No Pixhawk recognition

Hello,

I’m writing to you because I’ve had a curious problem for a while that I can’t get out of.

Let me describe the situation:
When I connect the pixhawk in usb to the pc, I can flash the firmware, and then this one is recognized in QGC. When I connect it to the raspberry, this one is not recognized any more in QGC.
Qgc didn’t recognize the drone.
However, I have access to Blueos on the raspberry via 192.168.2.2, and I can see the pixhawk 1 controller via blueos, with the possibility of rebooting or flashing the firmware.
I’ve been trying to figure it out for several days now, but I can’t think of anything.
I changed the pixhawk and I have the same thing, I’m going to get another raspberry to try to change it.

Does anyone have any other ideas?

1 Like

Hi @Alex_TryTT -
Welcome to the forums!
Do you use the same USB cable when connecting to the computer/QGC as when connecting to the Raspberry Pi? If not, it could be an issue with the cable in the vehicle!

It is normal to be able to access BlueOS, even if the Pixhawk is dead - however if it is showing information on the firmware version under the Autopilot Firmware menu, that is a good sign! If it isn’t the pixhawk or Pi may be damaged.

What version of BlueOS are you using? Can you share system logs, downloaded from the gear icon in the lower left?

Hi @tony-white thank’s !

Do you use the same USB cable when connecting to the computer/QGC as when connecting to the Raspberry Pi? If not, it could be an issue with the cable in the vehicle!

Yes, I’m using the same cable.

It is normal to be able to access BlueOS, even if the Pixhawk is dead - however if it is showing information on the firmware version under the Autopilot Firmware menu, that is a good sign! If it isn’t the pixhawk or Pi may be damaged.

Another strange thing is that I’m losing the voltage and current indication.
I no longer have the indication in blueos.
I tried to change pixhawk, for the first 5 minutes with the new one I had it, then I lost it …

What version of BlueOS are you using? Can you share system logs, downloaded from the gear icon in the lower left?

I’m using the 1.3.1 , but with others versions it’s the same, I’m probing with 1.2.6 and 1.0.1.

Systems logs : Proton Drive

Hi @Alex_TryTT -
The logs you shared seem to indicate the Pixhawk is only occasionally detected, and does not communicate as expected. It may be damaged! The voltage and current indication comes from telemetry from the pixhawk, so if it is present things are working. If it’s coming in and out, a bad usb cable connection could also explain it, since a new pixhawk worked only for awhile? Trying different cables and USB ports may solve things!

Older versions of BlueOS are not going to help - but the latest beta might! Please avoid earlier versions.

Thanks @tony-white

What I mean is that I tried to change the Pixhawk and I got telemetry feedback for a few minutes and then nothing.
Do you have any idea what could damage the Pixhawk like that?
Because I’d like to correct this problem before trying a new pixhawk.

The usb port I’m using is the pixhawk’s Jst port on a raspberry’s usb socket.
I’ve measured the output of the power module, but the amperage and voltage readings seemly are correct.

It’s strange that it’s well detected when I plug it into the PC, which is why I think the raspberry is at fault.

Hi @Alex_TryTT -
BlueOS expects to connect to the Pixhawk via USB port - if you are connecting a serial port on the Pixhawk directly with the USB, this will not work…

The new pixhawk working initially and then no longer communicating suggests to me the cable may have wiggled to a position where it stopped providing connectivity. Did the lights change behavior on the Pixhawk when telemetry was lost?

If you navigate to the Terminal in BlueOS, take the red-pill, and run

ls /dev/tty*

Before and after plugging in the pixhawk, you should see a ACM0 serial device appear. You can also type

dmesg

and review the last entries after plugging the unit in to see if the OS is detecting the device correctly.

Hi @tony-white ,

Sure Blueos expects to connect via usb ports, I’m speaking about a USB - DF13 Cable, to connect in the df13 usb port in top of the pixhawk.

I’ve don’t see any change of color light on the pixhawk, now, there are no change, the telemetry is always lost, I can’t see anything.

With the ls /dev/tty* , when I’m connecting the Pixhawk, I have a ACM0 device.
and with dmseg:

Hi @Alex_TryTT -
The pixhawk does not have a “df13 USB port” as far as know? What model are you referring to?
Flashing the pixhawk via QGC and a USB connection to computer may let BlueOS recognize it. The standard method to connect is from the micro-USB connector on the Pixhawk to the Raspberry Pi.

Hi @tony-white

I’m referring to this port, on left of ADC3.3V :

@tony-white
And I’ve buy a new raspberry and sd card, and a have the same issue.

Hi @tony-white
In the end, I tried and tried again, with a new raspberry, a new pixhawk, a new power module, a new sd, and add a usb-c power supply directly to raspberry.

As soon as I had a system that worked, I switched one by one with the old components, starting by running on the new sd and old raspberry, then I tested the old power module, then I tested the old pixhawk.

what’s strange is that when I do this, everything works again, and I have telemetry feedback in blueos 1.3.1.
The only problem I have is with the old pixhawk, the telemetry is frozen and doesn’t work.
I don’t know how to identify the source of the problem, but I have been able to identify that I have a bootloader problem.

I QGC, in vehicucle firmware page, Ihave :
Version: 5
Board ID: 9
Flash size: 1032192

I’ve try this method from ardupilot forum page :


joy123Joydeep Bhowmik
2
Apr 2024
I was going through the discussions to update the bootloader to from 4 to 5. If you are using pixhawk with 2.4.8 which supports 2 mb flash but can’t upload v3 firmware due to bootloader version 4, here is what worked for me: Download any fmuv3 firmware with bootloader which must be less than 1mb if you are using fmuv2. I downloaded ardusub firmware ver 4.1.2 with bootloader. Open mission planner and select custom firmware. select board type fmuv3 and flash this firmware. Reboot and connect by mavlink. Go to install firmware tab and it will now show “update bootloader” click at and bootloader will be upgraded. You can now flash full firmware with all its functionalities.

But I’ve another Issue, I’ll investigate later on this one.
For the moment it’s functionning with the second pixhawk.

I’ve to open a new issue because I can’t use the h264 camera. I can see it with dmesg but I not be able to see it. Maybe i should add a 5v power supply directly to the camera, not from the raspberry.

It’s very strange, an undervoltage issue can cause all of this quagmire ?

Hi @Alex_TryTT -
Glad you’ve narrowed the issue down to a bad pixhawk, as I predicted.
The USB camera does not need a separate power supply. It could be affected by Technical Bulletin 12?

Hi @tony-white
It’s not a bluerobotics camera.
Thank’s a lot for your support