A Topotek or XFRobot gimbal camera could not do what was asked
What ArduPilot says:
- … tracking failed
- … SD card error
- … failed to … recording
“Mount: Topotek SD card error”: the gimbal reported that its memory card is missing or faulty, so ArduPilot does not even send the picture or recording command. “Mount: Topotek tracking failed”: the command to follow an object could not be sent to the gimbal. “XFRobot: failed to start recording” (4.7): the gimbal refused the command or did not answer it in time.
What to do, most likely first
The memory card is missing, full, or not formatted the way the camera wants.
FixInsert a card, format it as the gimbal's manual says, and check a test recording on the ground.
The gimbal is not answering on its serial port.
CheckIf arming is also refused with “Mount: not healthy”, the link to the gimbal is down.
FixCheck the gimbal's power, TX to RX and RX to TX, and the port's
SERIALn_PROTOCOL8 and baud rate.
Parameters to look at
| Parameter | What it is |
|---|---|
MNT1_TYPE | Mount Type |
CAM1_TYPE | Camera shutter (trigger) type |
SERIAL1_PROTOCOL | Telem1 protocol selection |
SERIAL2_PROTOCOL | Telemetry 2 protocol selection |
SERIAL3_PROTOCOL | Serial 3 (GPS) protocol selection |
SERIAL4_PROTOCOL | Serial4 protocol selection |
The code that sends it
… tracking failed
libraries/AP_Mount/AP_Mount_Topotek.cpp AP_Mount_Topotek::set_tracking() · Open in ArduPilot Copter-4.7.1
… SD card error
libraries/AP_Mount/AP_Mount_Topotek.cpp AP_Mount_Topotek::record_video() · Open in ArduPilot Copter-4.7.1
libraries/AP_Mount/AP_Mount_Topotek.cpp AP_Mount_Topotek::take_picture() · Open in ArduPilot Copter-4.7.1
… failed to … recording
libraries/AP_Mount/AP_Mount_XFRobot.cpp AP_Mount_XFRobot::check_recording_timeout() · Open in ArduPilot Copter-4.7.1
libraries/AP_Mount/AP_Mount_XFRobot.cpp AP_Mount_XFRobot::process_packet() · Open in ArduPilot Copter-4.7.1