No led on receiver when attempting esc calibration

#1

Hello, total newb here. I have most of the drone assembled and I am at the “Calibrate ESCs” step in “How to Build a Raspberry Pi Drone”. I am using a Flysky FS-iA6B receiver with a Flysky FS-i6 transmitter. I am using ARRIS 2-6S 30AMP 30A SimonK firmware OPTO Brushless ESC with Readytosky® 2212 920KV Brushless Motors. When I connect the line from any of the esc’s to the receiver and connect the battery to the pdb of the frame I get a single semi-long chime (or beep) but I do not get an led light on the receiver. I cannot tell if they are all making the sound or not but I have tried plugging the receiver into all four esc with no success. This receiver came bound to the transmitter from the factory. I have tried it with an esc I had laying around for an RC car and I get power/led to the receiver and can control the rc car motor with the transmitter. Does anyone have any idea what the problem could be or where to start troubleshooting? Thanks again and below are some links to the equipment I am using if needed:

Motors: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075DD16LK/
ESCs: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UL4CYD6/
Transmitter and Receiver: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CXL9LCT/

#2

Is this with Pixhawk? The chime does not sound like an “OK”. Review the sounds here to see which it represents: https://ardupilot.org/copter/docs/common-sounds-pixhawkpx4.html

To be clear, you state “When I connect the line from any of the esc’s to the receiver…”. Are you not connecting the PPM encoder (or SBUS) to the Rx and the esc lines to the Pixhawk (or Navio shield)?

You are getting power (ie, LED on) to the Rx via the car, but not the quad, so perhaps your quad battery is weak and not getting sufficient power to the esc’s?

#3

I have not connected the pixhawk yet. I only have the battery connected to the pdb on my frame and the escs and motors connected as well as one of the bec connectors connected to channel 3 of the receiver. I think this is all of the connections that should be made at that step in the video series. I am going to charge the battery and see if that helps.

#4

I have a couple of different batteries but it appears I don’t have the correct cable to charge the battery I bought for the drone. I ordered a more capable battery charger, but in the meantime, I charged a 4500mah 40C 7.6V 2S1P battery I already had that I had a charging cable for. I tried it once it was charged and I had the same results (no led/power to the receiver) with that charged battery. The battery I bought for the drone is a 3000mah 30C 3S 11.1V battery. Based on my limited knowledge I think the other battery should have allowed me to see some lights on the receiver at least.

#5

well that is odd. I am assuming of course as with the car, that you followed Caleb in how to bind the Rx with the active line not removed to give it power ; )

#6

Correct. The receiver and transmitter were pre bound as a set. I put the red wire back in (assuming that would provide power). Seemed to work fine with the receiver connected to the car esc and motor. I got lights on the receiver, and I was able to control the motor. I have some other esc’s that I bought before getting the current esc’s based on someone here’s recommendation. I think I will try to wire those up if I don’t get any other suggestions.

#7

yes the first esc might be bad.

#8

I recommend that you do all at once calibration. You’ll avoid many issues.

All at once calibration

#9

Ok, thanks for the advice. If I go this route then I will be doing the calibration and motor/prop direction testing later after more connections are made and I begin setting up mission planner, correct? I will also delay attaching the props until those are done I assume.

#10

Ok just to add to this, I found a thread on a youtube review of the ARRIS 30A Quadcopter ESC with SimonK Firmware where a guy had no power to his receiver and another told him these do not have a bec and he would have to get power through the power distribution board. So that settles that I think. I am going to proceed as I outlined in the previous comment and delay esc calibration, motor direction testing, and prop attachment until I am able to get into flight controller/mission planner from a computer. Does this sound ok?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BfMUW7O7H8&t=206s&ab_channel=Dedstik

#11

Just another quick update. Anyone please feel free to jump in with words of warning, caution, or encouragement.

Today I got the power module connected. (I had to order some different battery-style connector adapters). I am near the end of the “How to Build a Drone” section of the “How to Build a Raspberry Pi Drone” course. I believe all I have left as far as the assembly is to connect the raspberry pi to the pixhawk. I connected the battery to see if I had things in the right ballpark and the receiver and the pixhawk both had leds on and some blinking as well as the escs did their usual chirp and the pixhawk made a few beeps and buzzes as well.

So I think I am still on the right track. I have not secured the esc’s or the motor wiring because I may have to rearrange to get the motors spinning in the right directions with the right props. I should be able to verify and adjust the motor directions as well as calibrate the esc’s somewhere after “Install MIssion Planner and Connect to Drone”, correct?

#12

You can secure the esc’s and motors per the diagram (props move toward the center axis) with CCW motors in positions 1/2 and CW motors in positions 3/4. Adjustments can be made afterwards if a motor is not spinning correctly by changing any two wires of that motor. Then calibrate esc’s per the lecture of that name. Don’t need MP for that, but the motors can be tested in MP in SETUP > Optional Hardware > Motor Test.

#13

@jax200 10 points
@Othman93 5 points

closed #14