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Tbs Electronics PowerCube Manual

Manual is about: Multirotor Stack All-in-one racing flight control

Summary of PowerCube

  • Page 1

    Tbs powercube - multirotor stack patented! All-in-one racing flight control, speed control and power distribution revision 2017-03-09 the next generation plug&play race system. Design optimized for ultimate performance and reliability. Compatible with any multi-rotor frame. Key features • ultra-ligh...

  • Page 2: Specifications

    Specifications tbs colibri - flight control layer hardware: • stm32f303rct6 72mhz 256kb mcu/fpu • mpu6000 3-axis gyro new! • separate ultra-low noise ldo for imu new! • auto resettable polyfuse to protect the fc against short circuits new! • esc connection pads for 4 esc new! • motor pwm auto-connec...

  • Page 3

    Tbs pdb v2 with integrated dcdc - power distribution and power supply layer (new!) power distribution: 100a max. Continuous current, 150a burst current sensor: 100a, 0.1a resolution, 2% accuracy, bst-compatible (e.G for tbs core pro) inputs: • 1x battery v+ and gnd, 150a max • 1x internal bus system...

  • Page 4: Attention

    Attention the tbs powercube, when installed, can easily damage property or extremities if not used properly. Always ensure that no propellers are installed when configuring, installing or tuning your multirotor. We also recommend to use the options “spin motor when armed” and use stick commands to a...

  • Page 5: Table of Content

    Table of content attention tbs powercube overview installation mounting on your frame carbon fiber frames finalizing your installation the first flight tbs powercube on the tbs vendetta quadcopter tbs fpvision - core pro osd, unify pro vtx, vid switch, beeper, dcdc rc calibration - push button camer...

  • Page 6

    Tbs elite bundle / external esc pdb layer tbs powercube drag race shield connecting tbs equipment connectivity with tbs core pro osd tbs core pro connection entering osd configuration menu rc calibration (mandatory) calibrate new setup read rc data from existing setup maintenance replacing component...

  • Page 7: Tbs Powercube Overview

    Tbs powercube overview check out the powercube in all its glory. The following diagrams indicate the locations of each component and their purpose. 7.

  • Page 8: Installation

    Installation mounting on your frame the tbs powercube should be placed in the same spot where the flight controller is normally installed. The tbs powercube carries power (vbatt, gnd) over the four standoffs in the corners, alternating between vbatt and gnd. For this reason, the two screws carrying ...

  • Page 9

    Installed from the factory are super-lightweight m3 aluminum screws. They are anodized to protect against short circuits. The provided mounting screws are made for frames up to 2mm thickness. If your frame is thicker, please use below table to find the correct screw length: frame thickness: recommen...

  • Page 10

    Finalizing your installation if you have a multimeter handy, make a quick test if vbatt and gnd do not short. You do this with the “sound” or “ohm” setting on your multimeter, and then probing on the 2 pins inside the xt60 connector. If there is no short (no beep and not reading 0.00 ohm), connect a...

  • Page 11

    Tbs powercube on the tbs vendetta quadcopter the tbs vendetta has a full powercube installed at its core. It powers the r/c receiver, flight control, motors, buzzer, led backplate and dcdc power system. The osd is powered by a separate tbs core pro. The instructions for the tbs vendetta can be found...

  • Page 12: Tbs Fpvision - Core Pro

    Tbs fpvision - core pro osd, unify pro vtx, vid switch, beeper, dcdc the tbs fpvision is a new layer for the powercube and it is our latest innovation (released october 2016). It packs a powerful punch in a small package, it combines the core pro osd, dcdc, unify pro 5g8 vtx, dual camera/switch and ...

  • Page 13

    If the osd times out, or you select exit, move your roll stick to left for 3 seconds to re-enter the core pro osd. Camera 5v/12v software selector the camera port is set to 5v from the factory. To change the output voltage to 12v, connect the tbs fpvision to the tbs agent (windows software), and loo...

  • Page 14

    Tbs colibri v2 - flight control the tbs colibri race edition is a barebone version of the tbs colibri (debuted in the tbs gemini), built specifically for the tbs powercube. Flashed by default with cleanflight to allow maximum tuning capabilities for racers, with multiple innovative features such as ...

  • Page 15

    Overview and connections an overview of all the ports provided by the colibri race flight controller is shown in the illustration below. Connect your peripherals according to your requirements. Pin-out is also printed on the underside of the pcb. North v1: v2: • buzzer - accepts any active driven bu...

  • Page 16

    East v1: v2: • micro-usb - connect via usb for configuration via cleanflight/betaflight and firmware upgrades • swd header (v1) - used for direct microcontroller programming • boot button (v2) - to enter dfu mode for firmware upgrade 16.

  • Page 17

    South v1&v2: • led_strip - for directly connecting ws2812b, ws2812, and ws2811 based rgb led strips regulated 5v pwr provided to connector over internal bus, no additional voltage regulator required! Any ws2812b led boards with up to 32 leds should work pin-out from left: data out / 5v / gnd signal-...

  • Page 18

    West v1&v2: stacking header pin-out: • stacking header - connecting the different layers in the stack top row: pwm2, pwm4, pwm6, bst scl, uart2_rx, +5v bottom row: pwm1, pwm3, pwm5, bst sda, uart2_tx, +5v pdb v2 and fpvision (new!) / +12v pdb v1 • leds - status indicator dcdc led, lights up once 12v...

  • Page 19

    Configuration and tuning the colibri race runs cleanflight by default. Cleanflight comes with a great and easy to use chrome application that you can download here: • cleanflight configurator there are several very detailed cleanflight guides available, which teaches you how to tune, configure and c...

  • Page 20

    Driver installation the colibri race is one of the first flight controllers that natively supports usb. In newer operating systems (windows 10, mac os x 10.10) there are no drivers required to enable configuration. However, for the most users a new driver has to be installed manually. Download and i...

  • Page 21

    4. Select a firmware from the drop-down menu (select “vendetta” especially made for the tbs vendetta, these include pre-tuned settings) and click “update” - the process should finish within 15 seconds. To access beta-versions, press f1 and check off “include beta releases”. 5. Now, restore or config...

  • Page 22

    Updating firmware using cleanflight the tbs colibri runs with a slightly customized cleanflight, which you can grab here: • http://www.Team-blacksheep.Com/powercube/colibri-latest.Zip if you do not need features such as bst or multiflash, or until these features are merged into the cleanflight proje...

  • Page 23

    Cleanflight configurator issues cleanflight configurator runs as a chrome app and therefore is at the mercy of chrome’s driver support. In some instances, the stm drivers will not work. Even though the flight controller starts in dfu mode, cleanflight configurator may not recognize your board. In th...

  • Page 24

    Tbs bulletproof 25a esc - speed control the next in line of the most innovative, reliable and powerful esc for multirotors. The first 2s to 6s capable tbs bulletproof esc, forged and optimized for racing. The best thing about those escs - no soldering and a very short manual. There is nothing to set...

  • Page 25

    Firmware upgrades make sure your fc firmware supports blheli port forwarding. We recommend any betaflight firmware >v2.7. 1. Download/open up latest blheli tool ( https://www.Mediafire.Com/folder/dx6kfaasyo24l/blhelisuite ) 2. Select atmel/silabs interface inside blheli tool: either atmel or silabs ...

  • Page 26

    Tbs powercube pdb v2 - power distribution this board measures current and controls power distribution across the entire tbs powercube, provides regulated and filtered power for the escs, flight controller and fpv system. V1: v2: 26.

  • Page 27

    Selecting vtx and cam voltage the output voltage for the vtx and cam ports can be selectable on the pcb. By default is the cam port set to 12v and the vtx set to 5v. If your equipment requires a different voltage (normally printed on the device or in the specifications), you have to switch the solde...

  • Page 28

    Connecting fpv camera and transmitter there are two ports on the pdb board which are for the fpv camera and video transmitter. Any tbs camera and transmitter is directly supported and plugs into the connector (molex picoblade) - be sure the output voltage is right for the equipment you are going to ...

  • Page 29

    Making older tbs pdb v1 compatible with newer tbs colibri fc the newer tbs powercube colibri (v1.2, v2.0 or above) is not compatible with older tbs pdb v1 out of the box. It will require one small modification. All that needs to be done is to cut off one pin on the tbs powercube pdb (non-v2.0) stack...

  • Page 30

    Troubleshooting fpv transmitter / camera • only static on receiver, or no video (pdb v1 only) verify that you have a working 5v and 12v supply by using a multimeter and measuring on the dedicated 5v/12v/gnd pads near the bst connector. In case the 5v and 12v supply line is interrupted, you can try t...

  • Page 31

    Tbs elite bundle / external esc pdb layer if you prefer, or need to use, your own external escs for a customized setup, you can do this by using the special external esc board for the powercube. It allows you to solder 4 escs to the board, including the control signal. You will need a tbs colibri ra...

  • Page 32

    Tbs powercube drag race shield with motors and propellers becoming more and more power hungry, the drag race capacitor shield adds 2200uf of capacitance to your power supply. This works essentially as a short term energy storage, with huge discharge capabilities. For drag races and full throttle afi...

  • Page 33: Connecting Tbs Equipment

    Connecting tbs equipment there is an issue when you want to run bst devices like the gps or blackbox direct without a core pro. Most of the bst devices needs 5v which the core pro provides. The crossfire rx does not power the bst line when 5v is applied to the servo connectors. The following explain...

  • Page 34

    Connectivity with tbs core pro osd one of the biggest advancements with the tbs powercube is the connectivity to the tbs core pro / fpvision, a next-generation osd system. The software update that we released together with the tbs powercube enables the core pro (v1.24 and later) to access and modify...

  • Page 35

    Entering osd configuration menu after the initial calibration is done, the main osd overlay will show and the core pro is ready to be configured. 1. To enter the osd configuration menu, hold the throttle stick down-left for 4 seconds (mode 2) 2. A countdown will let you know that you are about to en...

  • Page 36

    Centering your sticks will start the countdown. If you are not using the currently-active rx provider (in this case sbus), push the center (enter) button of the core pro to cycle through the available options. Follow the instructions on the screen and move your sticks accordingly. If the direction d...

  • Page 37

    Read rc data from existing setup if you already have everything set up on your powercube and you are just adding the core pro, select “read cleanflight rc data” in the core pro menu and the core pro will apply the settings from your cleanflight setup. The same process will be run if you choose to sk...

  • Page 38: Maintenance

    Maintenance replacing components the tbs powercube comes pre-assembled out of the box. The stand-offs and nuts require a 5mm hex driver. Tbs has some specialized tools available for super-fast and safe assembly. Without specialized tools, please take extra care when opening nuts that are close to th...

  • Page 39

    Tuning the stock standoffs are made from brass to keep money in your pockets or rainy day funds. For the serious weight aficionado, aluminum-gold based standoffs are available. They will shed around 12g off the total auw, while improving conductivity and thus the maximum power throughput. Further op...

  • Page 40: Good Practices

    Good practices we have compiled a list of all of practices which have been tried and tested in countless environments and situations by the tbs crew and other experienced fpv pilots. Follow these simple rules, even if rumors on the internet suggest otherwise, and you will have success in fpv. ● star...

  • Page 41

    ● do not use diversity video receivers as a replacement for pointing your antennas, diversity should be used to mitigate polarization issues. ● improving the antenna gain on the receiver end is better than increasing the output power (except in rf-noisy areas). More tx power causes more issues with ...