LibrePilot Forum
Users => Vehicles - MultiRotors => Topic started by: Jim0000 on July 29, 2020, 01:59:28 pm
-
I have a CC3D flight controller in a home made quad. Four banggood motors. 2212 100kv. Four 30A generic banggood ESC. FrSky D series receiver.
The quad has flown before, but only short flights.
I am now having trouble getting the yaw channel to respond when I go to the transmitter set up wizard. The other three are working ok.
In the LibrePilot GCS page, it shows receiver activity in three channels, but no activity in the yaw channel.
As a result, I am unable to arm the craft using the common yaw right and throttle minimum.
Can someone assist me with this please?
-
Are you using PWM signal from receiver to CC3D? Maybe the yaw wire is damaged, usually at the connector. Also unplug the CC3D connector and examine the tiny male connector parts in the connector shell in CC3D.
Plug a servo directly into the receiver yaw connection and see if that works.
Try a new, default airplane model in the transmitter; maybe the yaw channel has been misconfigured.
Test that transmitter with another receiver and aircraft that are known to work.
-
Thanks Cliff. I will check all those possibilities.
The tx. is ok.
It might be the plug and pins, but that is just a guess.
More later...................
Jim.
-
Are you using PWM signal from receiver to CC3D? ................
Yes.
Maybe the yaw wire is damaged, usually at the connector. Also unplug the CC3D connector and examine the tiny male connector parts in the connector shell in CC3D...............
Checked: it looks ok.
Plug a servo directly into the receiver yaw connection and see if that works.............
I have done that: it works.
Try a new, default airplane model in the transmitter; .................
My apologies upfront, but I don't know what you mean by "airplane model". Do you mean the fixed wing option and NOT a quadcopter? (That is what I understand as and "airplane").
Or do you mean a new "quad" in the LibrePilot transmitter settings page?
Test that transmitter with another receiver and aircraft that are known to work.
Done that test, and all ok and working.
Jim.
-
My apologies upfront, but I don't know what you mean by "airplane model". Do you mean the fixed wing option and NOT a quadcopter?
Yes, but... :) Airplane models have 4 simple direct stick controls (you really need a 5th channel on a switch for flight mode also). You don't want a "heli" model. If it has an actual "multicopter" model then that is very probably correct also. Older transmitters might not have a multicopter; and heli has pitfalls, so airplane is usually suggested.
I've got some Taranis transmitters, and to be honest I don't recall ever using the multicopter type. :o I should try it. I suspect that the main difference is that you don't have to mentally equate e.g. airplane rudder and multicopter yaw.
-
Oh, I now see what you mean.
By select a new airplane in the transmitter I assumed you meant the transmitter page in OpenPilot set up.
My mistake; sorry.
I will try that now. (However, when I plug a servo into the receiver yaw channel, the servo works indicating the required signal is at least getting that far.
So, it does appear to me that this test would not be relevant, correct or not?
Thanks,
Jim.
-
Yaw function is coming out the receiver, so no need to try a different model in the transmitter. CC3D cable is bad or CC3D yaw input pin is bad (or you have found a bug).
Just plug a different CC3D wire/connector into the receiver yaw output, verify that you now get a CC3D signal changing when you wiggle the yaw stick. Re-run the transmitter wizard and it all should work.
-
Thanks for the reply Cliff.
I have not yet found the bug.
I'll take a look and see if I can find a replacement cable, or make a new one up.
More later.............
-
No new cable needed. Just pick one of the unused connectors that come from CC3D PPM input connector, unplug the current yaw connector (i.e. yaw servo connector) from receiver, and plug the different one in where the old yaw connector was. Then re-run transmitter wizard. Basically you are using a different CC3D wire and input channel to carry the known working receiver yaw channel; transmitter wizard sees and automatically configures to use whatever channel number you use for yaw (and others of course). The code says "oh I see that channel #5 is moving after I tell the user to wiggle the yaw stick" instead of like channel 3 or whatever it was originally connected to.
(It's possible that it is something inside CC3D. Replacing the cable won't fix that, but using a different CC3D channel as just described will fix it (unless the new CC3D channel is also broken, which is not likely)).
-
No new cable needed. Just pick one of the unused connectors that come from CC3D PPM input connector, unplug the current yaw connector (i.e. yaw servo connector) from receiver, and plug the different one in where the old yaw connector was. ......................
Thanks Cliff.
Apologies for this late reply, I had given up on this and only logged on this morning.
I'll try that this morning and report back.
Jim.
-
I tried using channel 5 as the yaw input. The transmitter set up wizard recognised a PWM signal on channel 5, but it still does not operate the yaw function.
-
Did you re-run one of the wizards after you plugged an unused CC3D input into the receiver yaw output?
Did the wizard animation show all 5 of the channels were working? Does the Input page Receiver Activity box now show that each function of 5 (4 sticks plus 1 switch) has activity and a different channel number? If so, then simply rerunning the transmitter wizard or the whole setup wizard should work correctly and make all the functions work.
There are 3 large ( :) ) chips on the CC3D. One of the 3 has 8 large ( :) ) leads. Can you read the brand on that chip? If it is "Winbond", or really anything besides "ST", then you have the CC3D "erase settings problem" that could be causing you some problems; and need to use a fixed firmware recently posted.
https://forum.librepilot.org/index.php?topic=4912.msg32933#msg32933
See the transmitter (FrSky) instructions about how to enable any one of the transmitter switches, the default is that none of them do anything. One small issue is that if you tell it that you don't have a flight mode switch, then the GCS transmitter animation that tells you which stick is moving ... doesn't move (a bug) even though everything but the visual effect is actually working and if you just follow the instructions and pretend that the animation is working, it will finish correctly.
-
Did you re-run one of the wizards after you plugged an unused CC3D input into the receiver yaw output?...............
Yes.
Did the wizard animation show all 5 of the channels were working? ...................
No.
Just Channels 1,2,3 & 5.
(I will check this again though, just to be sure, tonight).
Does the Input page Receiver Activity box now show that each function of 5 (4 sticks plus 1 switch) has activity and a different channel number? If so, then simply rerunning the transmitter wizard or the whole setup wizard should work correctly and make all the functions work.............
I am not sure I understand this question, however I will go through it again and perhaps it will become clearer.
There are 3 large ( :) ) chips on the CC3D. One of the 3 has 8 large ( :) ) leads. Can you read the brand on that chip? If it is "Winbond", or really anything besides "ST", then you have the CC3D "erase settings problem" that could be causing you some problems; and need to use a fixed firmware recently posted.
https://forum.librepilot.org/index.php?topic=4912.msg32933#msg32933..................
I will check and follow up.
See the transmitter (FrSky) instructions about how to enable any one of the transmitter switches, the default is that none of them do anything. One small issue is that if you tell it that you don't have a flight mode switch, then the GCS transmitter animation that tells you which stick is moving ... doesn't move (a bug) even though everything but the visual effect is actually working and if you just follow the instructions and pretend that the animation is working, it will finish correctly.
I will have to read that a couple of more times...........to understand it. Will do so tonight after the days work.
Thanks for hanging in here with me Cliff.
Jim.
-
.................anything besides "ST", then ................
I pulled it out and checked. Mine is STM32F.
-
The STM32F is the main processor chip. It has a LOT of tiny leads. The ship we need to know about is the one with 8 (comparatively) large leads. Or you can simply flash the matching version of the patched firmware without checking the flash ram brand. It won't hurt.
If you verify the brand of the "large" 8 pin chip with "large pins" we can tell if that is your problem. If you have this problem, it needs to be fixed before continuing, so either flash the fixed firmware or verify that the brand of the 8 pin chip is ST before continuing.
The Configuration->Input page has a "Receiver Activity" box in the upper right corner.
USB power does not power the RC receiver. You need a flight battery plugged in for that. So with it powered by a battery (probably through the ESC's voltage reduction BEC) and with USB also plugged in and the transmitter and receiver running, when you (one at a time) wiggle 4 stick directions and the flight mode switch, you should see the receiver activity box say that it sees activity on some channel number. Each of the 5 RC functions should come across on a different channel number, and each stick function and the one switch should all show activity on some channel number. If they don't, you need to re-run either the whole setup wizard or the transmitter setup wizard, but that will fail if you have a Winbond chip and are running unfixed firmware.
-
The STM32F is the main processor chip. It has a LOT of tiny leads. The ship we need to know about is the one with 8 (comparatively) large leads. Or you can simply flash the matching version of the patched firmware without checking the flash ram brand. It won't hurt..............
The small chip with 8 pins is not prefixed "STM". It has numbers that I am partly unable to identify.
............. flash the fixed firmware ...........................
There are three files offered. I will need to know which one is the correct one, in order to make the process worth while.
The Configuration->Input page has a "Receiver Activity" box in the upper right corner.
USB power does not power the RC receiver. You need a flight battery plugged in for that. So with it powered by a battery (probably through the ESC's voltage reduction BEC) and with USB also plugged in and the transmitter and receiver running, when you (one at a time) wiggle 4 stick directions and the flight mode switch, you should see the receiver activity box say that it sees activity on some channel number. Each of the 5 RC functions should come across on a different channel number, and each stick function and the one switch should all show activity on some channel number. If they don't, you need to re-run either the whole setup wizard or the transmitter setup wizard, but that will fail if you have a Winbond chip and are running unfixed firmware.
I am ok with all that (I understand it all). I have been seeing receiver activity on all 4 channels in the "Receiver Activity" box, including channel 5 now.
Jim.
-
There are three files offered. I will need to know which one is the correct one, in order to make the process worth while.
I suspect that you are running version 16.09, so you need the 1609 file. The other files are for a couple versions of "next". GCS -> Help -> About LibrePilot will say something like "Revision: 16.09"
I am ok with all that (I understand it all). I have been seeing receiver activity on all 4 channels in the "Receiver Activity" box, including channel 5 now.
If all 5 are different channel numbers, then you should be able to run either the transmitter wizard (on the Input page) or the whole setup wizard, and all 5 channels should now work (as viewed on the sliders on the Input page with receiver and transmitter powered up ... but as I said before, make sure you don't have the save settings bug (by knowing for sure the flash chip is ST, not Winbond; or just flash the fixed firmware which works correctly for both) before spending more time on other testing.
-
......................... just flash the fixed firmware which works correctly for both) before spending more time on other testing.
I'll do that today. More later............
-
Cliff,
I am unable to open that file.
What can I do about that ?
Jim.
-
So your version is "next r782"?
download the *.opfw file that you need
unplug all CC3D power, including USB
go to Firmware page
press Rescue
plug in CC3D to USB
use the Open button to navigate to the downloaded *.opfw file and open it
press Flash
-
So your version is "next r782"?
.......................
I'm not sure, and I don't know how to confirm. So, I am just trying it (taking a stab).
-
I suspect that you are running version 16.09, so you need the 1609 file. The other files are for a couple versions of "next". GCS -> Help -> About LibrePilot will say something like "Revision: 16.09"
-
I flashed 16.09 and ran the full Wizard set up again.
The yaw function still does not work.
I am just about done with this...........running out of time.
-
There must be something here that I am assuming, that I shouldn't be.
What test are you doing to show that the yaw channel is not working?
- Is it when you try to fly that it spins like a top?
- Is it when you run the motors before you fly, the yaw stick doesn't change the motors, but the roll stick does?
- Is it that the GCS Input page shows roll slider motion when you move the transmitter roll stick, but the yaw stick doesn't move its GCS slider?
===============================================
There are some model templates in the setup wizard that we sometimes call "cloud configs." Some of these may not be well tested and are just what somebody set up and donated. If you are using a cloud config, I suggest that you try running the setup wizard with default settings.
When running the wizard, you have to be careful to move only the one transmitter stick direction that is called for, but that doesn't really sound like the issue. For instance, the throttle channel doesn't have a spring, and it's easy to accidentally move the throttle when trying to just move the yaw.
If you still have the CC3D connected in the way that we got the yaw channel to show up in GCS -> Input -> Receiver Activity
and GCS still shows receiver activity on all 5 radio functions; all on different channel numbers
and you follow all the instructions in the transmitter wizard (you are probably using mode 2) while watching that the moving transmitter cartoon on the GCS has the same transmitter part moving that you are supposed to move in real life
and the end cartoon of the transmitter wizard has all the transmitter functions moving to match what you move in real life
and yaw does nothing to the motors when sitting armed on the ground with the motors idling, but roll does change the motors
Then I am stumped.
If one of the above is not true (this cartoon motion doesn't match that stick motion) then we can go back to that and figure out why.
-
There must be something here that I am assuming, that I shouldn't be.
What test are you doing to show that the yaw channel is not working?
........................................
- Is it that the GCS Input page shows roll slider motion when you move the transmitter roll stick, but the yaw stick doesn't move its GCS slider?...................
Yes to the latter. I don't get beyond this test while still connected to the computer. Not nearly ready to do a flying test. (Does not apply).
===============================================
............ I suggest that you try running the setup wizard with default settings............
I have only been trying the default settings. I know nothing of "cloud configs".
When running the wizard, you have to be careful to move only the one transmitter stick direction that is called for, but that doesn't really sound like the issue. For instance, the throttle channel doesn't have a spring, and it's easy to accidentally move the throttle when trying to just move the yaw............
There is a small chance that is the problem. Not likely, but I will check by keeping the throttle stick on minimum and just moving the stick sideways (Yaw).
If you still have the CC3D connected in the way that we got the yaw channel to show up in GCS -> Input -> Receiver Activity
and GCS still shows receiver activity on all 5 radio functions; all on different channel numbers
...................
When I move the yaw stick (left stick..........mode 2), I see no receiver activity. That is how I know I have no yaw function. No purpose in going further to try and fly as the problem is already revealed.
No yaw function received.
I don't know how to put it more clearly.
If one of the above is not true (this cartoon motion doesn't match that stick motion) then we can go back to that and figure out why.
Yes, the simulator motion image (cartoon depiction) does nothing when the yaw stick is moved.
Just repeating for clarity: this is how I conclude that I have no yaw function.
Jim.
-
I tried running through the transmitter set up wizard again. This time, I ensured that I was applying a yaw (sideways) movement of the left stick (mode 2) only, by keeping it at max or min throttle position.
Problem still exists.
No indication on the GCS(?) screen of receiver activity when left stick moved sideways to initiate yaw.
Screenshot attached.
-
I tried running through the transmitter set up wizard again. This time, I ensured that I was applying a yaw (sideways) movement of the left stick (mode 2) only, by keeping it at max or min throttle position.
Problem still exists.
No indication on the GCS(?) screen of receiver activity when left stick moved sideways to initiate yaw.
Screenshot attached.
There is one more thing I can try. Now I have flashed the updated firmware, I will try using another channel for yaw. I have it connected back to channel 4 now (green wire connected to the rx. #4 signal pin - Futaba pattern).
-
Did the wizard animation show all 5 of the channels were working? ... If so, then simply rerunning the transmitter wizard or the whole setup wizard should work correctly and make all the functions work.
I am ok with all that (I understand it all). I have been seeing receiver activity on all 4 channels in the "Receiver Activity" box, including channel 5 now.
When I move the yaw stick (left stick..........mode 2), I see no receiver activity.
...
I don't know how to put it more clearly.
It seems that we found that there is a problem if you just plug CC3D plugs into the receiver "normally." The normal yaw wire or that CC3D channel you usually connect that to doesn't work. Effectively think of it as a broken wire. Unplug the broken wire and plug in a working one to get the signal to the CC3D. Run the setup wizard with the wires connected so that all the signals can get to the CC3D. Don't use that broken wire. :)
-
I tried swapping the receiver to flight controller wires around in several different combinations.
No matter which wires I used, the yaw function does not work when I run the transmitter set up wizard.
Time to call it quits I think Cliff.
Thanks for all your assistance.
Jim.
-
Even if all that doesn't work, if there is activity for channel X when the yaw stick is moved, you can simply manually configure the yaw (Input page) to use that channel, with min/neutral/max taken from say the roll channel that is working.
(If Save Settings is working)
==========================================
You said that yaw had "receiver activity (on a unique channel number not used by other functions)."
(If you select the correct receiver input during setup ... and you have if other channels work) Setup doesn't change whether you have yaw "receiver activity" or not, so that wiring configuration should still have yaw receiver activity after setup.
If the CC3D can save settings (you are running the fixed firmware that matches "Help -> About LibrePilot - Revision:", so it should) and the wizard yaw stick motions are done right, receiver activity on a channel should make setup connect that channel to yaw. :o
Sorry we didn't get it working for you. :(
-
..........................................
(If you select the correct receiver input during setup ... and you have if other channels work) Setup doesn't change whether you have yaw "receiver activity" or not, so that wiring configuration should still have yaw receiver activity after setup.
If the CC3D can save settings (you are running the fixed firmware that matches "Help -> About LibrePilot - Revision:", so it should) and the wizard yaw stick motions are done right, receiver activity on a channel should make setup connect that channel to yaw. :o
.........................
After reading your explanation above, I realise that at least part of the problem might be my level of confusion and beginners ignorance.
My total lack of understanding of these two sentences are an example of this.
Jim.
-
General translation: :)
Sorry, was trying to cover all the surrounding caveats in once sentence. :(
You need to find a way of wiring receiver to CC3D that works for all 5 channels ("receiver activity"), and leave it that way forever. It doesn't matter what is plugged in where since setup handles that all for you.
After getting the wiring right, you must run setup after that. Setup says "Wiggle the yaw stick." "Ahh, I see activity on channel 6 (or whatever # you used) so I will configure the CC3D to know to read the yaw value from channel 6 from now on.
If the wiring is correct, then the "receiver activity" box on the Input page works whether you wiggled the sticks correctly during setup or not.
If you have "receiver activity", then setup should see the activity channel number and assign it to the CC3D yaw function.
It really is pretty easy to just configure the yaw channel manually (Input page) by copying values from a working function like roll, and using the channel number that you see in "receiver activity."
==============
Now the caveats / additional information:
- The CC3D must be able to save settings. Since you are having problems, it is a good idea to make sure that the CC3D Erase Settings bug isn't biting you. Flash the fixed firmware that matches your GCS, and leave that firmware on it.
- If you flash the fixed firmware, you need to make sure that you use the correct firmware version, the version that matches your GCS version ("Revision:" as described before).
- You are using PWM inputs which is the default. If you weren't, you would either need to run setup or do some small configuring before "receiver activity" would work. As it is, power it up with default / erased settings and "receiver activity" works with no changes.
- All 5 "receiver activity" channel numbers must be different/unique, for instance it can't be seeing roll on #3 and yaw on #3 also.
-
...................................
It really is pretty easy to just configure the yaw channel manually (Input page) by copying values from a working function like roll, and using the channel number that you see in "receiver activity".
.........................
I don't understand this sentence Cliff.
Where are the values? And where are they changed or replaced"?
-
Input page: GCS -> Configuration -> Input
Flight battery plugged in, GCS running, USB plugged in, transmitter on, wiggle the sticks, do you see "Receiver Activity" (top right corner)? There might be a second or two delay from stick motion to receiver activity. Copy the Roll line values to the Yaw line. Wiggle the transmitter Yaw stick to get the yaw channel number from "Receiver Activity" and use that for yaw "Number" column. Press Save. Reboot CC3D and test.