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My new MK heavy lift copter project

Discussion in 'Cinestar 8' started by Dave King, Jan 4, 2014.

  1. Steve Maller

    Steve Maller UAV Grief Counselor

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    Glad it worked, and happy to help out.
     
  2. Dave King

    Dave King Well-Known Member

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    I got a lot of new updates. I installed the brand new power board with the updates and the new navigation board with external compass sensor. I also downloaded the new 2.06 firmware and the GPS is really solid I noticable improvement. One thing I cant figure out though is that it says all my new GPX files are coropted. I even erased the card and started over from scratch but I can't view them.

    Can anyone read this file?
     

    Attached Files:

  3. Andy Johnson-Laird

    Andy Johnson-Laird Administrator
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    It's just an ordinary text file, Dave -- it opens up just fine for me -- BUT, there look to be some new fields in the Extended Markup Language, and therefore it may well be that MK_GPXTOOL has not been updated to handle those new fields.

    Here's just the first few lines of the file:
    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no" ?>
    <gpx creator="NC" version="2.0" >

    <metadata>
    <link href="http://www.mikrokopter.de">
    <text>MikroKopter</text>
    </link>
    <desc>FC HW:2.5 SW:2.06a + NC HW:2.0 SW:2.06a BL:V3</desc>
    <extensions>
    <MK_Time>172min</MK_Time>
    <License>
    <info>No License installed</info>
    </License>
    <settings>
    <Number>3</Number>
    <CompassOffset>0</CompassOffset>
    <FCOrientation>0</FCOrientation>
    <GeoMag>-8</GeoMag>
    <MagSensor>external (1)</MagSensor>
    <MaxAltitude>200</MaxAltitude>
    <Bytes>6b,32,55</Bytes>
    </settings>
    </extensions>
    </metadata>

    <trk>
    <name>Flight</name>
    <trkseg>
    <trkpt lat="+40.3936577" lon="-80.0713583">
    <ele>12.289</ele>
    <time>2014-04-12T23:24:28.6Z</time>
    <sat>11</sat>
    <extensions>
    <FlightTime>6</FlightTime>
    <ErrorCode>000</ErrorCode>
    <FCFlags2>0xc3,0x18</FCFlags2>
    <NCFlag>0x91</NCFlag>
    <Speak>48</Speak>
    <Altimeter>275,' '</Altimeter>
    <Variometer>30</Variometer>
    <Voltage>22.3</Voltage>
    <Current>30.4</Current>
    <Capacity>72</Capacity>
    <Compass>170,169,161,161</Compass>
    <MagnetField>102</MagnetField>
    <MagnetInclination>69,01</MagnetInclination>
    <NickAngle>-0.2</NickAngle>
    <RollAngle>0.0</RollAngle>
    <MotorCurrent>41,41,30,40,35,47,28,58</MotorCurrent>
    <BL_Temperature>22,24,25,25,24,24,24,23</BL_Temperature>
    <MotorNOK>0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0</MotorNOK>
    <AvaiableMotorPower>255</AvaiableMotorPower>
    <FC_I2C_ErrorCounter>000</FC_I2C_ErrorCounter>
    <FC_SPI_ErrorCounter>000</FC_SPI_ErrorCounter>
    <AnalogInputs>18,18,20,16</AnalogInputs>
    <Servo>128,128,0</Servo>
    <WP>----,0,0,0</WP>
    <TargetBearing>000</TargetBearing>
    <TargetDistance>0</TargetDistance>
    <Course>148</Course>
    <GroundSpeed>113</GroundSpeed>
    <VerticalSpeed>206</VerticalSpeed>
    <RCSticks>0,-1,-1,-20,1,1,126,126,126,126,126,126</RCSticks>
    <GPSSticks>0,0,0,'/'</GPSSticks>
    <RCQuality>208</RCQuality>
    </extensions>
    :
    :


    The GPX file is properly terminated.

    </extensions>
    </trkpt>
    </trkseg>
    </trk>
    </gpx>
    Andy.
     
  4. Steve Maller

    Steve Maller UAV Grief Counselor

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    Loads up just fine with the newest version of MK_GPXTOOL that seems to have been posted just yesterday.

    http://www.mikrokopter.de/ucwiki/en/MKGPXTool

    MK Version: FC HW:2.5 SW:2.06a + NC HW:2.0 SW:2.06a BL:V3

    Flight date: 4/12/2014 4:24:28 PM
    Flight time: 4:24:28 PM.6 - 4:25:03 PM.6 (35 secs, 00:00:35)
    Batt. time : 38 secs, 00:00:38

    Start Lat./Lon. : 40.3936577 / -80.0713583
    Elevation(GPS) : 0 8.38 14.5 m (min/avg/max)
    Altitude(Barom.): -1.3 9.85 16.1 m
    Vertical speed : -1.31 -0.39 2.06 m/s
    Max speed : 6.5 km/h
    Max target dist.: 0 m
    Max distance/LOS: 4 m / 16.3 m

    Sats : 11 10 11

    Voltage : min. 22, max. 22.6 V
    Current : 0.5 27 40.3 A
    Wattage : 11 622 890.63 W
    Capacity: 343 mAh

    Motor1: 0.0 3.6 5.5 A Temp: 22 24 26 °C
    Motor2: 0.0 3.2 5.0 A Temp: 24 25 28 °C
    Motor3: 0.1 2.7 3.9 A Temp: 25 26 28 °C
    Motor4: 0.0 3.4 4.7 A Temp: 25 26 29 °C
    Motor5: 0.0 3.1 4.6 A Temp: 24 25 28 °C
    Motor6: 0.0 3.3 4.8 A Temp: 24 26 29 °C
    Motor7: 0.0 2.2 3.3 A Temp: 24 26 28 °C
    Motor8: 0.0 4.3 6.7 A Temp: 23 25 28 °C

    Magnet Field: 101 100 102 % (ok)
    Magnet Inclination: 65 66 70 deg

    No errors found ;)
     
  5. Dave King

    Dave King Well-Known Member

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    Thanks Guys! Steve thanks for pointing that out! I feel a lot better. All GPX files look great. I'll post some pictures today.
     
  6. Dave King

    Dave King Well-Known Member

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    One more question: I eliminated my external 2200 mah battery to save weight and now I am I hooked up my navigation lights to the power board and flight controller up to output 2. The lights blink on and off all the time. I can't remember what sequence they have to be set to in MK tools for them to be solid? I have all the LEDS on in MK tools.

    EDIT: I found the problem: I set the LED's for Output 2 not 1
     
  7. Dave King

    Dave King Well-Known Member

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    OK here's some pictures

    Here's how I had the setup previously. I decided to cleanup the wires under the flight control board by running the motor wires outside the booms and run the pigtails outward. The only problem with this is that the stock bullet connectors that come with the motors are not very positive and don't interlock together very well. I actually had one of these bullet connectors come loose in flight and it was pretty scary.
    EXCompass04.jpg

    I made 2 changes to improve the wiring. The first thing I decided to do was solder the bullet connectors directly to the power board.
    Bullet connectors01.jpg

    Here's a picture of the new board Holger sent me that has the coating on the components and the latest firmware update. This new board is compatible with the redundant features MK is adding soon and also this board has an improvement that the other boards don't have on the I2C buss line. If the I2C buss is interrupted now on one motor it won't interfer with the other I2C buss lines.
    Bullet connectors2.jpg

    I installed castle creations 4mm bullet connectors on the suggestion of Steve Maller. These bullet connectors are a lot better and they lock together much better for a more solid connection.
    bullet connectors 4.jpg

    bullet connectors3.jpg

    I used Ternegy 14 gauge silicon wiring to extend the motor cables and give the ends a bit of strain relief. (Again I borrowed this idea from Steve Maller)
    EXCOMPASS02.jpg


    I then added the new Navigation board and the external compass so I could move the navigation and GPS boards back above the flight control board.
    EXCOMPASS01.jpg



    EXCOMPASS03.jpg

    I downloaded the new 2.06 firmware and left all the GPS settings stock (even GPS gain of 100%). I calibrated both compasses (internal and external) and did tests with both. To my surprise the internal compass on the board right over the flight control board did not send up any compass errors that I was getting before. The new routing of the motor wires must have cleaned everything up so that its not causing any magnetic field issues.
     

    Attached Files:

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  8. Steve Maller

    Steve Maller UAV Grief Counselor

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    That looks great, and most importantly, it flies great, too!
     
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  9. Steve Maller

    Steve Maller UAV Grief Counselor

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    Thanks for the credit, but I am not certain why you extended the motor wires like that. I’d be a little concerned that this might introduce a potential point of failure (or 24 of them). I’m surprised that your motor wires are so short. My KDE motors look like they’ll have the opposite problem. I’ll probably wrap them around the booms to shorten them.

    Now I’m thinking of soldering the bullets directly to the PDB’s pads, too. One less connection!
     
  10. Andy Johnson-Laird

    Andy Johnson-Laird Administrator
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    You could always braid the wires to shorten them if you don't want to cut the wires.

    Andy.
     
  11. Dave King

    Dave King Well-Known Member

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    Steve was just stupidity on my part. When I originally changed the wiring around by moving the cables on the outside of the booms I got greedy and cut them too short. I wanted extra strain relief for all the connections so I had to extend them or buy new motors. I didn't want to buy 8 new motors. I made very good solder connections and they are as solid as a bare wire so I'm not worried about it but I understand your logic.

    I went out today and flew with the red and it flew great. I flew with the internal compass sensor and I got no magnetic field errors :)
     
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  12. Ozkan Erden

    Ozkan Erden Distributor

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    Very nice Dave. What are your PID settings? Are you running stock Gyro values? And did you make any changes on BL Ctrl's timing for your motors?

    And another question: Your new PDB is not on sale right now, did I understand it correctly?
     
  13. Dave King

    Dave King Well-Known Member

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    With the new firmware on the power board there's no need to change the timing on the motors and I left them stock. All MK values are stock except Gyro D is 14 and I have come home altitude of 50 and speed of 60. I think the new boards are for sale now as they just came out.
     
  14. Scott Strimple

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    Great Pics Dave... so how did you get your LED's to be able to flash with an undervoltage condition. I have set things up exactly as my original C8 (that has the flashing LED's) is according to Andy's build video. I have attached my LED power to the same place as you have yours attached. Is there something else I need to do? Oh yea I have tried the grey wire in all combinations of Out1 or Out2 and then dialed down the voltage until I hear the rapid beeping from the buzzer but no blinking lights. Also I see you have installed the TRACO's ... what do you use those for? Thanks Dave[​IMG]
     
  15. Dave King

    Dave King Well-Known Member

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    My Alexmos powered gimbal was giving me some intermittant twitches. Thanks to the suggestion of Howard Dapp I monitored the I2C errors in real time with the copter and gimbal suspended. Sure enough I was getting I2C errors when it needed to do hard roll adjustments. So I added Ferrite iron core rings to the IMU side and a snap on ferrite to the output of the roll motor. Now all my I2C errors on my Alexmos gimbal are gone.

    Ferrite1.jpg

    Ferrite2.jpg
     
  16. Ozkan Erden

    Ozkan Erden Distributor

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    Dave, Is there any hardware based difference between your PDB and the previous one? Or is it only firmware?

    Thanks.
     
  17. Dave King

    Dave King Well-Known Member

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    I don't know to be honest.
     
  18. Dave King

    Dave King Well-Known Member

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    There's an under voltage LED setup chart as well as a place to set your threshold voltage.

    Don't forget your battery voltage needs to be under the threshold of what you set it to. You really can't do that on the ground unless you have a discharged battery that's under the threshold. If your buzzer is going off but your lights are not then I would check your undervoltage LED settings again. I have them in this pattern: On,off, on, off, on, off, on, off.


    You mean the traco regulators on the board? They put voltage regulators on the board so that you can get a consistent 12 volts out to power accessories like your FPV transmitter.
     
  19. Scott Strimple

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    Thanks Dave... yes that is the way I have mine setup also... I have the power leads coming off the board at one of the + - pads feeding the LED's and then the grey cable coming from the BL3 board to the FC out1 / out 2. I dial down the voltage and nothing happens with the lights. I'll go back into MK tools and check the settings again to be certain I have what I think I do.
     
  20. Dave King

    Dave King Well-Known Member

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    Scott

    See attached picture. You want to make sure you are wired into one of the areas indicated in green. You want to make sure you are not wired into where 12V is marked below. 12V will give you a constant 12V to the lights at all times.

    QuadroV3_1_Oben.jpg
     

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