Hi Bill and Chris,
Here is the step on progress:
After carrying out the connections receiver/Pixhawk prescribed by Bill, I get on the Radio set up page all the chanels (aileron, pitch, elevator, rudder, throttle) moving in the right direction.
On page servos set-up, I have the 3 channels of the swash plate, the rudder channel. On channel 8 ( Throttle) there is no signal. The corresponding strip is blank.
Besides, on Heli set-up page, The swash channels are moving but the servos are not working even with “manuel” pressed.
I saw upon your discussion that the channel 8 should be drived by a 2-way switch. Is that the way to make alive the channel 8?
New-Year festivities are on the corner, so you would be busy. Nevertheless, I hope you could give me a direction to jump to the solution.
Guy,
Do not use the heli setup page. If you would like to see if the pixhawk is seeing the Rafio input then Go to the flight data tab. On the bottom left below the HUD, you will see a window with more tabs. Select the status tab. That will list a lot of data coming from the pixhawk. Look for the RCIN with a number. The number indicates the channel and the value is PWM units. This is the raw data from the radio. You should see those values change with the corresponding channel on you radio. I find this the best way to look at the data coming from my radio.
OK for watching the Status Tab of the flight data.
But I cannot set any adjustement of Heli (i.e. the settings explained in the video you provided)
As I said in the previous post, the throttle output of Pixhawk (channel 8) is empty. Remind: Aux 3 of Rx is connected to channel 8 of Pixhawk. Yet on transmitter, Aux 3 does not produce any signal. Should I mix throttle to Aux 3?
Read you soon,
Guy
Chris,
What I read on status tab:
RCin 1 to 8 ok (including aux 3) values change according to the sticks or switches movments.
RC out 1 to 4 values ok; 5 to 8 =0. Channel 8 =0 whatever the position of the switch linked to Aux 3 of the Tx.
improvment: on the servos output page, I identify the function related to each servo. For instance, i assigned the servo 8 to the input 8.
Miracle: every servos output became alive!
servo 3 looks like pitch output
but servo 8 is no more linked to throttle but with Tx slider Aux 3.
I still cannot move the servos of heli, even with “manuel” button pressed.
Sorry Bill,
I misreply to Chris what should be actually send to you. Please find hereunder what I wrotte:
(1)
OK for watching the Status Tab of the flight data.
But I cannot set any adjustement of Heli (i.e. the settings explained in the video you provided)
As I said in the previous post, the throttle output of Pixhawk (channel 8) is empty. Remind: Aux 3 of Rx is connected to channel 8 of Pixhawk. Yet on transmitter, Aux 3 does not produce any signal. Should I mix throttle to Aux 3?
(2)
What I read on status tab:
RCin 1 to 8 ok (including aux 3) values change according to the sticks or switches movments.
RC out 1 to 4 values ok; 5 to 8 =0. Channel 8 =0 whatever the position of the switch linked to Aux 3 of the Tx.
(3)
improvment: on the servos output page, I identify the function related to each servo. For instance, i assigned the servo 8 to the input 8.
Miracle: every servos output became alive!
servo 3 looks like pitch output
but servo 8 is no more linked to throttle but with Tx slider Aux 3.
I still cannot move the servos of heli, even with “manuel” button pressed.
Hear you soon,
Guy
Do you have a safety switch connected to your pixhawk? It would be a button that blinks red. If you do, you will have to press this button until it becomes solid red in order to enable the servos to move. If you don’t, you will have to go into the full parameter list in mission planner and change the parameters for the safety button. You can get to the full parameter list in mission planner by going to the config/tuning tab then click on full parameter list on the left side of the page. Change the parameter BRD_SAFETYENABLE to zero.
OK, so what you’re doing is using a PPM encoder and you crossed channel 3 (collective) to channel 8 (throttle) on the PPM encoder so the Pixhawk should see your collective input as the throttle signal. But then you have no pitch signal to the Pixhawk unless you use a heli setup in the radio with a H1 or “straight” swash, and cross channel 6 to channel 3.
If you are using “airplane” setup in the radio you will have to hook channel 3 of the receiver to channel 3 input on the PPM encoder. This will provide collective or pitch signal to the Pixhawk. Then do a mix from channel 3 (master) to channel 8 (slave) for the throttle, and hook channel 8 receiver to channel 8 PPM encoder. You will have to assign a switch to Channel 8 to act as a throttle hold switch and ensure that the pwm output on Channel 8 is below the arming pwm for the ESC, or the ESC won’t initialize.
Exporting a parameter file from your Pixhawk and posting it would maybe help to see your setup. Because for heli we disable things like the safety button and disarm delay that was designed for multi-rotor aircraft, but is problematic for heli.
> Remind: Aux 3 of Rx is connected to channel 8 of Pixhawk. Yet on transmitter, Aux 3 does not produce any signal. Should I mix throttle to Aux 3?
If you are using airplane mode in the Tx, the first four channels should be called “aileron”, “elevator”, “throttle” and “rudder”. Aux 1 should be channel 5, Aux 2 channel 6, aux 3 channel 7. I think. This is why it would be helpful to see a parameter file to see if the RC was even calibrated on channel 8.
I pressed the prearm button until it becomes solid red. Servos keep still.
I changed the value BRD_SAFETYENABLE to zero. Servos keep still.
I checked the servos with a control box. Good.
Besides, when I proceed with Arm (stick down right) the Pixhawk Arms but few seconds later it disarms with indication relating to EKF which I don’t know the meaning.
To be continued!
Guy
How are you powering the pixhawk. The servos have to be powered through the servo rail. Typically we use an ESC with a BEC and plug the lead from the BEC into the servo rail. If you don’t have a built in BEC then you will have to use a receiver battery but that is not ideal.
Hi Bill,
I power the Pixhawk through the servo rail with the BEC but through a 5V regulator. I do that because I read in the Ardu doc that Pixhawk is very sensitive to the power supply that can destroy the Pixhawk if voltage reaches 6 V. May be your remark is pertinent. So I am going to check the voltage.
Besides, I programmed the Tx in heli mode with the swash as 1S. So, no need to make complicated connections. Right now every signals up to the servo’s one look fine.
The servos won’t move.
Guy,
Check to make sure your servos are plugged into the servo rail correctly. With JR products it is easy to plug the servos into the rail with the plug flipped.
Happy new year!
I checked the servos connections. They are plugged in the right side. I checked the power supply: 5.23V
All the signals are OK on pages Radio set up, servo output.
I disabled the pre-arm button in order to have the led red solid.
I am in stabilized flight mode.
Something locks the output to servos.
I don’t know how to make a status record on the ground station.