Originally Posted by miru

Can you post a video of a failing startup sequence?
The mod has code to show Morse code. There is one section where the Arduino LED will flash a SOS when at2so detects another controller during startup and the other for the VLBA output. It will do a 'R' when you do a FTRIM or enter FM3. The mechanisms are not used for displaying error codes at this point, one can usually tell by observing the Arduino LED.

Sure, uploading now. 5 minutes to completion from time of this post.

4 attempts. First one stuck, next three worked. Attempts 1 and 3 were done the same way. Why might attempt 1 have failed?

Drone 1 Mod startup problems (3 min 17 sec)

Originally Posted by Brandigan

Sure, uploading now. 5 minutes to completion from time of this post.

4 attempts. First one stuck, next three worked. Attempts 1 and 3 were done the same way.

Iteration two is odd, when you start up with the TX off, the mod should wait with a single blink until you turn the TX on. Yours goes straight ahead waiting for the boot of the drone to finish. The mod should wait with 2 blinks if you turn on the TX and the flightmode is not LAND.
Observe what happens in Hyperterminal when you turn off the TX, at least one of the channels should turn red to signal RX failure.

Originally Posted by miru

Iteration two is odd, when you start up with the TX off, the mod should wait with a single blink until you turn the TX on. Yours goes straight ahead waiting for the boot of the drone to finish. The mod should wait with 2 blinks if you turn on the TX and the flightmode is not LAND.
Observe what happens in Hyperterminal when you turn off the TX, at least one of the channels should turn red to signal RX failure.

I have a question: how far from zero does the throttle have to be to stop startup completing? Is there a certain amount of +/- either size of zero that is still seen as zero? I ask because my throttle is fairly sensitive on the + side and when the stick feels like it is centered ( a soft click, like the right stick ), it only takes a tiny touch on the stick to show +40 on the throttle in Hyperterminal. Could this be enough to stop the process? I've tried moving the throttle slowly across the centre position when it stalls, but it does not carry on, so I don't know if there is a time window I miss, if that is the cause.

If that's not it, I'm not sure when you mean the single blink should happen in attempt 2. The arduino LED flashing does slow down with the Tx off, part way through the drone startup. All the Drone LEDs are still red. That's what I use to tell me it's time for the Tx to be turned on, then the Arduino flashing speeds up. Not sure if I waited long enough before I turned on the Tx for that to be evident.

I can make another video with more of a closeup of the Nano if that would help. I just thought it might be useful to see all the LEDs on the drone at that distance.

Secondly, yes all the channels turn red when the Tx is turned off, which also leads me to apologise for a previous statement and question about the 'random' error message with Emergency mode. I misremembered what caused the error when I asked that. Sorry, and no error message appears above the channels in Hyperterminal when ESTP is generated - although it may be generated in some internal log, which is what your answer may have referred to.

It is when the Tx is turned off that the error above the channels says "?? Tx Error" in yellow, where '??' is any number between 1 and 13, then after about half a second it changes to red text "15 Rx down". Sometimes the ?? number changes to a different number in that half second, just before the red text appears.

Originally Posted by vectorcharlie

Drone 2
2.2.3 Firmware
Arduino Nano 3.0

I will remove and solder again the connections, just in case there is something wrong with any of the cables. Also the cables I used is very thin and a bit long, maybe that is giving some problems. I will report back. Thanks Miru!

Ok, Reporting back, it does not work re-wiring the entire mod

Just before I make the hard decision to assume that the serial port is damaged in my ARdrone, I am posting two videos, one of the light fail, and another one with the Arduino connected to the console and playing with the sticks.

If there is any idea before I resign and keep flying with Wifi (I can't afford a new ARDrone, and I bought it from ebay, no warranty ) Let me know!

Thanks!

mirumod Lightfail (1 min 13 sec)

ardrone miru putty (1 min 0 sec)

Originally Posted by Brandigan

I have a question: how far from zero does the throttle have to be to stop startup completing? Is there a certain amount of +/- either size of zero that is still seen as zero? I ask because my throttle is fairly sensitive on the + side and when the stick feels like it is centered ( a soft click, like the right stick ), it only takes a tiny touch on the stick to show +40 on the throttle in Hyperterminal. Could this be enough to stop the process? I've tried moving the throttle slowly across the centre position when it stalls, but it does not carry on, so I don't know if there is a time window I miss, if that is the cause.

If that's not it, I'm not sure when you mean the single blink should happen in attempt 2. The arduino LED flashing does slow down with the Tx off, part way through the drone startup. All the Drone LEDs are still red. That's what I use to tell me it's time for the Tx to be turned on, then the Arduino flashing speeds up. Not sure if I waited long enough before I turned on the Tx for that to be evident.

I can make another video with more of a closeup of the Nano if that would help. I just thought it might be useful to see all the LEDs on the drone at that distance.

Secondly, yes all the channels turn red when the Tx is turned off, which also leads me to apologise for a previous statement and question about the 'random' error message with Emergency mode. I misremembered what caused the error when I asked that. Sorry, and no error message appears above the channels in Hyperterminal when ESTP is generated - although it may be generated in some internal log, which is what your answer may have referred to.

It is when the Tx is turned off that the error above the channels says "?? Tx Error" in yellow, where '??' is any number between 1 and 13, then after about half a second it changes to red text "15 Rx down". Sometimes the ?? number changes to a different number in that half second, just before the red text appears.

On startup the stick positions do not matter as long as they produce pulse lengths between 0.95 and 2.05 ms and repeat within a 8...35 ms frametime. The startup procedure is checking first if all RX signals are valid, second if the flightmode is LAND. In your second iteration (drone start with TX off), the mod must stay in a single blink mode, since the receiver must be in it's 'failsafe' mode. If it is not, there is something seriously wrong and we need to figure out what is making it believe the RX signals are there and working.

Originally Posted by vectorcharlie

Ok, Reporting back, it does not work re-wiring the entire mod

Just before I make the hard decision to assume that the serial port is damaged in my ARdrone, I am posting two videos, one of the light fail, and another one with the Arduino connected to the console and playing with the sticks.

If there is any idea before I resign and keep flying with Wifi (I can't afford a new ARDrone, and I bought it from ebay, no warranty ) Let me know!

Thanks!

If you are sure the line from the drone TX to the Arduino RX is working, I am sorry to tell you, but this is the behaviour I experienced when I fried the serial receivers in my drones (yes I did it with my D1 AND the D2). Both came back to live after a new motherboard, no changes to the mod...

Originally Posted by vectorcharlie

Ok, Reporting back, it does not work re-wiring the entire mod

Can you send the closeup of your levelshifter board wiring? Can't see that well on the video but looks to me like you may be missing one wire there.

Originally Posted by pawelsky

Can you send the closeup of your levelshifter board wiring? Can't see that well on the video but looks to me like you may be missing one wire there.

Sure! I really hope there is some missing wires

Originally Posted by vectorcharlie

Sure! I really hope there is some missing wires

I'm affraid the wiring is OK

Originally Posted by vectorcharlie

Sure! I really hope there is some missing wires

If you use AR Drone 1,you don't need the "blue bridge" on LCC.
it's correct?

Originally Posted by Fioulmaster

If you use AR Drone 1,you don't need the "blue bridge" on LCC.
it's correct?

vactorcharlie has AR.Drone 2 (see http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showp...postcount=2952) so his wiring is correct.

Originally Posted by vectorcharlie

Sure! I really hope there is some missing wires

Can you check for a bad soldered connector on the drone's mainboard?
Heard that it is possible, that the SMD connector can come loose by the time.

Originally Posted by pawelsky

vactorcharlie has AR.Drone 2 (see http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showp...postcount=2952) so his wiring is correct.

Sorry, I confused with Brandigan.

What Drone 2 firmware is currently working with the MiruMod?

Originally Posted by vectorcharlie

Sure! I really hope there is some missing wires

Hey Vectorcharlie,

I don't see the diode on the VIN. Did you forget to put it or is it along the wire?

Just an observation.

Dante1