Spirit problem - SOLVED

[Made2Fade]

Bit background on this one...

i put my logo 550 in due to a Bec going dead on me... not a bad crash at all really as i managed to get it flipped over and almost level just before i lost full control. Fixed the model and noticed a new firmware for the Spirit was out and so flashed and re-setup the unit ready for its test hover. All straight forward stuff thats been done many many times. Test hovered the heli and it basically front flipped from the second it left the ground. Only damage was a slight crack in the blades.
Got bored and had other projects on the go and so the heli sat in a corner for a couple month. Eventually come round to looking at it again. Flashed Spirit with another firmware bringing up to the present version. Reset the unit and done a full setup again. When bench testing i found the following issue. Sensors all correcting in the right direction but the swah doesnt react like it should as soon as throttle is received. As you can see in the following video there are no vibrations either. Anyone have any ideas whats going on? Im thinking the unit is faulty.
https://youtu.be/6cf0WFtobBk

[Mikej]

The initial pitch pump isn't right either - which means something. Depending on what the problem is the swash will be "pumped" differently depending on the problem (I mean the pitch pump when the Spirit initialises after about 7 seconds). If you ask on the Spirit Forum Tomas will tell you what it means....

Does the swash move correctly for Collective input??

[10x]

I think when the swash jumps like that the unit has been started with rescue mode enabled

[Made2Fade]

Swash plate moves as it should in all directions including collective pitch, the sensors are moving the swash correctly... i did notice that the initialization seems odd.
Regarding the rescue... i can confirn the unit did not initialize with the rescue function enabled as it clearly tells you in the software and i have verified its direction. My setups always fly with all switches to the rear of the TX.
I dont use FB anymore but asked a friend to show Tomas my video yesterday, he hasnt responded as of yet.
Stumped with this one as everything looks fine in the setup, hence thinking i have a faulty unit. Notice that it only behaves badly when adding throttle (rpm on the head). No throttle and it corrects as it should.

[Mikej]

Just had a quick look on the Spirit forum and it seems that the "nodding" of the swash on initialisation is an indication that there is a serious error logged in the log file - you should ope the log and see what it is saying .... Not sure if this will cure the strange swash movement, but it might tell you why it is doing it....

[Grumpy]

I had what looks like a very similar problem. It turned out to be a fault with my DX18. Horizon service said it was a bad throttle gimbal and fixed it for free (though how a throttle gimbal caused it still puzzles me). Check your output screen on the DX18 and see if there is mixing between the throttle channel and cyclic.

Here's the video of mine, this turned out to be a Tx problem:

[Grumpy]

Here's the 'mixing' that was happening in the Tx that caused this strange swash behavior:

[Made2Fade]

Thanks for the info guys... @ Grumpy - i dont seem to have the throttle issue, well my monitor certainly doesnt show it - https://youtu.be/ExRkn8M3EGc
Very strange as the swash is behaving exactly the same as in your video.

[Made2Fade]

checked my log and the only one that saved was the low voltage which was probably my earlier crash because the YGE Bec failed on me. Typically the only non Kontronik ESC that i owned. Knew i should have changed it out originally

[Made2Fade]

Ok a bit of an update... ive been told on the spirit forum by one of their software developers that this behaviour is completely normal
Surely this is not right? Does anyone have a spirit pro on a heli that they could remove the blades and shoot me a quick video for comparison? It just does not seem right to me.... if that swash holds then surely the helicopter is simply going to keep rotating??? Spartan Vortex and Vbar do not work this way. Very confused now that i have been told this from one of their development team and i do not want to go out and smash another set of blades. I've got a feeling he only watched the first part of the video.
@ Grumpy... did i hear you say at the end of your video that your helicopter still flys ok even know your swash was doing that on the ground?

[Grumpy]

No, my heli very much did not fly ok. I had an un-programmed mix between the collective stick and aileron. When I hit large collective input the heli would roll.
At first I thought that if I let theunusual swash movement after power up pass all was ok but it started to show up randomly in flight and very nearly caused a crash.

[Grumpy]

If I get chance I’ll do another check during spoolup with no blades, like in your video

[Made2Fade]

That would really put my mind at rest if you could do that. Im now aware that the initial initialization is correct... the unit is simply telling me there is a saved log. I will look at the log this evening and that should then work correctly. What im being told by one of their software developers (over on the spirit forum - Spirit System • View topic - Spirit problem) is that the higher the rpm the more the swash will stick and that this is completely normal. I need some clarification on that because the vortex fbl system does not do this.

[garturbo]

Hi Lee your spirit looks fine mate. just checked two of my helis and they are the same as yours in fact once the swash tips under power it just stayed there lol. and both helis fly great
hope this helps you

Gary

[Made2Fade]

Thanks Gary... weird how other flybarless systems dont do the same. My mate just confirmed - https://youtu.be/ZDe6g6e2xew
Heres another mates vortex and it acts as you think it would (totally different to the spirit) - https://youtu.be/k7OGT99YFtI