Ardupilot Mega stopped working after 5 minutes of use

Hello all,

This morning, I finished soldering my Ardupilot Mega and the IMU Shield.

After a visual check up, I connect the IMU to the computer through the USB connector and a few leds went on both on the IMU and on the ardupilot.

The computer recognized the new device and installed it.

After a few minutes checking the arduino software, all the leds went off on both boards.

Then I verified that the fuse on the IMU was very hot.

Then I did some tests:

1- If I connect the IMU to the computer without the ardupilot board, the leds on the IMU goes on like this: power led on all the time, rx and tx blinks a few times and go off. No other leds turns on regardless of moving the board. The fuse on the IMU stays cold.

2- I f I connect the IMU to the computer with the ardupilot, no leds gos on and the fuse on the IMU heats.

I don't know what happened with the ardupilot mega board after a few minutes of use...

I also checked the board for shorts, using a multimeter, but I didn't find any pin in shot with other beside.

Could someone help me with this problem, please :-( ?

Thank you

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Its hard to say based on the info you have provided. Why are you powering the shield without the APM?? If the fuse is hot, then you have a power short or overcurrent. Polyfuses work by heating then internally opening and disconnecting to save the electronics from an overcurrent conditions. It sounds like its doing its job.If no servos or other loads are attached then its most likely a short. I can see from the pictures, lots of residual flux which can get in the way of you're ohmmeter tests. I would clean that up with anhydrous alcohol and a stiff brush then retest the continuity between power and ground at many locations; first on the APM then on the shield then on both. Use the schematic as a guide.Remove the short and youre board should work. Until that, I would not bypass the fuse in order to power the board-let it do its job.

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Skip Frombach November 28, 2010 at 6:01pm

I would purchase some solder wick and go over the egde pin connections with it and a soldering iron. You have some pretty large solder joints on those pins and it could be that you are overlooking a short there. Also, some of them look like they are not bonded to the pads below. The solder should flow around the pin and look like a fillet weld. It also looks like there may be a solder bridge under the capacitor near the Gyro / Relay area. Right at the end of the white arrow near the fuse.

My best suggestion...being one of those who is optically challeged myself, Invest in a really big magnifier and look those boards over closely. There just has to be a bridge somewhere on the board.
Good luck.
SciFly October 25, 2010 at 9:50am

Its hard to say based on the info you have provided. Why are you powering the shield without the APM?? If the fuse is hot, then you have a power short or overcurrent. Polyfuses work by heating then internally opening and disconnecting to save the electronics from an overcurrent conditions. It sounds like its doing its job.If no servos or other loads are attached then its most likely a short. I can see from the pictures, lots of residual flux which can get in the way of you're ohmmeter tests. I would clean that up with anhydrous alcohol and a stiff brush then retest the continuity between power and ground at many locations; first on the APM then on the shield then on both. Use the schematic as a guide.Remove the short and youre board should work. Until that, I would not bypass the fuse in order to power the board-let it do its job.
Jaime Felipe October 17, 2010 at 2:43pm

Could anyone tell me if there is any chance of recovering my ardupilot mega, and if it appears from the behavior described above that the IMU Shield seems to be ok?
Thank you

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Ardupilot Mega stopped working after 5 minutes of use

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