Setup and Configuration

Rover firmware is not debugged by piling up parameters; it is debugged in order. Get power and signal wiring right, calibrate the sensors, set up positioning and power monitoring, confirm every output moves the right thing, and only then touch parameters. Get the order wrong and you end up tuning around a wiring fault.

Setup order

Step	What to do	Page
0	Flash Rover firmware and confirm the vehicle is recognised as a rover	Flashing Rover firmware
1	Power the controller, GPS, radio and BEC, and mount the controller in the standard orientation	Mounting the controller and accessories
2	Wire the steering servo and drive motors for your chassis type and set the output functions	Motor and servo connections
3	Add encoders if you want odometry, and switch the horizontal velocity source to WheelEncoder	Wheel encoder setup
4	Enter the basic parameters: FRAME_CLASS, FRAME_TYPE and the throttle and steering items	Key parameters on this page
5	Calibrate the accelerometer and compass, and set up positioning and the power module	Three calibration sections below
6	Run the motor test with the wheels off the ground and confirm outputs, steering direction and forward direction one by one	Power-up checks below

Key parameters

Parameter	Value	Notes
FRAME_CLASS	1	Ground vehicle; 2 is boat, 3 is balance bot
FRAME_TYPE	0	0 is the default; omnidirectional uses 1 Omni3, 2 OmniX, 3 OmniPlus, 4 Omni3Mecanum
SERVO1_FUNCTION / SERVO3_FUNCTION	26 / 70	Steering and throttle for Ackermann; change to 73 / 74 for differential
MOT_PWM_TYPE	0	0 is normal PWM; OneShot, DShot150~1200 and brushed (3 relay, 4 brushed bipolar) are also available
MOT_THR_MIN	0	Throttle dead zone compensation; enter the minimum percentage at which the motor starts to turn
MOT_REV_DELAY	0	Pause before a reversing ESC changes direction, 0.1~1.0 s
MOT_SPD_SCA_BASE	0	Above this speed the steering angle is scaled down to prevent rollover; 0 disables
CRUISE_SPEED / CRUISE_THROTTLE	Per vehicle	Cruise speed and base throttle for auto modes
TURN_RADIUS	Per vehicle	Turning radius at low speed; directly affects how well the vehicle tracks a route
ATC_STR_RAT_FF	Per vehicle	Steering feed-forward; tune this first when the vehicle drifts off a straight line

Accelerometer and compass calibration

For accelerometer and compass calibration, follow the sensor calibration page.

GPS and RTK setup

For GPS and RTK positioning module setup, follow the GPS and RTK setup page.

Power module setup

For power module setup and calibration, follow the power monitor page.

Power-up checks

1. Press the safety switch and arm; outputs carry no signal until you do. Check this first when the vehicle does nothing, rather than changing parameters.
2. Open the motor test in the ground station and click outputs 1~4 one at a time, confirming that each number matches the motor it is actually wired to.
3. Switch to manual mode and apply throttle slowly: both sides should run the same way, and forward throttle should drive the vehicle forward.
4. Steer and confirm the direction. If it is reversed, look at SERVOx_REVERSED first, then check whether the left and right channels are swapped.
5. Radio channels and output channels are two different things: radio channels are mapped in RCMAP_*, output channels are set by SERVOx_FUNCTION. Adjust them separately.

Common symptoms

Symptom	Cause	Fix
Servo does not move	SERVO1_FUNCTION is still 0 or a multirotor value	Set it to 26 (Ackermann)
ESC beeps but the motor never turns	Not armed, or the safety switch was not pressed	Press the safety switch, then arm
Differential vehicle spins in place	Left and right motors are swapped	Swap 73 and 74
Forward throttle drives it backwards	ESC direction or SERVO3_REVERSED	Change the parameter first; rewire only if that does not fix it
Omnidirectional vehicle drifts when strafing	Rollers fitted the wrong way, or wrong FRAME_TYPE	Check against the numbering diagram on the wiring page

Parameters only solve parameter problems

In the motor test, a wrong direction can be made to look right either by changing a parameter or by rewiring, but rewiring is the real fix. Save parameters for things that genuinely need numbers: travel limits, dead zones, PID.