# Sentinel PX4 firmware update

Source: https://forum.modalai.com/topic/2305/sentinel-px4-firmware-update
Category: Development Drones (https://forum.modalai.com/category/44/development-drones)
Tags: sentinel
Posted: 2023-06-22 18:00:35 UTC by jmltt
Replies: 7 · Views: 1537

## jmltt · 2023-06-22 18:00:35 UTC

I've got some Sentinels that have been sitting on a shelf since last fall that I'm trying to get up and running for indoor flight tests.  I've been running into some errors when trying to arm them via qgroundcontrol.  For reference these are running with the microhard carrier add-on and two pMDDL2450 radios to communicate back and forth.

I'm unable to enable GPS even after updating the EKF2_AID_MASK parameter, I get frequent MAG#0 Timeout warnings and I have a pretty high loss rate over MAVLink.  Also when the vehicles are ready to arm and I can get the motors to spin for a second and then some failsafe is enable that shuts everything down and forces the vehicle to reboot.  When that happens I get the following logs in the QGC console:

""_handleCommandAck command(MAV_CMD_COMPONENT_ARM_DISARM)result(MAV_RESULT_ACCEPTED)""
"_handleCommandAck Ack not in list "MAV_CMD_COMPONENT_ARM_DISARM"

I also get the following error when navigating around the vehicle settings in QGC:

"Parameters are missing from firmware. You may be running a version of firmware which is not fully supported or your firmware has a bug in it.  Missing paramsL 1:SDLOG_MODE"

I'm wondering if any of this has to do with the voxl-px4 firmware and whether updating it would help.  These are running voxl-px4 version 1.4.16a.  Is there a more recent firmware release that I can update to?  Should I try flashing a system image update?  Current system image is version 1.3.1

Thanks

## Reply by tom (ModalAI staff) · 2023-06-22 18:08:37 UTC

@josephmlullo That release is pretty old at this point. I recommend updating to SDK (platform) 0.9.5 from downloads.modalai.com ![02ac8719-765e-428a-9075-c5cf80d83915-image.png](https://forum.modalai.com/assets/uploads/files/1687457315675-02ac8719-765e-428a-9075-c5cf80d83915-image.png)

## Reply by jmltt · 2023-06-23 15:57:10 UTC (in reply to tom)

@tom Thanks for the response.

I flashed one of the sentinels with the SDK 0.9.5 and it seemed to solve at least a few of the issues (can get a stable heading after a couple of minutes and can arm via QGC even when I have some preflight errors like GPS Horizontal POS Drift error).

I'm still getting near constant MAG#0 timeout errors, a high mavlink loss rate, unstable values for Pose and Local Position NED and I'm unable to enable GPS even after updating the EKF2_AID_MASK parameter. 

Any thoughts on troubleshooting steps?

Btw is there any way to sync the clocks for the different components?  The clocks are off between the radios, host pc and voxl2 boards.  Not sure if that is contributing to MAG#0 timeout

## Reply by Samer Jaradat · 2023-06-23 16:45:30 UTC (in reply to tom)

@tom 
I am happy to communicate with you. 

I need some help. I received my sentinels several days ago, and now I am running it, but I am facing some problems like this one. I am new to this type of UAV. I want you. 
Who I flashed release of the sentinels with the SDK 0.9.5 and to solve at least a few of the issues Are there specific steps to include? Please help me in this regard with many thanks

## Reply by Samer Jaradat · 2023-06-23 16:48:19 UTC (in reply to jmltt)

@josephmlullo 

I am facing the same problems that you are facing. Please tell me the details that help to solve these problems and how we can get rid of them as soon as possible. Please explain to me the previous step in detail to get rid of this problem

## Reply by tom (ModalAI staff) · 2023-06-23 16:56:01 UTC (in reply to Samer Jaradat)

@Samer-Jaradat Please open your own thread

## Reply by Samer Jaradat · 2023-06-23 17:31:52 UTC (in reply to tom)

@tom 

OK this is my title ( Sentinel PX4 ( NO GPS Lock and firmware problem ) )

please review it.

## Reply by jmltt · 2023-06-26 14:34:46 UTC (in reply to tom)

@tom ~~I'm not having the same issue with GPS lock.  I can get a GPS lock, but my GPS is showing as disabled in QGC.  Is there a PX4 parameter loaded on the Sentinel's that defaults them to disable GPS?  Changing the EKF2_AID_MASK to enable GPS doesn't due anything.~~ *Ignore this part, just didn't have COM_ARM_WO_GPS set to 0

Also, I'm still concerned about the constant MAG#0 timeout errors, the unstable/unrealistic position estimates I'm getting for Local Position NED in QGC and the high loss rate I'm getting over mavlink.

Do you have any suggestions for troubleshooting and is there a way to synchronize the clock on the voxl2 with the clock on the GSC?

Thanks