First off thanks for making ArduPilot Mega 2.5, awesome thing. Secondly, please update the documentation to reflect the new software button names, menu locations and so on.
Third, I can’t get my APM 2.5 to arm other than manually via Mission Planner, in which case it works as it should. Using 2.9.1b Quad firmware on the APM and Mission planner 1.2.58 mav 1.0. I can however disarm using TX/RX down-right throttle stick hold in 4 seconds. My TX/RX is devo 10, and my ESCs are Turnigy Plush 30A.
And here’s some steps I went through: I did the troubleshooting things where you power APM 2.5 first via USB then connect lipo. I erased EEPROM and re-programmed it. I calibrated my TX 20-30 times.
I have a few ideas, and need clarification:
[ul]1. The RX1002 seems to be getting power from APM via the 5 channels connected. Does the RX need its own power supply? I didn’t want to burn it so I didn’t connect external power to it.
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[ul]2. Should I cut the power cables on 3 of the 4 ESCs? APM seems to be connecting things in parallel mode so over-powering the APM is not an issue.[/ul]
[ul]3. How does one to auto calibration of the ESCs if the RX doesn’t have its own power supply? Every time you’re asked to turn off the TX and back on, the link between them is severed and it won’t work again unless the RX is also power-cycled, making the instructions to auto-calibrate useless.[/ul]
I’m more and more inclined to think that this APM 2.5 board is broken. Take a look at what the quad does when manually armed, with props: dailymotion.com/video/x11g5h … crazy_tech
Okay, I removed the power module that came from 3DR and placed JP1. Left 1 servo connected, and pulled wires for the signal line of the other 3 to the respective output pins on APM. It powers on, but it behaves exactly the same - it does not arm.
Hi.
You say that you can disarm with down-right trottle stick. This should be the position for arming. Are you sure you have not reversed the trottle channel?
I have a problem with the Turnigy Plush escs. I cannot arm at all. Earlier, I had a quad with APM 2.5 and Turnigy Basic escs. That setup worked ok but the whole thing disappeared in the bushes (my own fault).
Now I have tried my new APM with my friends quad with other escs and it armed without problems. Have ordered the HK blue series now and will try.
Report will follow…
[quote=“Vikingflyer”]Hi.
You say that you can disarm with down-right trottle stick. This should be the position for arming. Are you sure you have not reversed the trottle channel?
I have a problem with the Turnigy Plush escs. I cannot arm at all. Earlier, I had a quad with APM 2.5 and Turnigy Basic escs. That setup worked ok but the whole thing disappeared in the bushes (my own fault).
Now I have tried my new APM with my friends quad with other escs and it armed without problems. Have ordered the HK blue series now and will try.
Report will follow… [/quote]
Hi, yes it was a reversed yaw/rudder but that APM 2.5 would not arm with the reverse either. So there’s a but somewhere in the firmware. Anyways, about your ESC issue - I highly recommend getting simonk flash able escs. They react way faster making your quad more responsive and stable at much higher pids. It’s not hard to flash escs either. You need some thin wire, a soldering iron with a thin tip and an atmel programmer. Pins on the chip itself are easy to solder thin wires onto if the programming pads do not work or are not there. I just flashed a bunch of HK-hw20 with the tp 8hz and a bunch of hk-20 with the latest tgy.
You also want to make sure your lowest throttle value is low enough for the ESC and the APM firmware to arm. Try trimming your throttle channel down. It may arm. Also keep it connected to your pc and arm it manually. Be extremely careful, hold it firm, and don’t have props on. If the motors start by themselves after manually arming the quad you are either too high on the throttle channel (calibrate your transmitter), or you’re in a weird flight mode like RTH (return to home).
Hi again.
The Plush escs actually worked ok. It was my own mistake. I had messed up the cross connections between the receiver and the APM. At least I have a good stock of escs now
Interesting with the flashing you mention. I did not find the esc that you refer to; hw20. I guess that both the Afro series and the HK Blue series can be flashed but I’m not quite sure with what firmware. Nice if you can enlighten me a bit more
[quote=“Vikingflyer”]Hi again.
The Plush escs actually worked ok. It was my own mistake. I had messed up the cross connections between the receiver and the APM. At least I have a good stock of escs now
Interesting with the flashing you mention. I did not find the esc that you refer to; hw20. I guess that both the Afro series and the HK Blue series can be flashed but I’m not quite sure with what firmware. Nice if you can enlighten me a bit more [/quote]
Cool, glad to hear that. Don’t feel bad, it’s normal to make that mistake. The information is not clear for beginners and it’s fragmented, as well as conflicting between this new website and the old wiki which shows up in all google results.
The hw20A is HobbyKing’s own 20A esc. hobbyking.com/hobbyking/stor … duct=17793 which is the same esc but without programming capabilities).
The firmware specs and compatible escs are in an excel spreadsheet in simonk’s github github.com/sim-/tgy
Get ready for some precision soldering though as some don’t have programming pins. You can also get the programmer with that plastic mold head that sits on the atmega8[?] chip directly.
Look at the pictures that are in that spreadsheet and here: 0x.ca/sim/esc/ to see which ones have pins. Also search rcgroups.com forums.
Once you flash escs with simonk programming won’t work. Also, the plush you have may not be flashable with simonk unless you got some old ones. As far as i know, new ones use silabs chips and those can’t be flashed. I have the 30A plush and the 18A plush and they both have the new silabs.
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