Taranis Question?

[WyDiablo]

If I was using my Taranis on a carbon core X4 650MM quad and I switched everything from the quad over to a hexa and added 2 motors and 2 esc's. Would I need to change any settings in the radio to make it work. I have been through the tx several times and I can't find anything wrong or missing.

[ArchmageAU]

Originally Posted by WyDiablo

If I was using my Taranis on a carbon core X4 650MM quad and I switched everything from the quad over to a hexa and added 2 motors and 2 esc's. Would I need to change any settings in the radio to make it work. I have been through the tx several times and I can't find anything wrong or missing.

In short no change required in the Taranis.

Multi rotors use throttle, aileron (roll), elevator(pitch) and rudder. All the mixing and engine control occurs in the multi-rotor.onboard control unit. You will need to tell it how many rotors and what the angles are.

Multi rotor transmitter control is almost identical to a plane.

[WyDiablo]

Well I have transferred everything from my X4 650MM quad over to my new hexa. I just add 2 motors and 2 esc's (calibrated) and I got no response from the motors except #1 motor. I ordered a new Naza M V2 and after resetting everything and ready to spool the hexa up I still get only #1 motor spin up. I unplugged M1 #1 motor and plugged M2 #2 motor into the M1 slot and I get nothing. So that's why I was asking it the tx made any difference.

[ArchmageAU]

Originally Posted by WyDiablo

Well I have transferred everything from my X4 650MM quad over to my new hexa. I just add 2 motors and 2 esc's (calibrated) and I got no response from the motors except #1 motor. I ordered a new Naza M V2 and after resetting everything and ready to spool the hexa up I still get only #1 motor spin up. I unplugged M1 #1 motor and plugged M2 #2 motor into the M1 slot and I get nothing. So that's why I was asking it the tx made any difference.

TX makes no difference. All to do with the config of the Naza M.

Time to take this it the multi-rotor forum I think (General Multirotor Support).

[WyDiablo]

Yea I have taken it to every forum I can think of and no one has any answers. I have been racking my brain for 2 weeks now and have tried just about everything and still nothing.

[ArchmageAU]

Originally Posted by WyDiablo

Yea I have taken it to every forum I can think of and no one has any answers. I have been racking my brain for 2 weeks now and have tried just about everything and still nothing.

Have you downloaded the Naza M software and set the Mixed Type to Hexa-rotor I or Hexa-rotor V (Or IY or IV)?

This determines how the throttle signal is supplied to the ESC's from ports M1 to M6. (mixed from Throttle, Aileron, Elevator and Rudder and governed by Naza M gyros). ESC's signal midpoint must be 1520us. The manual recommendation is to program ESC manually first before connecting to the Naza M unit.

Does each motor work fine when it's ESC connected to the throttle channel and power supplied?

(I don't have a multi-rotor, just reading the manual and following logic).

[RedOctobyr]

Originally Posted by WyDiablo

Well I have transferred everything from my X4 650MM quad over to my new hexa. I just add 2 motors and 2 esc's (calibrated) and I got no response from the motors except #1 motor. I ordered a new Naza M V2 and after resetting everything and ready to spool the hexa up I still get only #1 motor spin up. I unplugged M1 #1 motor and plugged M2 #2 motor into the M1 slot and I get nothing. So that's why I was asking it the tx made any difference.

If I'm following this correctly?

- Motor #1 turns.
- When you connect motor #2 to the plug for #1, motor #2 does not turn.

To me, this implies that motor #2 is broken.

What if you connect motor #1 to the plug for #2?

[WyDiablo]

I"m not a noobie and everything is set and setup correctly according to the manual. I have calibrated each esc 1 at a time and then given each motor throttle and I get spin up. And in the software it set to the hexa type. The motors are fine for some reason they just do not spin up when connected to the naza. It's not the naza because I can move motor #1 to each of the other motor plugins and motor #1 spools up. I have even gone as far as changing out all the servo leads to make sure that they are good. I took 4 of these motors and 4 esc's from my Carbon core X4 650MM quad to make this hexa and my quad was flying perfect. Thats the part that I can't understand about this setup.

[ArchmageAU]

Originally Posted by WyDiablo

I"m not a noobie and everything is set and setup correctly according to the manual. I have calibrated each esc 1 at a time and then given each motor throttle and I get spin up. And in the software it set to the hexa type. The motors are fine for some reason they just do not spin up when connected to the naza. It's not the naza because I can move motor #1 to each of the other motor plugins and motor #1 spools up. I have even gone as far as changing out all the servo leads to make sure that they are good. I took 4 of these motors and 4 esc's from my Carbon core X4 650MM quad to make this hexa and my quad was flying perfect. Thats the part that I can't understand about this setup.

It's not just the spooling up, it's the ESC calibration. The Naza sends a signal to each ESC expecting it to have the same range and same mid point for the servo signal to control the ESC.

Each ESC must have a midpoint of 1520us. But must also have the same low and high points (eg 1020us low / arm, 2020us high / full throttle). Could be that the Naza is not initializing the other ESC's as they are not seeing the 0 (1020us) throttle mark.

What is the make and model number of the ESC's? There should be a calibrating procedure where you can set the low and the high signal marks.

[WyDiablo]

These are the esc's that I use and they came off of my carbon core 650MM quad that used a Naza M also.

http://scrautomation.com/product_view.php?recordID=280

But I don't think that would be the problem because the motor #1 that spools up is the same esc as above and also one that came from the X4 650MM quad

If this turns out to be an esc problem do you guys have some links to esc's that are reasonably priced?

[ArchmageAU]

Originally Posted by WyDiablo

These are the esc's that I use and they came off of my carbon core 650MM quad that used a Naza M also.

http://scrautomation.com/product_view.php?recordID=280

But I don't think that would be the problem because the motor #1 that spools up is the same esc as above and also one that came from the X4 650MM quad

If this turns out to be an esc problem do you guys have some links to esc's that are reasonably priced?

After a quick search, to reset the throttle range on you ESC:
- TX on with throttle max
- ESC power on (after 2seconds should emit a 123-beep beep tone)
- Move TX to throttle min.
- After a second, the ESC will emit a beep beep tone.

ESC will not arm unless it sees 0 throttle.

Have you set the throttle range on all your ESCs to ensure they are all identical?

[WyDiablo]

That is exactly have I have set all 6 esc' on my hexa. After a couple of secondds at high stick I move the throttle stick to the bottom and after that I get the 3 beeps. I give the esc throttle and the motors spin up until I get the 50% and at that point the speed increases until I get the full throttle.

[ArchmageAU]

Looks like we are down to a controller issue (if each motor works and each ESC is calibrated).

As we are in issue resolution mode, have you tried the different ESC's with different motors? ie, ESC2 with motor1, ESC3 with motor2, etc... With 6 motors and ESC's there are only 36 combinations .

Has the replacement Naza M arrived?

If all ESCs calibrated (and all motors seem to work the same speeds with the calibrated ESCs), then it seems a Naza M issue. The Naza M is supplying the throttle signal to the ESCs.

Just a thought. Do you have enough spare servos to test the throttle outputs of the Naza M by watching servo horn movements?

[WyDiablo]

Well I had things setup and ready to spool all the motors and I only had motor #1 to spin the other 5 did nothing. I moved motor #1 over and pluged it into each of the other 5 slots and each time I did the "CSC" motor #1 would spool up.. So I really don't think its the Naza M V2. I have been playing with the new Naza for a week now

[ArchmageAU]

Originally Posted by WyDiablo

Well I had things setup and ready to spool all the motors and I only had motor #1 to spin the other 5 did nothing. I moved motor #1 over and pluged it into each of the other 5 slots and each time I did the "CSC" motor #1 would spool up.. So I really don't think its the Naza M V2. I have been playing with the new Naza for a week now

Just trying to diagnose whether it is the signal or the ESC/motor. This is what the below test is for.

Originally Posted by ArchmageAU

...
Just a thought. Do you have enough spare servos to test the throttle outputs of the Naza M by watching servo horn movements?

Throttle up on a level multi rotor should engage all motors. If all the servos move, then the other 5 ESCs are not initializing (seeing 0 throttle signal). If only 1 of the servos move, then it only works.

If the ESC's are providing BEC functionality through the + wire, then maybe you need to detach the + (middle) wire from each of the ESC connections to the Naza.

[WyDiablo]

The esc's that I'm using right now are "Opto" Plugging a servo in the M1 thru M6 motor slots on the naza I get no servo movement

[ArchmageAU]

Originally Posted by WyDiablo

The esc's that I'm using right now are "Opto" Plugging a servo in the M1 thru M6 motor slots on the naza I get no servo movement

That is surprising. I would expect a configured Naza M to output a servo signal on all 6 of the motor outputs (this is the normal way you control an ESC - ie. it normally gets plugged directly into a RX if not on multi-rotor).

Normal servos use a PWM signal from 1000us to 2000us (unless high speed). Is the Naza M putting out a voltage on the + servo plug rail (if not you may need to hook in servo power from somewhere else. ESC's no not need to be powered through the + rail as they draw power from battery input.)

Did you get the normal startup light sequence on the Naza M of: red-green-yellow-red-green-yellow-red-green-yellow-green-green-green-green, when connecting power to the PMU with the TX on? (ref: page 6: http://download.dji-innovations.com/...e_v1.26_en.pdf)

[JustPlaneChris]

EDITED: Ah, nevermind... I see ArchmageAU said basically the same thing I'd already typed up. I'd bet your M2-M6 ESCs aren't seeing a signal or aren't getting powered up.

[WyDiablo]

Well when I power up the hexa I do get a few of the standard start up lights. Then after that all I get is like 3 fast yellow light and when I go to arm (CSC) the yellow lights go off and I get about 3 to 4 fast green lights and sometimes when I arm I only get the fast yellow lights. I also have never had to make a power source for the esc's from an addition battery. My Naza M is putting out 4.0 volts on the motor side of the Naza

[RedOctobyr]

Forgive me if I have this wrong, but don't opto-isolated BECs often need to be fed power via the throttle cable?

How are your opto BECs connected? Just signal wires? Or signal+red+black wires?

Possibly-relevant reading here:
http://diydrones.com/forum/topics/qu...c-s-to-apm-2-5

Castle's info on their multirotor ESC pack:
http://www.castlecreations.com/suppo...ser-guide.html

Theirs comes with (1) ESC with a BEC, and (3) ESCs without BECs. They specify you need to keep the red wires connected for the ESCs that do not have BECs:

Note on the usage of “No BEC” versions of Multi-Rotor ESCs: The “No BEC” versions of Multi-Rotor ESCs require the red wire of the receiver lead to be connected to a 5-12V source. The red wire of the receiver lead should remain intact and connected to the flight-controller/receiver power circuit. The flight-controller/receiver power circuit can be powered by the BEC version of Multi-Rotor ESCs or an external source.

Maybe this is unrelated to your issue, but it seems worth mentioning.