Acquiring...again

[TyphoonPete]

Greetings all once again.
Finally received my new gps module and installed.
Re-assembled the bird and waited... weather not playing ball.
Completed all calibrations successfully, accelerometer and gimbal at home and compass at the field this morning.
Fired up ST and then bird.
Waiting waiting...20 minutes plus, still acquiring. Just sits there with the 3 purple flashes.
Recycled a few times ST had up to 20 satellites showing and the bird 17+
No fire in the bird, would not start either with gps on or off!!!
Shut down and restarted again.
This time I created a new bird, successfully went thru the bind process and restarted again.
Same same, no fire either with gps turned on or off.
After an hour and half I gave up.
Attached are the files of the last 2 telemetry files and remote gps files
Everything seems quite "stable", no wildly fluctuating numbers and as helsener pointed out in another post the gps figure is well below 1.
I am currently at a loss as to how to achieve this darned "ready" signal.
Any and all suggestions gratefully received as I am seriously beginning to have doubts about my investment in this product!!!
Cheers, Pete

 

[Steve Carr]

Can you upload Remote_00024.csv ???

Also, when you open Channel Settings, does your screen have B1 and J1 highlighted like this?

 

[TyphoonPete]

File attached.
Yes exactly same
Also screen capture a few moments ago inside by window and trees and metal fence, still got 16 on bird and 14 on ST, still acquiring last half hour

 

[Steve Carr]

File attached.
Yes exactly same
Also screen capture a few moments ago inside by window and trees and metal fence, still got 16 on bird and 14 on ST, still acquiring last half hour

Unfortunately, I have a suspicion this is a Flight Controller problem. I wonder is Hayden would allow you to try one to see if that fixes it.

 

[TyphoonPete]

Just as a question out of curiosity.
How is acquiring gps ready indication related to flight control.??
I have, earlier today, used the ST with the simulator with no problems showing up!!
Having now asked this I am fearing the old saying..."curiosity killed the cat!!"

I have had the bird and ST turned on for the past 2 hours and sitting next to a window.
I am getting intermittent "ready" for about 5-10 seconds then it drops out again still with 17 sats on the bird and currently 10 on the ST
Also the GUI shows everything green (all sensors) and plenty of green satellites
I'm also getting a blue and a red flashing light on the rectangular board on top of the main board and a red flashing light on the new gps module.

 

[Steve Carr]

I'm also getting a blue and a red flashing light on the rectangular board on top of the main board and a red flashing light on the new gps module.

Hmm....I have an H open on the bench. I'll have to check the lights to see if they are the same.

 

[h-elsner]

Channel setting are OK. The Motor-Start command is detected and accepted by copter (flight mode 8 as reaction).
Accuracy of GPS is OK, both ST16 and Copter. I would say ST16 all OK, copter behaves strange.

IMU status shows most of the time GPS as active, but GPS drops randomly. In 00025 there are two times for a very short time a GPS fix (GPS_used=true).
Remark: Column GPS_fix is not used, always = 0, also if all OK.

Can you please try if there is the same behaviour if the camera is removed (no 5GHz connection)? Just to see if there are problems with Dual Band Control Redundancy.
There is one invalid telemetry dataset, received via 5GHz WLAN connection.

br HE

 

[TyphoonPete]

Hi HE
I'm pretty sure that the camera was removed from the bird during the later attempts.
24 and 25 were the last 2 attempts at the field
ie.. the data provided was during time when the camera was disconnected
What data shows on the spreadsheet to identify camera connection??
If I know what to look for I can send files without that info for you to compare
Thanks
PS...These three files are from this afternoon when I had both the bird and the ST16 on and sitting as close to the window as possible.
I was getting intermittent "ready" for about 5-10seconds each time before dropout which was better than I got this morning at the field where I was only getting "ready" occasionally
Sats were fluctuating in the high teens.
The camera was NOT installed
I never managed to get the motors to turn
Hope this helps

 

[h-elsner]

When fsk_rssi = 0 (which is an implausibel , too good value for ZiBee receiver chip) then the telmetry data were transmitted via 5GHz video downlink. This came in with controller firmware b25 and the feature was called "Dual Band Control Redundancy ".
I have the feeling that this feature leads to some more problems with the H.

00028 is without cam, the other 2 with. In 00028 the GPS accuracy is not the best. Copter GPS is now always present in IMU status. The controller GPS is alternating and this corrospondeces with GPS-Used now.
For me this looks now quite better that the confusing behaviour at the other two tries (24/25).
I would test again outside without camera.

br HE

 

[TyphoonPete]

Thanks for the reply HE.
I figured that being inside(28) would not be so good
I will make another attempt asap.
I'm expecting a RC Heli kit to arrive tomorrow to keep me occupied until this is sorted.
Also weather is a bit dodgy at the moment, hopefully it will clear soon
Cheers and thanks again.
I'll report back in due course.

 

[TyphoonPete]

Well, another fruitless day...more or less.....
Still couldn't get a permanent "ready"
BUT...I did get one short "ready" and was able to start the motors (no props)
So the red button works now!!!
THEN....I found that the landing gear wouldn't work...WTF!!!!
Came home and have spent 2 hours working on it.
One side would move about an inch the other wouldn't budge.
SO...I Dismantled the bird (again) I'm getting quite good at it now...
Dismantled the motor and inspected it, then it took me an hour to put back together.
Fiddly bloody thing
Works fine now ?
The ST works fine with the sim
Just can't seem to get a permanent gps "ready" and I'm getting between 17 and 20 sats on average.
This problem is getting such a workout I'm having to recharge an H battery and the ST every day
Will make another attempt tomorrow
PHEW !!!!!!!

 

[TyphoonPete]

Well, another wated morning.
Perhaps not entirely wasted as I have some more information for anyone who may be reading my rantings.
Went to field, fine light cloud, dead calm.
Compass calibration as I had disconnected GPS module since last attempt.
All good, got all the right bleeps and flashes.
So far so good.
Turned on St, then bird, very quickly got "ready" and hit red button.
Wow, engines spun up.
Let them run for about a minute and shut them down.
Almost immediately lost "ready"
Acquiring ad infinitum.....
Gave up after another half hour and went home.
At home connected bird to GUI.
8 green ticks and was able to spin motors.
No problem there.
Then I noticed that the GUI was showing my approximate GPS coordinates...about 120km away!!!
HUH??? Why couldn't the bird lock onto that and discuss it with the ST??
Still have bird and ST on and bird connected to GUI.
Indoors of course, have 14-16 sats on bird and 10-12 on ST
Still acquiring
I am well and truly running out of ideas and have no desire to ship the bird 1000km each way on the offchance it can be fixed.
I am somewhat cynical about that due to the number of times I read worldwide that birds get sent back with the same problem
Still acquiring
i think I'll go and build my helicopter kit now...I shouldn't have so many problems with that...?
Cheers all

 

[DoomMeister]

@TyphoonPete

Try checking with @DCH on your GPS Ready problem. Seems to me he ended up having to replace the flight control board to solve his problem with Frankenphoon. He was having toilet bowl effect troubles and replacing the GPS is the usual fix, but did not help his TH. Replacing the flight control board was the cure for him.

 

[TyphoonPete]

Thanks DM,
Can't get airborne, let alone get toilet bowl!!!
New twist this morning.
I think, I reinstalled the firmware to the bird.
It seemed VERY quick to complete it, but what do I know.
I then cleared data as per manual, rebound, restarted and have picture on screen from camera, and 13 sats on bird and 15 on ST...indoors.
I restarted both and started getting the intermittent locks again.
I waited til a "ready" came up and hit the big red button.
The motors spooled up...OK!!.
Funny thing here is the motors kept running, the ST held "ready" UNTIL I shut down the motors when it immediately lost lock!!!???
WTF!!!
At this point I am not prepared to send the bird to anyone.
I am however prepared to send the main/fc boards to anyone who can do DEFINITIVE testing and confirm OK or NOT OK.
I'm not prepared to start changing out boards/parts on the OFFCHANCE that it will resolve the problem
At the moment I am stuck unless anyone has any more ideas.
To add to my woes the heli kit that arrived the other day is missing important head control parts which I am trying to resolve with the manufacturer.
SHeeeeeSH!!! ?
I really am on the verge of giving up on this whole RC thing, but considering the investment I currently have in it I am loathe to do so.
The interest is still here, but the will is starting to fade.....

 

[DoomMeister]

TP,

I understand that you can’t get off of the ground at this point, but I have a hunch that the FC may be causing the loss of the ready signal and not the GPS module.

@Haydn is down under also and may be able to find a way to have the FC checked out. It’s just a thought. I totally sympathize with the hassle you are having with your H.

 

[TyphoonPete]

TP,

I understand that you can’t get off of the ground at this point, but I have a hunch that the FC may be causing the loss of the ready signal and not the GPS module.

@Haydn is down under also and may be able to find a way to have the FC checked out. It’s just a thought. I totally sympathize with the hassle you are having with your H.

I'm sure it's NOT the GPS module as that is brand new and shows a voltage reading which the old one did not.
I don't know how the different boards/modules co-ordinate with each other, but it seems to me that one part is getting the gps info but whichever part it is supposed to hand-off to is NOT doing its job. it gets the information and then drops/loses it...ie "ready then acquiring". Always only for 5-10 seconds.
If that is the flight controller board, which I would assume needs that info to "release" the bird for flight then you would be correct...I think.
This is doing my head in...I'm not supposed to be trying to fathom this kind of stuff at my age.
When I was at school...yes, but computers and electronics didn't exist when I was at school.
I think the most advanced electronics was my crystal radio!!

 

[Gurusonwheels]

just trowing something out there . not sure how the absent of maybe the rx wire would affect the process.

the gps has a rx and tx wire . the tx is obviously working as the FC is getting data . wonder if the rx wire being broken could cause this ?

not sure how it works just posting some ideas ...

good luck

quote taken from

GPS Basics - SparkFun Learn

learn.sparkfun.com

Once a GPS module is powered, NMEA data (or another message format) is sent out of a serial transmit pin (TX) at a specific baud rate and update rate, even if there is no lock. To have your microcontroller read the NMEA data, all that is needed is to connect the TX pin of the GPS to the RX (receive) pin on the microcontroller.

 

[TyphoonPete]

just trowing something out there . not sure how the absent of maybe the rx wire would affect the process.

the gps has a rx and tx wire . the tx is obviously working as the FC is getting data . wonder if the rx wire being broken could cause this ?

not sure how it works just posting some ideas ...

good luck

Thanks for the suggestion...
I don't think so as the bird is acting exactly the same with the brand new module as it did with the 3 year old (dead)one.
I say dead as I could not get a voltage reading from the old one but i can with the new.
Suggesting, to me at least i have eliminated one possible, no probable, cause but obviously not the root cause
DM may be right about the Flight controller board, but I'm not going to keep changing parts hoping it will resolve the problem.
I am guessing that the bird and the ST both have GPS modules, why else would you have 2 different figures for each on the ST screen.
They obviously both work as they are both collecting data and, on occasion, they talk (ie, the ST gets a "ready" signal) and the ST releases control to the big red button.
I need a definitive electronics test that says that this or that part is not working correctly.
At this point I am thinking either the flight control board or the main board.....that is unless someone has another (read that as better) idea
The fact I can get an "intermittent" lock as well as one that does not drop out while the motors are spinning has me confused.
GPS Basics....?? I don't think I understood a word of that
Cheers

 

[Haydn]

I can send you a new FC board to try. If it works... Keep it and pay for it. If it doesn't. Return it. No cost.
Haydn

 

[TyphoonPete]

I can send you a new FC board to try. If it works... Keep it and pay for it. If it doesn't. Return it. No cost.
Haydn

Are you able to test the boards for correct operation?
If so I could send them to you
PM sent