Power Module and using Servos with BEC power from one ESC
- 1. If you have a power module and you are using servos Remove JP1.
- 2. Provide APM and receiver power via the power module connected to the APM’s power module connector.
- 3. The BEC of a single ESC must provide sufficient power for all your servos.
- 4. When connecting your ESCs to the OUTPUT connector clip the BEC power leads on all but one of the ESC’s connectors.
- 5. Or connect only the ESC signal wires to the OUTPUT connector for all except one ESC.
- And on that ESC connect all 3 wires to the OUTPUT connector.
I would greatly appreciate some more detail on the above procedure because I find no discussion using the red/black wire from the 3DR Quadcopter Power Distribution Board.
Is the red/black wire from the 3DR Quadcopter Power Distribution Board plugged onto the two pins along the 5V and Ground (middle and outer) rows of pins on APM 2.5′s Output side?
Does Step 2 mean using the six pin PM connection?
In Step 3 does the BEC of a single ESC provide sufficient power for two servos?
Step 4 - Really? Isn't step 5 the exact way the 3DR Quadcopter Power Distribution Board is supposed to be connected to the APM 2.5/6?
Could someone explain the camera servo signal and power setup using the 3DR Quadcopter Power Distribution Board with APM 2.5/6?
I look forward to a good discussion so to assist others with safely installing a 2-axis gimbal using current hardware. Thanks in advance!
Replies
"Is the red/black wire from the 3DR Quadcopter Power Distribution Board plugged onto the two pins along the 5V and Ground (middle and outer) rows of pins on APM 2.5′s Output side?"
----- Yes, the red/black two pin plug will bring the power from the PDB to the APM output rail. By removing JP1 you are ensuring that the APM isn't drawing power from these wires anymore.
"Does Step 2 mean using the six pin PM connection?"
------ Yes, this step simply means plug the six pin connector from your power module into your APM
"In Step 3 does the BEC of a single ESC provide sufficient power for two servos?"
------ This depends on your ESC, most give around 2A but get very hot as you get close to that limit. I would look up your particular ESC and see what the datasheet for it says. If it is unlisted in the Datasheet, find the 5V regulator chip on your ESC and google the datasheet for that component.
"Step 4 - Really?"
---- Really, this makes sure you are only using the power from one BEC rather than using all of them in parallel (which can cause some funny behavior if they are not meant to be used that way). If you would rather not cut wires, you can either do Step 5 instead, or just de-pin the red wire from all but one of the plugs and tape it up.
" Isn't step 5 the exact way the 3DR Quadcopter Power Distribution Board is supposed to be connected to the APM 2.5/6?"
----- No, this is not the usual way. The usual way is to have all 3 pins of the connector plugged in. The best way I can think of to do this is to just offset your connectors you are not drawing 5V from so two of the pins (5V and GND) are just hanging out in space with just the white wire plugged in.
"Could someone explain the camera servo signal and power setup using the 3DR Quadcopter Power Distribution Board with APM 2.5/6?"
----Have not used APM 2.6, but it should be the same.
See how much current you need and look up a datasheet for your ESC. Make sure it can do the job with room to spare.
Plug in your power module to the APM, remove JP1.
Flip three of your ESC to PDB 3 pin cables around so that just the white wire is plugged in and the red and black are hanging into space.
Plug your 3 pin wire that goes to your servo into your APM output rail. The path of power for this is now -- 5V BEC on ESC to PDB board to APM output rail to Servo. The APM output rail is now independent from the rest of the APM 5V rail and so everything you hook up to it will be powered from that one BEC on the ESC.