Installed ESC on Wizard 220 but not spinning up when armed

NastyPastyX

NastyPastyX

Member
Hi All,

I recently crashed and burnt out my first ESC but now the motor will not spin up when armed like the rest. The drone flies ok but when I have zero throttles that motor stops and the rest continue to spin because they are armed and try to keep the drone stable during power loops etc.

I will post a link to my video but due to the limits of the forum I need to do three posts, so get ready two more posts coming up.

Link to follow because I need post 3 times.

  • Burnt out ESC was a “Eachine efm8bb-20a-s4-v1.2”

  • Replaced with a “RacerStar BLHeli_S 20A V1 ESC”
Tried to use BLHeliSuite to check ESC but couldn’t get it to work. The program could see the ESC but reported them has unknown, which was a pain.

Any help would be good?

Many Thanks, Nathan
 
mozquito1 said:
Did you set it up the same in blheli. Same firmware and endpoints.
Put the motor on one of the other esc's.
It may be that.
Click to expand...

Thanks, mozquito1

I tried to check the ESC in blheli, but the software wasn't recognising my ESC. It was reporting them as Unknown, but I will try again.

I will also try switching motor tonight, thanks for the response.
 
The esc1 is classed as the master so that's probably why they came up as unknown.
And then with the new number one not being the same it won't work.
 
Unless somthing shorted the motor should be fine. Its hard to kill a motor through esc. Maybe if the motor wires shorted while applying throttle, say you partially ripped it off and the solder joints touch. that would do it. Motors can run in water due to the windings being coated.
Dont quote me on this but I'm pretty sure the esc just shorts and cuts out any output to the motor.
 
I have just tried to connect to the ESCs with BLHeli but getting the below error messages:

rbdT6Ox.jpg


Then it tries to flash the memory see below:

iNbm0fE.jpg


Memory Flash fails so it tries to erase the ESC completely.

amf2x4M.jpg


But it fails:

eRdcjw5.jpg


What do I need to do???
 
Strange I've actually used mixed ESCs (currently have a couple 32-bit mixed with non 32-bit ones) I hear them start at slightly different speeds so the startup tones always sound a bit weird but aside from that haven't had any issues with the mixed ESCs what should be going wrong? Only issue I've seen really is the FC needs to use some protocol all the ESCs support but haven't seen an issue with different ones on different motors otherwise.

To the OP sorry I don't have any idea what can cause that problem. This thread seems to indicate there can either be issues with the original firmware or with attempting to do the passthrough BLHeli flashing with some version of iNav https://github.com/iNavFlight/inav/issues/1446
 
I've never seen any of the above windows before. I did change the version CH-15
But my cheap esc's where not in the list so I couldn't find which one.. I binned them and learned a lesson I've never repeated.
 
You could try flashing through a ftdi chip or Arduino. That would be a way of telling if the passthrough in dodgy.
But i doubt it as they are showing up.
In my experience if an esc is dead it doesn't show up.
Like someone said above, I've never seen this.
I would send them back. Or try and find the hex file for the esc. Ive never been that hot on computers. And only use mine for flight programs. Its a potato.
 
mozquito1 said:
You could try flashing through a ftdi chip or Arduino. That would be a way of telling if the passthrough in dodgy.
But i doubt it as they are showing up.
In my experience if an esc is dead it doesn't show up.
Like someone said above, I've never seen this.
I would send them back. Or try and find the hex file for the esc. Ive never been that hot on computers. And only use mine for flight programs. Its a potato.
Click to expand...

Mos? What about the Arduino do you mean that he will reprogram it?
 
Ftdi is just a way In through a uart.
I seen a video a while back where some upgraded some simonk esc's this way.
They're only meant to be calibrate only.
So with blheli being programmable there must be another way.
But i think the passthrough is OK it's reading them..
It may be that they where never flashed at the factory. Joshua bardwell has videos on how to flash a new hex file from github. This would be easier than ftdi. Soldering and unsolder ing if no pins.
Ppl mainly use that for a bust USB socket. I have one but it's redundant as lessons learned. Test everything when it comes in post, without actually soldering anything.
It voids the warranty..
 
mozquito1 said:
Ftdi is just a way In through a uart.
I seen a video a while back where some upgraded some simonk esc's this way.
They're only meant to be calibrate only.
So with blheli being programmable there must be another way.
But i think the passthrough is OK it's reading them..
It may be that they where never flashed at the factory. Joshua bardwell has videos on how to flash a new hex file from github. This would be easier than ftdi. Soldering and unsolder ing if no pins.
Ppl mainly use that for a bust USB socket. I have one but it's redundant as lessons learned. Test everything when it comes in post, without actually soldering anything.
It voids the warranty..
Click to expand...

So as is this problem has something to deal with Software failure?
 
RENOV8R said:
You have BLHeli_S ESCs. Are you sure you're not using BLHeli32 Suite?
Click to expand...
Hey RENOV8R,

You were correct!

I was using the BLHeli32 Suite, I found another BLHeli program which plugged into Chrome and this worked great.

I plugged in my drone and the program picked up the ESCs without a problem and I managed to update the firmware on all of the ESCs. One of the ESC needs adjustment to bring its RPM settings in line with the rest of the ESCs which I believe was the new one. Carried out a test flight all ok.

The motor spins up when armed, hovers and fly great again.

NastyPastyX
 
Last edited:
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