Absolute Noob - Some questions [Controller ID]

Scy

Scy

Member
Hi All,

Quick Version - Question: How do you identify what flight controller is installed in a drone? I tried using a few apps such as CleanFlight and Librepilot, to no avail.
Here's what I got with a status from cleanflight:
GYRO=MPU6050, ACC=MPU6050.n, BARO=MS5611, MAG=HMC5883

Pictures:
http://imgur.com/a/2YfBT

Background:
Figured I find a good forum to help start a new hobby :).

So I made the decision recently that I want to get deeper into 'real' drone flying and potentially racing. I started out with smaller drones, eventually bought a mavic, and getting exposed to FPV once essentially helped me make the decision to get into quad fpving and eventually racing.

Someone I work with used to be pretty deep into quads and such, and ended up giving me an old 250 quad of his, some extra parts and said "Have at it!".

My first step was to get a transmitter, so I went with a FrSky Tarnis X9D. Installed the receiver and successfully bound, programmed a mode for quad flying, but no go. I've essentially arrived at the conclusion that I need to understand how the flight controller is configured, and then go from there.

Just looking for a little push in the right direction, so any help is appreciated :)
 
Last edited:
GJH105775

GJH105775

Off and on
Moderator
Scy said:
Hi All,

Quick Version - Question: How do you identify what flight controller is installed in a drone? I tried using a few apps such as CleanFlight and Librepilot, to no avail.
Here's what I got with a status from cleanflight:
GYRO=MPU6050, ACC=MPU6050.n, BARO=MS5611, MAG=HMC5883

Pictures:
Erm: Can't post pictures until I create more posts.

Background:
Figured I find a good forum to help start a new hobby :).

So I made the decision recently that I want to get deeper into 'real' drone flying and potentially racing. I started out with smaller drones, eventually bought a mavic, and getting exposed to FPV once essentially helped me make the decision to get into quad fpving and eventually racing.

Someone I work with used to be pretty deep into quads and such, and ended up giving me an old 250 quad of his, some extra parts and said "Have at it!".

My first step was to get a transmitter, so I went with a FrSky Tarnis X9D. Installed the receiver and successfully bound, programmed a mode for quad flying, but no go. I've essentially arrived at the conclusion that I need to understand how the flight controller is configured, and then go from there.

Just looking for a little push in the right direction, so any help is appreciated :)
Click to expand...


Can you see any numbers on the silk screen on the board (white writing). Most notable board manufactures like to advertise their board and almost always have something even if it is a number followed by a revision number it should be useful to allow you find what you have.

The MPU6050 is a common IMU, just about every flight controller has one. It might be opensource, the other two parts are also really common so that won't help much t narrow it down. It doesn't sound like a typical flight controller for a 250, sounds like something a bit bigger.


Welcome to the hobby and welcome to the forum. Sure you'll fit in just fine with the rest of us who were sucked into the hobby.
 
Scy

Scy

Member
GJH105775 said:
Can you see any numbers on the silk screen on the board (white writing). Most notable board manufactures like to advertise their board and almost always have something even if it is a number followed by a revision number it should be useful to allow you find what you have.

The MPU6050 is a common IMU, just about every flight controller has one. It might be opensource, the other two parts are also really common so that won't help much t narrow it down. It doesn't sound like a typical flight controller for a 250, sounds like something a bit bigger.


Welcome to the hobby and welcome to the forum. Sure you'll fit in just fine with the rest of us who were sucked into the hobby.
Click to expand...

Thanks! All I see is rev5 and other part indicators (polarity, etc).

Update: Pictures posted
 
Last edited:
GJH105775

GJH105775

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Moderator
Looks like a Naze32, but I can't tell 100% sure. I think they are on rev 6 right now too so that would put it in the right category. Lot of different people made them, and many were china without a brand which would explain the lack of markings.
 
Scy

Scy

Member
One problem down - I flashed the Naze 32 2.0 and 2.02 firmware, and am able to configure items. However, I think I'm still lost. I've tried a couple of things to get my Taranis + X8R to actually push data to the flight controller no avail. It looks like I am successfully bound, and have the cable coming from the flight controller right into the SBUS. What am I missing?
 
GJH105775

GJH105775

Off and on
Moderator
Scy said:
One problem down - I flashed the Naze 32 2.0 and 2.02 firmware, and am able to configure items. However, I think I'm still lost. I've tried a couple of things to get my Taranis + X8R to actually push data to the flight controller no avail. It looks like I am successfully bound, and have the cable coming from the flight controller right into the SBUS. What am I missing?
Click to expand...
Check the receiver type. Look for Sbus or serial something. Try to see if any of the modes work if those don't. Might also have to do receiver mapping.
 
Scy

Scy

Member
GJH105775 said:
Check the receiver type. Look for Sbus or serial something. Try to see if any of the modes work if those don't. Might also have to do receiver mapping.
Click to expand...

Yup! Thats what I thought... so I started messing around with settings, but noticed after the EEPROM is saved and the device reboots, it looses the settings I set. Interesting there. ON a side note - I'm getting STM32 errors when I flash to a new version. I think Serial rx + receiver mode=serial based receiver but provider=?

Thirdly - I can control the motors and such within Cleanflight, so everything is definitely working correctly.. but I can't get the receiver to get anything! (Again, Taranis Plus/X8R)

Either way, any idea why the FC isn't holding EEPROM? Is it resetting due to invalid config?

Edit - Fixed that issue, no go. Doing some other troubleshooting..

General comment - could it be that this FC/RX/TX combo isn't conducive?
 
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Scy

Scy

Member
Excellent... Not sure how I missed this in my research. X8R is incapable of outputting PPM to the flight controller, as this FC doesn't accept SBUS - THANKS!

So I ordered the cable from china, so this little project is on hold. BUT! I'm interested in putting another one of these things together any way (Especially so I'll have another when I crash this one and run out of spare parts).
 
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