HKPilot32 immediately disarms

ArduCopter Traditional Helicopter
1

Please watch the attached (WeTransfer) video, does anyone know how I can fix this
(the motor doesn’t run and the HKPilot always automatically disarms after +/- 5 seconds)?
My first thought was that the ESC wasn’t good, so I’ve set up another (with a working BEC for the Servos). As you can see in the video, the motor receives electrical power (you can see when the motor beeps, he also runs a bit).

I still didn’t succeed to really get the motor running. The APM immediately disarms after arming (with GPS lock).

Click for the Video (.mov)
Click for the Video (.mp4)

My Setup:
Thunder Tiger Raptor E550
Spektrum DX18
Mission Planner with APM:Copter V3.3.3 heli
HKPilot32 with:
DSMX REMOTE RECEIVER BY SPEKTRUM (SPM9645)
Buzzer, Safety button, Quanum LEA-6H GPS with Compass & HKPilot Transceiver Telemetry Radio Set V2 (433Mhz)

The problems I’ve solved so far:

  • Tail/Rudder servo was too slow (set the parameter: Yaw P Rate to 1.0 in stead of 0.15-0.5 (ignored this is out of range)
  • De Servo’s were not working at all (my motorcontroller didn’t have a BEC to supply power to the servos --> solved by a flight battery. After the motor didn’t run, I have replaced the Flight battery and motorcontroller with a motorcontroller WITH a BEC. Right now I don’t need to add a flight battery because my BEC supplies power to the servos)
  • When the system says: Bad Compass or … not calibrated, just reboot the device. Most times it works now.

Wiring diagram to the HKPilot32:

  • Swashplate (elevator, aileron and pitch): Main Out 1, 2 & 3
  • Rudder servo: Aux Out 4
  • Motorcontroller: Main Out 8
  • Spektrum satellite to the upper SPKT/DSM port
  • Compass to I2C

Just ask if you would like to obtain more information :slight_smile:
Thanks in advance,
Koen Hertogh from the Netherlands

2

Try changing the parameter Disarm_Delay to a larger number, like 30 or 60. You can turn it off completely by setting it to 0, but I do not recommend this for electric helicopters. This should only be done for gas helicopters where you know they are armed and dangerous as the motor is idling.

1 Like
3

Thanks for your (quick) reply @Rob_Lefebvre!
This Friday I’m going to test this!
What is the standard parameter for Disarm_Delay?
(I should be something like 5 seconds right now, if this is the problem)

I will be in touch next Friday!

4

I think the default is 10, but… due to a complexity driven my multirotors, the number ends up getting divided in half. So setting it to 30 will get you 15, and 60 will give you 30 seconds.

1 Like
5

Okay @Rob_Lefebvre, it looks like you are right, I will test it next it Friday.
Thanks for your help! Can’t wait to make my first flight with the HKPilot32 :smiley:

6

Hi @Rob_Lefebvre,

The Raptor Thunder Tiger E550 with HKPilot32 has flown it’s first 5 flights (with the Disarm_Delay set to 0).
The Helicopter is flying very good, there is just one thing we would like to change:
The Helicopter is a little bit to sensitive (the sensors are working).
Right now I’m playing with the tuning options described at this page:
http://ardupilot.org/copter/docs/traditional-helicopter-tuning.html

Thanks for your help,
I will keep you updated!