For those who’ve ever confronted the irritating problem of your FPV drone refusing to arm, you’re in the fitting place. I’m right here to information you thru troubleshooting and fixing this drawback, particularly in case your drone makes use of Betaflight firmware. By understanding what prevents a drone from arming and studying how you can 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 Test
Alright, let’s dive into the primary steps to diagnose why your drone isn’t arming.
Unplugging USB Cable
Betaflight has a security characteristic the place your motors gained’t spin up if the flight controller is related to the configurator. So, disconnect the USB and provides it one other go.
Radio Receiver Test
Guarantee your radio receiver is certain and dealing accurately in Betaflight. Head over to the receiver tab to see if the channel responses match your stick actions accurately. Oh, and be sure you’ve received the most recent Betaflight configurator downloaded: https://oscarliang.com/download-betaflight-configurator/.
Arm Mode Task
Did you assign a change in your radio for ARM mode? It ought to gentle up yellow when activated, signaling the whole lot’s set accurately. Undecided how to try this? See my tutorial on organising Arm change: https://oscarliang.com/betaflight-modes/#How-to-Setup-Arm-Change
Nonetheless no luck? Let’s dig a bit deeper.
How one can Test for Arming Points in Betaflight
OSD
For those who’ve received Betaflight OSD, allow “Warnings” in your display screen with “Arming Disabled” chosen. It’ll provide you with 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
In case you have entry to a pc, you may simply verify the Arming Disable Flag within the Setup Tab within the Betaflight configurator.
CLI
Alternatively, you may verify within the CLI by getting into the command “standing”, the final line is the record of arming prevention flags.
Additional Studying: How one can use CLI in Betaflight?
Buzzer Beeping
For those who don’t have a pc, however your quad has a buzzer, the beeping must also point out the disarm flags. Right here’s how you can decipher the beeping sample:
- 5 brief beeps for simply consideration, which may 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 may 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 information is from the Betaflight wiki.
| Identify | Description | Beep code | Required Actions |
| NOGYRO | A gyro was not detected | 1 | You could have a {hardware} failure, if a earlier firmware model works then it might be a firmware problem. Otherwise you might need flashed a fallacious goal. |
| FAILSAFE | Failsafe is energetic | 2 | Rectify the failure situation and take a look at 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 change is on | 4 | Change the arm change off. |
| BOXFAILSAFE | The ‘FAILSAFE’ change 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 stage (sufficient) | 9 | Degree 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 change just isn’t activated or prearm has not been toggled after disarm | 11 | Toggle the prearm change. |
| LOAD | System load is just too excessive for secure flight | 12 | Revisit configuration and disable options. |
| CALIB | Sensor calibration continues to be ongoing | 13 | Await sensor calibration to finish. |
| CLI | CLI is energetic | 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 energetic | Exit OSD menu. | |
| BST | A Black Sheep Telemetry gadget (TBS Core Professional for instance) disarmed and is stopping arming | 16 | Seek advice from the handbook on your {hardware}. |
| MSP | MSP connection is energetic, most likely 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 | Await GPS repair, allow arming with out GPS repair, or disable GPS rescue mode. |
| RECOVERY | (wiki incomplete) | (wiki incomplete) | (wiki incomplete) |
| RESCUE_SW | GPS Rescue change is in an unsafe place | 20 | Flip off the GPS Rescue change to arm. |
| RPMFILTER(2) | Motor RPM-based filtering just isn’t functioning | 21 | A number of ESC’s usually are not supplying legitimate RPM telemetry. |
| REBOOT_REQD | Reboot required | 22 | Reboot the flight controller for settings modifications 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 change is in an unsafe place | 26 | Toggle the arm change to arm. |
Different Widespread Points
If Betaflight exhibits no arming disabled flags, the issue may be one thing else. Listed below are a number of 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 with a view to arm. In that case, guarantee your quad is on a stage floor, and calibrate the ACC on a stage floor.
If you want to have the ability to arm the drone regardless the angle it’s in, you may disable Most Arm Angle by getting into 180. Some individuals want to do that because it permits them to arm the quad when they’re caught in timber and so they may be capable to shake it out. However clearly this could possibly be a security concern, so do that at your individual danger.
A defective accelerometer may additionally contribute to the difficulty, attempt disabling accelerometer within the Configuration tab if you happen to don’t usually fly in Angle/Horizon/Rescue modes.
CPU Utilization
When CPU load is just too excessive, Betaflight will refuse to arm. Yow will discover out the CPU load on the backside of Betaflight Configurator.
Maintain the CPU load under 80% (since BF4.3) by adjusting settings, akin to reducing PID loop frequency, and disabling pointless options akin to LED and mushy serial.
Throttle Points
Guarantee your throttle is accurately calibrated. When your throttle channel’s lowest worth is just too excessive, Betaflight will refuse to arm. Ideally your channel endpoints must be 1000 and 2000. 10-12 under 1000 and above 2000 is often nice, akin to 988/990 – 2010-2012, however undoubtedly not above 1000 and under 2000, that’s unhealthy, wherein case you may need to calibrate your radio endpoints.
Betaflight doesn’t arm in case your minimal throttle is just too excessive (increased than the setting “Min_Check”). It is a security characteristic in order that the quad doesn’t abruptly spin up the motors and damage you when it’s armed. You need to be certain 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 might need extra delicate gyro’s and the drone would refuse to calibrate and initialize after energy up, and subsequently you may’t arm it. By improve “gyro_calib_noise_limit” (initially generally 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 drawback was brought on by one thing else that wasn’t lined 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 help and study collectively. Comfortable flying!
Edit Historical past
- Jun 2018 – Tutorial created.
- Feb 2024 – Up to date.
