OK... I received a definative answer from Hobbywing.
The Atmel 'Skywalkers' ARE FAKES.

I still don't know what they are exactly?
But apparently they can be successfully flashed with SimonK tgy.hex

Now, off to get my money back!

DO NOT PURCHASE on eBay from tomtop_UK here...
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/ws/eBayIS...E:L:OC:AU:3160

Genuine Skywalker on the left - Fake on the right...
(View pics large for detail)

Hey folks,

finally, programming and flashing Silabs ESC works also wireless via Bluetooth.

My first efforts some months back didn't had been succesful (http://www.helifreak.com/showthread....42#post4103242). Anyhow, few weeks ago I went back to this seriously, but kind of the first thing I did was to kill my bluetooth module... so, I ordered a new one which came yesterday, and then things went surprisingly simple. I didn't had to do much, the latest versions of owSilProg and BLHeliTool are perfectly capable of also handling the communication via bluetooth!

(I guess an important point in the game is also that in the meantime I switched from Win XP to Win 7, and Win 7 does handle BT a bit differently, and in our case to our advantage; the bottomline is that I don't know if it's working on XP)

Attached below you'll find a picture of my first working test setup. I'll used an Arduino Pro Min (3.3V/8MHz), since the bluetooth module didn't wanted to "override" the signals from the USB-serial adapters on normal Arduino boards (a driver might do it though). For the BT I used the bluetooth-serial module everyone is using for this purpose. Especially I got the JY-MCU with voltage regulator
(possible sources: http://dx.com/p/jy-mcu-arduino-bluet...=1&s=&u=104299, http://www.ebay.de/itm/ws/eBayISAPI....DME:L:OUE:3160)

The installation at the moment has to follow some steps, but you can count on that I will work on simplifying it.

1) Installation of BT module on Win7
follow exactly this description here (up to the point there teraterm is involved): http://www.hobbytronics.co.uk/blueto...ule-connection

2) Test proper communication between PC and Bluetooth device
for that the BT module is powered, and the Rx and Tx pins are connected, such that any transmitted character is "reflected back". The communicationis doen using a terminal program. For some reasons I don't understand I couldn't use the BrayTerminal, which I packed into the owSilPorg package. Use an other terminal program (e.g. TeraTerm, HTerm,...). I used puttytel.exe (is just an .exe file, doesn't need any installation), which I got from here: http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~s.../download.html. The test itself is then done as described here: http://www.hobbyist.co.nz/?q=bluetooth-module-device (it shows it for putty, but I used puttytel, which has exactly the same dialog).

3) Configure Bluetooth device
for that the BT module is connected via a standard USB-serial adapter to the PC. You need again a terminal program. This time Bray's Terminal worked perfectly, so I used it. You have to configure teh BT module by sending various AT commands (for the AT commands see e.g. http://wiki.openpilot.org/display/Do...ooth+Telemetry)
- set Baudrate 9600, 8,1,N
- send AT -> recieve OK
- send AT+VERSION -> recieve OKlinvorV1.5
- send AT+BAUD6 -> recieve OK38400
- switch to Baudrate 38400 - send AT -> recieve OK

4) Finish BT-owSilProg programmer connect the Arduino Pro Mini to the PC using an USB-serial adapter, and flash the appropriate owsilprog hex file into the Arduino Pro Mini. You can use AvrBurnTool for that, with the settings 'Arduino general', 'Arduino @ 57600bps', COM port as approriate, and 'ATmega328p'

5) Connect BT module and Arduino Pro Mini and enjoy all owSilProg/BLHeliTool features wirelessly...

Have fun, Olli

OK, it does also work with using e.g. an Arduino Nano (need still to test an Uno)

For configuring the Bluetooth module (using the AT commands), one has to connect the Rx on the BT module with Rx on teh Nano, and Tx on the BT module with Tx on the Nano

BT <-> Nano
Rx <-> Rx
Tx <-> Tx

One then can start the terminal (e.g. Bray Terminal), connect with the COM port which is related to the Nano (not that related to the BT module), and HOLD DOWN THE RESET KEY on the Nano while one is sending the AT commands to the BT module.

For using the BT module as a substitute of the USB connection when running the Nano as an owSilProg programmer (flashing/configuring BLHeli via PC), one has to connect the Rx on the BT module with Tx on teh Nano, and Tx on the BT module with Rx on the Nano

BT <-> Nano
Rx <-> Tx
Tx <-> Rx

With the USB disconnected, the Arduino Nano + BT module works perfectly as wireless programmer, also with the USB conncted and teh BT module disconnected thinsg (obviously work). Only with both the USB and BT module connected, communication doesn't work.

Originally Posted by Soma

OK... I received a definative answer from Hobbywing.
The Atmel 'Skywalkers' ARE FAKES.

I still don't know what they are exactly?
But apparently they can be successfully flashed with SimonK tgy.hex

I was thinking about flashing my Skywalker 20A ESC as well, and thought they were powered by a Silab chip as well. Imagine my surprise when I cut away the shrink tubing and saw an Atmel chip!

@ Soma: I saw your original post linked from another location, but it seems that these fake "Skywalker" ESCs can be flashed with the standard tgy.hex file...

Have you tried flashing it? I don't see any pads, and am apprehensive with having to attach wires/microclips directly to the Atmel chip.

Hi Folks,

iīm looking for an advise regarding which hex file i could test on these ones:



...found some of them in a drawer, as stock firmware is absolute unusable for a multicopter they started to collect dust in there - so now i want to try with custom firmware.

I searched all the thred (atmega one too), also on rc-heli - no success. The listed escīs look to different to me to decide which file to select. (One hit, but there is no reply to it)

So would one of you hardware genius be so kind.

Regards Peer

Originally Posted by Darkblade48

I was thinking about flashing my Skywalker 20A ESC as well, and thought they were powered by a Silab chip as well. Imagine my surprise when I cut away the shrink tubing and saw an Atmel chip!

@ Soma: I saw your original post linked from another location, but it seems that these fake "Skywalker" ESCs can be flashed with the standard tgy.hex file...

Have you tried flashing it? I don't see any pads, and am apprehensive with having to attach wires/microclips directly to the Atmel chip.

Hi Mate, sorry to hear you have some fakes as well. Did you buy from TomTop?

I have started a thread here...
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1817075
to warn others of the TomTop fakes. Please feel free to add your voice.

The best way to flash the fakes is with the cable that clips on top of the Atmel chip.
Although I am boycotting HK too because of their copying Flyduinos wultiwii boards.

Cheers mate.

Originally Posted by Soma

Hi Mate, sorry to hear you have some fakes as well. Did you buy from TomTop?

I have started a thread here...
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1817075
to warn others of the TomTop fakes. Please feel free to add your voice.

The best way to flash the fakes is with the cable that clips on top of the Atmel chip.
Although I am boycotting HK too because of their copying Flyduinos wultiwii boards.

Cheers mate.

Hi Soma,

Saw your other thread, linked from the other site

Check over there for some of my comments.

hello sskaug
Code of Simonk and your code ,which is code best for multi?
8051f330 speed fast ,stable.So it replace for atmga8 in design esc brushless ?

Originally Posted by fantasy1988

hello sskaug
Code of Simonk and your code ,which is code best for multi?
8051f330 speed fast ,stable.So it replace for atmga8 in design esc brushless ?

From what I understand, the coding developed by Sskaug and SimonK are for two different microcontrollers (Silab and Atmel, respectively).

So it depends on what ESC you have.

Originally Posted by Darkblade48

From what I understand, the coding developed by Sskaug and SimonK are for two different microcontrollers (Silab and Atmel, respectively).

So it depends on what ESC you have.

I know it use two different microcontrollers . but I want ask, which is code than good ? .
because I see ,now esc brushless offten use chip Silab .and maybe atmega8 is old ?

Originally Posted by fantasy1988

I know it use two different microcontrollers . but I want ask, which is code than good ? .
because I see ,now esc brushless offten use chip Silab .and maybe atmega8 is old ?

I think it is hard to say whether sskaug's or SimonK's coding is better.

It is generally agreed that Silab chips are better than Atmel...

thanks Darkblade48

Originally Posted by sskaug

Great! Still I would like to know more about what is going on...
So now there is a Robbe roxxy 2827-26 with APC SF 10x4.7 on it's way to me

Now I have the Robbe motor, the SunnySky motor and today also a fresh set of Skywalkers. My old Skywalkers have been toasted by loading wrong code or shorting wires .

Both the Robbe motor and the SunnySky motor run well, so far I have seen no signs of demag issues. I even ran the Robbe on 4S without problems.

Then, looking further into the Skywalkers, I see misbehavior. Occasionally, the ADC reading of temperature gives very high values, presumably due to some noise mechanism. Will continue to dig into it .

It looks like the Skywalker driver circuitry of the pfets pull a lot of current from the MCU, and particularly so at the pwm switching instants. I would think that this causes noise internally in the chip that disturbs the ADC during temperature reading.

Of course a proper corrective action will be taken in the next code rev, but in the meantime, here are Skywalker multi codes that have temperature protection disabled.

SKYWALKER_MULTI_REV9_4 te...

The next significant firmware update for the owSilProg/BLHeliTool/BLHeliBox project

owSilProg v1.10
BLHeliTool v1.02
BLHeliBox v1.10
AvrBurnTool v1.01
ArduBox v0.12

the major improvements concern a full AND easy bluetooth support. The BLHeliTool has now integrated a tool I called BTConfigTool, which allows a fully automatic in-situ configuration of your BT module. That is, you connect your BT module an Arduino once and for all, no resoldering etc needed, and the BT module can be configured then with one hit on a button... you won't believe how easy this usually daunting task has become... (the technique might be interesting also for the multiwii guys). The COM port selection fields in BLHeliTool do now also display the device type (serial, VCP, USB, bthmodem, etc...) to simplify identifaction of the ports. The ArduBox layout has been improved to support easy installation of a BT module.

release v20130204

cheers, Olli