Problems flashing SimonK (SimonK vs hobbyking firmware)

[Michiel.]

Hi everyone!

First of all: If there is a thread about this already, please tell me! I could find my answer on this forum yet.

So, I finally started building a race quad (not really for racing, but because of the compactness, but maybe eventually, I'd like to race with it).
I now have 4 Hobbyking F20A (standard 20Amp) esc's, they were a lot cheaper than the other esc's build for quads.

I heard these esc's are great when they run SimonK, and not so good when they run the standard firmware. However, I've had sooo many problems flashing them, I'm thinking about trying the quad with the standard firmware, but on the other hand, I'm afraid it will crash because I didn't flash SimonK on them...

So my question is: Will the quad fly with the standard firmware, albeit not that great for racing, or should I definitely wait until I flashed SimonK on the esc's?

Also: Is there anyone who is good with avrdude, and is willing to help me step by step with flashing? Since I dont know anyone myself who is able to help me, and I dont know anything about avrdude, and the tutorials dont cover errors

Thanks in advance guys!

 

[Foam Addict]

Hey Michel,

I'm definitely not an expert, however I did reflash a KK mini recently using command line and arduino, and I might be able to help in some way.

Some photos of your set up and some screen shots of the errors would be awesome in diagnosing the problem.

 

[razor02097]

Hopefully you get an avrdude expert but have you tried the kkmulticopter flash tool? I've used it on my KK boards and afro escs no problems. Here is an article for flashing the F20 ESCs...

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uploads/85207247X754418X46.pdf

Also the download site...

http://lazyzero.de/en/modellbau/kkmulticopterflashtool

 

[Cyberdactyl]

HKs F-20A's need some basic programming. You can get a cheap programming card from HK for like $5 and keep the original firmware. But I would highly recommend you put simonK on them. I've now used around 20. Yet to have one fail or hear of one failing for the quads I built for others.

However, I have moved on from using them, in that they are now getting long in the tooth. They are a bit heavy and require that hefty heat sink, compared to what is offered now with simonK already flashed, for about half the weight, for about $4 more. But, for $8, they are still an 'ok' deal for good performance. The issue with flashing them is you'll need a flashing tool and connector, which is reasonably priced. But the connector is extremely over priced. I built one basically for free out of some scrap wire, instamorph and connector pins.

 

[Michiel.]

Hi everyone! Sorry for the late reply, but it have been busy days lately...

@razor, I tried several flashing tools, I believe KK flash tool was one of them, and I got closer to any result with avrdude than anything else, so thats why I asked about avrdude

@cyberdactyl, I know, I shouldnt have been so cheap and just shouldve bought afro esc's for example... that also explains why I have to put the esc's on the bottom, they're too bulky to fit in between the motors and frame...

also something I forgot to mention: Im using an arduino as an ISP

@foam addict, and also the others: Im going to focus on the connection between the esc and programmer now, since the connection wasn't that good, I used solid copper wire, which always came off because of the stiffness... I ordered multistrand, supple wire to solder on the esc's now, and hopefully, the connection will be waaaay better...

Ill keep you guys updated when I have the supple wire soldered on!

 

[Michiel.]

So, I finally found good wire to solder on the esc pads... You really cant find any decent and cheap hookup wire in the neighbourhood of belgium...

I connected the wires to the pads, and connected the other ends to my attiny programmer shield:



So, going from mid to side of the ESC pads:
MISO to arduino pin 11
MOSI to arduino pin 12
SCK to arduino pin 13
Vin to arduino 5V
Ground to arduino ground
Reset to arduino pin 10
10uF cap between arduino reset and ground

I tried the KKMulticopter flash tool, which gave me this error:



Then I tried the ESC Flash tool, which gave me this error:



Trying it with CMD just gives me the error that avrdude.exe isn't a 32-bit program...

Anybody willing to help? Im desperate

 

[jhitesma]

I've yet to have success using an arduino as a AVR programmer...it shouldn't be that hard...but at least with the mega boards I have on hand I've yet to actually pull it off It should be easier with an UNO like you have there. Even so with USB-ASP sticks being <$10 delivered I ended up just picking one up - I've found it super handy to have on hand for flashing all kinds of things (and with blheli it works well for re-programming ESC's through the signal wires as well with a simple adapter.)

Sorry I can't be more help with the arduino...but I'd be guessing that's the most likely issue. Either that or a wire is wrong. You may want to try an arduino forum for help with getting the arduino working as an ISP.

You may also consider looking at blheli. The blhelisuite package is complex but offers a LOT of different ways to flash including more instructions on setting up an arudino as ISP.

You can fly on the F20's stock firmware, you may have to do some stick programming to disable any low voltage cut-out but other than that they should work. It just won't be optimal. Though once you experience simonK or blheli you won't go back to stock.

Oh - one tip on hookup wires. I like to use old IDE drive cables from old computers. I have piles of them laying around so they're free and they work well for making flashing harnesses and soldering to small pads!

 

[Michiel.]

Thanks for your reply!

Ill try an arduino forum also, I didnt think of that yet
And I had a quick look at the BLheli package, it looks great with all the explanations!
About the hookup wires, thanks for the tip, but I only have laptops at my disposal Ill ask around for computer cables

 

[Michiel.]

Im trying BLHeli now, it looks great, and seemed to work once, now it says the device signature is wrong thats what the other programs also said...

 

[jhitesma]

That definitely sounds like an iffy connection somewhere then. Might want to try different hookup wires or just re-soldering them all to make sure you've got good connections. If it worked once but then gives device signature errors that almost always means bad connection - at least in my experience that's been the case.

 

[Cyberdactyl]

Yea, the USBasp from HK is $4 if it rides with other stuff. That's definitely worth the grief and time it appears you're going through. I just used press pins since you'll do it once.

 

[Michiel.]

Well, now I noticed that the wrong baud rate was selected to talk to the arduino itself. Connecting the esc shortcircuits the arduino, but when I tested all the connections with my multimeter, there was no short

 

[Michiel.]

So, I found out that my isp shield was causing problems (a 10uF cap between reset and ground).

Now, when I try to upload the firmware, I get an error message when I use the shield, which has just the normal connections, and a 10uF cap between ground and arduino reset. The error then just reads: unsupported device 0xFFFFFF.

When I connect the wires directly to the arduino (like in the arduino ISP sketch), the following error appears:

Soo... Anybody?

I also connected the ESC to the LiPo instead of the arduino, as it seems that the esc was drawing too much amps trough my arduino when connected to 5V...

 

[Michiel.]

So, now I found out that only connecting my esc to the lipo gives enough voltage for the esc to work. The initialization works now, but the communication still fails due to incorrect signature...

 

[Foam Addict]

That's really odd. If you can bear waiting, I can go try to flash an F20a with simonk, but I've never actually done that before. I'll try to figure it out for you. It might take me a day or two to figure it out though.

A simpler set up might be the way to go, I've just been connecting the arduino directly to the ISP or pads; no caps, no leds. I know that's not recommended, but I've refreshed my kk mini twice now, as well as my 9x with no problems except those induced by my own ineptitude at command line.

 

[Michiel.]

That's really odd. If you can bear waiting, I can go try to flash an F20a with simonk, but I've never actually done that before. I'll try to figure it out for you. It might take me a day or two to figure it out though.

A simpler set up might be the way to go, I've just been connecting the arduino directly to the ISP or pads; no caps, no leds. I know that's not recommended, but I've refreshed my kk mini twice now, as well as my 9x with no problems except those induced by my own ineptitude at command line.

That would be highly appreciated
Im now also trying to connect the leads directly to the arduino, and putting a cap between arduino reset and ground, but still... It does initialize tho...

 

[Michiel.]

That's really odd. If you can bear waiting, I can go try to flash an F20a with simonk, but I've never actually done that before. I'll try to figure it out for you. It might take me a day or two to figure it out though. :

Any chance you figured it out yet? :/ Im about to buy new esc's, I dont know how to solve this ...

 

[Cyberdactyl]

Get a USBasp tool. It works great.

 

[Michiel.]

Get a USBasp tool. It works great.

By this time, I can say the connection is not the problem The arduino works fine as an ISP. The fuse settings in the ATMega8 seem to be the problem...

 

[Foam Addict]

I haven't yet, I did some work on it, but unfortunately I leave for college Wednesday, so I doubt I'll be able to get it by then. I'll try though!