Help with BigQuad Deck

[cr055]

Hi all!

I'm new in this forum and in the developing of crazyflie! I hope you don't mind if I ask for some questions. Lately I've got to do a project for my future master's thesis, but I'm struggling even with the basics and that really upsets me. I'll go straight to the point. I've mounted the BigQuad Deck and uploaded the modified firmware by enabling the correspondant flag as suggested in this guide https://wiki.bitcraze.io/projects:crazy ... ds:bigquad; I've done it by creating a file confing.mk in the root folder of Crazyflie-firmware and compiled the code after adding to that file the "CFLAGS += -DENABLE_BQ_DECK" line. I've tried several times but when it comes to powering up the CF and checking the outputs I have a constant tension (around 3V if I power the CF directly, around 5V if I power the BQ Deck through an esc connector) out of the PWM outputs. I've even attached an oscilloscope and tried to move back and forth the throttle stick but I can't get any signal as output of the deck, just the same 3V/5V as usual. Did you guys have any success in having that deck working? I really need it to go forward with my project (which I will talk about if I succeed), any help would be really appreciated. Thanks for your time

Regards,

cr055

P.S. anyone could even gently explain me how to change the PWM frequency from 400Hz to 1kHz? thanks again for your time

[tobias]

Hi Cr055!

This is probably because of this recent issue. We will submit a fix in the coming days but until then you can do a quick fix and change motors.c to this:

Code: Select all

  if (isInit)
  {
    return;
    //motorsDeInit(motorMap);
  }

For the PWM frequency you can play with the timer settings e.g. for ONESHOT125. What ESC are you using?

[cr055]

I've tried to fix that line in motors,c and played with parameters in motors.h for the timers, but still no success. I have few more questions which may help me to figure out what's wrong: after flashing the modified firmware, what kind of tension is expected to be found on the Signal pins? What is the right way of powering the whole thing, by powering the crazyflie or directly a motor input with a 5V? Anyway I'm using these ESCs
https://www.banggood.com/1_7g-Eachine-T ... ds=myorder which support the most kind of PWM. The problem is that I still don't get any varying signal at the output of the Signal pins even by moving the throttle stick (through smartphone app). I'm mounting everything on an Aurora 90mm frame, but I have bigger drones with different configurations (ZMR250 with SimonK ESCs etc. ) but I would prefer to use that one because it's still unoffensive, but can lift more stuff than the original crazyflie. Thank a lot anyway for your answer, tobias!

[tobias]

Have you checked the console output in the cfclient. It should say something like "BIGQUAD: Switching to brushless." when you connect to the CF2. Have you made a "make clean" when rebuilding?

You should power the CF2 from one of the ESC or external BEC. It is also needed for the pull-ups that make the ESC signals go to 5V.

[cr055]

Thanks a lot, tobias! I have followed exactly what you said and succeeded in making it work! I was powering the crazyflie through its connector, so probably the problem was with the pull-up resistors. I can now move steps forward

Best regards,

Cr055

[tobias]

Great and let us know your progress!

[cr055]

I will for sure! Thanks again for your time