MR60

ESC calibration "all at once" procedure on Pixhawk

Posted by Hugues on February 3, 2014 at 12:11pm

Hello,

I just experimented a few days ago with my first pixhawk board to calibrate ESCs automatically (all at once).

Normally this works by the following steps:

1- turning on you transmitter, throttle up to max

2-Plugging in your battery (the board then understand you're in programming ESC mode)

3-unplug the battery

4-Replug the battery still having the throttle up

5-Wait a couple of seconds for the two beeps sounds emitted by the ESCs to then drop the throttle down

6-Wait for a confirmation beep the low throttle position was recorded (and then unplug the battery).done.

However the issue with the pixhawk board is that there is a physical safety switch you need to press for a duration a a few seconds to trigger the pixhawk board to send out the throttle PWM signal to the ESCs.

The issue is that once you plug in the battery, ESCs wait for max 5 sec max before entering their programming mode (and leave after two seconds their throttle range calibration mode), therefore making it impossible to press the pixhawk safety switch for a few seconds.

By the time the pixhawk lets you send the throttle signal to the ESC, the ESCs have already quit their throttle range calibration mode and you hear the programming beeps...

Could the developers tell me if their is a trick or a correction they could bring to carry out this ESC calibration with pixhawk without stress ?

thx!

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Replies

  • Maciej Karpinski October 13, 2014 at 5:57am

    Made a calibration yesterday on a Pixhawk, RC Timer HVSK-40a ESCs with SimonK firmware and it worked fine with the safety button.

    You can see in the video that the ESCs are not calibrated first and then after following the instructions with safety button yoy can hear that the settings are saved after I pull down the throttle and when I test the calibration all motors start at once.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnh8MkoNCIY

  • F. C. Bearsch May 23, 2014 at 2:34pm

    do we have a resolution?

    • Kay Fricke > F. C. Bearsch May 23, 2014 at 2:51pm

      Tearig,

      my problem with the calibration got solved by reinspecting my wiring ... mixed up aux and motor out ...

      but I realized that only in the end, after i did it all.

      going back to pixhawk flightcode, and switching esc's.

      I'm so very happy with the pixhawk and the pixhawk flightcode.

      I won't switch back to apm.

      It's so amazingly stable, responsive and agile.

      Not one crash, not one problem since more than 25 flights.

      http://pixhawk.org/firmware/downloads

    • F. C. Bearsch > Kay Fricke May 24, 2014 at 6:42am

      Kay, thanks for the response.... 

      I went with a diy y6... the kit went together very easy but it looks like I must have a broken solder connection on one of my esc's the issue seems to be that the way the pcb fits in to the main plate it is easy to break a solder joint anyway I digress..

      Glad to hear about the Pixhawk, and think it will become my favorite as I have a Crius that I have yet to get to work.. and a KK2.1.5 that is ok, just feel like it is fun for a knock around flyer but you have to be on your game to fly it as it is all manual, with the winds and tress hear at the beach it is almost not fun to fly... would be better on something smaller but it is on a 350 size just big enough that it like to break little bits on hard landings....

      mine I had something pulled... got the esc's to calibrate but tearing it down again to fix what I know is bad...

  • Kay Fricke April 6, 2014 at 12:10pm

    Hey Hugues, Dear Devs,

    i'm currently converting a former apm controller based tbs disco, to pixhawk. Having similar difficulties.

    Running 3.1.2 on pixhawk hardware, with rctimer 30A SiminK ESC and 2208 Motors (on 4S), with a Spektrum DX8. Calibration was okay (Accels, Mag, RC) ...

    With the pixhawk firmware (not the apm) on a Flamewheel 450 (with similar hardware), i was able to overcome this problem by powering the board via usb (using a phone charger).

    The steps were:

    1.) Power up the Pixhawk over usb (with a phone charger)

    2.) have your remote on full throttle 

    3.) get Pixhawk into ESC Calibration mode

    4.) Now connect the Battery

    5.) After Motor Beeps, pull down throttle 

    6.) done

    For the copter i'm currently converting from apm controller to pixhawk (with apm firmware), i'm not able to use this bypass. 

    What I noticed so far, is that my Throttle Signal is significant lower, than it was while using the apm controller:

    - Spektrum DX8 

    - on APM Controller connected with an A8000: 1910

    - on Pixhawk Controller connected with DXMS Satelite: 1850

    Trying now the Bypass Method on the formerly calibrated ESC (rctimer 30A SimonK), I don't get them into re-calibration. I suspect this may have to do with the lower max throttle.

    All trials and tests failed so far, I don't get the Motors started by no means, eventhough the signal detection sound is given, no motor is starting after arm. I checked the servo cabling twice (yes, i got them wrong on the first run). Power is removed from the Servo cables (just Ground and Sig).

    Any Idea anyone,

    I ain't got no more ...

    especially because individual Calibration seems also not to be an option (Signal differences on A8000 and direct DSMX Connection).

    Scrap the ESC's?

    • MR60
      Hugues > Kay Fricke April 6, 2014 at 12:42pm

      Another idea to try: disable the safety button as I think it is possible with a parameter in the full parameters list; but I don't remember its name.

      Another trick I use is to remove the buzzer on pixhawk so that I listen only to the ESC sounds without being confused by the pixhawk sounds.

    • Kay Fricke > Hugues April 6, 2014 at 3:04pm

      Hey Hugues,

      it seems im facing a problem due to switching between PX4 and APM Flight Code ...

      I found some hints for the procedure to force update the px4io.bin ...

      see http://ardupilot.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5744

      I will try that tomorrow. And report here.

    • MR60
      Hugues > Kay Fricke April 9, 2014 at 2:25pm

      any news about your test ?

    • Kay Fricke > Hugues April 9, 2014 at 2:41pm

      only bad news so far ...

      the procedure to also update the px4io firmware did succeed, but no progress on the issue.

      I neither was able to calibrate nor start the motors, although the esc beep quiet friendly on startup.I will try to do some other tests, befor i start switching the esc's.

      Did also try to readjust the throttle output on the rc tx, from 100% to 120% on both ends, which also had no results.

      A few things left to try ...

      - test some spare esc's if they respond

      - go back to pixhawk flight code, and retry calibration / motor startup

      - then (only maybe) give the apm firmware another shot ...

      I'm all the time able to control my gimbal with the rc8 channel with no problem (2 axis alexmos, tilt control on the rc).

      I'm not yet running out of options here ... but there are only a few left ... which seems a bit of bad magic is involved.

      The controller was doing a very fine job with the same brand and type of esc's on pixhawk firmware in a 450 frame. 

    • Jeff P > Kay Fricke April 9, 2014 at 3:42pm
      Have you checked output pins 1-4 to ensure they are producing a signal ?
      I have done the all in one on all my copters with 3 different brand of ESC
      Works every time
      What brand of ESC are you using ?
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