I was watching a JB video and he was building electronics and he tested each component as he built before adding them versus at the end with everything wired up.


   Here’s my question.
  Can a FC be plugged into LiPo without anything soldered to pads so I can test the voltage at all the voltage + pads after bridging the user selectable voltage choices?

   I’d definitely have Cap on if needed and smoke tester during probing.

You can use a fc with nothing attached but you can only plug a lipo if it takes that voltage. Some fc still need 5v supply so be careful with that. What's the fc?

I have two different FC and they both are 6S capable.
Holybro F7 HDV and Clracing F4S.
I can see the benefit of let’s say I crash and it knocks out a FC but I don’t know if anything else got knocked out.
When I start rebuilding JB video recommends testing each pad on the new FC before let’s say adding vtx and make sure the right voltage is at pad then solder in vtx and make sure it works before next step.
I just wanted to make sure FC can be powered up blank with required LiPo so that the pads can be measured before adding the components.
For some reason doing it one component at a time makes understanding the purpose of FC light a bulb moment.
Also I just replaced FC and installed everything,everything worked except vtx + wasn’t supply correct voltage and if I would have used JB method I could have saved hours of time.

I do the same thing, test each component as I go.

(30-Sep-2020, 02:57 PM)Sugs Wrote: I do the same thing, test each component as I go.

 And the light bulb lights up moment,lol.
  Good to know for future builds.

I usually build from the inside out: FC, ESC then motors. That allows you to test each part as you put it in. Then RX, which is largely independent of the rest, and then video. So typically I do this:

- Before I've even reached for the soldering iron, make sure the FC connects to Betaflight, dump the config and make sure the gyro works. Some places get snippy about accepting returns of soldered gear.
- If it's an AIO FC then I do the XT60 next and recheck Betaflight. You can calibrate the voltage at this point. If it's a 4-in-1 you have to wait for the FC-ESC connection.
- ESC to FC connections. Now you can check the ESC firmware. Also the power connection if it's a 4-in-1.
- Motors to ESC. Test the motors in BLHeli suite, and then BF.

- RX. Now you can test the serial RX settings, stick movements. You can also buzz the motors and use turtle mode to check motors in pairs. In theory you can do a hover test at this point.

- VTX next. You can also test this without the cam. You'll get a black screen, but this also lets you test the OSD.
- Finally, the camera. At that point you've got a quad.

EDIT: to actually answer your question - yep, that's fine.

I wait until the very end. No smoke stopper. The suspense is palpable lol.

(30-Sep-2020, 05:56 PM)the.ronin Wrote: I wait until the very end.  No smoke stopper.  The suspense is palpable lol.

Ah, the Big Bang approach!

Not going to lie - I have done it in the past ;-)

That's how I always do it.

When I did a lot of my own guitar tuning having to shave saddles and nuts to within mm accuracy, the experienced luthiers that helped me kept drilling into me, "measure twice, cut once."

(30-Sep-2020, 05:56 PM)the.ronin Wrote: I wait until the very end.  No smoke stopper.  The suspense is palpable lol.

 

I don't check anything until motors and FC is wired up. Measure the heck out of everything with my DMM checking for shorts and go over every joint with a loupe then once I am happy with that I cross my fingers and power it on.

I have yet to use a smoke stopper but have just bought one so I am sure will use it next time .

After I hear the happy beeps and know "Its Alive" I then start to connect the rest of the components.

Vifly is the way to go if you don't have a bulb smoke stopper already.