We have a 3DR air module that gets extremely hot very quickly (within a few seconds) after plugging it up to an APM 2.0.  Is this normal?  If not, is there any guess to why it is getting so hot?

Hi - Im having a problem configuring my radio with the Mavlink software and Im trying to figure out if it has to do with the APM1 vs. the radio or Mavlink software.  I have a Spektrum Dx8 radio/receiver.  The radio is properly bound to the receiver and I can move servos connected to the receiver but when I try to configure the radio with the Mavlink software, the green bars do not move. They did work once but it was intermittent.  All my solder joints look to be OK as best I can tell.  I havent found much in the discussion groups to help.  Is it possible to send my APM/PDB in to see if anything is wrong with them?

Thanks,

Steve Cremer

Steve: Have you tried the Troubleshooting Section?

Hi Chris.  Thanks for the response.  Ive tried the troubleshooting section without success.  Now Im having a problem even getting the mission planner to connect to the APM.  Ive reinstalled my usb drivers, Im on com3 at 115200 baud; reinstalled mission planner software.  Im using a PC running windows XP.  I dont have access to a windows 7 machine.  Ive got windows 8 preview on a desktop PC but I cant get that to work either.  Ive got only a solid blue light on the APM.  I no longer have all the flashing lights I used to see.  

Steve

Steve, can you reload the APM 1 firmware (ArduCopter or ArduPlane)? If not, I would suggest finding another PC to try on (also try another USB cable). 

Chris, Ive now tried another computer running windows xp as well as one running windows 7 - neither works.  I havent tried a new USB cable yet, but the cable does power the imu (blue light comes on) and apm (red light comes on).  I get a brief flash from the tx/rx amber lights on the imu when I plug in the usb cable and I get the  blinking blue light on the gps, but I dont get any activity now on the A,B, or C lights.  I cant reload the firmware.  When I try, it times out and says to check my cabling.  By the way, if I order an APM2, does that also come with a new imu?  My soldering appears to be OK to me but Im not very experienced with soldering so its possible I messed something up.  Its strange though that this apm/imu used to work.  Thanks again.

Steve

I am having the "Cant detect APM version. Please check your cabling" problem.

when i connect the USB it shows up in my device manager as "USB Serial port (COM5)" with "set RTS on close" ticked. the LEDS both blue and red come on and the rx / tx lights flash once. when i use the mission planner to upload firmware the TX light flashes rapidly then blinks every few seconds them comes back with "Cant detect APM version. Check your cabling." When i try to "Connect" it times out. when i try to upload any code using the Arduino IDE it just stays on :Uploading" for a long time then times out (the TX light flashes every few seconds).

I have checked all of my soldered joints and re-flowed them (3 times)

tried a different USB cable

updated my .net Framework (win 7 64 bit)

tried a different computer (win vista 64, ubuntu 10 lucid 64)

tried uploading with my radio equipment attached

tried both CLI switch positions

what am i missing?

I am having an error that comes up when trying to reset to default, and load settings, with the 3dr telemetry set.  I tried bootloading the firmware, and still get the error.  The error reads Failed to enter Command Mode.  I am at a stand still on things to try.