DSHOT the new star on the BLHeli_s ESC Protokoll´s

This is my first howto so please forgive me some mistakes and typos i will frequently update the post when something is changing.
(last update 10.04.2017 changelog on the end)

I will here go Step by Step with pictures trough the Setup of Dshot (Later when i have more time I will make a video)

When you think hmm dshot can i eat that or what is that than give Oscars Overview a read he did a really good comparison between the different ESC Protokolls!
Oscars ESC Protocols Overview

For your own testing and building, you need

an support F3 or F4 flight controller (FC)
and supported Blheli_S ESC  more of that in the hardware section

In my Example i use a CC3D Revo F4 Clone from Banggood referral Link
and DYS XS30A ESC also from Banggood referral link


I made here  a full How to Video step by step of the written steps below!




You can find us also here! soon also a German Version of the howto!



1. Lets start
2. flash FC & ESC
2.a after flashing FC Firmware
2.b ESC flashing
3. setting Min Throttle with Dshot
4. Warning!
5. All needed Software Links!
6. Hardware i have testet so far with dshot
7. Flight Video´s

---

1. Lets start

So first of all give the Betaflight DSHOT WIKI a read! you find it here Betaflight DShot Wiki

(READ IT ALL!!) this is important most of your question will be answered!

when you confirmed that you have one of the almost supported FC and ESC you can go to the next steps.

   

List in the Picture above

When your ESC is listed with "Cap removed" then note that they for now only work with Cap removed when you want to use DSHOT 600 you must remove it but take care removing the cap is not so easy because they are really tiny!!

   

Some ESC work with dshot 150 and 300 with cap on Kiss ESC work in all modes!, go and check the wiki and the RCgroup Links to find out if your ESC is working and in what modes!

2. Flash the FC and ESC

Flash the FC

1. Start the Betaflight Configurator Chrome App (for some boards you need the Raceflight Configurator to flash)
   
2. go to the flash tab and search for the right board in my example is use the Revo board!
   
3. In the next tap under the board selection select the latest aviable Betaflight build (for now it is 3.1.7)
   (i made this step clear in next picture)
   
4. press the "load it online button"
      
   
5. On the most boards today their is an Boot button press that button and hold it down, next connect the FC with USB (normaly the betaflight configurator shows an DFU mode on top Right Corner), now you can stop holding down the boot button
   and at least press the flash button in the Betaflight configurator.
   
6. Wait for the program finishing this step it could take a while!
   

2.a after flashing FC Firmware

A copy from wiki but this is an important step!
A quick way to determine IF the hex flashed supports Dshot:
Connect to Betaflight and in the Configurator Tab klick on the on the Protocoll drop down (on right up corner)

2.b ESC Flashing
Only go to the next step when there is DSHOT listed in the drop down

   

1. Close the connection from Betaflight configurator
   
2. open chrome and use the BLHeli - Configurator chrome app BLHeli configurator Chrome App
   you can also use the normal BLheli Suite! BLHeli Suite downloadPower up your ESC with a lipo (NO PROPS ON THE MOTORS!!!!!!!!!!!) and connect to it with the BLheli app or the Programm!
   
3. Now take the flash step like in the picture version take 16.6 (or newer) now with Dshot (the Dshot firmware is for all BLHeli_S ESC listet) in the configurator you have only switch to the version and press flash!
   
4. After you flashed all 4 ESC make sure you set for all 4 ESC the min throttle to 1000 and max to 2000 this is IMPORTANT! Since 16.43 Blheli this should be ignored when you set to dshot the wiki says no calibration is needet but safety first.
   

   

1. So now we can close the app and go back in Betaflight configurator in the config tap we set to DSHOT 150/300 or 600
   
2. in my example i can take 600 with my DYS XS30A "Cap removed"!
   
3. So for now you are ready to do a Bench test!
   
   
4. So before you go out and flight one major step I copy that from Betaflight WIKI you should allready know it
   

3. setting Min Throttle with Dshot (Wiki Copy)
Post by Cheredanine on setting up IDLE in ßF 3.1.2 and up: (Cheredanine thx for the awesome write up)

Ok first Point - dshot does not use min and max throttle, you don't need to do that.
Second point - when not using min and max throttle you should calibrate from bf, not manually set in blheli.
Could someone please explain if I need to type the "digital_idle_offset" command?
So let's deal with your question.
To check what value digital idle should be set to, connect to configurator, go to the motor tab, take your props off. Click the little check box half way down the page that says you have taken your props off, you know what you are doing, you take full responsibility for your actions and you consider fingers pointless appendages anyway.
Then plug in the LiPo to the quad (USE a Current Limiter Always). Click on the master slider and use the up arrow on the keyboard to increase the master slider one point at a time until you reach a point where all 4 motors have just started to spin, I don't mean twitch, stutter or start stop, I mean the lowest value where they are spinning, it is probably about 1010, don't worry if it isn't, but I am going to use that number as an example.
You can now take the master slider back to zero and unplug the LiPo.
Take the number (for example purposes 1010) and add thirty points to it (so in the example we are now at 1040).
Not we need work out what percentage of the throttle range this is, I don't know your math skills so sorry if this is a little hand to mouth.
Subtract 1000 from it, then divide by 10
So in the example:
1040-1000=40
40/10=4
Go to the cli tab in configurator
Click in the box at the bottom and type:
set digital_idle_percent = 4
(Replace 4 with whatever digital idle you arrived at in the calculation) Hit return, you will see the command processed in the back bit above, Then click in the box again and type
save
Hit return and done

in my tests the standart value from configurator works perfect!

   

4. Warning!
Have fun but play save! flash and miss configuration can harm you and your hardware!
So be carefull!


5. All needet Software Links! (the links below allways points you to the new versions)
Betaflight DShot Wiki
Betaflight 3.1.7
Betaflight Configurator Chrome App make sure you have installed the latest version!
Raceflight Configurator Chrome App
BLHeli configurator Chrome App
BLHeliSuite download latest!


6. Hardware i have tested so far with dshot

In this section i post all the hardware i have tested so far and beyond that, i repost this to an rc group and make sure that the things come up to the wiki.

i have now 6 Dshot test quads all around 2300-2400KV Motors (ZMX Fusion X25, Corpa Champion, Emax RS2205 RS, RCX 2205 V2 2400KV, ) and more on all quads i fly different ESC and Flight Controllers.

I will update this section more often the next days and make some setup video´s
So stay tuned!

But you can also check the Betaflight DShot Wiki for more info's and hardware setups i can not have all the hardware here because my bank account says no  i spent a lot of money this days for figure out the best Dshot ready setup so when you have some info they can help let me know!

FC i have tested and they work

• CC3D Revo F4 Banggood referral Link
  Work with Dshot 600 and 8K/8K loop times with less then 5% CPU Load (Air mode and Telemetry on) only one thing doesn't work for now the LED Stripe maybe in the final 3.1.0 Betaflight it may works again soon more videos about that and more!"betaflight_3.1.7_REVO"
  
• Lux 32-Bit F3 (Lux race v1 clone) Banggood referral Link
  Work with Dshot 600 and 8K/4K Loop times with around 35-38% CPU Load with 8/8K the CPU load is 100% to havey (BF 3.1.0 Alpha Build 731 from 05.12.2016)
  
• F3 V4 HCL Tech Banggood referral Link works great with "betaflight_3.1.0_SPRACINGF3" RC12
  Loop time 4k/2K (soon more test with higher Loop times)
  
• TBS FPV Stack with Coloibri Race V2 with "betaflight_3.1.7_COLIBRI_RACE" (don´t use 3.1.6)
  Did Some testing it work with 8k/2K on around 19% CPU Load with the latest BF build
  Sp Racing F3 with[b] "betaflight_3.1.7_SPRACINGF3" [/b]
  
• Looptime 8/4k on the latest Betaflight build
  
• Omibus F4 clone from Banggood works on 8/8k mode wit betaflight 3.1.7 on around 4-5% cpu load perfekt! also tested Smart Audio Port with unify pro and OSD soon i will upload a video about that! link to smar audio wiki page Smart Audio Link
  

FC i will test in the next days

• Betaflight FC
  

ESC I Have tested and Work

• DYS XS30A ESC Banggood referral link with Cap removed Link to Picture where to find cap works great in Dshot 600 no problems so far! (tested it with ZMX Fusion x25 and Copra champion 2300KV)
  
• Racestar MS Serie 35A Banggood referral link
  
• Gemfan Maveric 24A with 2.2.0 Firmware Dshot600 activatet no cap Removed with ZMX Fusion X25 Motors!
  
• FVT LittleBee 30A with dshot 600 Banggood referral Link and cap removed
  
• Racerbee from myrcmart works perfect
  
• TBS Bulletproof 25A with dshot 600 Link to Picture where to find cap
  
  
• DYS XS 30A (work perfect on dshot600)
  
• TMotor 30A (work perfect on dshot600) one of the best performing so far for me!
  
  

ESC i will test in the next days

• Kiss24A Race with dshot 1200!!!
  

i will add more stuff the next weeks so stay tuned

7. Flight Video´s all flight with Dshot600









------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Edit 24.11.2016:
Replaced Youtube link
add glossary
Edit 25.11.2016:
Correct BLHeli Configurator
Link update and add Software download links collection
Edit 29.11.2016
BlHeli 16.5 Rev16.5 is now posted on GitHub (27Nov2016).
Dshot150, Dshot300, and Dshot600 are now supported officially.
Edit 07.12.2016
Add tested Hardware
Edit 14.12.2016
Add Flight Video
Edit 20.12.2016
added new tested hardware and compo
Edit 22.12.2016
add test and Setup video from F3 V4 Board with Gemfan Maverick ESC
Edit 16.01.2017
add howto video, add new tested hardware, update guide
Edit 25.01.2017
Rework most of the links, update some steps of the howto and make the steps clear.
added new proofed hardware and testing parts
Edit 03.02.2017
an other Howto rework of some of the steps.
Edit 05.02.2017
typo fixxing and flight video add
Edit 13.03.2017
how to set Min comand is now a new copy from Wiki
Link updates also version update (betaflight 3.1.6)
added more tested flightcontrollers and ESC (so far every single on i have at home works without problems with dshot600 after removing the cab!)
Edit 15.03.2017
addet a new HOW TO Video with Betaflight 3.1.6 and Dshot setup step by step
Edit 10.04.2017
typo fixes and update Links, hardware tested, addet new video

Amazing guide, thanks for that I will test it once i have a chance!

DShot firmware is available for all BLHeliS ESCs, it doesn't necessarily mean your ESCs will work with DShot out of the box. I'm just listing each possible firmware in the BLHeli Configurator.

I've got a DYS XS20A with the V1.0 PCB, just had a look, and found the filter capacitor. 
BTW, it's a simple lowpass filter.

I hope it will work, if i remove that.

I've got some Aikon 20A that I've just tested on the bench a couple days ago. They won't run 600. But with 300 all I can say is it's like butter. Very smooth and quiet. Now if it would just warm up a bit.............

(24-Nov-2016, 10:27 PM)Sgyozo79 Wrote: I've got a DYS XS20A with the V1.0 PCB, just had a look, and found the filter capacitor. 
BTW, it's a simple lowpass filter.

I hope it will work, if i remove that.

i have found this https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showpost...count=1878
looks diffrent maybe the newer version!
and yeah it is a simple filter capacitor

Great tutorial Kerni! I've got ESC's that I'm gonna use in my next build that this will work on. I'll give it a (D)shot then

(25-Nov-2016, 09:23 AM)sloscotty Wrote: Great tutorial Kerni! I've got ESC's that I'm gonna use in my next build that this will work on. I'll give it a (D)shot then

Thx man and yeah you should try it i have now 12 packs on my test rig and i love it! super smooth the diffrence to multiwii is realy small but i love the smooth sound when i starting!! video is coming!

(25-Nov-2016, 08:18 AM)Kerni_fpv Wrote: i have found this https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showpost...count=1878
looks diffrent maybe the newer version!
and yeah it is a simple filter capacitor

Yes, it's the V2.0 version, mine is V1.0, a little difference in the part placement. I was correct, i removed that cap, and it's tested now, on bench, and outside some hovering, it's fine. 
Omnibus F3 FC and DYS XS20A, with dshot600. 
(and Martian II frame, Emax RS2205 2300kv's. waiting for the fpv cam, vtx, coming tooo slow, i'll need to put on something else, i want to fly this thing.  )   
 

to a lot of testing the last day´s (indoor and outtoor) today i flash the 16.5 BlHeli (Guide is updatet)
what can i say so far i love the throttel response!

I have ordert some other components too Gemfan Maveric esc and other FC, main goal is to have 3-4 Dshot test quads with diffrent setups i will report here how it is going

did you remove the caps before or after you flashed them? i tried to flash after i removed the caps and bricked my escs.

(03-Dec-2016, 02:45 AM)JimmyLe813 Wrote: did you remove the caps before or after you flashed them? i tried to flash after i removed the caps and bricked my escs.

on my first try i have done it after i remove the caps this weekend i have done it before, two esc did faild the upload, but with the standalone version of BlHeli i was able to flash them also!

so far i know there is no way to brick the esc... what you mean with brick? is there a "failed flash" flag on them?

(05-Dec-2016, 08:29 AM)Kerni_fpv Wrote: on my first try i have done it after i remove the caps this weekend i have done it before, two esc did faild the upload, but with the standalone version of BlHeli i was able to flash them also!

so far i know there is no way to brick the esc... what you mean with brick? is there a "failed flash" flag on them?

sorry i should've said soft brick, as in failed flash. but i was able to force flash them by going back to betaflight 2.9 and clicking ignore errors on the blheli chrome app.

(05-Dec-2016, 09:22 PM)JimmyLe813 Wrote: sorry i should've said soft brick, as in failed flash. but i was able to force flash them by going back to betaflight 2.9 and clicking ignore errors on the blheli chrome app.

good to hear!

i addet testet and confirmed hardware from me to the list, i have so much stuff on my bench... chrismas can come i will need the free time