Hi again - it’s been a while but I am still making progress. I built my platform and mount, bought all the components, integrated them with the onboard battery (as suggested). I got the pixhawk, telemetry and GPS talking and I can arm the board in Mission Planner. I tried connecting my motor’s ESC to the Pixhawk (Ch3) and tried testing it with the initial setup/optional hardware/motors page but I got no response and no log messages either (aside from arming the throttle). Any suggestions?
Thoughts on this transmitter-receiver combo?
DUMBORC-X6 2.4Ghz 6 Channel RC Transmitter with Gyro Inside Receiver Low Power Alarm and Out of Control Protections Radio Controller for Remote Car/Boat/Tank Mixed Mode Remote Controller
If you have a Pixhawk it requires Sbus/PPM input. That receiver doesn’t provide that .Also, you will want more than 3 channels for ArduRover.
This TX/RX combo has 6 channels…but I need a receiver that specifies SBUS/PPM output. Thanks (that was mentioned earlier but I wasn’t sure if this combo had that feature)
I would go with a standard RC Transmitter, not one specifically for cars. You will have more flexibility with switches.
Plug your ESC directly into channel 3 of your receiver bypassing the pixhawk and see if the throttle works. If it does work, then plug the receiver back into the pixhawk and then test it again. Then post the tlog or .bin from the SDCARD and we can have a look and see what’s going on. NOTE we only want the log file (tlog or .bin) from when you tested - not a bunch of log files and we have go guess which one it was.
It worked forward just fine, but in reverse, I had to move the stick slowly backward or it didn’t respond. When connected to the pixhawk, neither servo responded. I am using Mot_PWM_Type of 3 (Brushed with relay) which I am not sure is correct. The .tlog file is attached. Thanks for looking at it.
2020-02-12 20-22-28.tlog (277.4 KB)
To give a bit more information, the radio receiver is a radiolink R8EF the transmitter is a radio link T8FB. The receiver is configured to output Sbus. I ran the power output of the ESC directly to the power input of the steering servo. Channel 1, main out, goes to the steering servo and channel 3, Main out, goes to the motor’s ESC. The radio is calibrated in mission planner and I see predictable responses in the MP radio calibration tool to stick position changes on the transmitter. When I power everything up and turn on the ESC, the ESC light initially turns green then red and stays red. There is no response to the signals from the transmitter - that I can see are making it into the pixhawk via mission planner. Normally, the ESC light turns off when it gets a signal to go forward or backward. I don’t know if it’s necessary to arm the pixhawk but I always do. Also, something I don’t understand, is that when I turn off the ESC, it does not turn back on until I unplug it from the battery and plug it back in.
Sometime’s ESCs like to see a “pause” at zero throttle before you put it into reverse. If you have or can lookup your ESC manual it might have an option for different configuration of that. Otherwise test pausing at zero throttle.
I can’t see any input coming in to the pixhawk from your receiver. Is your receiver setup to output PPM and do you have the cable from the receiver to the pixhawk the correct way around?
A few days later, it just started working and I realized the board has intermittent PWM outputs. I sent the module back to Amazon (along with everything it came with - which is too bad because the GPS, radios and other components seemed to work really well). Technically at ground zero again but I also have more experience and an expectation about how it should perform. I think I’ll check out the flight controllers from MRobotics.
So not to be shitty but an update would of been nice - I spent time analysing a log file I didn’t need to.
Thank you @gmorph for spending some time on looking at my logs. Did they confirm the scenario I found? I confess that I tried to look at my own logs but was unsuccessful. Also, I realize I wasn’t clear enough with my previous update - it took me a few days to realize the problem was the outputs on my autopilot board - within an hour of discovering the cause, I posted on the forum to prevent the exact situation you went through. I wish I had discovered it even earlier…
Hi Mate,
I have a problem with pixhawk 2.4.8. Its from aliexpress.
Its setup as a rover.
I cant get the servo to work.
I’m using a separate ubec for powering the servo rail.
In mission planner and qground control the radio is signal is registering.
In the servo output in MP the transmitter stick is not reflecting any movement on throttle or servo.
The servo does a micro movement when the rover is connected or armed.
Is this what you had. And would you mind sharing the solution
Hello good day, I’ve saw your project about an ardurover, i would like build a different vehicle coz for few years I’ve developed drones.
Do you mind suggest me pls a good frame kit… motors board controller.
Regards