DJI A2 Controller

[Heliberry]

...thank you for your hint, Thaoe Ed!
What's the definition of low temp? It was close to 0 degree celsius. not less. Acording the specs, this still should be ok. It also was well equilibrated - for more than 1h outside before starting the system...
Cheers

[T J Gilbert]

Are you mounting your A2 IMU module on the frame like Ed says we can do?
Or are you putting it on the IMU bracket?
I'm setting up an S800 Evo with the A2 controller, and don't want to take any chances...

[ErichF]

Originally Posted by T J Gilbert

Are you mounting your A2 IMU module on the frame like Ed says we can do?
Or are you putting it on the IMU bracket?
I'm setting up an S800 Evo with the A2 controller, and don't want to take any chances...

No, we are not using the external IMU mount bracket on either the EVO or the standard S800. The IMU on both birds is mounted in the frame in the dedicated location. No issues, but I have never really had any vibration issues with the S800.

Using the starting gains in the documentation, as well. You should be good to go.

[T J Gilbert]

Thanks!
I'm OCD about balancing and set-up, so hopefully I will have similar results (like you and Ed..).

[ErichF]

Pay close attention to which components are plugged into CanBus 1 and 2, particularly if you are running the Datalink, iOSD mkII, and Zenmuse. It all has to be connected in a particular way or the network won't, well, work.

[T J Gilbert]

Will do...

[eddiscus]

Currently I am in the middle of a S800 evo build. I would like to use my Jeti receiver in ppm mode connected to the A2 for navigation and gimbal control. But some of these stories of control loss have me very concerned. Am I better off just utilizing the built in receiver as I also have a futaba 12FGH? Or has the latest revision of firmware corrected most of the previously mentioned issues ?

[ErichF]

So you want to set up your bird and gimbal for single operator configuration? By "Jeri" I assume you mean JETI?

If you have a 12FG, I highly recommend you use the integrated Receiver in the A2. The 12FG is actually a 14 ch TX so you will have enough channels to map a single operator setup. Use the digital channels 13 and 14 for something like landing gear and shutter release. Save all your propo channels for control and gimbal axis.

Your fingers are going to be busy in a single operator setup.

[eddiscus]

One of my main reasons for wanting to use the Jeti is I also wanted to utilize the current sensor to have a warning based on mah consumption. But being that the load transients are not as great on the multi rotors as compared to a 3D heli application pack battery percentage based off of pack voltage is probably a little more consistent in multirotor use.

Just was hoping that some other S800 users had good success with the A2 and a PPM receiver.

[DJI Innovations]

What is new?

Firmware:

1.Enhanced performance of A2 flight control system in data loss situations that are caused by abnormal communications.
2.Optimized control performance, if the command of Yaw control stick is zero, the command variation of Elevator, Roll and Throttle will not change the aircraft attitude around Yaw.
3.Optimized IOC function and POI algorithm to improve user experience.
4.Optimized communication protocol.
5.Support to upgrade A2 GPS Module.
6.Fixed the attitude jitters during Failsafe and Go Home.

Assistant Software:

1.Added RC status display.
2.Assistant Software released with support for Mac OS X 10.6(Lion)or above. Assistant software usages on Mac and Windows are exactly the same.

User Manual:

1.Added installation and usage instructions for A2 Assistant Software on Mac OS X.
2.Added Failsafe settings for traditional receiver users.
3.Added RC status description.
4.Revised the control mode introduction.
5.Added trouble shooting list of motors start failures.
6.Added a note that if the second level low voltage alerts occur when the aircraft is during Failsafe and Go Home process or the aircraft is controlled by Ground Station, the aircraft will descend automatically.
7.Revised the recording conditions in IOC function.
8.Added a system error LED indicator shown in continuous 4 red blinks.
9.Revised the attitude status LED indicator, there is no blinks if the attitude status is good and continuous 3 white blinks if bad.
10.Added the note that when using with A2, the firmware of iOSD Mark II should be V3.0 or above and OSD Viewer should be V4.0 or above.


Notes for Upgrade:

1.For safety reasons, do not use the power battery for power supply during firmware upgrade. Reconfigure all parameters in the Assistant Software after firmware upgrade.
2.When using the A2 flight control system firmware version V2.1, the firmware of other DJI products used in conjunction must be matched with the requirements in the table below.
3.When launching for the first time on Mac OS X, please open the Assistant Software in the Finder. After the first successful launch,the application can be launched by double-clicking the A2 icon in the Finder or using Launchpad.
4.Please download the application installer in DMG format from the download page of A2 on the DJI website.
5.The Assistant Software for Windows and Mac OS X will be updated simultaneously in the future.

DJI - A2 V2.1 Firmware Upgrade Introduction (2 min 1 sec)

Please click here for more information.

[rasoetan]

All,

Not sure if anyone else will find this useful, but I created this chart based on LED colors. It allows me to quickly decode what the A2 is trying to indicate. The PDF chart is attached.

Raphael

[Tahoe Ed]

Thank you for doing that.

[bobdef1]

i to had a wookong on my s800 evo. i have 7 different DJI products so i consider myself well versed in the setup and use. my wookong was working perfect so i decided to "UPGRADE" to the A2. i took off with the A2 in the s800 evo and the thing went full throttle to about 200 feet and was buzzing around out of control i tried to change the modes with no response so i turned off the transmitter it went into some sort of failsafe mode inverted and crashed about 100 yards from takeoff. WTF i brought the unit home double checked the connections everything was built properly and connected properly. when i hooked it up to the computer again everything was set properly but i got a compass error that wasnt there on initial setup. there are alot of these being report what the hell is going to be done about it why hasnt this been fixed yet now i have to spend a thousand bucks to fix my 800 and send this thing back which will probably have to go back to dji another 2 months down. if they know about this why dont they fix it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
thanx for listening
bob

[cbergen]

Your compass error may be a result of the crash, especially if it hit inverted...

Understanding that you believe yourself to be well versed in DJI products, there are some differences/new things in the A2 that may have gotten by you, resulting in the behavior you noticed.

If you really want some assistance to figure it the cause, get off your rant, post some pics of your setup, and maybe we can figure out what happened.

[Tahoe Ed]

Chris, I agree. I have flown my A2 on a F550, F800 and it now resides on my S1000. Lots of flights and not any issues as described here. The channel mapping in the A2 is totally different that anything that DJI has done before. It takes some getting used to before it can be mastered.

[bobdef1]

Sorry if i sounded that angry just frustrated about the crash not trying to bad mouth DJI i love there stuff. i cant figure out why it happened. my setup was a DX-18 using 2 sattelites on the A-2. all the channels seemed to be working properly. the IMU was installed in the stock position on the body. everything else was installed in the body and the GPS was in the factory position. i dont have pics because i sent it in for repair.

[bobdef1]

im sorry about the rant just very frustrated. i love DJI products but this one frazzled me. my setup is with a dx-18 using the a-2 with 2 sattelites. all the channels seemed to working properly my setup looks like Tahoe ed's at the begining of this post.all the lights on the led seemed to be correct. checked and double checked the connections and everything was hooked up correctly. all the gains were set to factory recommendations now ive read about this happening over a dozen times throughout the internet if its something everyone of these people have done wrong my ears are open to suggestions. i sent the unit back so i dont have pics. but what else can i tell you guys about it to help figure this out.

thanx
bob

[cbergen]

Unfortunately, with out pics or hands on checking your setup and installation, what you ask is near impossible.

There are many stories of crashes, with every type of autopilot and airframe. There are also many stories where the owner swears he did everything correct, until FINALLY the cause is found and it was something very simple. Simple to get wrong and simple to overlook.

I'm sure you believe that it was all setup and connected absolutely perfectly, per the manual, per Tahoe Ed's setup, etc. But MANY cases similar to yours ends up being a simple user error. Could the unit be bad? Absolutely. Could the programming have been corrupted, a bad update? Yes, it's happened. The only way we'll know is if whoever you sent it to for repair finds the issue and informs what he found.

[Willshep]

Hi guys,
Im trying to diagnose my giant (D130) multirotor issue. I cannot get the engines to behave in idle, and they do not return to an idle speed after throttle deflection. I have calibrated the ESC, TX and A2 with no change. ESC are out on the arms, I have the Foxtech addl. capacitor but have yet to install, that shouldnt be an issue for this basic behavior.
www.volomira.com/upload/IMG%205755-HD.mp4


ANY ideas?

Thanks in advance for looking
_Will

[cbergen]

What brand ESC's? Some ESC's do not play well with the DJI system.