A newbie here with aproblem.
My drone: A Hexacopter with APM 2.6 Flight Controller, separate GPS module, Turnigy 9X transmitter bound to Turnigy receiver. This 'copter, which was purchased from a private party (who speaks no English) on an internet site, flew perfectly prior to a major crash which broke several motor arms. It has been re-built with new motor arms, but nothing else was changed. All wiring was installed exactly as it was at the time of the crash (prior to starting the re-build, numerous close-up photos were taken of the wrecked 'copter to provide visual guidance to put things back into place exactly the way they were prior to the crash).
The Turnigy 9X transmitter and receiver appear to be "bound" - i.e., the red light in the receiver module illuminates immediately when the transmitter is switched on, and that red light remains on steady (no blinking). Attempts to arm the motors (throttle to lowest position, then to far right position) and otherwise start them do not do anything at all - it's as if the APM and the radio receiver are not wired together (but they are, and [it appears to be] correctly so.)
Thinking the APM firmware might have gotten damaged in the crash I have tried to load APM firmware through Mission Planner. Due to the fact that I cannot see the far-right-hand portion of the Mission Planner screen (a video hardware limitation of my computer system (32-bit PC running Windows 10), the only version I can download is 3.2.1.
Each time I try to download the APM firmware the following happens:
1. The download takes place
2. The software verification routine initiates
3. The software verification routine reports:
"Download successful. Error EXP 81 GOT A4 AT 236653"
4. When I click on "OK" and then on "Next", Mission Planner sends me back to the screen where I had to designate which firmware type I was trying to download (Hex, Plane, Heli, etc.)
If I try to download any other type of firmware (APM Pilot or APM Heli, for instance) the same thing happens (I get the same error message, but the HEX values and the address (236653) are different,)
I've spent days searching the internet for anything pertaining to this situation but to no avail (including e-mailing the author of the firmware itself - no response).
Can anyone here help?
Replies
Was finally able to get Mission Planner to work (properly enough to allow me to load the firmware, arm the 'copter, calibrate the radios, the ESC's, and the compass, anyway). Flew the 'copter in several VERY low flights (less than 6" above the ground) just to make sure all controls worked good. They didn't:
1. Although no-props-installed throttle response was gradual and smooth right after calibrating the ESC's, the first time I advanced the throttle after putting the props back on they all seemed to start at the same time, but then one lagged behind the others, all of which suddenly started speeding up without my moving the throttle joystick forward. Had to pull the throttle joystick all the way back to keep the 'copter from flying off. Kerthunk onto the grass it went! This happened five or six times over the next 15 minutes on about 15 very short, very low flights - none of which could be called "successful" (they terminated either in a crash or in an emergency throttle reduction on my part to avoid a crash or a flyaway.)
2. The 'copter kept wanting to flip sideways one way or the other, or forward, or backward. It wanted to yaw to the left every flight. None of these could be corrected with yaw, aileron or elevator trim adjustments on the transmitter unit. I had to constantly hold rudder, elevator, and aileron joystick inputs just to stop all those erratic motions, as well as keep adjusting the throttle in order to prevent a flyaway.
3. Post-flight physical checkout of the 'copter showed it was well-balanced (C.G.-wise) had no loose or shorted wiring, and had no apparent mechanical problems. When I ran Mission Planner Configuration again all the numbers in the Flight Computer matched those that I got before the test flights.
As for the erratice flight controls problems I am going to have to dive into the books to see if there is/are some parameter adjustment(s) somewhere that I can make to solve those anomalies.
Concerning the motor-start-up issue: The only difference between the post-ESC-calibration motor run-ups and the pre-take-off motor run-ups was the addition of the props themselves. Is the added torque required to initiate the spin of a plastic 10 X 4.5 prop enough to keep any (random) one of 6 different 26-28kV motors (4 brand new, 2 older) from turning? I wouldn't think so.
Anyone have any ideas?,
Addendum #2 to my original post:
I switched computers and downloaded Mission Planner to an older Operating System (Windows 7 instead of Windows 10) and had no trouble loading the latest version of APM onto the Arducopter Flight Controller. Have been able to calibrate the radio and to verify the HUD responds to manual movements of the 'copter, but have not yet calibrated the accelerometers nor the compass (too many family members coming to visit on their vacations, not enough time to spend on 'copters!).
What I still CANNOT do is arm the motors. The Mission Planner radio calibration shows the transmitter is "talking" to the receiver and is sending the correct digital codes for all the joystick positions and the receiver is sending those to the Flight Computer. All the motors are wired correctly to the Flight Computer, all battery voltages are where they should be, and the Flight Controller sounds all the proper tones when the battery is connected - yet nothing happens when I hold the throttle stick in the lower right corner of it's travel for 5 to 8 seconds. The Flight Computer's red light continues to flash just as it did when it upon power-up.
Still looking for some help here...
Addendum to my original posting: If I do not have the 'copter connected to the computer and I connect the batter cables up, the 'copter makes it's normal musical upscale sounds then 4 short "beeps", pauses, then gives two more short "beeps". The Flight Control module displays a solid green light, a very rapidly blinking orange (yellow)light, a flashing red light and flashing blue light. When I turn on the power on the remote transmitter, the orange light blinks slowly. When I then turn the transmitter off the orange light turns to a steady light and stays that way.