Great video!! I've just bumbled my way through setting up a PixHawk and your first video would have saved me hours searching for missing information! Looking forward to the rest!!
omg your a life saver, im new to drone technology and jumped in at the deep end by designing my own vtol with unique features and your guides are going to be invalueble in the process.
A quite usefull trick for using the GPS for the first time is to put it outside or or simply near a window so it would track much much faster. I thought my GPS/Pixhawk was broken when i had that problem. Hope that helps ;-)
Hello, I am a big fan of your explanation. This world of the drones is new to me. Good information is always very valuable. I would like to thank you for this clear explanation . Best regards, Hans
Well I threw out my NAZA-M V2 stuff! I am now getting ready to set up this PixHawk. I'll be watching each video in the series and doing exactly what you say. I love how you make these videos for guys like me that are sorta new to all this tech. After I get this all figured out and flying on a DJI FlameWheel clone, I'll buy the PixHawk 2 and putting that on yet another DJI Flame Wheel clone. I love your videos, without them, I would never had tried anything! I flew my first quadcopter with a Naze32 because of your videos on it. Thank you PS: I have made it past the first hurdle, but with a few problems. My computer wouldn't recognize the USB connection (NAZA V2 did this too) and now I have it hooked up after doing everything manually (no Wizard). On to #2 in the series!
Thank you for the comment. Different people have different learning styles, background and experience so no one set of videos will be perfect for all audiences. It is always nice to hear from someone who has found the videos I make useful... Happy flying!
Great job on the video, as well as everything you've released so far. You truly do make this hobby painless! A point of note for anyone upgrading from APM to Pixhawk... All of your existing peripherals will still work (GPS module, 3DR Telemetry, MinimOSD), however, you have to change the connectors from DF13 5 position to DF13 6 position plugs. The only item that can move over with no modification is the power module. There are tons of pictures online showing the exact pinouts, so the hardest part will be finding the plugs. My Pixhawk came with a few extra "spare" cables, so I just carefully harvested the ends off those and I was up and running quickly
Thanks so much for this. I've had a Pixhawk for a few weeks and will now install it. Thanks for using the Taranis, too. Looking forward to the next one.
Thanks PL360!! The only warning for newbies (and I'm one of them) is.... the firmware for pixhawk. I used the mission planner software to load the quadcopter firmware into the pixhawk. But once that was done, the pixhawk got a red solid LED coming on (after each manual power-up), and had three beeps...one higher tone, followed by two low tones. I thought I had broken my pixhawk. I then needed to go to qgroundcontrol.com/ to install the Qgroundcontrol software, which provided two options - a pixhawk firmware and an ardupilot firmware. I chose the pixhaw firmware..... which loaded into my pixhawk 2.4.6, which revived all functions. I was then able to start up Mission Planner and connect to the pixhawk. Just mentioning this in case some newbies get a heart attack after loading the ardupilot firmware into their pixhawk. Otherwise, fantastic! Thanks again! Love your video and very easy-to-follow guidance with the sensors setup!
UPDATE: This morning, I took a punt and tried one more time to use Mission Planner to upload the copter 3.4.4 firmware. And it surprised me that the firmware not only uploaded, but the pixhawk 2.4.6 was also operating properly. Thanks!
My first thought that came to mind if there was some kind of PCB used for failover to a fully charged battery for the controls to land with. That would be cool. You still would be able to glide down and land. I enjoy your videos and fell sorry for the lost of your airplane. I differently know that feeling walking to get the crashed airplane.
+Huw John thanks for the idea, I will add it to the list. We have added an APM to a plane in that series and the process is almost identical. Best of luck!
Mr P. Thanks a million for the whole series of videos you put out! They have been invaluable to me and probably thousands. of others. One question:- Is the GPS unit from my old ARM unit compatible with the new PixHawk? Or do I have to buy all new ancillaries.
thanks for your videos, i started this last July and got totally no where, tried kk2, apm 2.6 and 2.8 and gave up, then came across your videos so i dragged everything out of the cupboard and tried again and succeeded in under 5 hours, flys great, last time i tried it went always skimmed sideways then flipped over and crashed without fail.please keep them coming and maybe add the 6 position switch for Turnigy 9x on ER9X and 9Xtreme as i struggled with that for several days as many videos out there worked for them but i only got 5 of the six flight modes working despite the transmitter clearly showing 6.
+s See our videos where we've added modes to other radios - the problem comes from the fact that the ranges for the modes are not equally spaced and a lot of the controls on a radio assume they are.. Best of luck!
Hi, i am new to this and using a pixhawk 2.4.8 as my flight controller, but I am facing issues with the correct firmware for a plane frame type. It gives me a error at ESC calibration stage- "set param error. Please ensure your your version is AC3.3+". I have tried multiple firmware options but same error always. Though it works well with arducopter heli firmware setup. I would be great if you could help me with this issue?
Enjoying your video . I know you're speaking about aircraft but I'm making an autonomous boat and I simply want to control the rudder and tell it to sail waypoint to waypoint. Obviously a GPS input is needed. What other hardware to you recommend? I don't need motor control of any kind. The motors will be running solar and will be on all the time. I simply need rudder control for the waypoints. Thanks, I'm just learning and appreciate your wonderful teaching ability on this video. I'll watch the entire serious but wanted to throw out this questions first. Thanks in advance. Steve
If you are still working on this, it may be worth looking into a forward/reverse relay for the motor(s). This would allow for two directions and if you have two motors, some steering. You could also wire the motors in series and just have forward/reverse with a rudder. I would think this would be your best option, as using two motors to steer would take a while, especially if it is on solar only
Many thanks for another excellent video. Just spent a few weeks building an F450 using a Flysky Fs-i6s Tx with no problems at all, just a small amount of trim on the elevator and it flies perfectly.
Great instructional video. Very detailed and complete. Still relevant in NOV2017 to understanding Pixhawk and its setup. Any thumbs-down votes are clearly the work of idiots savants, as there is zero reason to give this a thumbs-down. These are among some of the most well-done instructional videos I've come across and I definitely appreciate the time, effort, charts, detailed explanations and history of the APM evolution to PX4 to Pixhawk. This is must-view video for everyone new to UAS.
It's worth mentioning control directions in radio calibration aileron and rudder are obvious but elevator is reversed to what you think and not same direction as throttle i.e. full forward throttle - green bar goes to top, full forward elevator - green bar should go down
Hello, great video, however we have a problem: we have followed all your steps up to the part were we have to connect the Pixhawk. Unfortunately, once we pressed connect, all of the numbers remained zero, and the map didn't update with our GPS position. We are using the Mac version of the APM planner. Thank you for your attention
Please, could you publish the end of that video in where you wanted to explain how to setup the failsafe ? Also can be great if you make in that video how to configure a OSD to be viewed on a FPV monitor Thanks in advance by all I airing your great videos Daniel
See ardupilot.org/copter/docs/failsafe-battery.html, it is typically meaning that the FC can't see the expected battery voltage via the connection to the power module. Check it's plugged into the right port..
Hi I would like to know where I can buy this exact Pixhawk you are using in the video ,I want to build a quad and a Tri copter ,BTW great videos ,if you could put a link as to where I can purchase it ,Thanks.there seems to be a few different versions out there ? I only want the GPS version like in your video.
+Paul McMahon Paul, you can get one @ Banggood for £55.92 www.banggood.com/buy/pixhawk-px4.html I found it on www.parkflyer.ru/101362/product/1562549/ with additional modules ))
+Paul McMahon I wouldn't buy a Pixhawk, they are very flaky and hard to get working. I have 2 of them I've been trying to get working for over a year and a half without any success so far. Sure, all the fanboys say they are so great and have tons of fake videos on UA-cam showing them flying so well but it's all a lie!
I'm looking forward to the next one covering the power options. I don't want to use the power module and when I connect to the servo rail it appears to work fine, but I get a low voltage alarm that I think is a Parameter setting rather than actual low voltage. Anyway, I hope you'll show this option/setup, too, please.
Hugh Dinwiddie That sounds like the alarm for the flight battery. I would disable the alarm in mission planner.. (copter.ardupilot.com/wiki/configuration/failsafe-battery/) Hope that helps.
Hugh Dinwiddie I am also interested in any video describing exactly what is needed to power the Pixhawk correctly since I was instructed that if I use a 6S battery I was not to use the standard power module, but the 180A Attopilot module and use a BEC to power the servo rail and incorporate a Zener diode correctly. Since I have hacked the DF13 cable to use only the three wires (current, voltage and ground) I now rely on a BEC to power the the Pixhawk via the servo rail, but I have power retracts on my X8R receiver (ch9/10) and I locked up the Pixhawk causing a crash since I have no backup power (redundancy). So, is there a video describing the proper wiring of power backup to the Pixhawk servo rail correctly, possibly using two BECs and how to make sure I have the Zener diode/s wired in correctly? (I have seen the diagrams and wiring a diode in line makes no sense as I think extra voltage should be shunted to ground). The craft is flying well, but I would like to use the retracts (or any servo) obviously without a burnout, or power drop.
This is all covered in the on line docs. The standard PM only supports up to 4s LIPO. You can power it using the pins on the PM port and a switching UBEC and/or plug another +5v UBEC into the servo pins for redundancy (use a zener diode for overvoltage protection) This will help you -copter.ardupilot.com/wiki/common-optional-hardware/common-powermodule-landingpage/common-using-a-pixhawk-with-6s-batteries/ Best of luck with it.
Yes, it is all covered in the online docs. I have read and reread all this and more and I just wondered if you would be actually demonstrating the wiring as I have done what they describe and now I'm waiting on China to send me the parts I need to FIX what I have ruined after I followed the instructions. :)
I will not be covering 6s packs on here. I don't fly ^s on anything but a 500class heli. If I were to use a 6s pack on a PixHawk I would do something very similar to you - UBEC into output pins to power servos and other high current devices (with diode) and also provide secondary power, install another 6s capable UBEC/PDB into the PM port on the Pixhawk. Sorry I can't add any more - best of luck with it.
Nice Video again. I watched all (8) Naze32 videos and it really helped me as a beginner in quadcopter. Now i think that the Naze 32 wasn't the best choise for an F450 frame it was easy to set up and cleanflight is great, but it's not easy to make your first flight..(i was in acro mode in the first 5 flights and you really need to be attentive if you don't want to brake anything, at least for a beginner and i don't think that i would be able to take nice pictures or movies with the Naze32 (but i know the Naze32 wasn't made for that any way). So now I think that I should try the Pixhawk. (It's not cheap but i have every thing else now). Do you think that it's a good board for a beginner ? And a F450 frame + SportCam ? And will it work with a 6 channels remote control ? Once again your videos are great, happy new year all the best for 2016
Thank you for your answer. I just designed a 350 frame (laser cutted of MDF) and i will put my Naze32 on it. (When i will have the budget). And for the f450 frame i may give a try to a cheap APM as they are very affordable right now. As i would like to take some aerial footages. Thanks again, your videos are very helpful and easy to understand for a French guy like me.
Excellent, excellent video. Quick question if I may ? If I have a frame (TBS Disco Pro) where the Pixhawk can't be mounted exactly at the COG should I wait and do the initial setup and calibrations after installing it in the craft, or is it better do it beforehand like in this vid ? Cheers.
Jaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay I always setup the board to make sure it's ok before installing it. I then re-calibrate the acc and mag with it's all fitted. Happy flying!
Again a perfect guide , shortly what is the advantage of the pixhawk over the apm...i have an APM , can i use my accessories , GPS+Compas and telemetry if i move to pixhawk?thank you.
APM vs. PixHawk covered at 3:03 in this video. Personally, the cost of the PixHawk with accessories is so low now I'd get a new setup. The GPS units shipped with the older APM are much less sensitive than modern units.. Happy flying!
Thank you for informative channel has got me out of a bind more than once. Will you be covering the setup and performance of Px4flow in the near future?
Not at the moment, there is a lot of things ahead of it in the queue. I'd also like to wait a little until all of the bugs are ironed out.. Thanks for the idea though..
Painless360 thank you for the reply it seems I had a typo. I meant to say "use the pixhawk "without" GPS not with GPS. I would like to essentially use the Pixhawk in a GPS denied area. Do you have a video on this subject?
I just ordered one of these. I have the D4R receiver and a taranis. is there any special steps or connections that need to be made to get telemetry data to the taranis? Thank you! BTW I love your videos best quad tutorials on the youtubes!
It's changing all the time - finally the APM/Pixhawk developers have woken up to the huge number of pilots who want it - pixhawk.org/peripherals/telemetry/frsky Best of luck!
Painless360 I orders the telemetry cable today from www.craftandtheoryllc.com/product/pixhawk-to-frsky-telemetry-cable-d4r-ii-receiver/. Also ordered their lua script for the taranis. Should be fun. Thanks again!
@@Painless360 unable to locate on playlist. Do you remember the search phrase? I'm stuck on mavlink pinout. Thank you for any leads you might have. P.s. super tutorials!
Hi, my radio does not pick up on the Radio Calibration part of Mission Planner. It seems like it's bound fine to the receiver, since I tested it with a servo motor and it responded fine. However, when receiver is plugged into the Pixhawk (Via RCIN) and radio is turned on, there are no green bars showing up on Mission Planner, despite the receiver showing a steady orange light. Do you think this is a problem with the radio or the Pixhawk itself or something else? I'm only in Highschool and extremely new to drones, and I've been stuck on this for a while. Any response would be awesome. Radio: OrangeRx Tx6i Mode 1 Int'l Version 6ch 2.4GHz DSM2/DSMX Compatible Radio System Receiver: OrangeRx R615X DSM2/DSMX Compatible 6Ch 2.4GHz Receiver w/CPPM
Thank you for your videos! Setup my first APM with your videos help.Now i move to a PIXHACK and i´ts hard to find info. Are you planning do some videos on this FC?
Aron Gatt It can be on both but it will be added to a quadcopter (the most common model requested by subscribers). There is an APM video series for planes and with this series you will be able to easily figure it out.
yes , i did see the apm series ( which is great) somehow u really have a very neat way to simplify all things which i really like. thought i ask on fixedwings cos its where im heading now with my builds..... just got a bix3 and im looking for a good flying wing aswell to put a good AP on and the pixhawk is a great platform now 4 sure.
+Painless360 It has been a really nice video. I have a question.If you answer, I am very happy.Should Pixhawka be connected to the GPS to run the connected engines? Good luck
good nigth , please would you recomend witch one of the videos of 2023 series is? thanks so much in advance, I have discover your channel recently and I see you have to much videos, maybe you know directly what video I need to see.
Please, can you help? Good morning Do you know What protocol is using esc T-Motor Air 20A? Im having a problem because Im building a drone with FC PixHawk 2.4.8 and through Mission Planner I can not make the motor test, I’m doing all exactly as I did other times or you in your videos before to build a drone with PixHawk, but this time is like the esc don’t take the signal from the FC PixHawk. Please, can you help to me ? I will be very appreciated Thanks so much in advance Can I send to you a video to show you how all is well connected? And the noise that esc do? Is like. It get signal from the fc, also the mission planner to the noise codes as if it’s doing the motor calibration till the end of the process , but the motors doesn’t spin. Best wishes Daniel
Lots and lots! :D We don't use any DJI product on the channel so can't do a direct comparison but the headline is open vs. closed system.. Best of luck!
Great viseo, great series but new mission planner is different I´m suposed tonselect 2 compass ( internal + external ) ormjust one and forget the other? thanks
Hello mr painless 360, I have followed your tutorials for a few years now and I really appreciate how you put them together. I have been using Pixhawk and associated FC's for years and I am tired of carrying my laptop to the feild. I have seen the development of the iOS platforms such as qground control and mav pilot. Is there a way to connect my Pixhawk 2.1 configured on Mission Planner to my iPad and do you have a tutorial on doing that? As usual I really appreciate your help and your time.Michael.
+ANGRYbirdFPV The best way to do that if you use the 3DR radio sets. We've done a few videos showing them but mostly using a PC. There are now android applications that you can use on a tablet, but I've not used any. I think I've seen videos from other UA-camrs have explored it, I might do it as part of the PixHawk2.1 series I will be starting very soon. Best of luck
hi painless, love the videos, totally convinced me now to go down the pixhawk road for my next FC.... Quick question though..thinking about damping for the vibration issue, rather then buying an anti-vibration mount, i was wandering if there is space inside the case to drill some holes in the bottom plate of the case and mount some silicone anti-vibration balls directly to the case itself...... or is the circuit board too close to the inside of the bottom plate. thanks for the great videos... big fan
Hello Sir, your videos are very well crafted for beginners like me. I can't thank you enough for all you do. I am newbie to Drone building DIY. I have Pixhawk 2.4.8 and wanted to use it with 4-in-1 ESC along with Raspberry PI 4 or 5. I watched all the videos out there on this scenario and all of them uses individual ESC's for each motors. I came across encoder to use but surely not understand it. I saw some video about connecting Raspberry PI to Pixhawk so I think I am okay there but not connecting 4-in-1 ESC to Pixhawk. Would you be able to suggest how I can get 4-in-1 ESC connected to Pixhawk? Or if you could do a video on it, would be awesome. Thank you so much for all your help in advance sir.
Thank you. We will try the first fly on saturday. I did the setup including gps block. if I want to fly without, may I remove it and fly or have I to setup again the board without external gpd and compass module? Thanks for your time. Regards Andrea Montani
My Pixhawk Main out Pin 4 is not moving the motor 4(back right - clock-wise), can you please help me on how I can use other available pins like 5,6,7,8, in pixhawk 2.4.8 and assign it channel 4. I am not able to get any document which can help on swapping the pins. It'll be a great help. Also my motor 4 is working when connected to main out pin 1,2,3 of pixhawk. I am using FSi6 TX with FSiA6B RX.
Hi :) Been a way for sometimes, and now that I am back I find your video's just as interesting if not more :), Thank you. How about the functions like Follow me, and other functions which the more advanced quads have these days, Is it able to do these Things too? Thank you ...
Bisholi M All of the mode detail is available in the PAM series (as mentioned in the description of this video). The modes are the same. Follow me seems like a daft idea to me - I've seen too many multirotors fail and simply drop out of the air to want one directly above me for minutes at a time. ;)
Thanks for the great video! As I'm considering moving from APM 3.1 to Pixhawk I cannot find any info if the peripherals (like GPS antenna, MinimOSD, current sensor etc) from APM will also work with the Pixhawk, or are they a bit different?
following your video I bought a pixhawk and I installed the firmware without problems. My congratulation to you, everything is clear also for a no mather tongue Person. I have only a doubt, where may I found the pixhawk pinout for a tricopter? on mission planner sw, tricopter is on the same row of other copter. Thanks in advance for your help. greetings from Italy. ciao Andrea
Calibrations will need to be repeated when it is mounted on the quad. Motors and escs will throw them off. The Pixhawk will compensate after the recal.
Depends on what you want to do with the model, if it's a larger model and you want to use it for autonomous flying or filming then it's a great choice. See out flight controller comparison video for more commentary. Best of luck!
Your video turned me on :D So my question is, what do I need for mission planner. In terms of hardware? I am buying the pixhawk flight controller, plus a GPS module. Is that all I need? or is there extra hardware? For example, I want to use my computer and plan my quadcopter to fly on its own, while I am just watching FPV and can also track on my computer?
+Painless360 Ok. So finished your series (5 episodes) and oh gosh, you are really good at making videos. So, on the 4th episode, you talked about setting up waypoints and everything. So cool, you can actually do that without any other hardware except for the GPS and a computer to setup up the waypoints at home. Am I right? But the problem is, you can't track your copter and where it is going with your hardware selection, because I think you need a wireless telemetry rx and tx where it is connected to the pixhawk, and one connected to your laptop, and therefore, I ca track down where my copter is going, and speed etc. and am right? Thanks you have helped a lot
Thanks. The "place it on it's back' is illogical to me. On its back would be front upwards. Or what? So the instruction in MP should be "place front downwards".
Thank you so much for the great information that you are sharing. Personally I have learned so many things from your series on CC3D and MINI APM. I have one question if you don't mind. Is there any differences between the Pixhawk or APM that comes from 3DROBATICS in comparison to the ones that are sold by chines retailer such as Aliexpress.com?
mohammed alshaibani Lots of differences - the clue is in the price. ;) They should be functionally the same but the quality and support will be different. The one I am using is not a 3DR model.. Best of luck with the build.
Hi, i'm using a FlySky I6X transmitter/reciever and i'm connecting the reciever to the pixhawk, via RCin and PPM/CH1 on the reciever. the transmitter is bound with the reciever, however i'm not getting any readings on the radio calibration stage. There are no bars, how do i fix this? thanks
Great video!! I've just bumbled my way through setting up a PixHawk and your first video would have saved me hours searching for missing information! Looking forward to the rest!!
Peter Arnold Powering the board, connecting ESCs, arming and initial hover next... Should be out next week..
Thanks for the feedback.
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How did you manage to set your battery configuration? I'm having issues with prearm battery 2 low voltage failsafe.
7 years ago, and yet I’m still learning from you Lee! Painless360 is fully Mega. Thank You Man! 😀
I can't thank you enough for all the things have I learnt from you in RC world. Please continue , your are awesome.
omg your a life saver, im new to drone technology and jumped in at the deep end by designing my own vtol with unique features and your guides are going to be invalueble in the process.
Hello Chris, can you provide me your email address ?
A quite usefull trick for using the GPS for the first time is to put it outside or or simply near a window so it would track much much faster. I thought my GPS/Pixhawk was broken when i had that problem. Hope that helps ;-)
Hello, I am a big fan of your explanation. This world of the drones is new to me. Good information is always very valuable. I would like to thank you for this clear explanation . Best regards, Hans
Thank you for the feedback. I do try and aim the content to be accessible for newer pilots and builders..
Oh man, what a fantastic presentation. Thank you very much, it seems i finally found the right channel
Welcome! Happy flying!
Well I threw out my NAZA-M V2 stuff! I am now getting ready to set up this PixHawk. I'll be watching each video in the series and doing exactly what you say. I love how you make these videos for guys like me that are sorta new to all this tech. After I get this all figured out and flying on a DJI FlameWheel clone, I'll buy the PixHawk 2 and putting that on yet another DJI Flame Wheel clone.
I love your videos, without them, I would never had tried anything! I flew my first quadcopter with a Naze32 because of your videos on it.
Thank you
PS: I have made it past the first hurdle, but with a few problems. My computer wouldn't recognize the USB connection (NAZA V2 did this too) and now I have it hooked up after doing everything manually (no Wizard). On to #2 in the series!
Many thanks to the mysterious "R"
....probably an associate of "M" perhaps?
Shaken- not stirred, eh?
***** You eggspect me to tawk? (In mock Scottish/English accent) ;)
DM ME IF ANYONE WANTS TO JOIN OUR WHATSAAP GROUP "diy drones". +91 9605168700- whatsaap
Sir, your videos are undoubtedly the most helpful in this field
Thank you for the comment. Different people have different learning styles, background and experience so no one set of videos will be perfect for all audiences. It is always nice to hear from someone who has found the videos I make useful... Happy flying!
Great job on the video, as well as everything you've released so far. You truly do make this hobby painless!
A point of note for anyone upgrading from APM to Pixhawk... All of your existing peripherals will still work (GPS module, 3DR Telemetry, MinimOSD), however, you have to change the connectors from DF13 5 position to DF13 6 position plugs. The only item that can move over with no modification is the power module. There are tons of pictures online showing the exact pinouts, so the hardest part will be finding the plugs. My Pixhawk came with a few extra "spare" cables, so I just carefully harvested the ends off those and I was up and running quickly
Finally a tech video without a weird accent
This video is over 4 years old and my channel has been going for over 12 years. Where have you been? ;) Glad you found the content. Happy flying!
Very well done! You answered all of my questions and gave me a thorough understanding of the Pixhawk.
nice video
and special thanks to the one who sends that pixhawk
I'm still waiting for my pixhawk which I've bought on the internet, but your video I've already added to my favorites. Thanks for uploading! 😀
It's 2020.....did you ever get it or are you STILL WAITING?? lolol
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Thank you for this series of videos on the Pixhawk 2.4.8, It's a great help.
Just the sort of thing I have been looking for. Great stuff and keep them coming.
Thanks so much for this. I've had a Pixhawk for a few weeks and will now install it. Thanks for using the Taranis, too. Looking forward to the next one.
This is a deep video on PixHawk. I really like it!
Thanks for the first video of the serie on the Pixhawk :)
Have a great weekend
Thank you for the time you took to make these videos!.
Thanks R, because of you I was able to learn about pixhawk :)
Thank you! Your video is quite educational. I'm preparing for my first build.
Thanks for sharing informative video, I started learning about pix hawk from your video.
Can't wait to watch the next video. Great job.
Great video painless. right on spot.
Joy oh Joy My new Pixhawk is working. Thankyou !!!
grazie mille! finalmente un tutor chiaro...
+Alessandro Colangeli
Siete i benvenuti, sono contento che lo ha aiutato. Volo felice!
Very excellent, clear explanation of your follower from Saudi
Great video. 10 out of 10 from me. Thanks for your time and effort with making it. And thanks to 'R' for sending the pixhawk.
Glad you liked it, there are more in this series. Check out the playlist. Happy flying!
Thanks PL360!! The only warning for newbies (and I'm one of them) is.... the firmware for pixhawk. I used the mission planner software to load the quadcopter firmware into the pixhawk. But once that was done, the pixhawk got a red solid LED coming on (after each manual power-up), and had three beeps...one higher tone, followed by two low tones. I thought I had broken my pixhawk. I then needed to go to qgroundcontrol.com/ to install the Qgroundcontrol software, which provided two options - a pixhawk firmware and an ardupilot firmware. I chose the pixhaw firmware..... which loaded into my pixhawk 2.4.6, which revived all functions. I was then able to start up Mission Planner and connect to the pixhawk. Just mentioning this in case some newbies get a heart attack after loading the ardupilot firmware into their pixhawk. Otherwise, fantastic! Thanks again! Love your video and very easy-to-follow guidance with the sensors setup!
UPDATE: This morning, I took a punt and tried one more time to use Mission Planner to upload the copter 3.4.4 firmware. And it surprised me that the firmware not only uploaded, but the pixhawk 2.4.6 was also operating properly. Thanks!
Dear Sir,
What's the difference between this version and Radiolink version?
I've not used the Radiolink version... Happy flying
what's the difference between this and Pixhawk Pro version?
My first thought that came to mind if there was some kind of PCB used for failover to a fully charged battery for the controls to land with. That would be cool. You still would be able to glide down and land. I enjoy your videos and fell sorry for the lost of your airplane. I differently know that feeling walking to get the crashed airplane.
Like always, we love very much your instructional videos. Thumbs up!
Claudiu Farcas Thanks you.
Nice tutorial video, it's so helpful for rc plane builders. I appreciate it 👍
Thanks. Check out the latest Arduplane 2020 series for an up to date series... Happy flying!
love your channel man! great work as always!
Thank you. Happy flying!
Can you use a flysky i6 radio with all this?
hi, can i connect to this pixhwak gps - nano Ublox m8 5883 gps ?
I've only used the compass modules that are designed to plug I ot the Pixhawk. In theory any decent compass/GPS model should work... Best of luck
thank you for this video. coming back to Pixhawk, after 2 years, as the first try was not success )))
Do you know if the PixHawk4 would work with the AR12310T?
Thanks Painless and others will give a try on different pc.
okkey. I also opened a ticket with 3DR. I will keep you informed. thanks a lot. regards and ciao Andrea
there arent any videos running through setup on a wing such as a mini talon, would you consider covering this please?
+Huw John thanks for the idea, I will add it to the list. We have added an APM to a plane in that series and the process is almost identical. Best of luck!
Painless360 thank you. I'm mainly having trouble with the safety button. unable to arm it without disabling on startup.
Really helpful and clear. Many thanks
Mr P. Thanks a million for the whole series of videos you put out! They have been invaluable to me and probably thousands. of others. One question:- Is the GPS unit from my old ARM unit compatible with the new PixHawk? Or do I have to buy all new ancillaries.
It might do, I've not tried it here though as I tend to by the PixHawks with the GPS etc. all included as a package..
Thank you very much bro, video concept is awasome
Check out the Pixhawk 2020 series too... Happy flying
@@Painless360 thank you, ı will
thanks for your videos, i started this last July and got totally no where, tried kk2, apm 2.6 and 2.8 and gave up, then came across your videos so i dragged everything out of the cupboard and tried again and succeeded in under 5 hours, flys great, last time i tried it went always skimmed sideways then flipped over and crashed without fail.please keep them coming and maybe add the 6 position switch for Turnigy 9x on ER9X and 9Xtreme as i struggled with that for several days as many videos out there worked for them but i only got 5 of the six flight modes working despite the transmitter clearly showing 6.
+s See our videos where we've added modes to other radios - the problem comes from the fact that the ranges for the modes are not equally spaced and a lot of the controls on a radio assume they are.. Best of luck!
So I have 4 ESC flashed with miltishot protocol , is it going to work with pixhawk , I don't wanna smok off my ESC
Hi, i am new to this and using a pixhawk 2.4.8 as my flight controller, but I am facing issues with the correct firmware for a plane frame type. It gives me a error at ESC calibration stage- "set param error. Please ensure your your version is AC3.3+". I have tried multiple firmware options but same error always. Though it works well with arducopter heli firmware setup. I would be great if you could help me with this issue?
Lots about this in the forums but I've not seen it here. Looks version related from that I can see. Best of luck!
Enjoying your video . I know you're speaking about aircraft but I'm making an autonomous boat and I simply want to control the rudder and tell it to sail waypoint to waypoint. Obviously a GPS input is needed. What other hardware to you recommend? I don't need motor control of any kind. The motors will be running solar and will be on all the time. I simply need rudder control for the waypoints. Thanks, I'm just learning and appreciate your wonderful teaching ability on this video. I'll watch the entire serious but wanted to throw out this questions first. Thanks in advance. Steve
Check out the Ardupilot wiki as they have a whole section on Arduboat. I may make a series on boats in the future. Stay tuned!
If you are still working on this, it may be worth looking into a forward/reverse relay for the motor(s). This would allow for two directions and if you have two motors, some steering. You could also wire the motors in series and just have forward/reverse with a rudder. I would think this would be your best option, as using two motors to steer would take a while, especially if it is on solar only
will this pixhawk work for a rover or a boat? Great video!
wow so cool will be watching thanks
Many thanks for another excellent video. Just spent a few weeks building an F450 using a Flysky Fs-i6s Tx with no problems at all, just a small amount of trim on the elevator and it flies perfectly.
Which receiver did you use and if its fsia6b how did you connect it to the pixhawk
Great instructional video. Very detailed and complete. Still relevant in NOV2017 to understanding Pixhawk and its setup.
Any thumbs-down votes are clearly the work of idiots savants, as there is zero reason to give this a thumbs-down. These are among some of the most well-done instructional videos I've come across and I definitely appreciate the time, effort, charts, detailed explanations and history of the APM evolution to PX4 to Pixhawk.
This is must-view video for everyone new to UAS.
+Tex McFaden thanks for taking the time to write that comment, it's always great to hear from those who get something from the videos. Happy flying
It's worth mentioning control directions in radio calibration aileron and rudder are obvious but elevator is reversed to what you think and not same direction as throttle i.e. full forward throttle - green bar goes to top, full forward elevator - green bar should go down
Hello, great video, however we have a problem: we have followed all your steps up to the part were we have to connect the Pixhawk. Unfortunately, once we pressed connect, all of the numbers remained zero, and the map didn't update with our GPS position. We are using the Mac version of the APM planner. Thank you for your attention
+B Team sorry, I don't use Macs here... Best of luck!
Please, could you publish the end of that video in where you wanted to explain how to setup the failsafe ?
Also can be great if you make in that video how to configure a OSD to be viewed on a FPV monitor
Thanks in advance by all
I airing your great videos
Daniel
Please see one of the more modern 'Pixhawk' series on the channel. This series is out of date..
How about battery configuration and arming?
See ardupilot.org/copter/docs/failsafe-battery.html, it is typically meaning that the FC can't see the expected battery voltage via the connection to the power module. Check it's plugged into the right port..
speaking off topic, could you do a frsky antenna tracking project
Thank you for this video
Hi I would like to know where I can buy this exact Pixhawk you are using in the video ,I want to build a quad and a Tri copter ,BTW great videos ,if you could put a link as to where I can purchase it ,Thanks.there seems to be a few different versions out there ? I only want the GPS version like in your video.
+Paul McMahon No idea sorry. This was a donation for the series. Places like Banggood.com and HobbyKing stock them.. Best of luck.
+Paul McMahon Paul, you can get one @ Banggood for £55.92 www.banggood.com/buy/pixhawk-px4.html
I found it on www.parkflyer.ru/101362/product/1562549/ with additional modules ))
+Paul McMahon I wouldn't buy a Pixhawk, they are very flaky and hard to get working. I have 2 of them I've been trying to get working for over a year and a half without any success so far. Sure, all the fanboys say they are so great and have tons of fake videos on UA-cam showing them flying so well but it's all a lie!
I'm looking forward to the next one covering the power options. I don't want to use the power module and when I connect to the servo rail it appears to work fine, but I get a low voltage alarm that I think is a Parameter setting rather than actual low voltage. Anyway, I hope you'll show this option/setup, too, please.
Hugh Dinwiddie That sounds like the alarm for the flight battery. I would disable the alarm in mission planner.. (copter.ardupilot.com/wiki/configuration/failsafe-battery/)
Hope that helps.
Hugh Dinwiddie I am also interested in any video describing exactly what is needed to power the Pixhawk correctly since I was instructed that if I use a 6S battery I was not to use the standard power module, but the 180A Attopilot module and use a BEC to power the servo rail and incorporate a Zener diode correctly. Since I have hacked the DF13 cable to use only the three wires (current, voltage and ground) I now rely on a BEC to power the the Pixhawk via the servo rail, but I have power retracts on my X8R receiver (ch9/10) and I locked up the Pixhawk causing a crash since I have no backup power (redundancy). So, is there a video describing the proper wiring of power backup to the Pixhawk servo rail correctly, possibly using two BECs and how to make sure I have the Zener diode/s wired in correctly? (I have seen the diagrams and wiring a diode in line makes no sense as I think extra voltage should be shunted to ground). The craft is flying well, but I would like to use the retracts (or any servo) obviously without a burnout, or power drop.
This is all covered in the on line docs. The standard PM only supports up to 4s LIPO.
You can power it using the pins on the PM port and a switching UBEC and/or plug another +5v UBEC into the servo pins for redundancy (use a zener diode for overvoltage protection)
This will help you -copter.ardupilot.com/wiki/common-optional-hardware/common-powermodule-landingpage/common-using-a-pixhawk-with-6s-batteries/
Best of luck with it.
Yes, it is all covered in the online docs. I have read and reread all this and more and I just wondered if you would be actually demonstrating the wiring as I have done what they describe and now I'm waiting on China to send me the parts I need to FIX what I have ruined after I followed the instructions. :)
I will not be covering 6s packs on here. I don't fly ^s on anything but a 500class heli.
If I were to use a 6s pack on a PixHawk I would do something very similar to you - UBEC into output pins to power servos and other high current devices (with diode) and also provide secondary power, install another 6s capable UBEC/PDB into the PM port on the Pixhawk.
Sorry I can't add any more - best of luck with it.
Nice Video again.
I watched all (8) Naze32 videos and it really helped me as a beginner in quadcopter. Now i think that the Naze 32 wasn't the best choise for an F450 frame it was easy to set up and cleanflight is great, but it's not easy to make your first flight..(i was in acro mode in the first 5 flights and you really need to be attentive if you don't want to brake anything, at least for a beginner and i don't think that i would be able to take nice pictures or movies with the Naze32 (but i know the Naze32 wasn't made for that any way).
So now I think that I should try the Pixhawk. (It's not cheap but i have every thing else now).
Do you think that it's a good board for a beginner ? And a F450 frame + SportCam ?
And will it work with a 6 channels remote control ?
Once again your videos are great, happy new year all the best for 2016
+Jean-Luc G Happy new year to you too. This video may help - ua-cam.com/video/k4tQAmg2ssA/v-deo.html
Thank you for your answer.
I just designed a 350 frame (laser cutted of MDF) and i will put my Naze32 on it. (When i will have the budget).
And for the f450 frame i may give a try to a cheap APM as they are very affordable right now. As i would like to take some aerial footages.
Thanks again, your videos are very helpful and easy to understand for a French guy like me.
This is such a great video, do u know what website you used to purchase this pixhawk along with the wires?
I can't recall where I got this one from but I now get them from 3DXR...Best of luck
Excellent, excellent video. Quick question if I may ? If I have a frame (TBS Disco Pro) where the Pixhawk can't be mounted exactly at the COG should I wait and do the initial setup and calibrations after installing it in the craft, or is it better do it beforehand like in this vid ? Cheers.
Jaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay I always setup the board to make sure it's ok before installing it. I then re-calibrate the acc and mag with it's all fitted. Happy flying!
That makes sense. Thanks :)
Again a perfect guide , shortly what is the advantage of the pixhawk over the apm...i have an APM , can i use my accessories , GPS+Compas and telemetry if i move to pixhawk?thank you.
APM vs. PixHawk covered at 3:03 in this video. Personally, the cost of the PixHawk with accessories is so low now I'd get a new setup. The GPS units shipped with the older APM are much less sensitive than modern units.. Happy flying!
thanks for your answer, clear now...
Thank you for informative channel has got me out of a bind more than once. Will you be covering the setup and performance of Px4flow in the near future?
Not at the moment, there is a lot of things ahead of it in the queue. I'd also like to wait a little until all of the bugs are ironed out.. Thanks for the idea though..
Great setup video. Quick question, is there a way to setup the pixhawk "without" the use of the GPS module?
See the rest of the series, I cover GPS later on..
Painless360 thank you for the reply it seems I had a typo. I meant to say "use the pixhawk "without" GPS not with GPS. I would like to essentially use the Pixhawk in a GPS denied area. Do you have a video on this subject?
I just ordered one of these. I have the D4R receiver and a taranis. is there any special steps or connections that need to be made to get telemetry data to the taranis? Thank you! BTW I love your videos best quad tutorials on the youtubes!
It's changing all the time - finally the APM/Pixhawk developers have woken up to the huge number of pilots who want it - pixhawk.org/peripherals/telemetry/frsky Best of luck!
Painless360 I orders the telemetry cable today from www.craftandtheoryllc.com/product/pixhawk-to-frsky-telemetry-cable-d4r-ii-receiver/. Also ordered their lua script for the taranis. Should be fun. Thanks again!
No pain man, have you had any experience with the PX4FMU AND any of the top/stack boards?
Not many. See the playlists.... Happy flying
@@Painless360 unable to locate on playlist. Do you remember the search phrase? I'm stuck on mavlink pinout. Thank you for any leads you might have.
P.s. super tutorials!
Thanks "R!" Thanks PL360!!
Hi, my radio does not pick up on the Radio Calibration part of Mission Planner. It seems like it's bound fine to the receiver, since I tested it with a servo motor and it responded fine. However, when receiver is plugged into the Pixhawk (Via RCIN) and radio is turned on, there are no green bars showing up on Mission Planner, despite the receiver showing a steady orange light. Do you think this is a problem with the radio or the Pixhawk itself or something else? I'm only in Highschool and extremely new to drones, and I've been stuck on this for a while. Any response would be awesome.
Radio: OrangeRx Tx6i Mode 1 Int'l Version 6ch 2.4GHz DSM2/DSMX Compatible Radio System
Receiver: OrangeRx R615X DSM2/DSMX Compatible 6Ch 2.4GHz Receiver w/CPPM
Check what protocol you need for the RCIN port. I use SBUS for that here so I would be suggest you need an RX with SBUS too... Best of luck
Thank you for your videos! Setup my first APM with your videos help.Now i move to a PIXHACK and i´ts hard to find info. Are you planning do some videos on this FC?
Nice , would this be on a fixwing or copter?
Aron Gatt It can be on both but it will be added to a quadcopter (the most common model requested by subscribers). There is an APM video series for planes and with this series you will be able to easily figure it out.
yes , i did see the apm series ( which is great) somehow u really have a very neat way to simplify all things which i really like.
thought i ask on fixedwings cos its where im heading now with my builds..... just got a bix3 and im looking for a good flying wing aswell to put a good AP on and the pixhawk is a great platform now 4 sure.
+Painless360 It has been a really nice video. I have a question.If you answer, I am very happy.Should Pixhawka be connected to the GPS to run the connected engines? Good luck
By default, yes. Happy flying!
good nigth , please would you recomend witch one of the videos of 2023 series is? thanks so much in advance, I have discover your channel recently and I see you have to much videos, maybe you know directly what video I need to see.
Arducopter/Pixhawk for beginners Series (2023): ua-cam.com/play/PLYsWjANuAm4rXSCRfiZkpuBmUP0u-lLby.html
Please, can you help? Good morning
Do you know What protocol is using esc T-Motor Air 20A?
Im having a problem because Im building a drone with FC PixHawk 2.4.8 and through Mission Planner I can not make the motor test, I’m doing all exactly as I did other times or you in your videos before to build a drone with PixHawk, but this time is like the esc don’t take the signal from the FC PixHawk.
Please, can you help to me ?
I will be very appreciated
Thanks so much in advance
Can I send to you a video to show you how all is well connected? And the noise that esc do? Is like. It get signal from the fc, also the mission planner to the noise codes as if it’s doing the motor calibration till the end of the process , but the motors doesn’t spin.
Best wishes
Daniel
Ur pixhawk seems to be like a clone version. Did u face any issues during long flights like in stability of gyro, or program incompatibility?
No but these videos were made a long time ago. Modern clones may be of different quality.. Best of luck
@@Painless360 thx.♥️
Hey, awesome work with them videos! So what is the main difference between the dji naza m and the pixhawk?
Lots and lots! :D We don't use any DJI product on the channel so can't do a direct comparison but the headline is open vs. closed system.. Best of luck!
Great viseo, great series but new mission planner is different I´m suposed tonselect 2 compass ( internal + external ) ormjust one and forget the other?
thanks
Have you got a PO box for people to send you items like person did for this video series ?
great sfuff. Just one question does the elavator chanel have to be reversed like on a apm 2.- thanks
dave s All covered in the next video ;)
Hello mr painless 360, I have followed your tutorials for a few years now and I really appreciate how you put them together. I have been using Pixhawk and associated FC's for years and I am tired of carrying my laptop to the feild. I have seen the development of the iOS platforms such as qground control and mav pilot. Is there a way to connect my Pixhawk 2.1 configured on Mission Planner to my iPad and do you have a tutorial on doing that? As usual I really appreciate your help and your time.Michael.
+ANGRYbirdFPV The best way to do that if you use the 3DR radio sets. We've done a few videos showing them but mostly using a PC. There are now android applications that you can use on a tablet, but I've not used any. I think I've seen videos from other UA-camrs have explored it, I might do it as part of the PixHawk2.1 series I will be starting very soon. Best of luck
hi painless, love the videos, totally convinced me now to go down the pixhawk road for my next FC.... Quick question though..thinking about damping for the vibration issue, rather then buying an anti-vibration mount, i was wandering if there is space inside the case to drill some holes in the bottom plate of the case and mount some silicone anti-vibration balls directly to the case itself...... or is the circuit board too close to the inside of the bottom plate.
thanks for the great videos... big fan
+Dave Towner really depends on the case. The anti vibration mounts made for these work great though.. best of luck!
Hello Sir, your videos are very well crafted for beginners like me. I can't thank you enough for all you do. I am newbie to Drone building DIY. I have Pixhawk 2.4.8 and wanted to use it with 4-in-1 ESC along with Raspberry PI 4 or 5. I watched all the videos out there on this scenario and all of them uses individual ESC's for each motors. I came across encoder to use but surely not understand it. I saw some video about connecting Raspberry PI to Pixhawk so I think I am okay there but not connecting 4-in-1 ESC to Pixhawk. Would you be able to suggest how I can get 4-in-1 ESC connected to Pixhawk? Or if you could do a video on it, would be awesome. Thank you so much for all your help in advance sir.
The wiring of the ESCs isn't that different. Each has a signal wire but all use a single common. GND wire.... Best of luck
Thank you. We will try the first fly on saturday. I did the setup including gps block. if I want to fly without, may I remove it and fly or have I to setup again the board without external gpd and compass module? Thanks for your time. Regards Andrea Montani
+Andrea Montani You could try but I would not try and fly a model without everything tested and working. Best of luck.
My Pixhawk Main out Pin 4 is not moving the motor 4(back right - clock-wise), can you please help me on how I can use other available pins like 5,6,7,8, in pixhawk 2.4.8 and assign it channel 4. I am not able to get any document which can help on swapping the pins. It'll be a great help. Also my motor 4 is working when connected to main out pin 1,2,3 of pixhawk. I am using FSi6 TX with FSiA6B RX.
What do you think about Hobby King's version?
+Tim Marcotte We've not tried it but a lot of the clones come from the same places in China now anyway..
I head that mission planner can detect a clone and won't upgrade the device to further firmware versions. This true?
+Tim Marcotte used to be then it was scrapped..
Thanks.
Outstanding
thanks for such great content...thanks to R as well XD
Hi :) Been a way for sometimes, and now that I am back I find your video's just as interesting if not more :), Thank you. How about the functions like Follow me, and other functions which the more advanced quads have these days, Is it able to do these Things too?
Thank you ...
Bisholi M All of the mode detail is available in the PAM series (as mentioned in the description of this video). The modes are the same. Follow me seems like a daft idea to me - I've seen too many multirotors fail and simply drop out of the air to want one directly above me for minutes at a time. ;)
Painless360 :) get it.....:)
Thanks for the great video!
As I'm considering moving from APM 3.1 to Pixhawk I cannot find any info if the peripherals (like GPS antenna, MinimOSD, current sensor etc) from APM will also work with the Pixhawk, or are they a bit different?
Most are identical. Most pixhawk kits come with a gps and 3dr radios now..
Would the 3dr be similar?
have you ever tried the pixhawk that they sale on ebay?
+jay ish we have and been lucky that they have worked..
Thanks for the reply.
is this one on this video from ebay?
I normally post the link of the seller. Problem is that sellers come and go so it's hard to keep track. Places like Banggood seem to stock them too..
following your video I bought a pixhawk and I installed the firmware without problems. My congratulation to you, everything is clear also for a no mather tongue Person. I have only a doubt, where may I found the pixhawk pinout for a tricopter? on mission planner sw, tricopter is on the same row of other copter. Thanks in advance for your help. greetings from Italy. ciao Andrea
+Andrea Montani Erm.... copter.ardupilot.com/wiki/tricopter/ ?
Calibrations will need to be repeated when it is mounted on the quad. Motors and escs will throw them off. The Pixhawk will compensate after the recal.
Chuckles It will - all covered in the second video after mounting to the chassis ;)
Would you recommend this for multi-rotors ?
Depends on what you want to do with the model, if it's a larger model and you want to use it for autonomous flying or filming then it's a great choice. See out flight controller comparison video for more commentary. Best of luck!
Painless360 also so you have to use the gps compass antenna?
Yep, not sure why you'd bother with a PixHawk if you weren't planing on using the GPS - see that video I referenced.. Best of luck!
Your video turned me on :D So my question is, what do I need for mission planner. In terms of hardware? I am buying the pixhawk flight controller, plus a GPS module. Is that all I need? or is there extra hardware? For example, I want to use my computer and plan my quadcopter to fly on its own, while I am just watching FPV and can also track on my computer?
+Henok Hailu all covered in the series - keep watching! ;)
+Painless360 Ok. So finished your series (5 episodes) and oh gosh, you are really good at making videos. So, on the 4th episode, you talked about setting up waypoints and everything. So cool, you can actually do that without any other hardware except for the GPS and a computer to setup up the waypoints at home. Am I right? But the problem is, you can't track your copter and where it is going with your hardware selection, because I think you need a wireless telemetry rx and tx where it is connected to the pixhawk, and one connected to your laptop, and therefore, I ca track down where my copter is going, and speed etc. and am right? Thanks you have helped a lot
+Painless360 and one very last thing. Do I need a PPM encoder, if my receiver already transmits ppm signals? :D
+Henok Hailu look at MAVLINK radios ;)
+Henok Hailu nope
Thanks. The "place it on it's back' is illogical to me. On its back would be front upwards. Or what? So the instruction in MP should be "place front downwards".
Thank you so much for the great information that you are sharing. Personally I have learned so many things from your series on CC3D and MINI APM.
I have one question if you don't mind. Is there any differences between the Pixhawk or APM that comes from 3DROBATICS in comparison to the ones that are sold by chines retailer such as Aliexpress.com?
mohammed alshaibani Lots of differences - the clue is in the price. ;)
They should be functionally the same but the quality and support will be different. The one I am using is not a 3DR model..
Best of luck with the build.
Hi, i'm using a FlySky I6X transmitter/reciever and i'm connecting the reciever to the pixhawk, via RCin and PPM/CH1 on the reciever. the transmitter is bound with the reciever, however i'm not getting any readings on the radio calibration stage. There are no bars, how do i fix this? thanks
Is it possible to use this on a rc boat?
Yep - check out the Wiki. It's a common thing to build now.. Best of luck!