAULT SETTINGS TILT ROLL HOLD STRENGTH GAIN AUTO POWER ADJUSTMENT: ENABLED USER MANUAL...
  • Page 37 SOFTWARE - TUNING PREDEFINED For specific cameras, there is a list of predefined profiles that stores the suitable settings such as stiffness, gyro filter, output filter, hold strength, gain… PROFILES accordingly . The predefined profile is made to best suit with specific camera and enable optimized performance without spending time tuning the gimbal.
  • Page 38 INSTALLING SOFTWARE FOLLOW MODE The most widely used mode of single operation is Follow mode where the gimbal operator controls to pan and tilt of the camera. The camera SETTINGS movement will mimic the user’s input from the top-mount while the footage remains stable.
  • Page 39 INSTALLING SOFTWARE DOWN LIMIT Set the up limit for Tilt or Roll axis (in 1 degree unit). The default values are -90 for Tilt and -45 for Roll. WINDOW Set the down limit for Tilt or Roll axis (in 1 degree unit). The default values are 90 for Tilt and 45 for Roll.
  • Page 40 IMU SENSOR The IMU sensor used in the PIXY U is a combination of a high precision 3 axis gyroscope sensor and a 3 axis accelerometer sensor. IMU board is being heated where the temperature inside is controlled around 50°C with 0.2°C accuracy. Thanks to this feature, gyro calibration is no longer required in most situations.
  • Page 41 (below -20C or above 50C) please re-calibrate the gyro. CALIB AT STARTUP: this feature is not available on the PIXY U After Gyro Calibration, Gyro Offset X, Y, Z will change to a new value depending on the temperature.
  • Page 42 IMU SENSOR ACCELEROMETTER Do not use this function, please contact Gremsy Support Engineers. Accelerometer sensor was calibrated properly at the factory to achieve CALIBRATION accurate horizon level with special and precise equipment. Users do WARNING not need to do this unless it’s required for troubleshooting.
  • Page 43 REMOTE CONTROL PIXY U supports SBUS , SPEKTRUM and PPM receivers. There are some parameters to be aware of before assigning channels to the receiver. SMOOTH: increasing this number will smooth out the movement of the corresponding axis but will also cause a delay.
  • Page 44 REMOTE CONTROL SBUS/PPM SETTINGS RECEIVER CONNECTION Connect SBUS/PPM receiver to the SBUS/PPM port on the hyper quick release as shown in the picture. The receiver must be connected to correct wires order. The SBUS/PPM port has 5V output to power the receiver, please do not use external power supply to power the receiver at the same time.
  • Page 45 REMOTE CONTROL CHANNEL SETTING TILT and PAN channel should be in speed mode and ROLL channel in angle mode. TILT SPEED or PAN SPEED could be assigned to the same channel and should be assigned to throttle stick, dial, or other non-centering control on the transmitter. Below is an example of channel assignment to the Futaba T8FG.
  • Page 46 REMOTE CONTROL JR/SPEKTRUM SETTINGS JR/SPECKTRUM SATELLITE Connect satellite receiver to the JR port on the hyper quick release as shown in RECEIVER CONNECTION the picture. Make sure satellite receiver is already bound to the transmitter (RED led is solid). CHANNEL SETTING Choose 10 bit or 11 bit type resolution on the software and assign proper channels as per SBUS settings.
  • Page 47 UPGRADING FIRMWARE Only USB connection allows upgrading firmware. Refer to Section “01. GETTING STARTED” for USB connection. Make sure Silab USB driver is already installed. The driver can be found at: www.gremsy.com -> supports -> product support NOTE...
  • Page 48 08 - “Browse” to firmware file from your computer. 09 - Make sure the RF receiver (if available) is already removed. 10 - Click “Upgrade” button. The process will take about 2 minutes. When the firmware is upgraded successfully, the PIXY U will be restarted automatically. USER MANUAL...
  • Page 49 TROUBLESHOOTING Only USB connection allows upgrading firmware. Refer to Section “01. GETTING STARTED” for USB connection. Make sure Silab USB driver is already installed. The driver can be found at: www.gremsy.com -> supports -> product support -> Pixy U NOTE...
  • Page 50 TROUBLESHOOTING PROBLEM POSSIBLE CAUSES SOLUTION Status LED is blinking red Low battery Recharge battery Camera is not balanced well or Check camera balancing not installed IMU cable is loose Check in software for IMU sensor error, re- seat IMU sensor connector Status LED is solid red during Tilt motor cable or encoder Check in software for Tilt error, re-seat tilt...