Tutorials

In today's video, we will show you how to use your own remote control unit to command MECHA.
This video is for both MECHA C1 and C2 users, since the functionalities we are talking about today are the same for both MECHA Controllers.

We want to show you first how to test your remote control unit and make sure it works with MECHA.
Power MECHA on, then access the /config page. The default username and password for the Configuration page are 'admin' and 'Mecha', respectively.
Please see our videos on how to access the MECHA's User Interface first, if necessary.
Then connect the receiver of your remote control unit to the MECHA's AUX Port and set the receiver switch to 'on'.
Both MECHA Controllers are equipped with an auxiliary port, which is abbreviated as AUX Port.

Here are the steps to test if your remote control unit works with MECHA.

Step 1.
On the MECHA's config page, find the setting
'Custom Protocol on AUX Port'
and enter the word 'test' in that field, then click the Apply button.
Then press the Reboot button and wait for MECHA to reboot.
You should hear two beeps if the beep sounds are not disabled.

Step 2.
Access the Row page, and note the battery symbol in the top-right corner of the screen.
You will see a text over the battery symbol when pressing the release button of your controller. That text shows you how MECHA detects the shorts from your remote.
For example, if using a common remote:
one half-press is detected as 1A,
a double half-press is detected as 2A,
a triple half-press is detected as 3A,
one full-press is detected as 1A1S,
and a double full-press is detected as 1A1S1A1S,
a triple full-press is detected as 1A1S1A1S1A1S.

Step 3.
Now that you know that MECHA detects signals from your remote, let's see how to command MECHA using the signals detected.
Go one step further and assign to MECHA's buttons certain shorts from your remote.
That means to enter a multiple-command sequence like this in the AUX field on the config page:
1=1A,2=2A,3=3A,4=1A1S,5=1A1S1A1S,6=1A1S1A1S1A1S,
Then click Apply.
You may need to change the commands, depending on the remote unit you are using.
A command like this allows you to use your remote instead of using MECHA's buttons, which is of great help in situations such as MECHA on the top of a pole and Wi-Fi turned off, or you can't use the MECHA's User Interface to command MECHA for some reasons.

Let's have a closer look at our commands and see what they mean.
Before the equal sign is a number that represents a MECHA button, and after the equal sign is a text that represents the shorts detected from your remote controller.
In other words:
1=1A,
Half-pressing once the release button is equivalent to pressing the '1' button of MECHA.
2=2A,
Half-pressing twice the release button is equivalent to pressing the '2' button of MECHA.
3=3A,
Half-pressing three times the release button is equivalent to pressing the '3' button of MECHA.
4=1A1S,
Full-pressing once the release button is equivalent to pressing the left arrow button of MECHA.
5=1A1S1A1S,
Full-pressing twice the release button is equivalent to pressing the right arrow button of MECHA.
6=1A1S1A1S1A1S,
And finally, full-pressing three times the release button is equivalent to pressing the MECHA's power button.

As you know from other videos, the preset assigned to the MECHA's '1' button can be launched by pressing that button and either the left or right-arrow button of MECHA.

On the C2 Controller, we don't have the '1', '2' and '3' buttons, but minus, plus and menu, and you need to switch to Advanced Mode to be able to launch presets with the controller buttons.

So you can also launch the preset assigned to the '1' button by one half-press of the release button, followed by one full-press of the release button, one second later. The preset is launched to the left, as one full-press of the release button is equivalent to pressing the left-arrow button of MECHA.
For rotation to the right, half-press once the release button, then full-press twice the release button, as full-pressing twice the release button is equivalent to pressing the right-arrow button of MECHA.

Similarly for the presets assigned to buttons '2' and '3'.

Also, if your preset is paused, the preset execution is resumed by pressing the right-arrow button of MECHA.
Considering our current settings, the same result can be achieved by full-pressing twice the release button of the remote commander.
For testing purposes you can also use shorts such as 1S, 1S1A, 1S2A, and so on, if your remote control unit transmits such signals.