Tarot ZXY flybarless controller
Setup - Stick programming
last updated 2-20-2012

Files: My Quick Chart <spreadsheet>12KB  <pdf>44KB
Note: In the spreadsheet, there are two sheets one for the System Menu and the other for the Setup Menu.

1. Connect the ZYX to your receiver but do not connect the servos right now. Also if this is an electric heli I leave the ESC unplugged from the receiver. I power the receiver by a 4-cell nimh battery. The idea is to eliminate the possibility of the main blades spinning while you do the setup. You can also disengage the motor pinion from the main gear. Or unplugged two of the three motor wires.
The gyro comes with two male to male extensions and another that has three connectors on one end. All three extensions have a Futaba style plug on one end.
These plugs have a key(ridge) on the side of the plug that will match the cutout in the ZYX case.
3plug extension - Black (tail gain, gear channel), Red (elevator), White (collective, Aux1)



2. Radio setup - Set the swashplate type to mechanical mix (1 servo), in Futaba that would be H1. Set all sub trims set to 0, all servo end points (travel adj) set to 100/100, and dual rates to 100%. If you connect the Aux from the Tarot ZYX so that you use the gyro function in the radio then if your gyro range is from 0 to 100 set it to 71%. If your range is from -100 to +100 then set the gain to 42. Set the Hold Pitch Curve to 0,50,50,100.

3. Power up the receiver and hold full right aileron until the red, yellow, and blue lights flash one after the other. Return the aileron to center. Press the Set button on the ZYX. The moment you press set the Red, Yellow, and Blue lights will flash one time indicating your are at function 1. Continue pressing Set until you are at function 6 (Data Reset). Move the Aileron stick full left then full right and you will see the blue light flash. This indicates the settings have been reset to factory defualts.

4. Press the Set button to get to function 1 gyro orientation. Use the aileron stick to select the correct direction.
It cannot be installed on a slanted surface. And when you mount it try your best to align it straight. For example, if you have it on the standard gyro tray of the helicopter then check that the edges of the ZYX case are parallel to the gyro tray.
1 blink - mounted with label facing up or down & servo plugs either front or back
2 blinks - mounted with label facing up or down & servo plugs left or right side
3 blinks - mounted on side of heli with servo plugs front or back


5. Press the Set button to save your setting and move to function 2 (flight style). 3D mode has pirouette consistency.

6. Press the Set button to save your setting and move to function 3 (servo type). Use the aileron stick to select. This needs to be correct before you connect the servos.
1 blink “1520us 71Hz”：All servos are 1520us analogs.
2 blinks “1520us 250Hz”：Tail 1520us digital, swashplate servos are 1520us analogs.
3 blinks “1520us 333Hz”：Tail 1520us digital, swashplate servos are 1520us digitals.
4 blinks “760us 250Hz”：Tail 760us digital, swashplate servos are 1520us analogs.
5 blinks “760us 400Hz”：Tail 760us digital,  swashplate servos are 1520us digital.
6 blinks “960us 333Hz”：Tail 960us digital,  swashplate servos are 1520us digital.

7. Press Set then in function 4 set the swash type.
1 blink - mechanical mix
2 blinks - 120
3 blinks - 135
4 blinks - 140
5 blinks - 90

8. Press Set to save your setting then power off the receiver.

9. Connect the servos to the Tarot ZYX.
Now that you have the correct servo type selected and swash type, it is safe to connect the servos. In the picture below you can see an example of a 120 degree swash. Channel 3 will always be the 'elevator' servo. This is the servo that is between the frames. The side servos are channels 1 and 2.


10. Make sure the throttle hold switch is on and the Hold Pitch Curve is 0,50,50,50,100. Put the throttle stick in the middle.

11. At this point the servos are connected to the ZYX but the servo arms are not installed.

12. Power on the receiver and hold full left rudder stick until the red, yellow, and blue lights flash one after the other. Return the rudder to center.

13. Press the Set button for function 1 then press again to get to function 2 (servo reverse)

14. Again make sure the throttle stick is in the middle and install the servo arms as close to 90 degrees to the rods as you can.

15. Move the collective stick up and take note if all three servos move the correct direction to keep the swashplate level. If a servo is backwards then use the Aileron stick to select it and the rudder stick to change the direction.

16 While in function 2 check the tail servo direction and reverse if needed. On most helicopters when you move the rudder stick right the tail control rod will move forward.

17. Press the Set button for function 3 (Servo Trim). Move the throttle stick back to the middle. If any servo arms are not 90 degrees to the links then you can use Servo Trim to adjust it. Take note that as you move the Aileron stick to toggle between servos, the selected servo will make a quick movement to let you know which one you are about to adjust. Use the rudder stick to slowly rotate the servo arm to the 90 degree orientation. Do this for all four servos.

18. If you do not have the links ran from the servos to the swash then do so now.

19. Adjust the links from the servos to the swashplate so that the swashplate is level.

20. Press Set to save your settings then power off the receiver.

21. Power on the receiver and wait for the gyro to initialize.

22. Move the collective up. Did the main blades increase in pitch? If not go to the menu of your radio and in the reverse function change the direction of the Collective Pitch channel.

23. Move the elevator stick forward. Did the front of the swashplate move down? If not, reverse the elevator channel in your radio.

24. Move the aileron stick right. Did the right side of the swashplate move down? If not, reverse the aileron channel in your radio.

25. Place the switch you assigned for the gyro in the position you want for heading hold. Look at the light on top of the gyro. Is it solid red? If not then reverse that channel in your radio.

26. So now all servos move the correct direction.

27. Check the gyro directions. Tilt the nose down and take note if the front of the swashplate moves up. Tilt the heli so the right side goes down and note if the right side of the swashplate moves up. Rotate the heli so the nose moves left and check the tail servo. On most helicopters this would cause the tail control rod to move forward.

28. Flip the gyro switch you assigned on the radio to put the tail gyro in non Head Hold mode. The rudder servo arm should be 90 degrees to the control rod. And the control rod length should be adjusted so the tail control arm at the back is 90 degrees to the control rod.

29. Flip the gyro switch back to HH mode.

30. Power off the receiver then back on with the rudder stick full left.

31. Go to function 4 (Servo Limit). The tail servo will move to one side. Use the rudder stick to slowly move your tail pitch slider to the maximum position. Use the Aileron stick to move the rudder to the other end point. Set this using the rudder stick. Before you move to the Aileron limit (red 3), put your digital pitch gauge on the main blade that is pointed forward and with the throttle stick in the middle you should get a reading of zero degrees. If not then adjust the linkages to achieve zero.

32. Use the Aileron stick to get to Aileron Limit (red 3). The pitch gauge will indicate the cyclic input. With my setup it was 6 degrees which is what I wanted so I left it there. If you want to increase or decrease the range then use the rudder stick to do so.

33. Use the Aileron stick to get to Elevator Limit (red 4). Position the main blade to point out the side of the helicopter. Check the cyclic pitch range and make it the same as you did for the Aileron.

34. Press Set to get to Gyro Directions (function 5). In step 27 you took note if any gyro directions were backwards. This is where you will fix that.

35. Press Set to get to Collective Pitch Range (function 6). This setting adjust the total collective range unlike the pitch adjustment in the BeastX where you move the collective up and adjust rudder to set the top pitch then move the collective down and set the bottom pitch seperately.

36. Press Set to get to Pitch to Tail mix (function 7). With the collective all the way down or all the way up, use the rudder stick to set the direction and amount of compensation. With the collective down or up, the rudder servo should move such that it give right rudder (in most cases this would pull the tail control rod forward). Note on my 300 class heli I ended up zero'ing this compensation.

37. Press Set to save your settings then power off the receiver.

38. Power on the receiver and hold full right Aileron to enter the System menu.

39. Use the Set button to go to function 5 (Pirouette Optimization). The swashplate will tilt. Just for illustration so the swash tilted North. Rotate the helicopter and if the swashplate moves so that it is still tilted North then the Optimizaton is the correct direction. If not then use the Aileron stick to change it.

40. Set your Hold Pitch Curve back to what you had. The factory default is 0,25,50,75,100

41. Check again that all controls move the correct direction and that the gyro responds to titling to keep the swashplate level.

42. To set your pitch curves to the pitch range you want for each flight mode, you need to disable the gyro control loops temporily. To do this just enter the system menu. You do not need to press the set button, to get to the first function. Instead just entering the menu is all it takes to disable the control loops.