Battery calibration and deleting models

[LuftKatzen]

Hello!

My first attempt at wiring up the ATMEGA64A to flash it with open9x went terribly... and after peeling off the hot glue I unseated a diode and a resistor. I soldered them back onto the board and wired it for flashing a second time and as far as I can tell it's working fine except for two things...

First off, I cannot set the "Battery Calib" value above 4.6V. I'm using a 3S 2500mAh Zippy transmitter pack and assumed that I should be setting the "Battery Calib" value according to what voltage I measure across the main battery terminals? Or is this supposed to be voltage per cell...

Secondly, I cannot delete models from the memory... only create and duplicate. Holding down long "Exit" just takes me back to the home screen without giving me an option to delete a model.

I'm using the most recent open9x version flashed to the 9x with eePe.

Thanks!

Luft

[LuftKatzen]

I have not tried using companion9x instead of eePe so I will give that a go in the meantime.

[rperkins]

1. Battery calibration not working
2. cant delete modules

Yes I've read your better served with companion9x if you use open9x but I dont think either of your problems are caused by eepe/companion9x.

I havent used open9x so cant really help you there

[Helle]

Hy ,

first did you download the latest manual
Dein Name ist Luftkatzen dann ist wohl das deutsche Handbuch zu open9x besser!

you need [Menü Long] and [Exit Long]
and [Left Long] and [Right Long]


Battery calibration
meassure your voltage at the akku, then set this at System setup ANAS 5/6
(not the singel cell voltage!)

and for 3S the Akku low level warning should be set to about 10.2V

Delete model
select with modell with cursor then [Menu]
then [Exit Long]
then [Menu]


Helle
DD7TH

[LuftKatzen]

Helle,

Nein, meine muttersprache ist Englisch. However, I did review the manual thanks

The issue is that I can change the "Battery Calib" value, but that value simply won't go higher than 4.6v... just tried it again and now it won't go above 2.3v?? Strange! My battery is giving me 11.6v... I hope it doesn't have to do with the diode I knocked off the board and soldered back on.

As for deleting models... I can highlight the model with "Menu" long, but holding "Exit" long just takes me to the home screen.

Flashed last night with companion9x and no change.

Thanks!

Luft

[rperkins]

Helle,
I hope it doesn't have to do with the diode I knocked off the board and soldered back on.

you got the diode back in there the right way. A diode is a one way street and has to be installed accordingly. Maybe a photo of your board showing the diode and the rework will help us out. Possibly the 2 problems are related and solving the battery calibration issue will resolve your menu button issue

[mhotar]

Try to set Cal. Value in opposite direction ,it will go towards zero and then jump to high value.

[Rob Thomson]

Any chance the first time you calibrated the radio, you did it with the use plugged in?

I recall a similar problem some time back where that was the issue.

Calibration of the whole tx must be done on battery power.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

[LuftKatzen]

you got the diode back in there the right way. A diode is a one way street and has to be installed accordingly. Maybe a photo of your board showing the diode and the rework will help us out. Possibly the 2 problems are related and solving the battery calibration issue will resolve your menu button issue

Thanks rperkins, but the diode is definitely in the right way and I was careful to do my best not to fry it with my iron. It may be fried... but there's also sketchy contact because I broke off one of it's tabs... there were two very thin slivers of exposed metal to work with. I compensated by tinning those and dabbing a big bead of solder onto that end on the board.

I can't tell if it's still good or not because it's on the board and I don't really know what else it connects to on the board... I should have tested it before I put it back on. Would someone be so kind as to take the resistance across theirs with the multimeter leads in the correct positions and then reversed and let me know their values so I have something to compare to? That would be extremely helpful!

Try to set Cal. Value in opposite direction ,it will go towards zero and then jump to high value.

mhotar I also have tried this and it just took me to 4.6v... (now 2.3 :s)

Any chance the first time you calibrated the radio, you did it with the use plugged in?

Rob, no I have had it running on battery because the cable is so short to the usbasp programmer that it makes it extremely awkward to manipulate while plugged in

Thanks for the suggestions all! I really hope I didn't mess up that diode at all, but if people do feel so inclined to report some values then it would make it easier to diagnose that potential issue

[mhotar]

Try to set Cal. Value in opposite direction ,it will go towards zero and then jump to high value.

Try it more times, it goes somehow in shifted loops.

[rperkins]

Yea Imageshak apparently doesnt like linking pics like that. here's his link
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/6/ ... 41903.jpg/

I'm pretty sure your battery trouble is connected to your rework in the picture.

The circuit that determines your battery voltage is made up of :

1. that large cap. 10 Uf. ( What you were calling a diode )
2. voltage divider made up of
   • 5.1k (marked 512) resistor located just under the cap
   • 2.7k ( marked 272) resistor located down and just to the right of the 5.1k
3. series resistor going to pin 54 of the MCU
   • 200 ohm ( marked 201) located just under the 2.7k

I'd focus on number 2

[Flaps 30]

Yea Imageshak apparently doesnt like linking pics like that. here's his link http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/6/ ... 41903.jpg/

Looking at that picture I would suggest a lot more problems are going on.. Some components look like they have been blasted with a blowtorch.

The red wire that goes to pin 2 of the MCU seems a bit starved of solder.

I am seeing a lot of red and black stuff all over the place. Is all of that black stuff just felt tip pen?

As for hot glue on solder joints... You are stuffed if you want to change out anything. Loath the muck being used on PCB's ...

[LuftKatzen]

Haha I had to replace a large diode on something else and it looked very similar to that cap so I just assumed, thanks for the tips. All the red spots are just melted insulation from me getting the wires off, and the black would be liquid electrical tape I used to try and soften up the hot glue or help peel it off... as I said the first attempt at wiring it for flashing went rather badly and I was looking for alternate solutions before digging around with a soldering iron in hot glue (unfortunately I had to do it anyways). The red wire going to the MCU is attached alright... and it did flash so all is well there I think.

rperkins. What do you suggest I do about #2? I didn't really have any issues there as far as I know... again to clarify all that black stuff is just superficial junk, and here is a picture of it cleaned up.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/26 ... 75427.jpg/

Thanks all!

[Kilrah]

The resistor marked 512 looks damaged. Could be consistent, as it's part of the voltage measurement circuit.

[ReSt]

measure at the right side of resistor 3
For 10 volt battery voltage you should measure about 3.5 volt

Reinhard

[rperkins]

first:

1. Be sure the right side of the cap (#1) is not shorted to ground. ( probably isnt )
2. Be sure the right side of the 5.1k resistor is not shorted to ground
3. be sure that the left side of the 5.1k resistor is connected to the right side of the cap.
4. be sure the left side of the small cap( its the only component we havent talked about in the box labeled #2) in #2 is not shorted to the left side of 5.1k resistor

do you have a voltmeter and can use it ?
computed voltages on resistors when having a 11.6V battery
left side of 5.1k = 11.6v
right side of 5.1k = 4v
left side of 2.7k = 4v
right side of 2.7k = 0
left side of 200 ohm = 4v
right side of 200 ohm = just a hair under 4v or 4v

Somewhere along this path the voltage is not making it to the MCU. be careful . Dont start shorting things out. You surely dont want to send 11.6v to the MCU.

[rperkins]

measure at the right side of resistor 3
For 10 volt battery voltage you should measure about 3.5 volt

Reinhard

I agree 3.5 -4v .

My guess is he has just under a volt there now. The voltage divider may not even be providing it. I dont know enough about MCU adc circuit if it has a pull up or similar.

[ReSt]

ADC normally have some kind of a capacitor (sample and hold) that is charged to the input voltage.

Reinhard

[LuftKatzen]

Hey all thanks for the replies so far. I've been studying for some exams one of which I have tomorrow, so will get back to the troubleshooting tomorrow night and report back.

Thanks again!

Luft

[LuftKatzen]

Back again with some values that rperkins suggested I take.

first:

1. Be sure the right side of the cap (#1) is not shorted to ground. ( probably isnt )
2. Be sure the right side of the 5.1k resistor is not shorted to ground
3. be sure that the left side of the 5.1k resistor is connected to the right side of the cap.
4. be sure the left side of the small cap( its the only component we havent talked about in the box labeled #2) in #2 is not shorted to the left side of 5.1k resistor

do you have a voltmeter and can use it ?
computed voltages on resistors when having a 11.6V battery
left side of 5.1k = 11.6v
right side of 5.1k = 4v
left side of 2.7k = 4v
right side of 2.7k = 0
left side of 200 ohm = 4v
right side of 200 ohm = just a hair under 4v or 4v

Somewhere along this path the voltage is not making it to the MCU. be careful . Dont start shorting things out. You surely dont want to send 11.6v to the MCU.

The following values were taken with the battery in and transmitter on.

5.1k Resistor
Left side to - battery terminal: 11.32v
Right side - battery terminal: .355v
Left side to + battery terminal: .0032v
Right side to battery terminal: 10.99v
Across resistor, negative voltmeter lead on left side, positive voltmeter lead on right side: -10.92v

2.7k Resistor
Left side to - battery terminal: .355v
Left side to + battery terminal: 10.99v
Right side to - battery terminal: .007v
Right side to + battery terminal: 11.33v
Across resistor negative voltmeter lead on left side, positive voltmeter lead on right side,: -.346v

200 ohm Resistor
Left side to - battery terminal: .355v
Left side to + battery terminal: 10.98v
Right side to - battery terminal: .379v
Right side to + battery terminal: 10.96v
Across resistor, negative voltmeter lead on left side, positive voltmeter lead on right side: .025v

I am not finding anything near 4v

[rperkins]

it appears the 5.1k resistor is open.

you can remove all power from the board and set your multimeter on ohms and measure the resistance across the 5.1k . somewhere the circuit is open on the right side of the 5.1k . Sometimes the solderable part of a SMD resistor come unattached and the resistor is ruined.

BTW - typically when someone asks for a voltage reading and gives one point that is where the red lead goes. the black lead goes go ground.

[LuftKatzen]

Thanks again for the help and suggestions everyone! Unfortunately I still cannot delete models...but thanks to rperkins, Kilrah and ReST I have been able to calibrate the battery correctly! This has also taught me I need that I should invest in a finer tipped soldering iron.

Finished:

http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/544/ ... 023718.jpg

Thanks again, great to have that fixed!

[Kilrah]

Just one thing about the delete model, you can't delete the currently selected one, so if that's what you want to do you need to change to another first. Then press MENU once or twice to select it (as if you wanted to copy/move), THEN press EXIT LONG.

[rperkins]

Glad you got the battery calibration working.
Concerning the 'delete model'. The menu button is just a button. If it works at all then the button is working. I think the problem is something along the lines of what Kilrah is saying, it has to do with the way you are interacting with the firmware. I'm not that good with er9x firmware and have not used open9x. It still takes me time to find out where the 'delete model' option is located.

http://openrcforums.com/wiki/index.php/ ... lete_model

I know you are on open9x but on er9x you actually hold the 'MENU' button down long. Maybe someone should confirm what the open9x wiki states ??
http://openrcforums.com/wiki/index.php/ ... el_Setup_2
DELETE MODEL [MENU]: Guess.... This deletes the current model. You need to press [MENU LONG] for that to happen though.


I do know the menu button is tied to one of the programming lines. There is a very small chance that when you soldered in your programmer there is an issue that wont allow that line to be kept low long enough to trigger a long menu hold . I really dont think this is your problem

[Rob Thomson]

Under open9x, it is menu long when highlighting the model.

You will then get a popular menus with various actions.

Note: delete will only shown if deleting a model that is not active at the time.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

[Kilrah]

Under open9x, it is menu long when highlighting the model.
You will then get a popular menus with various actions.

That's only true on ARM boards

On stock it's as I said above.

[LuftKatzen]

Hey everyone. I just switched on the transmitter last night to familiarize myself with the layout of open9x and the range of controls I have access to... and tadaa! Deleting models is now not a problem... I have zero idea why as I have not done anything new. New problem that I noticed however is that the switch next to the 3pos switch (marked ailerons I think?) doesn't work. If I am correct that would have been one of the two switches I had to relocate to the top of the MCU to accommodate for telemetry features, so I'll take another look tonight.

[rperkins]

The resistor marked 512 looks damaged. Could be consistent, as it's part of the voltage measurement circuit.

I was rereading this thread . Hey you called it. way to go