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Detailed Open Solo Install Using The Solex App

Note: If you are doing a brand new green cube install, please be sure to start off with the New Green Cube Install Instructions. This warning does not apply to stock solos and existing green cube solos.

Please read all the instructions carefully prior to beginning. Skipping steps or doing things out of order will generally result in failure that is difficult to diagnose and repair.

These instructions are for Solex version 1.6.6 released ono 12/29/2017, or higher versions. Please ensure your mobile device has the latest version of Solex installed via the Google Play Store.

  1. Download packages: If you haven't recently downloaded the latest files, you will need to do this first.

    • First connect your mobile device to the Solo's WiFi and open Solex. Allow Solex to connect to the Solo and download parameters. It must make this connection first, or you will not see the firemware updates menu. This is how Solex determines it is connected to a Solo and no some other type of drone.
    • Make sure you have Advanced Mode checked in the Solex application settings menu, or you will not see the firmware updates menu.
    • Switch your mobile device WiFi over to your home WiFi as you will need high speed internet to download.
    • With your device connected to the internet, go into the Solex Firmware Updates menu.
    • Press the clean up button, then the refresh button to make sure you're seeing the latest files.
    • Download the Open Solo Clean Install packages (solo and controller) by tapping the packages. Available will change to downloaded once complete. The installation packages are ~80MB each, so it will take a little longer to download than you may be used to.
    • If you have the HERE GPS or retractable landing gear mods, also download those parameter packages.
    • You do not need the ArduCopter parameter package or the ArduCopter firmware package for this process.

  2. Reconnect: Once you've downloaded both, reconnect your mobile device to the Solo WiFi and make sure Solex says connected to vehicle. Again, your solo and controller must be fully charged, powered on, paired, connected, and not malfunctioning. You may need to press the connect button in Solex to force it to reconnect.

  3. Install: From the firmware updates menu in Solex, tap one of the Open Solo Clean Install packages that you previously downloaded (copter or controller, doesn't matter which you do first).

    • Read the notes and press install. Press install when prompted again to confirm. This is your last chance to change your mind.
    • Again, be patient while numerous large files are extracted and scripts execute. Do not push buttons, exit the app, mess with the Solo, etc. Let it do its thing. Until it says it has completed.
    • Do this for both the controller package and the copter package. The process the same. You must do both. Do not reboot or do anything else between these installs.

  4. Reboot: Power cycle the Solo and controller once the Solex installation packages have both completed successfully. When they power back on, they will automatically begin a factory reset procedure. Since we just installed Open Solo on the recovery partitions, they are factory resetting to Open Solo! They will then automatically execute a second update procedure, cleanly installing Open Solo on the system partition.

    • You will likely hear the Pixhawk reboot 2-3 times. This is normal.
    • You will likely see the controller reboot and say update success twice. This is also normal.
    • It is difficult to know exactly what stage it is at since it can't speak and isn't telepathic. The process takes about 6 minutes on both the solo and the controller. So just wait about 6 minutes.

  5. Pair: Hit the pair button under the Solo with a small pointy poking apparatus like a paper clip for 2 seconds to get the controller and solo re-paired. When the controller tells you it has detected the solo, hold the A and B button for 3 seconds... which is the second set of vibrations... until the the screen says pairing in progress.

  6. Reconnect mobile device: You will need to reconnect your mobile device to Solo's WiFi now. Since it did a factory reset, the Solo and controller are using their default WiFi SSID and password (the default password is sololink).

  7. Load applicable parameter packages: If you have a HERE GPS/Compass or a retractable landing gear mod, you will need to install some applicable parameter packages now. If you have none of these modifications, you can skip this step.

    • Tap each package in the Solex Firmware Updates menu to install the parameters. You do not need to reboot in between
    • If you have the HERE gps/compass, load the HERE Compass Parameters package.
    • If you have the landing gear mod, load the Landing Gear Parameters package.
    • You do not need to load the ArduCopter parameters or ArduCopter firmware packages!!!
    • Reboot the solo after loading all the applicable parameter packages.

  8. In the Solex vehicle settings menu, you can verify everything installed by scrolling to the bottom and looking at the listed version information. Controller and Vehicle should say 3.0.0. Controller FW should say Open Solo 3.0.0. And autopilot FW should say 1.5.4 for a stock cube, and 3.5.4 for a green cube.

Installation Complete!

Proceed to the post-installation instructions!