ModalAI Forum

Hi @muqing-cao The M0213 board is not meant to plug into any other board than VOXL 2 directly. The best bet is to use a USB WiFi dongle connected to the 5G Modem Plug-in board. We provide several USB connections and cables to help that use case.
https://docs.modalai.com/cable-datasheets/

Reference this forum link in the RMA.

@mikhail-mayers I was asked to have you fill this form out;
https://www.modalai.com/pages/rma?_pos=1&_sid=54677f88c&_ss=r
Please reference this link so we know to credit you anything for the parts/service. This should be free given your order is in April.
Note our address has changed, so we'll be sure to include the correct new address for you in the forms.

Thanks @mikhail-mayers I sent a request up. I asked for a return label for your power module when you receive the replacement so I can debug this. Very odd to me since these all go through load and burn-in testing.
Apologies for the disruption to your testing, so I hope we can resolve this quickly for you!
Thanks!

Thanks @mikhail-mayers. We'll get you a replacement Power Module. That is pretty clear cut to me. I'll have someone from our Operations team reach out to you to ship a replacement Power Module. Do you happen to know your order #? Thanks!

Hi @patkirkmartin

1. We do not support >6S ESCs or Power Modules at this time.
2. Your suspicions are correct. For 3rd Party ESCs, you are unlikely able to use our voxl-esc tools which use UART based communications. The IO Expander is one way to get you there.
3. For Dshot, we have some guidance here: https://docs.modalai.com/fc-configure-misc/ since it is baked into standard PX4 support as far as I can tell.
   We completely revamped our Tech Docs with improved search functionality, so try to search for Dshot and see if any of those other posts help you along.
   Otherwise, what I would do once you decide on a specific ESC, create a new post just based on that for Dshot support and one of our SW engineers will be able to respond.
   Hope this helped.

Hi @mikhail-mayers Wow, ok, that is very odd...
Do you have a DMM to measure voltages out of the power module?
You should see 5V +/-0.1V. If not, work your way back to the 12V wall adapter.
I'm thinking most likely the wall adapter is the culprit here as that is a COTS item, whereas the Power Module and the VOXL 2 have been tested by our staff and procedures.

Hi @muqing-cao Sorry we are lacking in the docs here, but the M0213 was a direct replacement to the M0141 board. So the 12-pin connector (J3) directly matches the info for J5 here: https://docs.modalai.com/usb2-type-a-breakout-add-on/

Hi @mikhail-mayers
Pictures here will be very useful. How are you powering the VOXL 2? Battery? Wall Adpater?
Thanks!

@Raiyan-Alam said in Is there a way to power this Wi-Fi Adapter + Radio using this specific ModalAI UART adapter board?:

rfd900x

Hi @Raiyan-Alam,
My suggestion: keep the Wi-Fi adapter on USB and feed the RFD900X separately.
You can pull an extra 5V feed using this power module cable, which splices off a 5V red JST SFHR connector:
https://docs.modalai.com/cable-datasheets/#mcbl-00095
Splice from that into the RFD900X's 5V input. For the M0151, don't power the RFD900X off USB but pull it directly from the power module supplying VOXL 2 instead.

Hi @PatkirkMartin
If you have a more recent ESC with this 11 in the SKU, then the VTX regulator has been upgraded to 1A support.

We originally only did have 500-600mA support at the time before all the VTX units in the market went crazy with 2W+ output options.
If you need 600mA, I am confident this will work fine for you. We still publish the 500mA spec since we did sell a lot of the -1 unit with 500mA for the first year or so before we upgraded that part.
Hope that helps!

Hi @isagmz
That is indeed a cap. It is a 4.7uF 25V 0603 in support of the 5V input rail when sourced by J5.

We have so much margin on the 5V power rail, I would not worry about one cap missing. My best advice is to clean up that area to make sure there is no FOD or ripped up pads that can cause a short on that 5V rail from the broken cap, and just keep developing.
Let us know if you have any other issues.
Thanks!

@gerard I also just remembered we had a stint of bad MCBL-00010's a few months ago...
We have since cleared that up, but there is no telling how long ago you may have ordered that cable...
Please see this thread for guidance and if you do think your MCBL-00010 is at fault, we will replace your M0048, just reference both threads in your RMA (this one and this one -->) https://forum.modalai.com/topic/4632/flight-core-2-firmware-update-through-qgc?_=1781284416780

Hi @gerard
I asked my team for some extra assistance on the SW side, but if you suspect HW failure, we can diagnose with an RMA if you want to pursue that route.
If you had this working at one point, then it did not, it's most likely either a really bad SW change, or the HW got damaged.

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ModalAI, Inc. (www.modalai.com)

If you want to wait and see if our SW team has any guidance first before doing an RMA, that is your call.

Hi @gerard
Your RPi needs power.
The USB on the Microhard Dongle is a Device/Peripheral Port, needs to connect to a Host PC/SBC.
I do not see any power input to your RPi device.

That can explain your behavior.

Hi @gerard
Do you not get these LEDs either?
https://docs.modalai.com/microhard-usb-carrier/

Without a Microhard module installed, the 5V LED and the USB Hub LEDs should all still illuminate.
When the MH is properly configured, then you should start to see the other Activity and RSSI/Status LEDS. Those not appearing indicate the module is not configured, not seated, or in error.
Images will help.
Thanks!

Hi @gerard
Can you share a photo of the setup, ideally with the working unit next to the problematic one?

A couple of possible causes come to mind, but we'd need a bit more information to narrow it down:

The modem module may not be fully seated in the socket. These modules can be difficult to install correctly, and if the thermal pad underneath shifted or lifted slightly during installation, it can prevent proper seating.
The socket may be cracked. It's fairly easy to damage the socket during module removal, especially with Microhard modules, which can lead to intermittent electrical connections.

A side-by-side photo of the good and bad units would be very helpful for troubleshooting.
Thanks!

Hi @mtcbj
That is the flex stiffener. Our older image modules used stainless steel. Some of our newer modules use laminate.
Those holes are likely just flex/FPC air escapes during the backer lamination process. They do not provide any functional purpose after assembly.
I see no issue filling them with epoxy.
Hope that helps!

Hi @Jetson-Nano
Thank you for your request regarding MTTF and reliability data for the listed hardware components.

At this time, we do not publish formal MTTF/MTBF values for these products. The primary reason is that these systems (VOXL2, ESC, Flight Controller V2, Front-End Board, and Camera Modules) are delivered as development platforms intended for user-defined integration, testing, and operation. In the vast majority of use cases, overall system lifetime is dominated by application-specific factors such as mechanical stress, environmental exposure, power integrity, and crash events rather than intrinsic electronic wear-out mechanisms. As a result, standardized MTTF/MTBF metrics are not representative or particularly actionable for these platforms.

That said, the underlying silicon and design heritage for these systems is derived from high-volume mobile and embedded computing applications. These components are built on technologies that are broadly characterized for long operational lifetimes under nominal conditions, consistent with industry expectations for modern semiconductor devices.

Additionally, portions of the broader technology heritage have been evaluated in demanding environments, including public programs associated with NASA JPL (e.g., Mars Helicopter which is our design heritage, and CADRE lunar rover initiatives). However, detailed qualification data and reports from those efforts and other non-public efforts are not available for external distribution.

From a reliability perspective, our hardware is designed and validated using standard industry practices, including:

• Functional validation across operating voltage and temperature ranges
• Environmental and stress testing at the system level (i..e: we and our customers put our drones into very demanding scenarios)
• Design margining consistent with mobile/embedded electronics standards, oftentimes far exceeding industry norm
• Production screening and quality control processes and test screening

For applications requiring higher confidence in operational lifetime, we typically recommend system-level validation under the specific mission profile, including environmental testing (thermal cycling, vibration, shock) and power/load characterization representative of the end use case.

Hope this helps.

OK @Daehan-Won
Yeah, I'd try to run one first on it's own before the hub to rule that out.
Keep us posted.
Thanks!