M600 Defaulting to ATTI Mode During Flight

[SilkyMilky]

Hello,
We've been having a recurring issue with our M600 where it will default itself back into ATTI mode shortly after take off on each flight. This is an issue because we're attempting to do mapping work using Ground Station Pro, and when it snaps into ATTI mode it will abandon its mission and start drifting.

When it's sitting still on the ground, it will remain in GPS mode with no alerts or issues. After take off around 75ft it will bounce back in to ATTI mode and begin drifting. If I fly it in DJI GO, I can see the mode flick back and forth between GPS and ATTI mode. I initially thought it was related to Ground Station Pro or the remote, but I'm not so sure any more. I've got a help ticket in at DJI, but they only move so fast...

I'm thinking it could be a loose connection somewhere or a bug in the firmware? Does anyone have any ideas or experience with a similar issue?

 

[Florida Drone Supply]

We have an Inspire 1 client having this same problem. He mostly experiences it with the Z3 now that he is on the newest firmware. He can have lots of satellites and still switch in and out of GPS. We have tried most everything we can think of. Are you using a Z3 by chance?

 

[SilkyMilky]

Negative, we're using a Sony A7R + Ronin MX. I haven't been able to find many other instances of it online, so I wonder if we just have a lemon or something.

 

[NickU]

Sorry, I don't have an M600, but it does sound a bit like a loose connection somewhere. I'd go over everything to make sure the connectors and the cabling aren't loose/moving/vibrating. If you can't find anything visually then try the following and see what happens (probably best to run for 5-10 mins at each stage to give it time to show the error):

1. run the motors up and leave it idling on the ground.
2. take off and stay hovering at low level (as low as you can safely manage) - try with gear down.
3. do 2 again but with gear up.
4. hover at 20ft.
5. gently fly at 20-30ft.
6. try some harder manouvres.
7. if error hasn't recurred with 1-6, then climb to 75ft and see if it happens again

Also try without and then with the payload/Ronin to see if it's anything on that causing the problem.

Basically, you're trying to flush out when it occurs and to see if it's possibly a dry joint or loose connection (vibration induced - hence trying 1-6), or if it's something related to data/metrics coming in from the sensors and screwing up in software (#7) or your settings.

Hope that gives you some help in flushing the problem out into the open!

 

[SilkyMilky]

Thanks for the response. I'll give it a try!

 

[LLochridge]

Matrice 600 Pro w/x5 and similar symptoms. A good IMU recalibration on a good level surface. Two missions later and the issue has yet to return.
This is from a novice 107 licensed pilot with very limited experience with our M600.

 

[SilkyMilky]

We had it looked at by a drone shop in town. We have the regular M600, so take our "fix" with a grain of salt. Interestingly though, this never happened for us when we had an X5R on there, only after we upgraded to an aftermarket camera + Ronin MX gimbal.

Apparently the front of the GPS receiver was not aligned with the front of the aircraft, which according to the shop causes some issues. Seems kind of crazy, but I believe they know their trade. Additionally, they upgraded the Lightbridge firmware to the most current version. I don't think the firmware upgrade was available when our problem first came about. But either way these two things seemed to have fixed our issue (at least in the short term).