When you’ve ever confronted the irritating problem of your FPV drone refusing to arm, you’re in the appropriate place. I’m right here to information you thru troubleshooting and fixing this downside, particularly in case your drone makes use of Betaflight firmware. By understanding what prevents a drone from arming and studying diagnose and repair these points, you’ll be again within the air very quickly.
New to Betaflight? No worries—right here’s a tutorial to get you began on setting it up for the primary time: https://oscarliang.com/betaflight-firmware-setup/
The First Issues to Examine
Alright, let’s dive into the primary steps to diagnose why your drone isn’t arming.
Unplugging USB Cable
Betaflight has a security function the place your motors received’t spin up if the flight controller is linked to the configurator. So, disconnect the USB and provides it one other go.
Radio Receiver Examine
Guarantee your radio receiver is sure and dealing appropriately in Betaflight. Head over to the receiver tab to see if the channel responses match your stick actions appropriately. Oh, and be sure you’ve obtained the most recent Betaflight configurator downloaded: https://oscarliang.com/download-betaflight-configurator/.
Arm Mode Project
Did you assign a swap in your radio for ARM mode? It ought to mild up yellow when activated, signaling every part’s set appropriately. Undecided how to try this? See my tutorial on establishing Arm swap: https://oscarliang.com/betaflight-modes/#How-to-Setup-Arm-Change
Nonetheless no luck? Let’s dig a bit deeper.
Easy methods to Examine for Arming Points in Betaflight
OSD
When you’ve obtained Betaflight OSD, allow “Warnings” in your display screen with “Arming Disabled” chosen. It’ll offer you clue on what’s stopping the drone from arming.
You don’t have Betaflight OSD? There are different methods to verify for the “Arming Disable Flag” in Betaflight, let me clarify.
Betaflight Configurator
If in case you have entry to a pc, you’ll be able to simply verify the Arming Disable Flag within the Setup Tab within the Betaflight configurator.
CLI
Alternatively, you’ll be able to verify within the CLI by getting into the command “standing”, the final line is the checklist of arming prevention flags.
Additional Studying: Easy methods to use CLI in Betaflight?
Buzzer Beeping
When you don’t have a pc, however your quad has a buzzer, the beeping must also point out the disarm flags. Right here’s decipher the beeping sample:
- 5 brief beeps for simply consideration, which could be ignored
- Plenty of lengthy beeps
- Plenty of brief beeps with lengthy intervals
Every lengthy beep represents 5, whereas every brief beep represents 1. The ultimate flag quantity could be calculated as 5 x <the variety of lengthy beeps> + <the variety of brief beeps>.
For instance:
- 0 lengthy beep and a couple of brief beeps = 2
- 1 lengthy beep and three brief beeps = 8
- 2 lengthy beeps + 0 brief beeps = 10
Arming Prevention Flags Lookup Desk
When you’ve discovered the arming disabled flag numbers or names, match them with this helpful desk to decode the difficulty. The data is from the Betaflight wiki.
| Title | Description | Beep code | Required Actions |
| NOGYRO | A gyro was not detected | 1 | You might have a {hardware} failure, if a earlier firmware model works then it might be a firmware problem. Otherwise you may need flashed a fallacious goal. |
| FAILSAFE | Failsafe is lively | 2 | Rectify the failure situation and check out once more. |
| RXLOSS(1) or RX_FAILSAFE | No legitimate receiver sign is detected | 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 | Change the arm swap off. |
| BOXFAILSAFE | The ‘FAILSAFE’ swap was activated | 5 | See FAILSAFE |
| RUNAWAY | Runway Takeoff Prevention has been triggered | 6 | Disarm to clear this situation. |
| CRASH | Crash Restoration has been triggered | 7 | Disarm to clear this situation. |
| THROTTLE | Throttle channel is just too excessive | 8 | Decrease throttle under min_check. |
| ANGLE | Craft just isn’t degree (sufficient) | 9 | Stage craft to inside small_angle levels (default 25). |
| BOOTGRACE | Arming too quickly after energy on | 10 | Wait till pwr_on_arm_grace seconds (default 5) have elapsed. |
| NOPREARM | Prearm swap just isn’t activated or prearm has not been toggled after disarm | 11 | Toggle the prearm swap. |
| LOAD | System load is just too excessive for secure flight | 12 | Revisit configuration and disable options. |
| CALIB | Sensor calibration continues to be ongoing | 13 | Watch for sensor calibration to finish. |
| CLI | CLI is lively | 14 | Exit the CLI. |
| CMS | CMS (config menu) is Energetic – over OSD or different show | 15 | Exit the CMS (or OSD menu). |
| OSD | OSD menu is lively | Exit OSD menu. | |
| BST | A Black Sheep Telemetry system (TBS Core Professional for instance) disarmed and is stopping arming | 16 | Seek advice from the handbook on your {hardware}. |
| MSP | MSP connection is lively, in all probability through Betaflight Configurator | 17 | Terminate the Betaflight Configurator connection (disconnect). |
| PARALYZE | Paralyze mode has been activated | 18 | Energy cycle/reset FC board. |
| GPS | GPS rescue mode is configured however required variety of satellites has not been mounted | 19 | Watch for GPS repair, allow arming with out GPS repair, or disable GPS rescue mode. |
| RECOVERY | (wiki incomplete) | (wiki incomplete) | (wiki incomplete) |
| RESCUE_SW | GPS Rescue swap is in an unsafe place | 20 | Flip off the GPS Rescue swap to arm. |
| RPMFILTER(2) | Motor RPM-based filtering just isn’t functioning | 21 | A number of ESC’s will not be supplying legitimate RPM telemetry. |
| REBOOT_REQD | Reboot required | 22 | Reboot the flight controller for settings adjustments to take impact. |
| DSHOT_BBANG | DSHOT Bitbang just isn’t working | 23 | (3) |
| NO_ACC_CAL | Accelerometer calibration required | 24 | Calibrate the accelerometer or disable options that use it |
| MOTOR_PROTO | ESC/Motor Protocol not configured | 25 | Choose the ESC/Motor protocol to make use of on the Configuration tab. |
| ARMSWITCH | Arm swap is in an unsafe place | 26 | Toggle the arm swap to arm. |
Different Frequent Points
If Betaflight exhibits no arming disabled flags, the issue is perhaps one thing else. Listed below are just a few extra issues to verify:
Accelerometer Points
If the Most Arm Angle in Configuration tab is ready under 180 (default worth 25), your quad have to be beneath this angle to be able to arm. In that case, guarantee your quad is on a degree floor, and calibrate the ACC on a degree floor.
If you want to have the ability to arm the drone regardless the angle it’s in, you’ll be able to disable Most Arm Angle by getting into 180. Some folks want to do that because it permits them to arm the quad when they’re caught in bushes and so they would possibly be capable of shake it out. However clearly this might be a security concern, so do that at your personal threat.
A defective accelerometer may additionally contribute to the difficulty, attempt disabling accelerometer within the Configuration tab for those who don’t usually fly in Angle/Horizon/Rescue modes.
CPU Utilization
When CPU load is just too excessive, Betaflight will refuse to arm. You will discover out the CPU load on the backside of Betaflight Configurator.
Hold the CPU load under 80% (since BF4.3) by adjusting settings, equivalent to reducing PID loop frequency, and disabling pointless options equivalent to LED and comfortable serial.
Throttle Points
Guarantee your throttle is appropriately calibrated. When your throttle channel’s lowest worth is just too excessive, Betaflight will refuse to arm. Ideally your channel endpoints ought to be 1000 and 2000. 10-12 under 1000 and above 2000 is normally tremendous, equivalent to 988/990 – 2010-2012, however undoubtedly not above 1000 and under 2000, that’s dangerous, by which case you would possibly wish to calibrate your radio endpoints.
Betaflight doesn’t arm in case your minimal throttle is just too excessive (larger than the setting “Min_Check”). This can be a security function in order that the quad doesn’t abruptly spin up the motors and harm you when it’s armed. You should make sure that your throttle is decrease than min_check when it’s within the lowest stick place. Min_Check is 1050 by default.
Moron threshold
Some FC may need extra delicate gyro’s and the drone would refuse to calibrate and initialize after energy up, and subsequently you’ll be able to’t arm it. By improve “gyro_calib_noise_limit” (initially often known as Moron Threshold) in CLI can scale back gyro sensitivity throughout initialization. Attempt setting it to 100 and even 120.
Conclusion
I hope you discovered this information useful! Let me know within the remark in case your arming downside was attributable to one thing else that wasn’t coated on this tutorial. In case you are nonetheless having issues arming your quad after following this information, please publish your query on our discussion board, our group is all the time right here to assist and be taught collectively. Completely satisfied flying!
Edit Historical past
- Jun 2018 – Tutorial created.
- Feb 2024 – Up to date.
