XAircraft Uneven Power output

[ghaynes]

This is probably a simple one. I just put the SuperX on a 6S octo. Flight is great. But unlike my 4S setup where the motor percentage on the report was pretty even I am seeing the following. (Motor numbers are offset by a column)

Voltage	M1	M2	M3	M4	M5	M6	M7	M8
Max.	24.50V	70%	79%	73%	81%	67%	80%	74%	79%
Min	21.80V	11%	18%	11%	16%	11%	18%	11%	19%
Avg.	22.55V	57%	69%	58%	68%	56%	67%	55%	67%

So the Even are all consistent and the odds are all consistent but the odds are pulling more percentage. All the motors were checked for vertical alignment, props are all balanced. Doesn't seem to matter what weight I am at. The flight above was at 10.5Kg. Earlier flight this morning at 6.2Kg had these results.


Voltage M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 M6 M7 M8
Max. 24.80V 41% 48% 34% 47% 40% 53% 45% 54%
Min 23.10V 11% 16% 11% 14% 11% 11% 11% 11%
Avg. 23.74V 26% 37% 22% 38% 29% 44% 33% 43%

Thoughts, suggestions? Here's the blackbox file link http://log.xaircraft.com/#2013_12_27_153137.600_8.2.07.15

 

[Electro 2]

Thoughts, suggestions?

Inconsistancies in cw/ccw version prop manufacture will yield differences of this magnitude. Try a different brand.

 

[ghaynes]

Same props (Xoar 15x5) on 4s with only 1-2 percent different. Black box manual mentions this pattern as motor alignment so I'll check them again tomorrow.

 

[Tommy Luhr]

Anything new on this motor issue? I got the same on my hexa with superx. Al clockwise engines run 20% higer in power. But my heli seams to work fine. I have tried t-motors v2 props but no difference. I got a f550 clone. Want this issue to be solved.. /Tommy

 

[X650Mouse]

Try to isolate the problem! switch the motor numbers at the IO in other words plug M1 servo into say M4 and visa versa, then run static on the bench without props, the moment you start the motors a log will be written, run for say a minuted then do a black box and see the results. If same figures them that is motor or esc problem if not then IO may be at fault, if you get to do the props...... well you'll figure it out

Providing you are very careful you can bench test with props but keep it under 50% throttle and tie it down!

David

 

[Tommy Luhr]

I Will try to make some test tomorrow. When you say "IO" you mean "inputs/outputs"? I'm from Sweden and got some problems with abbreviations. But i will Sort It out by time

 

[X650Mouse]

I Will try to make some test tomorrow. When you say "IO" you mean "inputs/outputs"? I'm from Sweden and got some problems with abbreviations. But i will Sort It out by time

I mean the big silver Super X box that has the word IO on the top and where you plug in the connections to your esc and marked M1 to M8!

David

 

[Carapau]

This is without doubt a motor alignment issue. Even if they are all lined up perfectly with each other, by being off from vertical by as much as .3 of a degree can cause this. In short during your flight, the aircraft is having to put in a constant yaw correction to counteract a slightly off vertical alignment with the motors. That's all there is too it. I was using a digital pitch gauge to align my motors and thought I had it bang on (the thing is accurate to 0.1 of a deg) and I had data exactly as you have it. By moving all my motors by .3 of a degree all my motors are now spinning at the same speeds.

 

[Av8Chuck]

How do you do the black box thing?

 

[Tommy Luhr]

Av8chuck: www.xaircraft.com and go to blackbox. There you can upload the "log" file from your superx when plug it in. After that you got a button in upper right corner that make your logs to a graph.
Back to my problem. But it is not a problem anymore. It's solved. I measure every engine and the line up was very badly at this Storm drone 6 (f550 clone).
I make a little job on my propps (sharpen the edge and balance them again), then i line up the engines on these crappy arms.
Took a litle time but WOW what a difference!! Had to turn up all my gains on my radio and the copter wants more (i was using 1,1). It is a complete different heli than before. Thank you for the good suport!
Ghaynes: you should really check the alignment of your engines.

 

[Av8Chuck]

Thanks for the info Tommy. Glad you fixed your problem.

 

[Av8Chuck]

Just curious, do you guys take off your props when downloading the log files from the SuperX?

Also, although the SuperX software doesn't run on a Mac, I used my Mac to download the 1.8 firmware and then my PC to actually do the upgrade. Is is possible to download the log file from SuperX with a Mac?

The reason for my question is that I have a MacBook Pro [Laptop] that I could connect outside. I really don't want to take the props off every time I download a log file and I really don't like leaving props on when the quad is powered up and plugged into a PC.

Thanks

 

[X650Mouse]

Just curious, do you guys take off your props when downloading the log files from the SuperX?

Also, although the SuperX software doesn't run on a Mac, I used my Mac to download the 1.8 firmware and then my PC to actually do the upgrade. Is is possible to download the log file from SuperX with a Mac?

The reason for my question is that I have a MacBook Pro [Laptop] that I could connect outside. I really don't want to take the props off every time I download a log file and I really don't like leaving props on when the quad is powered up and plugged into a PC.

Thanks

I believe at this time the software is only windows compatible, you could download it with a Mac i suppose although don't know but it would not run and I don't think the superx.exe would run either, I have read of mac users running a windows emulator but know nothing about that, join the rest of the world and run windows :highly_amused:

No you don't have to remove the props, once the usb cable is plugged in the software prevents motors from operating.

David

 

[ghaynes]

Leaving the props on is a safety issue. What I have started doing is unplugging the 'battery' feed to the IO and plugging in a 4-AA cell pack so all I have is power to the IO. Seems to work ok but introduces the issue of repeated plugging and unplugging to the IO. Not a good solution. Yes the motors aren't supposed to start until they controller sees the proper sequence of stick movements. But.... Other option is get something like the Hitachi DB 3DL2 Driver Drill. 3-5 minute process off and on with the prop nuts.

 

[Av8Chuck]

Yeah, I really don't like leaving the props on when there's power to the motors, especially when its connected to the PC.

They're easy enough to remove but I hate messing with them once I have everything balanced so well. An easy solution, well from my perspective, is that the SuperX powers up when connected to the USB and you don't need to plugin the battery for the motors.

XAircraft might want to consider that for the future.

 

[Electro 2]

An easy solution, well from my perspective, is that the SuperX powers up when connected to the USB and you don't need to plug in the battery for the motors.

XAircraft might want to consider that for the future.

Unfortunately, this is a flawed concept. The current from a true USB compliant port is limited to 500 mA (at 5V). This is enough to power the EFC and it's associated components. The power for the EFCs, OSD, and any other other periphal device on the FC's power bus would also attempt to run on this power source. It's certainly not enough for this task. I posted a number of possible solutions for bench service power in the other forum.

 

[Av8Chuck]

I don't know what the USB specs are nor do I know what EFC's are, all I know is that it worked that way for my CC, NAZA and my AlexMos controller. I also don't have an OSD but I doubt its required to download the Log Files or upgrade the firmware.

I don't think this is an unreasonable request, nor do I think its unreasonable to have to remove the props, but others have figured out how to accomplish this I'd have to believe that XAircraft are smart enough if motivated.