Eagle Tree Systems Vector FPV Flight Controller + OSD (Wire Leads) w/Current Sensor/PSU

This is the Eagle Tree Systems Vector FPV Flight Controller + OSD, with Wire Lead Current Sensor/PSU. Years in the making, and built from the ground up with simplicity in mind, the Vector has everything hobbyists have dreamed about for recreational FPV models, in one small, lightweight easy to use product:

• SIMPLE to set up and operate “out of the box” for both fixed wing and multirotor, with no PC required
• Built-in OSD with COLOR GRAPHICS!
• OSD display is fully configurable, so you can make the screen as simple or robust as you want it!
• OSD still operates even if your camera fails!
• FIXED WING and MULTIROTOR Flight Controller with GPS modes and RTH
• Fixed wing: Traditional fixed wing, Elevon, and V-tail planes
• Multirotor: Tricopter, Quadcopter, and Hexacopter
• COMPATIBLE: PCM, SPPM and S.BUS receiver support, with 4 types of RSSI
• EXPANDABLE with additional sensors, accessories, and internet firmware updates
• FLEXIBLE: fly with or without your FPV equipment
• Built in FLIGHT DATA RECORDER helps take the guesswork out if something goes wrong
• REDUCED WIRING: innovative wire harness with power distribution simplifies hookup
• Current sensor with quiet and efficient filtered 12V* and 5V Power Supply Unit supports up to 6S packs (*see Current Sensor section for details)
• Built-in altimeter, IMU and magnetic compass sensors

The Vector system includes the base controller unit, the GPS/Magnetometer, and the Current Sensor/PSU. The Vector’s feature list is quite long, so what follows is an overview of the main features:

• Full Color OSD: The Vector’s built-in OSD provides features not found anywhere else.
• Smooth, razor sharp color graphics: Tired of staring at hard to read white text with clunky graphics? The Vector changes all that. Colors are fully adjustable to your preference.
• In addition to the graphical features, nearly all of the Vector’s parameters can be displayed in 3 ways:
• Numeric – same as always, but in color, with programmable flashing color alarms
• Gauge – you can easily set up parameters to be displayed in gauge format, with programmable color thresholds
• Swatch – Instead of staring at a number, you can set up a simple color square (swatches) with programmable color changes, to easily see when a parameter needs your attention.
• No Camera operation: If your camera fails in flight, the OSD continues to operate in “no camera” mode. This is also handy if you want to configure the Vector via your radio, but don’t have a camera connected.
• Voice alerts: The Vector can speak flight information to you periodically, or on programmed alarms.
• Variometers: The Vector is the first OSD to provide a charting graphical as well as acoustical tone variometers. The variometers are fully programmable to suit your taste.
• RSSI:  The Vector supports 4 types of RSSI:
• Analog – fully buffered input
• PCM – some receivers output a varying pulserate to indicate signal strength, which the Vector supports.
• Spektrum – All Spektrum FlightLog telemetry parameters are available for display.
• Virtual SPPM RSSI – some receivers output RSSI and link quality via the SPPM interface, which is supported
• Fast, easy control and menu system: The Vector utilizes switch “gestures” and your control stick to let you rapidly scroll through menus and change parameters. All OSD parameters can be configured via the stick menus!
• Kitchen sink: Of course, all the other OSD features you’ve come to expect from Eagle Tree, such as RADAR, ladders, compass, full ‘F16’ as well as simple AHI, flight simulator, manual waypoints, monitoring of up to four battery voltages, and a huge list of parameters available for display are there in the Vector.

Flight Controller
Utilizing proven Guardian technology, the Vector’s built-in, full featured flight controller is equally at home with both fixed wing (traditional, elevon, v-tail, etc.) and multirotor (tricopter, quadcopter, hexacopter) aircraft. And, since the controller is fully integrated with the OSD, everything can be adjusted via the onscreen menus, rather than needing to drag a laptop or other device to the field. You can even move the Vector back and forth between your fixed wing and your multirotor at the field, with no PC configuration needed! Numerous flight modes are available, and are easily selectable via one or more switches on your radio:

• 2D: multirotor or fixed wing leveling with or without altitude and heading hold
• 3D: direct rate 3D with or without heading lock, for doing acrobatics when you get bored just flying along. Great for holding 3D positions such as knife edges or inverted flight, or doing flips with your quad (experts only!). Pitch, roll and yaw direct rates are programmable of course.

The following GPS control modes are supported:

• Return to Home (RTH): Whether you fly fixed wing or multirotors, our advanced RTH algorithm means few if any adjustments are needed.
• Geofence: Lets you program a maximum ceiling and distance, to avoid flyaways or exceeding altitude restrictions
• Loiter: For multirotors, this holds the present position using the altimeter and GPS, and for fixed wing, the plane circles when loiter is triggered
• Cartesian: This multirotor control mode remembers the direction that the ‘copter was pointing when it was last armed, translating your pitch and roll commands to that frame of reference and reducing 3rd person pilot workload.  Stick-left makes it fly to the left, stick-back makes it fly back towards you, etc.
• Polar: This multirotor control mode brings the copter toward home when you pull back on the stick, and moves the copter in a circular path around home when you move the stick left or right.

Radio Control Interface
The Vector’s flight modes are easily accessed via a 2 or 3 position “mode switch” on your radio.  Further, a “submode” switch can be configured to allow more modes to be easily selected during flight.  The meaning of each switch position is easily programmable via the Vector’s menus. The Vector’s receiver input harness with labeled connectors makes it easy to connect to any receiver. The Vector supports three types of RC inputs:

• Standard/PCM: the Vector’s labeled servo connectors just plug into the appropriate receiver channels
• SPPM and S-BUS: a single cable connects to your SPPM or Futaba compatible S.BUS outputs, for reduced wiring and more flexibility. The PC software lets you fully customize the meanings of up to 8 serial channels, making it easy to support a variety of OSD features.

Current Sensor with Integrated Power Supply Unit (PSU)
Tired of using multiple batteries, LC filters, BECs, etc.?  The Vector’s current sensor/PSU makes it super easy to power your equipment. The high efficiency, low noise PSU accepts up to 6S voltage input,  and provides filtered 12V and 5V output at 1.5A max per channel. It’s perfect for powering most FPV gear, and also powers your receiver on multirotors with “opto” ESCs, eliminating the need for an external BEC. Note that the 12V regulator does NOT boost the voltage, like a SEPIC. However, the Vector’s 12V PSU has a unique Low Voltage Loss feature that drops the regulator’s output by only about 0.5V if you are using a 3S pack operating below 12.5V. For example, if your 3S pack is at 11.5V, the regulator outputs about 11V. Other non-boost switching regulators typically drop the output voltage by 1.3V or more. 

In addition, SEPIC and other voltage boost regulators are generally much less efficient and generate much more UHF band noise, and in many cases you don’t need one. All known cameras and many transmitters will operate well across the 3S voltage range. Check your transmitter manual’s specs to determine this. If your transmitter does need a boost when operating at the lower end of 3S, a JST equipped boost regulator can easily be connected into the Vector’s AV harness without needing to cut wires.

Wiring Made Simple!
The Vector’s filtered PSU and innovative wiring harness makes it easy to connect your 5V or 12V cameras and transmitters without keeping an electrician on standby. If your camera and transmitter have servo style connectors already, you just need to plug them into the labeled plugs, select the appropriate voltages, and away you go. And, If you prefer to use 2 or even 3 flight batteries, additional filters, voltage boosters, etc., that’s trivial to do without needing to do any rewiring. The harness also makes it easy to move the Vector from model to model without removing all of the wiring as well.

EagleEyes FPV Ground Station Compatibility
The Vector fully supports the EagleEyes Ground Station (ETREAGLE-EYE not included). On-screen menus make it easy to set up EagleEyes features. Simplified antenna tracking setup wizards make it an easy to configure your EagleEyes compatible tracker.

Powerful PC Setup Software
Want to configure your Vector via your PC or laptop? The powerful, interactive PC software and the Vector’s USB interface make this easy. Configuration files let you easily move your Vector from model to model without needing to reconfigure everything. Tabs for visualizing GPS flight data, manual waypoint management, and many others make it quick and simple to fully utilize your Vector.

Data Logging and Telemetry
Of course, the Vector fully supports data logging of sensor and GPS parameters via internal storage, and the PC software lets you display, graph, visualize and save the data. Variable logging rates and advanced logging triggers are supported. The Vector also embeds real-time telemetry in the video signal for use with the EagleEyes ground station. Further, the Vector’s UART port is compatible with open source telemetry transmitters and other hardware. We plan on supporting the UART interface with a variety of telemetry related features in the future.

 

Specifications:

• Supported Airframes:
• Traditional fixed wing, Elevon, and V-tail planes
• Tricopter, Quadcopter, and Hexacopter multirotors
• Recommended Airframes: the Vector is not recommended for large or heavy airframes, due to no or limited testing on these types of models at this time. Examples: giant scale fixed wing models, turbines, or multirotors larger than 650mm are not recommended.
• Video formats: composite NTSC and PAL (autodetect)
• Dimensions (L x W x H, approximate):
• Controller: 65mm x 33mm x 14mm
• GPS/Mag: 35mm x 24mm x 15mm
• Current Sensor/PSU (with Deans™): 42mm x 19mm x 18mm
• Mass (approximate):
• Controller: 21g
• GPS/Mag: 13g
• Current Sensor/PSU (with Deans™): 15g
• Current Sensor/PSU
• Peak measured current: 140 amps (see section 3.4)
• Max pack voltage: 6s/25.2V
• Maximum 12V PSU current: 1A
• Maximum 5V PSU current: 1A

Downloads

• Vector Manual
• Software

Includes:

• Vector Controller
• Vector GPS/Mag
• Current Sensor/PSU
• Reciever harness cable
• GPS harness cable
• Audio cable
• Video cable
• GPS stand

This product was added to our catalog on November 14, 2014