Desperately need help analysing log files!!

[whizz101]

well strangely enough the spikes are back in 442!

[aBUGSworstnightmare]

Well, from my POV the spikes are related to something else other than PWM.

Look at my 'Motor Spikes' video on YouTube; this are CAN ESC32V2.

I've never experienced any problem with PWM ESC on the M4.BTW: what kind of ESC do you use on the hexa?

[JussiH]

I will have a few aq6 available shortly...

[whizz101]

[aBUGSworstnightmare]

[JussiH]

Tristan,

Send me a PM. I will loan you a AQ6DIMU board to try and narrow down the problem.

[whizz101]

@ jussi- That's an ace offer, thanks very much.

I spent last night removing my AQ equipment and installed a zero uav controller that i have not used since i made the switch to AQ 2 years ago. It makes me very sad.

However i have just returned from flying and the zero equipment is working flawlessly.10 10min flights no problem. It does not fly as nice as AQ, but in the short term is probably(touch wood) going to be more reliable.

I am going to do another round of flights this evening once my batteries have charged. But assuming that they go all-right then this kinda shows the problem is not with the motor's, esc's or cabling.

It will be very interesting to see what happens when i put a AQ6 back in.

Thanks again for everyone's input.

Tristan

[wangyeee]

Some thoughts based on my experience helping others with a MK FC with similar spike issue.
The same setup between those copters are large frame with big TM U-x motors and TM ESCs. Those high power motors and ESCs generate lots of noise and for the MK case, I2C comms of the MK is interfered. In some cases, the FC simply can't talk to the I2C to PWM convertor. The partial working solution was to replace the 12s HV BEC with a dedicate FC battery and re-route the wirings. Ideally true opto isolators should be used(there are no opto isolators in the so called opto escs). But I haven't seen any available products for that purpose now.

For the AQ, I can only make assumptions based on info in this thread that there may be some sorts of interference in your setup. Based on the AQ6 about page, it has two dc-dc converters and emi hardened IMUs, but there are no such things for M4. As the schematics is close sourced, I can only guess somehow the emi hardening eliminated the interference so your AQ6 flies well. But the M4, hmm... it's another thing.

Suggestions
Try to add dedicate battery w/ BEC to power your avionics. And make sure the ground of esc and ground of pwm output are the ONLY ground connection. Ground loops (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_loop_(electricity)) will cause problems. You can then do a constrained ground test(e.g. props reversely installed and frame secured) to check if the spikes are gone.

Regards,
Ye

[Max]

The topic of ground loops just came up on an unrelated RCG thread I'm following, and it made me wonder if something like that could be happening here. Between having the expander (N4) board and using the other 2 "hacked" motor ports directly, and the fact that they don't even init at the same time... I'm no expert nor have schematics, but that seems suspicious.

Tristan, do you connect the ground leads from ESCs to PWM ports (vs. only signal)? If yes, what do you connect the 2 "extra" ESC grounds to (the ones getting PWM from the onboard motor ports)? The N4, or some point on the actual M4 board?

-Max

[whizz101]

I connect the ground cables of the esc's to the ground of the 1 cell lipo connector on the M4.