Discussions

ArduPilot Mega 2.5... Not picking up RC!

Posted by Kris Hope on December 14, 2012 at 10:19am

Hi all,

In all honesty I'm very much a beginner at multicopters. However, I've decided to build one for my Engineering college project.

I've built the frame, soldered everything up and connected the ESC's and motors to the PDB. Everything beeps.

The brains behind the Quadcopter is a ArduPilot Mega 2.5 which I've managed to connect to my laptop and upload the correct firmware to. I've a Spektrum DX6i TX with the RX that came with it, I've managed to bind the RX to the TX, the light on the RX comes on when the TX is switched on.

The issue I'm having is that when the ArduPilot is connected to the AC2 Mission Planner, I'm not getting any readings from the RC. When I try to calibrate the RC, the values all read 3000.

It may be something really simply that I've missed.

Please can anybody help me out, I'm happy to answer any other questions you may need to know in order to help.

You need to be a member of diydrones to add comments!

Join diydrones

ardupilot, arducopter, issue, multicopter, rc, rx, tc, help

Email me when people reply –

Replies

Kris Hope December 16, 2012 at 12:28am

The problem that I had before is sorted. Although now I'm stuck again.

I've managed to manually calibrate the ESC's, although now this issue is that I can't arm the APM, the red light flashes, I push the throttle down and to the left, hold it there for over 4 seconds and nothing.

However, if I push the throttle up and to the right the red light turns solid, I've reversed the throttle on the TX but it still arms in the same way.

Once the red light stays solid and I move the throttle, nothing happens.

Any ideas?
Kris Hope December 15, 2012 at 3:36pm

Thanks guys, problem solved. It was the battery suppling the power to the RX that was the problem. I've powered it directly from the APM as you suggested and it works a treat. Silly mistake I suppose.

Thank everybody, much appreciated!!
Moderator

Michael Pursifull December 14, 2012 at 12:10pm

I would also disconnect all but one of the pins on the RX, try just one, throttle, maybe, and if that is not working, try a different RX pin, resetting/powering off each time. In case there is some issue with one of the RX pins. And I'd look at the tx config. Sorry, I don't use spectrum.
Moderator

Michael Pursifull December 14, 2012 at 10:46am

Did you compile/push the code yourself?
If so, did you in comment the APM2 directive in the config file?

If you pushed a stock version of the firmware from Mission Planner, then this is not an issue, but if you pushed with Arduino IDE, then you need to uncomment the directive in the config for this hardware. Symptoms of not doing that include no gyro movement and no RC input.

If the RX has a light, then it is getting power. The APM1 needed to have its servo rail powered separately, but APM2 architecture powers the input rail, at least, even on USB.
Martin Poller December 14, 2012 at 10:31am

Have you provided power in addition to the USB cable, to power the RC receiver.