Blheli ESC is Not Recognised - How to check the connections.
This article is a follow up from our ESC and Motor troubleshooting Guide, this article will help you to double check for any connection issues between your flight controller and ESC.
Connect to BLheli Suite
To check this the easiest thing to do is to connect up BLheli Suite software via passthrough mode, and try to read the setup form your ESC.
Check the connection between your ESC and FC (read ESC settings via BLheli passthrough)
If you find that all your ESC are read correctly, then there is no connection problems with your drone. This is because the flight controller can correctly read all the settings form the ESC's connected to it. This means that you will need to continue with the troubleshooting guide to test other possible faults such as testing your MOSFETS.
ESC# x: --- not detected
If you see a message when trying to read your ESC settings that one or more ESC cannot be found then this is likely to do with an ESC to FC connection issue. As with checking anything on your drone, make sure all the connections are working as they should, and also check for any possible shorts or solder splatter that may be causing a bad or incorrect connection.
- The best way to resolve this is to first pull up the connection/ pinout diagram from our FC and ESC and double check all the connections.
- If your FC and ESC use a cable, check all the pins and the cable itself to see if the issue is with the cable, if possible try to use a different cable or direct solder the connections between the FC and ESC. You don't need to do this for all the ESC connections, but only the ones that are not working. I have even had an issue before where the JST-SH connector was beeping pinched by the drone frame causing the connections to fail once the frame was assembled (but the connections worked fine when testing on the bench, so it's also a clever idea to check for issues like this.
- Double check the firmware on your flight controller is correct, as having the incorrect firmware will change the pinout config on the software. This means that what is physically labled ESC 1 on your flight controller may just be disabled in the software due to the wrong firmware on the board.
- If all the above steps do not work, check the ESC if anything gets very hot when powered on, as if this is the case, then there is likely a short on the MCU. which will mean your ESC will need to be replaced (unless you are confident to resolder an MCU chip).
Next Steps
If you still have an issues after the above steps, you will need to proceed to investigate further to try find the source of the fault according to our ESC and Motor troubleshooting Guide.
Related Articles
How to Check If Your ESC Is Broken (testing your MOSFETS)
How to Check If Your ESC Is Broken: A Comprehensive Guide Many FPV pilots have encountered a problem with their quadcopter motor/esc (Electronic Speed Controller) but don't know how to check if their ESC is broken. This can be a severe problem, as a ...SpeedyBee ESC V2 and V2.1 Issues - Firmware Update
Some early versions of the SpeedyBee ESC V2 and SpeedyBee ESC V2.1 have a firmware bug that can cause one or more motors to behave strangely. This applies to BLheli_32 firmware version before 32.82 The fix will be included with the next release of ...How to troubleshoot your Motors and ESC (Betaflight)
Problem: One or more motors are not spinning up correctly when trying to fly your quadcopter. This is a fairly common issue pilots encounter with betaflight quads. Sometimes this could be due to an incorrect flight controller setting, bad ...How To Check, Reseat and Repair Ribbon Cables
Ribbon cables are found on many of the products that we sell. And through usage, or bumps (or even repairs) they can move slightly and cause something to not work properly. This is a quick guide to illustrate the types of ribbon cables and how to ...Caddx Vista / Nebula Kit is not new and looks used as it has some solder on the connections
If you receive a Caddx vista kit (be it the vista air unit on its own, the vista kit, or vista + nebula pro / nebula nano kit), you may open it up to notice that some of the connections have already been tinned. Do not worry as this is entirely ...
Recent Articles
Guide to Choosing Your Shipping Service at Unmanned Tech
When it comes to selecting the right shipping service for your needs, various factors such as cost, reliability, delivery time, and tracking capabilities come into play. This guide is designed to help you navigate through the options provided by ...Modified Your Drone? Here’s How It Affects Your Warranty
Warranty Basics When you purchase a product with a warranty inlcuded by the manufacuter, or retailer (like us), it's like a promise that the item, as sold, will work as expected for a certain period (usually 6 months or 1 year). But what happens when ...Resolving Card Payment Processing Issues
Experiencing a failed payment attempt can be frustrating, particularly when you're certain your credit card is functioning correctly. At Unmanned Tech, we recognize the importance of a smooth payment process and are here to assist you in resolving ...Changing Your Delivery Preferences (Safe Space / Neighbour delivery Opt-Out)
For convenience, many couriers will attempt to deliver to a neighbour if they are unable to deliver to your address for any reason. However, for some, this can cause problems. If for any reason you need to, you can change your delivery preferences ...Happymodel Mobula6
Hi there! If you're here, you're likely having issues with your Mobula6 VTX. Below are a few pointers from a support thread of ours which helped to resolve this issue for a number of our customers in the past. Firstly, make sure that you're not set ...