Setting up steering/throttle channel mixing on your transmitter or mixing module may generate correct throttle and rotation signals for your drive motors, but that doesn't mean your robot will respond correctly to those signals:
The polarity of the motor leads may be reversed;
The left and right side motor controllers may be plugged into the wrong receiver ports; or
You may have turned on a mixing option on the motor controller board that competes with transmitter mixing.
Answer three questions about your robot and our interactive 'Mixer Fixer' will give you a complete and accurate solution to your mixing problems.
Help and Usage Notes
Mix Type - If you are using using a transmitter mix, the troubleshooter assumes an 'Elevon' or 'Delta Wing' mix using Elevator 'CH2' for forward/reverse and Aileron 'CH1' for left/right. If your mix uses other channels, subtitute them for the channels referenced in the solution.
Invert Switch - Some DESCs and mixing modules have an 'Invert' function that uses a switched transmitter channel to reverse throttle response for inverted driving. If you have correct throttle and steering response but your 'Invert' switch just messes up your steering, this two-step fix should get it working:
Swap the positions of the two mixer or ESC plugs on your receiver -- unplug them and plug them back into each other's ports; then...
Physically reverse the polarity of the power leads from the ESC to the right-side motor.
Pistol Grip - 'Pistol Grip' style transmitters as commonly used for R/C cars have a few quirks that can cause difficulty when using them with mixing DESCs or mixing modules. A full walk-thru setting up a 'FlySky FS-GT3B' pistol-grip radio and a 'Scorpion Mini' DESC is available here:
Priority Order - There are often multiple ways to correct a given mixing problem. The troubleshooter picks a solution based on simplicity of implementation.
Mixing solutions for on-board modules avoid receiver plug swapping to maintain compatibility with Malenki ESCs with integrated receivers.
Q2: What does the robot do when you push the control stick 'Forward'?
Robot correctly responds to 'Forward' command.
Q3: What does the robot do when you push the stick 'Right'?"
Robot correctly responds to 'Right' command.
If your mix responds correctly to 'Forward' and 'Right' commands the transmitter mix setup is correct.
If you have an 'Invert' switch that is not working correctly, these two steps should restore correct functioning:
Swap the positions of the two ESC plugs on your receiver -- unplug them and plug them back into each other's ports. Then...
Physically reverse the polarity of the power leads from the ESC to the right side motor.
Robot spins 'Left' in response to 'Right' command.
Swap the places of the two drive ESC plugs on your receiver - unplug them and plug them back into each other's ports.
Robot backs up in response to 'Forward' command.
Q3:What does the robot do when you push the stick 'Right'?"
Robot correctly responds to 'Right' command.
Two steps to correct:
Swap the places of the two drive ESC plugs on your receiver - unplug them and plug them back into each other's ports;
Use the 'Reverse' function on your transmitter to reverse the response of both Aileron 'CH1' and Elevator 'CH2'.
Robot spins 'Left' in response to 'Right' command.
Use the 'Reverse' function on your transmitter to reverse the response of both Aileron 'CH1' and Elevator 'CH2'.
Only one motor spins in response to 'Forward' command.
Q3: What does the robot do when you push the stick 'Right'?"
The motor on the other side spins in response to 'Right' command.
You have one of two possible problems:
You have both transmitter mixing and an on-board mixing module turned on. Decide which one you want to have on and turn the other one off. Or...
You have mixing turned off. Check your manuals and turn on either transmitter mixing or on-board mixing module as applicable.
The same motor spins in response to 'Right' command.
This sounds like an ESC or wiring problem.
Check your ESC and motor connections and make sure the ESCs are plugged into the correct receiver ports: 'CH1' and 'CH2' for an Elevon mix.
Robot spins to the right (clockwise) in response to 'Forward' command.
Q3: What does the robot do when you push the stick 'Right'?"
Robot goes straight backward in response to 'Right' command.
Two steps to correct:
Swap the places of the two drive ESC plugs on your receiver - unplug them and plug them back into each other's ports; and
Use the 'Reverse' function on your transmitter to reverse the response of the receiver port that your left-side drive ESC is plugged into - typically Aileron 'CH1' for an Elevon mix.
Robot goes straight forward in response to 'Right' command.
Use the 'Reverse' function on your transmitter to reverse the response of the receiver port that your right-side drive ESC is plugged into - typically Elevator 'CH2' for an Elevon mix.
Robot spins to the left (counter-clockwise) in response to 'Forward' command.
Q3: What does the robot do when you push the stick 'Right'?
Robot goes straight backward in response to 'Right' command.
Use the 'Reverse' function on your transmitter to reverse the response of the receiver port that your left-side drive ESC is plugged into - typically Aileron 'CH1' for an Elevon mix.
Robot goes straight forward in response to 'Right' command.
Two steps to correct:
Swap the places of the two drive ESC plugs on your receiver - unplug them and plug them back into each other's ports; and
Use the 'Reverse' function on your transmitter to reverse the response of the receiver port that your right-side drive ESC is plugged into - typically Elevator 'CH2' for an Elevon mix.
Robot has on-board mixing by the ESC or a stand-alone module.
Q2: What does the robot do when you push the control stick 'Forward'?
Robot correctly responds to 'Forward' command.
Q3: Good! What does the robot do when you push the stick 'Right'?"
Robot correctly responds to 'Right' command.
If your mix responds correctly to 'Forward' and 'Right' commands the mix setup itself is correct.
If you have an 'Invert' switch that is not working correctly, these two steps should restore correct functioning:
Swap the positions of the two Mixer plugs on your receiver - unplug them and plug them back into each other's ports. Then...
Physically reverse the polarity of the power leads from the ESC to the right side motor.
Robot spins 'Left' in response to 'Right' command.
Use the 'Reverse' function on your transmitter to reverse the response of Aileron 'CH1'.
Robot backs up in response to 'Forward' command.
Q3: OK, what does the robot do when you push the stick 'Right'?"
Robot correctly responds to 'Right' command.
Use the 'Reverse' function on your transmitter to reverse the response of Elevator 'CH2'.
Robot spins 'Left' in response to 'Right' command.
Use the 'Reverse' function on your transmitter to reverse the response of both Aileron 'CH1' and Elevator 'CH2'.
Only one motor spins in response to 'Forward' command.
Q3: What does the robot do when you push the stick 'Right'?"
The motor on the other side spins in response to 'Right' command.
You have one of two possible problems:
You have both transmitter mixing and an on-board mixing module turned on. Decide which one you want to have on and turn the other one off. Or...
You have mixing turned off. Check your manuals and turn on either your transmitter mixing or your on-board mixing module as applicable.
The same motor spins in response to 'Right' command.
This sounds like an ESC or wiring problem.
Check your ESC and motor connections and make sure the ESCs are plugged into the correct receiver ports: 'CH1' and 'CH2' for an Elevon mix.
Robot spins to the left (counter-clockwise) in response to 'Forward' command.
Q3: What does the robot do when you push the stick 'Right'?"
Robot moves 'Backward' in response to 'Right' command.
Reverse the polarity of the leads going to the left-side motor.
Robot moves 'Forward' in response to 'Right' command.
Two steps to correct:
Use the 'Reverse' function on your transmitter to reverse the response of Aileron 'CH1'; and
Reverse the polarity of the leads going to the left-side motor.
Robot spins to the right (clockwise) in response to 'Forward' command.
Q3: What does the robot do when you push the stick 'Right'?"
Robot moves 'Backward' in response to 'Right' command.
Two steps to correct:
Use the 'Reverse' function on your transmitter to reverse the response of Aileron 'CH1'; and
Reverse the polarity of the leads going to the right-side motor.
Robot moves 'Forward' in response to 'Right' command.
Reverse the polarity of the leads going to the right-side motor.
