Quadcopter Does not Arm? Let’s Repair it!

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This tutorial exhibits you methods to troubleshoot and repair a quadcopter that doesn’t arm. I will even clarify the frequent issues that stop a mini quad from arming with Betaflight.

If you’re fully new to Betaflight, take a look at my tutorials on methods to setup it up for the primary time.

Listed here are the primary belongings you need to examine when you find yourself having hassle arming your quad:

• Radio receiver is sure and dealing accurately in Betaflight. Test within the receiver tab if the channels are responding to sticks motion within the appropriate order and course (obtain the newest betaflight configurator)

• Test if in case you have assigned a swap in your radio for ARM mode, and if it may be activated by that swap. The arm mode ought to flip yellow when activated, indicating that the swap is working
• As a security characteristic in Betaflight, the motors gained’t spin up even while you arm it if the flight controller is linked to the configurator. Take away USB connection and check out once more

If all the things is sweet however you continue to can’t arm the quad, then we must look a bit deeper.

You probably have Betaflight OSD, ensure you show “Warnings” in your display, and that “Arming Disabled” is chosen. This may let you realize what’s stopping arming.

If you happen to don’t have Betaflight OSD, you can even examine for the “Arming Disable Flag” in Betaflight. This may point out the problems which can be stopping you from arming.

There are a number of methods of checking for “Arming Disable Flag”:

• Betaflight Configurator
• CLI
• Buzzer Beeping

Betaflight Configurator

You probably have entry to a pc, you possibly can simply examine the Arming Disable Flag within the Setup Tab within the Betaflight configurator.

CLI

Alternatively, you possibly can examine within the CLI by coming into the command “standing”. The final line of the standing information is arming prevention flags listing. This characteristic was made obtainable after Betaflight 3.2.

Additional Studying: How you can use CLI in Betaflight?

Buzzer Beeping

If you happen to don’t have entry to a pc, however you do have a buzzer in your quad, the beeping also needs to point out the explanations for the disabled arming. The beeping sample will be damaged down into:

• 5 quick beeps for consideration, which will be ignored
• a lot of lengthy beeps
• a lot of quick beeps with lengthy intervals

Every lengthy beep represents 5, whereas every quick beep represents 1. The ultimate flag quantity will be calculated as 5 x <the variety of lengthy beeps> + <the variety of quick beeps>.

For instance:

• 0 lengthy beep and a pair of quick beeps = 2
• 1 lengthy beep and three quick beeps = 8
• 2 lengthy beeps + 0 quick beeps = 10

After you have discovered the arming disable flag numbers or names, you possibly can look it up within the desk beneath to see what they really imply. The desk was taken from the Betaflight wiki web page for our readers’ comfort.

Title	Description	Beep code						Required Actions
		3.2	3.3	3.4/3.5	4.0	4.1	4.2+
NOGYRO	A gyro was not detected	1	1	1	1	1	1	You might have a {hardware} failure, if a earlier firmware model works then it might be a firmware subject.
FAILSAFE	Failsafe is lively	2	2	2	2	2	2	Rectify the failure situation and check out once more.
RXLOSS(1)	No legitimate receiver sign is detected	3	3	3	3	3	3	Your receiver is both defective or has no hyperlink to the transmitter.
BADRX(1)	Your receiver has simply recovered from receiver failsafe however the arm swap is on	4	4	4	4	4	4	Change the arm swap off.
BOXFAILSAFE	The ‘FAILSAFE’ swap was activated	5	5	5	5	5	5	See FAILSAFE
RUNAWAY	Runway Takeoff Prevention has been triggered		6	6	6	6	6	Disarm to clear this situation.
CRASH	Crash Restoration has been triggered					7	7	Disarm to clear this situation.
THROTTLE	Throttle channel is simply too excessive	6	7	7	7	8	8	Decrease throttle beneath min_check.
ANGLE	Craft will not be stage (sufficient)	7	8	8	8	9	9	Stage craft to inside small_angle levels (default 25).
BOOTGRACE	Arming too quickly after energy on	8	9	9	10	10	10	Wait till pwr_on_arm_grace seconds (default 5) have elapsed.
NOPREARM	Prearm swap will not be activated or prearm has not been toggled after disarm	9	10	10	10	11	11	Toggle the prearm swap.
LOAD	System load is simply too excessive for protected flight	10	11	11	11	12	12	Revisit configuration and disable options.
CALIB	Sensor calibration remains to be ongoing	11	12	12	12	13	13	Await sensor calibration to finish.
CLI	CLI is lively	12	13	13	13	14	14	Exit the CLI.
CMS	CMS (config menu) is Energetic – over OSD or different show	13	14	14	14	15	15	Exit the CMS (or OSD menu).
OSD	OSD menu is lively	14	15	16				Exit OSD menu.
BST	A Black Sheep Telemetry gadget (TBS Core Professional for instance) disarmed and is stopping arming	15	16	16	15	16	16	Discuss with the handbook to your {hardware}.
MSP	MSP connection is lively, in all probability by way of Betaflight Configurator	16	17	17	16	17	17	Terminate the Betaflight Configurator connection (disconnect).
PARALYZE	Paralyze mode has been activated			18	17	18	18	Energy cycle/reset FC board.
GPS	GPS rescue mode is configured however required variety of satellites has not been fastened			19	18	19	19	Await GPS repair or disable GPS rescue mode.
RESCUE_SW	GPS Rescue swap is in an unsafe place				19	20	20	Flip off the GPS Rescue swap to arm.
RPMFILTER(2)	Motor RPM-based filtering will not be functioning				21	21	21	A number of ESC’s will not be supplying legitimate RPM telemetry.
REBOOT_REQD	Reboot required					22	22	Reboot the flight controller for settings adjustments to take impact.
DSHOT_BBANG	DSHOT Bitbang will not be working					23	23	(3)
ACC_CALIB	Accelerometer calibration required						24	Calibrate the accelerometer or disable options that use it
ARMSWITCH	Arm swap is in an unsafe place	17	18	20	21	24	25	Toggle the arm swap to arm.

If you happen to don’t get any arming disabled flag in Betaflight, then the issue is perhaps one thing else. Attempt to undergo the next examine listing.

Accelerometer Associated

Perhaps your mini quad will not be on a stage sufficient floor, or the ACC (accelerometer) will not be calibrated. Calibrate ACC on a stage floor first, if nonetheless no luck, attempt growing “small_angle levels” in CLI (default is 25).

Or just disable ACC in the event you don’t fly Angle mode.

CPU Utilization Too Excessive?

When CPU load is simply too excessive, the flight controller will merely refuse to arm. Attempt to keep beneath 50% by decreasing looptime, and disabling pointless options.

Throttle Associated

Test if the bottom worth in your throttle channel is simply too excessive, make certain the throttle stick is at its lowest place when making an attempt to arm. Ideally each channel together with throttle ought to have endpoints of 1000 and 2000. If they don’t seem to be then you definitely would possibly need to calibrate your radio endpoints first.

Betaflight doesn’t arm in case your minimal throttle is simply too excessive (increased than the setting “Min_Check”). This can be a security characteristic in order that the quad doesn’t out of the blue spin up the motors and harm you when it’s armed. You have to be sure that your throttle is decrease than min_check when it’s within the lowest stick place. Min_check is about to 1050 by default, double examine if it’s not been modified by mistake.

Moron threshold

Some FC may need extra delicate gyro’s and the quad would refuse to initialize after energy up, and subsequently you possibly can’t arm it. By enhance Moron Threshold in CLI can scale back gyro sensitivity throughout initialization. Strive setting it to 100 and even 120.

I hope that was useful! Let me know within the remark in the event you had downside with arming that was attributable to one thing else that wasn’t coated on this tutorial. If you’re nonetheless having issues arming your quad after following this information, please put up your query on our discussion board, I’m more than pleased to assist.