Why doesn't my Phantom talk to me?

[Big Ben]

Huh? Talk? Should this guy be in a funny farm? :?

Nothing so alarming. I just can't help wondering why the Phantom doesn't use sound to signal useful information to its users. When powered up it produces sound so apparently it is capable of doing so. I haven't opened it up yet and don't know which part of the Phantom is actually producing the sound but until proven otherwise I'm going to do this hazardous thing and assume the firmware could be programmed to relay information by sounds.

Like audible voltage warnings, warning beeps when auto landing to inform people something is about to land on their head. Or what about audio signals confirming CL and HP for when you're still fidgeting with a slightly oversized battery at the front and can't see the flashing lights at the back? All useful IMHO and I'd like to have the option to enable such sounds in the Assistant.

Is there a reason DJI can't/won't implement such audio signalling in the Phantom?

 

[Ozzyguy]

That's a good idea that they may have overlooked. Look (listen) for it in a firmware update near you. Beeping so you can find it after a crash would be really useful. But DJI and helpful don't go together. I mean all the dodgy translation from chineses to English on their website does my head in. How hard would it have been for someone at dji North America to proof read and correct it so it makes sense?

 

[TechJunkieRC]

Huh? Talk? Should this guy be in a funny farm? :?

Nothing so alarming. I just can't help wondering why the Phantom doesn't use sound to signal useful information to its users. When powered up it produces sound so apparently it is capable of doing so. I haven't opened it up yet and don't know which part of the Phantom is actually producing the sound but until proven otherwise I'm going to do this hazardous thing and assume the firmware could be programmed to relay information by sounds.

Like audible voltage warnings, warning beeps when auto landing to inform people something is about to land on their head. Or what about audio signals confirming CL and HP for when you're still fidgeting with a slightly oversized battery at the front and can't see the flashing lights at the back? All useful IMHO and I'd like to have the option to enable such sounds in the Assistant.

Is there a reason DJI can't/won't implement such audio signalling in the Phantom?

Ok Big Ben, here is what I need you to do. I need you to set down the beverage and sharp objects in your hand. Nice a slow, no reason to be alarmed. There you go......just sit them down. No need for anyone to get hurt today! Now why don't we find you someone who can help you talk about your feelings? Wouldn't that be nice?


Just kidding! I could not help myself. You know you just have that kind of day and the first line in the first post I read when I get home has "Should this guy be in a funny farm?" and I am thinking to myself, well he seems pretty rational but yes, yes maybe I could use a good funny farm! :mrgreen:

Anyhow, back to Phantom land! I agree on the sounds. Especially low battery and when in RTH mode. I can only guess why they didn't but it would have been a really neat extra and especially when in RTH landing mode. The sound of a big truck backing up would have been awesome as it is self landing!

 

[EMCSQUAR]

Beeping so you can find it after a crash would be really useful. But DJI and helpful don't go together. I mean all the dodgy translation from chineses to English on their website does my head in. How hard would it have been for someone at dji North America to proof read and correct it so it makes sense?

Ozzy have to agree with you on their translations - makes my brain itch. A simple "back up alarm" for decent.. oh wait that falls under the 'helpful" category and DJI isn't allowed in that area. No one at DJI North America could proof read it - they all got fired.

 

[The Editor]

The Phantom doesn't make any sound - it's the motors that 'sing' the start-up tune.

The firmware passes a signal to the esc's which in turn drive the motors at low frequency which makes them sing (but not rotate).
If the Phantom were to try and make the motors sing whilst in flight it would have disastrous consequences!

However, there is no reason why the firmware could not be coded to emit bleeps in the event of a lost Phantom that is grounded. The problem being how would the Phantom 'know' it was lost and not just landed?
I guess a switch sequence could be programmed (rather like the compass calibration switch sequence) whereby it puts the Phantom into 'beep' mode. Again of course this would not work of RF link was lost.

 

[Ozzyguy]

The on board sensors could very easily be programmed to recognize a crash. Scenario- flying along happily then gps and accelerometers register a violent event + no RC input because you are frantically running after it. Then I could start beeping its rotors off.

 

[OI Photography]

The on board sensors could very easily be programmed to recognize a crash. Scenario- flying along happily then gps and accelerometers register a violent event + no RC input because you are frantically running after it. Then I could start beeping its rotors off.

I believe the basis for that is already in place, the NAZA will shut the motors off if certain input from the sensors gets crazy enough to indicate there's probably been a crash or other catastrophic event. Adding an audible warning to that when triggered seems like it would be an easy thing to do (for DJI that is).

 

[Ozzyguy]

Ha ha ha ha! Oops there we go agin assuming DJI will be helpful lol. Seriously though it would be great. Then they could simplify some of the incredibly complex blinks warning lighty thingies. But that's a whole other thread right there

 

[ericdes]

You know the only thing I can think about every time I read this thread is the beacon the drone does in the movie Oblivion when it crashed, and Tom Cruise finds it.

AWESOME drones in that movie!!

 

[Big Ben]

The Phantom doesn't make any sound - it's the motors that 'sing' the start-up tune.

The firmware passes a signal to the esc's which in turn drive the motors at low frequency which makes them sing (but not rotate).
If the Phantom were to try and make the motors sing whilst in flight it would have disastrous consequences!

I have serious doubts about that statement. I can unmistakably locate the sound as coming from the centre part of the Phantom. Not the from the arms with the ESC's and not from the motors. It would be a rather roundabout way to produce sound. Just check it yourself. I think everyone will confirm my findings. If anyone would try this with a topless Phantom it should be fairly easy to locate the exact source of the sound. A piezo speaker perhaps?

 

[ElGuano]

The Phantom doesn't make any sound - it's the motors that 'sing' the start-up tune.

The firmware passes a signal to the esc's which in turn drive the motors at low frequency which makes them sing (but not rotate).
If the Phantom were to try and make the motors sing whilst in flight it would have disastrous consequences!

I have serious doubts about that statement. I can unmistakably locate the sound as coming from the centre part of the Phantom. Not the from the arms with the ESC's and not from the motors. It would be a rather roundabout way to produce sound. Just check it yourself. I think everyone will confirm my findings. If anyone would try this with a topless Phantom it should be fairly easy to locate the exact source of the sound. A piezo speaker perhaps?

It's funny you are so adamant about this!Unfortunately though, Editor is spot on. The startup scale and beeps from the phantom come from the motors. The bell housings are being treated as speakers from controlled vibrations being sent via signals from the ESCs. No ESC, no sounds. No motors, no sounds. Look on YouTube, there are guys who program their ESCs to play Star Wars from the motors.

 

[thongbong]

The Phantom doesn't make any sound - it's the motors that 'sing' the start-up tune.

The firmware passes a signal to the esc's which in turn drive the motors at low frequency which makes them sing (but not rotate).
If the Phantom were to try and make the motors sing whilst in flight it would have disastrous consequences!

However, there is no reason why the firmware could not be coded to emit bleeps in the event of a lost Phantom that is grounded. The problem being how would the Phantom 'know' it was lost and not just landed?
I guess a switch sequence could be programmed (rather like the compass calibration switch sequence) whereby it puts the Phantom into 'beep' mode. Again of course this would not work of RF link was lost.

It's true, I heard the noise come from my motors right before I lost an ear.

 

[ElGuano]

It's true, I heard the noise come from my motors right before I lost an ear.

There are two ways I read that :shock:

Here's one sample: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieRAnPNmazo[/youtube]

 

[EMCSQUAR]

I'd be happy if it just belched and told me it's ready to go, instead of wasting battery power to play "Oh Suzanna". Free-Bird would probably be a more fitting selection...

 

[Big Ben]

The only thing I'm adamant about is my own observation which locates the sound as coming from the centre of the Phantom. And that video is some different quadcopter which is not a Phantom and which doesn't appear to have a NAZA-M V2 flight controller but some box with 9XBC v2 on it which when Googled leads me to pages about a Turnigy receiver and often in combination with a HobbyKing flight controller board which uses vertical connectors as seen on the video and not horizontal connectors as the NAZA uses.

That video is interesting but not representative of my Phantom.

Possibly older Phantoms have sound producing motors but my new FC40 with NAZA-M V2 clearly produces sound in the centre of the body and has silent motors (during power-up).

 

[The Editor]

The Phantom doesn't make any sound - it's the motors that 'sing' the start-up tune.

The firmware passes a signal to the esc's which in turn drive the motors at low frequency which makes them sing (but not rotate).
If the Phantom were to try and make the motors sing whilst in flight it would have disastrous consequences!

I have serious doubts about that statement. I can unmistakably locate the sound as coming from the centre part of the Phantom. Not the from the arms with the ESC's and not from the motors. It would be a rather roundabout way to produce sound. Just check it yourself. I think everyone will confirm my findings. If anyone would try this with a topless Phantom it should be fairly easy to locate the exact source of the sound. A piezo speaker perhaps?

In that case - disconnect your motors and see if the Phantom falls silent! I'm not bothered either way. Google whether motors or esc makes start up tones and see what comes back.

I have a large carbon fiber hexacopter with a Naza M v2, DJI 30amp Opto esc's (totally different to the Phantom esc's) and 6 T-Motor MN 3508-20 580 motors. When I fire up the craft it makes EXACTLY the same start-up tones as the Phantom. There is no 'sound device' in the Naza, the Esc's are different and the motors are non DJI so where does the sound come from?
Answer..... The motors.

 

[Big Ben]

Since just about the only thing your copter has in common with mine is the NAZA-M V2 I'd say it's a good candidate for also having a sound producing device in it. I haven't cracked mine open. Have you? And have you actually used your own ears to locate the source of the sound on your copter?

 

[The Editor]

Since just about the only thing your copter has in common with mine is the NAZA-M V2 I'd say it's a good candidate for also having a sound producing device in it. I haven't cracked mine open. Have you? And have you actually used your own ears to locate the source of the sound on your copter?

There is no sound producing device in the Naza - it would be wasted space/weight.
I don't need to use my ears - I KNOW it's the motors producing the sound.
It's well documented elsewhere on other forums/sites.

 

[ElGuano]

The only thing I'm adamant about is my own observation which locates the sound as coming from the centre of the Phantom. And that video is some different quadcopter which is not a Phantom and which doesn't appear to have a NAZA-M V2 flight controller but some box with 9XBC v2 on it which when Googled leads me to pages about a Turnigy receiver and often in combination with a HobbyKing flight controller board which uses vertical connectors as seen on the video and not horizontal connectors as the NAZA uses.

That video is interesting but not representative of my Phantom.

Possibly older Phantoms have sound producing motors but my new FC40 with NAZA-M V2 clearly produces sound in the centre of the body and has silent motors (during power-up).

http://wiki.dji.com/en/index.php/Phanto ... troduction

I'm not sure exactly what level of proof you'll accept, this is really starting to sound like a flat-earth kind of situation to me. Using motors as speakers is not some new, crazy thing here. But you should have everything you need to definitively confirm this to your satisfaction--you've got the whole internet, your eyes, ears, and a Phantom. This detail isn't a big deal either way, but if you do isolate a piezo or other speaker on the mainboard, I'm sure everyone here will be interested in seeing it. As for myself, I've done quite a bit with My Phantom mainboard, and disconnecting ESCs and motors, and I haven't cut into a hidden speaker anywhere.

And yes, I've opened my Phantom's NAZA to verify its version and there's no speaker there (but again, you're not obligated to believe anyone, it's easy to do so on your own NAZA).

 

[Big Ben]

you've got the whole internet, your eyes, ears, and a Phantom. This detail isn't a big deal either way,

And that's exactly what I've done and that's the only claim I'm making. MY FC40 only produces sound in the centre of its body. Nowhere else. I cannot change that observation. And indeed... it's not a big deal.

That Wiki page is not particularly clear (as more pages there) and is not very recent and might be referring to different hardware. It for instance refers to the throttle not being in the down position which doesn't apply anymore to the newer Phantoms with self-centering throttle which is a clear signal in that regard. The page also doesn't say the ESC is making the sounds. Just that the sounds signify certain ESC states.

I have yet to read a reaction by someone actually having done the same as I did and who located the source of the sound with his/her own ears. And as I said. In MY FC40 I can clearly hear it coming form the centre of the body and therefore I cannot report anything else.