Arkbird OSD 2.0 LITE User manual

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ARKBIRD is a high-accuracy autopilot designed for fixed-wing. It can superimpose OSD (On Screen Display)
data on videos and at the same time control the balance, the return and many other maneuvers of your aircraft
with high precision.
The perfect auto-stabilization system and a plug-and-play design free you from worries and inconveniences
and enjoy the beauty of FPV in an instant.
Arkbird OSD 2.0 LITE Includes：
1. High accuracy air-speed meter interface; with air-speed and ground speed control and protection.
2. New design of shell and internal framework; flight performance optimized.
3. 7 input channels and 7 output channels; with stability augmentation output on the PTZ.
4. Flap can be intelligent controlled by speed , channel1-7 (aileron-flaps) mix-control selectable; with slow
release function, flap value can be displayed on the OSD.
5. More ways of mixed control include delta wing and V-tail wing, and Bi-motor plane, Bi-motor flying wing
and butterfly brake (mixed control of 1247channel).
6. Analog RSSI port and PPM port; support Arkbird 433 10channel+RSSI single wire transmission.
7. Supports Arkbird GCS（Ground Control System）Support the import and export of waypoint table;
multi-language. track replay;(refer to "Arkbird GCS &Two Planes' Formation Flight manual")
8 Basic functions Escorts your flight
1.Function all in one broad, on broad IMU (Inertial measurement unit), OSD (On Screen Display), barometer
Attitude sensor, 12V-5V regulation chip, “ESC + voltage regulation” dual power supply. Industrial reliable
designed.
2.Plug & Play design, no needed to weld any wire.
3.Can be installed flatwise or sidewise, suitable for small aircraft.
4. Intelligent PID controller. Easy to adjust.

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5. Adjust parameters by OSD menu and radio stick.
6. Power & Video voltage, Go-home direction, radar mark, flight time, horizon, total distance, and power
consumption, etc, can be displayed on Screen.
7.One button auto-leveling, stick back to center, plane can fly levelly.
8. One button RTH (return-to-home), lost radio signal return-home.
12Extended functions Meets all you need
Launch Assist Run up with aircraft in hands, when the speed is higher than 5kmph, the throttle will start
output and automatically control the take-off.
Fence mode Out of rectangle area or safe height, it returns automatically, best helper for beginner
Waypoint Mode It is able to trace the Way Point Set by menu.
Hover mode Regard the hover position as balance position, nose up and keep steady
Cruise flight Keep a straight & constant-height flight.
Flap control Lower the flap surface automatically when speed is insufficient.
Butterfly brake Mixed control Make the fly wing change its direction smoothly without aileron inclining
Flight Record Records the time, voyage, data of power consumption and various maximum records of the
flights.
Gyro Mode It will do compensation for unintentional attitude changes to keep 3D angle status.
PTZ output When the flight is tilting, channel 5&6 will give an opposite compensation, so as to level the
camera.
Semi-Balance Mode When the CH1 and CH2 of rocker is less than 50%, the plane is in Balance Mode. When the
rocker is more than 50%, the plane is in Gyro Mode.
This function allows you making a turn with a large dip angle, even vertical rise and roll or other actions. After
finished these actions, you only need to move the stick to the center to make the plane back.
VTOL plane A unique fpv fixed wing plane with vertical taken off and landing function
Demonstration of Arkbird VTOL Mode:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQibL09skJ8

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Attention
All the details can be found in our instruction. Please read carefully before operating and pay close attention
to the details and important parameters, in case you miss any important information which may leave hazards or
cause damage.
Reminding：
For the first installation, please power up after a wire check. Forcible satellite search interface will be
entered (incontrollable) every time you power up. You can pop-up manually and adjust rudder angle directions in
Manual Mode and auxiliary control in Balance Mode. A Neutral Point Check for the sensor is necessary. Also, you
need a fail-safe protection for the receiver in case your autopilot loses control when returning home. Adjust the
OSD voltage value before takeoff.
For the first flight, we suggest taking off with "Manual Mode". Check if the aircraft flies normally after
switching to “Balance Mode” in a level flight. Then switch to "RTH Mode" and check the autopilot by using OSD
parameter (see the last chapter in the instructions: Notes for Balance and RTH). Please keep an eye on the
important parameters during the flight (Vibration value, Satellite number, Speed and Altitude).
When the maiden flight test is done, Balance Mode can be used freely for taking off the autopilot, or you can
use extended functions such as waypoints, cruise flight or fence mode.

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CONTENTS
1. Wirings 5
2. Power Supply Mode 7
3. 5V Dual Power Supply 9
4. Installation 9
5. Switch Modes through CH5 and CH6 12
6. GPS&Save Home Position 13
7. Manual Mode & Balance Mode 14
8. Fail-Safe to RTH mode 14
9. OSD and Menu 15
10. Balance Mode and RTH Adjustment11 24
11. FAQ and Solutions 26
12. Other FAQ 26
13. Attentions 27

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1Wirings
Attention:
Make sure connect according to the marked order of - + S. The black wire is the ground wire. It is close to the
upper side. The signal wire below is for the yellow socket. Check all the wiring before power on. Don't mistaken
12v and 5v so as not to cause damage to the equipment.
If your need to use RSSI function, please connect AIRSPEED METER on RX port, RSSI connect AR
port.
Mixed control output
Arkbird 2.0 provides various intelligent mixed control
Ordinary
Fly-Wing
V-Tail
Bi-motor
Bi-motor
Fly-Wing
Butterfly
Brake
CH 1
Aileron Y
Right surface
Aileron Y
Aileron Y
Right surface
Left-Outer
surface
CH 2
Elevator
Left surface
Right V-Tail
Elevator
Left surface
Right-Inner
surface
CH 3
ESC
ESC
ESC
Left ESC
Left ESC
ESC
CH 4
Rudder
Rudder
Left V-Tail
Right ESC
Right ESC
Left-Inner
surface
CH 5
Gimbal Roll
Gimbal Roll
Gimbal Roll
Gimbal Roll
Gimbal Roll
Gimbal Roll
CH 6
Gimbal Pitch
Gimbal Pitch
Gimbal Pitch
Gimbal Pitch
Gimbal Pitch
Gimbal Pitch
CH 7
Flap Y*
Flap Y*
Flap Y*
Flap Y*
Flap Y*
Right-Outer
surface *
1) When connecting CH7 to two Flap servos with a Y shape wire, you need a inversed servo, but when
connecting Butterfly Brake, there is no need using a inversed servo.
2) You can use CH1/7 mixed control, using two surfaces to achieve aileron & flap functions.
3) If you are using AR port as RSSI, you can also connect Airspeed sensor to RX port.

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4) Bi-motor mixed control, when throttle is less than 25%, there is no differential steering, when over
25%, throttle outputs differential steering.
5) You can plug the airspeed sensor into paralleling "RX" port if using GCS function.
Attention:
1. If the camera needs a 5V supply, please connect a BEC from 12V or main power.Do not connect CPU 5V for
a 5V camera in case of the power supply shortage.
2. Connect Receiver's CH1-7 to IN PORT or use a PPM connection.PPM interface supports Arkbird 433 receiver
to achieve single-wire 10 Channel transmission and signal strength RSSI (automatically identified when
plugged in).
3. The digital high-accuracy airspeed meter of Arkbird 2.0, can calculate the relative speed between the plane
and air, which is different from GPS ground speed. As the air speed is a necessary condition for generation
of lift force. Insufficient airspeed may cause stall. The airspeed meter collects the speed in front of the plane.
As to flying in windy days or when flight is heavy-loaded, it will increase throttle when flying upwind and
decrease when flying downwind.
4. Extension wire can be used. Do not make the orifice get close to the motor so as to avoid airflow
interference. After power on, it will be calibrated automatically within 10 seconds. During this period, do
not touch the orifice.
5. When the airspeed meter is connected, the OSD will display the airspeed A 0km/h. Under the RTH and
waypoint mode, either air speed or ground speed is lower than the set “safe speed”, Autopilot will
increase the throttle proportionally.
Attention: The airspeed meter only participates in control under the mode of returning or waypoint etc. Under
the balance or manual mode, it does not participate in control. In this time keep an eye on the value on the
airspeed meter for reference.

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2Power Supply Mode
Recommend using one single 3S (12V) battery to supply motor power and Arkbird OSD, Video TX & camera
(Shared supply),
Otherwise, use one battery (4S-6S) to supply motor power, another 3S battery to supply OSD & Video
(Separated supply).
3S Battery Shared Power Supply (Factory Default)
Current sensor’s 3P wire wires in the motor power.Flight Power port is only for voltage display and have a
maximum input of 33V.
1. If 3S battery, plug in the jumper (Default), it will supply power to 12V Video system (Arkbird OSD, Video
TX & camera).
Arkbird OSD(from Video Power) supports Maximum voltage of 17V, but notice that most video TX and
camera is 12V max, so we have to use a 3S battery.
If Using 4S(16.8V)battery, and the Video TX and the Camera can work under the input of 4S (17V), you can
also use this connection methods without worrying damage to the Autopilot.

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Independent Power Supply
2. If separated supply, remove the jumper, connect another 3S battery (800mah-1400mah) to the Video
Power Port (12Vin) on the third row.
Schematic drawing of Independent Power Supply Wiring
(You can also choose the new Arkbird current sensor with 12V regulated output (accessories) which shares
one battery with motor and the video sector.) Please see as below :
Note：
When using 4S-6S battery, connect jumper cap on the regulator current sensor to”>3S” (Default connection), the
output voltage of white line is 12v at the moment.
When using 3S battery, connect jumper cap to "3s=POW", regulator module will not work at this time, the output
voltage is Power voltage of your 3S battery.

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35V Dual Power Supply
On broad OSD 12V to 5V regulator, with 5V BEC (form ESC) supplies power to the CPU module at the same time.
If OSD function is not used, please plug in OSD 12V power as well to prevent a lack of power supply for 5V
electronic speed controller.
4Installation:
1. The pins of GPS and 12V ports shall stay forward (toward flying direction); the side with Arkbird LOGO shall
be upward or vertical toward right wing. (Default is level installation)
2. Keep GPS antenna upward placed and away from interference sources such as VideoTX and camera.
3. Put on heat-shrink tubing, fix by sponge and cable tie. Please keep away from motor to avoid vibration
which will reduce the accuracy of sensor.
4. When setting return-to-home, please take off propellers for safety concern.
Level Installation

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Vertical Installation
2 ways of installation

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5Switch Modes through CH5 and CH6:
After installation, test OSD and the radio control. Use CH5 and CH6 (0% to 100%) to switch flight mode.
While CH5 < 50%, it switches to Manual Mode, autopilot is not involved in the control.
While CH5 > 50% and CH6 < 30%, it switches to Balance Mode;
While CH5 > 50% and 30% < CH6 < 70%, it switches to Custom Mode(Waypoint Mode ,Hover Mode, Fence
Mode, RTH mode), Default is RTH mode.
While CH5 > 50% and CH6> 70%, it switches to Return-to-home (RTH) Mode.

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6 GPS & Save Home Position
After power on, Arkbird will start to search GPS satellite and save the first valid position as Home.
During searching, the elevator will be up and any manipulation of radio stick is invalid. If need to skip the
searching, please push CH6 more than 75% and push CH1 to left or right side for 1 second.
Once skipped the searching, it CANNOT switch to RTH mode, RTH logo will flash but it is balance mode.
Attention
1. Please reduce the motor vibration to keep the “vibration value” more than 70 (99 is the most ideal
situation).
2. The idle current is 0.8A while turning off the throttle, if the readout is wrong, please enter the OSD menu
and exit to reset the current value.
3. When Arkbird is auto piloting the plane(RTH mode、Cruise flight), the lower right will display Roll, Pitch
control Angle Value and Throttle Value, Adjust Autopilot if these angles not appropriate.
4. Pay attention to GPS satellite quantity, less than 7 will result mistake positioning.。
5. As Arkbird applies anti-interference inertial navigational compass, instead of magnetic compass, there is no
need to do manual calibration. But the flying direction on the compass is incorrect on the ground. 10
seconds after taking off, it will calibrate according to the GPS coordinate. Then compass gets normal.
6. The horizontal position should be identical with the actual horizon. If not, calibrate the sensor again.

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7Manual Mode & Balance Mode
Radio Stick and SUB-TRIM back to center, set radio travel range as 100%.
Switching to Manual Mode, Arkbird will not participate control, set manual control’s reverse through radio,
adjust plane’s CG and travel angle, make sure plane can fly stably in horizontal without Autopilot.
Reverse Balance Mode assistant Control
Switching to Balance Mode by pushing CH5 to 100% and CH6 to 0%, if the neutral point is correct, rudder,
aileron and elevator shall be at the neutral position, otherwise, please check the neutral point again.(see OSD
menu -> CTL parameters)
1. Aileron: When rolling the plane to right, aileron shall produce a left compensation automatically, make
plane go back horizontal. On the contrary, when rolling to left, aileron will produce a right compensation. Please
see as below:
If the compensation direction is not correct, please adjust the Roll inverse in OSD menu -> Flight parameters.
2. Elevator: When pitching up the plane, elevator shall produce a down compensation automatically. On
the contrary, when pitching down, elevator will produce an up compensation. Please see as below:
If the compensation direction is not correct, please adjust the Pitch inverse in OSD menu -> Flight
parameters.
3. Rudder: When yawing the plane to right, rudder shall produce a left compensation automatically. On
the contrary, when yawing to left, rudder will produce a right compensation.

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If the compensation direction is not correct, please adjust the Yaw inverse in OSD menu -> Flight parameters.
If using Mixed-control, check the compensations for a leveling flight, pay attention to differential steering
speed if using Bi-motor control.
7GPS and Return to Home Instruction
While switching to RTH Mode (CH5 to 100% and CH6 to 100%), it will adjust the flying height to safe height
to go home.
If the throttle safe is open and when height and distance is within 30m, there will be no throttle output, to
avoid any hacking while adjusting. (Refer to OSD menu)
During RTH mode throttle will increase if altitude is low, or speed is slow, decrease if altitude is high, or
speed is faster than set safe speed.
Once lost GPS satellite, switching to RTH, the plane will go home automatically based on the home angle of
last position before out of signal. Within radio range, please switch to Balance Mode and land.
Please keep an eye on the quantity of GPS signal and voltage value, fly carefully. Please note if the quantity
of satellite is less than 7, the positioning might not be correct.
8Fail-Safe to RTH mode
Fail-Safe is a receiver’s function to preset position when receiver is out of signal. Some receivers can set in
the radio menu, and some save the current position through receiver (probably through a button).
Please refer to the manual of receiver. Set the fail-safe position the same as Return-to-Home Mode through
CH5 and CH6 (CH5>50%, CH6 > 70%). And then turn off the radio to check if it switches to Return-to-Home Mode.
(Note: No need to set fail-safe from channel 1 to channel 4 as these four channels are controlled by autopilot
under Return-to-Home Mode, which is not relevant to receiver.)

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9 OSD and Menu
CH5 switches to Manual Mode(<50%), throttle to 0%, and push CH1 to left or right side for 6 seconds, it will
enter into main menu. Exit the main menu if CH5 switches to auto mode(>50%).
Moving stick up and down to change the value, pushing to right side to select, and pushing to left side to exit
and save parameters.
Main Menu:
Set HOME Save home position
Set CTL Parameters Set CTL Parameters
Set RTH Parameters Set RTH (Return to Home) Parameters
Set OSD Parameters Set OSD Interface
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Flight Parameters Reverse and delta-wing mixing
Fence Area Set Set Fence Mode Area
Way Point Set1 Set Way Point Mode1
Way Point Set2 Set Way Point Mode2
-Flight Record- Records of flight time, curding range, power consumption and every
highest record. “ RECENT” refers to the recent flight record: “ RECORD”
refers to the total record.
Reset All to Default Move stick to right side for 5 seconds to reset to default
Flight Data Logging Function

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Set CTL Parameters
Roll Ctl Roll Control(%)(equivalent to travel range on radio, Please adjust the travel
range on OSD, do not adjust through radio)
Pitch Ctl Pitch Control (%)
Yaw Ctl Yaw Control (%)
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Neutral Check Neutral Point Check:
Neutral point alignment needed under first installation, not used for weeks,
or temperature variation is more than 10 degrees.
Aileron all the way to the right means it is waiting autopilot be put down, OSD
shows “Waiting Neutral Point Check.”
Put the autopilot paralleled to the ground (Please prop up if there is a landing
gear), and move CH1 left and right to do 3-seconds neutral point check. Aileron
will be back to center once finished.
Note: Pushing CH5 and CH6 to minus (0%) and moving CH1 stick to left or right
side within 3 seconds after power on can also enter neutral point check.
Launch Assist
After turning the function on (ON), "Launch Assist" function which can help to control throttle and reduce
the difficulty of take-off in manual throwing process.
Switch to balance mode and the throttle will not be started.
Run up with aircraft in hands, when the speed is higher than 5kmph, the throttle will start output and
automatically control the take-off.
Note: This function can only be started when more than 6 GPS satellites are available. In order to ensure
safety, in run-up process, lower the throttle stick, lower the aircraft head down 35° or stop the run-up, throttle
will be disabled. When the aircraft flies above 15m high, or more than 100 m away, launch assist will be disabled
and throttle will under normal control.
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Custom Mode Custom Mode(CH5> 50% and 30% < CH6 < 70%):
RTH : Return to Home(Default)
Way Point : Way Point Mode, it is able to trace the Way Point Set by
WayPoint menu.
HOVER : Hover mode, regard the hover position as balance position
Gyro : Gyro Mode, it will do compensation for unintentional attitude

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changes.
Lock Dir/Heig: Lock direction and height (Cruise flight):
Under balance mode, when CH3>20% CH1 and CH2 stick back to center,
height and direction will be locked and keep straight &constant-height flight.
Aileron and elevator can also be controlled through CH1 and CH2.
Lock Dir: lock direction only
Lock Heg: lock height only
Semi-Balance Mode: When the CH1 and CH2 of rocker is less than 50%, the
plane is in Balance Mode. When the rocker is more than 50%, the plane is in
Gyro Mode.
Hover Yield Switched to Hover mode, the plane will nose up , if the plane cannot
maintain front/backward position ,increase this value so the elevator
surface will move up a little angle (nose down).
Attitude Source "GPS":Attitude acquisition through GPS
"AR PRESS":Attitude acquisition through barometer(recommend)
Hover Roll trim Switched to Hover mode, the plane will nose up , if the plane cannot
maintain right/left position ,adjust this value
Set RTH Parameters
Max Roll Max roll angle while return to home, 20 to 40 degree recommended.
Max UP Max pitch (up) angle while return to home, 20 to 40 degree recommended.
Max Down Max pitch (down) angle while return to home, 20 to 35 degree recommended
Elevate Angle Level flight’s elevate angle, 3 to 15 degree recommended. Please adjust this value
while pitch up or down to have level flight even the stick is back to center.
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RTH Throttle Return to home throttle (%)
AUTO Throttle The autopilot will use the throttle value of level flight automatically as return to
home throttle. (Default)
Safe Speed Minimum speed of return to home (when speed is less than the certain value, it will
accelerate throttle in proportion to avoid lost while being upwind.)
Safe Height Safe Height (The minimum height of return to home, 80 to 200 m recommended.)
Throttle Safe Throttle Safe (When distance and height are less than 30m, for safety concern,
there is no throttle output under RTH Mode.)
Airspeed cali Calibarate the airspeed sensor, input the correct percentage % after landing to
calibrate the displayed airspeed value.

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Set OSD Parameters
Language Chinese/English Page switching
Show Lat-long Show longitude and altitude
AD Calibrate Battery voltage calibration
OSD Pattern OSD interface selection
Default: Normal interface
Fighter:HUD interface
P or N (Xin) PAL/ NTSC selection
Show RSSI Display the AR port's voltage, 0-3.3V is corresponding to 0-100%
Cur Man Calibrate Current calibration %. The current sensor will adjust and input the correct
power. Consumption after landing to calibrate the displayed battery capacity
(MAH).
Unit Ft(imperial)and Meter(Metric)Unit Selection；
LowPowerAlarm There will be a flicker alarm when flight power is lower than this value.
Flight Parameters
Roll Roll Reverse
Pitch Pitch Reverse

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Yaw Yaw Reverse
MIX More ways of mixed control include delta wing and V-tail wing, and Bi-motor plane,
Bi-motor flying wing and butterfly brake (mixed control of 1247channel).
Gimbal roll Norm/Inverse：Gimbal output of channel 5 left and right positive/negative
compensation;
CH8 : port CH5 is directly output of CH8 in
Gimbal Pitch Norm/Inverse：Gimbal output of channel 6 up and down positive/negative
compensation;
CH7 Norm/ CH7 Inverse：On the basis of Gimbal output of channel 6
positive/negative compensation, add stick's value of CH7.
CH7: port CH6 is directly output of CH7 in
CH9: port CH6 is directly output of CH9 in
Gimbal roll value Gimbal output value of channel 5 left and right compensation
Gimbal pitch value Gimbal output value of channel 6 up and down compensation
Please connect the output of channel 5 & 6 to the camera PTZ of servos. When the flight is tilting, channel 5&6
will give an opposite compensation, so as to level the camera.
Flap mode
CH7 (Default) CH7 output is directly the CH7 input
CH7/Speed CH7 output is control by the CH7 input and Speed. When the CH7 is at the two edges,
CH7 has the priority to control the flap surface. When the CH7 is in the middle, the speed will participate in
controlling the flap wing: Either airspeed or ground speed, when the lower speed is lower than “SafeSpeed”,
the flap wing will be lowered proportionally. When the speed is 0, FlapMax occurs. When the speed is over
SafeSpeed, Flapzero occurs.
OFF turn off the control and OSD Flap value display
Flap Max FlapMax (OSD displays F, 100% output flap quantity). When doing the commissioning,
the rudder will output FlapMax value. Correct FlapMax value can be set according to the rudder position; If
the flap wings move in the opposite direction, adjust the value across 50%;
Flap zero Flapzero (OSD shows F, 0% output flap quantity). When doing the commissioning,
the rudder will output Flapzero value. Correct Flapzero value can be set according to the rudder position; If
the flap wings move in the opposite direction, adjust the value across 50%;
If the flap servo moves different from the OSD "Flap value"(0-100%), there is no inverse option, you can
adjust Flapzero & Flapmax one over 50% and one lower than 50% ,for example setting (25%、57%) to (75%、
25%) will make the servo moves a different direction. Firstly adjust the parameters by OSD , then check CH7
of radio TX, set CH7 's manual control’s reverse through radio
Attention: The flap is an aerofoil movable device on the edge of the flight. It can deflect or slide downward, which
increases the lift force when flying. Flap wing output can release and retract slowly automatically (1.5s).It is

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advised to use a three section switch to control the flap wing so as to avoid accidence. When install the servos,
please adjust the CH7 to make the “flap/brake value "on the OSD is 100% (zero point),then install a level
rudder surface.
As the design of the aircraft shape, some aircraft may nod when lower the flap.
As most of the ailerons are on the outer side, when channel 1/7 mix control, the flap movement may cause
the left and right side of the flight uneven.
Under the balance mode, uneven torque can be compensated by Autopilot. But under manual mode may lead
to accidents. Test the rudder quantity well when using the flap, keep an eye on the flap/brake control value;
Use the CH7 to control the flap. Add speed control after finishing testing the Flap max/Flap zero.
Butterfly brake
When the Mix (KEY4) is set to “Butterfly FW (Flywing) "mix control. Use four rudder surfaces to control the roll,
pitch, direction and brake (slow down).
Two control surfaces on the left wing. The other two are on the right wing. The four surfaces are connected to
the output places of channel 1, 4, 7, 8 in order.
Turn the aileron stick to the left, then the two surfaces on the left lift up and the two surfaces on the right go
down.
Lower the lifting stick, then the two surfaces on the left lift up and the two surfaces on the right lift up too.
Turn the direction stick to the left, then the outer surface will lift up and the inner surface goes down. There
will be no movement on the right (Increase the resistance on the left, so as to make the flight turn left)
CH7 controls butterfly brake. The outer surface on the left will lift up and the surface on the right goes down.
The outer surface will lift up.