Need a little help fixing "ESC status error". (ID SMD components)

[Wrecked]

OK. I got this crashed drone that has the dreaded ESC status error. After updating to 1.11.30 it persisted, so I took it apart, and meassured the MOSFETS. They seemed fine, so I found out what motor was missing the startup sound -> Motor 4.

I meassured all the MOSFET connections, and figured out the gate signal to the low MOSFET for motorwire A was missing.

So I flipped the mainboard, and found the fault. Some SMD components was ripped off the board and was nowhere to be found. I figured out the 2 resistors, but need help to ID the other 2 components.

Looks like either capacitors or diodes, but I need to know.

So... Does anyone know what components Im missing?

 

[Digdat0]

i can take a pic if it would help but i would check here, mefistotelis has done a good job of documenting the hardware.
P3X ESC center board · mefistotelis/phantom-firmware-tools Wiki · GitHub

this is also a schematic he did, this may be what you need
dji-hardware-schematics/phantom_3_pro_overview.pdf at master · mefistotelis/dji-hardware-schematics · GitHub

dji-hardware-schematics/phantom_3_pro_esc_center_board.pdf at master · mefistotelis/dji-hardware-schematics · GitHub

 

[Wrecked]

Thanks for your reply. Yes, a picture would be great, although Im fairly sure I got the resistors correct.

I did use his diagrams when I meassured. But the diagram is not 100% correct, and can't be trusted. For example the reisitors to the gate of the MOSFETS are 10 ohms according to the diagram, but they are really 50 ohms. Besides either a diode or a capacitor is in the same circut, but not shown on the diagram.

 

[Wrecked]

From looking at the other motor circuits, I think I have figured it out. I bet my missing components with the + sign, are TVS diodes (marked LZ).

So, I guess I need 2 TVS diodes, a 10 ohm resistor and a 50 ohm resistor.

Feel free to upload a picture to confirm my findings (or to prove me wrong)

 

[Digdat0]

From looking at the other motor circuits, I think I have figured it out. I bet my missing components with the + sign, are TVS diodes (marked LZ).

So, I guess I need 2 TVS diodes, a 10 ohm resistor and a 50 ohm resistor.

Feel free to upload a picture to confirm my findings (or to prove me wrong)

sorry for the delay we went outa town. This board is a turd to take pics of. I had to use my loupe to get some numbers off there. Not the best pics, but i see a 510 and a 100 ..

the board is the same as yours its a P01012.07 "old motors" board

 

[Digdat0]

and if it helps, you can have this mainboard. pay shipping / box and its yours. the phantom was run over by a car, i bought it for the camera board (it was dirt cheap). The only issue i can see with the mainboard is the IMU was pushed through and the solders broke. I was gonna solder it back together and try and repair but got too many other projects lol

 

[epicdoom]

I suspect they are diodes and probably the same as the other components on the board with the Plus sign. you can measure them and see if they are diodes with a meter caps climb in one direction and drop in the other when the meter leads are swapped. diodes will show continuity in one direction and open in the other. I think its completely ridiculous that SMD components fall off these boards they shouldn't do that there is next to no mass in the components that would cause it to fall off unless its cold soldered or barely soldered at all. I see a lot of this type of issues with connectors on these drones as well DJI really needs to find another company to populate boards and if they are doing it themselves then someone needs to teach them how to do it right.

 

[Wrecked]

Digdat, great info and pictures. Thank you.

I would love to buy the board from you. Where are you located? Im in Danmark. Let me know the total including shipping and we will work something out
I have paypal btw.

Epicdoom. I agree, tjey are propably diodes, but I think they are tvs diodes to catch spikes. They comes in many different forms, so I need to source the correct ones.

I think the crash pushed one of the arms into the mainboard, which caused the components to fall off.

 

[epicdoom]

Digdat, great info and pictures. Thank you.

I would love to buy the board from you. Where are you located? Im in Danmark. Let me know the total including shipping and we will work something out
I have paypal btw.

Epicdoom. I agree, tjey are propably diodes, but I think they are tvs diodes to catch spikes. They comes in many different forms, so I need to source the correct ones.

I think the crash pushed one of the arms into the mainboard, which caused the components to fall off.

yeah definitely want to make sure you get the right ones I see a lot of electronic damage for my work where trucks get mangled up pretty good but almost never are any of the electronics dislodged from the boards even one that had a fork lift fork pierce through a control board it broke it up but zero components fell off the board. I haven't taken one of these drones apart to look at the boards are they coating them after production that you can tell? anyhow I hope you can get your fixed up Brother sounds like the board Digdat has is just the ticket for you. I love seeing folks repair this stuff over replacement of part I think you learn more that way.

 

[Wrecked]

Thank you. Yes, its such a nice gesture of digdat, and Im prettty sure he will, get me in the air again

I see you epicdoom, on another forum, is asking for the 1.11.30 firmware to fix esc errors. I have that now although it didnt help me. If you are still looking let me know!

 

[Digdat0]

im in the US, West Coast. Looks like its $34 USD to ship USPS flat rate box to you.

 

[Wrecked]

On the west coast eh I was there on vacation this summer. Drove from San Diego to San Fransisco. Its such a beautifull coastline!

I would be happy to pay the $34 shipping. Are you sure you dont want something for the board as well?

 

[Digdat0]

nahh, its just sitting on a shelf man, I bought the crashed setup for $50 and i got the camera board (worth $150 IMO) and i fixed a broken camera .. thats all I really wanted, the added parts were just nice to have. I won't use it again if you can, thats awesome, no need for me to profit just cover shipping and its good. I have 4 old motors, i dont know if they work, but if they fit in the box I'll put those in as well if you want them. send me a PM with your address.

and so ya know what your getting this is the board

 

[Wrecked]

Looks great! Yes, I would love to have the motors as well. You never know

Will send you a PM

 

[Digdat0]

and i do have every reason to believe the board would work once soldered back together as well. the damage pushed that board through, but seemed isolated. i'll see if i can find the imu from it .. it was all taken apart

 

[Wrecked]

Hmm. Might even be easier to solder your board than my own.. At least Im almost 100% sure I will get one of them working again.

 

[epicdoom]

Thank you. Yes, its such a nice gesture of digdat, and Im prettty sure he will, get me in the air again

I see you epicdoom, on another forum, is asking for the 1.11.30 firmware to fix esc errors. I have that now although it didnt help me. If you are still looking let me know!

I got it and installed it, all is well now. I just got the P3P used last week and checked the flight logs from the previous owned and found that after the update the firmware he started getting esc errors popping up so far no more ESC issues I just hope it remains that way.

 

[Wrecked]

That's great news. I hope its OK now

 

[epicdoom]

I zoomed in on the pictures and I can see a lot of dull solder that's an indication of cold soldering I know its hard to see from a picture but if I compare the solder on the board components to the solder on the power and motor wiring I can clearly see the wiring has bright shiny solder and everything else not so much

 

[Wrecked]

Yeah. I "cleaned" it up a bit with my soldering iron. That's why it looks dull.