Flashing a MultiStar 15A

[RSteel517]

Has anyone actually done it?


I just read through the post about how these ESCs arent so good for multi's but being new to all this, I bought all the parts that FlitTest recommended for the knuckle h quad... So far the motors have had to be modified (pushed the shaft thru) and now im trying to get the ESCs flashed.


I have the USBASP, I have the socket tool, Ive watched the tuturials, but I keep on getting the same error when using KKflashtool

Error:

Flash the firmware from repository.

C:\Users\Robert Steel\Documents\Multi Copter\lib\avrdude\windows\avrdude.exe -C C:\Users\Robert Steel\Documents\Multi Copter\lib\avrdude\windows\avrdude.conf -p m8 -P usb -c usbasp-clone -e -U lfuse:r:C:\Users\Robert Steel\Documents\Multi Copter\tmp\/lfuse.hex:r -U hfuse:r:C:\Users\Robert Steel\Documents\Multi Copter\tmp\/hfuse.hex:r
avrdude.exe: error: could not find USB device with vid=0x16c0 pid=0x5dc

avrdude.exe done. Thank you.

Error during reading of high fuse.
Flashing of firmware aborted.





Any idea what I am doing wrong? Id like to flash these things and fly the quad a few times before I upgrade the motors and ESCs....

 

[jhitesma]

The error is:

error: could not find USB device with vid=0x16c0 pid=0x5dc

Which is basically saying it's not finding your USBASP. Can you post a photo of your USBASP and details about were you got it? Have you used it to flash anything else before?

I have a "USBASP" that I bought off ebay and while it has all the right hardware to be a USBASP it's flashed with some funky proprietary code that doesn't work with anything except a special programmer program provided by the ebay seller which set off all kinds of anti-virus warnings when I tried to take a look at it. I keep meaning to reflash that one with real USBASP firmware but it seems they may have set some protection fuses as I haven't had any luck yet.

If you've used your USBASP before then I'd double check that you have the right programmer selected in the KKflash tool. I see "-c usbasp-clone" in your command line there so it looks like you're setting it as a USBASP Clone I don't have the kk tool handy to double check what the available options are but that may be something to check.

If it's an ebay usbasp and you've never used it before...well...it may be a funky one like I got.

The multistars will work and fly a quad. They just aren't really optimized for quads as the name would indicate. If you're waiting to fly I'd say go ahead and fly with them stock while you work on figuring out the flashing situation.

 

[jhitesma]

It could also be a driver issue:

http://www.avrfreaks.net/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=printview&t=108379&start=0

 

[RSteel517]

Ill check the driver, but I thought I installed it.

I got the socket tool from hobby king:
https://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=46316

and the USB programmer from Amazon...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0051SRZWC/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


It could be the USB part...

 

[Cyberdactyl]

I have two of the USBasp tools. I have hit and miss luck on my XP box. Yet both consistently work on my W7 laptop, but ONLY on two of the 4 USB ports.

 

[jhitesma]

It's interesting to note that that amazon seller shows two physically different boards in their two photos. The description is a little fishy to me as well and some of the Q&A down below seem to indicate people seeing compatibility issues with this board and the talk of "Mail-in for ASP-64 Driver and ISP Driver"

What OS and and where did you get your drivers?

 

[Cyberdactyl]

My XP is a SP2 boot-leg. My Win7 is OEM and up to date.

I got my USBasp's from HK about 2 years ago and the drivers from the Lazyzero wiki page .

 

[jhitesma]

My XP is a SP2 boot-leg. My Win7 is OEM and up to date.

I got my USBasp's from HK about 2 years ago and the drivers from the Lazyzero wiki page .

I was actually asking RSteel517 since he's the one having no luck right now

Can't help much with XP, I never bothered with it. I do have a Win7 machine and a Vista machine and have had no issues with a normal USBASP and the libusb drivers on either of those.

 

[RSteel517]

I used the link on Lazyzero and am running windows 7.

after reading the comments on that page, ill double check my drivers and try again.

 

[RSteel517]

Ok. Now Im lost.

I am not the most tech savvy, but I can follow instructions.

I turned off the digital signature check thru windows to allow me to install the drivers (still not sure if they installed correctly or if I was not doing it right).

Tried again and still nothing.

Im about ready to give up on flashing these things...

Any suggestions? Im open to anything.

 

[jhitesma]

With the usbasp plugged in do you see it in your device manager? If so does it have an error symbol or does it look correct?

I'm still suspecting your usbasp may not be an actual usbasp based on the things in that amazon listing that "just don't sound right" and the way they show two physically different boards in their two photos.