Baro: unable to initialize driver

Pixhawk
1

Hello all!
I have bought Pixhawk PX4 Autopilot PIX 2.4.8 with 433 telemetry and M8N GPS.
Now I upload the latest firmware:
PX4 Flight Stack v1.8.2 Stable Release
My computer system is Ubuntu 18
I am using QGroundControl
Bootloader v4
Board ID: 9
The initial message I get is:

“Check BRD_TYPE: Baro: unable to initialize driver”

So, it seems the system is unable to initialize the driver for barometer.
Next, when I get to calibrating the “sensors”, specifically the last one - “level horizon” - I get:

“[cal] calibration started: 2 level. Attitude estimator not running - check system boo. [cal] calibration failed: level”

And the message that I get from “loudspeaker” (on top of the panel in QGroundControl) is:

“critical: Preflight fail: mag sensors inconsistent”

Another issue I get: before - just when I started playing with Pixhawk - I was able to connect to it through 433 telemetry (radio), but now unable. Just like before, I stick my part of the radio into my USB port, and while both of them are blinking green, they are not connecting with each other.

But the main issue is of course the baro sensors and mag inconsistency.

I really appreciate any help from the community,

Thanks in advance,

Gennady
e-mail: TommyJoad2017@gmail.com

Attention: @bkueng

2

Hi

The baro driver initialization failure might be a hardware issue, but here are a few things you can check:

  • Attach an FTDI cable and check the boot output
  • Flash PX4 master and check if you get the baro
  • Flash Ardupilot and check if you get the baro
    The baro failure also causes the level calibration to fail, because the attitude estimator does not initialize.
3

Hello bkueng

  1. I am a newcomer to the field, so I have only a vague idea of what an “FTDI cable” is. Just saw it on Internet. However, from what I have read, I can see the NSH shell through a USB connection in QGroundControl:

“You can also use the nsh shell on QGC directly.”
https://docs.qgroundcontrol.com/en/analyze_view/mavlink_console.html

As I wrote to you, and attached a photo of my mavlink console, when I type “ls /dev” in the console, there is not “baro” on the screen of devices.

  1. I don’t understand what is “PX master” and where does one get it. If possible, can you explain and provide a link?

  2. I also don’t understand what is “Ardupilot”. As far as I know, it is a site for copters, etc. But how does one flash it?

  3. Thanks for letting me know that baro causes level calibration failure. I didn’t know that before.

What I did yesterday, was to “diable” my baro and “mag0”. Hence, I was able to overcome pre-flight failures, and start the motors. But is it possible to fly without the baro?

Thanks,

Gennady.

4

This is an addition to my previous message:

  1. I found out what is PX4 master. It is a developer build, as explained here:
    https://docs.px4.io/en/config/firmware.html

  2. However, flashing it didn’t help my vehicle - seems no baro sensor. Moreover, communication with vehicle is lost. I cannot connect to my Pixhawk now.

  3. Same story for Ardupilot. This seems to be a different version of soft for Pixhawk. Didn’t help with finding a baro.

  4. However, I believe it is there, as on my initial flash it was there, as was communication with my 433 Mhz radio. Now the radio is gone, too.

So, I believe it is some software bug.

Moreover, I was not able to do QGroundControl Bootloader Update
https://docs.px4.io/en/advanced_config/bootloader_update.html#qgc_bootloader_update

as I didn’t manage to find SYS_BL_UPDATE in the parameters of both master builds - the PX4 and Ardupilot.

So, any help will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Gennady

5

Yes, but you will not see the boot messages. For that you need the FTDI cable.

No (at least not with the default estimator), please don’t attempt to do that, it’s dangerous.

If both Ardupilot and PX4 don’t work, it’s a good indicator for a hardware defect of the baro (there might be other communication issues). I suggest you contact the board manufacturer.