Question for hunch or other gimbal experts

[Monkeyleg]

Two weeks ago I was flying my P2V+ and recording. When I viewed the recording, I noticed that at one point the horizon was tilted to the left. Then after a few minutes it leveled out. Then it was tilted to the right,and eventually leveled out again.

I tested this at home, and found that the roll would sometimes stay tilted to the left or to the right. If I tilted the running Phantom the opposite direction, the camera would level out.

I tried recalibrating the IMU. No difference. I check the roll motor shaft, and it was parallel to the camera. I used compressed air to blow out the motor, thinking something was on the windings. Finally I figured it might be a software problem, so I did a hard reset and then calibrated the IMU again. It seemed to make a difference, and I put it away for the night.

Today I was working on a different gimbal. When I was done I put it on the Phantom from last night. It did the same thing with tilting both left and right.

The only thing the two have in common are the Phantom. I can't imagine that the gray wires would cause a problem, or the flight control module, but who knows?

Any ideas?

 

[msinger]

@hunch

 

[jiminyfixit]

Two weeks ago I was flying my P2V+ and recording. When I viewed the recording, I noticed that at one point the horizon was tilted to the left. Then after a few minutes it leveled out. Then it was tilted to the right,and eventually leveled out again.

I tested this at home, and found that the roll would sometimes stay tilted to the left or to the right. If I tilted the running Phantom the opposite direction, the camera would level out.

I tried recalibrating the IMU. No difference. I check the roll motor shaft, and it was parallel to the camera. I used compressed air to blow out the motor, thinking something was on the windings. Finally I figured it might be a software problem, so I did a hard reset and then calibrated the IMU again. It seemed to make a difference, and I put it away for the night.

Today I was working on a different gimbal. When I was done I put it on the Phantom from last night. It did the same thing with tilting both left and right.

The only thing the two have in common are the Phantom. I can't imagine that the gray wires would cause a problem, or the flight control module, but who knows?

Any ideas?

Having worked on the P2V+ Version 2 AND Version 3 I found that the small circuit board, inside the main quad body, next to the mother board, could be the culprit. It is the camera module with a cable connector at each end, for the wide, grey wire cables. It is somewhat dogbone shaped, measuring 2" long X 5/8" wide. The V2 c.b. has a capacitor laying on it's side, while the V3 version has NO capacitor. Both c.b.'s have small chip resistors. These components can be effected by heat, as in a temporary short. I blew one of these up one time when I attempted to push the camera wire in a little farther with a screw driver with the battery power still on and slipped, shorting the c.b. out instantly. I don't mess with the camera wires anymore with the battery power on. :} With both your cameras acting the same, and being an abnormal gimbal problem, I would replace that small c.b.

Good luck,

Jim

 

[Monkeyleg]

Thanks for the detailed answer, Jim. I'll check it out.

I assume you're talking about the board with the two white connectors that sits in this spot (it's not in this photo). I couldn't find a photo of it, but I know the part. I just sold one.

 

[hunch]

You said you have a P2V+
picture above is a picture of a Vision.
V+ has a wifi module next to the NAZA (orange box).
and reading about your issue you might have just that issue - NAZA.
do you have one laying around that you can try with a different one?

 

[jiminyfixit]

Hunch may have the answer. I slept on this issue and realized that a working gimbal gets its signals from the Naza unit. If you have had a few crashes, especially hard ones, it could have effected the Naza. A water crash will certainly effect the Naza, (from experience).

 

[Monkeyleg]

I don't have an extra Naza module. I haven't had a crash that damaged anything. In the only "crash" I had it landed in some tall grass, didn't even scratch it. That was a month or more ago. This is a recent problem from the last week or two.

I thought about the Naza module, but the rest of the bird is fine. I did the hard reset in case it was a software problem in the module.

BTW, hunch, I know that's not a P2V+ in the photo above. It was the only photo I could find that showed the location of the "dogbone" board jimmyfixit was talking about (even though it doesn't show the dogbone board). I didn't feel like taking the top shell off of mine.

I ordered a new receiver board. It's only $10, and it will give me an excuse to change out the gimbal cables. The connectors on them are getting weak from me popping them in and out so often.

 

[hunch]

Monkeyleg,
yeah replacing the gimbal connectors is a major overhaul. you can work around it if the main board stays in but it's much easier to get to everything if you unsolder two ESCs and lift the board up which will give you access to the USB connector which needs to come out
in order to swap the gimbal cables.
if you need a NAZA let me know, i have several of them. zoned or unzoned (AKA geo-fenced or not) since i have variety
of them including 3.04, 3.08 FW on them.

 

[Monkeyleg]

Thanks, hunch. Yeah, I've spent an hour or so swearing up a storm while replacing the wires. I don't like to do too much soldering and un-soldering on boards. When working on guitar amps, I had the pads come lift off the boards. That was Fender's cheap board construction, but I don't have a lot of faith in DJI's quality, either.

How much for an unzoned Naza, just in case that's the problem?

 

[hunch]

$60
they came out of a used P2 but working perfect.
think i have handful of them right now with 3.04 and 3.08

 

[Monkeyleg]

Is there any difference between the flight control modules for the P2 and for the P2V+?

The problem isn't the dog bone receiver board, it's not the gimbal cables, and it's not the gimbal. I guess that just leaves the flight controller module.

 

[hunch]

no, they are identical

 

[Monkeyleg]

no, they are identical

Thanks! Please check your PM's.

 

[yorlik]

any chance you inadvertently clicked fpv mode? that does things to the gimbals holding pos horizontal or not...

 

[Monkeyleg]

Nope. Not FPV mode. I checked. And the camera doesn't stay level with the horizontal axis of the copter. It will be rolled slightly left or slightly right for a bit, then will return to level. Or it may stay rolled slightly port side.

 

[yorlik]

any chance you dropped gimbal GAIN setting in assistant?

 

[Monkeyleg]

No, gimbal gain doesn't show when my Phantom is connected. Isn't that just for the Phantom 2?

 

[Black Arrow]

Thanks for the detailed answer, Jim. I'll check it out.

I assume you're talking about the board with the two white connectors that sits in this spot (it's not in this photo). I couldn't find a photo of it, but I know the part. I just sold one.

 

[Black Arrow]

Thanks for the detailed answer, Jim. I'll check it out.

I assume you're talking about the board with the two white connectors that sits in this spot (it's not in this photo). I couldn't find a photo of it, but I know the part. I just sold one.

Hi just joined this forum and put a question and photo about this board before I found this. Mine has a burnt out D2 after connecting a faulty camera. Do you know where I can get a replacement or can I replace D2 and if so with what ?

 

[hunch]

where are you located?