Connecting to Cleanflight

Coyote · January 16, 2017, 08:19:13 PM

I have a strange issue that I noticed today with Cleanflight.

If I power the quad up with the main pack, then try to connect to Cleanflight, it initially says connected, but then drops the connection.

If however I connect with the main pack off it connects just fine.

Very odd, I cant remember it doing that before.

Next issue :

My board when connected shows as a CP2102 USB to UART Bridge which when the correct driver is used works fine when connecting to Cleanflight, when I want to flash the board however it fails every time, including when shorting out the bootloader pins. It seems starnge on all the Youtube videos when installing drivers that they refer to the board appearing in Zadig as a STM32 Bootloader not a CP2001 at all.

BlueFlyer · January 16, 2017, 08:41:05 PM

Same here Ian.

My F3 board is detected by the computer as COM3 when I plug it in, but when I try to connect to cleanflight it says "no communication for 10 seconds".

So I've tried flashing it according to all the tutorials I can find but it just can't communicate with the bootloader.

I've also tried shorting the boot pins, which required me to solder some headers... now I'm afraid they'll not accept the board back as it's been soldered.

Same as you with the Zadig program... all the websites say it should show up as STM32 but mine always appears as 210x USB to UART.

I've opened a case with Gearbest and I think they'll probably just send me a new board, but if the problem is windows fudging up the drivers, I think we're screwed.

I even made a windows 7 virtual machine with VMware and that had the exact same problems.... I'm stuck :(

_tj_ · January 17, 2017, 12:02:15 AM

I have had the same issues has you have.

Only mine was in the beta flight version, probably both actually before beta flight came along.

Have you switched on the manual baud rate in the flasher and changed it accordingly.

Works for me.

BlueFlyer · January 17, 2017, 12:21:43 AM

I'm really hoping it's a problem with the actual board now... I'm on a win7 machine now and it's giving me the same issues.

1. Drivers installed (Yes properly)
2. connect USB to F3 board... PC recognises it and COM3 appears in cleanflight.
3. click "connect"... "serial port SUCCESSFULLY opened"... 10 seconds later "No configuration received within 10 seconds, communication failed"
4. disconnect and bridge the boot pins
5. connect USB to F3 board with pins bridged, PC still recognises it as COM3 and it appears in cleanflight. No DFU option available.

Try to flash... Go to firmware flasher, regardless of whether I leave it as default settings or if I set manual baud to on and at 230400 all I ever get is "contacting bootloader"... a few moments later "No response from bootloader, Programming: failed"

_tj_ · January 17, 2017, 12:48:17 AM

Go to device manager on pc.
Find which USB port it is an click properties.
Now look at baud rate.
Default is usually set to 9600 (don't know why. It's damn annoying lol.)

You need to change it to 56xxx

In Cleanflight
Manual baud rate - change to 56xxx

If you have jumped the boot pins.
Then I think you need to switch the no reset option on to.

But try without the pins jumped first.
An all should be good.

BlueFlyer · January 17, 2017, 01:00:58 AM

Quote from: _tj_ on January 17, 2017, 12:48:17 AM
Go to device manager on pc.
Find which USB port it is an click properties.
Now look at baud rate.
Default is usually set to 9600 (don't know why. It's damn annoying lol.)

You need to change it to 56xxx

In Cleanflight
Manual baud rate - change to 56xxx

If you have jumped the boot pins.
Then I think you need to switch the no reset option on to.

But try without the pins jumped first.
An all should be good.

You really got my hopes up there lol... but no cigar I'm afraid :(

Must be a duff board

_tj_ · January 17, 2017, 01:40:54 AM

One last try at 115000 rate.

Then it's definitely toast.

BlueFlyer · January 17, 2017, 09:30:33 AM

Yeah, I've tried it at all baud rates lol.

mike · January 17, 2017, 08:50:25 PM

have you tried zadig as well?

BlueFlyer · January 17, 2017, 09:15:17 PM

Quote from: mike on January 17, 2017, 08:50:25 PM
have you tried zadig as well?

Yes I've tried Zadig. The problem is that when I open up zadig and list all devices, the device does NOT appear as STM32 BOOTLOADER. It appears as the 210X USB to UART.

And yes, this happens with or without the boot pins bridged.

Coyote · January 17, 2017, 09:25:40 PM

Mine is flashing each time now. None of the flinders active in cleanflight / betaflight. Have you got an. OSD plumbed into yours ?

BlueFlyer · January 18, 2017, 11:37:03 AM

No just the bare board

BlueFlyer · January 18, 2017, 11:54:26 AM

Just had an email from gearbest, they're telling me to power up the board "from the aircraft" when I connect it up.

BlueFlyer · January 18, 2017, 12:39:47 PM

Just soldered wires from the PDB's 5v and GND to one of the ESC outputs + and -

As expected, the board powered up (blue LED) when I plugged in the LiPo, but when I plugged in the USB cable nothing else happened. No magic smoke, the LED stayed lit but I was getting the exact same problems regarding connecting to cleanflight.

I know GB are just tying all avenues before issuing a refund or a new board.... I haven't drafted my response to them yet, but I've got another board coming from banggood EU and if that one works I'll ask GB for a refund instead of a replacement board.

Gundummy · January 18, 2017, 06:43:03 PM

Now that's interesting as my Naze wouldn't take the 5v direct to power the board. I had to faff by soldering the power supply to a 5v pad on the board.. (?)