Pixhawk Frustrations...this is a cry for help!!

Hey guys, I usually don't ask for help with things because I'm generally not bad at researching and figuring things out on my own but I'm really stumped here.

I have a pixhawk that I originally used in a techpod and after about a week of tinkering, I got that working fine. Good coms from ground station, accelerometer working, gps and compass working, all modes working relatively well.

I've since tried to transition everything to a quadcopter and have had issue after issue after issue. I can't seem to find a solution to my several problems...
1. I'm using a qbrain 4x25a ESC and can get that calibrated fine with my RC Controller but when hooked to the pixhawk I get no response. It just keeps beeping like it's not receiving a signal, even when armed. Everything else appeared to be working as usual. All sensors and RC control although I had to recalibrate the rc connection multiple times. No idea why.

I felt like I might have worked through the ESC issue this morning but now I can't even get the pixhawk to start properly. I power it on and all the LEDs at the top light but the big one just blinks yellow a few times then goes blank. I can't connect with USB or radio link(sometimes the USB connection works). I'm really confused because all I did was recalibrate the escs with the spektrum reciever. I feel like everytime I fix a problem a new one springs up.

Setup is as follows:
-4s zippy compact 4000mah 25c
-pixhawk running mission planner and latest quad firmware
-qbrain 4x25a ESC
-3drobotics mag/gps
-spektrum dx7s controller

My questions are:
1: please help?!
2. Does transitioning from fixed wing to quad require any special steps? Wiping mem card etc?
3. My power module was modified to work with a 6S battery and was verified working but now with 4S is there a problem with if?
4. I can't remote arm not sure why...but I can with the button and the laptop.

Any help would be incredibly appreciated, I'm stumped.

Erik
PS. If anyone wants to trade a dji naza with gps I'd be willing to do that at this point.

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Permalink Reply by Xian06 on June 10, 2014 at 11:40am

You need to press safety switch for signals for esc.

I have dji opto esc-s and start beeping still I press safety button.

Permalink Reply by Mike Knott on June 10, 2014 at 11:48am

Did you reflash the firmware to copter rather than plane? The two programs are vastly different. Walk us through your entire setup procedure.

Permalink Reply by Erik on June 10, 2014 at 11:49am
I have been using the safety switch. I hold it down until it's solid. I've alsotried starting and quickly pressing the safety switch like another user recommended.
Permalink Reply by Erik on June 10, 2014 at 12:12pm
@mike yeah I re flashed the pixhawk to quadcopter from plane.

Setup is as follows:
1. Took just the pixhawk, nothing plugged in, and re flashed to quadcopter setup from arduplane. Successful.

2. Installed pixhawk in the copter and hooked up the GPS, compass, spektrum satellite, power module to their appropriate connectors and powered on with the battery. I noticed the pixhawk wouldn't power up from the ESC BEC alone (5.6v). I also plugged the motor signal wires appropriately in 1-4 (NOT in the Aux side). Everything was fine the first time I did this, however I could not arm with the rudder ( I had this switched off on the techpod)

3. At this point I tried to calibrate the ESC, and got the no signal beep from it. I had previously successfully tested and calibrated it with the spektrum reciever, figured out spin directions etc. I have not successfully gotten the pixhawk to spin up the motors at all. And yes I'm using the arming switch.

4. Today I re calibrated the ESC and was going to try the ESC calibration app, but for no apparent reason I haven't been able to connect to pixhawk. All the small LEDs light up, but the large central one blinks yellow twice and goes out. The arm button blinks and the gps blinks.

All I had time and patience to get today.
Permalink Reply by Mike Knott on June 10, 2014 at 12:19pm

When you go to calibrate the ESCs, are you pressing the safety switch once you hear the arming sound? That might be why the ESCs aren't calibrating.

Permalink Reply by Erik on June 10, 2014 at 3:12pm

Yeah, I've tried pressing it after the tones stop and also immediately on power up.  The safety switch will go solid, but the esc just keeps beeping and throttle does nothing, nor does the esc sound like its calibrating.


MR60Permalink Reply by Hugues on June 10, 2014 at 3:37pm

Hello,

-a thing to know: calibrating the ESC through pixhawk just does not work on some ESCs due to a race condition between the time required to press the safety switch and the time it takes for the ESCs to enter programming mode. So the easiest solution is not to use pixhawk to calibrate your ESCs. Just calibrate them by connecting them directly to your receiver channel 3. (Pixhawk does not need to be involved in the ESCs calibration process)

-another thing to know: it is normal it does not arm when putting your left stick down on the right bottom corner. APM:copter does a series of pre arm checks before allowing pixhawk to arm (even if you pressed the safety switch). To see what are arm check is preventing you from arming, connect pixhawk by telemetry to mission planner and it will show what pre arm check failed on the HUD display.

Alternatively you can deactivate the pre arm checks in the parameters list (can't remember the exact name of this parameter).

-about powering your pixhawk with a "modified power module", verify you feed the right voltage (use a multimeter)

Let us know of any progress

Permalink Reply by Erik on June 10, 2014 at 4:32pm

Thanks Hugues, I wasn't sure if calibrating the ESC through pixhawk was the reason they wouldn't spin up when everything seemed to be armed.  I can successfully calibrate through my RC ch3.  The ESCs are just beeping as if no RC is connected when I attempt with the pixhawk.

 

I tried deactivating the pre arm checks in parameters and still nothing.

 

Yeah i'll make sure the voltage is good on that, I think I checked it though when I was using it on the techpod.

 

Thank you everyone for the help and input, I'll try some thing tomorrow morning and update.

 

Going to try:

1.  Reformatting SD Card.

2.  Reflashing Firmware with Mission planner and doing the IO update.

3.  Re do the setup wizard.

4.  Manual ESC calibration with RC3 on receiver.

5.  Test...


3D RoboticsPermalink Reply by Chris Anderson on June 10, 2014 at 5:13pm

In the case of a corrupted flash, the IO update is typically the solution. Power on with the safety button and wait for these tones. 

Permalink Reply by Cala on June 10, 2014 at 6:19pm

You try to re-calibrate the radiocontrol? One time solved me a similar issue with APM.

Permalink Reply by Nic Chapleau on June 10, 2014 at 7:45pm

Re-format your SDCard...Doesn't hurt to try.

Permalink Reply by Erik on June 10, 2014 at 8:50pm
Some really good advice here, I'm gonna try all this in the morning and I'll let you guys know how it goes. Thank you.

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