Hardware To Avoid When Building Your First Multirotor

@Quadzilla you hit the nail on the head.

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The one main downside of the pixhawk is a lack of integrated OSD, so if you want to use analogue video with an OSD it’s probably better looking at something else as minimOSD is crap.

[quote=“geofrancis, post:22, topic:114014”]
minimOSD is crap.
Good point. It works if you know how to set it up but dated. I been looking for a replacement for the PRP yesterday flashing SP h7 extreme was a very bad trip.

The ICM 20602 in that Flight Controller is problematic and there are 2 of them. It’s why with the older Cube Orange that had them it was dropped to the secondary IMU in a firmware release.
ICM20602

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Thanks Dave good to know my friend…

I agree to warn users against these 2.4.8 “Pixhawk” labeled clones.
The biggest problem is that these clones are cost-cutting versions, missing key redundancy and protection circuitry. They all miss the power monitoring and switching circuitry, replaced by some cheap diodes. They tend to release smoke when powered by the power connector and usb simultaneously.
Not to mention, since the chip shortage the processor and imu chips are usually “reclaimed”.

So avoid them, save money and time.

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can you give some information on the specific issues your talking about? the pixhawk never had any kind of power switching functionality. its just some diodes isolating the 5v inputs And all the pixhawks I have looked at gave hwvoltage and servovoltage. Something I dont get on any of the other F4 controllers I have looked at.

This is still missing the point that there is nothing else close to this price point that you can buy as a set that plugs together.

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“I agree to warn users against these 2.4.8 “Pixhawk” labeled clones.”

Not to disagree but this is not my experience. Years ago made a bad ass X8 with Gopro gimbal pan and tilt, folding legs, osd. and Ski radio. also a octo, y6 and quads. shipping was fast from US Ebay.

Had to go back to 2016 for this. It’s not my photo or my comments:
Pixhawk 2.4.6

The missing components seem to be the ideal diode controller and its mosfet group highlighted in red that allows pixhawk to utilize triple redundant power supply and protect it in case of overvoltage. Be careful with this one if you decide to power it from multiple sources at a time.
The missing chips highlighted in blue are the logic level translators that tie 3.3v logic levels of the pixhawk MCU to 5v logic that is common for servos and ESCs. They also shield the MCU from possible interference coming from servos and ESCs and protect against voltage spikes. A regular pixhawk has those chips on all its serial ports as well.

Note: But as I said there are several versions of these so who knows what you will get.

no other f4 boards have those protections, I don’t see it as a big issue.

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None of the clones I encountered contained this circuitry.
Port LLT also always missing.

Because those F4 boards does not provide redundant power sourcing.

I don’t see myself buying a old Pixhawk anytime soon. But Jordy has a Pixhawk classic zero as a option.

Qio-Tek Zealot H743 Flight Controller on my list for a good FC. Downside is not on Amazon.

The clones can still do redundant power sourcing, they just have basic diodes.

My box of burned clones tells another story.
Anyway, I have my opinion, you have yours. No biggie.

how were you powering them that caused them to burn?

Usually, they go out when powered from battery and USB is plugged in—especially the ones with white enclosures.

I liked the white one. LOL. cica 2018

Using a power module? that’s weird,even if all the 5v rails were bridged together it would still get powered from the highest voltage input., it would probably glitch the usb port but it shouldnt break anything. do you have photos of any damage?

I had one of those. Flyaway that the local farmer chewed up with a tractor when I got it back. But I doubt the FC was responsible for that.