subaru4wd

"I find it hard to believe you bricked a KK2 while trying to flash it.

You wont have to worry about any of that with this board, as it uses a USB cable and not a ISP plug. So its pretty fool-proof. "


Well that will be the first test. I am a fool so let's see if I can prove the "foolproof" theory!

Sudsy

Sudsy

Go to the first post here.
Follow the instructions step by step
The only difference I found was the Multiwii software was a newer version
all the other links are there.
Hope this Help's

Cliff

OK
Here is a Pic of my board Spec's match the whitespy version
Don't know if it means it's the same, but here is a couple of Pics
Thanks Cliff

Can I set this board up on a project board or bare frame and without having the ESCs and Motors set up the firmware, software, and configuration?

I have a bucket full of old brushed ESCs. Can I use one of these with a BEC to power the board independently? How much current does the board draw?

I also have my receiver.

Would the use of the same brushed ESC be suitable fr the quad when I put it together?

Sudsy

There I go thinking again!

Sudsy
I believe you can set it up with power from the usb port.
I programmed mine like that. in order to do a full set-up
you would need you ESC's and RX and Radio hooked up
in that case you would need a Lipo to power everything.
But to load the multiwii file and then the Mega Pirates
you can do that with the usb by it self. and then do your final
programming after you mount the board to your Quad.
Cliff

Originally Posted by Sudsy

Can I set this board up on a project board or bare frame and without having the ESCs and Motors set up the firmware, software, and configuration?

I have a bucket full of old brushed ESCs. Can I use one of these with a BEC to power the board independently? How much current does the board draw?

I also have my receiver.

Would the use of the same brushed ESC be suitable fr the quad when I put it together?

Sudsy

There I go thinking again!

Yup, it will get power from the USB and power the RX

Originally Posted by Clavin01

Sudsy
I believe you can set it up with power from the usb port.
I programmed mine like that. in order to do a full set-up
you would need you ESC's and RX and Radio hooked up
in that case you would need a Lipo to power everything.
But to load the multiwii file and then the Mega Pirates
you can do that with the usb by it self. and then do your final
programming after you mount the board to your Quad.
Cliff

Cliff;

I saw another post here where someone said they recommended using a dedicated BEC (gave link to HK part) and also a capacitor (also a HK link) to assure steady power and clean 5 VDC. I have the frame and can mount the board and get it all ready for the motors and ESCs. So my question is will one of the ESC's (I have 10-40 amp brushed ones) work in place of a stand alone BEC and the filter Cap? I would think so. I have also used these ESCs as light controllers using the motor output to drive LEDs.

Sudsy

Any 5v power source will work. You can use a ESC, BEC, USB, you could even use four AA batteries taped together if you wanted to.

The thread you read, suggesting using a seperate BEC, is for when you are in flight. You do not want to rely on a ESC to power your electronics, incase that ESC were to fail or have a "hiccup" during flight.

When you are working on your frame on the bench, you could power it with anything 5v and be safe.

If any body needs I've attached a ZIP containing pre-configed and compiled MultiWii and Arducopter HEX Files for easier upload. These are for a Quad in the 'X' configuration, and if you'd like a different config. let me know and I'll compile and upload them.

1- You'll need to get and install the drivers for the USB driver here

2- Then download and install MissionPlanner from here.
3- Open MissionPlanner, select the right port, set the baud rate to 115200 and goto the Firmware tab and click 'Load custom firmware'
4- Select 'MultiWii-QuadX.cpp.hex' and upload it away
5- Follow step 3 and 4 but select 'ArduCopter.cpp.hex' and upload it
6- Follow the steps below to clear the EEPROM and then you up and flying.

Originally Posted by jabram

Configuration
http://code.google.com/p/arducopter/wiki/AC2_First

First thing you should do is clear the eeprom in the boards Atmega2560 so that you do not encounter strange issues caused by invalid data left behind in the eeprom from previous versions of code.

This will ONLY work using the USB connection, you use Mission Planner to perform this task
[URL="http://code.google.com/p/ardupilot-mega/downloads/list"]http://code.google.com/p/ardupilot-mega/downloads/list[/URL]

Connect your USB cable but do not click the Connect button on Mission Planner.
If Mission Planner is already connected click on Disconnect
Click on the Terminal tab.
Some text should appear ending with MegaPirateNG V2.7 R4}
Type setup and press Enter, you can type ? to get a list of available commands
Type Erase and press Enter
When the eeprom erase operation is completed click on the Fligh Data Tab, then click on the Connect Tab
Click on the Configuration Tab
Click on Hardware Options
Enable the compass and type in your Magnetic Declination

Be aware that the compass WILL NOT work correctly until you have also clicked on Live Calibration and rotated the board at lest one full revolution on each of the 3 axis. You can do this now to get the compass working, once the board is mounted in your frame you need to do this again properly, see the documentation.
You also need to perform - Radio Calibration and Flight Modes etc, read the documentation
http://code.google.com/p/arducopter/wiki/AC2_First

Sudsy
are you using Brushed Motors??? or Brushless not sure if that would make any difference to the set-up? I am guessing you use 2.4 Receiver and TX, I have 2 Quads , a mini and a 550 both using Spektrum rx and just use the power from
the Esc's I guess it's a matter of What you are comfortable with. I just got a 2.4
module and some Rx's for my Back-up 9 cap and it came with the capicators
for power backup at the Rx.
Cliff

Hey Sudsy. Just a heads up, as I too am comming from the KK2 flight controller. The MultiWII firmware does not use the same motor rotation as the KK2. I put my Wiiboard on my KK2 frame, and had to re-wire the two back motors.

Just something to keep in mind when you are doing your build.

Originally Posted by Clavin01

Sudsy
are you using Brushed Motors??? or Brushless not sure if that would make any difference to the set-up? I am guessing you use 2.4 Receiver and TX, I have 2 Quads , a mini and a 550 both using Spektrum rx and just use the power from
the Esc's I guess it's a matter of What you are comfortable with. I just got a 2.4
module and some Rx's for my Back-up 9 cap and it came with the capicators
for power backup at the Rx.
Cliff

No Cliff, I am using brushless motors on the quad for main power plants. I was wondering if instead of using any of the motor ESCs BEC outputs (like using the M1 input on a KK2) can I use a separate (old brushed) ESC just to power the control board. I guess the theory is the current draw of the motor ESC won't cause noise in the BEC output that is used for the control board. Steve

Originally Posted by Clavin01

OK
Here is a Pic of my board Spec's match the whitespy version
Don't know if it means it's the same, but here is a couple of Pics
Thanks Cliff

Cliff,
Your board looks exactly like the HK Mega, you have a genuine HK Mega, that saves us giving you the wrong advice.

Sorry, but your previous post that I replied seemed so vague I thought it was a practical joke, anyway, we sorted that out.

Your GPS cable [which is all I can see] as per your photo seems to be correctly connected.

You said it was a ublox GPS, again a photo of both sides of your GPS would help positively identify which GPS you have.

Ublox GPS as shipped has default setting of 9600 baud and 1 HZ update.

MP NG will work with those default settings if you modify the code to UBLOX protocol for the GPS and 9600 baud.

The default ublox settings are NOT ideal for multicopter use.

The instructions at the bottom of the first page of this thread for loading 3DR txt to ublox GPS using an FTDI cable and u-center software, you should follow those which will set up your ublox GPS to ublox protocol ONLY and 38400 baud, also make those changes to MP NG code -> 38400 baud GPS, UBLOX protocol GPS..

You already mentioned you have used u-center so all that should be easy for you to do.

After loading 3DR txt u-center will NO LONGER display all the green and blue bars, THIS IS NORMAL. It is because u-center uses NMEA to display all those bars and 3DR txt sets the GPS to ublox protocol which is more compact.

First time use after you have loaded 3DR txt will have all sorts of almost random locations on the map before it finally gets a 3D fix, again THIS IS NORMAL.

And initially you do need to be outside or close to a window and the first time will take many minutes, so wait before you decide it is not working.
Joe

Originally Posted by Sudsy

Can I set this board up on a project board or bare frame and without having the ESCs and Motors set up the firmware, software, and configuration?

I have a bucket full of old brushed ESCs. Can I use one of these with a BEC to power the board independently? How much current does the board draw?

I also have my receiver.

Would the use of the same brushed ESC be suitable fr the quad when I put it together?

Sudsy

There I go thinking again!

Setting up the board before installing it is always a good idea, much easier to find and rectify problems.

You can use USB initially.

Once you think you have it working - YOU SHOULD definitely power it from a Lipo via a UBEC.for final testing

The reason is 3DRadio and Xbee and telemetry modules behave differently when the board is powered by a Lipo instead of USB. You may find that what works perfectly with USB no longer works at all when a Lipo is connected.

RCG forums are awash with posts from people who have a flight controller that works just fine on USB but doesn't work at all when powered from a Lipo.

The problem is always in the sequence of turning on the frame first and ONLY after that powering PC end RX and TX and then running any PC software. If PC end ground RX/TX is already powered and connected to the PC software before the frame is powered by a Lipo it doesn't work, that confuses a lot of people and wastes a lot of time and frustration.

It has to do with how Arduino behaves when USB is connected and when no USB is connected, follow the correct sequence and it will work every time.

Please, please don't use a BEC from any ESC.

ESC BEC use a linear [low efficiency, lots of heat] voltage regulator, usually a 7805 1 Amp 5V regulator mounted with no heatsink at all.

7805 was designed to ideally have about an 8v or 9V input and can deliver up to 1A when mounted on a suitable heatsink, a suitable heatsink would be larger than most ESC.

Connecting a Lipo to the 7805 inside a ESC will very quickly get the 7805 very hot so a lot of your precious Lipo charge will go up in HEAT and will almost certainly guarantee all sorts of problems and eventually fail.

You saw the HK low noise SWITCHING UBEC I recommend.

That switching regulator is high effiiciency so your Lipo charge is NOT wasted generating heat, switching UBEC does NOT get hot like a 7805, also it can withstand much higher input voltage, so it can cope with up to 6S Lipo.

You may only be using a 3S Lipo but when you connect and disconnect it to and from 4,6 or 8 motors there are large voltage spikes at much higher voltage than your 3S Lipo.

Brushed ESC as far as I know are not suitable for multicopters.

Please expand the photo below and read the data sheet for the HK low noise switching UBEC, lots of useful information

On The Ublox it is a CN-06 and in the instructions you changed the Baud rate
to 115200 and set to 5Hz is that correct? and in your last post you said 38400
Which should it be.