GoPro Heat

[Tamj]

I read that many of you mentioned your GoPro becomes unusually hot while using it with the Solo.

I also noticed this behavior. Using the GoPro by itself doesn't exhibit the heat problem. It's only when I put it in the gimbal is when it gets hot. I have the Hero 4 Silver and this time I only left it completely idle in the Solo with the props off to drain the Solo battery a little. No recording or anything.

I have two memory cards purchased a month apart within this year. Both performed really well until recently when one card started causing problems with my GoPro.

I'm starting to think maybe the heat might be wearing out memory cards over time which results in frozen GoPros or slow performance of the GoPro. Can anyone confirm this correlation?

 

[twitchyzero]

never noticed it in my H4B in the Solo...it has frozen a few times but not from overheating

H4B runs hot when 4K30 on a long clip. I did battery test with the bacpac and before battery exhaustion at 50 minutes it's almost too hot to touch.

With the Solo I never have recorded up to 50min so i haven't experienced overheating

Is your card over 64GB? If so it's not officially supported. And I think most Sandisk cards will claim "temperature proof"

 

[Nick F]

I have the very same problem since the latest update with Android.
My Hero4 Black itself is ok but if linked to Solo it becomes very hot ending to switch itself off (Hi-temp protection!!)

 

[Tamj]

Nope. My memory card is a 32 GB SanDisk.

I too have the latest update but I haven't had the GoPro shut itself off yet. This is with the official GoPro battery as well.

 

[ChrisBird]

I read that many of you mentioned your GoPro becomes unusually hot while using it with the Solo.

I also noticed this behavior. Using the GoPro by itself doesn't exhibit the heat problem. It's only when I put it in the gimbal is when it gets hot. I have the Hero 4 Silver and this time I only left it completely idle in the Solo with the props off to drain the Solo battery a little. No recording or anything.

I have two memory cards purchased a month apart within this year. Both performed really well until recently when one card started causing problems with my GoPro.

I'm starting to think maybe the heat might be wearing out memory cards over time which results in frozen GoPros or slow performance of the GoPro. Can anyone confirm this correlation?

I to have noticed after the last update my GP 4 Black gets very warm, this is also when it sits idle - not recording at 4K..... I have had a few issues with my memory card the other day, it couldnt write to the card during an orbit shot, the other time it wouldnt start up until I reseated the card. Mine hasn't done the thermal shutdown yet. Has anyone raised it with 3DR?

Its should be fixable via software since this didn't happen before upgrading to 2.4 on the Solo.

 

[Pedals2Paddles]

I wonder if something in the FW (error, typo, etc) is causing the Solo's computer to send higher than spec voltage to the power input pins on the GoPro? I would think those pins are hardware fixed at 5v, not something adjustable in firmware. But I really can't think of any other reason the GoPro would be getting hot when nothing else has changed by a FW Update.

 

[acs306]

I haven't noticed having this problem with my GP H4 Silver. It is a little warm usually, but nothing crazy. However, I did forget to actually power Solo down, as well as the GoPro after my last flight this weekend. Just killed the remote and picked up the bird and put it in my bag and went to the house. I went to get my camera an hour or so later, opened the bag and the GoPro was still on and extremely hot to the touch. But after normal flight, I haven't noticed any extreme temps. I have the latest firmware, but I've only gotten to fly it a handful of times since updating last month so this may just be due to lack of attempts. I'll keep an eye on mine.

 

[SPP]

I wonder if something in the FW (error, typo, etc) is causing the Solo's computer to send higher than spec voltage to the power input pins on the GoPro? I would think those pins are hardware fixed at 5v, not something adjustable in firmware. But I really can't think of any other reason the GoPro would be getting hot when nothing else has changed by a FW Update.

Is there any wiring diaghrams from 3DR for the motherboard to gimbals ?
We can measure and see if anything pumped out by MoBo exceed 5V to gimbal.

 

[PdxSteve]

Is there any wiring diaghrams from 3DR for the motherboard to gimbals ?
We can measure and see if anything pumped out by MoBo exceed 5V to gimbal.

Should all be here: Gimbal Bay | 3DR Solo Development Guide

 

[PMartinez]

I also noticed for the first time that after 20-25 minutes on the ground GoPro shuts down because it's too hot. While flying it helps to keep it cooler for 30-35 minutes...
Never happened before.

 

[Nick F]

I did not mention that the gopro goes hot only if switched on.
If it is off even being connected to Solo does not warm up...

 

[SARDG]

I did not mention that the gopro goes hot only if switched on.
If it is off even being connected to Solo does not warm up...

Hmmm... that's not much of a solution. My old car doesn't overheat either, if I keep it in the garage.

 

[ChrisBird]

Hmmm... that's not much of a solution. My old car doesn't overheat either, if I keep it in the garage.

True but it does help diagnose the issue. Assuming solo on gopro off that is. Less likely a too much power sent to the gopro, more likely the gopro is busy doing more processing but on what?

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

[SPP]

Thanks Steve

Gimbal Bay | 3DR Solo Development Guide
====================================================================

Power Supply
The Gimbal Cable supplies two different voltage sources to the Gimbal Bay:

• VCC 5V (4.75V to 5.4V).
• VCC Battery (12V to 16.8 V).

VCC 5V should be used to power the camera (only). The camera must not draw more than 1A.

NOTE : The VCC 5V supply is also used as the backup supply for the Pixhawk. While the current is not limited, if more than 1A is used the vehicle may fail when running on backup power.



Solo Gimbal Cable
The Solo Gimbal cable terminates in a Molex 5031490800 (alt link) connector. A gimbal board is connected using the corresponding Molex 5031540890 (alt link) connector.

Pin Name Color Description
1 VCC Battery Red 12V to 16.8V. Max recommended current/power is ~3A/50W. Drawing additional current may damage the battery and increases the risk of accident.
2 VCC 5V Yellow 4.75V to 5.4V voltage pin for Camera (only). Current should be less than 1A.
3 GND (Gimbal) Black
4 GND (USB) Brown
5 Gimbal Rx White
6 Gimbal Tx Green
7 USB D+ Blue Positive differential data signal to iMX6 OTG USB port.
8 USB D- Violet Negative differential data signal to iMX6 OTG USB port.

=================+++++=====================

I am not familiar with messing around at GoPro rear expansion port/BUS, for power injection.
If from USB as in charging and power injection into the camera, I am familiar.
If Pixhawk also uses this VCC 5V, and a GoPro is not allowed to drain more than 1A, I suggest never fly with empty battery or non fully charged battery.

I never measured Hero4 power consumption using milliamps meter, like I did with Black3 original using dummy battery, but 77 minutes is the best non stop 4K/25FPS protune ( no LCD BacPac, no Wifi ) I can get with original battery which I already recycled well like 10 discharge/recharge cylce.

H4 battery is claimed to be 4.4 watt hours at 1160 mAh 3.8V, as per sticker on battery.
If I can get 77 minutes, that means my Black4 is draining 903mAh at 3.8V. Its very close to 1A.

The problem is, if the gimbal can power the camera and at the same time charging the battery, power will exceed 1 amp. Hence its a must to fly with fully charged battery.

Here my worry of exceeding 1A is not purely Black4 heat damage. I worry the power backup for Pixhawk get disturbed and if bad luck comes upon us, its double bad luck

The only time I understood power injection to GoPro rear expansion port/BUS is when using the GoPro Battery BacPac. Its not power injection per se, its power usage allocation. When Battery BaPac is used, GoPro takes power first from Battery BP and when at approx 20% level, power usage is shifted to camera battery. So its never about charging.

I never like any gimbal to inject power to my GoPro, as no fly time of any hobby drone battery today can exceed 0.5 hour anyway and I do not like the heat issue when charging + supplying power to camera.

I think in earlier days, DJI Zenmuse gimbal also often overheat Black3 due to its capability of Zenmuse gimbal to charge a GoPro. Those days Zenmuse gimbal has the rear expansion port/BUS connector on gimbal, like Solo's. Later model Zenmuse gimbal do not use GoPro rear expansion port anymore and use the USB instead. GoPro and DJI love affair ended anyway and DJI drones can never have controls of GP cams the way Solo can.

Back to P2P theory of over voltage.
" I wonder if something in the FW (error, typo, etc) is causing the Solo's computer to send higher than spec voltage to the power input pins on the GoPro?"
This could also be the reason too.

In the earlier days of Black3 original, GoPro camera does not like unstable voltage condition coming from USB. It can freeze the camera. I think above 5.3volts, problem starts. Not all powerbanks are issues free when it comes to powering a GoPro for long recording. This also could explain why some members here are having freezing issues with the GoPro or some commands not working..... if voltage injected by Solo's gimbal to the camera is not within GP "liking"
.

 

[Pedals2Paddles]

There are two different power inputs on the GoPro connector. One is in parallel with the USB port's 5 volt pins. That power input would both power and charge the GoPro. I do not believe the Solo is using that, or at least shouldn't be. Because it's not charging the battery. The other input is called "Battery In", which would directly power the GoPro, without charging the GoPro's battery. This appears to be what they're using, since it isn't charging the GoPro battery.

Now, that said... I believe up until 2.3, it was actually charging the battery in the GoPro. Then in 2.3, they removed that function, most likely to avoid overheating and conserve Solo battery power. If a firmware update can turn that circuit off, then the opposite is also conceivable. It could be turning it back on, or it could be incorrectly supplying power to the Battery In circuit. In other words, that tells me it's not just a hardware fixed 5v circuit. It's managed by the firmware somehow. Borked firmware could conceivably be supplying borked power to the GoPro.

Or I'm nuts. Or both.

 

[SPP]

The other input is called "Battery In", which would directly power the GoPro, without charging the GoPro's battery. This appears to be what they're using, since it isn't charging the GoPro battery.

Good info. Thanks
I can try to verify if charging is occuring or not. I know there is no indicator indicating charging in Solo case in 2.3.0
But perhaps I can use 75% level battery and see if I get extra % after 30 minutes on Solo's gimbal with 2.4.0 on the solo itself while android stil on 2.3.0

I dont understand software/firmware thingy and to what extend it can alter voltages, but its possible.

 

[ChrisBird]

Good info. Thanks
I can try to verify if charging is occuring or not. I know there is no indicator indicating charging in Solo case in 2.3.0
But perhaps I can use 75% level battery and see if I get extra % after 30 minutes on Solo's gimbal with 2.4.0 on the solo itself while android stil on 2.3.0

I dont understand software/firmware thingy and to what extend it can alter voltages, but its possible.

It doesnt appear to charge which matches what people have said. I had a gp4b at 50% charge and after running three packs through (so just over 30mins) I was still at 25% so i had a loss of battery since 2.4 fw. On 2.3 or earlier it seemed to keep it charged.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

[SARDG]

I went through 3 Solo batteries and the GPH4B bat was down to 70% so it loses some charge along the way... That example would loosely indicate about 10% per Solo battery. In percentage, close to yours Chris.

 

[SPP]

Okey Chris n SARDG...thank you for the info.
Now we need to confirm the voltage into the gimbal

 

[Pedals2Paddles]

Interesting. It's conceivable that if the power being supplied to the GoPro is too low, it could also piss it off. I was assuming too high, but too low would create problems as well. And it could cause the battery to discharge, which creates heat as well.