My self vinith . I am pursuing my B-Tech mechanical engineering I am doing my final year project on under water vehicle . I have done the Rov frame. All the hardware is done. I am facing problem in the electronics part. How to connect 6 motors to pixhaw. Then to raspberry. How to control the motors using joystick. Can you plz help me in the electronics part .
Hi Vinith! Here is a connection diagram: https://i.imgur.com/qOrwW7x.jpg
On your Windows 10 computer you run a program called QGroundControl, which you should download from BlueRobotics.
Starting with a joystick like a Logitech F310, you connect it to your computer via USB.
Since you mention the Raspberry, I’ll assume you’re using the Fathom-X, in which case you connect the topside Fathom-X to your computer via USB.
Your Fathom-X connects to your tether, which connects to the other Fathom-X board inside your ROV.
The Fathom-X board in the ROV connects to the Raspberry Pi 3 B with an ethernet cable. Your Fathom-X board gets power from the power distribution rails and the power distribution rails get their power from the battery through the Power Sense Module. Make sure you connect power correctly!
The Raspberry connects to your camera via USB, as well as the Pixhawk via USB. The Raspberry gets its power from the UBEC/5v power supply and the UBEC/5v power supply connects to the power distribution rails. Make sure you connect power correctly!
Your Pixhawk connects to the ESC’s at Main Out 1 thru 6(assuming 6 thrusters). The Pixhawk gets its power from the UBEC/5v power supply, which is connected at Main Out SB. Make sure you connect power correctly!
The red and black power wires on the ESC connect to power distribution rails. Make sure everything is red to red and black to black!
The remaining three wires on your ESC connect to your thrusters. You can’t connect those wrong, they can go any which way.
There are more connections, but I think that’s enough to get the thrusters spinning.
Thanks a lot sir for the valuable information.
I am doing a simple ROV with 6 motors and camera, raspberry pi, pixhawk . Due to budget constraints. I am not using Fathom-X. I am thinking of using the wire from the Rov directly to the ground station .
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I have downloaded the qground control
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I am not able to do the connections
3 . I am not able to run the motors
Can u plz share your contact number it would be very helpful for me to complete my project . So it would be easy for me to clarify my doubts
Vinith Kumar CS
Jain university
+91-7259636477
@Vinith ArduSub will not work with these ESCs. It requires ESCs that support bi-directional operation with a 1500 microsecond pulse as ‘neutral’ signal. We sell these kind of ESCs in our store.
If they were running blheli_s, they could be programmed to work?
They could, but they are not running blheli_s.
Gotcha. How can you tell? Is it the third wire on the servo connector?
I’ve been shopping for ESCs for a long time. These red-shrink wrapped escs are very affordable option from china: search link
I see, you’ve been around the ESC block! I think BR used to run simonk?
Sir do we have any other option . Due to budget constraints. We have to put our Owen pocket money .
These are your options as I see them:
- Research if you can reprogram your escs for bidirectional operation
- Buy blheli_s or blheli32 esc and reprogram them for bidirectional operation
- Find an esc that supports bidirectional operation when you receive it (like the basic esc in our store)
The first option might be the cheapest, but it will take the most time and effort also.
Hi @micro, welcome to the forum 
From a search online, that ESC doesn’t seem to have an option to operate bidirectionally, including in the “programmable parameters”.
ok thanks , but i have another esc which i want know if it support bi-directional operation i want to know whish support bi-directional after programming this is another esc
I’d say Eliot has too much patience. If you bought the ESC from some Chinese, get them to send the specs. Or go for it and do an online search …
Hi @micro,
As @Marco suggests, we’re not here to find specifications for you for products that Blue Robotics doesn’t support or sell. From the picture, that ESC looks to be from the same company as the last one, so you should be able to find its specification on the same website I linked you to in my last comment.