3dr Pixhawk and F450 ARF

Archive
1

Maybe someone out there might have the same problem as mine. The ESC’s continuous to beep indicating an invalid signal according to DJI’s docs. Beeping is the same if Pixhawk wasn’t connected and even when the safety switch was engaged.

My setup.
DJI F450 ARF with 30A OPTO ESC
3dr Pixhawk with Power Module
3dr GPS
Castle 5V 10A BEC - connected to servo rail on FC.
AR6210 RX but only the satellite connected
Glacier 2.6 A Lipo

I’ve installed latest firmware and also tested other older version like 3.1.

Some things I did:

  • Adjusted Transmitter Travel so that I could get a low throttle below 1000.
  • Tested each ESC by connecting directly to AR6210 to test if the motors spins. It worked fine even when only the signal wire was connected to the RX.
  • Tested with USB and Lipo attached.
  • Tested without GPS module.
  • Tested without BEC.

Does anyone have some hints or clues on what went wrong?

Thanks,
Rodney

2

Try looking at this http://ardupilot.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=7350

btw: any reason for the BEC ??

3

Initial setup didn’t have a BEC but I saw an article about using BEC for the DJI OPTO so I’ve tried it also but it didn’t make any difference.

I’m using a DSX6i transmitter and the throttle value could only go as low as 998. On the link you’ve provided, it mentioned about changing the RC1_MIN that fixed the issue. I also tried that but on RC3_MIN since this is the throttle channel for me.

I’ve erased the firmware from CLI and reset factory default and uploaded the firmware back to the latest one, 3.1.5 Quad.

So far, I can’t seem to make these DJI ESC OPTO happy.

4

Hi

Are you sure about the channel order?? Spektrum radios use TAER (Throttle, Aileron, Elevator, Rudder) scheme, and I believe that in that radio you don’t have the option of swapping channels, so your throttle is being outputted on Channel 1, and you must change that on the PixHawk settings, because APM expects AETR, so you must remap the Throttle channel, and the other channels accordingly. The parameters to correct are in the RCMAP_ section, where you’ll have to adjust that to what your radio wants (TAER).

Look here: http://copter.ardupilot.com/wiki/arducopter-parameters/#RCMAP__Parameters

DJI ESC’s only respond to output pulses between 1120 and 1940 (DJI confirmed me this) and I can confirm that too.

So, after having the correct channel order, you must adjust Throttle (using limits on the radio) to output at minimum 1120 and max 1940. You can check this on the Mission Planner radio calibration screen. After you have the correct values for the Throttle channel adjusted, then you MUST calibrate the radio.

Everything should work now.

Let me know if I wasn’t clear.

[quote=“rodney”]Initial setup didn’t have a BEC but I saw an article about using BEC for the DJI OPTO so I’ve tried it also but it didn’t make any difference.

I’m using a DSX6i transmitter and the throttle value could only go as low as 998. On the link you’ve provided, it mentioned about changing the RC1_MIN that fixed the issue. I also tried that but on RC3_MIN since this is the throttle channel for me.

I’ve erased the firmware from CLI and reset factory default and uploaded the firmware back to the latest one, 3.1.5 Quad.

So far, I can’t seem to make these DJI ESC OPTO happy.[/quote]

5

Yes, I’m sure it is on channel 3, I’m using the satellite receiver that came with the AR6210 and I didn’t swap any channels.

On the flight data under status, I could see changes on “ch3in” if I move the throttle only. Once I arm it, I could see changes to ch1out, ch2out, ch3out and ch4out as I increase throttle.

When I do the Radio Calibration, the settings labeled as throttle corresponds to the throttle on my transmitter which corresponds to CH3.

If my throttle configs were wrong, then I won’t be able to arm the FC since I need to put the throttle to the lower left.

Any other things I could look for?

6

Great.
but strange

I just connected my PixHawk to the computer to check:

RCMAP settings

My Radio settings (Monitor screen on the Spektrum DX9)

APM Planner radio calibration screen

I’ve attached the pictures. See what you have please.

If we’ve eliminated one possible cause, let’s go to hardware.

The DJI ESC’s have the signaling with the 3 wires and you should have all the wires intact when connecting to the PixHawk.

When I had the Spektrum radio at the time I used either this Satellite

also used for some time this receiver

and these were the exact settings I used with both, so if it still won’t work, we must assume some failure somewhere.

7

My RCMAP settings are as follows, I didn’t change any of them:
RCMAP_PITCH = 2
RCMAP_ROLL = 1
RCMAP_THROTTLE = 3
RCMAP_YAW = 4

This is the satellite RC I’m using:

spmar6210.jpg1200×960 62.2 KB

I’ve also uploaded a youtube video to see what happens when I arm the quad.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=555biMc5MG8

8

Although our radios are different both are Spektrum so channel order matters. I would correct that. But that is me :slight_smile:

When I first put it all together I also did a small video:

http://youtu.be/ec6srDAq2EE

9

I followed your RCMAP settings and everything gets inverted, the throttle on the stick now becomes the pitch on Mission Planner.

I’m not using the AR6210 receiver, I just use that to bind my receiver then afterwards, I would connect the satellite RX only directly to FC.

I really appreciate you helping out, but I just hope either you or someone out there could help me get this quad up in the air.

10

Weird.

You made me go and look at the TX manual (Spektrum DX6i) and its a TAER setting.

What I believe is happening is that the satellite by itself is using PPM Sum out so the original RCMAP settings were probably right according to this http://copter.ardupilot.com/wiki/common-pixhawk-and-px4-compatible-rc-transmitter-and-receiver-systems/#Spektrum_Satellite_Receivers_Operate_on_PPM-Sum

So, please reset the RCMAP settings, and also reset all the trims on the Radio TX (btw: are you using a plain airplane model?). Then use Travel Adjust on the Throttle Channel to set the minimum timing that the DJI ESC’s need to work - on the throttle it must be 1120 with Throttle Low on the Mission Planner Screen (Initial Setup- Wizard- Mandatory-Radio Calibration) - I’m adding a pic of APM Planner because my Mission Planner screen is a mess due to my screen resolution -

While on this Radio Calibration Screen, adjust the travel limits fro the Throttle channel on the Radio TX to be 1120 at minimum at 1940 at maximum. When done, run the Calibration option on this same Mission Planner screen.

After this if it doesn’t work. I’ll bet on a possible hardware problem, and don’t really know where to start, except trying other TX+receiver combo before pointing the blame to the PixHawk…

11

Yes, the satellite is doing PPM. I’m using plane model on my transmitter and I’ve adjusted the travel to have the throttle set to a minimum of 1120 and a maximum of 1940. To make sure, I’ve reset everything and I have to do the whole compass, Accel and Radio calibration.

Unfortunately, still the same thing, no changes to beeping. If I connect all ESC to the Aux port of the pixhawk, then upon powering up, the ESC will make a musical tone and will beep rapidly as if the throttle was not low. But then, I can’t control the aux output with my transmitter so it’s useless. This only proves that the DJI ESC’s are working fine as it was receiving signals from the aux out ports.

For configuring, I’ve followed each steps on the pixhawk manual (http://3drobotics.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/pixhawk-manual-rev7.pdf). I didn’t make any changes to config/tuning sections.

12

I’m really out of options to help you.

Just one more thing. Are the cables from the ESC’s intact? i.e. Do you have the 3 wires connected to the PixHawk?

Do you have the possibility to try other ESC’s connected to the PixHawk?

Besides that, I would point to a hardware issue on the PixHawk, and would call 3DR.

brgds

13

I’ve borrowed a NAZA M Lite and it worked like a charm, the F450 arms and the motors are spinning.

Looks like HW problem on the Pixhawk so I’ve contacted support for a replacement.

Thanks,
Rodney