Is this a common problem?

I'm seeing regular disconnections from my Mac on one of my Spirit FBL's. On my Gaui X4, it's fine. Leave it connected. Fine. BT works fine.
On my N7 (powered by 2S lipo is about the only diff I can spot) I get disconnections within about 1m. e.g: I'm typing this message (after reconnecting the s/ware) and exactly 70s later while not having changed focus in any app, touched anything at all, moved the heli or anything suddenly the spirit s/ware says "no connection, reconnect?".

It'll reconnect fine - but it's kinda annoying. Same thing with BT.

Trying some more, disconnects in:
- 75s
- 90s

Ideas? Ponder ponder...

Hello,

did you installed recommended driver from our manual?
If not, it is very important, because other driver can cause serious problems.

It is not common problem at all, actually you are first with this report.

Do you have enabled USB sleeping mechanism in OSX?

_________________
Spirit System developer

I've re-downloaded the driver and checked it's version number, it is 3.1.0d1 which is the same as what I have currently loaded.

I don't even know if it's possible to have a USB sleeping mechanism on OSX. I certainly haven't installed one. I'm currently testing on a widows VM to see if it's Mac/driver or hardware related. Will post some results soon.


In any case, disconnection issues on a PC would I think be different from those on a BT device. One thing at a time tho!

Continuing the testing:
I plugged in another unit (on the Mac) to double check, and it disconnected within about 70s as well, so it doesn't seem restricted to a single unit as I first thought.

I then rebooted, just to ensure I was working with a clean slate.
Same issues.

I then plugged the same units (both of them) into a Windows VM via Parallels. No disconnection after 20m.

I re-tested with them plugged them into the Mac, and got a disconnect in ~4m.

So it seems there's some issue with the Mac comms code? perhaps?

EDIT: I just noticed that the windows s/ware still says "connected" even after the USB is disconnected from SYS, for about 1m. Maybe 2m. It doesn't say "disconnected" until after I move the controller/go to the diagnostic page.

Hello,

if it works with different helicopter correctly, then I guess something will be different in powering the unit.
There can be issue if there is not shared ground properly or there is some noise.

What receiver type do you use?

_________________
Spirit System developer

I'm using Futaba RB7003/8 SB's.

The N7 is powered by a 2S lipo. No ESC.
The Gaui (where it seems more reliable) is running a YGE.

I will need to test more. Yesterday, when I thought the Settings s/ware was running more reliably on Win than Mac, I then unplugged the connector and windows didn't say it was disconnected - even after 10m.

It looks to me like the Mac s/ware is polling the device more often and that the windows s/ware is only performing a connection check either when I switch tabs (I switched to diagnostics, at which point it recognised the lack of connection) or move the sticks. I will need to start my testing again with this knowledge.

I'd be happy to debug it for you since it seems it's easy to get the disconnection problem on my mac, but realise that's prob out of the question.

Thank you very much!

Can you connect the unit to BEC or other power source, please? (just for test so we can check where the problem is)
Disconnect event is not recognized correctly in Windows in some cases, but we are working to fix the problem so it can work in all operating systems correctly.

_________________
Spirit System developer

Sure.

Connected to Chase 360 (R7003sb), via Hobbywing 50a platinum ESC/BEC. All servos connected.
5.88v measured after FBL initialised, servo's entered.

Disconnects in:
- 30s
- 90s
- 120s
- 210s
<restart fbl unit>
- 390s
- 200s
- 100s

FBL unit without servo's connected (measured 5.88v as well):
- 253s
- 90s

Went to the field today. Used a friends Samsung Tab (3 I think?) - the point being "a reasonably good android device".

No problems at all.

I did NOT take a laptop. So I can't post any experiences re disconnects from that with a USB->Serial cable. I will take the laptop upstairs or somewhere else (along with the heli) and test at some stage... in order to see if it's radio interference.