Testing Motors without a Remote or a GPS

PX4 Autopilot Configuration and Flight Modes
#1

Hi, I am a NEW PX4 user.
I am trying to setup a spedix250 frame with a the PixHawk 4 Flight controller.
I
do not have a GPS or a Remote to operate the drone in Auto or Manual modes, so the system is in DISARM mode (pending remote control configuration and calibration)

In this given scenario, is there any way I can spin the motors (without the props, ofcourse) to test the spin direction of each motor, making sure my wiring (motor to ESC) is correct.

Eventually I will use a GPS to test a mission mode.

Any help is appreciated.

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#2

Hi,
you can use the Mavlink Shell https://dev.px4.io/en/debug/system_console.html#mavlink_shell.
Connect you Pixhawk using the USB cable or the telemetry cable, find the serial port name (ttyUSB# or ttyACM#), then launch ./mavlink_shell.py --baudrate 115200 /dev/ttyACM0 (this is valid for USB cable).
If everything is correct, you’ll see the message Connecting to MAVLINK...
Press Enter and you’ll see the shell (nsh>). The command help will show the list of commands.

pwm arm should be enough to test the motors… for more details look here: https://dev.px4.io/en/middleware/modules_command.html

Do not forget to remove the propellers before!
mavlink_shell.py is in the folder ./Firmware/Tools

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#3

Thanks. I will try and let you know

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#4

For those who came late like me. You can also access the shell with Mavlink console in QGroundControl:
https://docs.qgroundcontrol.com/en/analyze_view/mavlink_console.html

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