Hello
Is there a plan / possibility to implement DShot protocol for ESC control?
Current 50Hz "analog" PWM seems a bit outdated. I know that there's virtally no benefit in controlling main rotor ESC with higher frequency signal, but there's more to that than just the refresh rate.
Digital protocols remove the need for ESC input calibration, also removing the possibility of making dangerous mistakes. Some of them may also offer 2-way communication, which may simplify telemetry wiring or provide governor RPM signal without additional modules/wires.
Direct-motor tail rotor helis can definately benefit from faster ESC protocol. I know that there is a "motor driven" tail option in Brain, but I have no idea if thats already using DShot or still uses old 50Hz PWM?
DShot is something that is already on the long list of "To Do" things, but it is not urgent for now but more importantly it is not necessary.
a) To the best of our knowledge, there are no ESCs for rc eli that operate only in DShot mode.
B) When the Tail motor driven icon is selected, the refresh rate (refresh rate) is set to 333Hz. This is the same refresh rate with which the internal motors of the 1500us tail servos are controlled (Tail ESCs are controlled by pulses whose central value is 1500us). This results in a tail motor speed correction that is the same as that of a tail servo internal motor correction, and from the results obtained it is sufficient.
As a result of the above, at present DShot does not appear to be necessary and would therefore be a completely unnecessary feature.
The Neuron 80A I use in my 380s does work with Dshot. As well as all BLHeli based ESCs 😉
We had a Neuron 80A ESC, and we used it to develop reading telemetry data and storing it in the Flight Logs of our flight controllers. So much so that in the release notes of firmware version 3.4.43 dated February 9, we wrote:
"- If FrSky Neuron ESC's telemetry signal is connected to the S.Port bus via a "Y" cable the ESC telemetry is recognized and can be recorded in Flight Controller logs"
It has now gone out of business and is no longer available on any site. In fact, ours failed as a result of the motor decelerating too fast but can no longer be replaced. We are waiting for the new generation of FrSky ESCs compatible with FrSky's new F.Bus protocol to be available.
However, we have been using it without any problem like all other ESCs controlled by the PWM pulses of the Throttle.
In fact, in our previous reply we wrote that we do not know of any ESCs that work SOLELY and ONLY with the DShot protocol and therefore, for this reason, at present the DShot protocol is neither indispensable nor necessary nor urgent (besides not bringing any usefulness on helicopters where the high flywheel effect of the large rotors of our models makes fast acceleration or fast deceleration of ESCs completely useless).
