Flash with BlHeli Firmware

[rsmith21]

I';m planning to flash my Turnigy Plush 18A Escs that have SiLabs chips with BlHeli firmware.

I';ve ordered the Toolstick , servo leads to solder to the pads for future access, and downloaded the flashing software and Hex.

Has anyone here experience doing this and do you have tips to avoid failure.

the reason I';m doing it is because even though I have the gains way down compared to virtually every other NAZA user I know, my quad still gives the occasional jitter when thrown about a bit quick.

I';m concerned that it may crash, I fly in a shared public space that is very often deserted in the evening when I fly, but it would just be my luck to crown the only solitary golfer in 3 square miles of park.

If you want info about this have a read here, another great site. http://oddcopter.com/2012/07/18/flashing-silabs-escs-with-blheli-firmware/

EDIT: is there now a SimonK hex for SiLabs chips, I never found one but wondered.

[nub]

i flashed my DJI OPTo';s with BlHeli firmware, i followed that guide and all went well, its pretty straight forward.

i did plan to make a wee tool but i just ended up soldering everything.

[rsmith21]

Nice tae ken Nub, if yer flashin ony mair ah';l hae the tool :)

[nub]

cheers but i';ve got a tool tae

[teslahed]

I';ve flashed a bunch of turnigy plush 12 amp ESCs with the BLHeli firmware for my Teslaquad and Hexacopter designs.

I find it works slightly better than simonk after you';ve got the right settings but there are more programable settings which you need to look at first to get the best out of it.

I recommend simonK over BLHeli for new fliers because SimonK works so well and there is very little to go wrong (unlike BLHeli).

With BLHeli you can manually adjust the end points, reverse the motor direction and adjust motor timings and more using the flash tool and the software, after you';ve flashed the firmware on your ESCs.

I made my own flash tool using an arduino and the software and advice on this website;

http://www.olliw.eu/2012/owsilprog/

I can still use the multiwii auto-calibration routine to calibrate my BLHeli Silabs based ESCs like i did with my old SimonK ones which seems to give me the best results.

[rsmith21]

Lots to read there Teslahead :).  is there a SimonK hex for the SiLabs chip. There is a BLHeli for Multi rotor so I assumed  it be a one size fits all.

I';ll get reading right after the Tennis :)

[nub]

you';ll get the multi hex file for your ESC here https://github.com/bitdump/BLHeli/tree/master/SiLabs/Hex%20files

i never bothered messing with anything just a straight flash and calibration.

[rsmith21]

Lots to read there Teslahead :).  is there a SimonK hex for the SiLabs chip. There is a BLHeli for Multi rotor so I assumed  it be a one size fits all.

I';ll get reading right after the Tennis :)

I see what you mean about the options, but that';s when using BLHeli WinGUI. If you go to the site http://oddcopter.com/2012/07/18/flashing-silabs-escs-with-blheli-firmware/
and read the instructions when using the toolstick method its much simpler with no parameter options. I assume the Multi Rotor hex is usable in its supplied form.

I have a spare ESC that I';m going to test first so hopefully I should be ok, I';m continuing to read up on it but so far it sounds fairly easy.

[rsmith21]

I';ve asked this before, but no one seams to answer the question I ask, is it my wording ?

Here is the instruction given on the BLHeli page, ok I understand that no changes are required to the config, but its obvious that on first power up the newly flashed ESC has to be calibrated to the throttle.

This is for use on a quad, and I';m using the Turnigy 18A rev 10.4 Multi firmware.

Where should the throttle be at the various stages in this routine.
I asked this on the BLHeli site but no reply

Throttle Range Calibration

1.Turn on the TX and bring throttle up to max. ( ok with this )

2.Power up the ESC (make sure it is connected to the throttle channel). (ok with this )

3.It will give the normal start-up beeps and then do a higher beep for 3 seconds (measuring high throttle). ( Ok with this )

4.it will do a low to high beep sequence three times and then do quick beep beep pairs for 3 seconds while measuring minimum throttle). ( Now should I have moved the stick to low throttle )

5.Finally, it will do three high to low sequences; here you can lower the throttle to prevent going into programming mode. ( so, if I have to move it now, when did I put it back up )

Done!

Simple questions, but I don';t think any one uses this method because I have a problem getting a strait answer to it.

Sorry if I sound frustrated, I am a little but more with my own lack of understanding than anything else.

[rsmith21]

Bump,   Anyone ?

[teslahed]

Unfortunately i can';t help you from direct experience. I thought it looked far too complicated so i hooked my ESCs up to a multiwiii board and used the auto-calibration routine in the multiwii firmware.

Multiwii throttle calibration works perfectly with BLHeli ESCs.

[nub]

hmmm from what i remember u lower the throttle at the end of step 3 after the high throttle signal bleeps, it should give another couple of bleeps once you';ve lowered it and its done, power down do the next one.

there was a video some where showing it being done that i had watched but i can';t find it.

[rsmith21]

I';ve read a few descriptions and watched a few videos now, combining the information I';ve annotated this description, but other than trying out after the grandkids have gone I have no other source of information. Does this look like the correct sequence .

[nub]

pretty sure i don';t remember waiting for all those bleeps before dropping the throttle, you';ve got me thinking that i ain';t done mine right now even though it seems to fly okies apart from a very twitchy mid throttle.

[Biffa]

Setting the throttle is a major headache

[rsmith21]

Well mine are working as smooth as, just back after flattening 3 batteries and what a difference, no wobbles, no screaming, she sounds great as she goes over head.