Onboard HDMI and SMA ports combined with advanced I/O design and larger camera cage makes Gremsy S1 an excellent alternative to Gremsy T1 with quick and easy set up across various platforms.
Gremsy S1’s small, lightweight body is specially designed for industrial applications which provides high precision pointing accuracies.
Gremsy S1 utilizes an innovative structure that separates power supply into two parts, one for gimbal and the other for diverse accessories.
*Optional accessory is required.
Gremsy S1 is a comprehensive solution for reliable mapping application specialized for a single operator.
Smart mapping mode allows customers to define the home position which will be aligned with the nose direction of the aircraft and tilted down 90 degrees.
Gremsy S1 is fully compatible with Flir Duo Pro R for rapid aerial thermal imaging.
Plug and play the camera with SMA port integrated.
Product Name | Gremsy S1 |
System Type | 3-Axis Digital Gyro-Stabilized |
Weight | 1.65lbs / 750g |
Camera Cage (Standard) (W X L X H) | 120mm x 65mm x 72mm |
Construction | All Aluminum |
Input Voltage | 14 – 52V |
Working Current |
Static Current 300mA @12V Dynamic Current 600mA @12V Locked Motor Current Max 3.5A @12V |
Connection | USB, CAN, UART, BLUETOOTH |
Payload | 1.5 lbs / 700 g |
OS Platform Supported | Windows / Mac / iOS / Android |
Single Operator | Follow Mode |
Dual Operator | SBUS / Spektrum / PPM / Lightbridge 2 |
Pan Range | +/- 160 degree |
Tilt Range | +/- 90 degree |
Roll Range | +/- 45 degree |
POWER: Power is received directly from external batteries of the drone or other power supply. Voltage input range from 14V to 52V will be converted down to a stable 12V by the internal circuit to provide power to gimbal and accessories.
Connector type: MOLEX MICROFIT 3.0 2 pin
CAN: to interface with CAN bus on DJI Flight controller or another module that uses CAN bus.
Connector type: JST SM04B-ZESS-TB
COM2: to interface with Pixhawk or Pixhawk 2 via Mavlink protocol or other modules that use serial protocol (UART).
Connector type: JST SM04B-ZESS-TB
COM3: to interface with other modules that use serial protocol (UART).
Connector type: JST SM04B-ZESS-TB
SBUS: to interface with other modules that use serial protocol (UART).
Connector type: 3 pin, 2.54mm pitch
PPM: To interface with PPM receiver.
Connector type: 3 pin, 2.54mm pitch
JR: to interface with JR/SPEKTRUM satellite receiver.
Connector type: JST S3B-ZR
AUX: There are S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, S8, S9 optional signal (0.2A max), GND (1A max) for users to connect to other devices such as AV signal or camera trigger...This port is internally connected to AUX port on the tilt stage.
Connector type: JST SM10B-ZESS-TB
PWT IN: To provide input power to PWR OUT of tilt stage. This port is internally connected.
Connector type: JST S2B-XH-A
HDMI: HDMI output from tilt stage.
Connector type: Micro HDMI
SMA: To receive SMA signal from tilt stage. This port is internally connected to SMA port on tilt stage.
Connector type: SMA
USB: to interface with computer or upgrade firmware.
Connector type: Micro USB TYPE B
AUX: There are S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, S8, S9 optional signal (0.2A max), GND (1A max) for users to connect to other devices such as AV signal or camera trigger... This port is internally connected to AUX port on the gimbal mount.
Connector type: JST SM10B-ZESS-TB
PWT OUT: To receive power input from PWT IN port on the gimbal mount. This port is internally connected to PWT IN port on the gimbal mount.
Connector type: JST S2B-XH-A
HDMI: HDMI input.
Connector type: Micro HDMI
SMA: SMA input.
Connector type: SMA
A. Micro USB Cable
x1
B. Power Supply Cable
x1
C Canlink Cable For Pixhawk
x1
D. Canlink Cable For DJI A3/N3
x1
E. Sbus Cable
x1
F. Auxiliary Cable
x2
G. Canlink Cable For DJI A2/ Naza V2 / Wookong
x1
There are two ways to mount the gimbal:
Using 4x M3 to mount the top component (4 threads are arranged 32mmx32mm in squared pattern) onto the frame or damping isolator.
Using 4x M3 to mount the top component (4 threads are arranged 51mmx51mm in squared pattern) onto the frame or damping isolator.
After connecting to the power supply, the gimbal will begin performing a series of alignments and self-tests which last around 5 seconds. This is to determine the status of the gimbal which will be indicated by the Status LED color. During this phase, do not touch the gimbal or camera.
Always start the gimbal with a balanced camera set-up otherwise after initialization, the controller will return an error followed by a red color indicator.
If the status LED is blinking green, the gimbal is ready for use. By default, the gimbal is in Follow mode if the motors are turned ON by the Function Button.
If the status LED is solid red, something is wrong with the gimbal and motors cannot start. Connect to the software/apps to check details of the error message.
Read “LED STATUS INDICATOR” in the next section for more information.
STATE | LED STATUS | DESCRIPTION |
---|---|---|
01 | ![]() |
Low Battery |
02 | ![]() |
System Error (Motor or IMU) |
03 | ![]() |
Calibrating |
04 | ![]() |
System Boot |
05 | ![]() |
System Ready |
06 | ![]() |
Lock Mode |
07 | ![]() |
Follow Mode |
08 | ![]() |
Remote with Lock Mode |
09 | ![]() |
Remote with Follow Mode |
10 | ![]() |
Auto-tuning in process |
12 | ![]() |
Canlink with Lock Mode |
12 | ![]() |
Canlink with Follow Mode |
LOCK MODE: a stabilization mode where the camera maintains orientation independently of the rest of the gimbal. The orientation can be changed through an external control signal from a remote control.
FOLLOW MODE: in this mode, the camera will mimic the operator’s movement and allows one person to control camera tilt and pan without using an external device such as a remote control.
SINGLE OPERATOR: using FOLLOW mode.
DUAL OPERATOR: a second operator can use a Remote Controller (SBUS, SPEKTRUM, PPM) to control the gimbal’s movement.
Gremsy S1 has 1 working operation: NORMAL
Using function button
PRESS TIMES | MODES |
---|---|
Once time | Turn motors ON |
2 times | Lock mode |
3 times | Follow mode |
Hold 3 seconds | Turn motor OFF |
4 times | Calibrate Gyros |
Using mode channel on remote control
POSITIONS | MODES |
---|---|
High | Follow mode Motors ON |
Midle | Lock mode Motors ON |
Low | Motors OFF |
Using software/application
If there is a remote-control signal, changing modes or turning motors on/off by other methods such as using the function button or software will not take effect because the remote-control signal has the highest priority and will override the command.
Mobile apps are available in App Store and Google Play
App name: gTune
Searching: “gremsy gtune”
Desktop software
Download at:
www.gremsy.com -> Support -> Product Support -> Gremsy S1
Make sure the Silab USB driver is already installed. The driver can be found at:
www.gremsy.com -> Support -> Product Support -> Gremsy S1
STEPS TO CONNECT:
ON MOBILE APP
STEPS TO CONNECT:
1 - Enable bluetooth adapter of mobile devices.
On Android: the OS will ask for Location Data permission for BLE scanning feature (updated by Google since Android 6.0)
On iOS: the OS will sometimes have issue with its Bluetooth adapter. User should check the device’s quick settings and general settings to enable the adapter and the Bluetooth icon should appear on the device’s status bar.
2 - Turn ON the gimbal and run the app
Similar to older versions, the application still supports WIFI connection. In the case where the app is using WIFI as default, user can switch to Bluetooth by the button on top-right corner. The app will then memorize the selected connection for later uses.
After switching to Bluetooth, the app will begin scanning for Gremsy Bluetooth integrated gimbals.
- If only one gimbal is found, it will be connected automatically.
- If more than one gimbal is found, a list of gimbals will be shown to allow the user to select the desired one.
- If no gimbal is found, an error will be shown.
Use a 1/4”-20 screw to secure the camera to the camera tray, then put the camera on the gimbal and tighten the top bar screw slightly (if the camera has hot shoe supported).
Mounting camera has large width on the second slot of the crossbar (Sony A6000, Sony A6300).
Mounting camera has small width on the first slot of the crossbar (Black magic micro cinema camera, Flir Dual Pro R ).
When the proper front-back balance is achieved, the camera will stay level when you remove your hands.
1. Loosen the thumbscrew underneath the camera tray and the top bar adjustment knob. Then, gently slide the camera forward or backward until the tilt axis remains level.
2. Tighten the thumbscrews to lock the camera and camera tray in position.
When the proper vertical balance is achieved, you can rotate the camera in any angle and it will stay at that position.
1. Rotate the tilt axis so that the lens is pointing upward.Then, loosen vertical adjustment thumbscrew, gently slide the camera mount crossbar and the top bar forward and backward until the camera remains pointing upward when released.
2. Tighten the vertical adjustment thumbscrew. Sometimes, the vertical balance could not be achieved and in this case, the front-back balance should be re-checked.
Tighten the top bar adjustment knob and camera top screw as well..
When the proper left-right roll balance is achieved, the camera will stay level when you remove your hands.
1. Loosen the thumbscrew underneath the roll bar, then gently slide the roll bar left or right until roll axis remains level.
2. Tighten the thumbscrew to lock the roll bar in position.
Tilt the gimbal about 20 degrees from the verticality and identify if the gimbal is front-heavy or back-heavy. Slide the pan axis slider until the camera does not swing.
1. Loosen the thumbscrew, then gently slide the pan axis slider backward/forward until it doesn’t swing and stay at any given position when released.
2. Tighten the thumbscrew to make sure pan axis slider is locked in position.
Stiffness setting has a significant impact on the performance of the S1. This setting adjusts the degrees to which the gimbal tries to correct for unwanted camera movement and holds the camera stable. The higher you can run this setting without vibration or oscillation, the better.
Start with a low value of 20 for all axes and then turn motors ON. Slowly increase this setting until you feel an oscillation in each axis, then reduce it until the oscillation subsides. You can touch the camera to feel the oscillation during tuning. Increase the stiffness setting 5-10 points at a time until oscillation appears then reduce 5 points until oscillation subsides.
Slowly increase this setting until you feel an oscillation in the tilt axis, then reduce the setting until the oscillation subsides. Make sure there is no vibration when tilting the camera up and down and when moving the gimbal in any orientation.
Slowly increase this setting until you feel an oscillation in the roll axis, then reduce the setting until the oscillation subsides. Pick the S1 up and make sure there is no vibration when you move the gimbal around.
Slowly increase this setting until you feel an oscillation in the pan axis, then reduce the setting until the oscillation subsides. Tilt the S1 about 20 degrees from the verticality and make sure that no vibrations are present.
The Auto-Tune function provides automatic adjustment of each motor’s stiffness value to find a good setting, this process will take around 1-2 minutes. Please turn motor ON prior to the start of Auto-Tuning.
The settings found by Auto-Tuning are generally good to start with. However, it is recommended to manually reduce stiffness if there is an oscillation in a specific axis or increase stiffness in cases where it is too low.
The purpose of the filters is to eliminate noise and vibration due to structural resonances in the camera, lens, or gimbal.
Setting the filters too high or too low can cause signal disturbances that can reduce the overall stabilization
Defines the strength of the filter applied to Gyro sensor output. If the gimbal has oscillations that cannot be corrected by adjusting stiffness settings, the Gyro Filter is used to further tune the gimbal and remove the oscillation.
Defines the strength of the filter applied to motors output. If the gimbal has oscillations that cannot be corrected by adjusting stiffness settings, the Output Filter is used to further tune the gimbal and remove the oscillation.
1. If the gimbal is vibrating at a high frequency after tuning, increase the filter values.
2. If the gimbal is oscillating or rocking at a low frequency after tuning, decrease the filter values.
Gyro Filter | 1 |
Output Filter | 2 |
There are some expert parameters that normally do not need to be adjusted. Leave these parameters at default settings unless they are required for troubleshooting.
If “Auto power adjustment” is enabled, “Hold strength” will be the minimum power level required for the corresponding axis. The controller will automatically adjust power level from minimum to maximum level depending on the displacement between current angle and commanded angle.
If “Auto power adjustment” is not selected “Hold strength” will be constant power level provided to the corresponding axis and should be adjusted manually. This option is only recommended for advanced users.
For heavy cameras, it’s suggested to increase hold strength for each axis around 10% than the default value. If “Auto power adjustment” is not selected “Hold strength” will be fixed power level provided to the corresponding axis and should be adjusted manually. This option is only recommended for advanced users.
Defines how fast each axis will return to commanded position. To reload default expert settings just press “Default” in the expert menu.
HOLD STRENGTH | TILT | ROLL | PAN |
30 | 30 | 30 | |
GAIN | 120 | ||
AUTO POWER ADJUSTMENT: ENABLED |
Follow mode is the most widely single operation mode where the gimbal operator controls the pan and tilt of the camera. The camera movement will mimic the user’s input from the top-mount while the footage remains stable. The follow mode can be configured to be either very linear robotic, or smooth and cinematic.
Follow mode settings is available for Tilt axis and Pan axis.
Defines how fast camera will follow the movement.
Smooth out the camera movement by adjusting this parameter. The higher the value, the smoother camera moves but at the expense of more delay in following the movements.
When the movement is out of the window zone, the camera starts to move. Within the window zone, the camera maintains its direction.
If this option is selected, the tilt axis will maintain its angle and only be controlled by remote control.
This feature is not available on the S1.
Travel of Tilt and Roll axis can be limited using UP LIMIT and DOWN LIMIT. The Pan axis keeps the ability to pan 360 degrees itself.
Set the up limit for Tilt or Roll axis (in 1 degree unit). The default values are -90 for Tilt and -45 for Roll.
Set the down limit for Tilt or Roll axis (in 1 degree unit). The default values are 90 for Tilt and 45 for Roll.
Set the Roll offset (in 0.1 degree unit) is only applicable when there is no remote control signal from remote control will override the roll angle. This is useful to fine trim the horizon. The default value is 0.
The IMU sensor used in the S1 is a combination of a high precision 3 axis gyroscope sensor and a 3 axis accelerometer sensor.
IMU board is enclosed in a weatherproof case and being heated where the temperature inside is controlled around 50°C with 0.2°C accuracy. Thanks to this feature, gyro calibration is no longer required in most situations.
In order to provide extra high precision data output, the IMU is performed 6-point calibration at Gremsy factory.
The S1 controller has a special algorithm to provide attitude estimation based on input data from the IMU sensor. This attitude estimation helps the controller to command motor output to compensate for camera movement.
Thanks to temperature controlled and heated IMU, gyro calibration is not necessary as the gyro was calibrated at the factory and the temperature inside IMU remains constant around 50 degrees. However, if you notice drift during operation in extreme weather (below -20C or above 50C) please re-calibrate the gyro.
CALIB AT STARTUP: this feature is not available on the S1
After Gyro Calibration, Gyro Offset X, Y, Z will change to a new value depending on the temperature.
Do not use this function, please contact Gremsy Support Engineers. Accelerometer sensor was calibrated properly at the factory to achieve accurate horizon level with special and precise equipment. Users do not need to do this unless it’s required for troubleshooting.
CANLINK is Gremsy’s proprietary solution to receive information from a third-party flight controller to correct horizon drift.
Without CANLINK, our gimbal can maintain locked horizon in most cases where prolonged acceleration is not present. When prolonged acceleration is present such as circular flight or prolonged bank turn (where centrifugal force appears), the horizon will drift after a certain period of time.
In order for Canlink to work properly, GPS module should be installed together with flight controller.
DJI FC
Connect the cable from CAN port on hyper quick release to CAN port on COMPASS/GPS module on DJI FC.
PIXHAWK
Connect the cable from COM2 port on hyper quick release to TELEMETRY 1/ TELEMETRY 2 on Pixhawk , Pixhawk 2. Once connected, the gimbal controller will automatically send MAVLINK message to set attitude update rate of flight controller at 10Hz.
Baudrate on Pixhawk should be set at 57600bps, 8 data bits, No Parity, 1 Stop bit (8N1).
When the motor is turned on for the first time, make sure the pan axis is aligned with the forward direction of the copter in order for the gimbal to calculate the attitude correctly. After turning on the motor, the LED status will turn to a pink color which indicates that CANLINK connection between gimbal and flight controller has been established.
There is tolerance between the gimbal’s IMU and flight controller’s IMU due to mechanical mountings error or calibration error. For example, the gimbal’s frame and the flight controller’ plane is not perfectly parallel within 1-2 degrees with the roll and pitch axis. To address this, we offer a way to fine trim the horizon in 3 steps.
Use radio control to move the pan to a position which is 180 degree away from the forward position of the copter. Use a bubble level in order to observe the horizon: adjust roll offset until it is level.
If radio control is not available, switch gimbal in lock mode and rotate the copter 180 degrees could achieve the same result.
Use radio control to move the pan to a position which is 90 degree away from the forward direction of the copter. Use a bubble level in order to observe the horizon: adjust tilt offset until it is level.
If radio control is not available, switch gimbal in lock mode and rotate the copter 90 degrees could achieve the same result.
S1 supports SBUS, SPEKTRUM and PPM receivers. There are some parameters to be aware of before assigning channels to the receiver.
SMOOTH: increasing this number will smooth out the movement of the corresponding axis but will also cause a delay.
SPEED MODE: when speed mode is selected, the speed of the corresponding axis will depend on how far the stick position is from the neutral position. It is recommended that TILT and PAN channels should be set to speed mode.
ANGLE MODE: when angle mode is selected, the corresponding axis will move to the angle set by current stick/knob position. It’s recommended ROLL channel should be set to angle mode.
Connect SBUS, PPM receiver to SBUS, PPM port which is located on the gimbal mount.
The receiver must be connected to correct wires order. The SBUS/PPM port has 5V output to power the receiver, please do not use the external power supply to power the receiver at the same time. Doing so may damage the electronics inside the gimbal.
There are 6 channels to assign: MODE, TILT, ROLL, PAN, TILT SPEED, PAN SPEED.
Assign MODE channel first then follow the order above because MODE channel is used to change operating modes of the gimbal and should be assigned to a 3-position switch as follows:
TILT and PAN channel should be in speed mode and ROLL channel in angle mode.
TILT SPEED or PAN SPEED could be assigned to the same channel and should be assigned to throttle stick, dial, or other non-centering control on the transmitter.
Below is an example of channel assignment to the Futaba T8FG.
CHANNEL | CONTROL | NOTE | |
MODE | 5 | SC | 3 positions switch |
TILT | 2 | J2 | Speed mode |
ROLL | 4 | T4 | Angle mode |
PAN | 1 | J1 | Speed mode |
TILT SPEED | 4 | J3 | = |
PAN SPEED | 6 | RD |
Connect satellite receiver to the JR port on the gimbal mount as shown in the picture. Make sure satellite receiver is already bound to the transmitter (RED led is solid).
Choose 10 bit or 11 bit type resolution on the software and assign proper channels as per SBUS settings.
Only USB connection allows upgrading firmware. Refer to Section “01. GETTING STARTED” for USB connection.
Make sure Silab USB driver is already installed. The driver can be found at:
www.gremsy.com -> supports -> product support
Only USB connection allows upgrading firmware. Refer to Section “01. GETTING STARTED” for USB connection.
Make sure Silab USB driver is already installed. The driver can be found at:
www.gremsy.com -> supports -> product support
PROBLEM | POSSIBLE CAUSES | SOLUTION |
---|---|---|
Status LED is blinking red | Low battery | Recharge battery |
Status LED is solid red during startup | Camera is not balanced well or not installed | Check camera balancing |
IMU cable is loose | Check in software for IMU sensor error, re-seat IMU sensor connector | |
Tilt motor cable or encoder cable is loose | Check in software for Tilt error, re-seat tilt motor connector and encoder connector | |
Roll motor cable or encoder cable is loose | Check in software for Roll error, re-connect roll motor connector and encoder cable | |
Pan motor cable or encoder cable is loose | Check in software for Pan error, re-connect pan motor connector and encoder cable | |
Status LED is solid red during operation | IMU sensor cable is loose | Re-seat IMU sensor connector |
Status LED is solid white after start up | Excessive gyro drift | Re-calibrate |
Gremsy S1 has oscillation in one or more axes | Stiffness setting is too high | Reduce stiffness |
Thumbscrew/top bar nut is not tightened | Check tightening | |
Camera mounting is not stiff enough | Check camera mounting | |
Filters settings are incorrect: Gyro and output filter should only be changed if other methods of reducing oscillation have failed | Please read more in manual about Gyro filter and output filter (Advanced settings) | |
Gremsy gimbal seems to be drifting | Gyro sensor is drifting too much | Re-calibrate gyro |
Motors seem to be weak | Stiffness is too low | Increase stiffness |
Auto-power adjustment is not enabled | Check in Expert menu if Auto-power adjustment is enabled or not | |
Footage appears to wobble side to side or up and down | Camera is not properly balanced | Check camera balance |
Stiffness setting is low | Increase stiffness settings, start with the axis which is poorly stabilized. Higher Stiffness will achieve better stabilization. The tuning process is described in the user manual. |