Discussions

ArduPilot Mega 2.6 USB Connection Issue

Posted by Steven Kothenbeutel on November 16, 2013 at 8:12pm

I've read extensively other forum entries regarding difficulties connecting via USB the APM 2.6 module.

I'm having no luck with connecting via USB.

Here are the steps I undertook:

(1) I downloaded the latest USB driver for APM.

(2) Restarted Windows 8 and removed driver signature enforcement.

(3) Came back into Windows and installed the APM driver.  It accepted it.

(4) I plugged in just the APM 2.6 module via USB to my computer and I got several LED lights that came on and then went off.

(5) The "ABC" LED lights came on (at least I could see the blue and red although I don't think I could actually see the green) along with the extra LED status LED nearest to the USB port.  But all lights came on and promptly went off.  No hardware is recognized by Windows.

This is a brand new APM 2.6 module I ordered.  I have yet to plug anything into it other than the compass module and the USB cabling.

Any thoughts on what could be the problem?

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Replies

  • Søren Kuula November 18, 2013 at 4:58pm

    Hi,

    The USB device should be recognised even if the main CPU on the APM board doesn't do anything meaningful at all. The important thing is the smaller processor near the USB port. That should have been pre-programmed at delivery. Do you see the list of devices in Windows' Device Manager when plugging?

    Do all lights go off? No red-blue flashing show, followed by yellow light? That's not normal then. Can you measure if the board has voltage at all? Maybe the USB port shut down the power on the interface because of too much current draw (other devices on USB?). Normally it is no problem at all with the APM, it uses only little power.

    Is the USB cable OK with another device?

    Regards

    Soren

    • vf171 > Søren Kuula May 10, 2014 at 5:55pm

      I am having a similar issue as the OP. I bought a used set up from a guy of another forum. Finally had time to hook it up to the PC this evening and I get the blinking red/blue followed by a steady red flash and a message in WIndows 8.1 saying the USB device isn't recognized. I did turn of enforcment of signed drivers through just in case. 

      This is an APM 2.6, I do have telemetry radios but I don't have a working power module yet. The power module that came with the deal has a male deans on one end and is clipped on the other end. So I can't hook a battery up to the power module just yet. 

      Can I plug the telemetry radio into the APM while connected to the PC via USB or do I need to power it from a lipo and the power module? 

      I have a DMM and I am fairly proficient with it so I can measure voltages if I know what pins/test points and what voltages I am looking for. 

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