Tutorials

C2 is a Fanotec dedicated dual-axis controller. However, it can also be used as a standalone product with no rotators connected to it. In this case, you can power it via the USB port using any suitable phone charger. The C2 Controller is equipped with an OLED display that can guide you through all major operations and settings. In today’s video, we will give you a quick overview of the C2 OLED menu options.

C2’s current menus are the (P) Preset Menu and the (C) Config Menu.
The (P) Preset Menu begins with an option that allows you to perform simple rotations, as its name implies: SIMPLE ROTATIONS. The digit after the letter P refers to the page in the current menu, and the subscript is the option number.
The next options are default presets:
Test presets: P11 PANORAMA TEST SINGLE 6, P12 PANORAMA TEST PARKED, P13 PANORAMA TEST LEVEL, P14 PANORAMA TEST RAISED.
Factory presets: P15 KIT LENS 18(29) LEVEL, P16 FE 12mm NZ Level. You can change the FE type using [+] and [-]: FE 16mm NZ Level, FE 20mm NZ Level, FE 24mm NZ Level.

One of the differences between a test and a factory preset is that the test preset does not require position confirmations when executing it. There are also empty options where you can display or create your own presets on pages 2–8.

The Menu button allows you to switch to the Config Menu. The first option is Simple/Advanced Mode. Using Simple Mode prevents some mistakes, and we recommend keeping it on. When options alternate, simply press the center button to switch between them.

C11 USER’S GUIDE QR CODE – Displays the QR code and web address for accessing the user guide.

C12 MECHA ID – An identifier comprised of letters and numbers, and is part of the MAC address.

C13 MAC ADDRESS – Media Access Control address uniquely identifies your MECHA.

C14 IP ADDRESS – IP address for accessing the MECHA User Interface on your computer, in this case.

C15 BATTERY PERCENTAGE — Shows the battery percentage, if applicable. This MECHA is powered via the USB port, and no percentage is shown.

C16 BATTERY WARNING AT… — Allows you to set the value for the battery level at which the battery warning is shown on the display.

C17 ALWAYS ON/NO POWER OFF — Allows you to set MECHA to shut down automatically after a certain number of minutes of inactivity, or to keep it always on.

C18 FCC ID — Shows the FCC ID.

C19 +ASSISTANT – Allows you to set a controller as an assistant for the current C2 Controller. We recommend watching the videos about the ASSISTANT option.

C20 STEP BY STEP is ON / OFF – Allows you to shoot in step-by-step mode.

C21 MOTOR 1 is ENABLED / DISABLED – The lower motor can be enabled or disabled using this option.

C22 MOTOR 2 is ENABLED / DISABLED — The upper motor can be enabled or disabled using this option.

C23 DISABLE / ENABLE MOTOR 1 & 2 — Both the lower and upper motors will be disabled/enabled using this option.

C24 DEGREES / REAL MOVE is ON — Allows the use of MECHA C2 to control real-world devices, such as linear rails and rotational devices. We will provide more details in a future video.

C30 CHANGE SENSE RIGHT-LEFT — The sense of right/left rotation with the arrow buttons can be changed using this option.

C31 CHANGE SENSE UP-DOWN — The sense of up/down rotation with the arrow buttons can be changed using this option.

C32 ARROWS SPEED... RPM — Allows you to adjust the rotational speed when a button is held down.

C33 INTERVAL 1 and C34 Interval 1 speed, C35 INTERVAL 2, C36 Interval 2 speed, C37 INTERVAL 3, C38 Interval 3 speed are the angles of rotation and corresponding speeds for Simple Rotations.

C39 LEVEL AMOUNT – This setting is taken into account when pressing the up button when the display shows "-+≡".

C40 SHOW HINTS is ON / OFF — When enabled, contextual information appears on the display to assist with using C2’s menus.

C41 Default Wi-Fi — Allows you to set the default Wi-Fi mode: AP, STA, AP+STA, and OFF.

C42 CONNECT TO Wi-Fi — Pressing the center button when this option is displayed instructs MECHA to attempt connection to the last known Wi-Fi network.

C43 Wi-Fi Test — Selecting this option displays the quality of the Wi-Fi connection on a scale from 0 to 9 on the OLED display of the virtual controller, accessible at MECHA-IP/c2. We will provide more details in a future video.

C44 KEEP PAGE is ON / OFF — When enabled, the up and down buttons will not change pages, preventing cycling through all options across multiple pages.

C60 USE NN IR or SW is ON / OFF — choose On to enable the use of the Nodal Ninja IR Remote.

C61 IR REMOTE TEST — This option allows you to test the IR Remote. Please watch the video "IR Remote Test – C1 and C2 MECHA Controllers".

C62 at SHOOT, OLED is ON / OFF — ON keeps the display active during exposure, while OFF turns it off.

C63 OLED TEST — This option allows you to verify if the OLED is functioning correctly.

C64 OLED Brightness — Values range from 1 to 255. Lower brightness settings extend the OLED’s lifespan and slightly conserve battery power.

C65 OLED Offset X — Use this option to correct horizontal offset issues.

C66 OLED Offset Y – Use this option to correct vertical offset issues.

C67 Shutter CONF. TEST – As its name implies, this option allows you to perform a shutter confirmation test.

C68 RAW Interface is ENABLED / DISABLED – Allows you to enable or disable the RAW Interface.

C69 BETA feat. is ENABLED / DISABLED — Beta features must be enabled to use some new MECHA features.

C70 ROTATOR 1 is… — Allows you to set the desired rotator as the lower rotator: E1, E2, P1, AUTO.

C71 ROTATOR 2 is… — Allows you to set the desired rotator as the upper rotator.

Backlash compensation options
C72 BACKLASH 1 COMPENSATION — Allows you to perform the backlash compensation procedure for the lower rotator.

C73 BACKLASH 2 COMPENSATION — Allows you to perform the backlash compensation procedure for the upper rotator.

C74 i3 REAL MOVE 1, C75: i3 REAL MOVE 2 — These options are related to real world devices controlled by MECHA. We will provide more details in future videos.

C76 ZENITH POS. / C77 NADIR POS. – Allows you to change the default values, which are 90° and -90°.

C78 ROT. 2 SENSOR is ENABLED / DISABLED – The leveling process at power-on will be performed with or without a sensor, depending on the status of this option.

C79 ROT. 2 is UP, ROT. 1 is DOWN —
In turntable applications, if using the lower cable to connect the controller to the rotator, the setting must be "ROT. 1 is DOWN", meaning Rotator 1 and the C2 controller are connected via the lower cable.
If using the upper cable, change the setting to "ROTATOR 1 is UP," which means Rotator 1 and the C2 Controller are connected via the upper cable.

C80 UPDATE – Re-updates the current firmware.
MECHA will use the latest available connection data to connect to the internet.

C81 REBOOT – Reboots MECHA without power cycling it.

C82 FIRMWARE VERSION — displays the current firmware version for all MCUs (microcontroller units) and connected rotators. The MECHA firmware is the one you update over the internet using the UPDATE options. The others cannot be updated in the same way, but it is good to know where to find them should you need assistance.

C83 UPDATE USING H-SPOT — Updates the firmware using a hotspot named MECHA-UPDATE with the password 87654321 (default). This hotspot needs to be created and active before using this option.

Reset Options
C84 RESET CONFIG. TO DEFAULT! — Resets the configuration settings to their default values. For example: SSID password → 12345678, Configuration Page Password → Mecha, Hotspot Password (for firmware update) → 87654321, Default Mode → AP.

C85 FACTORY RESET – Restores your MECHA to its original factory settings.

C86 LESS NOISE E is ENABLED / DISABLED – If enabled, MECHA uses this option to reduce the noise produced by the E rotators.

C87 QUIET‒LOUD BEEP – Allows you to switch between quiet and loud beeps.

That's all for today's video. Some options are already explained in the videos we have published so far, and others will be explained in future videos.