HOBBYEAGLE A3 Mini User manual

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A3 Mini User Manual V1.0
Thank you for purchasing our products. A3 Mini is a high-performance and functional 6-axis mini gyro and
stabilizer designed for R/C airplanes. The smaller size and more compact design make it more suitable
for the small electric airplanes. With the new feature of multi-protocol serial receiver support, it could be
compatible with most single line mini receivers on the market. In order for you to make the best use of
your gyro and to fly safely, please read this manual carefully and set up the device as described below.
 32-bit MCU, high-precision 6-axis MEMS sensor, improved hardware platform and new firmware
solution provide more reliable performance.
 6 flight modes, including GYRO-OFF, NORMAL, LOCK, ANGLE, LEVEL and HOVER modes.
 PPM and multi-protocol serial receivers supported, including Futaba S.Bus, Spektrum DSM2/DSMX,
Spektrum SRXL, Multiplex SRXL/JR XBUS Mode B, Graupner SUMD, FlySky iBus, etc.
 Flying-wing (Delta-wing), V-Tail, Remote Master Gain.
 Firmware upgradable and Programming Card supported.
IMPORTANT NOTES
 Radio controlled (R/C) models are not toys! The propellers 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. Read the following instructions thoroughly before
the first use of your gyros and setup the gyro carefully according to this manual. We also
recommend that you seek the assistance of an experienced pilot before attempting to fly with our
gyros for the first time.
 After power on, A3 Mini needs to perform an accurate gyroscope calibration, keep the airplane
stationary after power on and wait while the LED flashes Blue. The LED will stay solid Blue if a
slight movement is detected and the calibration will not start until you stop moving the airplane,
however, making the airplane level is NOT required during the initialization.
 A stick centering is also required following the gyroscope calibration. Always put all the sticks
center (the throttle stick in the lowest position) before power on the airplane, and do not move the
sticks until the initialization is done.
OVERVIEW
Specifications:
Size: 30*19.5*7.5mm(L×W×H)
Weight: 4.8g (excluding wires)
Operating Voltage: DC 3.6V-8.4V
Operating Current: 20mA@5V
Main Controller: 32-bit MCU
Sensors: 6-axis MEMS sensor
Installation
Use one of the supplied double-sided tape to attach the gyro to your airplane firmly. For best performance,
the gyro should be mounted as close to the C.G. as possible, and the housing edges must be aligned
exactly parallel to all three rotation axes of the airplane. The gyro can be attached flat or upright, and even
upside down, however, you have to ensure the arrow on the sticker always point to the heading direction.
① Flat, face up ② Flat, face down ③ Upright, button down ④ Upright Inverted, button up
Layout
Serial RX Receiver signal input
AIL Aileron Servo
ELE Elevator Servo
RUD Rudder Servo
AIL2 Second Aileron Servo
THR ESC or Throttle Servo
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A3 Mini User Manual V1.0
Receiver CONNECTION
Serial Receiver Protocols Supported:
 PPM Receiver
 Futaba S.Bus (compatible with FrSky SBUS,
RadioLink SBUS and WFLY WBUS)
 Spektrum DSM/DSMX 1024 Satellite Receiver
 Spektrum DSM/DSMX 2048 Satellite Receiver
 Spektrum SRXL
 Multiplex SRXL /JR XBUS Mode B
 Graupner SUMD
 FlySky iBus
NOTES
 A3 Mini uses the preset channel assignment to recognize the channels from the receiver:
AIL=CH1, ELE=CH2, THR=CH3, RUD=CH4, Mode=CH5, AIL2=CH6, Gain=None. You might
need to change the mapping to meet the function layout of your transmitter. Choose “None” for
those channels you do not want to use.
 Please note that the remote master gain channel is disabled as default. Assign a channel number
for Gain channel to activate this feature if you need.
 Pay attention to the polarity of the plugs. The Orange or White signal line must always be on the
inner side of the gyro.
 You will need to purchase an optional adapter if you are using a Spektrum satellite receiver.
SERVOS CONNECTION
A3 Mini supports standard fixed-wing, flying-wing (Delta-wing) and V-tail. Connect the servos to the
corresponding connectors by following the illustration below.
NOTES Always turn off the mixing functions on your transmitter, such as delta-wing or V-tail
mixings. All you need is to choose a single 4-channel fixed-wing model type without any mixings. Have
a look at the radio’s servo monitor and verify that each stick controls only one output channel.
Gyro Direction
After installation, lift the airplane up and make it quickly rotate around the roll, pitch and yaw axes
respectively. Make sure all the control surfaces react in the correct directions referring to the figures below.
VERY IMPORTANT!!! Make sure to check the gyro direction of Aileron, Elevator and Rudder
channels after installation and always perform a test of them before each flight. An opposite reaction
of the gyro could lead to losing control or even crash!

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A3 Mini User Manual V1.0
① Check the gyro direction for Aileron ② Check the gyro direction for Elevator
③ Check the gyro direction for Rudder
Fast Revers ing Gy ro Dir ecti on
A3 Mini also provides you a quick approach to
reverse the gyro direction without connecting it to a
PC or a programming card. For example, to reverse
the gyro direction of Aileron, press and hold the
button while moving and holding the Aileron stick
right or left for about 2 seconds, release both the
button and stick when the LED blinks White once,
then the gyro direction of Aileron will be reversed
and saved. Similarly, move the Elevator stick up or
down for Elevator channel and move the Rudder stick right or left for Rudder channel while long pressing
the button until the LED blinks White.
Flight Modes
A3 Mini provides 6 flight modes which can be switched by a 3-position switch of the transmitter during
flight. The factory default mode allocation of the switch is NORMAL - LEVEL - ANGLE. The color of the
LED shows the current flight mode of the gyro while in use.
1. Gy ro Off Mod e
When operating in GYRO OFF mode the gyro will be
deactivated completely, and the airplane will be
completely under the control of your transmitter as it
was before installing the gyro. This mode is usually
used for testing purpose only.
2. NO RMAL M ODE
The NORMAL mode, also known as the ‘Rate mode’, is
the most basic function of the gyro. It works based on
the rotation rate control of each axis of the airplane. When operating in this mode, the gyro will only correct
currently occurring rotational movements, a momentary reaction will be applied to the servos when the
airplane rotating on corresponding axis, after rotation the servos will move back to their neutral position as
soon as the airplane standing still immediately. The NORMAL mode can be used with nearly any size and
type of airplanes. It can effectively improve the stability and precision of the airplane and reduce the stall
point specially.
3. LOCK M ODE
The LOCK mode is also known as the ‘Attitude Lock mode’, ‘3D mode’ or ‘AVCS mode’. Different from
NORMAL mode, the gyro will perform a permanent correction for rotational movements on each axis
constantly. That is when you release the sticks the airplane will stop and lock its current position
immediately. This mode is well suited for practicing basic 3D maneuvers such as hovering or knife edge.
Since it can help you to lock the attitude of the airplane, it is also helpful for landing.
4. ANGL E M O D E
The ANGLE mode, also known as the ‘Trainer mode’ or ‘Attitude mode’, will limit the maximum angle of
the airplane on both roll and pitch axes. Roll and loop are not allowed in this mode, the airplane will be
LED Color Flight Mode
Solid Red GYRO OFF Mode
Solid Blue NORMAL Mode
Blue, Flashing LOCK Mode
Solid Violet ANGLE Mode
Violet, Flashing LEVEL Mode
Violet, Fast Flashing HOVER Mode
Red, Slow Flashing RX signal lost
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A3 Mini User Manual V1.0
stabilized all the time, independent of any stick input. This prevents the airplane from being tilted into a
larger angle that may cause a danger. As soon as the sticks are released, the airplane will be brought back
to horizontal position automatically. You can use this mode as emergency rescue, or in other applications,
e.g., to have a training for new beginners or to use for FPV. You can change the maximum allowed angle
to meet your need via the PC config software or the programming card.
5. LEV EL M OD E
The LEVEL mode is also known as the ‘Auto-Level mode’, ‘Auto-Balance mode’ or ‘Horizon mode’. When
operating in this mode, the airplane will be brought to horizontal position automatically when releasing the
sticks. Different from the ANGLE mode, there is no maximum angle limitation in this mode and the airplane
will be stabilized only when there is no specific control input from aileron and elevator sticks. This mode
can be used if the pilot becomes disoriented and would like to save the airplane from crashing.
6. HOVE R MO DE
The HOVER mode, also known as the ‘Auto-Hover mode’, provides the same functionality as the LEVEL
mode. The only difference is that when you release the sticks, the airplane will be brought to vertical
position (nose up) and keeps hovering. This mode is designed to help you to learn hovering maneuver
and reduce the probability of crashing.
How to Perform Level and Hover Calibration
When flying in ANGLE mode or LEVEL mode, A3 Mini needs to know the angle of the airplane in both roll
and pitch directions, this is achieved by calculating the attitude of its own. A small angle deviation caused
by installation can lead to an unexpected behavior when flying in ANGLE mode or LEVEL mode. For this
reason, a level calibration is recommended to offset the error caused by installation and to establish a
proper level reference of your airplane after installing the gyro.
Before calibrating, the airplane should be placed on the horizontal ground and make the wing parallel to the
ground. Make the airplane slightly nose-up because a certain elevation angle is usually required to maintain
level flight for most airplanes.
To start calibration, click the “Level Calibration” button on the Sensor tab of the config utility, or press and
hold the button for about 2 seconds, release it when the LED lights solid White. The whole calibration
process will take you several seconds and the LED will blink Blue rapidly during calibrating. Do not move
the airplane and keep its attitude until the calibration is done.
After a successful calibration, the result will be saved and displayed on the screen, you can adjust them
manually in the future. If you get a rapid Red blinking during calibration, this means the result exceeds the
maximum permissible value (i.e. ±25deg), in this case, you have to re-install the gyro to reduce the deviation
caused by installation.
As a same reason, a hover calibration is recommended to perform after installation if you want to fly with
HOVER mode. The procedure is quite similar to that of level calibration. The only difference is that the
airplane should be lifted vertically to the ground while calibrating instead of putting it on the ground.
THE PC Config Utility
Please download the HobbyEagle A3 Configurator and the USB driver installer from our
website: http://www.hobbyeagle.com/a3-configurator/.
1. The software supports Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10 (32 or 64 bit).
2. If the installation fails, please download and install Microsoft .NET Framework 4 first.
3. Install the USB driver before connecting the gyro to the PC.
NOTES Use only the USB adapter and the black data cable included with this set to connect the
gyro to the PC or programming card.
NOTES We are continuously adding features and improvements to our products. To keep up to
date with your gyro, please check our website www.hobbyeagle.com for the latest update firmware.
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