For those who’ve ever confronted the irritating concern 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 downside, particularly in case your drone makes use of Betaflight firmware. By understanding what prevents a drone from arming and studying methods to 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 Verify
Alright, let’s dive into the primary steps to diagnose why your drone isn’t arming.
Unplugging USB Cable
Betaflight has a security function the place your motors received’t spin up if the flight controller is linked to the configurator. So, disconnect the USB and provides it one other go.
Radio Receiver Verify
Guarantee your radio receiver is certain and dealing appropriately in Betaflight. Head over to the receiver tab to see if the channel responses match your stick actions appropriately. Oh, and ensure you’ve bought the most recent Betaflight configurator downloaded: https://oscarliang.com/download-betaflight-configurator/.
Arm Mode Project
Did you assign a change in your radio for ARM mode? It ought to mild up yellow when activated, signaling every thing’s set appropriately. Unsure how to do 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.
Find out how to Verify for Arming Points in Betaflight
OSD
For those who’ve bought Betaflight OSD, allow “Warnings” in your display screen with “Arming Disabled” chosen. It’ll offer you clue on what’s stopping the drone from arming.
You don’t have Betaflight OSD? There are different methods to test for the “Arming Disable Flag” in Betaflight, let me clarify.
Betaflight Configurator
In case you have entry to a pc, you’ll be able to simply test the Arming Disable Flag within the Setup Tab within the Betaflight configurator.
CLI
Alternatively, you’ll be able to test within the CLI by getting into the command “standing”, the final line is the listing of arming prevention flags.
Additional Studying: Find out how to use CLI in Betaflight?
Buzzer Beeping
For those who don’t have a pc, however your quad has a buzzer, the beeping also needs to point out the disarm flags. Right here’s methods to decipher the beeping sample:
- 5 quick beeps for simply consideration, which may be ignored
- Numerous lengthy beeps
- Numerous quick beeps with lengthy intervals
Every lengthy beep represents 5, whereas every quick beep represents 1. The ultimate flag quantity may be calculated as 5 x <the variety of lengthy beeps> + <the variety of quick beeps>.
For instance:
- 0 lengthy beep and a couple of quick beeps = 2
- 1 lengthy beep and three quick beeps = 8
- 2 lengthy beeps + 0 quick beeps = 10
Arming Prevention Flags Lookup Desk
When you’ve discovered the arming disabled flag numbers or names, match them with this useful desk to decode the difficulty. The data is from the Betaflight wiki.
| Title | Description | Beep code | Required Actions |
| NOGYRO | A gyro was not detected | 1 | You might have a {hardware} failure, if a earlier firmware model works then it might be a firmware concern. Otherwise you might need flashed a mistaken goal. |
| FAILSAFE | Failsafe is lively | 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 simply too excessive | 8 | Decrease throttle beneath min_check. |
| ANGLE | Craft isn’t stage (sufficient) | 9 | Stage 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 isn’t activated or prearm has not been toggled after disarm | 11 | Toggle the prearm change. |
| LOAD | System load is simply too excessive for protected flight | 12 | Revisit configuration and disable options. |
| CALIB | Sensor calibration continues to be ongoing | 13 | Anticipate sensor calibration to finish. |
| CLI | CLI is lively | 14 | Exit the CLI. |
| CMS | CMS (config menu) is Lively – over OSD or different show | 15 | Exit the CMS (or OSD menu). |
| OSD | OSD menu is lively | Exit OSD menu. | |
| BST | A Black Sheep Telemetry machine (TBS Core Professional for instance) disarmed and is stopping arming | 16 | Confer with the handbook to your {hardware}. |
| MSP | MSP connection is lively, in all probability by way of 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 | Anticipate 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 isn’t functioning | 21 | A number of ESC’s will not be supplying legitimate RPM telemetry. |
| REBOOT_REQD | Reboot required | 22 | Reboot the flight controller for settings modifications to take impact. |
| DSHOT_BBANG | DSHOT Bitbang 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 is likely to be one thing else. Listed below are just a few extra issues to test:
Accelerometer Points
If the Most Arm Angle in Configuration tab is ready beneath 180 (default worth 25), your quad have to be underneath this angle with a purpose 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’ll be able to disable Most Arm Angle by getting into 180. Some individuals choose to do that because it permits them to arm the quad when they’re caught in bushes they usually may have the ability to shake it out. However clearly this could possibly be a security concern, so do that at your individual danger.
A defective accelerometer might additionally contribute to the difficulty, attempt disabling accelerometer within the Configuration tab should you don’t usually fly in Angle/Horizon/Rescue modes.
CPU Utilization
When CPU load is simply too excessive, Betaflight will refuse to arm. Yow will discover out the CPU load on the backside of Betaflight Configurator.
Hold the CPU load beneath 80% (since BF4.3) by adjusting settings, reminiscent of decreasing PID loop frequency, and disabling pointless options reminiscent of LED and smooth serial.
Throttle Points
Guarantee your throttle is appropriately calibrated. When your throttle channel’s lowest worth is simply too excessive, Betaflight will refuse to arm. Ideally your channel endpoints ought to be 1000 and 2000. 10-12 beneath 1000 and above 2000 is normally positive, reminiscent of 988/990 – 2010-2012, however undoubtedly not above 1000 and beneath 2000, that’s unhealthy, during which case you may wish to calibrate your radio endpoints.
Betaflight doesn’t arm in case your minimal throttle is simply too excessive (larger than the setting “Min_Check”). This can be a security function in order that the quad doesn’t abruptly spin up the motors and damage you when it’s armed. You need to be sure 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 due to this fact you’ll be able to’t arm it. By enhance “gyro_calib_noise_limit” (initially referred to as Moron Threshold) in CLI can cut 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 downside was attributable to one thing else that wasn’t coated on this tutorial. In case you are nonetheless having issues arming your quad after following this information, please put up your query on our discussion board, our neighborhood is all the time right here to assist and be taught collectively. Blissful flying!
Edit Historical past
- Jun 2018 – Tutorial created.
- Feb 2024 – Up to date.