Using M4 with BLDCs - Short How to

[aBUGSworstnightmare]

[aBUGSworstnightmare]

Here are some screenshots of my Settings. The ESC were HK blue series flashed with SimonK Firmware, onboard Deltang RX used.

Deltang RX settings

Quad X mixer settings - be sure to get the Motor numbers right!

Used HK blue series flashed to SimonK when doing the screenshot. Other ESCs may slightly vary!

[aBUGSworstnightmare]

Hi,

just want to add the info on my M4 BLDC expansion boards. There are now 3 revisions out there:

0r1: Power supply as shown in the first post

M4 BLDC expansion board 0r1 - connections

0r2: same as 0r1 but with M2 setnuts for easy mounting of the M4 (as pictured in the first post)

M4 BLDC expansion board 0r2 - connections

Revision 0r1 and 0r2 need to have a 5V source (BEC or from ESC) connected for operation. LiPo connector is used for voltage sensing only.

That's why I also developed a new revision - 0r3 - which is directly supplied from the LiPo (2S-3S).

M4 BLDC expansion board 0r3

M4 BLDC expansion board 0r3 - connections

ATTENTION:
Some components on the expansion board will get warm during operation! Take take of your fingers!

I/O connections:
M5: J2-7 (I2C1-SCL, PB6; MCU Pin58)
M6: J2-6 (I2C1-SDA, PB7; MCU Pin59)
M7: J2-10 (PC6, UART6-TX; MCU Pin37)
M8: J1-10 (PC7, UART6-RX; MCU Pin 38)

Voltage divider input to M4: J2-5 (SPI1-MISO, PA6; MCU Pin22)
This is only available when JP1 is closed and code changes were in place!

The data sheet of the M4 MCU is here: http://www.st.com/web/en/catalog/mmc/FM ... 5/PF252144

[boriss]

HI Jörg,

little confused. The boards i got from jussi are labeled as Rev4 online and on the license sticker, but the output in the console is HW ver 8 rev5, thus can i use your FW you posted here ?

Thanks

Boris

[Max]

Here's the difference between M4 r4 and r5: http://autoquad.org/wiki/wiki/m4-microc ... rst-option

So if you have the wire mod, then you have an "r5".

-Max

[boriss]

Thanks okay get it the wired mod turns it into a rev 5 Didn't get that

Thanks

Boris

[aBUGSworstnightmare]

[boriss]

Sorry for asking questions that might be obvious to you guys, but does this look like a successful flash attempt ?

C:\Users\Boris Schwarz\Desktop\AQ\aq\bin\dfu-util.exe -a 0 -d 0483:df11 -s 0x08000000:leave -R -D C:\Users\Boris Schwarz\Desktop\r432_modified files for BLDC use\autoquad.bin

dfu-util 0.7

Copyright 2005-2008 Weston Schmidt, Harald Welte and OpenMoko Inc.
Copyright 2010-2012 Tormod Volden and Stefan Schmidt
This program is Free Software and has ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY
Please report bugs to dfu-util@lists.gnumonks.org

Filter on vendor = 0x0483 product = 0xdf11
Opening DFU capable USB device... ID 0483:df11
Run-time device DFU version 011a
Found DFU: [0483:df11] devnum=0, cfg=1, intf=0, alt=0, name="@Internal Flash /0x08000000/04*016Kg,01*064Kg,07*128Kg"
Claiming USB DFU Interface...
Setting Alternate Setting #0 ...
Determining device status: state = dfuERROR, status = 10
dfuERROR, clearing status
Determining device status: state = dfuIDLE, status = 0
dfuIDLE, continuing
DFU mode device DFU version 011a
Device returned transfer size 2048
DfuSe interface name: "Internal Flash "
Downloading to address = 0x08000000, size = 226528
...............................................................................................................
File downloaded successfully
Transitioning to dfuMANIFEST state
Resetting USB to switch back to runtime mode
No valid DFU suffix signature
Warning: File has no DFU suffix
Error during download get_status
can't detach

-------------

Rev 432 is shown after the attempt, but didn't even check what i had on before. And in the parameters the Lic key was still present shouldn't that be gone after a FW update ?

Thanks

Boris

[Max]

Yea that seems fine. Sometimes I see that last "can't detach" error from dfu-util, sometimes not. It's trying to detach from the device (M4) and restart it, which I guess sometimes fails. The flashing part works consistently though, so just reboot manually and you're set.

When flashing with dfu-util, the params are preserved. Feature, not a bug! I know no one reads it, but the "Confirm Firmware Flashing" prompt in QGC will make the distinction and warn when params will be wiped. Among other things...

usb-flash-warn.png (23.39 KiB) Viewed 37035 times

-Max

[DUKE40]

Hi Jörg,

do you know if there is any possibility to use it on a Hexacopter? I am thinking about building a NanoHexa with an M4 on it, but need to know if this is possible at all without CAN for the ESCs, as ESC32 would be to big for the project.