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MR60

Mission Planner Mavlink Won't Connect (No Heatbeat Packets Received)

Posted by Forrest Frantz on April 16, 2014 at 7:16pm

MP connected and downloaded firmware to the APM 2.5 without issue.  But when I click the upper right Connect to get the parameters:

o When the USB is plugged in, COM4 Adrino Mega 2560 (COM4) appears [device setting is 115200 as is the MP pulldown]

o When click Connect

   - MP sees the connection and it starts to connect

  -  APM blue light 3 times, red flashes twice, yellow light flashes, green is solid 

o Then countdown to "No Heatbeat Packets Received"

  - orange light stops

  - green stays solid

o Under details, the following is shown.

3691113690?profile=original

I might be just tired, but can anyone help?

I'm powering via the USB.  Nothing but the GPS/Mag and radio is powered by the APM (disconnected the receiver and ESCs).  I've tried adding battery power, reinstalling the firmware (does that part just fine), differnt USB ports, restarting my computer, ... 

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Replies

  • LTMNO May 8, 2015 at 6:25pm

    just used another USB cable and all is fine.

  • MR60
    Forrest Frantz June 8, 2014 at 6:48pm

    Finally Found the MavLink No Hearbeat Problem.  Faulty Hardware.

    - Returned the PixHawk

    - When back from sailing in the Bay of Biscay, there was the new one on my desk

    This time plugged each hardware item in one at a time.

    - Just the Pixhawk ... connected

    - Pixhawk + Receiver ... connected

    - + Buzzer ... connected

    - + Switch ... connected

    - + GPS ... connected

    - + Mag ... Mavlink no heatbeat

    Tried different orders, always the mag.  Took the integrated mag/compass off of my APM 2.5.  It worked fine.

    So, if you get a No Heatbeat, try connecting hardware one at a time.  In my case, if the light next to the sim card didn't light up that meant something was wrong and I wasn't going to get a Heatbeat.

    Sure hope that's it.

  • emile 'butch' alline May 23, 2014 at 4:51pm

    I have same problem.

    MP 1.3.3 Build 1.1.5256.36415, Win 8.0 ugh
    Can connect with 3DR telemetry radio fine.
    Cannot connect using USB with radio disconnected.
    Tried several cables, USB ports, re-booting with no connect.
    APM 2.6 shows power. Worked with a previous MP version, but I do not recall which one.

    Trying Auto connect at default baud rate of 115,200 yields error: "Timeout waiting for Autoscan…" and sometimes the window grays out.

    Trying "Mega" port at various baud rates yields timeout " No heartbeat…"

    Any and all help appreciated.

    • This reply was deleted.
      • emile 'butch' alline May 24, 2014 at 5:44am

        Thanks GregM.  Problem went away in a weird way.  Shut down computer last night with nothing working, started computer in morning and USB works.  I did absolutely nothing to change the situation.  

  • T3
    Ted Van Slyck April 22, 2014 at 5:47am
    Have you tried a different USB cable?
    What about connecting via telemetry to narrow things down a bit?
    My old APM 2.0's have been through the ringer and often have USB connection problems. Telemetry to the rescue!
    • MR60
      Forrest Frantz > Ted Van Slyck April 22, 2014 at 7:54am

      Thanks Ted.  Yes, but the following is more background.

      It connected once fine with the GPS/Mag and radio connected.  Then I connected the receiver.  What I saw was the board appeared to brown out (a couple blinks and then off each time I tried).

      After that, it stopped communicating via Mavlink (reciever connected or not) but still communicated via MP firmware upload.  I tried connecting battery power to supplement power via the power module.  The behavior didn't change (lights went woud blink a few times and then go out if i connected the receiver and the added power didn't help Mavlink even when the radio wasn't connected).  The receiver power was connected via the receiver input +/- pins w/ red going to the middle pin, ground on the outside pin, and the channels to the inside pins (pin orientation upwards).

      Any other ideas, let me know as I'll get back to it when i build the "friend" copter.  

      I haven't tried communicating with it via radio.  Was going to but made the decision to fly the PixHawk instead.

      • This reply was deleted.
        • MR60
          Forrest Frantz May 25, 2014 at 1:46am

          worked with the techs.  they said to return it.  did so just prior to sailing the Bay of Biscay and Atlantic off the coast of spain.  will see if the replacement works when i get back in June.

      • MR60
        Hugues > Forrest Frantz April 22, 2014 at 11:23am

        Good decision to fly pixhawk, you'll get all the benefits of the next release 3.2 and you will get redundancy: power, sensors, etc

      • T3
        Ted Van Slyck > Forrest Frantz April 22, 2014 at 10:20am
        I'm stumped. I'd try telemetry, but the situation does not sound good. Have you used the receiver on anything else since? Maybe it caused a short..
  • Henri April 19, 2014 at 1:37pm

    @Forrest Frantz

    it happens to me when:

    I connect using a usb cable with CLI and then after clicking the [disconnect] button in the CLI I try to reconnect with mavlink.

    Then I got the same problem. (Windows 7).

    My Solution:


    1) Disconnecting the USB plug from the APM and power if connected to a battery.

    2) Shutdown Mission planner on the PC.

    3) Re connect The USB cable between the PC and the APM

    4) Restart Mission planner software and connect 

    Then everything is ok again.

    Hope this helps

    Henri

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