Flight Controllers, Dshot and ESCs

Hardware Multirotors
21

I would be interested in trying it on a Pixhawk (fmuv3/Pixhawk1).

22

Hereā€™s a copter build for fmuv3: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1shUEQ420D5oY5EYmDzo6kw01-NfECClP

23

Anything for fmuV5? I currently have a few CUAV V5+ cube flight controllers

Thanks

24

My cube orange comes in this week. Iā€™d love to try it on that. Will this be based on copter 4.0.3?

Thanks!!

25

Itā€™s 4.0.1-dev so it doesnā€™t include the RCout banner message. Just have to try it. Or scope it I suppose. I have some new ESCā€™s coming I can try on the bench.

26

I have no scope , so @dkemxr I might rely on you for validation

But I assume if i get telemetry data then I should be sending dshot

27

I added fmuv5 and CubeOrange builds to the link above.
Since this is WIP, youā€™ll need to refer to the PR for status: https://github.com/ArduPilot/ardupilot/pull/12604
It looks like it needs some additional debugging and coding effort to make it work reliably.

28

Thanks Mark appreciate it

29

Iā€™m not seeing Dshot on the main outputs after configuring them so. I configured an Octa on the 8 main outs, set MOT_PWM_TYPE to Dshot150, Selected all channels with the BLH mask and set Dshot150 for Otype. It looks like standard PWM when scoping the main outputs. Is there something else I need to consider?

Then I read the the PR, configured a Hexa and set chanā€™s 1,2,5,6,7,8 for Dshot. And see standard PWM on the 1st 4 of those nothing out of 7&8.

30

Sorry, but I havenā€™t been working on this myself. Try commenting on the PR to get better advice.

31

OK thanks Mark, will do.

32

Confirmed 6 Dhot outputs on Cube Orange

3/18/2020 11:30:50 PM : PreArm: Compass not calibrated
3/18/2020 11:30:50 PM : PreArm: Compass not calibrated
3/18/2020 11:30:50 PM : PreArm: Hardware safety switch
3/18/2020 11:30:50 PM : PreArm: Throttle below Failsafe
3/18/2020 11:30:37 PM : EKF2 IMU0 tilt alignment complete
3/18/2020 11:30:37 PM : EKF2 IMU1 tilt alignment complete
3/18/2020 11:30:36 PM : EKF2 IMU1 initial yaw alignment complete
3/18/2020 11:30:36 PM : EKF2 IMU0 initial yaw alignment complete
3/18/2020 11:30:35 PM : Frame: HEXA
3/18/2020 11:30:35 PM : RCOut: PWM:1-8 DS150:9-14
3/18/2020 11:30:35 PM : CubeOrange 00210022 34385111 31373439
3/18/2020 11:30:35 PM : ChibiOS: d4fce84e
3/18/2020 11:30:35 PM : ArduCopter V4.0.3 (ffd08628)
3/18/2020 11:30:34 PM : Initialising APM
3/18/2020 11:30:34 PM : Barometer 2 calibration complete
3/18/2020 11:30:34 PM : Barometer 1 calibration complete

33

Fine, but not good enough:

I will be happy when Dshot use, regardless of imu or iomcu configuration will be possible with 8 motors without telemetry, as it was possible with 3.5.x firmware.

Please, restore that, and if telemetry is needed by someone, it could be an option available only on demand (configuration choice).

34

dshot has never been available on the iomcu with 3.5 or any firmware. The only change in 4.0 is that it now tells you exactly what it is actually outputting so you know your not getting dshot when previously you might have assumed you were.

35

I missed thatā€¦ As the option was selectable from mission planner settings, I assumed dshot was available with 3.5.7 like oneshot but it appeared with 3.6.0-rc2.

36

I suspect there were some that didnā€™t get the memo about Dshot from the IOMCU, configured Dshot on the main outputs, the motors ran fine and they assumed Dshot was implemented. When if fact itā€™s just ignored and standard PWM is produced. Before the output protocol Banner Message was available there was no way to know because the Rcout data in the logs was/is normalized to PWM range even if Dshot was properly implemented on the FMU channels.

1 Like
37

This is one of the main reasons I started this thread. To clear up so many misconceptions and misinformation out there.

1 Like
38

Adding more info as I find it.

I have been very happy with the CUAV Nano V5 flight controllers. I have actually removed a couple of the V5+ cubes due to lack of dshot outputs.

Tonight I went to load up another nano v5 for my Octo. So far today I am only using the Nanoā€™s on my Hexs.

Loaded 4.0.3 and set M1-8 as DS300 and rebooted. Oddly enough I had DS300 1-6 PWM 7-11. No Dshot on outputs 7 and 8

I disabled those outputs and set motor 7 and 8 to Aux 1 and 2.

Now when I boot I get. DS300 1-6 PWM 7-8 DS300 9-11

So thatā€™s the timing groups at play. Glad I still get the 8 Dshot outputs. But now I am limited to only 2 PWM ports for gimbal and landing gear

39

I did some testing with my Cube Orange. Works fine at Dshot 150. Unpredictable results at Dshot 300

40

I have T.MOTOR F45A BLHeli with firmware 32.7 esc for my quad copter using V5 Nano flight controller .i just read out esc via BLHeli 32 suite and its shows protocol is Dshot.

I am little confused that which Dshot I have to configure in mission planner?

ESC documents says up to Dshot 1200 compatible.