SPRF3 shafted

[annikk.exe]

The symptoms are:

- No lights come on when connected via a battery (yet the RX, connected on the FC';s 5v rail, powers on fine)
- Lights come on when connected via USB, but unable to connect in Cleanflight Configurator
- When attempted to flash firmware, bootloader cannot be contacted
- A red light on the FC flashes 4 times quickly then 2 times slowly

This problem started today.  The last thing that happened to the Alien was yesterday when I was outdoors trying to fly it.  I connected a battery with the XT60 connectors, but it seemed loose... If I touched the battery cable, the power to all the devices would "flicker" on and off..  sometimes it would then stay on, and sometimes off, depending on the way I touched the battery cable.

I suspect this may be what caused this new problem.

Has anyone else experienced this issue?

[arturios]

I';ve recently had the intermittent connection with the battery cable, turned out to be the connector pin itself. I just used a posi drive to open the four bits and no more sudden power cycles.... or a simple dry joint!

[quadfather]

What happens when you power the board from UART1?

[annikk.exe]

QF..  by "power the board from UART1", I presume you mean connect a USB cable.
In that case, the board lights a blue LED, and a red LED flashes 4 times rapidly, then 2 times slowly.
I am unable to connect in Cleanflight Configurator.  Flashing the board results in the "unable to contact bootloader" error message.

[quadfather]

QF..  by "power the board from UART1", I presume you mean connect a USB cable.
In that case, the board lights a blue LED, and a red LED flashes 4 times rapidly, then 2 times slowly.
I am unable to connect in Cleanflight Configurator.  Flashing the board results in the "unable to contact bootloader" error message.

No.  Power it by the UART1 VCC and GND pins.  Use a 5V FTDI and hook up RX and TX at the same time.

[annikk.exe]

Hrm, I should imagine the same thing would happen?  After all, aren';t they basically on the same 5v rail?  I don';t especially want to go soldering additional pins on purely on speculation..

I tried removing the board from the aircraft and flashing it with the bootloader pins shorted and a manual baud rate.  This worked, however, after flashing, I am still unable to connect.

The chip next to the "Cleanflight" text on the board gets very very hot, within a minute of connecting via USB.

[Revs]

Sounds similar to the issue I had with my ZMR.. the XT60 wasn';t tight enough and couldn';t transmit the current, which caused a heat issue, which distorted the pins and made them more loose. Since I opened up the pins in the XT60 and made them tighter I haven';t had an issue. I seems your FC has been killed in the process though

[arturios]

What Rev said^. I too had overheating on one of my SP3 FC. Turned out to be fatal. Had it repaired now though.


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[annikk.exe]

What did the repair involve?

[quadfather]

Hrm, I should imagine the same thing would happen?  After all, aren';t they basically on the same 5v rail?  I don';t especially want to go soldering additional pins on purely on speculation..

I tried removing the board from the aircraft and flashing it with the bootloader pins shorted and a manual baud rate.  This worked, however, after flashing, I am still unable to connect.

The chip next to the "Cleanflight" text on the board gets very very hot, within a minute of connecting via USB.

I misread your OP.  I should have said to power it by USB and use the UART1 (header or socket) to connect to Cleanflight.

Stuff shouldn';t get very hot on that board, not a good sign I';m afraid.  That';s the SPI flash chip getting hot.  There';s probably a blown reg putting out a higher voltage than it should.

These are the two regs.  If you measure the pins indicated they should put out 3.3V when powered from the servo headers.  In the picture the lower reg powers the flash ship, and I think the top one is for the MCU.

[atomiclama]

These are the two regs.  If you measure the pins indicated they should put out 3.3V when powered from the servo headers.  In the picture the lower reg powers the flash ship, and I think the top one is for the MCU.

Are you sure about that? Have you traced it out?

From the schematics I have seen(CC3D) there is one regulator for the digital side the uP, spi flash etc and one regulator for the IMU so that it gets a clean a supply as possible.

Don';t see any need for a regulator for the spi flash

[arturios]

Had to have these replaced on mine...




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[quadfather]

Are you sure about that? Have you traced it out?

From the schematics I have seen(CC3D) there is one regulator for the digital side the uP, spi flash etc and one regulator for the IMU so that it gets a clean a supply as possible.

Don';t see any need for a regulator for the spi flash

I have traced it.  It goes from V_OUT on the reg to V_CC on the flash chip.  I';m not saying it';s solely there to power the flash chip.

[annikk.exe]

I contacted HobbyRC about this.  Yellow said when he had this problem, they offered to replace it instantly.. but they did not repeat this offer to me.  Instead they advised me to contact Dominic Clifton directly to see if he would consider replacing it.  They think he probably won';t.

I wrote to him.  Kinda weird that my first contact with one of my heroes is an RMA request :p  But eh.  I took the opportunity to tell him how awesome he is as well..

[quadfather]

I contacted HobbyRC about this.  Yellow said when he had this problem, they offered to replace it instantly.. but they did not repeat this offer to me.  Instead they advised me to contact Dominic Clifton directly to see if he would consider replacing it.  They think he probably won';t.

I wrote to him.  Kinda weird that my first contact with one of my heroes is an RMA request :p  But eh.  I took the opportunity to tell him how awesome he is as well..

You may be waiting to hear from him.  He';s moved abroad and has a patchy internet connection right now.  Good luck, maybe he replies quickly. 

[annikk.exe]

Trying to find a suitable alternative FC in the UK.
Any suggestions guys?  I can';t find anyone selling a seriously dodo FC this side of the atlantic..

[atomiclama]

I have traced it.  It goes from V_OUT on the reg to V_CC on the flash chip.  I';m not saying it';s solely there to power the flash chip.

Good eyes then 

[Revs]

Luke, I';ve got 4 TornadoF3';s coming in soon (in UK customs now). 2-3 are taken but one is a spare. If you like I could get one to you once they have turned up..?

Also re. the SPR-F3 RMA; if you got it from HobbyRC they have a legal obligation to deal with faults/returns. I suspect Dom will say the same.

[quadfather]

Also re. the SPR-F3 RMA; if you got it from HobbyRC they have a legal obligation to deal with faults/returns. I suspect Dom will say the same.

That';s only as long as you haven';t messed with it.  You solder the pin headers yourself and they won';t have to accept it.

[annikk.exe]

Revs... thanks for the offer... I will take a look at the Tornado FC and let you know if it';s gonna work :>

Regarding the RMA thing...  I could go the legal route and quote my rights to Hobby RC by copying and pasting from this page.
It';s past the point of being able to reject it, but it';s within the 6 month timeframe where they would have to prove that the fault was caused by wear and tear or damage caused by me.  I soldered some pins onto it, they could easily point to that and claim that';s what caused the problem... even though it clearly wasn';t.

And they don';t have a replacement Flight Controller to send me anyway...
I quite like HobbyRC and don';t want to upset those guys, although I am feeling pretty bummed out right now.. the Alien is grounded for an unknown period of time, and I am thinking about all the cornettos I could have bought with the £60 I spent on that flight controller...

[annikk.exe]

I can';t work out if the Tornado F3 will let me run SBUS and SmartPort simultaneously.  It has UART1 and UART3.  Is UART1 reserved because of USB?  What happened to UART2?

Pinout

I';m contemplating waiting for a Lux FC.  I guess January isn';t that far away.  Plus, it';s winter... I have to think about how much flying I would realistically get done in that time anyway.

Another option is to use the Naze Rev 5, which I have sitting on the shelf, and try to hack everything into working...
Do you guys think its possible to get VBAT telemetry and SBUS working on a Naze Rev 5?

[Revs]

I don';t have time to look now but IIRC UART2 is one the underside

[annikk.exe]

I can';t find any pictures of the underside.
I just noticed though, in the description it says "three hardware serial ports plus USB"
So presumably that would work..

[quadfather]

I';d hazard a guess and say that UART2 is the bit labelled SBUS.

[Revs]

I can';t find any pictures of the underside.
I just noticed though, in the description it says "three hardware serial ports plus USB"
So presumably that would work..

I saw a pic the other day but I canni find it now. IIRC UART2 is another one of those white connector blocks... might of dreamt it though

[Revs]

Yup, I dreamt it..

Pinout notes:

Pins marked "+" are LIPO voltage. LIPO input voltage is limited to 6S, depending on the regulator used. Pololu recommends an external 33uF 50V capacitor for over 20V inputs.
The LIPO IN pins are connected internally to the VBAT monitor.
Pins marked "V" are +5V ONLY. Do not connect anything over 5V to these pins.
All of the numbered pins are PWM outputs.
The LIPO "+" and BEC "V" pins have reverse-current blocking diodes to prevent powering ESCs from USB power.
To bypass the BEC "V" input diode and output 5V on this pin, short the two-pad jumper below the PWM 1 input.
The Pololu switching regulator may be mounted on top or bottom of the board. Observe the orientation.
If using an external 5V BEC of any kind (including a Pololu not mounted on the board), connect it to the pins labelled "BEC 5V IN".
SAT RX and SBUS use UART 2.
The "S" pin on the buzzer connection is the switched ground. Connect the + pin of the buzzer to either the lipo "+" or 5V "V" pin, and the - pin to "S".

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showpost.php?p=32330479&postcount=2

[Fletch]

I can';t work out if the Tornado F3 will let me run SBUS and SmartPort simultaneously.  It has UART1 and UART3.  Is UART1 reserved because of USB?  What happened to UART2?

Pinout

I';m contemplating waiting for a Lux FC.  I guess January isn';t that far away.  Plus, it';s winter... I have to think about how much flying I would realistically get done in that time anyway.

Another option is to use the Naze Rev 5, which I have sitting on the shelf, and try to hack everything into working...
Do you guys think its possible to get VBAT telemetry and SBUS working on a Naze Rev 5?

Luke the tornado has an SBUS port along the bottom edge of that picture, SO

UART 1 for usb/minimosd
SBUS port/UART2 for sbus
UART3 for Smart Port!

[Marty McFly]

Hi Luke you can borrow this Rev6 Naze if you whant,Marty and the borrowed doggie

[annikk.exe]

Dominic replied!!    And he offered to replace the board!

I can';t believe it.. felt like I was pushing my luck asking.  :>  Oh man, I need to have a little freak out over here, DOMINIC CLIFTON just emailed me..  omgomg..  ::explodes::

[Revs]

Ah good man I';m still unable to track these Tornado';s, they';re in UK customs AFAIK but they';re not popping up in RM tracking yet :/ They left Aus this time last week. If Dom can sort you one ASAP at least you';ll be flying over the hols.