Quad Problems setting up a homebuilt quad (cc3d, Afro ESC, Diatone frame)

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precociousmouse

Member
Hi all!

Hope someone can help as I have got to the end of my first Quad build and am having real problems getting the motors to spin up in libreflight.

The build is a Diatone ET200 frame with a cc3d FC, 20A Afro ESC linear BEC and a set of multistar elite motors. The TX/RX is a fly sky fs-t6 with bundled receiver.

My problem is that I am going through the vehicle setup in libreflight, and everything is fine until I get to the ESC calibration page. I follow the instructions and get to the point where I plug in the lipo but the fourth motor (SW) connected to channel 4 on the cc3d spins erratically and none of the other motors spin. The ESC also beep and the blue led on the board flashes once a second.

I have tested the voltage at all the points on the distribution board, as well as the +/- points on the ESC -> motor side and they are ok. I also tried switching another motor through to channel 4 on the ESC and that then spins erratically so I am assuming it's not an issue between the distribution board and the motor. I also know the receiver has power and when I checked the sticks on the input configuration they go from full up to full down.

Except, also the yaw control doesn't move.

Arming settings are set to always armed just to ensure that this shouldn't be the problem, but I'm getting really frustrated trying to take to the skies :)

Hope someone can help, so I can join my fellow pilots in the office (but they all bought pre-built quads and where's the fun in that? ;) )
 
Lee

Lee

Well-Known Member
Can you try bypassing the CC3D board to check each motor/esc combo works correctly.

Take the Servo wire from one ESC, and plug it straight into the throttle port on your receiver.
Props off, for safety.
See if you can spin up each motor like that first.
If they all work, then we can move onto the next potential problem.
 
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precociousmouse

Member
Hey there, thanks for your reply - I can't spin up any of the motors. The LED lights up on the RX when the TX is on so I assume they are talking to each other. The points on the distribution board where the ESC connect are carrying voltage but no luck
 
Lee

Lee

Well-Known Member
You may have the dreaded Afro ESC stutters.
Can you do a quick little video showing the issues you are having.
Maybe easier to see.
 
Lee

Lee

Well-Known Member
Ok cool.
Firstly the TX isn't sending the correct signal according to your video.
You only managed to get the Throttle to be recognised.
Check that the CC3D cable is wired correctly.

As for the ESCs. It did sound like one esc initialised correctly.
Try unplugging all but one esc, and do the calibration. If that works, remove it and do the other three individually.

Also you could try to do a manual calibration.
Here is the page explaining that.
ESC Calibration - LibrePilot Documentation - Confluence

If its still playing silly buggers, then maybe we can Skype one night to give it a crack.
Good luck.
 
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precociousmouse

Member
Hey there! sorry with the delay replying but I have been ill so not had a chance to work on the solution. So, I went through the manual calibration method and it seems that the only ESC to fire up is the 4th. However, using test outputs I can control the 4th motor powering up and down. If I switch the motors connected to the 4th channel (eg I plug the SE motor through channel 4 instead of SW) then the third motor powers up and I can calibrate it. So it seems as if there is only output going through the 4th channel on the CC3D.

I feel that I have advanced a bit though, as I can now power the motor up and down as opposed to it just jittering a bit then stopping :)
 
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precociousmouse

Member
one other test that I ran - I unplugged the SW motor so there were only three ESC connected. My thoughts were that it may only be targeting the ESC on the last connected channel. None of the ESC powered up though so I am going back to the channel 4 only functional theory.
 
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precociousmouse

Member
Interesting - and programmable through baseflight. Could be worth a try (cue hordes of cc3d users rallying to the defence of their preferred platform ;) )
 
Admiral

Admiral

Well-Known Member
I helped a friend set up his CC3D the other week using Open Pilot we had the same problem with only one motor running (from memory No4) in the end he had to go and left it with me, I just started again reloaded the software on another computer, re-flashed the board and ran the setup wizard from the start and everything worked. No idea what we did wrong the first time, but it may be worth a try.
 
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precociousmouse

Member
Cheers - may have a go again tonight. The naze32 looks cool but it looks like i would need to solder the headers to the board and my soldering is, at the minute... a little amateur ;)
 
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precociousmouse

Member
I think i have a plan then. I'll wipe the board completely, reflash, and try a few more times. If it still fails then i'll pick up a naze32
 
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