FIELD MANUAL · § 04 SAFETY · REV 0.1FM 18-DOF / SPEC-SAFE
★ PROJECT HEXAPOD ★ INTERNAL

Pre-flight checklist.

LIPO · WIRING · FIRST POWER · ONGOING

●Read before first power-on
Every item on this list exists because someone — often a more experienced hobbyist than you — skipped it and paid for it. Tick each one intentionally.
LiPo handling
  1. danger30 A inline fuse on LiPo+ lead
    Never skip. A direct short on an unfused 2S 3300 mAh pack can ignite the pack in seconds.
  2. dangerStore and charge inside the fireproof bag
    LiPos fail rarely but catastrophically. The bag contains the fire long enough to get the pack outside.
  3. warningBalance charge only (IMAX B6)
    Use the balance plug every charge. Cells that drift more than 0.05 V apart over a few cycles are early failure signals.
  4. warningLow-voltage alarm connected to balance plug
    Redundant to the ESP32 monitor. Below 3.0 V/cell permanently damages the pack.
Power wiring
  1. infoXT60 pigtail as the main switch
    Disconnect when not in use. Simplest safe 'off'.
  2. warningTie ESP32 GND to servo-rail GND
    Separate grounds cause random PWM glitches. This has confused many people. Tie them at the buck GND.
  3. warningNever power servos from the ESP32 3.3 V or 5 V pins
    The onboard LDO cannot handle the current. Let out the magic smoke exactly once and learn forever.
  4. info470 µF – 1000 µF electrolytic across V+ / GND at each PCA9685
    Servo current spikes are vicious. Place close to the board.
First power-on
  1. dangerSet buck output to 6.0 V BEFORE connecting servos
    Verify with a multimeter. Exceeding 6 V cooks MG996Rs; stall torque climbs with heat and kills gears.
  2. infoFirst power-on: no servos plugged in
    Boot ESP32 + PCA9685s only. Verify 0x40 and 0x41 over serial. Then plug in one servo at a time.
Ongoing operation
  1. warningE-stop stays physically accessible at all times
    Bluepad32 Options/Share freezes the pose. If the wireless link drops, pull the XT60.
  2. warningFirmware battery cutoff at 6.6 V (3.3 V/cell)
    Motion stops with hysteresis up to 7.0 V. Resume only after a fresh charge.