dkemxr, I think I got the dfu-util to work, but I had to include the full path name to do so, for “Windows PowerShell does not load commands from the current location by default”. The Matek board’s red led was on solid and the green led flashing slowly, but when I executed the dfu command, the green led started flashing very fast for a while before reverting to slow flash. I assumed that was the download completed, though there was no message on the PowerShell screen.
Anyway, I then fired up (and updated) MP, but the board wouldn’t connect using the “Connect” button. But when I went to the “Setup > Install Firmware” screen it successfully went through the installation of v4.2.2 copter. But still it wouldn’t connect when I went back to the Home screen and clicked on “Connect”. It gave the same error message as before, is there any significance in the fact is says there isn’t a mavlink device connected. I also got a Windows message saying the USB device I just connected was not recognised.
UnknownPilot; thanks for the suggestion. I’ve looked at that page and it seems to only suggest things that I’ve already tried.
“Device not recognized” can usually be remedied by going back to Zadig: https://zadig.akeo.ie and swapping the USB driver. But normally that’s needed before flashing only.
Can you see the board name + COM port in MP’s dropdown list?
“There isn’t a MAVLINK device connected” is odd, I normally simply get “Can’t connect to board” or so .
When I start MP it shows AUTO for COM port. Yesterday the dropdown list didn’t have any other options, but when I then plugged in the board just now, the drop-down list included “COM3 Ardupilot” which I selected but got “connection failed”. But then I checked the dropdown list again and saw “COM5 Ardupilot MAVLINk …” had been added (it definitely wasn’t there the first time), and when I selected that my board connected
So, thank you to everyone for your help. I just hope it will now work the same on my workshop laptop. I’ll be back this afternoon if it doesn’t!
Edit: Just to let you know it’s now working on my workshop laptop. Thanks again
One lesson to be learned here is there are various methods of flashing firmware that have worked. Betaflight Configurator, INAV Configurator, STM32 Cube Programmer, etc. But in my recollection from the forum and direct experience using dfu-util to 1st flash the bootloader always works.
You’re right dkemxr. I think I flashed it (successfully according to the utilities I used) at least a couple of different ways before trying dfu-util. I’ll be using it first next time I need to flash Ardupilot to a non-Pix board.
I just got a new Matek H743WING board and tried to load it with Arducopter Heli using the dfu-util method suggested by dxemxr back in August, which worked for me at the time. This time it appeared to work at the command line, but when I then went to MP to install Arducopter heli it found the board okay but showed the incorrect board name in the Install Firmware menu. It showed in the drop-down list two versions of the same board name (I don’t remeber or recognise what it was) plus an option to ‘ignore’.
So then I went to STM32Cube programmer utility, and it did the job – which for some reason I hadn’t been able to achieve last time. Going to MP to install the firmware I then got the correct MATEKH743 board name displayed, and installation progressed as normal.
I don’t know the technicalities of why one method should work one time an not another. Maybe (probably) user error, maybe different board achitecture? Anyway, for others in my position, just keep trying with the different methods outlined in this thread.
I know this is a dead thread, but there are some (seeming) inaccuracies here which cost me a lot of time:
dfu-util hates .hex files and fails mysteriously. Only use .bin files
MatekH743_bl.bin is a neat idea, but MAVProxy doesn’t like it - I needed QGroundControl to do additional firmware download/config before MAVProxy could see it
Since this thread I’ve installed a couple more Matek H743WING boards, and a Matek F405, and STM32Cube programmer has worked for me each time. I just had to make sure I selected the bootloader (bl) versions of the appropriate files.
