A few years back I bout nearly all the gear necessary to build my first drone, a S500 frame quad including a new Pixhawk 2 Pix32. Then life happened: I lost both parents, had my rental sold out from under me after 18-years, almost died from COVID, etc…
I’ve dug the box out recently and want to begin again with the project. I realize that a lot has changed - vehicle ID requirements, licensing, etc., and I will address all of that, but right now I am in the beginning of the build. I know the Pixhawk 2 Pix32 is no longer sold, and I have followed the threads to try and learn as much as I can regarding using the hardware, but I have some questions and hopefully some kind souls here will help with my stupid newb questions, especially as I am confused regarding the discontinued Pixhawk 2 Pix32 and the Pix32 V5 that is still available; I don’t want to make any firmware mistakes between the two.
Am I correct in assuming that QGroundControl will query the module and download the appropriate firmware when the time comes?
Also, again a before-I-build question, is it advisable to use the separate power module for power distribution including the ESCs, or is the PCB board version of the S500 frame fine for this? I do have an older in-line Holybro power module, but like the Pixhawk 2, it is discontinued and there is no longer any support for it. (There is no model number or other markings to identify it. Pic below).
ANY help or advice (or questions) for a newb stepping off the dock for the first time would be greatly appreciated!
Wow, sorry to hear that, and I’m glad you finally get to try out the gear!
Yes, that’s generally how it works. Now I don’t know exactly which Pixhawk you have but it’s worth a try.
And you might have to update the bootloader, so that you can make use of 2MB flash space rather than just one. See:
I don’t know the PCB that comes with the S500. If it has a voltage and current sensing and a separate cable to the Pixhawk, then that would be great. Otherwise, you might want to use the power module as it gives you voltage and current information to monitor over telemetry (e.g. in QGC), or define low battery actions.
This should still work fine. They usually have GND, 5v supply, and two analog pins to signal voltage and current. In the power tab in QGC (or using some params) you can set the “voltage dividers”, so you can set the “ratio/multiplier” between the sensing pin and the real battery. If you know the voltage of your battery from a multi-meter, or even just your charger, that might be enough to calibrate it.
