What's the best FC board best for a T-Copter build

[mrstamp80]

OK, so I am not to much of a noob to MR, however this will be my first T-Copter. Now the back story, I have previously built a knuckle H quad with a KK 2.1.5, was flying it FPV and crashed in the woods, and destroyed the lcd screen. So with that said, I am NOT looking to use the KK board.

So since that was destroyed, I decided I am going to build a T copter. I like the way they look, and always wanted to try fying a tri copter. I will be scratch building the frame. I will be salvaging most of the parts from my old H quad.

I want to go with a different fc and I know nothing about fc's it's time to learn. So here is what I have been looking at and I do not know the differences, and if someone could help it would be much appreciated. Also having auto level would be nice for some fpv uses. Mostly will fly without it though.

1) http://www.valuehobby.com/multicopters/control-boards/mwc-3-controller.html

2) http://www.valuehobby.com/multicopters/control-boards/naze-6dof.html

3) http://www.valuehobby.com/multicopters/control-boards/naza-10dof.html

I assume i need this cable to program it with my computer. http://www.valuehobby.com/multicopters/control-boards/multiwii-usb-programmer.html

If there is something better than these, please let me know. Thanks.

 

[jhitesma]

If all you want is acro with a level mode then any of those 3 will work just fine. Though the Naze32 will be simpler to setup and get going than the MW as it doesn't require an FTDI adapter and it doesn't require reflashing to change low level setup options plus it's config program is much more user friendly.

I wouldn't spend the extra for the "10DO" Naze as that only adds baro and mag which are of limited utility. Baro will let you do altitude hold...but the firmware really doesn't take good advantage of it and it's not a very good altitude hold. Mag allows you to do some things like heading lock (which isn't really needed on a multi) and headfree (where orientation of the aircraft doesn't affect control - so forward on the stick is always away from you even if the vehicle is facing you...which is supposed to be easier for beginners but I found horribly confusing.) Baro and Mag are also required for GPS assisted modes...but again the firmware really doesn't do that very well.

Out of those three I would go with the Naze "6DOF" your second option - though the one they're selling on VH doesn't look like a real Naze board so you could run into some issues getting help with setup and figuring out the wiring.

 

[Craftydan]

Wow! Value is carying Naze boards now . . .

Clones, sure, but it's bizzare to see a kk5.5 and i86 board right next to a Naze clone in the catalog . . . it's just like shopping at HK.

Totally agree with jhitesma -- the basic Naze clone is the better choice.

Found a pinout for it off of banggood:



looks like a fair option, but at $25, you can buy the real thing.

 

[mrstamp80]

Alright these are the answers i was looking for, I didn't even know this was a "clone". If i go with a the "6dof" clone. I will need any type of adapter to plug into the computer to program it or not?

If i go with the actual naze32 that crafty dan posted, do i need to solder the pins for everything on? Also do i need a cable? Looks like the "6dof" has the pins already on like the KK board.

When i crash the crap out of it,(it's gonna happen) I am trying to keep the cost and simplicity down.

 

[RichB]

I will need any type of adapter to plug into the computer to program it or not?

Just a standard microusb cable (the same one used for most all cell phones nowadays)

If i go with the actual naze32 that crafty dan posted, do i need to solder the pins for everything on?

If you prefer. you can also cut the wires and solder them directly to the board.

 

[mrstamp80]

Thanks everyone for the quick answers, I will keep you all posted on my build.

 

[joshuabardwell]

Mag allows you to do some things like heading lock (which isn't really needed on a multi) and headfree (where orientation of the aircraft doesn't affect control - so forward on the stick is always away from you even if the vehicle is facing you...which is supposed to be easier for beginners but I found horribly confusing.) Baro and Mag are also required for GPS assisted modes...but again the firmware really doesn't do that very well.

I have MW Flip, which is a cousin to the Naze Acro, and agree that baro and mag are a waste of time. Altitude hold is useless unless to tune the heck out of the PIDs, and then it goes from useless to just-barely-not-useless. I suppose alt hold would be useful if I was flying at 1000 feet, where visual reference wasn't sufficient to hold altitude, and where the 1-to-2-meter precision would be pretty darn good. For proximity flying, 2-meter precision is terrible.

I found that mag wasn't terribly useful either, especially because the compass was affected by nearby power lines and such. I'd be flying in heading-free mode and suddenly the copter would reorient ten degrees. I think that baro and mag are primarily useful as adjuncts to a GPS-based flight mode, but baro and mag by themselves are not too useful--at least on the MW and Naze code.

 

[mrstamp80]

What about this?

http://www.altitudehobbies.com/flight-controller/afroflight-naze32-acro-abusemark-funfly-controller

thanks.

 

[jhitesma]

That would be the official version of the "6dof" version.

 

[mrstamp80]

Just a update I decided to go with the one from altitude hobbies, "the genuine" Naze32. I figured i would run into less bumps down the road with programing and such.. Thanks for everyone's input. I will keep you all updated with my t-copter build.

 

[mrstamp80]

Got my Naze32, d/l baseflight, got all my pins soldered on the board. I opened baseflight, connected the naze32 board only, via mini usb, got a bright blue light on the fcb, but doesn't connect. Am i missing something? It says

15:41:10 -- Running - OS: Windows, Chrome: 39.0.2171.95, Configurator: 0.57.2
15:41:29 -- Serial port successfully opened with ID: 5
15:41:39 -- No configuration received within 10 seconds, communication failed
15:41:39 -- Serial port successfully closed

the whole time the blue light on the fcb stays on. thanks for any help.

 

[makattack]

Did you flash the baseflight software onto the board yet?

 

[mrstamp80]

It won't let me. It keeps closing my serial port.

Unless i am doing something wrong.

 

[makattack]

With baseflight, to flash, you don't click on the "connect" button; you click on "firmware flasher" which is sort of the middle / right of the window (under the changelog) -- select eeprom erase, and the latest stable version (2014.12.05)

Hope that helps!

 

[mrstamp80]

When i go to open base flight, and click on the right side firmware flasher. I go to loadfirmware online. I brings a box up in the middle of the screen which i assume is the latest firmware. I click flash firmware, and it gives me this message at the top

16:06:22 -- Failed to open serial port

 

[cranialrectosis]

I did a bit of digging and came up with this:
http://fpvlab.com/forums/showthread...-controller-CC3D-compatible-FC-for-25/page221

It seems his error (on mac OSX) was caused by old drivers.

In the middle of his post is this link with the Silabs drivers:
http://www.silabs.com/products/mcu/pages/usbtouartbridgevcpdrivers.aspx

I am no jhitesma so I can't say for sure that these are the right drivers, but hopefully, these are and will work for you.

Before you turn on Baseflight, does your PC recognize the Naze32 and connect to it? If not, reboot and re-try.

 

[mrstamp80]

I guess my problem is i am missing a driver. I didn't d/l any drivers just the chrome baseflight. I have a pc and running win8. Where and what drivers do i need? thanks.

 

[mrstamp80]

I d/l the driver, I don't think base flight is even recognizing the board anymore not sure.. here is a quick video, if it helps thanks everyone.

 

[cranialrectosis]

I have always connected on COM3.

 

[mrstamp80]

It doesn't give me a option to change it from com1. You click on com1 and it only shows com1. I am so frustrated right now.