Power System
Use a multimeter and the v1 schematic to prove polarity, absence of an obvious short, and stable real supply behavior before flight.
# Power-off checks
- 1
Disconnect all power
Never use continuity/resistance mode on a powered circuit.
- 2
Verify battery-connector polarity
Use the schematic/PCB markings and the actual battery lead; do not rely on connector shape alone.
- 3
Check supply-to-ground resistance/continuity
Measure between the board power input and ground. A persistent near-zero resistance/continuous hard-short indication must be investigated before connecting a battery. Capacitors can cause a brief changing reading.
- 4
Inspect motor wiring
Look for strands, crushed insulation or motor leads that can short against the frame/PCB.
# Controlled powered checks
With propellers removed, power the build using the normal validated source or an appropriate current-limited supply if you have one. Measure the actual supply points identified by your schematic/board and confirm they remain within the requirements of the installed modules during the bench test. Stop immediately if a component heats unexpectedly, the controller repeatedly resets, or measured supply collapses.
# Understand the v1 battery telemetry
system.bat is the firmware’s calibrated ESP supply-voltage proxy from ESP.getVcc(). It is useful for the validated v1 failsafe path but is not the raw LiPo pack voltage. Use a multimeter when you need the physical battery/input voltage.
# Custom power variants
If your motor, battery, regulator, connector or power architecture differs from the Hardware Reference, the required voltage/current limits are determined by that hardware. Document and validate the variant instead of copying an unverified value from another build.
# What “power ready” means at preflight
ESPFlight v1 does not define one universal raw pack-voltage threshold or one battery model for every build. Treat the battery/power state as acceptable only when the real build has already passed these checks:
system.bat as if it were the raw LiPo pack voltage.