Is a Cube Black worth using

Hey all
I have a Cube black that’s been sitting in my drawer unloved for a while and so I decided to put it into a drone I have that’s given me FC issues in the past.
However I have noticed a few issues, I suspect as always it’s me but wanted to check with the community to se if I am the Dummy in the equation.
Ignore the PWM out issue I resolved that.

The drone uses a Mauch power sensor.
I have used them for years and never have issues with them. However on this thing I can’t get it to measure properly. If I set it up on the setup page and then leave that page. The voltage and current change drastically. No idea why. This is how the page looks when I get back. I am not sure if this is supposed to be set to Cube or Pixhawk as it is in the image.

image

Also I have a lidar and I keep getting No data from the Lidar message yet this lidar worked great on the old FC.

Lastly I get failed to initialize Mavftp constantly. What’s odd is that it did work till I changed a couple config items related I think to the battery and since then nada.

This is the messages window, most are the normal messages from having the machine indoors.
But some I have no idea.

2023-02-16 8:58:52 AM : failed to initialize MAVFTP
2023-02-16 8:58:49 AM : failed to initialize MAVFTP
2023-02-16 8:58:47 AM : failed to initialize MAVFTP
2023-02-16 8:58:44 AM : failed to initialize MAVFTP
2023-02-16 8:58:44 AM : R4196355 MM0 MC0 IE0 IEC0 TN:Ardu
2023-02-16 8:58:43 AM : WDG: T49 SL0 FL217 FT3 FA20002060 FTP180 FLR0 FICS
2023-02-16 8:58:42 AM : failed to initialize MAVFTP
2023-02-16 8:58:40 AM : failed to initialize MAVFTP
2023-02-16 8:58:39 AM : failed to initialize MAVFTP
2023-02-16 8:58:37 AM : failed to initialize MAVFTP
2023-02-16 8:58:36 AM : failed to initialize MAVFTP
2023-02-16 8:58:35 AM : failed to initialize MAVFTP
2023-02-16 8:58:35 AM : Frame: QUAD/X
2023-02-16 8:58:35 AM : IMU2: fast sampling enabled 8.0kHz/1.0kHz
2023-02-16 8:58:35 AM : IMU0: fast sampling enabled 8.0kHz/1.0kHz
2023-02-16 8:58:35 AM : RCOut: PWM:1-14
2023-02-16 8:58:35 AM : CubeBlack 0045001E 3337510E 37353832
2023-02-16 8:58:35 AM : ChibiOS: 66e5de0d
2023-02-16 8:58:35 AM : ArduCopter V4.3.3 (34e8e02c)
2023-02-16 8:58:34 AM : Frame: QUAD/X
2023-02-16 8:58:34 AM : IMU2: fast sampling enabled 8.0kHz/1.0kHz
2023-02-16 8:58:34 AM : IMU0: fast sampling enabled 8.0kHz/1.0kHz
2023-02-16 8:58:34 AM : RCOut: PWM:1-14
2023-02-16 8:58:34 AM : CubeBlack 0045001E 3337510E 37353832
2023-02-16 8:58:34 AM : ChibiOS: 66e5de0d
2023-02-16 8:58:34 AM : ArduCopter V4.3.3 (34e8e02c)
2023-02-16 8:58:33 AM : PreArm: Fence requires position
2023-02-16 8:58:33 AM : PreArm: Scripting: out of memory
2023-02-16 8:58:33 AM : PreArm: Rangefinder 1: No Data
2023-02-16 8:58:33 AM : PreArm: Battery 2 unhealthy
2023-02-16 8:58:33 AM : PreArm: GPS 1: Bad fix
2023-02-16 8:58:33 AM : PreArm: Compass not healthy
2023-02-16 8:58:33 AM : PreArm: EKF attitude is bad

config.zip (5.4 KB)

this is a pretty subjective question!! I would say I would not waste the money on buying one new now, although I do believe there aren’t many sites with stock left. It is still a good FC as it has 2 imu and heated ones at that. the failed to initialize MAVFTP can be solved by possibly halving LOG_FILE_BUFSIZE. I got that on a pixracer when enabling a few new features. For the range finder make certain you have it hooked up right it should work. the main things that the cube black won’t be able to do is things like scripting and a few other features but not a terrible many. I have about 3 of these siting around that may get used eventually or just be replacements for stuff already built with f4 based FC’s

those two are interesting would love to hear from a dev about what they are hahah

Hey thanks for your input.
Yes I know it’s a subjective question lol.
When you mention scripting are you say it won’t do Lua Scripting.

yep pretty sure even using the custom build server that scripting cannot be used due to limitations in the F4 used. Don’t quote me 100% on that as I cannot find where I read that again.

from the wiki “Ensure your autopilot has at least 2 MB of flash and 70 kB of memory.” I think there is not enough memory and even using the custom build server that you cannot trim enough out and have enough free mem

Dang. Thats a handy feature.
Ok well first things first. Let me see if the log size affects the Mavftp issue.

Argh I changed the Log size and now the cube constantly reboots. I can
t get in to change it back.

Cube Black has 3 IMU’s and 2mb of flash so Lua scripting will work. Not all F4’s are limited to 1mb flash. Pixracer is another example.

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Hey Dave.
Not if you can’t get back into it. Argh.
Going to see if I can reflash it to solve the problem. I am getting or was getting closer to having it working.

Is there an Sd card installed?

yep but seems he has one of the IMU turned off and wasn’t there a SB about these and having to shut one IMU down due to manufacture defect. I am aware of the 2mb but looks like with the features he has on there is not enough mem for scripting to work. The more features you turn on MAVFTP will fail again

Yes
I wiped it and reflashed it.
Now I have Mavftp working.
I have not tried scripting yet.

There is one for Cube Orange. It doesn’t shut it down it changes the priority for the primary IMU.

no there was another one cpl years ago specifically about cube black and shutting off an IMU due to defect.

I don’t know that. 0&2 or the MPU9250 and 1 is LSM303D/L3GD20. There are other flight controllers with the later. I don’t have a Cube Black but I don’t see why scripting wouldn’t work.

so I grabbed one of mine out and decided to give it a go. uploaded ArduCopter V4.3.4-rc1 (fe838aab) first enable scr had no issues at all rebooted had only the random warning msg for just taking it out of box and flashing. then I enabled lidar lite v3 i2c (there isn’t one connected) and that’s where I started getting PreArm: Terrain out of memory but seems scripting still works. I bet then you could trim down enough on the custom build server where you could get exactly what you want. it also looks like all the imu are there and found and enabled.

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Ok finally got back to the bench.
I completed all the standard calibrations… compass, accel and radio.
Mavftp is working fine so far. No problem.
Battery is working fine…that was a previous problem. That’s resolved.
I still get no data on the lidar. It’s on the GPS1 and appears to be connected right. It worked on the other FC so something else is wrong. Perhaps I have the wrong serial port defined as Rangefinder. I read it was serial 3 but perhaps it’s not.

Also if I turn on Scripts I get an out of memory error. If I turn it off its good.
This is with Smartrtl turned off and terrain turned off. So I guess I can turn them back on. To the best of my knowledge this should run scripts. The standard fix for memory issues is turning off Smartrtl…but thats not doing it this time.

2023-02-16 2:52:31 PM : PreArm: Rangefinder 1: No Data
2023-02-16 2:52:31 PM : PreArm: Battery 1 unhealthy
2023-02-16 2:52:31 PM : PreArm: Throttle below failsafe
2023-02-16 2:52:20 PM : Frame: QUAD/X
2023-02-16 2:52:20 PM : IMU2: fast sampling enabled 8.0kHz/1.0kHz
2023-02-16 2:52:20 PM : IMU0: fast sampling enabled 8.0kHz/1.0kHz
2023-02-16 2:52:20 PM : RCOut: PWM:1-8 DS150:9-12 PWM:13-14
2023-02-16 2:52:20 PM : CubeBlack 0045001E 3337510E 37353832
2023-02-16 2:52:20 PM : ChibiOS: 66e5de0d
2023-02-16 2:52:20 PM : ArduCopter V4.3.3 (34e8e02c)
2023-02-16 2:52:20 PM : Frame: QUAD/X

Tried again this morning.
Set the machine to enable scripts and Mavftp stopped working and got the scripting out of memory error.
Turned scripting off and it’s working fine.
Also pulled the Lidar and plugged in a new one and bingo. So must have a bad lidar unit.
At this point I am not sure what else I can do before getting it to the field for a proper compass calibration and a first spin up.