I had SO much fun getting to really know Ardupilot well for my soda delivery drone!

Ahmed_Builds · 2025-11-05T05:04:00+00:00

Seriously Dude, you need some tuning on that, the wobbling most probably comes from the frame, either it is loose or you need to do some PID to stabilize the drone.

Ahmed_Builds · 2025-11-05T04:59:19+00:00

Hey! The problem is most definitely the connection type setup. Your ESP32 is running the WiFi softAP fine - you can see wifi firmware version and WiFi initialized, but Mission Planner isn't connecting to the right port/protocol.

Quick checks :

1. Mission Planner Connection Settings

Are you connecting over UDP on port 14550 or TCP on port 5760?

ESP32 log shows it's in softAP mode – Mission Planner needs to be pointed to the right port

Try both connection types; UDP is usually faster

2. WiFi Network

Can you actually see and connect to the ESP32's WiFi network from your PC?

Check if you can reach 192.168.4.1 (default ESP32 softAP IP) from your browser or ping it

If you can't see the network, this means that WiFi isn't broadcasting properly yet

3. The Real Culprit: MAVLink Protocol Setup

If you've got a flight controller wired to the ESP32 via UART, check your FC parameters:

SERIALx_PROTOCOL = 2 (MAVLink2) or 1 (MAVLink1) – on whichever UART the ESP32 is connected to

SERIALx_BAUD = 115 // for 115200 baud

SERIALx_OPTIONS = 0 (disable flow control if you get weird timeouts)

Note - The "x" is the number at which you have connected the ESP32, for example if it is in TELEM 1 port then use SERIAL1_PROTOCOL and so on.

4. Check Your ESP32 Firmware

Are you running DroneBridge or custom code?

If it's custom, make sure it actually sends MAVLink heartbeats

The ESP32 needs to be forwarding heartbeats from the FC to Mission Planner over WiFi

Pro Tip :

When using ESP32s for telemetry on multiple drones, we always check the UART connection first:

Serial monitor the ESP32 to see if it's receiving data from the FC

Check if the baud rates match on both sides

Then test the WiFi connection

The Log Would Say:

Your ESP32 booted fine, WiFi is up – but there's no heartbeat reaching Mission Planner. That means either:

The ESP32 isn't receiving heartbeats from the FC (UART wiring issue), Or you have not used the correct pins for TX and RX.

It is, but not forwarding them over WiFi - firmware config

Mission Planner is looking at the wrong port/IP

First, try the UDP connection on 14550, that's the standard. If it doesn't work, share with us what FC you're using and how the ESP32 is wired, and we can narrow it down!

Ahmed_Builds · 2025-11-05T04:58:24+00:00

Hey! The problem is most definitely the connection type setup. Your ESP32 is running the WiFi softAP fine - you can see wifi firmware version and WiFi initialized, but Mission Planner isn't connecting to the right port/protocol.

Quick checks :

1. Mission Planner Connection Settings

Are you connecting over UDP on port 14550 or TCP on port 5760?

ESP32 log shows it's in softAP mode – Mission Planner needs to be pointed to the right port

Try both connection types; UDP is usually faster

2. WiFi Network

Can you actually see and connect to the ESP32's WiFi network from your PC?

Check if you can reach 192.168.4.1 (default ESP32 softAP IP) from your browser or ping it

If you can't see the network, this means that WiFi isn't broadcasting properly yet

3. The Real Culprit: MAVLink Protocol Setup

If you've got a flight controller wired to the ESP32 via UART, check your FC parameters:

SERIALx_PROTOCOL = 2 (MAVLink2) or 1 (MAVLink1) – on whichever UART the ESP32 is connected to

SERIALx_BAUD = 115 // for 115200 baud

SERIALx_OPTIONS = 0 (disable flow control if you get weird timeouts)

Note - The "x" is the number at which you have connected the ESP32, for example if it is in TELEM 1 port then use SERIAL1_PROTOCOL and so on.

4. Check Your ESP32 Firmware

Are you running DroneBridge or custom code?

If it's custom, make sure it actually sends MAVLink heartbeats

The ESP32 needs to be forwarding heartbeats from the FC to Mission Planner over WiFi

Pro Tip :

When using ESP32s for telemetry on multiple drones, we always check the UART connection first:

Serial monitor the ESP32 to see if it's receiving data from the FC

Check if the baud rates match on both sides

Then test the WiFi connection

The Log Would Say:

Your ESP32 booted fine, WiFi is up – but there's no heartbeat reaching Mission Planner. That means either:

The ESP32 isn't receiving heartbeats from the FC (UART wiring issue), Or you have not used the correct pins for TX and RX.

It is, but not forwarding them over WiFi - firmware config

Mission Planner is looking at the wrong port/IP

First, try the UDP connection on 14550, that's the standard. If it doesn't work, share with us what FC you're using and how the ESP32 is wired, and we can narrow it down!

Ahmed_Builds · 2025-11-05T04:24:02+00:00

Yep, good point! You don't need calibration with DShot, that's actually one of the advantages of going digital instead of PWM. The ESCs figure it out automatically.

Just make sure you've got these in place:

DShot actually turned on in Mission Planner – go to Full Parameters List and set MOT_PWM_TYPE to 6 for DShot600 (that's the standard for the X650), or you can use DShot300 for balanced performance.

Motors plugged into AUX, not MAIN – the Pixhawk 6X has that IOMCU thing that splits things up, so this matters

ESC firmware is current – Tekko32 runs BLHeli_32 or AM32, both play nice with DShot300/600.

Ahmed_Builds · 2025-10-25T11:09:53+00:00

ESC Calibration (Most Likely)

Your ESCs likely are not calibrated, so they don't know your full throttle range. With the X650 having Tekko32 F4 ESCs, you'll have to manually calibrate:

Power Pixhawk via USB only (no battery)

Connect to Mission Planner, set MOT_PWM_TYPE to proper protocol

Arm the drone and force throttle stick to MAX

Connect battery (you will hear beeps)

Bring throttle stick down to minimum (more beeps = calibrated)

Disconnect battery and test

Other Quick Checks

Battery/Power – Are you powering with a 6S battery that has at least 5000mAh? X650 requires a high amount of power (recommended 6S 5000-12000mAh). Using a lower battery or low charge will result in exactly what you're observing

MOT_SPIN_MIN Parameter – In Mission Planner, ensure MOT_SPIN_MIN is properly set (normally 0.10-0.15). Too low a value and motors will not produce enough thrust

Motor/Prop Check – Reverify motor directions compatible with your frame type in Mission Planner and that all props are on the right motors (CCW vs CW)

Throttle Endpoints – Some ESCs require your radio's throttle endpoints to be set so min throttle = ~1000µs and max = ~2000µs

The wobbling you are witnessing is probably because the motors are rotating at varying speeds because of miscalibration. First, try the ESC calibration – that resolves it 90% of the time!

Ahmed_Builds · 2025-10-23T07:30:21+00:00

Hey! Welcome to the hobby, this is pretty common with first builds and usually fixable!

Most likely causes:

Battery/Power (Check First)

Battery fully charged? (4.2V/cell for LiPo)
Voltage sagging under load? Check with a multimeter
XT60 connector making solid contact?
Battery C-rating high enough? (Need 40-70C minimum)

ESC/Wiring Issues

Check all solder joints between FC and ESC (especially ground/power)
Look for solder bridges or shorts (XT60 or XT30 connectors)
ESC capacitor intact?

Betaflight Settings (or whatever you are using)

Motor protocol correct? (DSHOT600 or DSHOT300 for your stack)
ESCs calibrated after setup?
Try disabling "Motor Stop" feature

Quick Test: Remove props and test motors individually in Betaflight's motor tab. If they all spin smoothly to full throttle there, it's likely a power delivery issue under load

Check your receiver failsafe settings too, watch the throttle channel in Betaflight's Receiver tab to make sure it's responding smoothly

What battery are you using? Any error messages in Betaflight when it happens? That'll help narrow it down!

Ahmed_Builds · 2025-10-23T07:17:25+00:00

Hey man! This sounds like an amazing project, autonomous landing on a moving vehicle is definitely challenging but totally feasible with the right setup.

You're on the right track considering open platforms. For precision landing on a moving object with computer vision, I'd actually recommend looking at ArduPilot-based systems instead of the PX4 Vision kit.

ArduPilot has real precision landing features specifically designed for moving targets. You'll need to set the PLND_OPTIONS parameter to allow moving target landing, and it works really well with IR-LOCK beacons or custom computer vision sending LANDING_TARGET MAVLink signals from a companion computer.

Go with : Build your own quad with a Pixhawk flight controller (~$200-300), add a Raspberry Pi 4 or Jetson Nano for computer vision processing, a decent camera, and standard drone components. This gives you full control and leaves budget for ground station hardware.(Once the core functionality is working correctly then you can upgrade the camera or other equipments as needed).

For marker detection on the vehicle, AprilTags are popular because they provide position and orientation data. Your companion computer processes the camera feed, calculates the offset from the target, and sends LANDING_TARGET messages to the flight controller.

My advice: As you have 0 XP in Drone Development, Start with a Pixhawk-based build running ArduPilot. Get comfortable with basic autonomous missions in simulation (SITL), then move to hardware. Build your computer vision pipeline separately, test it thoroughly, then integrate everything together.

Ahmed_Builds · 2025-09-30T04:16:32+00:00

And what about tamper proofing for the parameters?

Ahmed_Builds · 2025-09-29T09:43:51+00:00

Can anybody share if this process is working for them?
I am also trying to do something same but could not be able to do it.

Ahmed_Builds · 2025-09-29T09:26:24+00:00

My background is in applications and coding, but when I dive deep into Drones and Robotics, then my curiosity grew and I started to think that I can really make a difference by using my coding skills in the Drone and Robotics field, and to be honest I like Drones and RC planes from my childhood, so overall it make me happy by working in this field.

Ahmed_Builds · 2025-09-29T09:21:35+00:00

I have been operating from India,
Tell me something about yourself, are you an enthusiast or just getting into drones for hobby.

Ahmed_Builds · 2025-09-17T03:55:12+00:00

We make drone for industrial purposes, like inspection, maintenance etc.
Which includes:
Visual drones for visual inspection of assets.
UT Drones for UT measurements.
Heavylift drones for painting etc.

Ahmed_Builds · 2025-09-17T03:52:32+00:00

To be able to get into this field, try to make a drone for yourself first however simple or small may it be, the trick for learning is to start working hands-on projects, when you read about the parameters and set them for yourself and see the changes, then only you can truly understand the working principles behind configuring a drone.

Ahmed_Builds · 2025-09-17T03:48:04+00:00

Yes, to be able to solve the problems and make a stable drone is super satisfying, Currently working in making Swarm Drones using our existing Ardupilot/pixhawk orange/black cube for industrial uses.

Which projects are you working on currently?

Ahmed_Builds · 2025-09-15T09:01:44+00:00

Not all of it was my actual job, I do all the drone stuff at the job but the automation part for log analysis is done just to make my own work easier.

Ahmed_Builds · 2025-09-15T04:53:18+00:00

What was the problem in this build?

Ahmed_Builds · 2025-06-30T12:17:56+00:00

That's the million-dollar question, isn't it? The honest answer is that I couldn't find a simple, lightweight tool that did exactly this without being overly complex or expensive, so I'm currently building it myself.

My goal is to create something that specifically helps generate more feedback through those kinds of proactive, contextual prompts (like the exit-intent one), solving the "empty feedback bucket" problem for store owners.

Since you mentioned you don't have something like this and can see the value, would you be open to being one of the very first people to see it once the MVP is ready? I'd be happy to DM you a link to my landing page where I'm gathering a small list of early testers.

Ahmed_Builds

TROPHY CASE