The optional analog joystick allows you to manually control 2 axes of the Helix / Helix Jr. To use the joystick, plug it into the “Joystick” port on the back of the Helix. Activate it by depressing the joystick while centered. This acts as the menu button and will toggle your motors on/off. Press it until your motors are on again and you will have control of the pan and tilt (by default).
You may notice that your Helix will drift on the pan and/or roll axis after you plug the joystick in. In order to correct for this, the joystick will need to be trimmed via the GUI interface or iOS app. In the GUI, with the joystick plugged in and motors on, click the “Auto” button in the RC Sub-Trim section. See item “a” in reference image 1. Be sure to WRITE the settings to the board after adjusting. Note: if you still see slight drifting, you can manually change the trim values until it stops. Remember to click WRITE after making any adjustments.
If your joystick does not seem to be working after depressing it or after switching between profiles, load the GUI and go to the RC tab. In the Input Mapping section, RC_ROLL pin mode should be set to Normal. Immediately below this, make sure that ADC1 – Analog is selected for the axis you want to be controlled by up and down motion of the joystick. ADC2 – Analog should be selected for the axis you want to be controlled by side-to-side motion of the joystick. (Note: These changes may also be made on the Joystick/RC screen of the iOS app.)
To adjust the speed at which the joystick will move each axis, set the “speed” variable under the RC tab in the GUI in the RC Control sub section. A value of 10 or 15 is provides normal motion for the joystick.