Unusual motor problem

Jimme · Jan 8, 2024

Hi,
I've recently received a Typhoon H from a friend, who hasn't used it in some time.
After charging the batteries and ST16, and some light troubleshooting, I managed to get it ready to fly.
However, when hitting the start/stop button, all the props start moving back and forth, and stop within 5 seconds.
I managed to get the GUI working and tested the props, but found the same problem.
I have no idea what the problem could be, because it seems unlikely that all of the ESC's would give out at the same time, especially in storage!

Does anybody have any idea of what this could be?

Thanks in advance,

Jim

Steve Carr · Jan 8, 2024

When you connected to the GUI did you test the motors individually?
Did the ESC show a green check or a red X?
What was the battery voltage reading on the ST16?

WTFDproject · Jan 8, 2024

Jimme said:
..... when hitting the start/stop button, all the props start moving back and forth, and stop within 5 seconds.

This part of the description sounds somewhat similar (but not exactly) to the normal result when you start TH motors with no props mounted and some lift is present on the J1 stick.
Did you have props on the motors?
Have you looked at the hardware monitor on the ST16 and/or it's Final Output Display to evaluate the condition of your controller sticks?

Not sure what you did while it was on the GUI because you said you were testing "props". There should be no props on the motors when testing the motors via the GUI.
With that said, if you test the motors on the GUI all at once (with no props), they will run for about 5 or 6 seconds and shut down. Sometimes with a little bit of "double start" type behavior somewhere in the run. That is also normal.
I think GUI testing motors one at a time they will run as long as you let them.

Jimme · Jan 9, 2024

WTFDproject said:
This part of the description sounds somewhat similar (but not exactly) to the normal result when you start TH motors with no props mounted and some lift is present on the J1 stick.
Did you have props on the motors?
Have you looked at the hardware monitor on the ST16 and/or it's Final Output Display to evaluate the condition of your controller sticks?

Not sure what you did while it was on the GUI because you said you were testing "props". There should be no props on the motors when testing the motors via the GUI.
With that said, if you test the motors on the GUI all at once (with no props), they will run for about 5 or 6 seconds and shut down. Sometimes with a little bit of "double start" type behavior somewhere in the run. That is also normal.
I think GUI testing motors one at a time they will run as long as you let them.

When I tested for flight I had props on, with the GUI not (as directed). When testing individually, I had the same problem. The motors just jitter a bit, never making more than about 1/8 of a rotation. This happens when I tried taking off, while doing single motors in the GUI and with all motors at once.
After this happens, the motors can spin, not freely, but with steps. When turned quickly, I can hear the ESC beeping/making a pitched sound.
All seems well in the hardware monitor.

It kinda sounds like how bad motors sound in some video's I found, but not exactly. However, I can't think of a reason all motors would fail at the same time. The drone worked before going into storage, and has sat in storage for around a year, maybe more.

Edit: GUI shows a checkmark for the ESC

Thanks for the replies
Jim

WTFDproject · Jan 9, 2024

Jimme said:
... I can hear the ESC beeping/making a pitched sound.
All seems well in the hardware monitor.

.... I can't think of a reason all motors would fail at the same time.

Edit: GUI shows a checkmark for the ESC

Anything is possible after long storage, but I tend to agree it is unlikely all motors or all ESCs would go bad at once assuming normal storage conditions.
I am wondering if there is an issue with the FC board or some other common controlling point, @h-elsner may have better information about any possible common cause.

If it was me, I would at least remove the top shell and unplug the FC board a couple of times (you will need a 1.5mm hex head screwdriver to remove the 10 screws around the edge of the shell). Maybe clean the FC Board contacts with plastic safe contact cleaner or even alcohol. That suggestion is not based on any knowledge, it's just easy to do. These YouTube Videos by @Steve Carr will help if you need them:

This document by @Doomeister goes into more depth with the sticks:

Dropbox

www.dropbox.com

It would be good if you could record or describe in detail the beeping/pitch (screech?) sounds. Those may be coming from the camera, by the way. If the sound goes away when the drone is started without the camera mounted, it will be a second issue to address,

h-elsner · Jan 10, 2024

WTFDproject said:
Anything is possible after long storage, but I tend to agree it is unlikely all motors or all ESCs would go bad at once assuming normal storage conditions.
I am wondering if there is an issue with the FC board or some other common controlling point, @h-elsner may have better information about any possible common cause.

The only common system for all motors is on the flight controller board (MCU board). The same control from CPU is distributed via multiplexer to the six ESC controller. For me this looks like a hardware error. So, a good point to start with MCU board. If you have the possibility to change it to verify, this would be good. Also there could be a contact problem between MCU and main board. Although I doubt it is a SW problem it is worth to try to reflash the MCU board (because it is easy to do to exclude a SW problem).

What would I do:
- check all contacts including battery
- pull and insert MCU board
- reflash MCU board

mechfishy · Jan 13, 2024

Jimme said:
When I tested for flight I had props on, with the GUI not (as directed). When testing individually, I had the same problem. The motors just jitter a bit, never making more than about 1/8 of a rotation. This happens when I tried taking off, while doing single motors in the GUI and with all motors at once.
After this happens, the motors can spin, not freely, but with steps. When turned quickly, I can hear the ESC beeping/making a pitched sound.
All seems well in the hardware monitor.

It kinda sounds like how bad motors sound in some video's I found, but not exactly. However, I can't think of a reason all motors would fail at the same time. The drone worked before going into storage, and has sat in storage for around a year, maybe more.

Edit: GUI shows a checkmark for the ESC

Thanks for the replies
Jim

"After this happens, the motors can spin, not freely, but with steps. When turned quickly, I can hear the ESC beeping/making a pitched sound". Do you mean that when you spin the motors you are spinning them by hand?

What you are describing does sound like all bad ESC's. But as you say it doesn't seem likely that they all went bad at the same time, or went bad while being stored. But if it was improperly stored, such as being stored in high humidity conditions or high temperature or low temperature, there is a possibility that any of the connections that aren't soldered could have potentially corroded and aren't getting a complete connection. So you might consider taking the casing off and checking all of those connections and possibly using some connection paste to work through any possible unnoticed corrosion.

7cyclops · Jan 18, 2024

sure sounds like a bad bettery connection in the drone,check the end connectors as they sometimes get distorted. Have you tried different batteries in the drone. Peace KC