Derek's ZMR250 Build

[KevG]

You should be able to use them without it but it's easy to connect if you got the right stuff,

[Derek]

OK...you've got my interest. "If I've got the right stuff...."

If I get those ESC's (which I've heard good things about), what other "stuff" do I need?

[KevG]

the only thing you need is an ardrino mini, if passthrough does not work, download the newest blheli suite 16014051 I think and this is the new version that should allow 1 wire passthrough on most FC. If you have an older version you can get into problems,

[Derek]

I have downloaded the newest blheli...I just don't know what to do now to get it to work.

[KevG]

What I do Derek

Open Cleanflight
connect FC
Disconnect FC
minimise cleanflight

Open BLheli suite
Click the drop down at the top to select type of connection, select silabs ........with cleanflight at end
then at bottom of screen click connect

if you get a message at this point tell us what it is

[KevG]

at work atm but will try and take a few screen shots for you later

[Derek]

Here is a screen shot of the error that I get

blheli error1.png (44.3 KiB) Viewed 2638 times

No rush, Kev. I'll be leaving for work in about an hour, from now, and I'll be back in the morning. Any screenshots you can share will be appreciated.

There are a few COM port options but I'm assuming that I'll use the same COM port that Cleanflight uses. That's COM5.

[KevG]

Yeah you need the new release of blheli you are running 14.4.0.3 and you need 16.0.14.5.0.1 and that will cure that problem mate, I had same issue the other week before being told myself.

[KevG]

https://github.com/4712/BLHeliSuite/releases

[Derek]

I have that downloaded. I just don't know what to do with the download and how to use it.

[KevG]

just unzip it Derek and use the application like you have with the version you have open

on your esc calibration I was doing mine wrong, now been told to do this.

In config tab set min throttle to 1000 and set max throttle to 2000
in motors tab check the little slider button and raise master to full
connect battery and wait for tones
lower master slider all the way down, wait for restart and tone to finish
raise master slider slowly till all motors spin with out stuttering, remember value, switch motors off.

back in config tab lower max throttle to 1950 and raise min throttle to about 20 points higher than where your motors spun without stuttering in check above.

this might help with your throttle resolution and hence help with your problem, most use default numbers in config tab but newer versions of betaflight need better

[Derek]

Ok...that was easy enough. The link you gave me, Kev, was a different link than I had been using. When I downloaded blheli, the last several times, I was still downloading the v14.4.0.3. The link you gave me allowed me to get the version that you were talking about.....here:

newblheli.png (85.42 KiB) Viewed 2625 times

I was just able to connect to the blheli suite successfully. It's amazing what happens with a bit of guidance, lol.

Now, I did follow your newest instructions for esc calibration and I made the changes to the min and max throttle boxes. Do I need to do anything with the min command? Is there anything else that I should be adjusting before I try another flight attempt?

It's raining here, right now, and suppose to rain all day so I won't get a change to try out the quad until things dry up....again.

***EDIT***

Apparently there is something else that needs adjusted. In one of the videos that I had watched the other day, the guy clicked on "Read Setup". So, I just did and this popped up:

not in sync.png (173.39 KiB) Viewed 2624 times

"Setup not in SYNC" That can't be good. What does this mean and what do I need to do to fix this?

[KevG]

Do me a favour and post up a pic of your screen when you go into blheli and click read setup, may be able to get rid of not sync'd

Min command leave at 1000 (default)

[KevG]

what range have you got set up in receiver screen

[Derek]

The pic above is what pops up when I click on read setup.

The range in the receiver tab is 1000-2000

[Derek]

Ok, I just had a bit of "light at the end of the tunnel"....I think.

I found a video on YouTube, "How To Calibrate ESCs with Cleanflight and BLHeliSuite".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3Mg-9M ... L&index=74

I watched that video twice. Based on the instructions given by Kev, above, and watching this video (and a small amount of deductive reasoning), I now have all 4 esc's in sync. I'd like to share a screenshot of the popup that says all esc's are in sync but I don't remember what I did to get that popup to "popup", lol. Nonetheless, I can hover my cursor over each of the esc numbers, at the bottom/center of the screen and it does, in fact, say "Setup in Sync with Master". I'm going to take that as a sign of progress.

Unfortunately it's still raining and even more unfortunately, I have to get ready for work. Hopefully I'll be off work tomorrow and Thursday and I'll take the ZMR back outside for another flight attempt.

Kev...thanks for your time....I sure hope we are getting closer.

[KevG]

No probe Derek hope it works mate, and your yaw issue goes,

The sync I just tend to adjust the min throttle ppm box down one point and then write setup to all and that syncs them,

[Derek]

Feeling positive, I take the ZMR outside for a test hover attempt. Ha ha ha, now motor 4 isn't spinning up at all. I'm gonna go drown my sorrows in a bottle of Mountain Dew, lol.

[KevG]

Hey Derek

do they all spin in motors tab, and do they start together if they do,

[Derek]

Yeah Kev...and that's what just blows my mind. After I set the calibration in Cleanflight and double checked things in blheli, I found the tab in blheli that would allow me to spin the motors. I did that and all motors spun. So, I put the props on and went outside. Armed the Naze32 and applied a bit of throttle and only 3 motors spun up. All I could do was laugh and walk back inside. I'm gonna be working on my big plane today. Maybe I'll get to the quad later on.