what to use
- Thread starter matwelli
- Start date
matwelli
Member
well, got the ardupilot soldered up, gps and magnetometer installed, software compiled, uploaded and running - all thats left is transmitter setup and flight test 
had a friend on skype who has just done the same setup step me thru the arduino programming/compiling.
Im computer savvy, but their instructions still leave me scratching my head (maybe brain is getting to tired to accept new stuff)
so far very happy, hope for flight test in a day or two
had a friend on skype who has just done the same setup step me thru the arduino programming/compiling.
Im computer savvy, but their instructions still leave me scratching my head (maybe brain is getting to tired to accept new stuff)
so far very happy, hope for flight test in a day or two
well, got the ardupilot soldered up, gps and magnetometer installed, software compiled, uploaded and running - all thats left is transmitter setup and flight test
had a friend on skype who has just done the same setup step me thru the arduino programming/compiling.
Im computer savvy, but their instructions still leave me scratching my head (maybe brain is getting to tired to accept new stuff)
so far very happy, hope for flight test in a day or two
I'm interested to see how this works out for you, I like what I've read about this setup but I'm not really into having to compile code and work with a setup that is potentially even more complex than dialing in an MK. It's certainly well within my ability to do it, it's just that these days I'd rather spend my time flying the multis after I build them, not sitting in front of this laptop scratching my head over what went wrong with the software.
For folks that love to tinker with that sort of thing its a great setup, I prefer something a lot less technical and a bit more user friendly, I get enough of the tech stuff doing my day job.
Ken
matwelli
Member
My head hurt when I first started reading on what I had to do, and i feel the same as you "man, not something else i have to learn"
Once the firmware was done (took 5 minutes once I knew what to do) the rest is easy peasy lemon squeezy.
If someone sold it, pre soldered, firmware loaded, its as simple as installing the config software on the pc, plug the ardupilot in and pressing "connect" then you zero all the gyros/imu's , calibrate the Transmitter, and shes ready for flight tests. all the PID settings for the 4 modes are there, ready to be tweaked - so im guessing, firmware preloaded, zactly the same work to set up as a MK ?
Once the firmware was done (took 5 minutes once I knew what to do) the rest is easy peasy lemon squeezy.
If someone sold it, pre soldered, firmware loaded, its as simple as installing the config software on the pc, plug the ardupilot in and pressing "connect" then you zero all the gyros/imu's , calibrate the Transmitter, and shes ready for flight tests. all the PID settings for the 4 modes are there, ready to be tweaked - so im guessing, firmware preloaded, zactly the same work to set up as a MK ?
matwelli
Member
last nite , grabed the ardupilot and set it up. this is after the firmware was uploaded the day before.
Setup consisted of having it flat and level.
fliping a dip switch for x-mode
inputting 3 offsets for the acelerometers
calibrating the transmitter channels
now she should be ready to fly, in acro mode and in super-stable mode (self leveling)
to go further will be re-compiling the ardupirates code (its got arducoper at the moment) ,but baby steps first
Setup consisted of having it flat and level.
fliping a dip switch for x-mode
inputting 3 offsets for the acelerometers
calibrating the transmitter channels
now she should be ready to fly, in acro mode and in super-stable mode (self leveling)
to go further will be re-compiling the ardupirates code (its got arducoper at the moment) ,but baby steps first
matwelli
Member
progress.
First - using the original ardupilot code, used Superstable mode at the field last weekend, all went well, untill it got its "yaw on" and decided turning right was what it wanted to do - at the time, had no idea what went wrong.
This week, managed to get the ArdupirateNG code compiled and loaded, had an opps with the controler aligned in + config and the program in X config, chased a nasty oscillation untill i figured what i did wrong !
Proceeded to tune the acrobatic mode (no self leveling) and stable mode, then the dreaded YAW bug hit again - finally worked out it was because I never set the magnetometer up properlypps: so with that sorted, she works in stable mode properly.
Its quite cool having a quad that knows exacly where its pointing, and what angle to the earth it is at my first aerial robot !
Tomorrow off to the flying field (more room) to try the altitude hold and GPS hold
First - using the original ardupilot code, used Superstable mode at the field last weekend, all went well, untill it got its "yaw on" and decided turning right was what it wanted to do - at the time, had no idea what went wrong.
This week, managed to get the ArdupirateNG code compiled and loaded, had an opps with the controler aligned in + config and the program in X config, chased a nasty oscillation untill i figured what i did wrong !
Proceeded to tune the acrobatic mode (no self leveling) and stable mode, then the dreaded YAW bug hit again - finally worked out it was because I never set the magnetometer up properly
pps: so with that sorted, she works in stable mode properly.Its quite cool having a quad that knows exacly where its pointing, and what angle to the earth it is at
my first aerial robot !Tomorrow off to the flying field (more room) to try the altitude hold and GPS hold
matwelli
Member
will get some video when i get a chance too so far its been lots of hops in the dining room tweaking settings (raining outside)
Its 7 am here, rain has stoped, birds starting to chirp, so might be able to get some from the flying field.
Allot of work ? hmm, dunno, certainly alot more than installing a pre setup board.
If you decided to go commercial, such as the MK, you could take one of these, load in your sorted code, calibrate the magnetometer, and it would be virtually ready to go when you passed it onto the end user.
Only thing you cant change without delving into the code is the basic frame type (Quad +, X, Hex)
so far its been lots of hops in the dining room tweaking settings (raining outside)Its 7 am here, rain has stoped, birds starting to chirp, so might be able to get some from the flying field.
Allot of work ? hmm, dunno, certainly alot more than installing a pre setup board.
If you decided to go commercial, such as the MK, you could take one of these, load in your sorted code, calibrate the magnetometer, and it would be virtually ready to go when you passed it onto the end user.
Only thing you cant change without delving into the code is the basic frame type (Quad +, X, Hex)
matwelli
Member
Screen shots of the configuratorView attachment 263View attachment 264View attachment 265View attachment 266View attachment 267
