Hi all,
So I am about to get started with an APM build and at the moment I am very confused with the power supply for the board. I have read all the official documentation but I don’t quite understand.
Basically, I have SimonK 30A ESCs with 0.5A Linear BECs. I am NOT using any servos. I am using the power module to power the board.
So my question is, do I remove JP1 or not? And do I clip the BEC wire from the ESCs or not?
Thanks a lot!
@tambeshakunt,
Yes, remove J1, but do not know about the BEC wire from the ESCs.
Some members have reported that the ESCs will not work with the BEC wire removed.
Try it both ways and use the one that works.
Regards,
TCIII GM
Thanks for your reply.
I understand I remove JP1.
As for the BEC wire. If I leave all of them still connected, being linear BECs, it won’t damage the board will it??
Thanks!
@tambeshakunt,
With J1 removed the APM internal power bus is isolated from the servo output power bus.
Since no two linear regulators provide the same 5vdc, some will be slightly above 5vdc and some slightly below 5vdc, the regulators will try to fight each other when connected in parallel on the servo output bus.
This is not necessarily a good situation, however as I said before, some brands of ESCs will not work unless the BEC pin is left intact for some unknown reason.
Regards,
TCIII GM
I remove the red wire from the esc’s servo plug and tape it up so only the signal and ground wires go from the apm/pixhawk to the esc’s.
If that doesn’t work it’s quite easy to just put the red wire back into the servo plug.
Ok thanks !