Using an Arduino 4-way interface to Flash BLHeli with BLHeliSuite

[@isaaclabarge5412]

By far the most comprehensive and well made video on flashing esc's using 4-way interface. Thanks Josh.

[@JoshuaBardwell]

Thanks! Glad it was helpful.

[@batiste23703]

This was the most helpful video I have seen on KZbin. I have been searching for answers for two weeks. Thank You sir.

[@JoshuaBardwell]

+Antonio Batiste very glad to help.

[@rodismo]

Thanks Joshua for a well put together video and clearly explained. I've already watched other similar videos but your methodical tutorial gave me a little more info. Now I think I am ready to flash my Flying Cinema/Amtel BLHeli 30A ESCs with my Arduino Uno

[@JoshuaBardwell]

+fuzzrock.tv Glad to be of service.

[@ExpressiveImagery]

Thanks for creating. This video has demystified the whole process of flashing and why people are needing Arduino processor boards that need their own Firmware on them first before flashing the BLHeli Firmware to ESCs.

[@JoshuaBardwell]

+Tony Leyland Expressive Imagery Glad it was useful!

[@ExpressiveImagery]

Joshua Bardwell It's also great to see how you are progressing with your re-build. I bet you are keen to try out those Little Bees ! Will you be using the Arduino to program the MinimOSD too ?

[@JoshuaBardwell]

I have an FTDI cable for programming the MinimOSD, so I will still be using the Arduino IDE, but I won't need the Uno itself.

[@simonwallace699]

+Joshua Bardwell, hats off to you. This is the third of your videos that has helped me solve a specific issue that I was stuck on. There's other videos around to show this process but what they fail to cover is the need to create the make interface, assuming that we already know this. Well, I'm not ashamed to admit that I didn't know this, and your video showed me exactly what I needed to do. Many many thanks again Josh. I'm now able to re-use my emax 12A formerly simonk ESC's thanks to your help. I still haven't worked out how to flash the bootloader to blheli though, but I suspect some more experimentation is required.

[@JoshuaBardwell]

To flash the bootloader, you need to use the ISP (for Atmel) or C2 (for Silabs) interface. This is not fundamentally different than flashing over the signal wire, but it does require a little more fiddling about to get at the necessary pins on the processor.

[@mickistevens4886]

I know this is 7 years old, but it sure came in handy today letting me fix my Lumineer ESCs Thanks!

[@WompFPVracing]

Thanks Joshua. Very clear and easy to follow :). I now have all of my little bees updated and set.

[@JoshuaBardwell]

+Womp Awesome! Enjoy the Littlebees. They are great ESCs!

[@MrHandsomejackuk]

just done it wow this is cool... thanks for this Josh....

[@domiloik]

Only 20 Thumbs up for this video??? Come on! Great job!

[@MrPnew1]

Vintage Bardwell right here :)

[@bringamosa8480]

Ever thought this would be helpful in 2019? Well it is

[@ashers_workshop]

It still is in 2022!

[@edwilliams9914]

Hi, another great video, but when describing the connection of your 4-pin wiring harness: At 5:50 you say "These are going to get plugged into pins 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12." AT 6:59 you say the same thing again: "I'm going to take the pins 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 here...". And again at 7:15, you say: "Grounds are tied together and all of the signals are going to pins 8, 9, 10, 11, 12." In all cases you've got *four* wires, but you always mention *FIVE* Arduino pins they are supposed to plug into. Do the 4 wires get plugged into "8, 9, 10, and 11" or "9, 10, 11, and 12"? Or am I just missing something here? Thanks!

[@dominiclallande]

My man!

[@daniiboyy]

Hi, I don´t understand, I went to all this process without any problem, however when I finished I unplugged all cables and also the arduino, when I hit connect and check button it still doesn´t recognize my esc´s. Could you please tell me what could go wrong? Thank you!

[@goldstandard7406]

great vid, where can I find connections for Pro Mini?

[@kayacanozdemir2440]

Hi, I have a question for you all. Which ones are pwm input of esc because i dont want to use BLHeli suit for my system. And i want to give pwm s from my arduino directly

[@057_jimlyadamahmad9]

Thank you, this video is very helpful for me -/\-

[@JusticeFPV]

A guide to flashing Simon k bootloader to blheli would be awesome.

[@JoshuaBardwell]

+_Justice To do that, you will need an Atmega flashing tool, or you will need an ESC with readily available solder pads for the programming pins. hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__27195__Atmel_Atmega_Socket_Firmware_Flashing_Tool.html The issue is that you can't flash the bootloader over the signal pin. You have to program the chip directly. My recommended approach is to just buy ESCs that already have the BLHeli bootloader installed and save yourself the trobule.

[@JusticeFPV]

+Joshua Bardwell thanks for the info, I didn't know that. my sn20 came with SK they were supposed to be blheli bootloader. Thought I might be able to use my nano to change bootloader. Seems a bit to much work to bother.

[@markpoorthuis]

+JusticeFPV i have the same problem and found this article explaining flashing sn20a with blheli shouldn't be a problem: blog.oscarliang.net/esc-1-wire-bootloader-signal-cable-blheli-simonk/ hope it helps

[@simonwallace699]

Just bear in mind that Cleanflight and Betaflight support 1-wire flashing of ESC's even with the SimonK bootloader now. I have SN20's and I flash them via cleanflight/betaflight passthrough now. Works beautifully! No need to change the bootloader on these ESC's any more. And no need for a USB dongle either.

[@Passco666]

Whatever I tried I cannot connect it with the BLHELI .. dont know what Im doing wrong.. still giving some sounds but never sucess to connect

[@Mike24boyle]

Awesome video I think I need to buy a uno now

[@JoshuaBardwell]

+Mike24boyle If your goal is to flash ESCs, get a Nano. Smaller. Cheaper. Easier pinout.

[@JoshuaBardwell]

+Mike24boyle Or even better, Cleanflight 1.10 has a programmer built in. You can flash your ESCs while still connected directly to the flight controller. No arduino needed!

[@MarkMacherey]

+Joshua Bardwell Great video Joshua, I would note that the pass through method using clean flight only works if you have blheli bootloaders on the esc's, and even if the description from the website they purchased the esc's from says the esc has "blheli" on them doesn't always mean the bootloader is blheli, for example I purchased the Afro 20a opto race esc's from HK and they have blheli firmware but Simonk bootloaders... A video showing the clean flight pass through method would be Awsome 😁.. Thanks again Joshua keep up the great work..

[@simonwallace699]

There's really no need for a video for this. As long as the main ESC O/S is BLHeli, even ESC's with simonk bootloader can be flashed and programmed with betaflight passthrough. Just fire up cleanflight, close it, then open blhelisuite, select the bf/cf passthrough, connect and you are done. Works well, I've tested it with ZTW 18A's and DYS SN20A's (with SimonK bootloader)

[@JoshuaBardwell]

Simon Wallace Yes, but that wasn't true on September 25, 2015, when I made the video :-)

[@MrHandsomejackuk]

Hi Josh, is it only Silabs escs that can be flashed with the 4w if.. i have some atmel escs flashed with blheli, but still with simonk bootloader ?

[@JoshuaBardwell]

+bing crosby 4w-if works with either bootloader. That's the magic.

[@MrHandsomejackuk]

wooooo hoooo thanks Josh.

[@lex6210]

Hi, is it possible to flash ESC this way with connected motor to it or I need to desolder the motor before any flashing?

[@JoshuaBardwell]

You don't need to desolder the ESC.

[@lex6210]

@@JoshuaBardwell , thank you a lot.

[@Sam-ib3ie]

Hi josh, having some trouble calibrating some ESC's, with an arduino UNO. When I select the arduino 4 way interface option, the files that pop up at 3:50 in your video don't seem to be there. Do I need to download these from an online source?

[@JoshuaBardwell]

No. All of that comes down with BLHeliSuite.

[@Sam-ib3ie]

thanks for the quick reply. I was unable to find it in BLHeliSuite, which folder are the files in?

[@JoshuaBardwell]

BLheliSuite\Interfaces\Arduino4w-if

[@Sam-ib3ie]

Thanks sorted it now

[@JozsaMarton]

I flash my afro esc one by one, was thinkink, multi stays for MULTICOPTER use so that hex is modded accordingly, because other hex was named acro which is for normal model airplane.. and, the difference between blheli and SK interfaces is that sk has simonk bootloader, like my afros too. donno is there a way to change bootloaders or it doesnt matter..? I read about blheli passthrough, some FC boards support that, whats your opinion about that way? thx!

[@JozsaMarton]

typo thinking…

[@JoshuaBardwell]

To change the bootloader, you need to flash the chip using the ISP or C2 interface. You can't use the signal wire to change the bootloader. Pass through is amazing.

[@JoshuaBardwell]

+Jinantha Perera very risky to flash firmware unless you are 100% sure it's correct. Even if it said "afro" there are lots of cases where the obvious name is wrong.

[@om616940]

hi! interesting vidéo! i would like to programming esc with arduino pro mini, ftdi. i'll do the same procedure?

[@JoshuaBardwell]

+BAO Niko i I think so.

[@om616940]

+Joshua Bardwell ok, then i don't find right pin on my board. continuous research :)

[@jacksonandreas2690]

this isn't works to esc emax blheli 12A

[@user-yk1cw8im4h]

Hi Josh, why having no continuity with the ESC testing means no short circuit ?

[@user-yk1cw8im4h]

@ 5:45

[@JoshuaBardwell]

I don't understand the question. Can you say more?

[@user-yk1cw8im4h]

Sorry, I mean I don't understand what's going on at 5:45. How can circuit-shorting be tested by testing its continuity ? Your multimeter doesn't peep when you poked into the holes on the connector, so I assume an open circuit = no shorts ? I don't know why is that though. Thanks.

[@JoshuaBardwell]

+LT “John” YV open circuit does mean no shorts. That's a good thing right?

[@user-yk1cw8im4h]

Thanks I understand that's good, but doesn't having the multimeter connected to the connector makes up a closed circuit ?

[@theuntouchables808]

Look Like I might have to do this ancient method it 'looks too long to do ... but if your ESC has Some Sort of reason a corrupted Fw on there ... How do you Flash them with nothing on them ? would i need to Install a boot loader on the chip ?

[@JoshuaBardwell]

+Nitrokillah flash via the C2 interface is the ultimate fallback. No bootloader. Direct to chip.

[@baverona]

can i do just about the same thing with the dys usb linker??

[@JoshuaBardwell]

I don't know what protocol or interface that linker supports. Spend like $3 on an Arduino Nano from Banggood and you can flash anything you want.

[@baverona]

www.amazon.com/ATmega328P-Microcontroller-Board-Cable-Arduino/dp/B00NLAMS9C/ref=sr_1_7?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1475203896&sr=1-7&keywords=arduino+nano is this the right one.. this is what i got

[@JoshuaBardwell]

You're good to go if you have one of those.

[@baverona]

awesome, and this does atmel, silab, all of that so really this is a must have for any hobbyist... thank you josh for all your help,, you always take the time out to answer my questions and i really appreciate that!

[@JoshuaBardwell]

My pleasure. The only reason this is NOT necessarily a must-have, is that if you fly betaflight or cleanflight, you can simply use your FC board as the programmer, instead of the Arduino. You don't even have to disconnect your ESCs. Here's a tutorial: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o3WxdaOdgM9joaM

[@jacksonandreas2690]

can I use arduino uno r3 atmega328p u16??

[@JoshuaBardwell]

+Jackson Andreas I don't see why not.

[@jacksonandreas2690]

+Joshua Bardwell thank you

[@jacksonandreas2690]

+Joshua Bardwell i would like to know that the pinout is the same with arduino uno r3 atemga 328? sorry i am newbie

[@JoshuaBardwell]

+Jackson Andreas isn't that what I'm using?

[@jacksonandreas2690]

+Joshua Bardwell sorry it seems different with my mine ..

[@christopherlee3045]

what a nerd. hes a cool nerd tho. lol