Hi
I have had problems with ESCs not calibrating properly before and wondered if any of you have had ESCs that would take a calibration and then just behave erratically anyway flipping the Mutlicopter?
I also have a very reliable unit that now I have update the board, when I put on a battery and calibrate the ESC it flies perfectly. When I change the battery and fly again, the motor seem to just go to full throttle and flip the unit.
I've battled with this but ESCs not calibrating and ESCs need recalibration for every change of battery is becoming a tiresome feature.
Please dont tell me the routine for ESC calibration, I have done it a million times both in unison and individual, but the problems still keep occurring. I can only assume that the ESCs Calibration is the issue. Its happening on lots of platforms with lots of different motors and different ESCs, the only constant is the Ardupilot board.
Close to chucking it all in at the moment I'm so pissed off. If any of you are near Birmingham and fancy a look, I can show you.
CHeers
Ewen
Replies
Try to reproduce the problem with the copter tied down on the 2nd flight. As soon as one motor ("flying" tied down) goes berserk, pull out all the ESC plugs and try the ESCs directly on the throttle channel on a receiver. Either individually or all at the same time with a multi way Y harness you make. Do they really not behave the same? Then is probably is a calibration thing.
I got tired of this calibration thing too, before I even needed to do it. The only reason that it is needed is that there is no precision time reference on the ESCs and the PWM signalling need that. They really should only sell some with a crystal or at least a decent resonator on them. I was so fortunate that I could get a large number of E-Flite 30A ESCs with crystal for almost free. With SimonK, perfect. Other multicopters solved it by not using PWM.
Let's the CAN bus ESCs and see an end to the misery..
Regards
Soren