Motor issues when running ESC calibration

[Alex Kushleyev]

Also, which SDK are you using? i am surprised to see this issue.

Also, can you please double check the ESC bootup sequence:

• apply power
• 4 blue leds flash quickly for 1 second, then turn off
• 4 blue leds blink twice
• motor makes a quick chirp (three tones based on the latest params that provided)

[rdjarvis]

@Alex-Kushleyev ESC gave

4 LEDs quickly flashing
4 LEDs flash 3 times
Motor chirps

[rdjarvis]

@rdjarvis

[Alex Kushleyev]

One more suggestion, it often helps to use a direct connection between the ESC and your linux PC and run the voxl-esc tools there. This way you can see the plots instantly during testing and also if there are some issues with communication to the ESC, you can always connect it to the PC and check the ESC that way.

Do you have a USB to serial adapter cable that plugs into the ESC <-> PC ?

[Alex Kushleyev]

@rdjarvis said in Motor issues when running ESC calibration:

@Alex-Kushleyev ESC gave

4 LEDs quickly flashing
4 LEDs flash 3 times
Motor chirps

OK that is good!

[rdjarvis]

@Alex-Kushleyev, yes we have the USB/Serial connector.

[Alex Kushleyev]

@rdjarvis , ok great. Lets take a step back and just make sure you can talk to the ESC from the PC.

I will test SDK 1.2.0 to make sure it works fine with voxl-esc tools with my esc.

[rdjarvis]

@Alex-Kushleyev Copy all, thank you

[Alexander Saunders]

@Alex-Kushleyev

Also to confirm, I followed the README from dev branch to update.

[Alex Kushleyev]

@Alexander-Saunders , thank you for confirming. I see that you are using SDK 1.2.0, which is very recent, so it already has (almost) the latest voxl-esc tools.

I am in the process of testing the tools on voxl2 using SDK 1.2.0, please try to connect to your PC directly and this should properly detect your ESC.

[rdjarvis]

@Alex-Kushleyev
ssh'd into Linux PC.
Connected to ESC with USB to SERIAL
voxl2:/usr/share/modalai/voxl-esc-tools/voxl-esc-scan.py

received same error as Windows PC.

No ESCs detected

[Alex Kushleyev]

@rdjarvis,

What do you mean "ssh'd into Linux PC" ?

I am suggesting to connect the ESC to a standalone Linux PC and run the voxl-esc-scan.py on the linux PC (not on VOXL2).

Just wanted to clarify..

I tested the SDK 1.2.0 and the tools are working fine, it seems.

[rdjarvis]

@Alex-Kushleyev

On the Linux PC we are directly connected to 4 pin JST on ESC to USB.

I ssh'd into VOXL2 from the Linux PC terminal.

I ran voxl-esc-scan.py in VOXL2 (same results) No ESCs detected.

I ran same command in Linux terminal (not ssh'd into VOXL2) same results. No ESCs detected.

This is including running same command in /usr/share/modalai/voxl-esc-tools/.voxl-esc-scan.py

RDJ

[rdjarvis]

@Alex-Kushleyev power is on the UAV and ESC gave proper Flashes/Tones.

[Alex Kushleyev]

@rdjarvis , which serial to usb cable are you using? have you tested it with an ESC before? I am wondering if the RX/TX connections are correct and not swapped.

Also, do you have any other Modalai ESC you can test just to make sure the cables are working?

[rdjarvis]

@Alex-Kushleyev

MCBL-00091-1
USB to Serial UART Cable from ModalAI
Both right out of the new bag.

We have 2 of these. Tested both. Same results.

[Alex Kushleyev]

@rdjarvis , ok so just to clarify.. as soon as you uploaded the new params that I provided, the esc stopped communicating? Can you please check to make sure you did not modify the baud rate in the param file before uploading?

[rdjarvis]

@Alex-Kushleyev

[rdjarvis]

@Alex-Kushleyev The params you sent worked. I tested the new motors params, with the aggressive test procedures you sent.

They worked. Motors performed well and we confirmed the sinusoidal spin-up.

Binded Spektrum DSMX RX/TX and calibrated through QGC.

RC channels successfully calibrated in QGC.
Programed switches for Flight Modes.
ARM/DISARMED Motor kill all successful.

Armed for maiden flight. Slowly increased throttle with no motor response.

This led us to where we are now.

[Alex Kushleyev]

@rdjarvis , thank you for clarifying.

it seems there is some hardware issue. Can you please confirm that nothing is making contact with the ESC components, which could cause a short or something like this? Also please inspect the 4-pin UART connector on the ESC (and around it) to make sure there is no short or anything like that cause by loose debris or anything else.