New Controller

[sansspaceship]

Hi All,

Just wondering if anyone has any experience with the guts of the OEM controller; I would like to build a custom controller but need to separate the two gimbals/joysticks. I have had a look at a few tear down videos and I am not familiar with they type of gimbal they are using which appears to be magnetic via a daughter board; hoping that I can just extend this via say a ribbon cable.

I am currently in the process of getting another controller so I can have a closer look, but just wondering if anyone with some practical experience or electronics knowledge that knows the system can give me a point in the right direction.

In short I want to put all the main build a setup that has a gimbal on one side and a IPAD Pro in the middle with a Gimbal on the other side.

Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Adrian

 

[Starz]

If your intent is to build your own panel with a layout to fit specific dimensions, you may want to look at the Mavic Air controller. Seems to be more of a modular unit. The wire extensions may be a bit easier to acquire also just because of the style of the connector they used. Also has removable sticks.

 

[sansspaceship]

Thanks Starz for both you comments and photos,

That looks , like it would be miles easier to integrate into my design, in reading my OP this morning again, I think I missed clarifying that I was trying to do this with a mavic pro - From what I have read the controllers are not compatible or is there a way to make a Mavic Pro with a Mavic air...... or am i doomed and just need to change platforms?

 

[Starz]

I don’t think whatever you build will be able to distinguish which gimbal is being used. Certainly the main board will need to match what aircraft is in the air. Someone with a bit more circuitry knowledge may be able to answer that.

 

[Former Member]

Thanks Starz for both you comments and photos,

That looks , like it would be miles easier to integrate into my design, in reading my OP this morning again, I think I missed clarifying that I was trying to do this with a mavic pro - From what I have read the controllers are not compatible or is there a way to make a Mavic Pro with a Mavic air...... or am i doomed and just need to change platforms?

MA and MP controllers are not interchangeable

Hi All,

Just wondering if anyone has any experience with the guts of the OEM controller; I would like to build a custom controller but need to separate the two gimbals/joysticks. I have had a look at a few tear down videos and I am not familiar with they type of gimbal they are using which appears to be magnetic via a daughter board; hoping that I can just extend this via say a ribbon cable.

I am currently in the process of getting another controller so I can have a closer look, but just wondering if anyone with some practical experience or electronics knowledge that knows the system can give me a point in the right direction.

In short I want to put all the main build a setup that has a gimbal on one side and a IPAD Pro in the middle with a Gimbal on the other side.

Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Adrian

Yes you can extend the joystick gimbals via ribbon cable, as long as you take the joystick pots together with the cable.

I completely will help you any way I can!!!!! I have a zillion controller pieces and parts, and can help your project along.

By the way, in terms of platforms. you efforts are best spent with the MP not the MA. Many more MPs have been sold than MA's.

 

[sansspaceship]

Thanks for that Thunderdrones - will get a crack on with the design - I am away for work for a few months so won't be much of an update until I get back but will be sure to reply back when I get it moving.

p.s. will respond to your PM also.

 

[Kilrah]

Yes you can extend the joystick gimbals via ribbon cable, as long as you take the joystick pots together with the cable.

Except he wants to do that on an MP, which has no pots but the magnetic gimbals. By far not that easy.

 

[Starz]

I understand the reason the two controllers are not compatible, but how does that pertain to just utilizing the gimbal from the Mavic Air. Won’t the gimbal itself just be a sending unit that provides input to a motherboard?

 

[Former Member]

OP, you can simply chop the controller in half, mount the joysticks and circuit boards separately to a separate piece of material, and mount the iPad in between the joysticks. To me, thats the ideal setup, and you are well on your way.

Im glad you dont work for DJI! Someone would have overruled you and your design would never have seen the light of day.