ESC Calibration issues

modaltb

Hi @Riley-Dove , I think the config file got messed up. Perhaps around the "offboard_mode" setting.

This lives at /etc/modalai/voxl-vision-px4.conf

Here's an example, where the qgc_ip is your system with QGC's IP address:

{
	"qgc_ip":	"192.168.8.47",
	"en_localhost_mavlink_udp":	true,
	"en_secondary_qgc":	false,
	"secondary_qgc_ip":	"192.168.1.214",
	"offboard_mode":	"none",
	"en_vio":	false,
	"en_voa":	false,
	"en_send_vio_to_qgc":	false,
	"en_send_voa_to_qgc":	false,
	"en_adsb":	false,
	"adsb_uart_bus":	7,
	"adsb_uart_baudrate":	57600,
	"px4_uart_bus":	5,
	"px4_uart_baudrate":	921600,
	"R_imu_to_body":	[[0, 1, 0], [1, 0, 0], [0, 0, -1]],
	"T_imu_wrt_body":	[0.068, -0.015, -0.008],
	"height_body_above_ground_m": 0.05,
	"T_stereo_wrt_body":	[0.10, -0.04, 0.0],
	"land_on_tag_id":	0,
	"follow_tag_id":	0,
	"en_apriltag_fixed_frame":	false,
	"fixed_apriltags":	[{
		"tag_id":	0,
		"R_tag_to_fixed":	[[0, -1, 0], [1, 0, 0], [0, 0, 1]],
		"T_tag_wrt_fixed":	[0, 0, 0]
		}],
	"en_transform_mavlink_pos_setpoints_from_fixed_frame":	true,
	"en_fixed_frame_pipe": false,
	"fixed_frame_filter_len": 5
}

modaltb

Also, if you didn't modify this file and this is how it shipped let me know so I can look into what happened. We enable VOA during flight testing and then disable so if there's a typo introduced causing this issue I want to inform the team over here. Thanks!

Riley Dove

Now it says only "error parsing config file before: ?
Segmentation fault"

Riley Dove

@modaltb I may have modified it, not even sure. I'm still learning the hardcore software side of this. I'm a hardware guy.

modaltb

@Riley-Dove ok, we can reset it to factory defaults, maybe that's easiest! If you can delete that file /etc/modalai/voxl-vision-px4.conf and then run the following command: voxl-configure-vision-px4 -f it will set the factory settings.

Restart the service:
systemctl restart voxl-vision-px4

Check status:
systemctl status voxl-vision-px4

If all looks good, you can set your IP back up:

vi /etc/modalai/voxl-vision-px4.conf

vi isn't easy to use. But this should get you going:

hit 'i' to enter edit mode
move cursor to text using arrows, edit the ip address following the same format that's there
hit 'esc' to exit edit mode
to save, enter :wq

Restart the service:
systemctl restart voxl-vision-px4

Check status:
systemctl status voxl-vision-px4

Then you should have a connection to QGC.

Riley Dove

I run into the same issue when I check the voxl vision status. Active: Failed. There is nothing on the voxl-vision-px4.conf file. It's not properly configuring that file.

modaltb

Hi @Riley-Dove ,

Sorry, something is happening when editing maybe... This setup is heavily used all over so trying to see what up, we can do a screen share if the following fails.

What if you do the following, without editing the file at all.

systemctl stop voxl-vision-px4
voxl-configure-vision-px4 -f
cat /etc/modalai/voxl-vision-px4.conf

Can you then copy paste the output of the last command here?

Then if the JSON output looks OK above, try to start again... systemctl start voxl-vision-px4.

This is where I'm getting the file.

Riley Dove

Looks like that worked.

~ # systemctl stop voxl-vision-px4
~ # voxl-configure-vision-px4 -f
loading and updating config file with voxl-vision-px4 -c
Error parsing config file before:
/usr/bin/voxl-configure-vision-px4: line 120: 3072 Segmentation fault voxl-vision-px4 -c
^ don't worry about the segfault ^

attempting to use camera configuration 3
adding override_cam_id value=1 to /etc/snav/camera.downward.xml
adding override_cam_id value=2 to /etc/snav/camera.stereo.xml
reloading systemd services
disabling all the snav services
starting imu_app
Created symlink from /etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/imu_app.service to /etc/systemd/system/imu_app.service.
WARNING: Missing stereo calibration file. Follow instructions here to
calibrate if you wish to use stereo visual obstacle avoidance.
https://docs.modalai.com/docs/quickstarts/calibrate-cameras/

DONE configuring ModalAI Vision Lib
enabling voxl-vision-px4 systemd service
Created symlink from /etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/voxl-vision-px4.service to /etc/systemd/system/voxl-vision-px4.service.
starting voxl-vision-px4 systemd service
DONE configuring voxl-vision-px4
~ # cat /etc/modalai/voxl-vision-px4.conf
{
"qgc_ip": "192.168.8.60",
"en_localhost_mavlink_udp": true,
"en_secondary_qgc": false,
"secondary_qgc_ip": "192.168.1.214",
"offboard_mode": "figure_eight",
"en_vio": true,
"en_voa": false,
"en_send_vio_to_qgc": false,
"en_send_voa_to_qgc": false,
"en_adsb": false,
"adsb_uart_bus": 7,
"adsb_uart_baudrate": 57600,
"px4_uart_bus": 5,
"px4_uart_baudrate": 921600,
"R_imu_to_body": [[0, 1, 0], [1, 0, 0], [0, 0, -1]],
"T_imu_wrt_body": [0.068, -0.015, -0.008],
"height_body_above_ground_m": 0.05,
"T_stereo_wrt_body": [0.10, -0.04, 0.0],
"land_on_tag_id": 0,
"follow_tag_id": 0,
"en_apriltag_fixed_frame": false,
"fixed_apriltags": [{
"tag_id": 0,
"R_tag_to_fixed": [[0, -1, 0], [1, 0, 0], [0, 0, 1]],
"T_tag_wrt_fixed": [0, 0, 0]
}],
"en_transform_mavlink_pos_setpoints_from_fixed_frame": true,
"en_fixed_frame_pipe": false,
"fixed_frame_filter_len": 5
}
~ #

I edited the QGC IP to my laptop's IP and QGC still doesnt see it. I will try from a different computer.

Riley Dove

No luck on different computer. I just tried the ESC cal as well and no luck.

modaltb

What kind of computer are you using, Linux, Windows?

If Windows, you likely need to configure the firewall (maybe easier to just disable the windows firewall for this test).

You can use the USB connection straight to the blue connector to get a connection to QGC.

But, if you have QGC running, the ESC calibration tool won't work because QGC will have taken ownership of the port.

Riley Dove

I've been testing on a Macbook Pro. I can get QGC via the USB port, just not via Wifi. And the motors dont spin above minimum armed PWM.

modaltb

I just went through similar yesterday on a new board we're developing. PX4 is configured to expect a magnetometer, you'll want to set the sys_has_mag param to 0, and GPS_1_CONFIG to off/none via the QGC.

I can get on a screen share after a bit if needed so just let me know if you want to wait till then.

Riley Dove

I just did another test randomly while eating my lunch and it worked as expected. So I did a maiden and checked stabilize, althold, and position mode and all modes flew well. We have lots of snow here so cant test too much more outdoors.

modaltb

OK great!! Please holler if you hit any other snags.

Riley Dove

Another snag... Seems like the voxl-vision-px4 is spotty at starting. I am trying to fly again and no luck. I ran the status command and the same failure as before.

modaltb

Hi @Riley-Dove ,

Want to try to do a screen share tomorrow AM? I'll send an email to what's registered on this account.

Some of the errors looked like config file parsing, but the first one was truncated a bit.

If the device is in the failed currently, and you don't mind, you can throw the output of systemctl status voxl-vision-px4 -l here in preps.

Thanks, we'll figure out what's going on!

ModalAI Forum

ESC Calibration issues