avrdude: stk500():not in sync: resp=0x00
The Problem:
Trying to flash the Hobbyking OrangeRX Open LRS 433MHz Transmitter 1W ( JR Compatible) with openLRS produced the error "avrdude: stk500():not in sync: resp=0x00" in the Arduino IDE.
The solution:
Buy a 3.3V USBAsp board and following the guide here, flash the bootloader to the board. Once the bootloader was installed, the openLRS firmware uploaded without any errors.
Character Set Update – MinimOSD
The problem:
The on screen display (OSD) characters from the Hobbyking Minim OSD v1.1 appear garbled.
minim OSD ready for character set update
Firmware Upload HKPilot Mega V2.5 Flight Controller
The first time I tried to upload the ArduCopter firmware to the Hobbyking HKPilot Mega V2.5 Flight Controller I got an error "Communication Error - no connection". Even though I specified the correct COM port identified via the Computer Management in Windows 7. Under the "Ports (COM & LPT)" it shows up as "Arduino Mega 2560 (COM35)" along with two others "Standard Serial over Bluetooth link".
Convinced I had the settings right I was beginning to wonder if I had a dud board. The solution I found was to disable the other two COM ports in the Computer Management.
After disabling these COM ports, the firmware uploaded to the board with no errors.
2.1mm F:2.0 Turnigy Micro FPV Camera Lens
This image shows the view from the default lens that comes with the 1/3-inch SONY CCD Video Camera (PAL) on the left and from the same camera but with the lens swapped for a 2.1mm F:2.0 Turnigy Micro FPV Camera Lens. On the right I've drawn a green box to show the area of the original lens overlaid on the view from the replacement lens. The original lens has quite a smaller Field of View in comparison.
While the new lens has a much wider FOV, objects appear smaller overall. Compare the size of the fridge in the middle of the frame. I'm going to try the wider FOV lens for now as it should be better in tight spaces.
1/3-inch SONY CCD Video Camera (PAL)
2.1mm F:2.0 Turnigy Micro FPV Camera Lens
Quadcopter Parts List
I was asked recently what would be a good way to start in multirotors. The first question was "A tri-copter must be simpler and easier because there's only 3 motors?". I disagree. I've built quite a few tricopters and on each one explored a different way of building the yaw control mechanism on the tail motor. Some worked well, some not so well but by the time the servo is mounted and linkages hooked up, it all gets more complicated and less reliable compared bunging on a fourth motor and prop spinning in the opposite direction. I think what finally converted me was assembling the DJI F450 frame with the Naza controller. This quad was smooth and stable from the first flight and is an ideal platform for mounting a GoPro camera on for some aerial photos & videos. The downside of the DJI is that it's not cheap. I spent over $600 on the Flight controller, frame kit and GPS module and that's assuming you already have LiPo batteries, LiPo charger, radio control transmitter & receiver and other bits and pieces. It can quickly become an expensive option especially if you're just getting started.
Another option is the "toy quads" you'll find in electronics stores or maybe even the local shopping centre. They're cheap and maybe a good way to get a taste for flying multi-rotor but they have certain disadvantages;
1) The parts are generally not re-usable for your next project. The motors, ESCs and controller are so deeply integrated they're not easily adapted to another frame.
2) Often they're quite small with payload capacity to match. The small quads will struggle to carry much more than a lightweight spycam let alone a GoPro or pocket digital camera.
So what to buy for a simple, cheap, respectable quadcopter with parts that could be re-used in your next project, maybe a hexcopter. This shopping list should cover absolutely everything you'd need to start from scratch.
Flight Controller: $29.99 Hobbyking KK2.0 Multi-rotor LCD Flight Control Board
Auto-level with and LCD screen for configuring and tuning. Eight outputs good for tri-copter up to Octo-copter. The downside is no barometric pressure sensor (height hold) or GPS (position hold) but at that price, those features aren't expected. It also has a built in voltage monitor that outputs an audible alarm at a programmable low voltage level. This feature requires a couple of extra wires soldered to the board and is well worth the trouble.
Frame: $17.99, Q450 Glass Fiber Quadcopter Frame 450mm - Integrated PCB Version
A simple, sturdy frame that comes with an allen key for the 2.5 and 3mm boltsand even a velcro strap for the battery. The lower board has an integrated PCB which means there's no need a messy power distribution cable arrangement.
Motors: $14.99 (x4), NTM Prop Drive Series 28-26A 1200kv / 250w
Ideal size and power for this frame. The mouting holes align perfectly. Something odd with this motor I hadn't come across before was the shaft sticking out the rear / bottom of the motor. The accessories pack is needed as a propeller mount and uses three bolts to attach to the motor. I quite like this method as compared to the prop savers with the rubber o-ring or the collet style adaptors.
$1.89 (x4), NTM Prop Drive 28 Series Accessory Pack
You won't need the motor mount or the four silver screws, just the prop adaptor. With the Q450 frame, the bolts go through the frame and straight into the bottom of the motor.
$12.19 (x4), TURNIGY Plush 30amp Speed Controller
Simple, reliable, does what it's supposed to without any fuss. The difference in weight between the 18, 25 and 30 Amp ESCs is barely worth compromising the current capacity for.
$1.59, PolyMax 3.5mm Gold Connectors 10 PAIRS (20PC)
Some might solder their motor wires straight to the ESC but I've never been organised enough to plan that far ahead. I need the flexibility to swap any two of the three motor wires. I've read alot about bad or loose connections that have caused crashes. I've never experienced this type of failure. I think probably because it all comes down to a good solder joint.
$2.46, Slow Fly Electric Prop 8045R (4 pc - Green, RH Rotation)
Eight inch, Right Hand (RH / Clockwise) rotation. Four to a pack but you'll only need two with two spares. At these prices though, if you're ordering any spares, props should be high on the list. Get two packs.
$2.29, Slow Fly Electric Prop 8045 SF (4 pc - Green)
As above but they turn the other way. I like coloured props (as opposed to black) because they're much easier to see. In bright daylight, black props look almost invisible compared to green props which seem to present a good contrast against the sky.
$4.75, 10CM Male to Male Servo Lead (JR) 26AWG (10pcs/set)
These connect the receiver to the inputs on the flight controller board.
$16.38, Turnigy 2200mAh 4S1P 20C Lipo Pack
Minimum capacity and C rating you'd want to use for a decent flight time.
Now up until this point, it's assumed you already have some RC equipment from other projects. For those that are starting out and need a LiPo charger and Transmitter / Receiver etc, here are some suggestions.
$53.95, Turnigy 9X 9Ch Transmitter w/ Module & 8ch Receiver (Mode 1) (v2 Firmware)
From accounts I've read online, the Turnigy radios are a good way to get started. A nine channel radio and receiver for just over $50 is good value! This package doesn't come with batteries or charger but seeing as most people will already have these, it makes sense for Hobbyking to exclude these parts.
$6.89, HobbyKing 1500mAH LiFe 3S 9.9v Transmitter pack.
A Tx is no good without power. Compatible with the charger below but you'll need another lead for charging.
$16.99, HobbyKing 50watt 5A X-Charger/Balancer
This battery charger will be enough to get you up and running doing balanced charges on LiPo's. It will also charge NiMH and NiCd batteries often used in transmitters. Note - it is a DC only input so you'll have to hook it up to a car battery or similar and can't plug it onto 110 / 240 AC wall outlets. For a charger with both DC & AC input, look at a "B6-AC Plus - Charger/Discharger 1-6 Cells Dual Power (COPY)" or better.
$2.69, Charging harness
Use this harness to charge the Tx LiFe battery. You'll probably never use ALL the connectors on this charging harness but even if it means cutting some off and re-purposing with a different connector, for a few dollars it takes the pain out of soldering up wires to banana leads.
I think that's pretty much everything you'd need to get in the air with a decent quad. The best thing about this setup is that down the track you could directly swap the KK2.0 control board for maybe a DJI Naza controller and add altitude and position hold, without having to change any motors or ESCs. The parts are all fairly cheap to replace so those first few crashes shouldn't be too painful on the wallet. If you can afford to, get two frames (1 for spare) so you don't have to wait weeks for another delivery from Hong Kong to repair / replace parts. Spare propellers are a must have and considering the price of them, it's a no brainer to order a few more packs of them.
There are a few more items like spare battery packs and LED strip lighting that you'll probably want to add down the track but for now the objective is to get a quad in the air for cheap, but not too cheap to make it nasty.
Ok so to recap, here's the parts list summary and totals;
Flight Controller: $29.99 Hobbyking KK2.0 Multi-rotor LCD Flight Control Board
Frame: $17.99, Q450 Glass Fiber Quadcopter Frame 450mm - Integrated PCB Version
Motors: $14.99 (x4), NTM Prop Drive Series 28-26A 1200kv / 250w
$1.89 (x4), NTM Prop Drive 28 Series Accessory Pack
$12.19 (x4), TURNIGY Plush 30amp Speed Controller
$1.59, PolyMax 3.5mm Gold Connectors 10 PAIRS (20PC)
$2.46, Slow Fly Electric Prop 8045R (4 pc - Green, RH Rotation)
$2.29, Slow Fly Electric Prop 8045 SF (4 pc - Green)
$4.75, 10CM Male to Male Servo Lead (JR) 26AWG (10pcs/set)
$16.38, Turnigy 2200mAh 4S1P 20C Lipo Pack
$53.95, Turnigy 9X 9Ch Transmitter w/ Module & 8ch Receiver (Mode 1) (v2 Firmware)
$6.89, HobbyKing 1500mAH LiFe 3S 9.9v Transmitter pack.
$16.99, HobbyKing 50watt 5A X-Charger/Balancer
$2.69, Charging harness
A grand total of $272.25. A bit pricier than I was aiming to get it but don't forget that theres about $80 worth of radio and charging gear that can be re-used in the next multirotor. Once you've built one, you won't stop at that. Tri, quad, hex, octo ... they're all possible with these same parts.
****If I've forgotten anything on the list, leave me a comment below 🙂
Turnigy Model Be Found
Going by the name of the Turnigy "Be Found" device, I get the impression it supposed to help you find your model if in the event of a mishap, it goes down somewhere hard to find. I've got a number of issues with this which I'll outline below. But then take a look at the website description (http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=20578) and it describes it more as a pre-flight safety check device to audibly warn you if either your battery voltage is low or you lose the radio link during the pre-flight check you do before every flight (right - every flight).
From the website:
"This Handy unit will emit a loud beep if your receiver loses radio signal or when the voltage of your models radio system drops below 4v. Perfect for testing ground range of receivers and ensuring that your radio system has not dropped to an unsafe voltage before each flight."
Let's assume the low voltage part of it works (I'll have to assume because I didn't bother testing it), let's take a look at the worse case scenario where the model is lost in-flight and has to be retrieved in thick bush. Here are the drawbacks and why I reckon it won't work;
- It didn't beep when I switched my Tx off. That's a pretty drawback as number one. Am I doing something wrong? Check the youTube video for how I tested.
- Of all the models I've seen crash, the battery pack is quite often not connected to the receiver anymore (ie no power to the buzzer).
- I reckon it introduces another likely point of failure. The in-line connector for the servo was a bit dicky and bent and the plastic cover stopped me from plugging it in properly the first time.
- If I have to rely on the low voltage buzzer to go off while I'm searching for a lost model, I could be waiting a while for the pack to drop below 4V.
- Even as a pre-flight check device, if I'm standing 10-15 meters away from my model at a busy club field, and it did start beeping, I'm not convinced I'd hear it.
Overall, as a safety device, I don't think it adds much value and your radio setup is probably better off without another point of failure being introduced (even if it is only on one channel). This one is a Pass.
Using the HobbyKing servo tester to setup servo arms
Installing servos and getting the arms in the right position can be a pain if you haven't got around to setting up and connecting your transmitter yet. A servo tester like this one http://bit.ly/xUeoyB means you can find the centrepoint and test the throws all without the Tx. In the photos and videos below I've got three Hextronik HX5010 servos installed and pretty much centred without using any radio gear.
MWC Quadcopter – Cramming in the ESCs
These photos show the frame starting to come together. The bottom of the CF plate shows each of the four ESCs are held in place by 2mm cable ties. There's not a lot of room left on the top of the board after the ESCs and power distribution cable is laid down. On top of this will come the three leads from each motor to plug into the ESC. If you were thinking of using any gauge wire heavier than 20AWG, you might want to think again because even just space will become an issue.
The next plate above is prepared with nylon mounts to host both the MWC control board and above that will be another quad frame plate that is likely to host my GoPro camera. I haven't decided yet whether to put the camera up on the top plate or out in front on an extended arm. Up top under a dome would be better balanced and protected, but out on the arm might have a better view clear of the props. Undoubtedly I'll end up trying both but seeing as I don't have the extended arm, and it costs more money, I'll see how it goes up top first.
How to update the HobbyKing QuadController firmware
The HobbyKing QuadController board retails for about $30 USD. You can save a few bucks by checking for a buddy code on the swarm page. The board forms the base of building a cheap multirotor.
By default the board comes with some version of firmware pre-configured for +Copter. The problem is, I don't know anything about the origin or version of the pre-loaded firmware. The HK manual goes into lengthy detail on how to update the firmware before it even shows how to mount and use the board so I guess it's assumed, if not recommended to update the board before use? A lot of people won't like the default + configuration and to fly in the X config, or even Tricopter config for that matter, a firmware flash is required.
As usual, the hardware and software I have doesn't match that used in the manual so of course I can't simply follow the instructions step by step. Life wasn't meant to be easy. For a start, my Atmel USB programmer wasn't the same and wasn't recognised by the software mentioned in the manual "AVR Studio 4". The programmer I bought on eBay is called a "USBASP USBISP AVR Programmer USB ATMEGA8 ATMEGA128". More info (drivers etc http://www.fischl.de/usbasp/) Now this is a 10 PIN device and of course the HK board has a six pin interface so you'll need one of these "10PIN to 6PIN ISP Adapter board for ATMEL AVRISP USBASP" to be able to plug it into the board.
The next problem to overcome is the AVR Studio 4 software not recognising my USB programming interface. This is where the "KK Multicopter Flash tool" comes in handy. Not only does it recognise my programmer, it puts a nice GUI frontend on the AVRDUDE software and automatically shows a list of compatible firmwares for the HK board. Just select the one you want and it will download it. The software author makes mention on his page that the HK board comes in a state that protects the firmware can't be overwritten and he also gives the specific command required to unlock it.
Once that's done open the Flash tool (java required), select Programmer: usbasp (USBasp, http://www.fischl.de/usbasp/), Controller: Hobbyking Quadcopter Control Board (4kB flash) and select the firmware flavour you want to use.
I had to copy the contents of the folder "...kkmulticopterflashtool_0.21\lib\avrdude\windows" to a new folder I created "C:\WinAVR\bin" because the KK Flash Tool assumes WinAVR is installed in that path.
Hit the little green running man button and away it goes. All going well it should end with a message something like "...flash verified. avrdude.exe done. Thank you."
Next step, mount it and fly.
OrangeRx Futaba FASST won’t centre
Setting up the Seagull Decathlon radio gear showed the twin elevator servos wouldn't centre when the sticks were released. Swapping out the HobbyKing OrangeRx Futaba FASST Compatible 8Ch 2.4Ghz Receiver for a genuine Futaba receiver showed that the problem wasn't with the servos as the genuine Futaba Rx worked fine. By default the HobbyKing FASST receivers are set to HS Mode for digital high speed servos which is not so great for the analog servos in the Decathlon. The Frsky manual shows how to change between the modes as does this YouTube video.