ASSI

ASSI – Auto-throttle and
Telemetry unit
16-11-2013
Copyright © Carsten Groen
16. november 2013 [ASSI – AUTO-THROTTLE AND TELEMETRY UNIT]
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Disclaimer
We are not in a position to ensure all instructions regarding the installation and operation of the
ASSI device and the installation of the surrounding radio equipment have been followed.
Due to this, we are not liable for any loss, damage or cost directly or indirectly caused by the
use and/or operation of the ASSI Device. Regardless of any legal arguments employed, our
obligation to pay any compensation is limited to the invoice total of the ASSI device(s) involved
in the event, insofar as this is deemed legally possible!
Should you decide NOT to agree to the above, please refrain from installing and using the ASSI
device.
Copyright notice
The ASSI device, the “ASSI Configuration Tool” and the contents of this document is Copyright
© 2013 by Carsten Groen. All rights reserved.
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Preface
When flying model planes, it would often be nice to have some kind of feedback from the plane
whilst flying. There are a number of systems/parameters that the model pilot could benefit
from if they were presented in realtime while flying. The latest high-end Futaba transmitters
have the capability to show telemetry data transmitted back from the plane helping to take a
lot of the guesswork away when flying.
Some of the telemetry data is very important. For example the amount of fuel left in the plane,
the signal strength, G force applied to the airframe etc. Using the voice announcement and
alarm features of the high-end Futaba transmitters1, audible alarms can be issued to the pilot
while flying.
This document describes a device that can supply the pilot with crucial information whilst their
aircraft is racing around in the sky, take the guesswork away and provide extra safety during
flight. All data is transferred to the Futaba transmitter using Futaba's SBUS2 protocol and their
newest FASSTest technology2. The device is also able to drive visible warning signals that will
tell the pilot if the current airspeed does not follow the preprogrammed target speed and, at
the same time, enable an auto-throttle function.
1
Currently the 18MZ and 14SG transmitters are supported
2
FASSTest and SBUS2 are both trademarks of Futaba
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Contents
Disclaimer ................................................................................................................................. 2
Copyright notice........................................................................................................................ 2
Preface ...................................................................................................................................... 3
Contents .................................................................................................................................... 4
Abbreviations used in this document ......................................................................................... 7
What will the ASSI device do ? ................................................................................................... 8
Different types of ASSI devices ............................................................................................... 9
ASSI subsystems................................................................................................................... 10
"ASSI" (AoA and IAS warning/auto throttle system): .......................................................... 10
"ECU" (data from JetCat ECU): .......................................................................................... 10
"SBUS2" (Futaba telemetry): .............................................................................................. 10
"AUX COM" (Auxiliary communication to other devices): ................................................. 10
"DATALOG" (SD card data logging): ................................................................................. 10
The Hardware .......................................................................................................................... 11
Connectors........................................................................................................................... 12
How to connect the LED’s ..................................................................................................... 13
Using 2S LiPo .................................................................................................................... 14
Using 5.9V from a power box ............................................................................................ 15
Power distribution ................................................................................................................ 16
Technical data ......................................................................................................................... 17
Connecting ASSI to the outside world ...................................................................................... 18
Single engine ....................................................................................................................... 18
Dual/multi engine ................................................................................................................ 19
Connection to JetCat ECU ..................................................................................................... 20
The LEDs and what they tell you .............................................................................................. 24
LEDs on the ASSI device ....................................................................................................... 24
The ultra-bright LEDs ........................................................................................................... 25
Installation of Pitot tube ........................................................................................................... 26
ASSI operating modes ............................................................................................................. 28
The control switch ................................................................................................................ 28
Disable mode.................................................................................................................... 28
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Normal mode .................................................................................................................... 28

Auto Throttle mode (A/THR) ............................................................................................. 28
Learn mode .......................................................................................................................... 29
The learn procedure step by step ..................................................................................... 29
IAS/AoA Warning modes ......................................................................................................... 31
Flash patterns ....................................................................................................................... 31
IAS Warn mode: ................................................................................................................ 31
AoA Warn mode ............................................................................................................... 32
ASSI Configuration Tool ........................................................................................................... 33
Configuration parameters .................................................................................................... 34
Channel end/set points ........................................................................................................ 34
Channel numbers ................................................................................................................. 34
Flap settings ......................................................................................................................... 34
Auto throttle PID parameters ................................................................................................ 35
Slot number assignments ..................................................................................................... 35
Define channel numbers and endpoints ............................................................................... 36
Setting channel numbers .................................................................................................. 36
Define throttle endpoints .................................................................................................. 36
Define control channel endpoints ..................................................................................... 38
Define preset speed channel endpoints ............................................................................ 40
Generate KML file from log data ........................................................................................... 42
Setup of Radio .......................................................................................................................... 44
Assign sensors ..................................................................................................................... 44
Telemetry screens................................................................................................................ 45
Testing the installation ............................................................................................................. 46
Test of ECU and Pitot tube .................................................................................................... 46
Test failsafe .......................................................................................................................... 46
Test of engine(s)................................................................................................................... 46
Test of auto-throttle .............................................................................................................. 46
Auto-throttle operation ............................................................................................................ 48
Principles of operation ......................................................................................................... 48
Safety features ...................................................................................................................... 48
Source of target IAS .............................................................................................................. 49
WARNING ............................................................................................................................ 50
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CAN Bus (advanced)................................................................................................................ 51

Terminating resistor ............................................................................................................. 51
Multi engine setup (advanced) ................................................................................................ 52
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Abbreviations used in this document

IAS Indicated Air Speed
The speed the plane is travelling with relative to the surrounding air. Measured in
km/h.
AoA Angle of Attack

The angle between the oncoming air or relative wind and a reference line on the
airplane.
CAN Controller Area Network

A high-speed communication bus used for communication between electronic
devices.
A/THR Auto Throttle

Controls the throttle/thrust according to a target airspeed set by the pilot.
KML File Keyhole Markup Language

A XML grammar and file format for modeling and storing geographic features
such as points, lines, images, polygons, and models for display in Google Earth
and Google Maps
SBUS2 Futaba’s new serial bus. Sends channel data etc. from the receiver to SBUS2
enabled devices. Devices connected to the SBUS2 can send telemetry data to the
receiver which will then send the data to the transmitter.
FASSTest Futaba’s bi-directional RF protocol. Using the FASSTest protocol, it is possible to

both send and receive data from the model.
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What will the ASSI device do ?

The ASSI device is a complex unit with a number of subsystems. It will return up to 12 telemetry
values to your transmitter, measure IAS, the Angle of Attack (AoA) (optional), the G forces your
plane is exposed to, collect valuable data from your JetCat engine(s), monitor receiver signal
quality, the number of failsafe frames, control the throttle (auto throttle) of your engine(s),
maintain programmed IAS for 5 flap positions and issue warning signals using ultra-bright
LEDs if the IAS is above/below the programmed speed. Using a communication bus (CAN Bus)
the device will also send out data that can be shown on cockpit mounted LCD screens
(optional) in the plane. The data can also be used by any slaves in a multi engine setup. All of
the parameters sampled will be logged to a SD card mounted in the device. Master devices log
complete data whilst slave devices will only log the ECU data.
Picture 1 ASSI subsystems
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Different types of ASSI devices

The ASSI device can be configured to act as a master device or as a slave:
• Master device
A master device is configured as device number 1. The master device connects to the
Pitot tubes.
• Slave device
A device configured with device number 2,3 or 4 is to be used in multi engine setups as
a slave (see later chapter).
The slave devices only collect data from the connected ECU and controls the throttle
channel to it. The throttle setting is provided by the master device. The slave device can
also only output 4 telemetry values (ECU data). The pressure sensors on the slaves
device(s) are not connected. All 4 ports are to be left open!

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ASSI subsystems
"ASSI" (AoA and IAS warning/auto throttle system):

• Indicated IAS (maximum is 460 km/h, accuracy is +/- 5%)
• Angle of Attack from -20 to +20 deg, with 1 deg resolution
• Auto-throttle function (minimum IAS for up to 5 flap positions. Each is configured during
flight by the pilot)
• Configurable IAS (set a target IAS on your transmitter with a dial, and the plane will
maintain the speed set)
• Warning for IAS (or optionally AoA) with red and green ultra-bright LED's
"ECU" (data from JetCat ECU):

• Fuel left in tank
• Current EGT
• Current RPM
• Current ECU battery voltage
"SBUS2" (Futaba telemetry):

• ECU: Fuel left (in milliliters)
• ECU: Current engine RPM
• ECU: EGT (in deg Celsius)
• ECU: battery voltage (in 0.1V)
• ASSI: IAS (in km/h)
• ASSI: AoA (in degrees)
• ASSI: Maximum IAS during current flight (in km/h)
• ASSI: Current mode for ASSI system (0=disable, 1=normal, 2=auto throttle)
• ASSI: Preset IAS (set by dial on transmitter, 0..250 km/h)
• ASSI: G force (0.1G)
• RX: Failsafe counts
• RX: RSSI (0-3, The quality with which the receiver sees the transmitted RF data. 0=poor,
3=best)
"AUX COM" (Auxiliary communication to other devices):

CAN bus for connection to slave devices (in multi engine setups) and to cockpit mounted
graphic LCD color display(s)
"DATALOG" (SD card data logging):

A data logger that stores all data (including servo positions, ECU data, IAS/AoA, failsafe counts
etc. in a text file on the SD card. These log files can later be converted to a KML file enabling
you to see the actual flight path3 in Google Earth together with all the parameters logged each
second.
3
Requires that a Futaba/Robbe F1675 GPS receiver is present on the SBUS2 at slot 8 and forward.

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The Hardware
Picture 2 – The ASSI device
The ASSI device has a number of connectors. All the connectors are "standard" pin headers that
can be used with normal "R/C servo” style connectors. The only exception is the CAN bus
connector as this has a 4 pin connector. When using the connectors please observe polarity at
all times! Connecting the connectors the wrong way or in wrong places can destroy your
ASSI device and possibly the equipment connected to it! Double check before attaching any
of the connectors and only insert and remove connectors when the power is switched off!
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Picture 3 ASSI Connectors
Connectors
SBUS2. This allows connection of the device to the Futaba SBUS2 bus. If you are using other
SBUS2 devices on the bus just connect the devices in a “daisy-chain”. The ASSI device can be
the "last" device on the bus or you can use Y cables and arrange the modules as you wish.
THR. This is the throttle output from the ASSI device. This will connect to the throttle input on
you JetCat ECU. If you do not want to use the auto throttle function simply leave this connector
unconnected.
OUT (not used on slave devices). This connects to a red and a green ultra-bright LEDs. Each
output can supply up to 1.5 Amp. When a LED should turn on, each of the two outputs will pull
toward ground (0V). You must therefore connect the LEDs between the output and the center
pin in the connector (this is the positive supply voltage). Below you will find a description and
example of how to connect LEDs to the OUT connector. REMEMBER to include a series
resistor between each output and the LED to limit the current thru the LED. Otherwise the
ASSI device will be permanently damaged!
ECU. Connects the ASSI device to your JetCat ECU. One end of the cable connects to the 3 pin
ECU connector on the ASSI. The other end of the cable is a RJ12 connector and connects to the
“JetCat LED I/O board” (this is the board where you normally would connect your “JetCat GSU
unit”). Through this cable the ASSI device is able to collect information from the ECU (fuel left
in tank, RPM, EGT etc). Instead of the RJ12 connector it is possible to use a 3 pin servo
connector if you solder a 3 pin header to the I/O board. See above.
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CAN. This is a CAN bus connector that can be used to connect multiple ASSI devices for a
multi-engine setup (up to 4 ASSI devices can be connected). When using more than 1 device
the other devices will not have IAS or AoA sensors connected. They will, instead, receive the
current throttle setting from the “master unit” (device number 1).
SD Card. Contains the configuration file for the device (config.bin) which is generated using
the “ASSI Configuration Tool”. The ASSI device logs all data during flight to the SD Card. These
can later be converted to a Google Earth KML file (if a Futaba/Robbe F1675 GPS is mounted on
the SBUS2). You will need to supply this SD card yourself (1 GByte is more than enough).
BATT (not used on slave devices). The Battery connector can be used (optionally) to connect
a 2S LiPo battery to the device (max 9V). If the ultra -bright LEDs are mounted, these can draw
a substantial amount of current, and in these cases, it is better to supply the ASSI device from a
LiPo battery. The device will only draw power from the battery if the receiver is switched on, it
is fine to leave the LiPo battery connected to the ASSI device as it will draw negligible current
from it when not running. PLEASE observe the polarity of the battery (“N” is negative, “P”
is positive wire)!
Status LED’s. 3 LED’s are mounted on the board (red, blue and yellow LED’s). The LED’s
shows the current state of the unit. (Red fast flash = receiver in failsafe, red slow flash =
receiver is ok, blue flashes when communication with the ECU is working. Yellow will flash
when the CAN bus receives messages from a master device (only on slave devices).
How to connect the LED’s

The OUT connector can drive two ultra-bright LEDs, one red and one green. These LEDs are
used by the system to show various states (when auto-throttle is engaged/disengaged, learn
mode activated etc). The main purpose of the LEDs however is the IAS/AoA warning function.
This will show if the plane is below/above the current set target IAS (or AoA). The 3 pin
connector carries the outputs for the two LEDs as well as a common supply voltage for the
LEDs. It is very important to remember to include a series resistor in the wire to the LEDs
If this resistor is not fitted you will for sure kill the LEDs, and quite possibly the ASSI
Device too!
Below is a schematic showing how to connect the LEDs. Guidelines for the selection of the
resistors are also given.
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Picture 4 Connection of LEDs
The value of the resistors depend upon the selected LEDs and the voltage the ASSI Device is
supplied with. In this example, the ASSI Device has a 2S LiPo battery connected and the LEDs
are “1W 8.2 mm 4-chip LEDs” from Emcotec4
According to the datasheet from Emcotec, the red LEDs can operate at 280mA and the green at
220 mA if they are to be operated continuously (we use these numbers to be on the safe side).
In this scenario the red LED needs 2.80V across it and the green 3.65V.
Using 2S LiPo
We assume that the supply voltage from the 2S LiPo is around 8V at full charge. We can then
see that the resistor for the red LED needs to have 8V – 2.8V = 5.2V. The green LED needs to
have 8V – 3.65V = 4.35V across it.
According to ohm’s law, the resistor for the red LED needs to be:
5.2V / 280 mA = 18.6 Ohm.
The resistor for the green LED:

4.35V / 220 mA = 19.8 Ohm.
As the two resistors are not standard values, we have to select the closest available. We would
use an 18ohm resistor for both LEDs. This will give a slightly higher current in the green LED
but because of losses etc in the circuit (and the fact that the current was selected for continuous
use) it is safe to do so. The resistors will get warm because of the voltage and current. The
resistor for the red will have to dissipate 5.2V x 0.28A = 1.5W and the resistor for the green will
dissipate 4.35V x 0.22A = 0.9W. In both cases it is recommended to select 3W or maybe even
5W resistors. The 5W resistors will stay cool at all times (make sure that nothing can touch the
resistors e.g. air tubes, fuel lines etc.)
4
http://shop.rc-electronic.com/e-
vendo.php?shop=shop&SessionId=&a=article&ProdNr=OPT4240&t=2006&c=2050&p=2050
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Using 5.9V from a power box

It is possible to eliminate the 2S LiPo and drive the ASSI device from a “Powerbox”. Usually the
power box will deliver a constant 5.9V. If doing so, the resistors needed for the ultra-bright
LEDs must be recalculated. Assuming you will use the same LEDs as described above the new
values of the resistors can be calculated:
The red LED needs to have 5.9V – 2.8V = 3.1V. The green LED needs to have 5.9V – 3.65V =
2.25V across it.
According to ohm’s law, the resistor for the red LED needs to be:
3.1V / 280 mA = 11 Ohm.
The resistor for the green LED:

2.25V / 220 mA = 10 Ohm.
The 11Ohm resistor is not a standard value so, again, we have to select the closest available.
Both LEDs will thus use 10Ohm resistors.
The resistors will have to dissipate a little less power now because of the lower voltage from
the PowerBox. The resistor for the red will have to dissipate 3.1V x 0.28A = 0.9W and the
resistor for the green 2.25V x 0.22A = 0.5W. In both cases it is recommended to select 1.5W or
3W resistors (make sure that nothing can touch the resistors e.g. air tubes, fuel lines etc.)
EMCOTEC in Germany has a very nice compendium on their website: http://www.rc-

electronic.com/downloads/pdf/bedienungsanleitungen/kompendium_leds_DE.pdf
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Power distribution
The following schematic helps explain how the positive pin in the connectors and the external
LiPo battery are connected:
Picture 5 Power distribution
If no external 2S LiPo battery is connected, the power for the device will be taken from the “+”
pin in the connectors (typically via the SBUS2 connector from the receiver). If an external
battery is connected, the power applied to the “+” pin will switch on the power from the
battery. In practical terms, the receiver is connected to the SBUS2 connector so whenever the
receiver is powered up, the LiPo battery will be switched on by the ASSI Device and power will
be taken from that (unless the voltage from the receiver on the “+” pin is higher than the LiPo
battery!). If you only have smaller LEDs on the OUT connector it is not necessary to mount the
external LiPo battery as the power for the LEDs will then simply be taken from the receiver
(through the SBUS2 connector).
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Technical data
Parameter Note Minimum Maximum
Supply voltage “Batt” 1 5.9V 13V (3S LiPo)
Supply Voltage “SBUS2” 1 5.9V 13V (3S LiPo)
Current consumption (excl LEDs) 25 mA 125 mA
Drive current Red/Green LEDs 2 - 1.5 Amp each
Storage used for Log files on SD card Ca. 380 bytes/second

(23 Kbyte/minute)
Update rate on SBUS2 downlink Depending on transmitter
settings (typical 2 times/second)
IAS range (resolution 1 Km/H) 11 Km/H 460 Km/H

AoA (resolution 1 deg) 3 -20 deg +20 deg
Physical size 64 mm long x 37 mm wide x 14 mm high

(including connectors etc)
Weight 15 gram
Working temperature -20 deg C +70 deg C
Notes:
1. The device can be powered either by the “Batt” connector or thru the “SBUS2” connector.
(if ultra-bright LEDs are used it is recommended to use a separate battery to supply the
device!). See previous page for further information.
2. Remember to add a series resistor for each LED!
3. AoA measurement only active if IAS is higher than 30 Km/H.
17 Technical data |
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Connecting ASSI to the outside world

The ASSI device can operate in both single and multi engine systems. In single engine systems
the ASSI device monitors air speed (and AoA), controls the red/green LEDs and collects data
from the JetCat ECU. In multi engine systems, the "slave" devices (device number 2..4) gets
information about the current throttle from the "master" device (device number 1).
Single engine
Picture 6 Single engine configuration
18 Connecting ASSI to the outside world |

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The schematic above shows a typical installation in a single engine plane. The AoA sensor, as
well as the LiPo battery and red/green LEDs are optional (the LED’s and GPS are highly
recommended!).
Dual/multi engine
Picture 7 Dual engine configuration
The picture above shows a typical twin (or more) engine configuration. The left ASSI device is
configured (using the ASSI Configuration Tool) as device number 2 (making this device a
slave). This slave device will then get the current throttle from the master device on the right
(device number 1). The slave device only monitors the ECU parameters and controls the
throttle for engine 2.
In dual/multi engine systems, the slave device(s) can only have slots assigned to the first 4
telemetry values (Fuel left, RPM, EGT and ECU battery).

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Connection to JetCat ECU

The ASSI device needs to be connected to the JetCat ECU using a 3 wire cable.
There are basically two ways to do this.
One method is using a cable which has a RJ12 (6 pin) connector in one end and at the other end
a standard 3 pin servo connector. You can extend the cable up to 1 meter using a normal servo
extension cable.
Picture 8 JetCat I/O board
The RJ12 connector is the same for both the older JetCat ECUs (V6) and the new V10 ECUs. The
connections between the I/O board and the ASSI device are as follows:
Picture 9 ASSI connectors
RJ12 pin 6 connects to “Tx” pin on ASSI ECU connector (data from ASSI to ECU).
RJ12 pin 1 connects to “Rx” pin on ASSI ECU connector (data from ECU to ASSI).

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RJ12 pin 5 connects to “-” pin on ASSI ECU connector.
Another way of connecting the ASSI device to the ECU is using a cable with standard 3 pin
servo connectors at both ends. This method however requires you to do some soldering to the
JetCat I/O board! On the I/O board (both the “old” ones and the new that is delivered with V10
ECUs) there is 3 holes where a 3-pin header will fit into (same connector as used in regular
receivers). You will need to install a 3 pin header into these holes and solder them. Be VERY
careful when doing this!
Picture 10 - V10 I/O board
Picture 11 - V6 I/O board
The cable with the two servo connectors needs to have two pins swapped ! If you take a
standard servo cable with female connectors at both ends (a cable similar to the “throttle” and
the “aux” cable that came with your JetCat ECU, you will need to swap the red (+) and brown (-
) wire IN ONE OF THE ENDS of the cable. Please mark this cable so you do not mistake it for
a “normal” servo cable!
You then connect the end that has no swapped pins to the ASSI device (brown to “-“, red to
“rx” and orange to “tx”). The other end with the swapped pins are inserted into the JetCat I/O
board as follows:

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Picture 12 - Connection between V10 I/O board and ASSI device
Picture 13 - This shows the red/brown wire swapped at the IO board end

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Picture 14 - Connection between V6 I/O board and ASSI device
Picture 15 - This shows the red/brown wire swapped at the IO board end
23 /|
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The LEDs and what they tell you

The ASSI device has a number of LEDs. The top of the device has a red, blue and yellow LED.
Normally the ultra-bright LEDs are also mounted somewhere on the plane (red and green).
LEDs on the ASSI device

The LEDs on the ASSI device (red, blue and yellow) shows the current status of the device. The
ultra-bright LEDs will, apart from showing warning signals on low/high IAS, also show when
auto throttle is becoming active/inactive etc.
During power up of the device the two ultra-bright LEDs will flicker quickly for about 4
seconds. During this time the device will calculate the “zero pressure” offset for the two
pressure sensors. If this offset does not fall between certain limits the device will emit “Error 1”
and not be able to function (can happen when the IAS sensor is pointed towards the wind
during power up).
LEDs on the device:
Red
Yellow
Ultra-bright LEDs:
Red
Green
If the SD card does not contain a valid config.bin file, “Error 2” will be shown:
LEDs on the device:
Red
Yellow
Ultra-bright LEDs:
Red
Green
“Error 3” means that there is an internal error in the device (return for repair):
Red
Yellow
Ultra-bright LEDs:
Red
Green
24 The LEDs and what they tell you |

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Whenever one of the “Error” codes are shown, the device will stay in this mode until switched
off!
The ultra-bright LEDs

The ultra-bright red and green LEDs will show you when the ASSI device changes among its
different states.
Activation of learn mode. Within the first 30 seconds after the device is switched on it is
possible to active the “learn” mode (by flipping the mode switch quickly). When activated the
red ultra-bright LED will blink for 5 seconds:
Red
Green
In learn mode when you flip the mode switch from “Disable” to “Normal/Write” the current IAS
and AoA will be saved (together with the current flap setting). When the device saves these
values the red and green ultra-bright LEDs will blink for 2 seconds:
Red
Green
When auto throttle is activated, the green ultra-bright LED will blink 5 times:
Red
Green
When auto throttle is de-activated, the red ultra-bright LED will blink 5 times:
Red
Green

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Installation of Pitot tube

In order for the ASSI device to measure the airspeed (IAS) the plane has to be equipped with a
pitot tube. The pitot tube should be mounted at a point on the plane where there is
unobstructed airflow. Good positions are typically in the nose or somewhere on the leading
edge of the wing. The pitot tube must be as close as possible to horizontal. A couple of degrees
has no impact on the measurement (but might look a little bad to the eyes!).
Picture 16 Pitot tube (only airspeed)
If the ASSI device is also going to measure Angle of Attack (AoA), a special pitot tube (with 4
ports) should be mounted. For the combined pitot tube it is very important that it is mounted as
close to the planes horizontal datum as possible.
Picture 17 Pitot tube with both IAS and AoA ports
The tubes used for the connection must be 3mm OD FESTO tubes (or equivalent). When
attaching the tubes to the sensors on the ASSI device take care not to stress the pressure
sensors on the board (hold firmly with a finger on top of the pressure sensor and a finger below
the printed circuit board while attaching the tubes)
Below you will see a picture showing how the 2/4 tubes are connected to the ASSI device.
IAS pressure port AoA lower port
IAS static port

AoA upper port

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When all tubes from the pitot tube(s) are mounted, it is possible to test if they are connected
correctly. Look at the telemetry data on you transmitter for the IAS value. Gently blow into the
pitot tubes pressure port (the “nose” of the tube) and ensure the IAS value changes on the
transmitter. You can also simply block the pressure port with your finger. You should then see
a slowly increasing number in the IAS field. If you have mounted an IAS/AoA 4 port pitot tube,
while keeping the pressure port closed with your finger, gently blow some air into the upper
port of the AoA part of the sensor. This should show a positive value in the AoA telemetry value
on the transmitter. If you blow air into the AoA lower port, a negative number should be shown
in the AoA telemetry value on the transmitter. If both these tests are successful the tubes are
mounted correctly to the ASSI device.

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ASSI operating modes

The ASSI device can be in 1 of 4 different modes. Mode 0 is “Disable, mode 1 is “Normal”,
mode 2 is “Write” (when device is in Learn) and mode 3 is “Auto-throttle”. The current mode
can be seen on the telemetry screen of the transmitter (Slot with “Mode [0,1,2,3]”).
The control switch

The ASSI device is controlled by a 3 position switch on the radio (referred to as the “Control
switch” throughout this document).
Disable mode Normal mode Auto-throttle mode
Disable mode
In disabled mode the ASSI device is “silent”. Nothing is shown on either the green or red LED.
The throttle stick is simply passed through to the throttle output, enabling normal control of the
throttle.
Normal mode
In normal mode, the device can either warn against critical IAS or critical AoA (depending on
the configuration). The IAS/AoA is monitored and continuously compared to the learned values
(the target IAS/AoA for each flap setting previously set in learn mode). In normal mode the
pilot has the control of the throttle at all times!
Auto Throttle mode (A/THR)

In all modes except auto-throttle (A/THR), the throttle input channel is passed directly thru the
ASSI device to the throttle output.
If A/THR mode is active, the device will try to hold the pre-programmed IAS (from the learn
mode) for the current selected flap setting. The PID parameters set in the "ASSI Configuration
Tool" is used for the PID control loop.
To activate A/THR mode, bring the throttle stick to idle, and select Pos 3 (Auto throttle) on the
control switch on the transmitter.
The A/THR feature will be disabled once the throttle stick is moved away from idle. To re-
enable A/THR, move the throttle stick to idle and move control switch back to position 2
(Normal) and then select position 3 (A/THR) again.
In order for A/THR to become enabled, the current IAS must be higher than 40 Km/h.
28 ASSI operating modes |

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When A/THR enables, the green LED will make 5 quick flashes. When A/THR is disabled, the
red LED will make 5 quick flashes. The red and green LEDs show the same information as in
normal mode regarding warning against IAS (or AoA).
Learn mode
Learn mode is used for “teaching” the ASSI device the optimum IAS (and AoA) for landing. The
IAS (and AoA) have to be taught for all flap settings (maximum of 5 different settings).
It is not a problem if you control the flaps using a slider (as opposed to a 2 or 3 position switch)
as the device will simply use the “nearest” setting from the learn process when selecting which
IAS or AoA to use.
Learn mode can only be activated within the first 30 seconds from powering on the ASSI device
and after the red and green LED have stopped their rapid flashes. The learn mode is activated
by flipping the control switch 5 times rapidly between positions. When learn mode is activated
the red LED flashes fast for 5 seconds. If the device has been running for more than 30 seconds
since power on it is not possible to enter the learn mode! You need to switch the receiver off
and on and follow the procedure described above!
Once learn mode is activated all settings (IAS/AoA) for all flap settings are set to 0!
In learn mode, the plane should be brought to a safe height and the landing gear lowered. Fly
with a “realistic” amount of fuel so that the configuration is a close as possible to a landing
scenario.
Select the first flap setting (typically “no flaps”). Gradually slow the plane down while keeping
it flying straight. You will need to slowly raise the AoA of it to produce more lift. You should
only slow the plane down to a speed where you still have full control over it (essentially aim for
the IAS/AoA you want to achieve on a final approach).
Once you have established a good slow and stable level flight, store the IAS and AoA in the
device (data is stored in the config.bin file on the SD Card) by moving the control switch on the
transmitter temporarily from the “Disabled” to “Normal” position and back again. When the
device stores the current IAS/AoA it will flash both the red and green ultra-bright LEDs for 2
seconds. Should you need to do this again just move the switch from "Disabled" to "Normal"
again - this will overwrite the previous values for the selected flap position.
Now select the next stage of flap and repeat the procedure.
The learn procedure step by step

Model takes off….
1. Select the first flap setting (the ASSI device can hold data for up to 5 different flap settings).
2. At a safe altitude, slow the plane down to the slowest possible speed where full control is
still present (this is the target IAS for the system with the current flap setting) both for the
auto-throttle, if enabled, and for the warning system.

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3. Bring control switch to "Normal" (Position 2).

a. Unit looks for an entry with approximately the same flap setting (+/- 10%), or
selects an empty position if no one matches and saves IAS and AoA at the flap
setting.
b. Unit flashes both the red and green ultra-bright LEDs for 2 seconds.
4. Select the next flap setting, and continue from step 2.
When the above steps have been completed for all flap settings, land the plane and switch the
receiver off. You are now ready to use the device actively (see “normal mode” and “auto
throttle mode” above).

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IAS/AoA Warning modes

The ASSI device can warn against either sub-optimal IAS or AoA using the two ultra-bright red
and green LEDs. The warning flash patterns of LEDs are active in “Normal” and “Auto-throttle”
mode. In “Disabled” mode the LEDs are constantly off.
The type of warning mode (IAS or AoA) can only be set with the “ASSI Configuration Tool” (see
below).
Flash patterns
Flash patterns for red/green light (“X” is light on, “-” is off):
Sequence 1: X-------X-------X slowest flashes

Sequence 2: X----X----X slower flashes
Sequence 3: X--X--X faster flashes
Sequence 4: X-X-X fastest flashes
Sequence 5: XXXXX solid light
IAS Warn mode:

If the current IAS is lower than the target IAS the red LED begins to flash. The lower the current
IAS get, the faster the red LED flashes. If the current IAS is low enough the red light will be
solid.
If the current IAS gets above the target IAS, the green LED will begin to flash (higher IAS =>
slower flash). When the current IAS is close to/at the target IAS (within +/- 1 m/s), the green
LED will be solid.
Example:
Target IAS stored in the learn process for the current flap setting is 60 Km/h.
Current IAS: >=70 Km/h: sequence 1, green light

Current IAS: 68 Km/h: sequence 2, green light
Current IAS: 57..63 Km/h: sequence 5, continuously green light
Current IAS: 56 Km/h: sequence 1, red light
Current IAS: <=48 Km/h: continuously red light
31 IAS/AoA Warning modes |

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AoA Warn mode

If the current Angle of Attack (AoA) is lower than the target AoA, the green LED begins to flash.
The lower the current AoA gets the slower the green LED flashes.
If the current AoA gets above the target AoA the red LED will begin to flash (higher AoA =>
faster flash). When the current AoA is close to/at the target AoA, the faster the green LED
flashes (when it is within 1 degree, the light turns to green)
Example:
Target AoA stored in the learn process for the current flap setting is 8 deg.
Current AoA: <= 3 deg: sequence 1, green light

Current AoA: 4 deg: sequence 2, green light
Current AoA: 7 - 9 deg: sequence 5, continuously green light
Current AoA: 10 deg: sequence 1, red light
Current AoA: >=14 deg: continuously red light
32 IAS/AoA Warning modes |

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ASSI Configuration Tool

The ASSI device contains a large number of user configurable parameters. Due to the amount
of parameters a PC is required for configuration. The "ASSI Configuration Tool" can set all the
parameters. These are then stored in a file "config.bin" which is placed in the root folder of the
SD Card inserted in the ASSI device. The device will read its configuration from this file every
time it powers up. The SD card is also used for storage of log files. A new log file is created
every time the ASSI device is powered on.
Picture 18 ASSI Configuration Tool screen
The configuration tool screen is divided into several sections:
33 ASSI Configuration Tool |

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Configuration parameters
Next log file number. This is the number to be used for the next log file generated on the SD
Card. The files will be named: LOGnnnnn.TXT" where "nnnnn" is an incrementing number. The
first log file will be named LOG00000.TXT, the next LOG00001.TXT etc. If this parameter is set
to 17, the next log file will be named LOG00017.TXT
Device number. This sets the number of this device. Device number 1 will be the master
device. The pitot tube is connected to this one. If there are 2 devices (connected thru the CAN
bus connector) in a multi-engine setup (for example 2xP100RX in an A-10), the other device
must be assigned number 2.
Warning mode. The warning mode can be selected between IAS or AoA warning mode. This
controls whether the warning shown by the red and green LEDs is for below/above the target
IAS or for below/above target AoA (AoA sensor is optional).
Channel end/set points

These parameters define the end/set points of the individual channels that the transmitter
outputs. The throttle idle/max is very important to setup correctly! The "idle" parameter must
be the real idle setting of the engine. If for example the throttle trim needs to be at max to start
the engine then this must be included (take the number for the idle/max values from the servo
monitor on the radio when the trim button is at its maximum). If this is not done correctly the
auto throttle function will NOT WORK and it could result in a shutdown of an engine in
the air
The control disabled/normal/auto-throttle is the value from the servo monitor for each of the 3
positions of the control switch assigned on the radio.
Pre-set min/max speed is a slider/dial on the radio that sets a preset air speed. An example of
this setup is shown later.
Channel numbers
These parameters define which channels are assigned to the functions above. By default the
throttle channel is 3, flap channel is 6, preset speed is 13 and control switch is channel 14. This
can be set as required using the configuration tool (example given later).
Flap settings
The flap settings can be set either manually using the configuration tool or "in flight" using the
control switch (the device must be in "learn mode" before this can be enabled). If training the
device during flight you can remove the SD Card afterwards and modify the numbers slightly
should you wish. The Flap[n] values are those from the transmitter’s servo monitor. The "IAS" is
the speed the plane must maintain for that specific flap position and AoA is the "Angle of
Attack" that is programmed for the flap position. (AoA can optionally be used by the warning
system using the red and green ultra-bright LEDs)

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Auto throttle PID parameters

When the device is running in auto throttle mode, there will be a small difference between the
measured actual IAS of the model and the IAS that the device tries to reach. In order to
command the throttle of the engine as efficiently as possible, a PID regulator is implemented in
the ASSI device. The PID regulator uses 3 parameters, Kp, Ki and Kd. These parameters can be
tuned should the response of the engine not follow the changes in IAS efficiently. The theory
behind selecting the optimal parameters is too complex to describe here. (please do a search
on the internet as there are plenty of good descriptions “out there”!)
As the parameters do not normally need to be changed from the default values, they are
disabled by default. Click “enable change” to alter the 3 entry fields. The default values are:
kP=25, kI=10 and kD=3.
USE caution when adjusting these numbers as it is easy to detune the system and cause it
to work less efficiently!
Slot number assignments

The telemetry values sent to the transmitter are each assigned to a "slot". The Futaba
transmitters currently support 32 slots (only 31 slots are available, slots 1 to 31). Using these
parameters it is possible to tell the system which slot each telemetry value should be assigned
to. By default the ASSI device will use slots 20 to 31. If multiple devices are in use in a multi-
engine setup, most of the slots will be set to "0" (disabled) on the "slave devices" (device
numbers 2,3 or 4) as, typically, it is only the ECU parameters (fuel left, RPM, EGT and battery
voltage) that will be sent to the transmitter.

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Define channel numbers and endpoints

When setting the end/set points of the channels, you can use the servo monitor on the radio.
The principles are shown below.
Picture 19 Control switch, Preset speed dial and Flap slider
Setting channel numbers

First make sure that the channel numbers are set correctly in the configuration tool.
In this example the throttle is assigned to the throttle stick ‘T3’ which has its output on channel
3, the control switch SB (3 position) is on channel 14, flaps are on the RS slider on channel 6 and
the “preset speed” dial is on LD on channel 13. Set the channel numbers in the configuration
tool.
Picture 20 Channel assignments
When the channel numbers are set correct you need to define the end/set points for them.
Define throttle endpoints

First set your throttle stick to idle. If you start/stop your engine with the throttle trim, you need
to set the trim to the “start” position. This is very important. The ASSI device uses the throttle
idle/max values for its Auto-throttle function and if you do not put the trim in the “start” position
the auto throttle function could shut down your engine during flight (the auto throttle function
uses the values as the minimum and maximum for the throttle when trying to keep the IAS
programmed).

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On the radio, locate the servo monitor menu:
Picture 21 Throttle stick at minimum
You can see the value +70 for channel 3 (throttle). Enter this value in the “Throttle idle” field in
the configuration tool:
Picture 22 Value for minimum throttle
Bring the throttle stick to maximum. Enter the number from the servo monitor in the “Throttle
max” field:
Picture 23 Throttle stick at maximum

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Picture 24 Value for maximum throttle
Define control channel endpoints

On your radio, set the control switch to the “Disabled” position and locate the servo monitor
menu:
Picture 25 Disable position of control switch
You can see the current value of channel 14 (CH14) on this screen. Enter the value (-100) in the
field “Control disabled” in the “ASSI Configuration Tool”. Bring the switch to “Normal” and
enter the value (0) in the field “Control-normal”:
Picture 26 Normal position of control switch

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Next, bring the control switch to “Auto throttle” position and enter the number from the servo
monitor screen into the field “Control-auto throttle”.
Picture 27 Auto-throttle position of control switch
When finished, the “Channel end/set points” group in the “ASSI Configuration Tool” should
look like this:
Picture 28 Values for the 3 positions of the control switch

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Define preset speed channel endpoints

Finally, we need to set the “Preset speed” minimum and maximum values. Turn the LD dial to
its minimum position (fully counter-clockwise) and locate channel 13 in the servo monitor
(+100):
Picture 29 Minimum value for preset speed knob
Enter the value 100 in the field “Preset speed min” in the configuration tool. Turn the LD dial
fully clockwise and enter the number for channel 13 from the servo monitor into the field
“Preset speed max” in the configuration tool (-100):
Picture 30 Maximum value for preset speed knob
When complete, the channel end/set points for the “preset speed” dial should look like this:
Picture 31 Minimum and maximum values for Preset speed knob travel
This completes the setup of channel numbers and channel end/set points.

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Generate KML file from log data

The “ConLog” program enables you to convert the ASSI log files (from the SD card) to a
Google KML file that can be opened in Google Earth. The ConLog program is also used to
generate Google KML files from other of our telemetry products (JC-SBUS2 etc). The ConLog
program needs to know what type of GPS is connected to the SBUS2 and at what slotnumber the
data from the GPS starts. After that it is just a matter of selecting the correct log file from the SD
card and press the button “Convert Logfile”. This will create a .KML file in the same folder as
the log file is located. You can then double-click (open) on the .KML file to bring it up in
Google Earth.
Picture 32 - ConLog program
Using Google Earth it is possible to show the flight path and a lot of parameters. Each log entry
can be clicked on to bring up a window with detailed information from the specific log
entry/position. When generating the KML file the program will find the position with the
maximum altitude, maximum G force and maximum airspeed. The 3 events are marked with a
green “paddle” symbol. If at any point the signal strength/RX quality has been lower than 3
(which is maximum signal), these individual positions will be marked with a red paddle with
the measured signal strength ( “2” or “1”) . All the lines in the log file are each marked with a
small black circle on the flight path. You can click on these circles and get further information
for that specific log entry (see below).

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Picture 33 Google Earth view of flight path

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Setup of Radio
In order to display the telemetry data from the ASSI device, your radio has to be configured
properly. A total of 12 telemetry values are sent to your radio It is up to you which of these you
wish to have displayed on your radio. Even if you decide not to display some of them on your
radio their values will still be logged in the log files on the SD Card.
Currently, there is a minor cosmetic limitation with the high-end Futaba transmitters when
using “non-Futaba” sensors (the ASSI device is not officially supported by Futaba). As all
sensors that are supported by Futaba radios need to be known by the transmitter we have to
be a little creative! The transmitters have, amongst others, two types of sensors, ‘RPM’ and
‘TEMPERATURE’ and these are used for all 12 values from the ASSI device. The only ‘problem’
with is they have ‘RPM’ and “˚c” displayed after each value. You will simply have to ‘forget’
that these units are shown after the number. Similarly, when enabling voice output from the
transmitter, the voice announcement will declare “temperature” and “rotation” every 5th time
the number is announced. The hope is that Futaba will soon create some ‘less generic’ sensors
that have no SI units, rather just a raw number.
The following sections describe the setup on a Futaba 18MZ radio.
Assign sensors
The first step is to create 2 ‘RPM’ sensors and 10 ‘TEMPERATURE’ sensors on the radio. These
must be created in the same slot numbers you defined in the “ASSI Configuration Tool”. By
default the first slot is 20 and the last is 31. If you have a twin/multi engine setup, the 4 ECU
parameters are only used on the “slave” devices and typically use slots 16, 17, 18 and 19 (in a
twin engine setup). After the sensors have been defined, you have to change the individual
sensor names to something meaningful. An example is shown below:
Picture 34 Example of sensor names (single engine configuration).
44 Setup of Radio |
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Telemetry screens
The configuration shown above will give you the following screens when selecting the
‘Telemetry’ menu item under the ‘Linkage’ menu on an 18MZ:
Picture 35 Telemetry values Screen 1
Picture 36 Telemetry values Screen 2
As mentioned, you have to ignore the SI units that are displayed after most of the numbers. The
names of the sensors deliberately contain the correct unit of measurement (e.g. ‘Batt [0.1V]’).
Now all the telemetry slots are defined, it’s a simple matter of defining voice outputs, alarms
etc on the radio. There are, of course, many ways of doing this and you can set up some fairly
complex scenarios. A good start is to have the radio announce the IAS when the gear is down
and set a ‘low alarm’ on the ‘Fuel Left’ value so you know when it’s time to land. Please consult
the Futaba documentation for a more detailed description of how to achieve this.
45 Setup of Radio |
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Testing the installation

Once the ASSI device has been installed and connected to the receiver, ECU and Pitot tube etc
it is time to test the device. When you power up the plane you will see some LEDs on the ASSI
device blink. A red LED will show the failsafe status of the receiver. If the red LED is flashing
quickly there is no signal from the receiver (or the transmitter is switched off). Slow flashing of
the red LED means that the radio connection is working properly. The blue LED on the device
will emit a short flash every time the device communicates with the JetCat ECU. If there are no
short flashes from the blue LED something is wrong with the connection to the JetCat ECU.
Make sure that the ECU has the JetCat GPS receiver disabled in its menu (the ASSI device uses
the COM1 communication port on the ECU).
When the blue LED flashes quickly and the red LED flashes slowly the device is communicating
correctly with the JetCat ECU and the receiver over SBUS2.
Test of ECU and Pitot tube

You should now be able to see the RPM, EGT, Fuel left and ECU battery voltage on the
transmitter and, when softly blowing into the Pitot tube, the IAS (and AoA) reading on the
telemetry screen of the transmitter should also change.
At this point you should then do a “Learn RC” of the JetCat ECU just as you normally would do.
When the ‘Learn RC’ procedure is complete, please check the failsafe mechanism of the JetCat
ECU (you do not need to set the failsafe condition for the throttle channel in the transmitter as
the ASSI device handles the failsafe condition itself). For this test, connect the JetCat GSU to the
ECU (it’s ok to disable the cable from the ASSI device to the ECU for this test).
You should also remember to change the fuel tank capacity in the JetCat ECU using the GSU.
This number is used for the ‘Fuel left’ telemetry value on the transmitter.
Test failsafe
When switching off the transmitter, the red LED should start flashing quickly and the small
failsafe icon should show up on the JetCat GSU. Please make sure this works as described!
Once the failsafe is working, reconnect the cable from the ASSI device to the JetCat ECU (or
I/O board) and switch everything on again.
Test of engine(s)
Now do a normal start of the engine(s). If you look at the telemetry screen on the transmitter
you should see the EGT and RPM change while the engine starts.
Once the engine has completed the startup procedure, you should be able to control the
engine as normal with your throttle stick. Test this thoroughly with both idle and full power
etc.
Test of auto-throttle
Now it’s time to test the auto-throttle function. To do this, turn the ‘Preset speed’ dial (in the
example above we used the LD dial on the transmitter) clockwise so that the ‘Target IAS’ field
on the transmitter in the ‘Telemetry’ menu shows around 100 km/h. Bring the 3 position control
46 Testing the installation |

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switch to the “auto-throttle” position (position 3). If you have not done so already, bring the
throttle stick to idle position. The auto-throttle function will be armed. It will only start
controlling the throttle when it detects an IAS above 40 km/h (it only needs to be above 40
km/h to activate, the IAS is allowed to drop below 40 km/h thereafter).
To allow the auto-throttle to start working, blow softly into the pressure port of the pitot tube.
As soon as you exceed an IAS of 40 km/h the auto-throttle function will engage. The green LED
will flash quickly 5 times to signal the auto-throttle is active. The trick is now to keep blowing
into the tube to get an IAS of approximately 100 km/h (or whichever value you set the preset
speed to). You will see that if the IAS gets below 100 km/h the engine will increase in RPM.
When exceeding IAS of 100 km/h the engine RPM will decrease.
WARNING: When you stop blowing into the Pitot tube the airspeed will drop to 0. The
auto-throttle will then immediately apply full throttle to the engine, so be prepared for
this!
It is possible to control the IAS easily by placing a piece of plastic tubing over the end of the
pitot tube and connecting it to a very small syringe (a 2 ml works very well) through a 60 cm
length of 6 mm Festo tubing. You can now use the plunger in the syringe to “control” the IAS.
WARNING: When the ASSI device powers up, it will auto-zero the two pressure sensors.
Due to this, you have to remove the plunger from the syringe before power on, otherwise
the sensor will use the pressure on the sensor as “0”.
To disengage the auto-throttle either move the control switch away from the auto-throttle
position or move the throttle stick. Both will disable the auto-throttle. To rearm it, you need to
follow the procedure above. When the auto-throttle disengages, the red LED will flash quickly
5 times.
When you experiment with the IAS, you will see the RPM of the engine change. You should also
notice that the ultra-bright LEDs (red/green) will signal if you are above or below the airspeed
you defined in the “Flap settings” group in the “ASSI Configuration Tool” program (remember
that the flap setting influences which one of the 5 settings are used).
Remember also that the auto-throttle can get its target airspeed from two sources; the “Preset
IAS” LD dial or from the “Flap settings” group. If the “Preset IAS” dial is below 40 km/h, the
source for the auto-throttle will be the “Flap settings” numbers. If the dial is above 40 km/h it
will be the source for the auto-throttle function. You can always see the target airspeed the
auto-throttle is trying to achieve by looking at the “Target IAS” in the “Telemetry” menu on the
transmitter.
47 Testing the installation |

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Auto-throttle operation
Principles of operation
The ASSI device has an auto-throttle function built in (usage is optional). The auto-throttle
function’s job is to try and keep the plane flying at a specific IAS. Basically, the auto-throttle
function is a “black box” inside the ASSI device and is fed with the current IAS and the IAS it
has been set to achieve (setpoint). The output from this box is a throttle setting. This setting
depends on the error (difference) between the current IAS and the setpoint. The larger this
difference is, the higher the change in throttle setting will be. To help soften the reaction to the
throttle output 3 parameters are also input to the auto-throttle “black box”. These parameters
allow the algorithm to select an optimum throttle output. The algorithm in use is called a “PID
controller”. The PID controller looks at the difference in the IAS and control the throttle output
according to this difference using the 3 parameters (kP, kI and kD). The parameters are quite
sensitive to changes. The default values in the “ASSI Configuration Tool” seems to work well
with most JetCat engines, being not too aggressive nor too soft.
The figure below shows the principles of the PID regulator. The “SP” is the setpoint (the IAS we
want to reach), “PV” is the current IAS, “P”, “I” and “D” are the 3 parameters (kP, kI and kD)
that helps the PID controller control the throttle (“Controller Output” in the figure).
Picture 37 PID Controller
Safety features
A number of safety features are built into the auto-throttle function. First of all, the function can
NOT be enabled before the IAS is above 40 km/h, (to prevent it being enabled on the ground
by accident), the control switch (3 position) needs to be in position 3 (auto-throttle) and the
throttle stick needs to be brought to idle. When all of the above are true the auto-throttle will
be active and take control of the throttle to the engine. To disengage the auto-throttle you can
either flip the control switch to one of the other positions or move the throttle stick away from
48 Auto-throttle operation |
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idle (even a short movement will cancel the auto-throttle). When the auto-throttle has been
disengaged you have to go through the same procedure again to enable it (control switch must
be moved away from auto-throttle position, throttle to idle, and IAS of plane must be above 40
km/h). There is no specific sequence the above enabling procedure must be carried out in.
Typically it is easier to bring the control switch to position 3 (auto-throttle) and then when you
are ready, bring the throttle stick to idle. The auto-throttle will then be enabled.
Whenever the auto-throttle is being enabled, the ultra-bright green LED will flash quickly 5
times. When the auto-throttle is disengaged the ultra-bright red LED will flash quickly 5 times.
As the auto-throttle gets its IAS input from the pitot tube, it is extremely important that it is kept
in good working order (e.g. beware of insects etc. blocking the openings)
Source of target IAS

The required IAS value to the auto-throttle function (the speed we want the plane to adhere to)
can come from two different sources. The first possible source is from the “Flap settings” in the
“ASSI Configuration Tool”:
Picture 38 Target speed versus flap settings
Remember the numbers in the “Flap [n]” fields are the channel positions for the flap channel
(either manually written in the fields or from a “Learn” flight). The values in the “IAS (km/h)”
fields are the speed the auto-throttle should try to follow.
The second possible source is the “Preset speed” (from 0 to 250 km/h) dial. If the dial is set
higher than 40 km/h, the value selected will be the speed the auto-throttle will try to reach if the
auto-throttle function is enabled. If the dial is set to less than 40 km/h, the IAS in the “Flap settings”
group will be used by the auto-throttle function.
Picture 39 Source for target IAS
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Whenever a new target speed for the auto-throttle is selected (by changing flap settings or
turning the “Preset Speed” dial, the telemetry value for “Prset IAS [km/h]” will show the new
target speed.
Picture 40 Target IAS
As the Futaba high-end radios are very flexible, it is easy to use flight conditions etc to control
some of the preset speed features. For example if the landing configuration is controlled by a
condition, you could set the Preset speed dial to “0”. This would mean that the auto-throttle, if
activated, would get its target speed from the flap settings group independently of the position
of the Preset speed dial.
WARNING
PLEASE remember, the auto-throttle function is not a “solution to all problems”! It can
only do it’s best to reach the programmed IAS, it can only hold the target IAS if the engine is
fast enough and the orientation of the plane is not changed too quickly (e.g. if it is keeping the
IAS constant in level flight and the pilot suddenly pulls the elevator hard, the auto-throttle (and
the engine) will take some time to react and keep the target IAS). If you are not comfortable
using the auto-throttle function please do not use it!
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CAN Bus (advanced)

Please note that you can skip this chapter if you just want to use the ASSI device in a
single engine plane. If you are using multiple ASSI devices and/or display units you will need
to read and understand the following section.
The CAN bus is a high speed communication bus developed originally for communications in
vehicles by the German company Bosch. The CAN protocol has many nice features that makes
it very efficient in communicating small messages to multiple devices. The ASSI device uses a
CAN bus to send information between multiple ASSI (and other) devices connected to the bus.
The ASSI devices communicate using 11 bit identifiers at a speed of 1 Mbit/s.
Picture 41 CAN Bus connections
In a multi engine setup only the master ASSI device would have a pitot tube(s) connected. The
slave devices receive the current throttle setting from the master device (to control the throttle
to their own engines). The master device also sends out information about RX battery voltage,
signal quality, number of failsafe frames etc. Both the master device and all the slave devices
send out information about their connected ECU device (fuel, RPM, EGT and battery). This
information can then be shown on a cockpit mounted LCD color screen (currently under
development).
Although it is not shown on the schematic above, all the devices will be connected to the SBUS2
connector on the receiver (use Y cables for this) as they will all deliver information to the
SBSU2 (the master will send its 12 telemetry values, the slave send the 4 ECU parameters).
Terminating resistor
On a CAN bus network, the two extreme ends of the bus MUST be terminated by a 120 Ohm
resistor! If this is not done, the bus will not work. All master devices have this resistor
already mounted on the board. It is therefore very important that the master device is located
at either end of the CAN bus. The slave devices have no resistor mounted! You need to mount a
120 Ohm resistor at the last device on the bus (this resistor is delivered with every slave
device).
51 CAN Bus (advanced) |

V 0.06
Multi engine setup (advanced)

If you only plan to use the ASSI device in a single engine configuration you can skip this
chapter.
In multi engine setups, it is important that the master and slave devices have correct
configuration files. You can see a typical configuration of a master device (a device with
number 1 is a master device) below:
Picture 42 Configuration for master device
The slave device(s) have a simpler configuration. Only the field “Device number” and the first
4 “Slot number assignments” (ECU data) can be changed.
Picture 43 Configuration for slave device(s)
52 Multi engine setup (advanced) |

V 0.06
Any device that does NOT have device number equal to “1” is a slave device (no IAS/AoA
sensor). The slave device in the above example sends its ECU information out on telemetry
slots 16 to 19. All other slots are automatically disabled on slave devices.
The devices in a multi engine setup should all be connected to the receivers SBUS2 connector
(use Y cables if needed). They are also connected together thru their CAN bus connector (see
“CAN Bus” description above).
The slave device(s) simply send data from their ECU to the transmitter (via the SBUS2
connection). Obviously, they also control the throttle setting of their ECU (either via inputs
from the throttle stick or from the auto-throttle function in the master device)
53 Multi engine setup (advanced) |

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ASSI – Auto-throttle and

Normal mode .................................................................................................................... 28

CAN Bus (advanced)................................................................................................................ 51

Abbreviations used in this document

AoA Angle of Attack

CAN Controller Area Network

A/THR Auto Throttle

KML File Keyhole Markup Language

FASSTest Futaba’s bi-directional RF protocol. Using the FASSTest protocol, it is possible to

7 Abbreviations used in this document |

What will the ASSI device do ?

Picture 1 ASSI subsystems

8 What will the ASSI device do ? |

Different types of ASSI devices

9 What will the ASSI device do ? |

"ASSI" (AoA and IAS warning/auto throttle system):

"ECU" (data from JetCat ECU):

"SBUS2" (Futaba telemetry):

"AUX COM" (Auxiliary communication to other devices):

"DATALOG" (SD card data logging):

10 What will the ASSI device do ? |

Picture 2 – The ASSI device

Picture 3 ASSI Connectors

How to connect the LED’s

Picture 4 Connection of LEDs

The resistor for the green LED:

Using 5.9V from a power box

The resistor for the green LED:

EMCOTEC in Germany has a very nice compendium on their website: http://www.rc-

Picture 5 Power distribution

Drive current Red/Green LEDs 2 - 1.5 Amp each

Storage used for Log files on SD card Ca. 380 bytes/second

IAS range (resolution 1 Km/H) 11 Km/H 460 Km/H

Physical size 64 mm long x 37 mm wide x 14 mm high

Connecting ASSI to the outside world

Picture 6 Single engine configuration

18 Connecting ASSI to the outside world |

Picture 7 Dual engine configuration

19 Connecting ASSI to the outside world |

Connection to JetCat ECU

There are basically two ways to do this.

Picture 8 JetCat I/O board

Picture 9 ASSI connectors

20 Connecting ASSI to the outside world |

RJ12 pin 5 connects to “-” pin on ASSI ECU connector.

Picture 10 - V10 I/O board

Picture 11 - V6 I/O board

21 Connecting ASSI to the outside world |

Picture 12 - Connection between V10 I/O board and ASSI device

22 Connecting ASSI to the outside world |

Picture 14 - Connection between V6 I/O board and ASSI device

The LEDs and what they tell you

LEDs on the ASSI device

LEDs on the device:

LEDs on the device:

24 The LEDs and what they tell you |

The ultra-bright LEDs

25 The LEDs and what they tell you |

Installation of Pitot tube

Picture 16 Pitot tube (only airspeed)

Picture 17 Pitot tube with both IAS and AoA ports

IAS pressure port AoA lower port

IAS static port

26 The LEDs and what they tell you |