Hello all,
I've been trying to troubleshoot this problem for a few weeks and I'm starting to get desperate. I tried going through as many threads from this forum as I could and didn't find anything conclusive, so I thought I would ask. Let's hope one of you knows what's happening here. I'll try to give as much info as possible, so please stay with me:
The setting:
- I'm a first-time Arduino user and new to DIYdrones.
- This copter is a X-setup quad.
- I assembled the whole setup, soldering the boards myself, from the jDrones kit.
- I'm using bullet connectors between motors and ESCs, but I put a drop of solder to join the rotating part to the shaft as some people in the forums claim they did.
- Using a DX7 radio and AR7000 receiver.
The problem:
Loading the code and configuring it works correctly. When I reset the board and put the switch in "fly" position, then plug the LiPo, I get a weird blinking pattern on the ABC LEDs on the IMU. I say weird because I could not find anything like it either in the wiki or the forums. It goes kinda like this: A (green) and C (red) flash one after the other 4 times each, then the red one stays lit for a little while, then it starts again. This is when the A light should be staying on, meaning the motors aren't armed yet. Funny thing is, SOMETIMES, after looping the blinking pattern for 5-10 minutes, it does stay on, and I am able to arm my motors (I did a few times already and could control them somewhat correctly with my radio as far as I can tell). It doesn't happen often enough to justify installing the props yet, and I don't know what makes it work some times and not other times, nor do I know why it happens in the first place.
Here is a video of the blinking lights (I took apart the mounting boards so I could film it better with my phonecam, but I can guarantee everything is connected correctly and this is the exact same behavior as when the copter is assembled):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ern-nodcqQ
Steps taken to fix it until now:
- Re-read the whole wiki countless times.
- Searched the forums.
- Tried loading the code both from Arduino and as many versions of the Mission Planner as I could.
- Tried configuring it with both the CLI and the mission planner. Everything seems to be in order with both ways.
- Tried re-calibrating ESCs (through the CLI only. didn't try to recalibrate manually as I felt I was getting further away from the source of the problem).
- Tried taking the magnetometer and GPS out of the equation because I suspected they didn't initialize correctly. LEDs still have the weird sequence.
- Took apart the copter, checked all the solders on the APM and IMU, corrected a few, put it back together, still no dice.
If you need more details just tell me what and how to get them.
If you also have this problem please speak up.
Thanks in advance to whoever paid attention to this thread!
- Kevin
Replies
Ok, after a good month and a half, filled with frustration about this build and other IRL distractions, I jumped back on the proverbial horse.
Guillermo, I tried resetting the boards, recalibrated the ESCs, that didn't change anything. I'd like to have more details about which switch you're talking about so I can whip out my multimeter and give you relevant data.
Oliver, I think you got me very near a conclusive diagnosis; doing what you told me gave me the following trace:
So I think that as you said, the calibration fails, at the gyro part. Is there any way to solve this? What should I look for next?
I'm currently trying to get a trace from one of those elusive tests where I can actually arm the motors, to see if that Init Gyro part goes through.
Has anyone else been having this problem? It's most likely hardware-based (I think) since I get the same behavior with every firmware version I try.
EDIT: YAY! Data!
here's the trace when the board boots correctly:
Sooo... most likely the gyro? What's the next step? I'll try to check where the Gyro is on the IMU and see if everything is in order. I'm getting desperate with this and I don't think I have the money right now to buy another APM/IMU, so please, any help is appreciated.
Can you connect a USB cable, connect via the Arduino Serial Console (same as for CLI setup) and post a brief trace of the output when the lights are blinking in Flight Mode?
Either the Calibration Fails, or you have an issue where your board keeps rebooting.
Ollie.