Hi guys,
When an drone crashes and the propellors hit the ground do the ESCs get damaged. My drone crashed one while I was flying and motor 1 hit the ground along with the propellor. The motor was damaged so I replaced the motor checked and the esc1 seemed to be working fine(Motor 1 was rotating). The next time I flew it the drone climbed and after a while the esc1 failed and crashed (The drone flipped to that side and one FET was also burnt). Was the esc1 already damaged after my first crash?. While taking off it worked fine but did it burn when the load was too high.
Should we replace the esc when the props hit the ground and how do we check if the esc is working
Thank you in advance
Replies
by the way, what version of copter are you using?
Ardupilot suports very nicely motor redundancy, as you can see:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxulbTi0VQ4&feature=emb_logo
you can check this discusion to
https://discuss.ardupilot.org/t/how-to-modify-firmware-for-motors-p...
long ago (2013): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaP76IzKzLc
Sahan said:
sahan, now i cant view the logs, dont have the software now, but you can search for a potential esc or motor damage,
just follow the 2nd step: https://ardupilot.org/copter/docs/common-diagnosing-problems-using-...
For test the esc, you can do 2 ways, mounted on the drone, or disasamble the motor and esc and attach the esc signal
wire to the throttle channel on the receiver.
you can test the esc with a multimiter aswell:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUUEEFihqrg
if you whant to know that there is defetively a problem with that esc, just remove it and changue for a ney and try .
other test you can do is, when you have that experimental mount secured to prevent any accident,
you compare the esc output signals from the bad esc with other god one, but you will ned an osciloscope:
this is one of my cheap favorites :
https://es.aliexpress.com/item/32843061033.html?src=google&src=...
the damaged one wil otput a lower signal close to breakdown.
BUT FIRST YOU WILL NED TO RECALIBRATE THE ESC IF YOU WILL USE THE RECEIVER PWM THRO CHANNEL
FOR WORKING WITH THAT ESC.
this is only to compare the bad esc with a god one, so you will know there is a problem, to localizate the problem on the esc
you wil ned to search for that specific datasheet and investigate the error... but maybe its more practical changue it for a
new one....
Finally, with the drone mounted, you should intercalate the esc by onther, and repeat with the drone atached in the ground,
thest with no propellers aswell... and that whay you can se if there is a problem with the signal wire if you dont have an osciloscope....
by whatching the video i conclude its probable the problem come from the esc, if you have a new one, changue it, recalibrate all, and try again, but in a more soft terrain.. :)
Thank you so much for the reply alberto. So as you mentioned when the props are stopped by a external force it burns. In my case it didnt burn. When I connector a new motor to that esc (Esc1 on my hexarotor) and tested it, it worked fine on the ground. Even during take off there was no problem. It hovered 2m above ground and still there was not problem with esc1. As iI increased throttle and stared climbing the ESC failed causing the motor1 to lose thrust and flip. So my question is during the initial crash where motor1 hit the ground, did the esc get partially damaged. That is it can handle a lower current during takeoff but as throttle is increased it fails. Is this correct. How do I check if the esc is completely okay. Thank you in advance. I have attached a video of my flight and the flight logs as well
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1UotV7IQiK0NQLzqxRmENUtKkGJ0...
Alberto Vila said:
well, i must say that is not the true reallity.
Ardupilot has efective colision detection system, so when the drone is in very specific conditions,
puts the throttle to 0%. https://ardupilot.org/copter/docs/crash_check.html
A lot of "fligth controllers" come with this features integrated, because as you know,Ardupilot
software and hardware has been copied a lot around the world, because is one of the betters...
I burned myself some of these cheap ESCs, just by holding the prop/motor, and put a 2000us pwm signa
l or a 100% throttle(standar not d-shot), this mosfets just explode or burn and even cach fire helped by
the termal-plastic envolture.. so Sahan, you must operate this cheap ESCs under favorable conditions
to prevent these events,
i recomend to you if you can, pursache overdimensionate electronics
to handle more current if you dont want to have an accident of this kind.
Richard Boyhan said: