Some questions and observations about DJI Groundstation 4.07

P

paulreilly

Member
I'm just getting started with the Groundstation (v4.07) on our Droidworx Hex, and got the set-up running with the simulator. I'm using an average laptop and 2.4GHz link. Single waypoint version. Anyone able to help with a few issues?
1. I've used the Simulator mode to fly a pretend photogrammetry mission, flying across a field. I plant a waypoint (Space bar + left click). The resulting course segments are anything but straight. It's a series of mad curves, in alternating directions as the aircraft flies west and east. There's no rise and fall; altitude is constant. Is this just a bug in the simulator? I hope the real aircraft won't do this?
2. Is there any way to save a Flytrace? I've had the software lock up at least twice, needing a re-start. This is scary enough if it happens in a real mission, but also means the Trace gets wiped. In a photogrammetry mission, that means you've lost the course history, which is bad.
3. Does it matter if the Home Point is 20m in the air? When I do RTH, will it go "20m up, yep that's home", shut down the motors and crash to the ground?
4. In Simulator mode, is there any way to position the aircraft at some new point on the map? I can only get it where the (real) GPS says it is, apart from 'flying' there with the simulator. Let's say I want fly around the (simulated) Matterhorn. Can I place the aircraft at the location?
5. The simulator flies very slowly. Even if I set the speed to 25 (which the max the Click n Go dialog box will let me enter), the plane only flies about 8-10. Is it because I have a slow PC?
6. Should I use my regular controller to take-off/land, and just let the Groundstation manage the air-journey? (The instructions and forum comments regarding One Key Take-off have left me totally confused).

Thanks in advance for your help guys.
 


H

hover.ch

Member
I have used the simulator a couple of times but quickly switched to "live mode". Because the flightware needs to be powered up anyway (GPS signal must be available), it makes not too much sense to have an "armed" copter aside (which can start immediately anytime), while your are exploring GS insimulation mode.

Because I found out that simulation mode is pretty unusable, I switched to "live testing". Sounds pretty scarey but due to the fact that you can switch back to Atti/Manual mode at any time, I decided to do real testing. Until now I never approached a problem where I couldn't react in time.

To make a long story short: Forget simulation mode.
 

P

paulreilly

Member
hover.ch said:
I have used the simulator a couple of times but quickly switched to "live mode". Because the flightware needs to be powered up anyway (GPS signal must be available), it makes not too much sense to have an "armed" copter aside (which can start immediately anytime), while your are exploring GS insimulation mode.

Because I found out that simulation mode is pretty unusable, I switched to "live testing". Sounds pretty scarey but due to the fact that you can switch back to Atti/Manual mode at any time, I decided to do real testing. Until now I never approached a problem where I couldn't react in time.

To make a long story short: Forget simulation mode.
Click to expand...

Thank you, hover.
Yes, we have now taken the plunge and started using waypoints in live. Successfully, including taking back manual control, and also did a laptop transmit-failure exercise (result: successful RTH and auto-land, tho I admit I was biting my nails).

In the end, the Simulator is useful for getting familiarity with where the buttons are, and no more,. It's a shame it's not better.
 

S

syclops

New Member
I got a problem with my ground station , I cant click the icon EDITOR after the GS connected to the datalink module at s800. It seems the EDITOR was disable automaticly when the datalink connected, so i cant upload the waypoint to the module.



But if the datalink in NOT CONNECTING mode, i still can play with the EDITOR.


Im using windows 7 with SP1 with datalink 900Mhz. with WKM firmware 5.20.
Any one got similar problem ?
 

H

hover.ch

Member
No, I don't have this problem. I use 2.4 link but that shouldn't make the difference.

However, whereas the GS functionality is not brillant but pretty useful (and very expensive!), the look&feel is just terrible. So many UI elements one can hardly anticipate what they mean, what they are doing, whether one can click on them... GS is one of the worst user experiences I had in the last couple of months. It looks cool on screenshots but once you are in the field with an armed MR on the ground, you have to be lucky and very patient.
 



P

paulreilly

Member
Some experiences using way points (ground station) in the field

We've now done about 12 flights in the field with Ground Station (single waypoint). So it IS usable, although the user interface is highly unsatisfactory for controlling £9,000 worth of gear.
Some observations: We worked a 2-man team, I don't think I'd ever risk an expensive machine trying to do it all myself. Get as much practice together as you can doing 'safe' things, take it one step at a time, and get a work flow established. We had a couple of near mistakes.
The Ground Station is TERRIBLY slow at climbing, it took nearly 2 mins to climb to 130m, where I can do it on manual in 30s. So we learned to climb to altitude using the DX8, THEN switch to Ground Station by Connecting. Same in reverse for landing.
The good thing is that switching back to manual (flick Mode to manual then back to GPS/Alt) always worked just fine, which is reassuring!

We operated up to 400m range with no problems.

I totally hate the Altitude offset thing, it seems to make up the numbers as it goes along (we got everything from 0 to -7,000 to 200 in one location), and why? Just in case you want to fly on the roof of a sky scraper, according to the manual.

Keep the manual throttle at 'half' like it's your religion!!!!! it will save your @ss when something unexpected happens. (There's an automatic warning on Ground Station but it cries wolf which is worse than useless because you learn to ignore it).

The 3D space is confusing, know what the difference is between the gold star and the red line (the Simulator is good for practising this). If the Google Earth view slips off vertical, or zooms out you can be left floundering until you've fixed it. Meanwhile your team mate is panicking and watching the seconds tick away.

And always know what you would do if the PC locks up or crashes. If all else fails, yank the USB transmitter cables out of the PC, and the aircraft will stop, hover and then Return to Home.
 

H

hover.ch

Member
I can confirm most of this, although I had no problem with climbing. One can set the climb/drop rate (vertical speed), I guess the default is pretty low (1.5m/s?). I was always able to get back control by simply switching from GPS/ATTI to MANUAL or to ATTI mode, without ever "pulling the plug". I'm using GS on my own but I'm always prepared to take over, if the MR doesn't do what I expect him to do.

I also dislike the altitude offset, IMHO there are too many heights/altitudes on the screen. I haven't yet understood all the values and especially the differences among them.

I also agree upon the 3D mode which looks pretty cool but is pretty unusable. GS is not designed to be used in the field, it is unintuitive, too much information, misleading button-like widgets you never know what to do with (click on it?), and more.

However, I must also admit that one can use GS (in my case Multi-WP) and once one knows all the glitches, it is more or less reliable.

One last note:
I would expect DJI to improve GS substantially, more than introducing a no-fly zone around the Tiananmen square (GS 4.0.8) ...
 


H

hover.ch

Member
As I have mentioned(?) I'm using the Multi-Waypoint GS (license).

In the waypoint editor there is a general and a WP-specific section, I'm not sure where the vertical speed option actually is. However, it is possible to overide the default vertical speed of 1.5m/s, something I do regularly.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.
Top