SB_0000002 Critical service bulletin for Cubes Purchased between January 2019 to July 2019. DO NOT FLY

Is there something that we users can do to help with the investigation?
For example: where, what and how we should report faulty units?

Please test today’s Beta code if you are willing, it should safely switch IMU’s if there is a fault, and combined with today’s mission planner, faulty cubes should be detected.

Mission planner will identify the cube after you connect and all parameters are uploaded.

If it detects a bad cube, it will give you the option to send us data. Please do.

Can I get some feedback from fellow system integrator on how they are handling this “responsibly”, but realistically. We for only have AP bought from this year. Last years batch is long finished.
There is no alternative to use other item till this is sorted out. We do not have a “backup” supplier.

Will you:

  • Halt all flight testing (and maybe even halt relevant production as who knows it this would mean complete AP unit replacement).
  • Halt all deliveries (delay on promised deadlines).
  • Inform all clients that were shipped units which had Cubes from this years batch to stop flying all together till further notice? Even it means major financial loss (say not being able to do a scheduled stockpile). As this affects both backup units even if available (the whole point of actually why they got a backup unit in the first place).

I am trying to decide how to be reasonable with this. The failure has been very low according to the reports. But should that mean we ignore the warning… or seriously hurt our businesses and do the above?
I think I know what most are doing, but I am curious if anyone would confirm this. Any company producing multiple units per week as we do, will find this a serious setback and thus a hard dilemma.

This is Aviation. Put your vehicles on the ground and remember that no matter how pissed off your customers may be that you are stopping them from flying, it’s nowhere near as bad as having them crash.

As soon as we can we will get options out for people to fly.

1 Like

I can assure all of you, we are doing Everything in our power to get to the bottom of this and get you back in the air.

But we WILL NOT COMPROMISE ON SAFETY NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU COMPLAIN.

1 Like

BETA TESTING welcome!!!

The ardupilot team has worked tirelessly to put together this Hotfix to get redundancy working again!!! Thankyou team!

We need some brave souls to test on expendable frames…

Please update to the latest mission planner via the .msi method

http://firmware.ardupilot.org/Tools/MissionPlanner/MissionPlanner-latest.msi

It may ask you to install drivers… do…

Then install today’s Beta.

https://discuss.ardupilot.org/t/copter-3-6-8-rc1-available-for-beta-testing/41492

Power cycle the cube.

Connect with mission planner

If you have a known faulty cube, you should get a message telling you this. And an option to send us information, please do.

If you don’t, please test fly, then after flight look for IMUs not matching in fligh.

If you don’t see this, your cube is behaving ok.

This is no guarantee that it will not have issues, but it is the best you can have.

Please report back if you have any issues with the beta on the beta release thread on ardupilot . .Org

Thanks!

3 Likes

Not sure who you saw complaining. I did not see any post here with complaints.

About the beta test. I am very happy to assist with any testing. I don’t mind expending any frame either to get this sorted out ASAP. Only problem is we only make fixed wings and vtols. We do not make/have any copters.
Will it be very difficult to make a plane version aswell? If not let us have it so we can do our part.

To be clear… Does this hotfix “fix” the issue. It is unclear based on you last sentence. I mean obviously if it works. What will the testing prove or not?

Please be patient.

This is a fix for a bug…

It doesn’t remove the grounding requirement

I am trying hard Philip. :slight_smile:
Thank you.

Everyone is, I don’t want this thread filled with discussion.

Announcements only please.

1 Like

Hi Philip, the MP doesn’t work on my side. i have checked msi package and zip too. If somebody got the same please update! Thanks!

1 Like

Please make a new topic to discuss any issues with mission planner in the mission planner section, this topic needs to stay on topic

mine keep saying this message…

Do I have damaged one?

Looks like you have not installed the latest copter.
The check is on the Beta copter.

When Ready…I have a few Skywalker airframes I can risk for Airplane Testing within 24 hours and provide logs

Available for testing:
Cube Black
NextGen Airspeed
Here 2
RFD 900x

Thanks!

Same here

1 Like

MP 1.3.65 doesn’t work in my w10 pc
Immagine%201

@Michael_Oborne

@philip Thanks for keeping us all updated. It’s never easy having to deal with a problem like this, but I appreciate your transparency in the matter.

That being said, are there ways that I can verify which cubes are affected? I know that cubes that say “Pixhawk2” are definitely pre-2019. There’s also a “cube” branded cube with screws to hold the cap on, and a “cube” branded cube that uses clips for the cap. I also noticed that on the main PCB there’s a 4 digit number, is that a date code? (I’ve seen 1703, 1723, 1841, 1901) Is there a way to decode by the serial number under the cube?

Thanks again for all your help!