3rd solo on Solex

[Bradley d]

I have 3 solos 2 with MRO gps and one stock. The stock is a clean bird only flown twice. I decided to install Solex since the other 2 were on Solex. Started going through the update 15 minutes later the controller still wouldn't restart. I finally re started aftef30 minutes and it went to the screen where it sayspreflight update. I tried factory reset on both the copter and controller and get Nothing! Am I screwed? 3 green lights on the solo controller won't connect. HELP!

 

[just_bruce]

Slow down and separate what you're saying. You seem to be conflating or confusing a number of things. Give it to us step by step please.

 

[Bradley d]

Ok the Solo I was updating did not update correctly. The copter itself has 4 green lights and doesn't play the start up tune when you turn it on. The controller wants the pre flight update from the Solo App which I can't do because it will no longer connect to the copter.

 

[IrishmanPDX]

I have 3 solos 2 with No hos and one stock.
Yup, Bro's before Ho's dude!

The stick is a clean bird only flown twice.
Good that she's had all her shots and regular checkups, don't want to catch nothing nasty from some Ho!

I decided to install Solex since the other 2 were on Solex.
Solex is an app used to control your drone, you install it on your phone, it does not get installed on your drone. It's an app, an interface, nothing more. I'm guessing what you actually mean is "Open Solo"?

Started going through the update 15 minutes later the controller still wouldn't restart. I finally re started aftef30 minutes and it went to the screen where it sayspreflight update.
If you had installed "Open Solo" correctly, it wouldn't be asking for a preflight update. Sounds like it may have been in the process of installing, the screen shut off (as it should) during the update and the controller was restarted without completing the install. This in turn fired up the original restore image and you're back to stock solo software. You'll need to do the stock update again in order to be able to reinstall "Open Solo"

I tried factory reset on both the copter and controller and get Nothing!
"Nothing" would indicate no power, no reaction from either the drone or the controller, it would indicate that they are now useless bricks. I don't think this is the case. If you want help, you need to describe exactly what happens when you go to reset the copter and controller. Pay attention to the flashing lights on the drone as well as the where the "pair" port is.

Am I screwed?
Only if have an actual "Ho" present. Otherwise you're just in some mild difficulty.

3 green lights on the solo controller won't connect.
Well, they are lights... lights tend to shine, not connect. What we need to do is get a better description of the issue, what steps you've taken, hey, Video and Photo's always help too! It's hard to give good advice though when terms, terminology, and steps are not fully described.

HELP!
We'll do our best, just hang in there lad and we'll try to get your bird fixed.

 

[Bradley d]

Irishman-thanks for your response. Correct i was installing Open Solo and I agree it was an error on my part. Like I stated this was the 3rd install I had done, and after 30 minutes and the controller didn't come back on I re started the controller. Patience isn't my strong point! That is more than twice the time it took on either of the others, and I should have just been more patient.
The orange light next to the pairing button was flashing, but now is solid and all 4 motor pods are green. No tune plays at start up and i cannot bind the controller to the copter. The controller is reading "pre flight update". I have done a reset on the controller along with a reset on the solo itself to get to the state I am in. How can I update to open solo or get the Transmitter and Copter to bind? Again any help is appreciated!

 

[IrishmanPDX]

Ok, so this happened with the 3rd bird. Does this mean you have 3 birds total and 3 separate controllers? The reason I ask is that I just want to check for compatibility errors when it comes to drone communication (trying to connect a non open solo controller to an open solo bird etc).

The other questions to ask... are you ok with opening up your bird? Reason being that the green lights coming on and staying on, no startup sound... wondering if the SD card is loose. It happens, and probably more likely if you've been flipping the bird back and forth resetting it or trying to get it to pair.

From what it sounds like is that the solo controller did not upgrade to Open Solo and the bird is now stuck trying to boot due to either the upgrade process getting interrupted or the SD card coming loose. I'm going to give other people the chance to chime in here with some suggestions or things to check, but your description above certainly helps clarify things.

However in the meantime, here's a link to the solid orange light issue and yes, it's a loose SD card

 

[Bradley d]

Correct. 3 Birds, 3 Controllers. I'm O.K. opening it up as a last resort. I know the SD card is a pain to get to,, but I have taken them down that far before.
Hopefully someone else can give some other options. I wont be home for 5 or 6 hours so if need be I guess if there are no other options, time to break it down!
Thanks for your help. I will keep you posted.

 

[IrishmanPDX]

Aye, hoping it is and ins't the SD card that needs reseating. I mean, pain in the arse to do BUT at least if that is the issue, it's done and dusted. Hoping someone else can chime in with some other less intense stuff to try.

Also hoping the Open Solo upgrade didn't take in the bird, if it did and your controller is stuck the preflight update... may be an issue. Good luck!

 

[just_bruce]

Does Solex or your app of choice connect to the problematic controller?

 

[IrishmanPDX]

That's an interesting question, I was under the impression that if it's asking for the preflight update, you need to connect it to your device, download the update, it would then update the controller and then try to update the bird. If it doesn't update the bird it stays in the "preflight update" phase. Is there a way to upgrade the controller to open solo while it's asking for the preflight update? Or do you have to complete the whole preflight update process before you can upgrade?

Reason I ask is that if we all update our solo's to open solo, and then later on need to buy a spare controller that's still NIB.. is the only way to update to stick in an SD card with an open solo image on it?

 

[Bradley d]

That's exactly my problem guys. My controller won't connect to the solo app or Solex to download the update. I just keep getting the waitng on Solo not connected message when I go to the WIFI connection for the Solo..And I do believe the update took on the Solo itself due to the fact the pixhawk reset twice before the controller powered off and wouldn't come back on. Everything seemed to be going smooth until the controller wouldn't come back on. My screw up I admit, but it was taking considerably longer to update than I had ever seen. I have updated to Open Solo and done my share of updates and I should have known to just wait a little longer.... but I didn't.
Irishman, you said it could be a problem i the Solo took the update and the controller didn't. Could you elaborate?

 

[IrishmanPDX]

I'm not sure what the compatibility is like between a stock solo and an open solo controller. At the least, it will connect, however the stick inputs may not work properly. I was more addressing the fact that a NIB controller would want to do a preflight update on the controller and bird. If the bird is updated to open solo, I'm not sure if it could complete said preflight update. And without completing the preflight update, it may not be possible to upgrade the controller to open solo alone. Not sure if it's something where you need to complete all steps. Mind you, an easy fix for most people would be to clone the SD card in an upgraded controller, put it into the non upgraded controller and viola... BUT... don't want you to have to do that until we've tried somewhat easier steps first. I'm thinking the controller wants to connect to your bird to read the software version on it so it can then say "ok, step 1 completed" and then decide if it needs to download an update from the 3DR servers. So I think your bird and controller are a mix of two separate problems.

As far as I understand it, you've got two working birds at the moment and one you need fixed. So lets just all take a step back and examine this and just see what fixes we can come up with.

I have one controller at home that's "Stock". I'll see if I can pair it to an "Open Solo" bird this evening and see what happens (spoiler alert, I am NOT going to try flying with it!). I'll do the same with an open solo controller and the stock bird. What I'm looking for in this case is to see whether the upgrade on the stock bird can take place over an open solo controller (to check communication). If so, we can work on your bird using one of your other controllers. Then work on your controller problem.

 

[DaveB]

Just to chime in if the controller will not conect to the app.your controller SD card my be loose.

 

[IrishmanPDX]

Just to chime in if the controller will not conect to the app.your controller SD card my be loose.

Could be, but since it's stuck at the preflight update phase, I'm actually thinking it want's to connect to the bird to check the software version on it. Since the bird isn't doing the musical cue upon turning on and all lights are staying green and the pairing light is staying solid orange, it sounds like it may not be booting properly, so now the controller has nothing to actually connect to. That's likely an SD card loose on the bird causing that one. Sounds like the controller is booting just fine, it's just been reset with the 3DR software on it, so first thing it does is want to connect to the 3dr servers to get an update for the controller and for the bird.

 

[IrishmanPDX]

Could be, but since it's stuck at the preflight update phase, I'm actually thinking it want's to connect to the bird to check the software version on it. Since the bird isn't doing the musical cue upon turning on and all lights are staying green and the pairing light is staying solid orange, it sounds like it may not be booting properly, so now the controller has nothing to actually connect to. That's likely an SD card loose on the bird causing that one. Sounds like the controller is booting just fine, it's just been reset with the 3DR software on it, so first thing it does is want to connect to the 3dr servers to get an update for the controller and for the bird.

Ok, good news, you can ignore the preflight update message. A stock controller will still connect to the sole app and you can update it to open solo, even while it displays the preflight update needed message.

Now onto fixing your bird....

 

[Pedals2Paddles]

No app is going to connect and no update is going to install given the state it is in based on the description. This is completely hosed on so many fronts. Flashing SD cards is not going to do it either.

You will need to hook up to the Pixhawk and manually load firmware with Mission Planner or QGC to revive it. Once you have it revived, it can be paired and will reconnect. Do the full update to 3dr 2.4.2 with the 3dr app. Once it is back to that and stable, you can try Open Solo again... Preferably by actually following the instructions.

 

[Bradley d]

No app is going to connect and no update is going to install given the state it is in based on the description. This is completely hosed on so many fronts. Flashing SD cards is not going to do it either.

You will need to hook up to the Pixhawk and manually load firmware with Mission Planner or QGC to revive it. Once you have it revived, it can be paired and will reconnect. Do the full update to 3dr 2.4.2 with the 3dr app. Once it is back to that and stable, you can try Open Solo again... Preferably by actually following the instructions.

Pedals2paddles-that's what my fear was. I knew I made a critical error when I rebooted tbe controller. It wasn't my first time and I've heard the stories of being impatient and not following directions. Thought this might be the case my lack of patience and I pay the price! What is QGC? Can you give me some instruction here? Really I am able to follow directions!

 

[IrishmanPDX]

Well I wasn't lying or dreaming, you CAN still update your controller regardless of the preflight update message. However P2P is right, the bird sounds hosed. Hopefully he can give you some instructions on hooking it up via USB (I think at this stage he'd have a flyer ready to hand out to save time....).

He helped me out before in a similar situation but I'm sure those instructions are out of date (regarding which versions to load up etc), so not going to jump in any more here.

Best of luck lad!

 

[Bradley d]

Well I wasn't lying or dreaming, you CAN still update your controller regardless of the preflight update message. However P2P is right, the bird sounds hosed. Hopefully he can give you some instructions on hooking it up via USB (I think at this stage he'd have a flyer ready to hand out to save time....).

He helped me out before in a similar situation but I'm sure those instructions are out of date (regarding which versions to load up etc), so not going to jump in any more here.

Best of luck lad!

I appreciate your help. I did get figured out how to connect to the pixhawk. Now I just need access and direction on which files to download.

 

[Bradley d]

Pedals2paddles-that's what my fear was. I knew I made a critical error when I rebooted tbe controller. It wasn't my first time and I've heard the stories of being impatient and not following directions. Thought this might be the case my lack of patience and I pay the price! What is QGC? Can you give me some instruction here? Really I am able to follow directions!

P2P. I downloaded mission plsnner and am able to plug into my pixhawk but I am unsure of exactly which files to download. I was hoping could get me heading the right direction with which files and help keep me from screwing this up any more. (If that's possible!)