I’m hoping someone can help me out here.
I’ve just received my Pixhawk and I’m trying to connect to it and run the initial setup using Mission Planner. I’ve followed the instructions online (http://copter.ardupilot.com/wiki/common-loading-firmware-onto-pixhawk/) and get to the second/third stage of the “Install Firmware” before I hit the error message “Error uploading firmware”.
What happens is:
When I connect the Pixhawk to the pc I get the beep BEEP beep from the speaker,
Run the Wizard from the Mission Planner Initial Setup,
Select Plane and click Next,
I select COM3 from the menu. It doesn’t have PX4 FMU in the drop down box, but I checked in the Devices and Printers and it is named “PX4 FMU (COM3)” so i know this is the correct option,
Click next,
The wizard Detects the board version,
It detects PX4v2,
Asks to unplug the board, press ok and reconnect the board,
The Pixhawk goes beep BEEP beep,
The wizard tries to connect,
The wizard gives the error “Error uploading Firmware”.
I have tried reinstalling mission planner and the pixhawk drivers but this hasn’t made a change.
I also tried formatting the SD card as suggested in this post (http://ardupilot.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=5321) as indicator lights are the same as the video legend1996 posted, but this did not work either.
I am running Mission Planner build 1.1.5111.11703
Windows 7 Pro
Am I just missing something really obvious?
If anyone can help me out here with what I’m doing wrong it would be greatly appreciated
I’ve made a clean install of windows on my laptop (on a vm) and tried again on it to see if there is anything on my desktop causing the problem, as well as I plan to predominatly use this anyway for development…
I’m now getting an error when it comes to the next stage, “MavLink connect”, stating “Connect Failed”. I have added a screenshot of the error details.
It seems to be referencing some Visual Studio files which do not exist…
Do I need to be manually installing MAVLink before I try to use?
I have tried updating Mission Planner from the help menu also.
Unfortunatly no luck with a different usb cable, tried different ports too.
Can you tell me what the idicators look like when your connecting?
Mine are going:
Just after plugging in usb
FMU
-PWR = Solid Green
-B/F = Orange Strobing
IO
-PWR = Solid Green
-B/F = Solid Orange
-ACT = Blue Flashing
Switch = Red Flashing (Faster than blue, slower than orange)
After a few seconds buzzer goes beep BEEP beep, then lights are
FMU
-PWR = Solid Green
-B/F = Really dull solid Orange
IO
-PWR = Solid Green
-B/F = Solid Orange
-ACT = Blue Flashing
Switch = Red Flashing (Faster than blue)
First Time round gave px4uploader.exe gave the error “Failed to read OTP”,
I ran it a second time and it says the firmware is the same and no need to upload.
I tried with the Wizard again afterwards and still has the same error referencing MAVLink.
@patonator,
Sometimes MavLink issues like yours are caused by Bluetooth.
Do you have Bluetooth enabled on your laptop? If so, you might try disabling it and see if that helps with your issue.
Regards,
TCIII Developer
Hi TCIII,
Thanks for the tip, I’ve tried disabling the bluetooth but it doesn’t seem to have made any difference, still getting the same error.
I will keep it turned off though just to make sure it doesn’t interfere
(Just in case it makes any difference, I’m running Windows 7 in a VMWare virtual machine on OS X Mavericks)
How old is the Pixhawk? Was it an early one that shipped with an Iris or one that has recently shipped in Dec or Jan?
If it is from the fall you will have better success in the virtual machine if you update the bootloader.
Either old or new, make sure you bind the com port in the Virtual machine so that it is recognized faster and does not powerup and change out of bootloader mode (5 seconds) before the port is available to the system.
It was just shipped last week as a standalone unit, not with the Iris.
It is setup to automatically connect directly to the VM, is that what you mean by binding the com port?
After starting the wizard, selecting plane and COM3, it checks the firmware version, tells me to remove, click ok and connect. After reconnecting it recognises the device immediately, says there is “no need to upload, already on the board” before the buzzer sounds beep BEEP beep.
After the buzzer makes this sound once it then tries to connect with Mavlink and this is where it gives the error above.
It seems to take some time to load the COM ports before you can select the correct one.
If you want to skip the wait:
Load com ports @ 2:35
Disconnect/Reconnect @ 4:00ish
Connect failed error @ 6:50
From the result of the px4loader and the MP wizard the firmware seems to be loaded, for test purposes you can try a different firmware such as ArduCopter
Do you have the SD card inserted during the mavlink connection? it should be inserted to connect to mavlink.
Please let me know the RGB led behavior and if you can detect some error tone from the Listen to Pixhawk’s tones list:
I just tried loading the copter firmware which worked, and upon retrying the plane firmware it has now loaded successfully, and MAVLink has connected taking me on to the accelerometer calibration! Its alive!!!
Previously rgb was not lighting at all, but it is now. The SD card was always inserted too.
I’ve only got the pixhawk with me at the moment, but will get the remainder of the calibration carried out asap
[quote=“patonator”]It was just shipped last week as a standalone unit, not with the Iris.
It is setup to automatically connect directly to the VM, is that what you mean by binding the com port?
After starting the wizard, selecting plane and COM3, it checks the firmware version, tells me to remove, click ok and connect. After reconnecting it recognises the device immediately, says there is “no need to upload, already on the board” before the buzzer sounds beep BEEP beep.
After the buzzer makes this sound once it then tries to connect with Mavlink and this is where it gives the error above.[/quote]
I had the same, Mavlink would not couple. Try the reset button on the USB side of the Pixhawk.
After reconnecting it recognises the device immediately, says there is “no need to upload, already on the board” before the buzzer sounds beep BEEP beep.
So it is working correctly.
After the buzzer makes this sound once it then tries to connect with Mavlink and this is where it gives the error above.
[quote]>>>After reconnecting it recognises the device immediately, says there is “no need to upload, already on the board” before the buzzer sounds beep BEEP beep.
So it is working correctly.[/quote]
No, at the time it was not working correctly. It was saying the firmware was already loaded, but it wasn’t continuing past the next step of the setup wizard - it was not connecting to the board via Mavlink during the initial setup wizard.
The suggestion by @RogelioN to upload the ArduCopter firmware and then try the ArduPlane firmware did fix it, and it is now working and proceeding through the setup wizard.
[quote]>>>After the buzzer makes this sound once it then tries to connect with Mavlink and this is where it gives the error above.
Thanks for the video. This is not a Pixhawk problem, but it does look like a problem with the Wizard in MP.
I suggest going through setting up the auto pilot manually instead of using the wizard.
In this case, since the flight code is loaded, press and hold the safety switch while powering up the vehicle in order to load the IO Firmware and then go to the Initial Setup menu in Mission Planner.
Thanks for the advise. The problem is fixed now (I was sure I had marked the post as solved but it seems to have become unsolved again). If the issue comes back I shall do as you say and start up holding the safety switch
By first loading the different ArduCopter firmware and then the ArduPlane firmware seemed to solve the issue, and I can now load ArduPlane straight away.
How did you solve this?
I have the exact same issue. I bought my PixHawk a few weeks ago.
I’m trying to install the firmware exactly according to the instructions and get the same error, followed by “ERROR: No Responce from board” in the Install Firmware screen.
Edit: Solved it already. The Mission Planner instructions are wrong (or Mission Planner or PixHawk doesn’t work as expected). It says unplug the PixHawk, then click OK, then plug in the PixHawk. I decided to try the last 2 steps the other way round, and then it worked.
I have no peripherals attached to my PixHawk, and the firmware uploader says “Please wait for the musical tones to finish before clicking OK”. Well I can’t do that. It should’ve warned about that at the start of the wizard or else reference some flashing light pattern.
