RC Setup, radio calibration not working

I try to setup my FUTABA radio for a Skywalker X5, everything looked pretty good but suddenly I couldn’t use “Radio Calibration” anymore. All the linear gauges remain grey, I remember having seen my channel input as green bars, I was even able to calibrate each channel, now everything remains grey…

The receiver is succesfully bound with the transmitter, it is connected to the APM, ch1 - input1, ch2 - input2, ch3 - input3, ch5 - input8 (for flight mode). However, I cannot see any RC input in Radio Calibration whatsoever. “test radio” command in console seems to work, at least I can see some raw values which change upon stick inputs.

What am I doing wrong?

@hover,
Please follow these Forum Instructions when posting an issue: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4582
First off, how are you trying to communicate with the APM?
Are you using USB or trying to use the telemetry radio?
Can you establish a Mavlink with the APM using the MP?
What version of the APM are you using? Is it a genuine 3DR APM or a clone?
How are you powering your APM? Are you using the PM or a BEC?
Regards,
TCIII Developer

Here some addn. information, thank you for the hint/request:

  • APM: genuine 3DR APM, firmware version 2.6 (I assume).
    How can I retrieve the exact firmware version of the APM?
  • communication with AMP through USB cable
  • power supply: through USB connection, no extra power on output side
  • Mavlink connection can be established, parameters/settings are downloaded upon connecting, but
    it still seems that there is e a Mavlink-related issue because I cannot change anything, e.g.
    • changing flight modes fails with a message
    • trying to calibrate the radio through the GUI fails for each channel (one popup box per channel)

Using the terminal I can calibrate the radio successfully, I think. The values of the channels calibrated are in the valid range (1100 … 1900) as described in the manual. I hence assume that there is something wrong with the Mavlink-connection. As far as I understand in terminal mode the connection protocol is somehow different (it has its own connect button), is that correct?

@hover,
The 2.6 number is the version of the APM and not the installed firmware. You must use the Terminal Tab CLI to determine what firmware is loaded on your APM.
You might try doing an eeprom erase using the setup menu in the CLI and see if that helps.
Regards,
TCIII Developer

I’m running firmare version 2.74b, that seems to be the up-to-date version, right?

[quote=“TCIII”]@hover,
You might try doing an eeprom erase using the setup menu in the CLI and see if that helps.
Regards,
TCIII Developer[/quote]
Will that reset the parameters too? I’m asking because they were preconfigured by the vendor of my plane, an Aeromapper X5.

I just made an attempt from another computer, a native Windows machine. Exactly the same behavior.

I cannot set a value like e.g. Status settings, I get a “Set failed” message. However, all the parameters are loaded upon connecting. In console/terminal mode I’m able to calibrate the radio, the calibrated values actually correspond to what I did with the sticks.

So I am actually connected, the radio works but something is wrong nevertheless.

I tried to reset the APM but it doesn’t seem to help.
I attach a photo, maybe somebody detects something odd.

I have now detached the APM from anything else in order to simplify the configuration, because I don’t think it has to do with radio calibration, as implied my the title of this post.
I’m starting a new thread with a proper title therefore.

This thread is continued here: http://ardupilot.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=4810.