LibrePilot Forum
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: SaltwaterTiger on June 22, 2017, 07:56:45 pm
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Hello everyone, Im building my first drone and Im having some issues with setting up my transmitter. I have a FLYSKY FS-i6 transmitter and a FS-iA6 receiver. Ive been through the setup wizard for the transmitter, I binded the transmitter and receiver but when I try to "test" the motors with the transmitter, nothing happens. What am I doing wrong? Any help is appreciated.
Edit: Im running a CC3D flight controller. I can power up the motors using the computer but not the transmitter.
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Some ESCs don't have a BEC and thus don't produce power, but you should have notice this when doing the setup wizard. The animated transmitter sticks would not move if the receiver was not working. Did you run the setup wizard and did you see the animated transmitter sticks move when you moved each channel?
Your ESCs must have BECs to make power, and the flight battery must be plugged in for the receiver to work. There are other ways, but that is the standard way.
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Some ESCs don't have a BEC and thus don't produce power, but you should have notice this when doing the setup wizard. The animated transmitter sticks would not move if the receiver was not working. Did you run the setup wizard and did you see the animated transmitter sticks move when you moved each channel?
Your ESCs must have BECs to make power, and the flight battery must be plugged in for the receiver to work. There are other ways, but that is the standard way.
Thank you for responding. Im using the Simon Emax 12 ESC that comes as part of the YKS 250 quad ARF kit. I did go through the setup wizard for both the quad and the transmitter. When I went through the setup wizard for the transmitter, the animated sticks did move. I had to check the box for the throttle because it was inverted but other than that everything looked good. I did have the battery plugged in when going through the tests. Ive tried unhooking the micro usb cable from the flight controller to see if that was causing the transmitter not to work but i got the same results as I did when the micro usb was hooked up.
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Do you understand arming? It must be armed before the motors will run.
Input -> Arming
and set it to something besides AlwaysDisarmed or AlwaysArmed
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I guess I'm back at square one. I tried to go through the transmitter setup wizard again. I made it through the steps until it asks me to move the controls to their maximum extents. Yesterday when I made it to this step, the animated sticks were moving on their own until I started moving the sticks on my controller. Today when I reached that step, the animated sticks werent moving at all. When i reached the next step when it asks me to see if the animated controller is mimicing my controller, it isn't. I dont know what im doing wrong:-(
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Do you understand arming? It must be armed before the motors will run.
Input -> Arming
and set it to something besides AlwaysDisarmed or AlwaysArmed
My setup(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170623/b49d1ba4a86be5dd9aba79da92d9e4a9.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170623/716a69ad3dcaa54548cb2a74d51d66ce.jpg)
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Do you understand arming? It must be armed before the motors will run.
Input -> Arming
and set it to something besides AlwaysDisarmed or AlwaysArmed
Please help
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Transmitter on. Plug the battery in. GCS go to the Input page. Wiggle the sticks. Do you get activity in the upper right corner activity indicator?
In the wizard, be aware that there is a bug such that if you don't have a flight mode switch, the animated sticks are not animated, but it does work correctly if you ignore the missing animation motion and continue on and do what it says (every connected stick and switch exercised to full limits).
Do you understand arming and have arming configured? How do you arm your system?
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When I move the sticks around, I notice in the activity window that it says channel 1, 2, 3 or 4 depending on which stick I use and what direction. One thing that I did notice is that all the animated sliders except for the throttle slider is moving back and forth on their own. Is that normal?
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I do not totally understand arming.
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Would it help if I programmed a flight mode switch within the FS-i6 transmitter?
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If you don't have an FMS, the only issue I know of I described earlier.
So now we see the problem. Your throttle channel is not working for some reason. Move signal wires around and try the other (currently disconnected) signal wires to troubleshoot. I would have the red and black wires connected to channel #1.
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The transmitter is now communicating with the receiver and its telling at least two motors what to do!! YAY:-) My problem now is that motor three is powering up way before the other three. Do I need to run the setup wizard again for the motors?
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I went through the the transmitter wizard like you asked me to and the animations still didnt work but I completed it. At the end this time it worked. I dont know why but it worked. Just trying to solve the issue with the motors starting up at different times now.
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Motors starting at different throttle stick positions is an ESC calibration and neutral setting issue.
https://librepilot.atlassian.net/wiki/display/LPDOC/ESC+Calibration
Motors spinning faster and faster without moving the throttle stick (non-zero stick) is normal when it is on the ground.
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Motors starting at different throttle stick positions is an ESC calibration and neutral setting issue.
https://librepilot.atlassian.net/wiki/display/LPDOC/ESC+Calibration
Motors spinning faster and faster without moving the throttle stick (non-zero stick) is normal when it is on the ground.
Thank you for your help. I took the quad outside for a test run. It was airborne for 4-5 seconds before crashing and burning up an ESC. Any tips for beginner quad piloting?
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Learn to fly LineOfSight well before attempting FirstPersonView.
Take all your cameras, FPV gear, etc. off. It is just extra stuff to break when learning.
Learn about LiPo care. Buy some lipo alarms and use them, or time your flights so you land with at least 3.7 volts in your lowest cell:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/RC-Lipo-Battery-Low-Voltage-Alarm-1S-8S-Buzzer-Indicator-Checker-Tester-LED-/172595705357
Always storage charge your lipos to 3.8v per cell at the end of every flying day. Basically, discharge them to that and don't recharge. Storage voltage in a baggie in the refrigerator if you aren't going to use it for a while (winter).
Fly outdoors, over grass, in zero wind; taking off from a level surface, not the side of a hill. Never take off from where the props might get tangled in grass. Go get it and bring it back.
Use auto leveling mode called Attitude (Stabilized #1). It is the default.
Always start with the tail pointed towards you. Every time. That way left roll is left and forward pitch is forward.
The one thing you must always remember is that zero throttle stops the motors. Chop the throttle to zero whenever it gets in trouble. I have seen several beginners stand there with the throttle at half after a crash with the ESCs or motors burning up. Don't let it fly away. Don't let it hit anyone or anything. Don't let spinning props get caught in grass. Chop the throttle needs to be a reflex.
Learn to control throttle first. Don't touch anything else. Really.
Start motors, and immediately do a mild jump into the air. Don't slowly increase throttle. Start with small throttle blips that don't leave the ground and use larger and longer blips to find out how much it needs to get into the air, but not rocket upwards. Strive for knee high hover, no higher than waist high.
The first time you take off, it will drift. Expect that and chop the power quickly. Don't ever change your transmitter trims from where they were when you ran the transmitter wizard during setup. Use Attitude -> RotateVirtual to correct the drift:
- if it is drifting forward you subtract from pitch
- if it is drifting left you subtract from roll
adjust until it doesn't drift, or the drift is small and random. Learning is a lot harder if you don't trim it out this way. Take the time to do it and do it right.
Now that you can hold altitude at knee to waist high, you need to keep it in one place. Don't touch the yaw. Yaw is the last thing. You are hovering at knee to waist high, and using roll (left-right) and pitch (fore-aft) to keep it in one place, with the tail always pointed at you.
When you can hover as long as you want, start rocking left and right and while it is traveling left rotate the yaw just a little to make it closer to flying nose forward to the left (same with right). Work this into a figure 8 where it is flying nose first the whole time. The kind of figure 8 where the tail is usually pointing at you or at least the nose is never pointing at you. Get good at this.
Learn to fly both left and right circles out in front of you. Learn the other kind of figure 8 where the nose points straight at you twice during each 8.
Experiment with other flight modes. To do flips use Rattitude with Thrust=CruiseControl. Rate mode is popular, especially with FPV flight, but it does not do auto leveling. I still fly mainly Attitude mode because I am more interested in autonomous flight.
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Learn to fly LineOfSight well before attempting FirstPersonView.
Take all your cameras, FPV gear, etc. off. It is just extra stuff to break when learning.
Learn about LiPo care. Buy some lipo alarms and use them, or time your flights so you land with at least 3.7 volts in your lowest cell:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/RC-Lipo-Battery-Low-Voltage-Alarm-1S-8S-Buzzer-Indicator-Checker-Tester-LED-/172595705357
Always storage charge your lipos to 3.8v per cell at the end of every flying day. Basically, discharge them to that and don't recharge. Storage voltage in a baggie in the refrigerator if you aren't going to use it for a while (winter).
Fly outdoors, over grass, in zero wind; taking off from a level surface, not the side of a hill. Never take off from where the props might get tangled in grass. Go get it and bring it back.
Use auto leveling mode called Attitude (Stabilized #1). It is the default.
Always start with the tail pointed towards you. Every time. That way left roll is left and forward pitch is forward.
The one thing you must always remember is that zero throttle stops the motors. Chop the throttle to zero whenever it gets in trouble. I have seen several beginners stand there with the throttle at half after a crash with the ESCs or motors burning up. Don't let it fly away. Don't let it hit anyone or anything. Don't let spinning props get caught in grass. Chop the throttle needs to be a reflex.
Learn to control throttle first. Don't touch anything else. Really.
Start motors, and immediately do a mild jump into the air. Don't slowly increase throttle. Start with small throttle blips that don't leave the ground and use larger and longer blips to find out how much it needs to get into the air, but not rocket upwards. Strive for knee high hover, no higher than waist high.
The first time you take off, it will drift. Expect that and chop the power quickly. Don't ever change your transmitter trims from where they were when you ran the transmitter wizard during setup. Use Attitude -> RotateVirtual to correct the drift:
- if it is drifting forward you subtract from pitch
- if it is drifting left you subtract from roll
adjust until it doesn't drift, or the drift is small and random. Learning is a lot harder if you don't trim it out this way. Take the time to do it and do it right.
Now that you can hold altitude at knee to waist high, you need to keep it in one place. Don't touch the yaw. Yaw is the last thing. You are hovering at knee to waist high, and using roll (left-right) and pitch (fore-aft) to keep it in one place, with the tail always pointed at you.
When you can hover as long as you want, start rocking left and right and while it is traveling left rotate the yaw just a little to make it closer to flying nose forward to the left (same with right). Work this into a figure 8 where it is flying nose first the whole time. The kind of figure 8 where the tail is usually pointing at you or at least the nose is never pointing at you. Get good at this.
Learn to fly both left and right circles out in front of you. Learn the other kind of figure 8 where the nose points straight at you twice during each 8.
Experiment with other flight modes. To do flips use Rattitude with Thrust=CruiseControl. Rate mode is popular, especially with FPV flight, but it does not do auto leveling. I still fly mainly Attitude mode because I am more interested in autonomous flight.
Thank you for this. I had trouble just getting off the ground today. I'm going to make some adjustments in the morning and try again. I'll post my results.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
-
Learn to fly LineOfSight well before attempting FirstPersonView.
Take all your cameras, FPV gear, etc. off. It is just extra stuff to break when learning.
Learn about LiPo care. Buy some lipo alarms and use them, or time your flights so you land with at least 3.7 volts in your lowest cell:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/RC-Lipo-Battery-Low-Voltage-Alarm-1S-8S-Buzzer-Indicator-Checker-Tester-LED-/172595705357
Always storage charge your lipos to 3.8v per cell at the end of every flying day. Basically, discharge them to that and don't recharge. Storage voltage in a baggie in the refrigerator if you aren't going to use it for a while (winter).
Fly outdoors, over grass, in zero wind; taking off from a level surface, not the side of a hill. Never take off from where the props might get tangled in grass. Go get it and bring it back.
Use auto leveling mode called Attitude (Stabilized #1). It is the default.
Always start with the tail pointed towards you. Every time. That way left roll is left and forward pitch is forward.
The one thing you must always remember is that zero throttle stops the motors. Chop the throttle to zero whenever it gets in trouble. I have seen several beginners stand there with the throttle at half after a crash with the ESCs or motors burning up. Don't let it fly away. Don't let it hit anyone or anything. Don't let spinning props get caught in grass. Chop the throttle needs to be a reflex.
Learn to control throttle first. Don't touch anything else. Really.
Start motors, and immediately do a mild jump into the air. Don't slowly increase throttle. Start with small throttle blips that don't leave the ground and use larger and longer blips to find out how much it needs to get into the air, but not rocket upwards. Strive for knee high hover, no higher than waist high.
The first time you take off, it will drift. Expect that and chop the power quickly. Don't ever change your transmitter trims from where they were when you ran the transmitter wizard during setup. Use Attitude -> RotateVirtual to correct the drift:
- if it is drifting forward you subtract from pitch
- if it is drifting left you subtract from roll
adjust until it doesn't drift, or the drift is small and random. Learning is a lot harder if you don't trim it out this way. Take the time to do it and do it right.
Now that you can hold altitude at knee to waist high, you need to keep it in one place. Don't touch the yaw. Yaw is the last thing. You are hovering at knee to waist high, and using roll (left-right) and pitch (fore-aft) to keep it in one place, with the tail always pointed at you.
When you can hover as long as you want, start rocking left and right and while it is traveling left rotate the yaw just a little to make it closer to flying nose forward to the left (same with right). Work this into a figure 8 where it is flying nose first the whole time. The kind of figure 8 where the tail is usually pointing at you or at least the nose is never pointing at you. Get good at this.
Learn to fly both left and right circles out in front of you. Learn the other kind of figure 8 where the nose points straight at you twice during each 8.
Experiment with other flight modes. To do flips use Rattitude with Thrust=CruiseControl. Rate mode is popular, especially with FPV flight, but it does not do auto leveling. I still fly mainly Attitude mode because I am more interested in autonomous flight.
Thank you for this. I had trouble just getting off the ground today. I'm going to make some adjustments in the morning and try again. I'll post my results.
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Where should I set my parameters for my sticks/controls? I noticed today that when I started to throttle up, I barely moved the throttle stick(probably 5% of the way up) and the motors sounded/looked like they were already at half throttle. I read that a good starting minimum is 1000 and a good starting max is 2000. Is this correct?
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Do the stuff described in post #14
https://forum.librepilot.org/index.php?topic=3586.msg24469#msg24469
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Do the stuff described in post #14
https://forum.librepilot.org/index.php?topic=3586.msg24469#msg24469
I went through the outputs per your directions and set up the ESC's correctly. I am able to hover somewhat(pretty shaky) but the quad begins to drift left. What can I do to correct this? Thank you again for your help:-)
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rotate virtual as described in this post
https://forum.librepilot.org/index.php?topic=3586.msg24471#msg24471
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rotate virtual as described in this post
https://forum.librepilot.org/index.php?topic=3586.msg24471#msg24471
Thank you. It's getting better. I'm having trouble with maintaining a constant altitude. The quad slowly sinks down...probably one foot every two seconds when I'm trying to hover and maintain a constant altitude using a fixed point on the throttle. When I slowly correct it using throttle, it begins to climb so I bring the throttle back down to a set point but the quad begins to sink again. How do I fix this?
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CC3D doesn't have a way to help you (Revo has baro and even optional GPS for this...) but you can change your throttle curve to make it less sensitive in the middle (and more sensitive at the ends) (Vehicle page).
This is something you will get used to. It's like driving a car. If you keep the steering wheel in one place, you will wind up in the ditch. You must constantly correct. I like a ratchet on the throttle. One click drifts down slightly and the other drifts up, but as long as I stay on those two clicks, it is always a slow drift.
Well, I say it doesn't have a way. IIRC CruiseControl works on CC3D, but that doesn't help hovering. It boosts throttle in banks to keep from loosing altitude. You would normally have to add power in banked turns and this adds just the right amount of power. You still have to correct it a little though.
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CC3D doesn't have a way to help you (Revo has baro and even optional GPS for this...) but you can change your throttle curve to make it less sensitive in the middle (and more sensitive at the ends) (Vehicle page).
This is something you will get used to. It's like driving a car. If you keep the steering wheel in one place, you will wind up in the ditch. You must constantly correct. I like a ratchet on the throttle. One click drifts down slightly and the other drifts up, but as long as I stay on those two clicks, it is always a slow drift.
Well, I say it doesn't have a way. IIRC CruiseControl works on CC3D, but that doesn't help hovering. It boosts throttle in banks to keep from loosing altitude. You would normally have to add power in banked turns and this adds just the right amount of power. You still have to correct it a little though.
I will certainly change the throttle curve. I'm trying to make the transmitter sticks as moderate as I can. The transmitter will be in the hands of a 5th grader soon and I don't want the sensitivity to be high at all. The lower the better. We won't be racing the quad. Just casually flying around in the back yard.
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It's important that you know where it hovers (full battery and low battery). The flat part of the curve needs to be there. For instance if it hovers at 33% power (powerful) then the flat part should be 33% of the way from the bottom to top.
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It's important that you know where it hovers (full battery and low battery). The flat part of the curve needs to be there. For instance if it hovers at 33% power (powerful) then the flat part should be 33% of the way from the bottom to top.
I made some adjustments to the throttle curve. It helped a lot! Thank you
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