Software flybar achieved

The software flybar mode started working & it is so stiff, it's like Al Gore. Though using plastic blades, it's far stiffer than the carbon fiber + mechanical flybar ever was. A miracle anyone still sells flybars.

The key was moving cyclic feedback to the lowpass filter. Now we have rudder feedback from raw gyro data & cyclic feedback from lowpassed gyro data. All feedback gains were 32/256. The ideal cyclic ranges ended up the same as a mechanical flybar.

The biggest fear with lowpassed gyros was reappearance of monster exponential oscillation from excessive delays. That didn't happen with cyclic at least.

The 2 causes of oscillation R:

1) alias frequencies from vibration

2) delay in feedback

For the flybar, it was alias frequencies. For the rudder, it was delay.

Software flybar tests (1 min 0 sec)

Current hardware:

3 * ADXRS150 gyros
3 * Hitec HS65MG cyclic servos
1 * Futaba S3102 tail servo
Castle BEC
PIC 40Mhz

Would use the 75 deg/sec gyros if there was a take 2. These servos must have no dead band. Optimized the PIC to hammer software rate damping & reduce attitude sensing cycles. Another round of IMU calibration & attitude hold is now required.

Rain & wind has returned until March.