Smart Controller Freeze

[Marty Markoe]

Have flown Mavic Pro2 several times the past month without a problem. Yesterday took several photos of my house. Left the drone hovering and viewed the 3 images. Went back to main GO4 screen which looked normal with the same view it was in when looking at the images. The drone responded to stick commands but the screen was frozen as if the last image viewed became the screen background/wallpaper. No gauges (altitude, distance etc.) moved as the drone moved. I tried the back button and pause button to no avail. The only way to get back to GO4 was to turn the SC off and then on. After noting the screen was functioning correctly, viewed the images agian. Same freeze. Rebooted controller to get back GO4.

Has anyone experienced anything like this?

 

[amstar]

Wow, happened to me yesterday too immediately after take off but I started screen recording too. I had done both together before but this time no go. So had to ditch screen recording to run go4

 

[Paul2660]

Where are the images being stored? SD card or drone internal storage?

Type of card? Size of cars type of image raw/jpg?

Thoughts...

Reset camera on drone from smart controller

Reformat card in drone

Refresh firmware on smart controller and or update to latest version if not there already.

I am surprised when u powered off smart controller drone did not initiate RTH? Signal should have been lost longer than 3 sec.

Only big concern I have with smart controller is issues like what you describe. With iPad you still have standard controller running if DJIGO4 locks up like what happened to you.

I have not had this happen with MP2 and SC. But don’t review images very often. Will try it some more next time I take off at home.

Paul C

 

[Marty Markoe]

Where are the images being stored? SD card or drone internal storage?

Type of card? Size of cars type of image raw/jpg?

Thoughts...

Reset camera on drone from smart controller

Reformat card in drone

Refresh firmware on smart controller and or update to latest version if not there already.

I am surprised when u powered off smart controller drone did not initiate RTH? Signal should have been lost longer than 3 sec.

Only big concern I have with smart controller is issues like what you describe. With iPad you still have standard controller running if DJIGO4 locks up like what happened to you.

I have not had this happen with MP2 and SC. But don’t review images very often. Will try it some more next time I take off at home.

Paul C

1. Type of card?
Samsung 128GB 100MB/s (U3) MicroSD. Me thinks this is not the problem.
2. Reset camera on drone from smart controller?
Do you mean recalibrate gimbal? If so, the gimbal was working perfectly before and after reset.
3. Reformat card in drone? Okay, will do but I think it was originally formatted in Pro2 and not reformatted since.
4. Firmware is up to date.
5. when u powered off smart controller drone did not initiate RTH? Signal should have been lost longer than 3 sec?
Yes, did not return to home or land. I believe the Pro2 was less than 20m and if there was a disconnect should have landed immediately.

Thanks for making suggestions. Will try reformatting card and see if the ugliness occurs again.

 

[Paul2660]

On the MPP and Phantom, under the camera settings, you can reset the camera, it’s towards the bottom of the settings as I recall. I had to do this a lot with the MPP and once or twice with the Pr vs. 2. Have not tried to do it on the MP2 or from the Smart controller, but will power up in a bit and see if I can find it.

Really wonder why or what was going on when you powered off the SC and the MP2 did not try a RTH, even 20 m (60 feet) it should have as I understand the process if the home point was set.

I need to get to a large open field, and see what happens with this, i.e. take the MP2 out 200 to 500 feet, and power off the SC and see what happens.

Paul C

 

[Marty Markoe]

On the MPP and Phantom, under the camera settings, you can reset the camera, it’s towards the bottom of the settings as I recall. I had to do this a lot with the MPP and once or twice with the Pr vs. 2. Have not tried to do it on the MP2 or from the Smart controller, but will power up in a bit and see if I can find it.

Really wonder why or what was going on when you powered off the SC and the MP2 did not try a RTH, even 20 m (60 feet) it should have as I understand the process if the home point was set.

I need to get to a large open field, and see what happens with this, i.e. take the MP2 out 200 to 500 feet, and power off the SC and see what happens.

Paul C

Good test. I may have time to fly tomorrow and test.

 

[Drbobk]

Maybe it’s just annoyed that you keep calling it a MP2 when it is a M2P. Just saying...

 

[Marty Markoe]

Maybe it’s just annoyed that you keep calling it a MP2 when it is a M2P. Just saying...

That's a good point. It is the Mavic2 Pro. Problem fixed. ☺

 

[Marty Markoe]

Good test. I may have time to fly tomorrow and test.

Had high wind yesterday and is about to rain here. My testing what happens when controller is turned off with drone more than 20m away will have to wait.

 

[Drbobk]

I’d be pretty skittish about turning off the controller unless I had strobes or a Marco Polo attached, just in case.

 

[Marty Markoe]

I’d be pretty skittish about turning off the controller unless I had strobes or a Marco Polo attached, just in case.

Test to be done in daylight and legal LOS.

 

[Drbobk]

Test to be done in daylight and legal LOS.

I didn’t think you would do it at night. Strobes could help you find it in the daytime too. LOS is crucial, but once you turn it off you don’t know where it might go!

 

[dorgs]

Hi all,

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, I had the same issue as the OP (Marty) yesterday. Thankfully it also happened about 50 ft above my home and had full controller response. Just wondering how the testing went and if anyone's experienced similar issues with the smart controller?

 

[langcpht]

Hi all,

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, I had the same issue as the OP (Marty) yesterday. Thankfully it also happened about 50 ft above my home and had full controller response. Just wondering how the testing went and if anyone's experienced similar issues with the smart controller?

I had this happen to me once. Admittedly, I've only used my Smart Controller maybe 6 or 7 times since I purchased it. I don't fly incredibly often and the controller is a pretty new purchase for me. The aircraft was only about 50 feet away and altitude was pretty low so I was able to fly it back with line-of-sight very easily. Since then it hasn't happened again, but I have had the "no camera image" problem that others have described. Rebooting the app and/or controller and aircraft usually fixes that problem, but it's still annoying and frustrating.

For what it's worth, I'm using:

• SanDisk Extreme card in the drone and no card in the Smart Controller.
• I don't screen record or do anything besides just fly when using the controller.
• I strictly fly for photos and do not use any video features
• I have not tried new/other SD cards yet.
• I have reformatted the SD card with both Windows and the DJI software (but have not flown since)
• I have used the new "QuickFly" setting since day-one, but have recently turned it off (and have not flown since)

I guess I can update the next time I'm out flying, but it might be awhile. Just throwing my experiences out there in the event that somebody wants to help narrow things down.

 

[Marty Markoe]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, I had the same issue as the OP (Marty) yesterday. Thankfully it also happened about 50 ft above my home and had full controller response. Just wondering how the testing went and if anyone's experienced similar issues with the smart controller?

SC has been updated since the original problem over a year ago was posted. Since then, several hundred flights, it has not reoccurred. Does your SC and Mavic have the latest firmware and software?

 

[Daniel de Haan]

I just recently purchased the SC and have updated everything to the latest firmware. To be perfectly honest I also installed Litchi and DroneLink on this controller as both claim their software to be supported and I can't really use the DJI 4 app for good waypoint planning yet + why use an iPad if you spent 600.- on a fancy controller right!?

The SC has done a few surprising things in both those apps and in DJI 4 which frighten me:
1.) complete freeze up
2.) sudden black screen
3.) application crash (on litchi and dronelink)
4.) sudden mission stop (on dronelink)

I don't use screen record and it only takes me a few minutes of playing with the settings for this to happen even without loading any mission or starting a flight or recording anything.

Yesterday I went flying and screen went black just as I started a new mission in DroneLink, luckily the M2P was within reach so I attempted to grab ASAP and twist 180 upside down, but it didn't shut off and really went nuts on me instead (probably cuz thats a Spark feature and not a M2P one lol) so things got nerve wrecking really quickly and my controller was now out of reach (since I needed 2 hands to control the drone when it went nuts), I attempted to hold it steady and luckily it suddently calmed down but almost to standby mode (like just before takeoff). I tried to power off the battery, but it would not work and just stayed all LEDs on! Finally with props still spinning I somehow managed to force the battery out without loosing my fingers. The battery remained all LEDs on until I push and held again. It was quite thrilling and the spectators who were hating before were now very amused

I'm thinking of doing a full factory reset and testing before installing any extra software or also just messing around in a safe place and see how to recover, but if RTH does not trigger its no fun since some of my missions are far enough that I can't see the drone anymore, so hopefully it at least triggers RTH on battery critical

 

[TreeHugger]

I just recently purchased the SC and have updated everything to the latest firmware. To be perfectly honest I also installed Litchi and DroneLink on this controller as both claim their software to be supported and I can't really use the DJI 4 app for good waypoint planning yet + why use an iPad if you spent 600.- on a fancy controller right!?

The SC has done a few surprising things in both those apps and in DJI 4 which frighten me:
1.) complete freeze up
2.) sudden black screen
3.) application crash (on litchi and dronelink)
4.) sudden mission stop (on dronelink)

I don't use screen record and it only takes me a few minutes of playing with the settings for this to happen even without loading any mission or starting a flight or recording anything.

Yesterday I went flying and screen went black just as I started a new mission in DroneLink, luckily the M2P was within reach so I attempted to grab ASAP and twist 180 upside down, but it didn't shut off and really went nuts on me instead (probably cuz thats a Spark feature and not a M2P one lol) so things got nerve wrecking really quickly and my controller was now out of reach (since I needed 2 hands to control the drone when it went nuts), I attempted to hold it steady and luckily it suddently calmed down but almost to standby mode (like just before takeoff). I tried to power off the battery, but it would not work and just stayed all LEDs on! Finally with props still spinning I somehow managed to force the battery out without loosing my fingers. The battery remained all LEDs on until I push and held again. It was quite thrilling and the spectators who were hating before were now very amused

I'm thinking of doing a full factory reset and testing before installing any extra software or also just messing around in a safe place and see how to recover, but if RTH does not trigger its no fun since some of my missions are far enough that I can't see the drone anymore, so hopefully it at least triggers RTH on battery critical

Welcome to the forums!

Can you list the firmware you have loaded? Just curious - don't know that I can offer helpful input at this point.

 

[Thomas B]

I just recently purchased the SC and have updated everything to the latest firmware. To be perfectly honest I also installed Litchi and DroneLink on this controller as both claim their software to be supported and I can't really use the DJI 4 app for good waypoint planning yet + why use an iPad if you spent 600.- on a fancy controller right!?

The SC has done a few surprising things in both those apps and in DJI 4 which frighten me:
1.) complete freeze up
2.) sudden black screen
3.) application crash (on litchi and dronelink)
4.) sudden mission stop (on dronelink)

I don't use screen record and it only takes me a few minutes of playing with the settings for this to happen even without loading any mission or starting a flight or recording anything.

Yesterday I went flying and screen went black just as I started a new mission in DroneLink, luckily the M2P was within reach so I attempted to grab ASAP and twist 180 upside down, but it didn't shut off and really went nuts on me instead (probably cuz thats a Spark feature and not a M2P one lol) so things got nerve wrecking really quickly and my controller was now out of reach (since I needed 2 hands to control the drone when it went nuts), I attempted to hold it steady and luckily it suddently calmed down but almost to standby mode (like just before takeoff). I tried to power off the battery, but it would not work and just stayed all LEDs on! Finally with props still spinning I somehow managed to force the battery out without loosing my fingers. The battery remained all LEDs on until I push and held again. It was quite thrilling and the spectators who were hating before were now very amused

I'm thinking of doing a full factory reset and testing before installing any extra software or also just messing around in a safe place and see how to recover, but if RTH does not trigger its no fun since some of my missions are far enough that I can't see the drone anymore, so hopefully it at least triggers RTH on battery critical

Welcome to the forum from the deserts of Arizona! Enjoy.

Recommend starting your own thread for your problem. You posted at the end of another user’s problem discussion which was ongoing from 20 months ago. I think you’ll get your help quicker.

 

[zeusfl]

@Daniel de Haan Welcome to the forum. Can you provide the firmware versions as was request it before in order to help you?

 

[Daniel de Haan]

@Daniel de Haan Welcome to the forum. Can you provide the firmware versions as was request it before in order to help you?

Hi Zeusfl

Android 7.1.2
Aricraft fw: 01.00.0670
Controller fw: 01.00.0820

And by screen going black, I don't mean the camera view, I mean the entire units screen.

And I just factory reset the controller and while I was entering the date & time zone the device black screened again...perhaps I've got a hardware issue.....that would suck! After force off and reboot i got message that memory card was damaged and needed to be formated, but I think this is default. Mem card is: ScanDisk Extreme 64GB XC1

***UPDATE***
Smart Contoller now stopped booting up - no screen, nada. Its just a big black brick that I can make some noise on when pushing RTH or vibrate on Hard Reset (even my wife won't enjoy that much lol) - Im sending it back, consider it a DOA new article and will now have to wait 4 weeks for a refurbished used controller...living the dream here