/dist/images/branding/favicon

Fault with Radian module

Discussion in 'Radian' started by alec_caton, Jan 14, 2013.

  1. Tabb Firchau

    Tabb Firchau Administrator
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jun 28, 2012
    Messages:
    911
    Likes Received:
    472
    OK that behavior for pan and tilt make sense. I am not sure what the roll module is up to, let me think about that.

    Pan does not engage until you tell it to via the mode switch (in case you were wondering why it was not active)
     
  2. Colin

    Colin Member

    Joined:
    Dec 18, 2012
    Messages:
    87
    Likes Received:
    1
    Andy/Tabb. On the of chance I tried to communicate again with Radian after completing the above test as suggested by Tabb. Good news there, I can now connect with all three radian units now.
    However the ROLL unit which was always functioning now refuses to function. I have a static green with fast flashing amber. Any suggestions here. I can move the axis by hand so servo hasn't powered.
     
  3. Colin

    Colin Member

    Joined:
    Dec 18, 2012
    Messages:
    87
    Likes Received:
    1
    I'll open it in bootloaded and try reprogramming.
     
  4. Colin

    Colin Member

    Joined:
    Dec 18, 2012
    Messages:
    87
    Likes Received:
    1
    Its the latest firmware update in there 1.03. I have tried a different servo in port 4 it works fine. I can only suggest the servo must how be faulty. Any thoughts.
     
  5. Colin

    Colin Member

    Joined:
    Dec 18, 2012
    Messages:
    87
    Likes Received:
    1
    Tabb / Andy, Any thoughts on the ROLL servo now. There must be something underlying going on somewhere within the gimbal electronics This morning, I connected the ROLL servo to plug 4 on the PAN. Nothing from the servo on power up. The PAN servo works OK when I reconnect. Has our servo died now. I must be near an expert on radian now.

    Tabb, I see you've just completed a shoot using the C500. Which servos did you use and were you able to completely balance the camera in roll. I have horizontal with he 300 sorted but not vertical as in your video demonstration, I just dont have the clearance so arms are straight.
     
  6. Howard Dapp

    Howard Dapp Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 18, 2012
    Messages:
    977
    Likes Received:
    111
    Sounds to me like there isn't a problem with the FF equipment at all...
     
    Ben Heliguy likes this.
  7. Colin

    Colin Member

    Joined:
    Dec 18, 2012
    Messages:
    87
    Likes Received:
    1
    Howard, I have no idea what has been going on. After connecting the 5v supply directly to each unit, with all feeds disconnected apart from servo in port 4, the units now connect with the computer. I just don't know what the issues are or if the direction had anything to do to help but PAN and TILT now operate as they should while ROLL is now not operational. Its a mine field
     
  8. Brad Meier

    Brad Meier Active Member
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Aug 14, 2012
    Messages:
    749
    Likes Received:
    66
    Colin,

    Just double checking here but when you say you plugged the Roll servo into the Pan radian and got no response, you did have your mode switch turned to enable the Pan Radian? If your Pan servo works in the Pan Radian but the Roll servo does not work in the Pan Radian then you may have a bad servo. It sounds to me like all Radians are working as they should be.
     
  9. Colin

    Colin Member

    Joined:
    Dec 18, 2012
    Messages:
    87
    Likes Received:
    1
    Brad, Hopefully, I can say that all radians are indeed now active. I can at last communicate with the computer with each module etc so all good on that front. However it now seems that the ROLL servo will not activate. I did have the mode switch active when the servo was plugged into PAN but nothing happened, not a flicker.
    As described above this unit/servo was the only unit, functioning as normal on Friday evening but between then and yesterday the electronic gremlins have struck again. It seems like I'm going round in circles. Now if we can work this one out all will be good and we'll get our shoot completed on Wednesday.
    What happens now on ROLL, the green light flashes very quickly, followed by a static green with the amber flashing very quickly. Nothing else. When I look at the computer I see that the rudder stick is functioning on ch4, slew is set to ch4 but when I push the stick left to right the servo out slider doesn't move. Its green in colour. I hope this is useful information. We will get there in the end I know. I had thought too much power is going out to the radians but I have since read radians like 5v, can take 12 and even 30 for a short period. We use a 11.1 battery which voltage reduced to 5v. Still lost on why.
     
  10. Andy Johnson-Laird

    Andy Johnson-Laird Administrator
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jul 31, 2012
    Messages:
    10,383
    Likes Received:
    1,164
    Errr...if you put anything significantly more than 5v on a Radian sensor, it will take it. For a few milliseconds. Once. And then you'll need a new Radian. :( So don't do it please!

    Just a thought Colin, but there is a channels monitor in the Radian Software -- were you using this to check channel 4?
    If not, might be worth having a quick squint to see what the Radian's eye view is....

    Andy.
     
  11. Colin

    Colin Member

    Joined:
    Dec 18, 2012
    Messages:
    87
    Likes Received:
    1
    Andy, I got that information from one of Tabbs threads. I was worried incase our voltage was high, which could be causing the upsets with our units, thats all.
    Yes I did have a look at the input monitor. That's where I saw what was happening with the transmitter at ch 4.
    Any thoughts on the servo aspect. Thats all we've to resolve and we are back in the air.
     
  12. Andy Johnson-Laird

    Andy Johnson-Laird Administrator
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jul 31, 2012
    Messages:
    10,383
    Likes Received:
    1,164
    Hi Colin:
    Let me see if I can ask JohnC to comment on this....

    I've lost situation awareness on what you've tried thus far, but have you tried the trick of connecting up the Radian software to the Pan or Tilt servo, clicking Read, then connecting up to the Roll servo, changing the settings for Roll, and clicking Write -- it's a sort of "parameter/blood transfusion" that might reset the firmware's data values.

    Apologies if you've already tried it.
    If you haven't, could you try it and let us know the outcome?


    Andy.
     
  13. Colin

    Colin Member

    Joined:
    Dec 18, 2012
    Messages:
    87
    Likes Received:
    1
    Brad, just tried the output from ROLL to another servo via an extension lead. It outputs OK to that servo. Following on from Andys thread, the output values from our voltage reducer between the 11.1v battery and radian state they range from 4.8v-9v. I don't know the actual voltage though.

    Brad. We are based in Northern Ireland. Yes we could order another servo. Heliguy will replace whatever is causing the issue but the information has to be confirmed by freefly that our equipment is faulty first.
     
  14. Brad Meier

    Brad Meier Active Member
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Aug 14, 2012
    Messages:
    749
    Likes Received:
    66
    Colin,

    I just ran through my system to see if I could duplicate what you are seeing. With your Servo Out slider being green it would lead me to believe your Radian is fine. With my system, if I unplug the servo lead going to the Radian I get the static green with amber flashing rapidly. I also get a green Servo Out slider but no response when compared with my stick movements and the Slew slider. Somehow the Radian is not recognizing the servo. Now that may be the pins on the Radian but I suspect the servo or possibly the connections to the servo.

    You can try plugging a known good servo into your Roll Radian and if that servo works then you know the issue is not within the Radian. Check the servo wiring also. You may have to replace the servo. The next question would be why did it fail... Maybe too much voltage at some point?
     
  15. Brad Meier

    Brad Meier Active Member
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Aug 14, 2012
    Messages:
    749
    Likes Received:
    66
    Ha.. I type too slow on this iPad to keep up. Check the servo leads but it seems we have narrowed down the problem to being the servo.
     
  16. Colin

    Colin Member

    Joined:
    Dec 18, 2012
    Messages:
    87
    Likes Received:
    1
    Brad, there has to be an underlying fact that our units continue to fail. I don't know why, thats why its so frustrating for me. If you go back to the original thread you'll read we have struggled from day one. Every commission we have tried so far has ended in failure.
    Yes I have tried the roll servo in other ports. There is no life there.
    Will the radians operate at 9volts continuously if thats what our regulator is providing to them. The issues always start from the PAN unit, the first in line.
     
  17. Howard Dapp

    Howard Dapp Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 18, 2012
    Messages:
    977
    Likes Received:
    111
    Before moving forward I would invest in a voltage reader and confirm the exact voltage going into the radians which are feeding the servos.
     
  18. Brad Meier

    Brad Meier Active Member
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Aug 14, 2012
    Messages:
    749
    Likes Received:
    66
  19. Colin

    Colin Member

    Joined:
    Dec 18, 2012
    Messages:
    87
    Likes Received:
    1
    Just checked the voltage out at port 1 on a multi meter 6.2 V
     
  20. Howard Dapp

    Howard Dapp Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 18, 2012
    Messages:
    977
    Likes Received:
    111
    Thanks Colin. Which BEC (voltage regulator) are you using? I want to look up the specs.
     

Share This Page