Beastx MICROBEAST PLUS Quick Start Manual

Version 5.0

QUICKSTART GUIDE

0118

STUDIOX.BEASTX.COM BEASTX.COM WIKI.BEASTX.COM

SAFETY NOTES

• Radio controlled (R/C) helicopters are no toys! The rotor blades rotate at high speed and pose potential
risk. They may cause severe injury due to improper usage. It is necessary to observe common safety
rules for R/C models and the local law. You can gather information from your local R/C model club or
from your national modelers association.

• Pay attention to your own safety and the safety of other people and property in your vicinity when
using our product. Always y in areas away from other people. Never use R/C models in close proximity
to housing areas or crowds of people. R/C models may malfunction or crash due to several reasons like
piloting mistakes or radio interference, and cause severe accidents. Pilots are fully responsible for their
actions, and for damage or injuries caused by the usage of their models.

• Please read the following instructions thoroughly before the rst use of your MICROBEAST PLUS and
setup the system carefully according to this manual. Allow sucient time for the setup procedure and
check each step carefully. Watch for a mechanically clean and proper build of your helicopter. A wrong
system setup can lead to a serious accident and damage to the model.

• Radio controlled (R/C) models consist of several electrical components. It is therefore necessary to
protect the model from moisture and other foreign subtances. If the model is exposed to moisture this
may lead to a malfunction which may cause damage to the model or a crash. Never y in the rain or
extremely high humidity.

• When operating the helicopter with a MICROBEAST PLUS ensure there is a suciently large and stable
receiver power supply. Because of the direct coupling of the rotor blades to the servos, without the use
of a ybar mixer, the servos are exposed to increased actuating forces. In addition, because of the
intermediary electronic gyro system, the servos are driven more often than with traditional use. These
factors can make the power consumption increase a lot compared to a ybar helicopter. When the
supply voltage falls below 3.5 volts for a short amount a of time, the system will power o and reboot.
In this case a crash of the helicopter is unavoidable.

• Do not expose the MICROBEAST PLUS system to extreme variations in temperature. Before powering
up the system, wait some time so that the electronics can acclimatize and any accumulated
condensation is able to evaporate.

• The sensors of MICROBEAST PLUS consist of highly sensitive electromechanical components. These can
be damaged due to moisture or mechanical or electrical impact. Do not continue using this product, if
it has been exposed to such inuences, e.g. due to a crash of the model or due to overvoltage caused
by a defective receiver power supply. Otherwise a failure may happen any time.

• When operating electric helicopters make sure that the electric motor cannot start inadvertently during
the setup procedure. Particularly pay attention if using a single-line receiver and if the ESC is connected
directly to the MICROBE AST PLUS. We recommend disconnecting the electric motor from the ESC during
the setup procedure. Prior the rst usage please slide the motor/pinion away from the main gear, then
check that the motor does not to start inadvertently when the receiver is switched on.

• When operating the RPM Governor feature of MICROBEAST PLUS it is essential to ensure that the motor
cannot start by accident when making adjustment or performing preparations to start the engine.
Carefully read this manual and make sure you fully understand how the RPM Governor feature is
operated before making any adjustments. Also make sure the motor does not start when the radio link
is interrupted or when you switch on the transmitter initially. With electric driven models do not dock
the motor to the main gear unless all necessary adjustment procedures have been nished. Always
maintain sucient safety distance to the motor and other rapidly rotating components of the
helicopter.

• MICROBEAST PLUS with AttitudeControl can be used as a ying aid for beginners by limiting the
reaction of the helicopter to stick inputs and by stabilizing the helicopter with a electronic control loop.
However, this does not provide that the helicopter can always be own safely! By incorrect control
inputs the helicopter still may crash or be placed in a position in which the pilot becomes disoriented
even when using AttitudeControl. In addition, the helicopter can drift due to external inuences and it
is not guaranteed that the articial horizon of the device can stabilize the helicopter at any time and
recover from any orientation. Inuences such as temperature uctuations or vibrations may cause
incorrect results and distort the position calculation of the system in consequence. There is no
guarantee that the system will always work correctly. Only the pilot is responsible for the control of the
helicopter and thus also for the use of the system. Note that the system for technical reasons will not
hold the helicopter absolutely to the point. The unstable tendency of a helicopter will cause the model
to y in a certain direction even when using AttitudeControl. External inuences such as wind can
further strengthen this eect. In addition measurement inaccuracies of the sensors can distort the
position determination slightly. You must always be able to turn o the system immediately and be
able to take over full control of the helicopter.

• We suggest you to seek the support of an experienced helicopter pilot before you undertake the rst
ight of your model. Additionally, ight training with a R/C simulator can help make ying easier and
more enjoyable. Ask your local dealer if you need technical support or if you observe problems during
the usage of our system.

• AttitudeControl can help to facilitate ying of model helicopters by briey passing over control to the
system if the pilot becomes disoriented. By using the built-in articial horizon the helicopter can be
brought to a nearly horizontal position so that the pilot gains time to reorient. Thus, there can be no
assurance that the model is saved from a crash in general. Depending on the current attitude and the
speed of the model and depending on how fast the AttitudeControl is activated, the model may crash
before or while the system tries to recover. In addition, the helicopter can drift due to external inuences
and it is not guaranteed that the articial horizon of the device can stabilize the helicopter at any time
and recover from any orientation. Inuences such as temperature uctuations or vibrations may cause
incorrect results and distort the position calculation of the system in consequence. Strictly observe the
general safety rules for dealing with RC models and do not totally rely on the system. The pilot is
responsible for the control of the helicopter and thus also for the use of the system. You must always be
able to turn o the system immediately and be able to take over full control of the helicopter.

If you like to get more insight into the system and like to have a more visualized type of setup you
can use the StudioX App for PC/mac or StudioXm for your smartphone/tablet in combination with
the USB2SYS interface (PC/mac) or BLE2SYS interface (smartphone/tablet) (optional available).
These apps are the source to get even more out of your device like saving/restoring paramaters,
firmware updates, loading preset heli configurations and making advanced adjustment to fully
customize your MICROBEAST PLUS to your needs.

StudioX can be downloaded from:

STUDIOX.BEASTX.COM

Dear customer,
thank you for purchasing our product.

MICROBEAST PLUS is a high-end gyro system for RC helicopters that has been developed in Germany using
latest technology and setting high standards. It can be used with many different types of helicopters like
3D aerobatic helis, F3C competition helicopters as well as scale helicopters with 2 or more rotorblades. The
system comes with BASIC flybarless stabilization functionality and can be upgraded by paid update to the
PROEDITION. This enables additional features like AttitudeControl for recue bailout or constant leveling and a
feature called „Bank Switching“ which allows to switch between parameter presets in flight to serve different
flight conditions or flying styles.

To setup MICROBEAST PLUS there is no need for any additional devices. All you need is your radio system
and your helicopter. Thanks to the well proven „EasySetup“ concept you can do all the necessary adjustment
directly at the device and you‘re ready for take off within a few minutes.

This Quickstart Guide is a clearly arranged guide that will lead you step-by-step through the basic flight
setup. Please follow this guide carefully and make sure to read the attached safety notes. For a detailed
instruction manual and further details, tipps, tricks and notes about the product please visit

WIKI.BEASTX.COM

This guide is intended to be used with MICROBEAST PLUS firmware version 5.0.x
only! After power up when the Status-LED lights red, for a few seconds in the left row

menu LEDs A and C indicate major version „5“. In the right row no LED lights up.

1. HARDWARE INSTALLATION

You can position MICROBEAST PLUS flat or upright on the helicopter. The large socket must point to the front or to the rear of
the helicopter. The small white socket must be aligned with the longitudinal axis.

The sensor axis (housing edges of the device) must be aligned exactly parallel to all three rotation axis of the helicopter.
However, it is allowed to position the device offset from the rotation axis.

In summary there are 8 mounting orientations possible:

1. flat, sticker on top, socket pointing to front

2. upright, button up, socket pointing to front

3. flat, sticker showing to ground, socket pointing to front

4. upright, button down, socket pointing to front

5. flat, sticker on top, socket pointing to rear

6. upright, button up, socket pointing to rear

7. flat, sticker showing to ground, socket pointing to rear

8. upright, button down, socket pointing to rear

Use one of the supplied 3M gyro pads to stick the device to your helicopter. The device housing must not directly touch
the chassis of the helicopter. When connecting and laying out the servo and receiver wiring later onwards please make sure
the wires do not pass tension to the MICROBEAST PLUS. It is not recommended to bundle or tie down the leads close to the
MICROBEAST PLUS device.

1. 2. 3. 4.

5. 6. 7. 8.

Flight direction

ESC/Throttle

servo

BEC/Power supply

(if required)

JR® or

SPEKTRUM®

satelite

2. CONNECTING THE RECEIVER

BAT

Pitch

Gyro

Rudder

Elevator

Aileron

Throttle

STANDARD
RECEIVER

Throttle servo/ESC

red

brown

orange

BEC/Receiver battery

(if required)

BAT

SINGLELINE
RECEIVER

Throttle servo/ESC

BEC/Receiver battery

(if required)

Signal

Supported receivers/
transmission protocols:

• SRXL: JR® XBus (Mode B), Multiplex®
SRXL (V1+V2), Jeti® UDI, Graupner/SJ®
HOTT SUMD, Spektrum® SRXL

• Futaba® SBUS

• Remote satellite (Spektrum® DSM2/
DSMX, JR RJ-01 DMSS)

• Jeti® EXBUS

• ALIGN/FlySky iBus

• PPM serial signal (SPPM)

The illustrations are only
intended as examples! The

function assignment of the
transmitter determines which
channel on the receiver controls
which function.

Using a Single-Line receiver all channels/functions are transferred by one single connection wire. This allows to use even more
than 5 channels, i. e. for controlling the headspeed Governor, AttitudeControl function and additional output channels.

Always make sure the power supply is stable and dimensioned suciently for the intended application. If possible always
connect the power source directly to MICROBEAST PLUS (not at port

[AUX|PIT|RUD]) but additional supply cables can be plugged

into free receiver ports, too. Especially when using standard size servos it is recommended to use more than one power supply
cable in parallel to preserve a stable voltage and to reduce power loss due to connection resistance..

The assignment of functions to the radio channels is mentioned in the manual of your radio system. Also you can nd out the
function assignment by checking your transmitter‘s servo monitor. The connectors of MICROBEAST PLUS are assigned to the
functions as follows:

AIL|CH5 = Aileron, ELE|DI1 = Elevator, RUD (orange wire) = Rudder, PIT (red wire) = Thrust, Aux (brown wire) = Gyro gain

The wires for aileron and elevator additionally transfer the power between MICROBEAST PLUS and receiver.

Using a single remote satellite is only recommended
for 450 size helis or smaller! For larger helis please use a

SRXL compatible Single-Line receiver for your radio brand.

ESC/Throttle

servo

BEC/Power supply

(if required)

JR® or

SPEKTRUM®

satelite

3. PREPARING YOUR TRANSMITTER

With electric driven models remove the motor from the main gear when performing the basic setup for

safety reason! Additionally deactivate the throttle by using the „Throttle HOLD“ switch, so the motor won‘t start to

turn when moving the thrust stick.
When flying a nitro or gasser heli remove the servo horn from the throttle servo before first power up to prevent

jamming the servo due to wrong servo setup.

You mustn‘t use any mixing functions on the output channels! Especially it is not allowed to use mixing functions for the
swashplate servos. Deactivate all output channels that are not used. In the basic configuration we only need pitch, aileron,
elevator, rudder, throttle and one channel to adjust the tail gyro gain.

Create a new helicopter model memory in your transmitter that supplies different flight modes for controling throttle, pitch
and the tail gyro gain in different flight situations.

Only the pitch channel must
be controled when moving
the thrust stick. The same
applies to aileron, elevator
and rudder.

Each control function must exactly control one output channel. Initially the servo throws must be set to 100% and all
trims and sub trims must be zero. For the basic setup do not change the pitch curves yet. The throttle curves and throttle
servo settings can be adjusted as necessary for this model in case you do not intend to use the internal Headspeed Governor
function of MICROBEAST PLUS.

4. RECEIVER SETUP

Switch on

power supply

Menu LED A flashes

Status LED

changes color

(scanning for

receiver)

Make sure your transmitter is on and sending signals to the receiver. At menu point A you can start automatic receiver type
detection by briefly pressing the button once. The color and state of the Status LED indicates which type is currently scanned
for. When the receiver has been detected the menu will skip to point B; when there was some error the Status LED will flash
in red color and the menu stays at A. In this case please make sure you‘ve connected the receiver correctly and try again!

Single-Line receiver (Status LED off, purple or red at menu point A)
When at menu point B press and hold the button for 2 seconds to load the default function assignment that has been preset
for the detected radio system. Alternatively you may program a different function assignment manually in case the default
assignment does not match to your transmitter‘s function layout. How this works in detail you can read from the detailed
instruction manual which you can get at wiki.beastx.com.

Preset function assignment for the different single-line receiver protocols (indicated by Status LED color at A):

Press and hold button Press briefly

To enter RECEIVER MENU MICROBEAST PLUS must be switched off completely. Push and hold the button before and while
powering on. The menu LEDs will start to cycle from A to N. Now you can release the button.

Release button

Menu LEDs cycling

Switch on

transmitter

THR

AIL ELE RUD GER PIT AX2 AX3

Throttle [CH5] Aileron Elevator Rudder Gyro gain Pitch Aux [CH6] Governor*

Spektrum® DSM2/DSMX or JR RJ-01 DMSS remote satelite

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Pitch Aileron Elevator Rudder Aux [CH6] Throttle [CH5] Gyro gain Governor*

PPM serial signal (SPPM)

To initiate bind procedure on a single Spektrum® remote satellite connect the Spektrum bind plug to [SYS] port. When

using a DSM2 remote satellite, push and hold the button and turn on power while still holding the button down. The LED on
the satellite will ash together with Menu LED N on the MICROBEAST PLUS. When binding a DSMX remote satellite do not
touch the button but only power on the device. The LED on the satellite will ash together with Menu LED H. Initiate the bind
procedure on the transmitter. Power o and remove the bind plug when nished successfully.

To bind the JR® RJ01 remote satellite initiate the bind procedure on the transmitter and power on the MICROBEAST PLUS.
The remote satellite will bind instantly. Connecting a bind plug or similar is not necessary.

* Governor channel is used to set headspeed for governor function with nitro or gas driven helicopters

Receiver with „Standard“ 5-wire layout (Status LED blue at menu point A)
Here the function assignment is simply determined by the order of physical connection of the wires to the receiver outputs. Assignment
by software is not provided and will not appear when choosing this type of receiver. When a „Standard“ receiver (Status LED blue at
menu point A) was detected the receiver setup is finished and the system will reboot immediately. Menu point B will not appear!

WARNING: At menu point N the throttle output CH5 is active, when using a electric helicopter the motor

may start to run! Move the throttle to the desired failsafe position which will be set in case the receiver connection is

interupted oder gets disconnected.

When pushing the button after setting throttle failsafe position all the receiver settings will be stored. Then all menu
LEDs will flash repeatedly and the system will reboot after 3 seconds.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Pitch Aileron Elevator Rudder Aux [CH6] Throttle [CH5] Gyro gain Governor*

Graupner® SUMD

THR

AIL ELE RUD GER PIT AX2 AX3

Throttle [CH5] Aileron Elevator Rudder Gyro gain Pitch Aux [CH6] Governor*

Spektrum® SRXL

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Aileron Elevator Throttle [CH5] Rudder Gyro gain Pitch Aux [CH6] Governor*

Futaba® SBus/SBus2 or BEASTX FASST compatible receiver

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Aileron Elevator Rudder Pitch Throttle [CH5] Gyro gain Aux [CH6] Governor*

Multiplex® SRXL v1 and v2, JR® XBUS Mode B, JETI® UDI 12 + 16ch

Menu LED B flashes

Status LED is solid blue

Press and hold button
for 2 seconds

Release button

Menu LED N flashes

Status LED flashes red/blue

Press briefly

Make sure throttle is

in motor stop/failsafe

position

Move rudder stick

left or right

5. BASIC HELI SETUP (SETUP MENU)

Status LED lights up

blue or purple

Operation mode

Then enter SETUP MENU for making the basic adjustments

Setup menu point A - Device orientation (Menu LED A solid lit up)

Check the selected device orientation and change it if necessary by (repeatedly) moving the rudder stick into one direction
until the Status LED color corresponds to the real device orientation. Then briefly push the button to save the setting and
to proceed to the next menu point.

Operation mode

(Status LED blue or purple)

Press and hold (!) button

Menu LED A flashes

(= PARAMETER MENU A)

Keep button pressed
for 2 seconds

Menu LED A lights solid

(= SETUP MENU A)

Release button when
LED A stops flashing

Status LED shows currently
selected device orientation

Status LED shows currently
selected device orientation

Menu LED B solid

(= SETUP MENU B)

Press button briefly

Status LED changes color/state

(= Changing device orientation)

Calibration of

radio channels

Do not move sticks on

the radio!

Calibration of sensor

rest positions

Do not move the

helicopter!

Firmware version: 5.0.x

After power up or finishing RECEIVER MENU adjustment wait until the system has initialized

Status LED off*

Status LED

flashing purple

Status LED purple

Status LED

flashing red

Large socket points

to nose of the heli

Status LED red

Status LED

flashing blue

Status LED blue

Status LED flashing

red/blue

Large socket points

to tail of the heli

Status LED shows current
swashplate update frequency

SETUP MENU C

Press button briefly

Status LED shows current
swashplate servo frame rate

Status LED purple ashing red red ashing blue blue

B

Swashplate update rate 50 Hz* 65 Hz 120 Hz 120 Hz 200 Hz

C

Rudder servo pulse width 760 µs - 960 µs - 1520 µs*

D

Rudder update rate 50 Hz* 120 Hz 270 Hz 333 Hz (560 Hz)

If you don‘t know the which update rate is best for your servos never use more than 50Hz.

The higher the update rate the better it is for the flight performance of MICROBEAST PLUS but you must check the servo specifications
before increasing the update rate. Otherwise the servos may get damaged! For a list with parameter examples for most common servo
types see WIKI.BEASTX.COM.

Always use 1520 µs rudder servo pulse width except you‘re using a very special type of rudder servo with reduced pulse width (only these
servo can be used with an increased update rate of 560 Hz!). Check the servo data sheet!

...

Move rudder stick

left or right

Status LED changes color/state

(Changing swash servo frame rate)

Flight direction

Setup menu points B, C and D

Adjust swashplate update rate (B), rudder servo pulse width (C) and rudder update rate (D) again by moving the rudder
stick to one or another direction until the Status LED lights in the correct color necessary for the servos used in your helicopter.
Briefly pressing the button will store the selected option and skip to the next menu point.

Menu LED E solid

Status LED off

Use rudder stick to move the servo to

the maximum allowed deflection

Release rudder stick

Status LED

blue or red

Use rudder stick to move the servo to the

minimum allowed deflection

Release rudder stick

Status LED

purple

Press button briefly

Menu LED F solid

(= SETUP MENU F)

Setup menu point E - Rudder servo limit

Plug the rudder servo connector into [CH4] output of MICROBEAST PLUS. Put the servo arm on the servo so that it forms
roughly an angle of 90 degrees with the rudder linkage rod and adjust the length of the linkage rod as described in the
helicopter manual.

Push and hold the rudder stick into one direction to move the rudder servo and release the stick when the servo reaches the
maximum or mimimum allowed servo throw. Using the rudder stick you can reposition the servo at any time to adjust the
exact servo limit. If you do not touch the rudder stick for several seconds the current servo position will be saved as maximum
or minimum (the Status LED will flash and then light up solid in blue or red color). Then move the servo to the opposite
direction, adjust as described above and wait until also this position gets stored (now Status LED becomes purple).

Setup menu point F - Rudder direction

1. Move the rudder stick and check the rudder direction on the helicopter

Correct

Wrong

Rudder stick to the right

Tail rotor pushes tail left, so heli turns to right. Tail rotor pushes tail right, so heli turns to left.

If the stick is moving the servo into the wrong direction use
the servo reverse function of your transmitter and reverse
the rudder channel to change stick control direction.

2. Now set the rudder direction of the MICROBEAST PLUS gyro
When you move the rudder stick to the right, the Status LED must light up or flash in blue color. When you move the rudder stick to the

left, the Status LED must light up or flash in red color. When the display is inverted (red = right and blue = left) reverse the display (internal

control direction) by tapping the aileron(!) stick once.

Status LED blue

Rudder stick to the right

Correct

Status LED red

Wrong

Tap aileron stick to

swap colors

3. Optional: When you move the rudder stick to full deflection, the Status LED should light solid, not just flash. If this is not the case, increase
the servo throw/endpoint of the rudder channel in the transmitter just as far so that the Status LED changes from flashing to solid
when the rudder stick reaches the end position. Note: Do not increase the endpoint too much in the transmitter. We need an exact

match of full stick position and stick end position, the Status LED should just change from flashing to solid when reaching the end position.

Always set servo direction in the transmitter rst, then check the display on the MICROBEAST PLUS or in the software and change the
internal control direction if it does not match the real direction. Do not change the internal direction in order to change the servo
direction! This is only used for telling the gyro in which direction it must move the servo. Be very conscientious when doing this
setup step, as wrong gyro direction will cause loss of control during takeo and you probably crash the helicopter!

Press button briey

Status LED changes color/state

(= changing mixing type)

Move rudder stick

left or right

Status LED shows currently

selected mixing type

Status LED

purple ashing red red ashing blue blue

G Swashplate mixing type

mechanical 90° 120° 140° 135°/140° (1:1)

Setup menu point G - Swashplate mixing type

Status LED shows currently

selected mixing type

For ALIGN ® T-Rex helicopters you can keep the default setting of 120 degrees electronic swash mixing (Status LED solid red).

Never use any swashplate mixing in your transmitter even when electronic mixing is required!

Deactivate the swashplate mixing in your transmitter or set it to mechanical mixing (which is often called “normal“, “H1“ or ”1 servo“
mixing), so that each stick function only moves one receiver output channel. The swashplate mixing is all done by MICROBEAST PLUS!

In the following connect the servos to the outputs marked with CH1 to CH3 (CH7) as shown below. With electronic swashplate
mixing the two aileron servos have to be connected to CH2 (=left) and CH3 (=right). With a mechanical mixed head (H1) the
aileron servo connects to CH2 and collective pitch servo to CH3. Plug the the elevator servo into CH1 port. When using a scale
helicopter with 90 degrees eCCPM you can connect a second elevator servo to CH7 output on the MICROBEAST PLUS. Note
that CH7 only is a signal output, so you must power the servo from elsewhere, i.e. by getting power from the SYS-port or CH5
using a Y-adapter (for + and - only!).

CH

1

120°

CH1

CH2CH3

140°

CH1

CH2CH3

Flight direction

90°

CH1

CH H3

2C

H3CH

mCCPM eCCPM

Servo 1

Elevator

Servo 2

Aileron

Servo 3

Aileron 2/Pitch (mCCPM)

top

(CH7)

CH2

Servo 4

Elevator 2
(90° eCCPM)

When you route the wire leads in your model make sure that there is no tension passed to the MICROBEAST PLUS. Make sure that MICROBEAST PLUS
is able to move freely, so no vibrations get passed onto the unit by the wire leads. Do not use any shrink tubing or fabric hose to bundle or encase the
wiring in close proximity to the point at which the cables are plugged into the MICROBEAST PLUS. This makes the cables stiff and inflexible and can cause
vibrations being transmitted to MICROBEAST PLUS.

When you‘ve perfectly adjusted the servos now
adjust the linkage rods going from servos to
the swashplate and from the swashplate to the
blade grips. The swashplate must be leveled and
centered on the main shaft and the bladegrips
should be set to 0° of pitch.

Anti-rotation guide leveled
horizontally and twisted
correctly

Swashplate leveled horizontally

0° pitch

Swashplate centered
vertically on main shaft

Status LED o

(= no servo active)

Choose one of the servos connected at
CH1 - CH3 (CH7)

Tap aileron stick

left or right

to choose servo

Move rudder stick to adjust servo

center position

If necessary adjust the swashplate anti-rotation
guide so that the swashplate phasing is not
shifted (only applies to 2-blade rotorheads).

Linkage balls of swashplate
outer ring and blade grips
must be on one line

Setup menu point H - Swashplate servo trim

At SETUP MENU point H we trim the servo center positions so that each servo horn forms an exact 90 degrees angle with the
adjustment linkage. This is necessary as usually you will not be able to attach the servo horns in exact center position to the
servo. After all servos have been trimmed do not proceed to the next menu point yet. With active trimming adjust the linkage
rods according to your helicopter‘s manual.

Initially when the trimming is 0 on all servos the Status LED will be o. Attach the servo horns in center position as good as
possible. By tapping the aileron stick you can select one servo after another. Every color of the Status-LED is corresponding to
a specic servo channel that is indicating its selection by a short up and down move. Use the rudder stick to change the servo
trimming/adjust the center position. You can switch back and forth between the servos as often as you need.

Hint: To reset the servo trims push and hold the button for at least 10 seconds.

CH1

CH2CH3

Setup menu point I - Swashplate servo directions

Move the thrust stick and check whether all servos push the swashplate up and down simultaneously. If this is not the case by
tapping the aileron stick you can select one servo after another. Every color of the Status-LED is corresponding to a specic
servo channel that is indicating its selection by a short up and down move. Tap the rudder stick once to change the servo
direction. You can switch back and forth between the servos as often as you need.

After adjusting servo directions make sure that the pitch direction is correct! You can either do this by setting the servo
directions correctly right from the beginning or by changing the direction of the pitch channel in the transmitter later.

Please note: It‘s not possible to reverse the servos with the servo reverse function of your transmitter! The transmitter only controls the
functions of MICROBEAST PLUS, not the servos! Reversing a channel in the transmitter will reverse the control function in total, not the
direction of a single servo (except when using mCCPM swashplate mixing).

Setup menu point J - Swashplate servo throw

At SETUP MENU point J we adjust the internal servo throw so that MICROBEAST PLUS has a reference on how far it must move
the servos when controlling the helicopter. To set the throw you have to align one rotorblade on the longitudinal axis (in
parallel to the tail boom) and measure the cyclic pitch with a digital pitch gauge on this rotorblade.

Move thrust stick

up and down

Tap aileron stick

left or right

to choose servo

Correct Wrong

Tap rudder stick

left or right

to reverse servo

CH1

CH2CH3

Tap aileron stick to

switch to measure

position

Menu LED J solid

Status LED o

Status LED should be solid blue

(see instruction manual for

further details on the LED colors)

Setup menu point K - Collective pitch

3. Now use rudder stick to
adjust maximum positive
collective pitch (i. e. +12°)

0°

+12°

Move thrust stick to

maximum positive pitch

and let it stay there

6°

Use rudder stick to adjust

blade pitch to exact

exact +6 or -6 degrees

Status LED blue

Correct

Status LED red

Wrong

Tap aileron stick

once to swap colors

2. The Status LED must light solid, not just flash. If this is not the case, increase the
servo throw/endpoint of the pitch channel in the transmitter just as far so that
the Status LED changes from flashing to solid when the rudder stick reaches
the end position. But do not increase the endpoint too much in the transmitter!

We need an exact match of full stick position and stick end position, the Status LED
should just change from flashing to solid when reaching the end position.

1. Set internal control direction

4. Finally move thrust stick to

full negative position and
repeat steps 2. and 3. for the

negative pitch.

Do not change control
direction anymore!

Setup menu point M - Swashplate control directions

Menu LED L solid

Move thrust, aileron and

elevator sticks carefully to

maximum deection!

Use rudder stick to

adjust the servo limit

Status LED should be solid

blue (see instruction

manual for further details)

Setup menu point L - Swashplate servo limit

You can remove the pitch gauge now! Simultaneously move the sticks for thrust, aileron and elevator to the maximum
deection and check if the servos, swashplate or linkages get jammed in a certain position. By pushing and holding the
rudder stick left or right you can increase or decrease the limit for the servos! Adjust the limit so that the servos just don‘t get
jammed in any possible stick position but don‘t limit the servos more than necessary.

Elevator forward

Aileron to the right

Status LED blue

Correct

Status LED red

Wrong

Tap rudder stick

until color is correct

Status LED purple

Wrong

There are four possible options, only one is correct!

1. If not already done, move the stick(s) for aileron and elevator on the radio and check whether the swashplate is moved in the correct

directions on the helicopter. The swashplate must follow the stick movement: pushing elevator forward will tilt the swashplate forwards,
adding aileron to the right will move the swash to the right and so on. If the stick is moving the swashplate into the wrong direction

use the reverse function of your transmitter and reverse the aileron and/or elevator channel to set stick control direction correctly.

2. Now set the internal control direction of the MICROBEAST PLUS gyro

When you‘re using the Headspeed Governor of MICROBEAST PLUS now connect the RPM sensor (i. e. magnetical, optical or
brushless phase sensor) or the wire for RPM signal of your ESC to the white sensorport on the long side. For this you may need
the optional available BXA76401 adapter.

Setup menu point N - Internal Headspeed Governor

This menu point is only accessible if you‘re not using a Standard type receiver! Otherwise pressing the button at menu point

M will exit the menu and lead back to operation mode.

Enable the Headspeed Governor function by choosing the type of drive system of your helicopter. If you‘re using the governor
function of the ESC or an external governor or if you want to y without headspeed governing at all, choose „Governor o“.

Status LED shows current RPM

Governor mode

Press button briey

Status LED changes color
(= changing RPM Governor mode)

Move rudder stick

left or right

Status LED shows current RPM

Governor mode

Status LED o red blue

N Internal Governor

Governor o* electric heli nitro/gas heli

ESC

Speed controller
connected to CH5

Throttle servo
connected to CH5

Magnetical sensor

mounted close to

clutch bell of motor

6. GOVERNOR SETUP MENU

Menü LED A ashes

Status LED o

Nitro/Gas heliElectric heli with

brushless phase sensor

Rotate the motor by hand.

The Status LED must light red

Turn clutch bell by hand

Status LED solid blue

when magnet triggers

sensor

Governor menu point A - Test mode (Menu LED A ashing slowly)

If the Governor was activated at SETUP MENU point N (set to „electric“ or „nitro/gas heli“) you will access the Governor menu
immediately afterwards. At point A we check if the speed sensor is functioning properly and if the sensor wire is connected correctly.

Thrust in mid
stick position

Servo arm and throttle

lever in parallel and

perpendicular to linkage rod

When using a helicopter with combustion engine adjust the throttle servo positions in the transmitter (servo throw and servo
center) and setup the throttle on the heli (throttle linkage rod length and servo arm position), if necessary. Attach the servo
horn at thrust mid stick position. The throttle linkage must form a right angle with the servo horn. Adjust the length of the
linkage according to the instructions of the helicopter, so that it also is positioned perpendicular to the linkage lever at the
carburetor. The carburetor must be opened halfways (note the markings on the carburetor!). Then adjust the servo throw so
the carburetor can be fully opened and fully closed without jamming the throttle servo.

Governor menu point B - Motor o/Idle position

Using an electric heli move the throttle to the position at which the motor is just before to start running, i.e. by adding
throttle until the motor starts to turn and then reducing the throttle a little. With a nitro/gas heli move the throttle to a stable
idle position.

Menu LED B ashes

Status LED o

Move throttle to position at which the motor is just before to

start running (electric heli) or idle position (nitro/gas heli)

Press button briey

Status LED blue

when throttle

position registered

Governor menu point C - Full throttle position

Move throttle to maximum position. Note: In electric governor mode the throttle input will not be passed to CH5 output to
prevent from motor damage by running the motor without load! Thus, you have to check before that the full throttle position
runs the motor at maximum speed in reality, i.e. by correctly programming your throttle end points in the transmitter or ESC.

Menu LED C ashes

Status LED o

Move throttle to maximum position

MAX RPM

Governor menu point D - Transmitter setup

Here we can set the desired rotor headspeed and throttle curves. The Status LED can be used to verify the transmitter setup.
Governor o = o, Autorotation = purple, Gov active = red or blue (at max. RPM).

When using an electric heli the throttle is completely independent from the thrust stick. The throttle curves are set to
horizontal lines which stand for a certain headspeed and governor operation mode. Using the ight mode switch you can
switch between the dierent curves/rpm presets in the transmitter.

The Governor for nitro/gas models can be operated in two dierent ways: One possibility is to operate the governor using
the throttle channel similar to the electric mode. Only dierence here is that the the range below 50% throttle is used to
manually control the throttle servo, i. e. for starting the motor. The range above 50% activates the governor and presets a
specic rotor headspeed just like in electric mode.

Motor o

• Throttle 0% over
the entire range

Idle up

• Throttle set between
15% and 100%
equals headspeed of
800 - 5000rpm

• +5% = +247rpm

100%

0%

Autorotation

• Throttle greater 0%
and smaller 15%

• Motor o

• When switching back
to idle up motor will
restart quickly

10%

Status LED purpleStatus LED o

Status LED red

or blue

40%

2035 rpm

Status LED blue

when throttle

position registered

Press button briey

Manual control

• Range between
0% und 50%
directly controls
the throttle servo
from idle to fully
opened position

Autorotation

• Throttle in idle
position

• When switching back
to idle up (>50%)
motor will restart
quickly

• Switching back to
manual control (<40%)
will disable governor

45%

Status LED purpleStatus LED o

Idle up

• Throttle set between
50% and 100%

equals headspeed of
500 - 3000rpm

• +5% = +250rpm

Status LED red

or blue

75%

1750rpm

100%

0%

50%

The second option to control the Governor for nitro/gas helicopters is to use a separate switch channel. Here the throttle
curves/throttle channel is used for manual throttle servo control only. The Governor is activated and the headspeed is set by
using the additional channel. When the throttle channel is above 25% and a headspeed is set, the Governor will activate and
control the headspeed. Moving the throttle channel below 25% will switch to Autorotation mode.

Manual control

• Throttle curve
controls servo

• Governor o

• Governor channel
below 5% (-90)

Status LED o

50%

100%

0%

100%

0%

Throttle curve

(throttle channel)

Governor

control channel

Governor menu point E - Signal divider

Electric helicopter with brushless phase sensor or phase signal from ESC: signal divider = motor pole count : 2
Nitro/Gas helicopter with magnetical or optical sensor: signal divider = number of triggers (i.e. magnets or optical markers)

Governor menu points F G H - Main gear ratio

When the helicopter has a single stage main gear: Main gear ratio = Main gear tooth count : Motor pinion tooth count
Set the Status LED color/state at each of the menu points F, G and H so that the main gear ratio can be calculated as sum
of the three menu points, i. e. 8.55:1 = F ashing purple + G ashing red + H red

Idle up

• Governor channel set
between 5% and 100%
(or -90 and +100 on some
transmitters) equals

headspeed of 500 - 3000rpm

• +5% (or 10 clicks) = +131rpm

• throttle channel must stay
above 25%

Status LED red or blue

Throttle curve

(throttle channel)

Governor

control channel

50%

100%

0%

100%

0%

52,5%

1800

rpm

Status LED o ashing purple purple ashing red red ashing blue blue

E Signal divider

1 2 3 4* 5 6 7

Status LED o ashing purple purple ashing red red ashing blue blue red/blue

F

custom 8.00 9.00* 10.00 11.00 12.00 13.00 14.00

G

+0.00 +0.20 +0.40* +0.60 +0.80

H

+0.00 +0.05 +0.10* +0.15

Which nitro governor mode you‘re using depends on whether you‘ve assigned a switch channel to control the governor at the RECEIVER MENU
function assignment or not. You can nd out which mode you‘re using by watching the Status LED display here while moving the throttle!

For proper governing the headspeed should not be set higher than 80% of the maximum possible headspeed of the helicopter. When
using the nitro governor, make sure that slow rampup speed and fast rampup speed are not set too high in PARAMETER MENU. Otherwise
the throttle may be opened too quick and may lock in at full throttle position.

7. FLYING AND OPTIMIZATION

The tail gyro gain is adjusted by one of the transmitter‘s auxiliary channels. The more servo throw this channel produces, the
higher the tail gyro gain will be. The direction of servo throw determines whether the gyro works in Normal-Rate mode or in
HeadingLock mode. The color of the Status-LED indicates the selected mode when MICROBEAST PLUS is operational. Purple
means Normal-Rate and blue indicates HeadingLock mode. When changing the gain and after initialization sequence the amount
of gain is displayed by one of the Menu LEDs for 4 seconds.

For the rst ight we suggest to to use HeadingLock mode (Status LED blue) and start with medium gain (not higher than LED G).
In case the tail of the helicopter starts to osscilate with high frequency in ight, immediately reduce the gain! If on the other hand
the rudder control feels inprecise and the gyro doesn‘t hold position very well, increase the gain. Most radio systems provide an
automatic switching for the tail gyro gain depending on ight modes. In the ight mode with the lowest rotor headspeed you can
use the most gain. Reduce the gain the higher the headspeed is. Before the rst ight make sure the tail gain is set correctly
and is also set when switching ight modes. Use the LED display to see how the gyro is setup and do not rely upon the values
of your transmitter as signs and percentages may vary depending on radio brand and radio type!

Before the rst take o make a stick direction check and check if swash and tail gyro are correcting to the right direction
when you tilt, roll or yaw the helicopter by hand. Just before lift-o make sure that the swashplate is horizontal and that
the tail pitch slider is close to center position. Avoid excessive steering during lift-o otherwise the helicopter may tip
over! The best way is to give a fair and direct collective pitch input to lift the helicopter quickly up into the air.

Adjusting the three dials on top of MICROBEAST PLUS you can optimize the control loop and customize it to your helicopter. For
the rst ight all three dials should be centered. If necessary only adjust one dial at a time and only in little steps. Turning a dial
clockwise will increase the eect, turning it counter-clockwise will decrease the eect of the parameter.

B C D E F G H I J K L M N

N M L K J I H G F E D C B

-100% +100%

0%

A

Menu LED

Tail gyro gain

(Gyro channel)

Normal-Mode

(Status LED: purple)

HeadingLock-Mode

(Status LED: blue)

3 - Tail gyro response

Increasing the tail gyro response will cause harder stopping and more aggressive response to rudder stick
inputs. If response is set too high, the tail will bounce back when doing a hard stop (especially when
turning against rotor torque). If the dynamic is set too low, the rudder control feels dull and stopping is
very soft. Ideally the tail should stop perfectly to the point without making any apping noises.

1 - Cyclic gain

The higher the gain the harder the helicopter will stop after cyclic moves and the more stable and precise
the helicopter will y. If the gain is too high the helicopter will tend to shake (especially on the elevator
axis) as the system overcompensates. With low gain the helicopter does not stop precisely and overshoots
after a cyclic movement. Additionally it is unstable and control feels sluggish. Due to their low mass small
helicopters typically do not need as much gain as large helicopters.

2 - Cyclic feed forward

Feed forward connects the servo movements with your stick inputs, bypassing the control loop. This will
give a more natural control feel and quicker reactions to stick inputs. But if the cyclic feed forward is too
high, stick control will ght against the control loop. The heli will bounce back when stopping from a cyclic
movement and it will react over sensitive and pitch up easily in fast forward ight.

1

2

3

8. PARAMETER MENU

Entering PARAMETER MENU

Menu point A - Swashplate quick trim (Menu LED A ashing)

Move the stick(s) for aileron and elevator to trim the swashplate into the desired direction. With rudder you can trimm the collective up/
down. When using the tail gyro in Normal-Rate mode you can trim the rudder servo with the rudder stick. To delete all trimming push
and hold the button for at least 10 seconds.

Operation mode

(Status LED is

blue or purple)

Press and hold button

Menu LED A ashing

Release button

Menu LED A ashing

(= PARAMETER MENU A)

The PARAMETER MENU allows you to further customize the ight characteristics of the helicopter and the reaction of the system to
control inputs. You can nd a detailed description for each parameter in the MICROBEAST PLUS instruction manual.

Menu points B to K

Color and state of the Status LED indicate which option is currently selected at each menu point. By pushing the rudder stick repeatedly
you can cycle through the available options at each menu point and change the setting if necessary. Briey pushing the button will skip
to the next menu point. After the last menu point the system will exit PARAMETER MENU and change back to operation mode.

Status LED o purple ashing red red ashing blue blue

B

Control style custom normal sport* pro extreme TX mode

C

Speed ight stability custom very low low medium* high very high

D

Rudder rate consistency custom very low low medium* high very high

E

Stick deadzone custom very small small* medium large very large

F

Torque precompensation custom off low - nor. high - nor. low - inv. high - inv.

G

Cyclic response custom normal*

slightly

increased

increased aggressive

very

aggressive

H

Pitch boost custom off* low medium high very high

I

Throttle response soft normal*

slightly

increased

increased aggressive

very

aggressive

J

Slow rampup speed custom 50 rps 100 rps 200 rps* 300 rps 400 rps

K

Fast rampup speed custom

using slow

rampup speed

300 rps 500 rps* 700 rps 900 rps

SETUP MENU

(Menu LED solid)

o

flashing

purple

purple

flashing

red

red

flashing

blue

blue

flashing

red/blue

A

Device orientation R

horizontal

pins to front

vertical

pins to front

hor. inv.

pins to front

vert. inv.

pins to front

horizontal

pins to back

vertical

pins to back

hor. inv.

pins to back

vert. inv.

pins to back

B

Swashplate frequency R custom 50 Hz* 65 Hz 120 Hz 165 Hz 200 Hz

C

Rudder pulse width R custom 760 μs 960 μs 1520 μs*

D

Rudder frequency R custom 50 Hz* 165 Hz 270 Hz 333 Hz (560 Hz)

E

Rudder limits R Use rudder to move servo to one endpoint and wait until LED ashes, then move to the other endpoint and wait.

F

Rudder direction A left right

G

Swash mixing R custom no mixing 90°(3/4 servos) 120°* 140° 135°/140°(1:1)

H

Servo trim A R no trim* Servo CH1 Servo CH2 Servo CH3 (Servo CH7)

I

Servo directions A R Servo CH1 Servo CH2 Ser vo CH3 (Ser vo CH7)

J

Cyclic throw (set to 6 degrees) A R neutral not good OK perfect

K

Collective pitch AR check throw! negative check throw! positive

L

Servo limit R not good OK perfect

M

Cyclic directions R left/back right/forward

N

Headspeed Governor R Governor o* electric heli nitro/gas heli

GOVERNOR SETUP MENU

(Menu LED ashing slowly)

o

flashing

purple

purple

flashing

red

red

flashing

blue

blue

flashing

red/blue

A

Test mode

nitro/gas heli: Status-LED blue when magnet passes sensor
electric heli: Status-LED red when motor is running

B

Motor o/Idle position T

nitro/gas heli: throttle servo to (increased) idle position
electric heli: throttle in „motor o “ position, just before motor starts ( throttle unlocked!)

C

Full throttle position T Set full throttle position (electric heli: motor speed does not change anymore - nitro/gas heli: servo at maximum)

D

Transmitter setup Governor o Autorotation Governor on

Governor on

max. RPM

E

Signal divider R 1 2 3 4* 5 6 7

F

R
Main gear ratio

(Sum of F + G + H if not „custom“)

custom 8 9* 10 11 12 13 14

G

+0.00 +0.20 +0.40* +0.60 +0.80

H

+0.00 +0.05 +0.10* +0.15

Enter SETUP MENU by pressing button for at least 2 seconds in operation mode. Skip to next Menu Point by pressing button briey, after last point menu will exit.
R Use rudder to adjust value/choose setting
A Use aileron to switch menu option
T Set throttle to desired position if you like to change the setting
* Default setting: hold button for 10 seconds at any Menu Point (except H) to reset setup and parameter data. Holding button at H only the trims will be reset!

WWW.BEASTX.COM

QUICK REFERENCE CARD

FIRMWARE VERSION 5.0

PARAMETER MENU

(Menu LED ashing quickly)

o purple flashing red red flashing blue blue

A

Quick trim

Gyro in HL Mode: Trim aileron and elevator with stick, use rudder to trim collective.
Gyro in Rate Mode: Rudder stick trims rudder.
AttitudeControl active: Adjust roll and pitch angle of horizon with aileron and elevator stick.
Any mode: Reset all servo trims by holding button for 10 seconds.

B

Control style custom normal sport* pro extreme T X mode

C

Speed ight stability custom very low low medium* high very high

D

Rudder rate consistency custom very low low medium* high very high

E

Stick deadzone custom very small small* medium large very large

F

Torque precompensation custom off* low - inv. high - inv. low - nor. high - nor.

G

Cyclic response custom normal* slightly increased increased aggressive

very

aggressive

H

Pitch boost custom off* l ow medium high ver y high

I

Throttle response soft normal* slightly increased increased aggressive

very

aggressive

J

Slow spool up rate custom 50 rps 100 rps 200 rps* 300 rps 400 rps

K

Quick change rate custom = slow spool up 300 rps 500 rps* 700 rps 900 rps

L

AttitudeControl mode disabled* Angular mode Bail out rescue Bail out w. pitch 3D Mode 3D Mode w. pitch

M

AttitudeControl pitch > 0% > 30% > 50% > 70%

RECEIVER MENU

(Menu LED ashing)

o purple red blue

A Receiver type Spektrum/JR Sat Analog serial input Digital serial input Standard RX
B Pitch channel

Move the stick/channel on transmitter you want to assign. The Status-LED will ash in blue color when channel was
detected. When Status-LED ashes red, two or more channels have been moved!

Menu points H, I and J can be skipped in case you don‘t want to use the specic function or if you want to use
the nitro RPM Governor or AttitudeControl without separate switch channel.

To load the default assignment common to your radio system keep the button pressed for 2 seconds and release. You
will directly jump to menu point N.

C Aileron channel
D Elevator channel

E Rudder channel

F Gyro channel
G Throttle channel
H Aux channel (CH6)

I Governor channel

J AttitudeControl channel
N Throttle failsafe

Move throttle to failsafe position (

throttle unlocked!) and push button to save and exit.

Enter PARAMETER MENU by pressing button briey in operation mode. Use rudder to adjust value/choose setting (except at A).
Skip to next Menu Point by pressing button briey, after last point menu will exit.

* Default setting - hold button for 10 seconds when in SETUP MENU (!) to to reset everything to default (except receiver settings)

Enter RECEIVER MENU by pressing and holding button before (!) and while power up. Skip to next Menu Point by pressing button briey (at Menu Point A
short button press will initiate automatic receiver detection). When Standard RX is used menu will exit after detection!

WWW.BEASTX.COM

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FIRMWARE VERSION 5.0

Please note: AttitudeControl options are only accessible when PROEDITION firmware upgrade is installed.

DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY

We

BEASTX GmbH
Karl-Ferdinand-Braun-Str. 33
50170 Kerpen
Germany

herewith declare that MICROBEAST PLUS / MICROBEAST PLUS HD meet all the essential requirements of
the Directives 2004/108/EC und 2011/65/EU. For the evaluation of compliance with these Directives the following standards
where applied:

EN 61000-6-1:2007
EN 61000-6-3:2007 + A1:2011 + AC:2012

The products carry the CE mark:

The products mentioned above are fully compliant with requirements stipulated by REACH (1907/2006/EC) and RoHS
(2011/65/EC), where applicable. Furthermore, the articles and their packaging materials do not contain substances included
on the current candidate list for authorization (SVHC list) according to Art. 33 and 59(1, 10) REACH in a concentration above 0.1
% weight by weight. The candidate list and its updates are closely monitored on a regular basis. In addition, our products do
not contain any substances subject to authorization or restriction (REACH Annexes XIV and XVII).

Kerpen, 01.08.2014

place and date of issue

Markus Schaack, CEO

name and signature

LEGAL TERMS

All statements in this document have been checked for accuracy, integrity and actuality. However, potential mistakes can­not be excluded. We are not responsible for any damage which occurs as a result of these contents. Do not hesitate to send
us any suggestions for improvement by e-mail to [email protected].

This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm.

The actual contents of this publication are protected by copyright law. All rights reserved.
BEASTX, MICROBEAST and SRXL are registered trademarks.