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now the newest and most powerful addition to the FMA Flight System product line. In case you’re new to Flight System features, the general idea is to take the most amazing DSR (Digital Signature Recognition) receiver technology and interconnect it with Co Pilot flight stabilization. The result is the world’s first “true failsafe” product line for radio control; more about true failsafe and what that means to you later.
For starters, the FS8 Co Pilot combines an 8 channel programmable failsafe FM receiver on the same p.c. board (integrated) with the next generation Co Pilot. Because the Co Pilot has access to all 8 receiver channels, it can utilize up to all 8 channels to provide flight stabilization. But we had to make it simple to setup and use. Through customer feedback, we determined that setting the 4 dip switches used on the original Co Pilot (CPD4) can be a little tricky at times. In addition, setting up the FS8 Co Pilot to handle multiple channels for flight stabilization (such as in a CCPM helicopter configuration), would have required something like 32 dip switches! Here’s what we did: FS8 Co Pilot is now extremely smart. It actually “learns” your aircraft configuration. During setup, by applying heat (using your hand) to the appropriate sensors, and then moving the appropriate transmitter stick, the FS8 Co Pilot reads all of your transmitter mixes automatically and stores them in memory. It then uses this information to stabilize the aircraft by reproducing your exact transmitter mixing values. It’s as easy as 1-2-3 to setup even the most complex aircraft configuration in minutes. As usual, the User Guide includes simple, step-by-step illustrations to guide you through this one-time setup process.
For a complete technical overview of FMA Flight System components and the new DSR receiver technology please download the "FMA Flight Systems White Paper" from the Support section of the FMA website. Locate the file under the subject "Technical Documents"
Here is an overview of FMA FS8 Co Pilot features:
• The most secure receiver technology ever developed for R/C
• The culmination of 20 years of development
• The combination of programmable failsafe and Co-Pilot enable “true failsafe” which puts the model in a pre-programmed hold pattern in the event of signal loss or interference. Can be set for a slow, descending pattern for helicopters or airplanes
• Frequency-clear feature permits check of your frequency before turning transmitter ON
• Supports all standard and digital servos and provides superior resolution (1 uS)
• Performance well beyond AMA Guidelines
• Digital Signature Recognition (DSR) exploits the unique signature of PPM
• More secure than all previous transmission schemes
• Compares against stored, known-good PPM parameters 50 times per second before decoding the PPM pulse train
• Any anomaly freezes servos at last-known-good position until a valid signal returns. Servo jitter is virtually eliminated
• If signal is lost, sets servos to positions you pre-program
• Pre-programming servo pre-sets is effortless and as intuitive as moving the sticks or trims. No programmable transmitter needed. Do it with your PPM transmitter in seconds.
• Includes new P.C. Viewer software. Used in combination with the optional interconnect to computer, can be used to check and record airborne telemetry; battery voltage, interference, and much more. FS Co Pilot viewer software includes all data related to flight stabilization such as sensor heat signature values, weather rating, etc.
• Compatible with any standard FM (PPM) transmitter or frequency shift
• FS receivers are less than one-half the price of PCM receivers and priced comparably to receivers with zero signal recognition
• Optional Vertical Sensor (or Z Sensor) ensures Co Pilot will always recover from inverted flight by “rolling out” and simplifies daily field calibration by eliminating the need to hold the model vertically during this process.
Now, FMA has really done it! The new FS8 Co Pilot is the most amazing innovation to R/C security ever! This unique product is ready to protect your investment before you ever leave the ground, during flight, and even after you land.
1) Before you Fly:
Use the frequency-clear feature to check the airwaves before you even turn on your transmitter. Turn on the FS8 Co Pilot. Watch the status LED. It will glow bright red for a second, then it will go out. Watch the LED. If it starts blinking before you turn on your transmitter, there is interference on your channel. Leave the receiver on for as long as you like. Even the briefest signal strong enough to cause interference will activate the frequency-clear feature.
Check your battery voltage before you take off. Simply press and release the receiver programming button and the LED will blink out your battery voltage (long blinks = 1V, short blinks = 0.1V). Four long blinks followed by 8 short blinks equals 4.8V. You can test the voltage under load by moving your servos while you press the button.
2) While you Fly:
The FS8 Co Pilot integrated receiver is fully crystal interchangeable, dual conversion, full range, full performance. Sporting improved S.M.A.R.T. decoding with new Digital Signature Recognition (DSR), the new FS8 Co Pilot receiver leap frogs current-generation receivers, yet still works with any standard FM (PPM) transmitter. The FS8 Co Pilot receiver is simply the most secure R/C receiver ever designed. DSR recognizes your specific PPM transmitter signature on start-up and continuously checks for FM shift, number of channels, and valid pulse widths. A DSR anomaly invokes four levels of error correction to eliminate nearly all interference and servo jitter. Once it learns your transmitter signature, the super-fast microcontroller can easily ignore random noise to a level higher than ever before.
For added security, the FS8 Co Pilot receiver includes fully pre-programmable servo position on all 8 channels in the event of signal loss. Programming failsafe settings has never been easier. This overcomes the normal reluctance of users to go through the pain of programming a PCM system for fail-safe operation. Just press and hold the receiver programming button as you turn power on to enter the receiver programming mode. Move any stick on your transmitter (channels 1 through 8) and set it where you want the flight surface to go in the event that signal is lost completely, as in “my transmitter just died.” As you hold the stick, press the receiver programming button again. That's it. You can repeat the procedure for any or all the channels if you want.
If you don't want to set pre-defined servo positions, you can still take advantage of improved S.M.A.R.T. decoding with Digital Signature Recognition (DSR) which implements 100% output power to the servos using “last good frame hold” technique.
FMA Flight Systems represent the world’s first “true failsafe” system. Because the FS8 Co Pilot includes a programmable failsafe receiver, the combination can fly your model out of practically any loss-of-signal situation or massive interference to enhance safety immeasurably and save you a load of heartbreak and repairs. Program receiver failsafe settings for low throttle and rudder turn. FS8 Co Pilot will hold the wings and nose level in a flat, low speed turn giving you time to figure out the problem and/or warn spectators.
3) After you Land:
Check the status LED after you land. If you ever lost signal, the microcontroller will notify you by blinking the number of failsafe events during the flight. Need even more precision? With the FS8 Co Pilot, you can even check the number of bad frames received during a flight. That’s right, the FS8 Co Pilot is also a sophisticated glitch counter. Thus, you can help your fellow flyers to check for any real or imagined interference at your flying field up in the air where it counts.
In addition, every FS8 Co Pilot ships with our new Flight System Co Pilot Viewer Software. This software is not required to program or use the FS8 Co Pilot, but it’s a great tool for helping you set servo failsafe positions, range test the receiver, and setup Co Pilot to stabilize any model. Viewer software runs on any Windows 98 or higher computer.
Connect the FS8 Co Pilot to any serial port on your P.C. through the interface module, FMA PN: FSIM1 (sold separately or included in FS8CP Flight System packages), install the software and you instantly have a graphical, intuitive interface to use along with your FS8 Co Pilot. The software displays the type of transmitter controlling the receiver. Each channel is displayed using a slide-rule meter showing servo position in real time and failsafe positions if programmed. In addition, the software presents telemetry data received from the receiver in real time, as well as historic data. The program also lists receiver battery voltage, signal strength, data integrity, Co Pilot sensor setup information, sensor heat signatures, and much more! Do you have a laptop? Take it to the field with you. After you fly, leave the FS8 Co Pilot and transmitter power on, connect the receiver to your P.C., and check to see if you encountered any anomaly during a flight. Sound interesting? The software can be run without connecting the receiver and interface module. It contains a demo program that shows you all major features of the software so you can decide if it's something you might want to use. We think you will.
Designed for use with standard Fortress series or the newer low-profile Quantum series dual conversion crystals (sold separately).
FS Accessory Items Sold Separately:
FSIM1 - FS P.C. Interface Module
FS8CPES1 – FS8 Receiver/Co Pilot External Switch/LED
FS8ZS – FS8 Co Pilot Vertical “Z” Sensor
Additional FS8 Co Pilot Package Deal Configurations (see Flight Systems store section):
FS8CP – FS8 Co Pilot Integrated Receiver/Co Pilot unit with FS Co Pilot Viewer Software, FS8 Co Pilot External Switch/LED, and Co Pilot Pitch/Roll Sensor
FS8CPZ - FS8 Co Pilot Integrated Receiver/Co Pilot unit with FS Co Pilot Viewer Software, FS8 Co Pilot External Switch/LED, Co Pilot Pitch/Roll Sensor, and Co Pilot Vertical (Z) Sensor
FS8CPI - FS8 Co Pilot Integrated Receiver/Co Pilot unit with FS Co Pilot Viewer Software, FS8 Co Pilot External Switch/LED, Co Pilot Pitch/Roll Sensor, Co Pilot Vertical (Z) Sensor, and FS P.C. Interface Module
Expandable, reliable and secure, the FS8 Co Pilot represents the next stage of evolution for R/C flight stabilization and security - only from FMA Direct.
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