Hoverfly Strange Arming Issue

[jcmonty]

I experienced a strange arming issue today that I wanted help trying to understand. I couldn't arm my copter, and it displayed the light flashes like alt hold was on. Strange thing was - I didn't have the alt hold gain channel connected, and it's been this way for the past 3-4 weeks with numerous successful flights.

My setup is as follows:
HF Pro w/ 4.3860
7 channel receiver - channel 5 = main gain, channel 6 = alt hold (disconnected) or shutter trigger (connected), channel 7 = gimbal tilt

So, I recently unplugged the alt hold channel because I needed to take some pictures and use a channel for the shutter trigger. I generally don't use alt hold, so this wasn't an issue. Like I said, it flew fine in this configuration for quite a while. Today, changing nothign from yesterday's flight, I couldn't get it to arm. Tried a few resets, controller resets, etc - no luck. I finally disconnected the shutter trigger and reconnected the alt hold channel and it finally armed and flew (tentatively) well.

the manual makes it seem that the alt hold channel is an option, but not necessary. And i had been flying this way for a while with no issue. Why all of a sudden - with no changes to the system - did it have this issue? Should I be concerned about my board at all?

 

[tahoelight]

So what color is the light flashing? Do you have the GPS board connected (guessing not)? What beeps are you hearing? And I am sure other are wondering this too, but why algae you not upgrades to 4.8? I can't help without a bit more info. Lastly, how are your ESC red wires connected? Just one or all of them. Maybe a BEC failed on your ESC.

 

[jcmonty]

It was exactly the same as the alt hold warning. Beeps once - goes from green to purple - beeps again and blinks green with no arming.

No GPS board

4.386 has had hundreds of great flights for me. Like I mentioned, alt hold isn't used much and seemed to be the only reason to update. Plus, my experience with firmwares on flight controller is to wait and see what bugs arise after release. That being said, I probably will upgrade soon.

No ESC Becs are enabled. My receiver is powered via a seperate direct connection to my battery (wide input voltage range capable).

And once I attached the 6th channel to the HF pro, I could arm the copter. I was just trying to figure out why it changed on me for no apparetn reason.

 

[Webheadfred]

I'm wondering if not having the AH channel connected, the HFP isn't getting a true High or Low signal at that input and doesn't know what to do with it. That input may be 'floating' and the HFP doesn't know what to think. Just a dumb guess though.

 

[jcmonty]

Maybe. But why would it have worked fine for weeks then all of a sudden started acting funny? Maybe the value drifted over time?

 

[Webheadfred]

Possibly.... I'm no EE but maybe the gradual increased internal resistance of the LiPo could change just enough to make this happen. Just speculating. I wonder if a "jumper" with a resister pulling it low could help. Im thinking the CPU is using the receiver terminal as inputs and reading the signal from the receiver. The signal line, pulled to ground could, cause the off state. Like I said... I'm no EE and all I'm doing is speculating. I have programmed that Propeller CPU before in other projects.

 

[markorebov]

I believe exactley the same happened to me a year ago. I didn't connect the 6th channel in the first place (because it's optional - so I thought). I was (more or less) successfully airborne for some 50 hours. Haven't even tried the alt hold. Then out of the blue sky it wouldn't arm anymore - reporting alt hold on.
George suggested to connect the 6th channel anyway and voila - all was fine again.

 

[hoverben]

For anyone having a similar issue, I would like to also mention that the "Alt Hold On" warning is also used for "No Flight Configuration Set" - sometimes it is just a matter of going to your Pro Info tab in the Setup Client and making sure you have selected X, +, Hexa, Octo, etc.

That doesn't seem to be the case here - not sure exactly why the sixth channel would be related, but I can't argue with results.