Attopilot waypoint code line?

[professor]

I am currently flying a UAS with a version 1.8 Attopilot installed. We have one of the Beta test units and a preliminary manual copy and are just now getting in the air. Dean must be covered up as he hasn't answered our emails in weeks. I know some of you have used this unit.

Question is: What does the code line look like for a set of waypoints? The unit flies the plane beautifully and returns "home" reliably but we have yet to have it fly a "path file" Thank you!

[Kisssys]

A file called WP - Generic for Atto v1.8.txt explains how to create the WP file. Without a file "WP" ( no ext ) it just comes home. Their is also a slide show that shows how to create the points in google earth.

Copy just the Waypoints in that file and leave the R at the beginning of the first line and it should shift all those waypoints to your location. Never tried it but it should get you going real quick. If your aircraft is slower than 70 km/hr it will just fly at full throttle. Should climb or decend to 125 meters.

Kisssys

[professor]

A file called WP - Generic for Atto v1.8.txt explains how to create the WP file. Without a file "WP" ( no ext ) it just comes home. Their is also a slide show that shows how to create the points in google earth.

Copy just the Waypoints in that file and leave the R at the beginning of the first line and it should shift all those waypoints to your location. Never tried it but it should get you going real quick. If your aircraft is slower than 70 km/hr it will just fly at full throttle. Should climb or decend to 125 meters.

Kisssys

Do you have links or samples of this? I have included a copy of my current SET file so someone could show me which line to add the Lat/Lon of a waypoint and how. Thanks!

[Irv]

I am currently flying a UAS with a version 1.8 Attopilot installed. We have one of the Beta test units and a preliminary manual copy and are just now getting in the air. Dean must be covered up as he hasn't answered our emails in weeks. I know some of you have used this unit.

Question is: What does the code line look like for a set of waypoints? The unit flies the plane beautifully and returns "home" reliably but we have yet to have it fly a "path file" Thank you!

Here is the WP.txt I used:

WP Latitude Longitude Alt Triggers Airspeed Checksum

$00000,33.24910,-117.17808,0100,00000000,45*01
$00001,33.24622,-117.17623,0100,00000000,45*01
$00002,33.24519,-117.17764,0100,00000000,45*01
$00003,33.24552,-117.17932,0100,00000000,45*01
$00004,33.24910,-117.17808,0090,00000000,45*01
$00005,33.24622,-117.17623,0090,00000000,45*01
$00006,33.24519,-117.17764,0090,00000000,45*01
$00007,33.24552,-117.17932,0090,00000000,45*01
$00008,33.24910,-117.17808,0080,00000000,45*01
$00009,33.24622,-117.17623,0080,00000000,45*01
$00010,33.24519,-117.17764,0080,00000000,45*01
$00011,33.24552,-117.17932,0080,00000000,45*01
$00012,33.24910,-117.17808,0070,00000000,45*01
$00013,33.24622,-117.17623,0070,00000000,45*01
$00014,33.24519,-117.17764,0070,00000000,45*01
$00015,33.24552,-117.17932,0070,00000000,45*01
$00016,33.24626,-117.17832,0100,00000062,45*01
$####### END OF FILE

Fly to a point in the North West corner then to the North/East corner
of the field - 230M from C/l, then 80M East off the end of the runway,
then 140M West of the runway C/L at 100M alt. an 45Kph.
Do it again at 90M then again at 80M, then again at 70M
Then loiter at 125meter altitude in a 100 meter circle about a point 100
meters from the center of the Wingmaster field at 45Kph.

Here is how to make a WP file with Google Earth:

In Google Earth:
Tools --> Options --> In window set "Decimal Degrees" and "Meters, Kilometers"
-->Apply then OK

On top tool bar click "Add Path" Move window aside
Left click for each way point don't click-and-drag
Give name at top of opened window then click OK
Open left window
Right click on path name you just made then click Save AS
Use drop-down to save as type Kml . . . Remember the file location . . .
Change name if you wish . . Click Save

Open AttoPilot KML Utilities --> KML-> WP.TXT
File --> Open -->Click on file name --> click on Open
Add comments to the top of the file
Header should be:
WP Latitude Longitude Alt Triggers Airspeed checksum

Edit altitude, airspeed as necessary
Click on airplane logo at top toolbar
Note check sums added Save As WP.txt

Hope this helps.

[professor]

Thank you for the input! Will this work?
$105,Photo Deadtime Pre = 0 ' 0 to 50 allowed. Number of 0.2 second intervals before photo to idle motor and hold level pitch
$106,Photo Deadtime Post = 0 ' 0 to 50 allowed. Number of 0.2 second intervals after photo trigger to idle motor and hold level pitch
$107,StopNav = 0 ' 0 is NO, 1 is YES. If enabled, roll is also forced to level during photo trigger delays.

$108, 40.58248,-86.84979,0150,00000000,50*01 ' entrance Prairie Acres
$109, 40.58231,-86.84134,0150,00000000,50*01 ' back intersection Prairie Acres

$######## END OF SETTINGS ################################################

[professor]

$108,WP Latitude Longitude Alt Triggers Airspeed checksum

$109,40.58248,-86.84979,0150,00000000,50*01 ' entrance Prairie Acres
$110,40.58231,-86.84134,0150,00000000,50*01 ' back intersection Prairie Acres


$######## END OF SETTINGS ################################################

[Irv]

$108,WP Latitude Longitude Alt Triggers Airspeed checksum

$109,40.58248,-86.84979,0150,00000000,50*01 ' entrance Prairie Acres
$110,40.58231,-86.84134,0150,00000000,50*01 ' back intersection Prairie Acres


$######## END OF SETTINGS ################################################
There is very little leeway with the SET and WP file formats.
I think the first WP line MUST start with $00000,.....
The next will be: $00002,.....
etc.
Extra spaces can cause problems but the check sum after the * is ignored.

If you want a loiter defined by the SET file then:
To make this waypoint loiter, the 8th trigger column is set to "2",
which per your SET is 100m (SET line $70). the 7th trigger column is "6"
which is 240 seconds (SET line $84). After 4 minutes of loiter, your
UAV will then fly and loiter to the home location.

Example:
$00016,33.24626,-117.17832,0100,00000062,45*01

[ios]

Question is: What does the code line look like for a set of waypoints? The unit flies the plane beautifully and returns "home" reliably but we have yet to have it fly a "path file" Thank you!

Hi Proffesor (love the name!)

I'm also a beta tester from way back - welcome to the club! There is no need to update your SET.txt file, if Attopilot is able to fly your plane back to "home"

It sounds like what you are missing is another file on your SD card called a WP.txt file. This contains all the Lat/Lon and height data of your desired waypoints. (Don't add Lat/Lon data in the SET.txt file!!)

You also need a small utility program to automatically create the WP.txt file from a Google Earth KML file - by following the process which Irv described. Do you have the utility?

No hand editing is nessassery if you've correctly set the height in Google Earth, and you don't intend to be changing height during your flight.

I hope this helps - don't hesitate to ask further questions if you need more help.

[professor]

No, I don't have the WP.txt utility.......that explains some things. :) Is this something you can send me or do I need to get with Dean? I can't get ahold of him is why I came here. Any help you can give is most appreciated!

[Mecha]

You get this utility when you install Attopilot.exe, it goes without saying that you also need Google Earth in order to create the files.

You do not need this utility if you don't want to mess with it, although it makes it easier. You can just create a new text file, add the lines as Irv post them (changing your lat/lon info) and rename the file to WP.txt note the capital letters and place it on your sd card next to SET.txt

WP Latitude Longitude Alt Triggers Airspeed Checksum

$00000,33.24910,-117.17808,0100,00000000,45*01

the first line in the file must start with $00000 and then add 1 at the 5th place for every additional line.

If for example you "do not" want to vary the air speed on your flight you have 2 options. 1- take the airspeed out from the WP.txt this will default to the air speed in the SET.txt file for the entire flight.

WP Latitude Longitude Alt Triggers Checksum
$00000,33.24910,-117.17808,0100,00000000,*01

2- leave the new speed constant trough all the way points, note the air speed is 45kph

WP Latitude Longitude Alt Triggers Airspeed Checksum
$00000,33.24910,-117.17808,0100,00000000,45*01
$00001,33.24622,-117.17623,0100,00000000,45*01
$00002,33.24519,-117.17764,0100,00000000,45*01

if you want different air speeds then you can alter this at will for each line.

There are a few things To be aware off with the WP.txt file ALWAYS have the lat/lon rounded to 5 decimal places, if you use 6 the plane will not follow the flight plan. and always use the checksum value, just make it up it does not matter, *FF,*BC,*12,*D0 you get the point. (the checksum is not suppost to matter but on legacy ATTO it might)

[professor]

WP Latitude Longitude Alt Triggers Airspeed checksum

$00000,40.58248,-86.84979,0200,00000000,50*CS ' WP entrance Prairie Acres
$00001,40.58231,-86.84134,0200,00000000,50*CS ' WP back intersection Prairie Acres


$######## END OF SETTINGS ############

This is in a notepad .txt file, on my SD card, named WP. I will fly it as soon as I summon up the MoJo, pray, and have assurance of no rain. Thank you guys!

[professor]

All was predictable and smooth. It has been 6 years and 3 autopilots to achieve what Dean at ATTOpilot has allowed us to achieve on the first try. Thank you!

[Mecha]

Another thing you can play with on the WP file.

If you move to a different flight area but want to use the same path as the one you have where you usually fly, put an R right after the first $ like this

$R00000,40.58248,-86.84979,0200,00000000,50*CS

This will remap the coordinates you have to your new Home position.

So if you want to fly say Irv's waypoint path on your fly-zone you copy them to your WP file and put the R.

WP Latitude Longitude Alt Triggers Airspeed Checksum

$R00000,33.24910,-117.17808,0100,00000000,45*01
$00001,33.24622,-117.17623,0100,00000000,45*01
$00002,33.24519,-117.17764,0100,00000000,45*01
$00003,33.24552,-117.17932,0100,00000000,45*01
$00004,33.24910,-117.17808,0090,00000000,45*01
$00005,33.24622,-117.17623,0090,00000000,45*01
$00006,33.24519,-117.17764,0090,00000000,45*01
$00007,33.24552,-117.17932,0090,00000000,45*01
$00008,33.24910,-117.17808,0080,00000000,45*01
$00009,33.24622,-117.17623,0080,00000000,45*01
$00010,33.24519,-117.17764,0080,00000000,45*01
$00011,33.24552,-117.17932,0080,00000000,45*01
$00012,33.24910,-117.17808,0070,00000000,45*01
$00013,33.24622,-117.17623,0070,00000000,45*01
$00014,33.24519,-117.17764,0070,00000000,45*01
$00015,33.24552,-117.17932,0070,00000000,45*01
$00016,33.24626,-117.17832,0100,00000062,45*01
$####### END OF FILE

[airmcn_3]

All was predictable and smooth. It has been 6 years and 3 autopilots to achieve what Dean at ATTOpilot has allowed us to achieve on the first try. Thank you!


What a great statement!


Glad you got it!

Guys thank you for helping him out! Both Dean and I were out of town and did not have net access.

If you have any more questions or need assistance please feel free to contact me.

Chris

[saabguyspg]

so where does that mean the home position is set to wp #1? if not then how far away and what orientation is the pattern set to?

I want to set up standard patterns using this.

Thanks!


Another thing you can play with on the WP file.

If you move to a different flight area but want to use the same path as the one you have where you usually fly, put an R right after the first $ like this

$R00000,40.58248,-86.84979,0200,00000000,50*CS

This will remap the coordinates you have to your new Home position.

So if you want to fly say Irv's waypoint path on your fly-zone you copy them to your WP file and put the R.

WP Latitude Longitude Alt Triggers Airspeed Checksum

$R00000,33.24910,-117.17808,0100,00000000,45*01
$00001,33.24622,-117.17623,0100,00000000,45*01
$00002,33.24519,-117.17764,0100,00000000,45*01
$00003,33.24552,-117.17932,0100,00000000,45*01
$00004,33.24910,-117.17808,0090,00000000,45*01
$00005,33.24622,-117.17623,0090,00000000,45*01
$00006,33.24519,-117.17764,0090,00000000,45*01
$00007,33.24552,-117.17932,0090,00000000,45*01
$00008,33.24910,-117.17808,0080,00000000,45*01
$00009,33.24622,-117.17623,0080,00000000,45*01
$00010,33.24519,-117.17764,0080,00000000,45*01
$00011,33.24552,-117.17932,0080,00000000,45*01
$00012,33.24910,-117.17808,0070,00000000,45*01
$00013,33.24622,-117.17623,0070,00000000,45*01
$00014,33.24519,-117.17764,0070,00000000,45*01
$00015,33.24552,-117.17932,0070,00000000,45*01
$00016,33.24626,-117.17832,0100,00000062,45*01
$####### END OF FILE

[Mecha]

saabguyspg, I am not sure if I understand your question.

When Atto is initiated and it picks up the satellite lock it establishes the home position at that coordinate. So, if you have a flight plan already written but are not sure of your next flying location, you can use the R in front of the $00000, so when Atto locks its new home position it will remap every way point.

Now you will not see this in the WP.txt, meaning it will not re-write them for you, but it will carry out the waypoint sequence at the new location.

and yes the home position is at the first waypoint line, that is $00000.

[saabguyspg]

ah Ok i think that answers my question.

so when home is set that is also equal to the co-ords for the first way point?

If I had a simple box that had waypoints 1 2 3 4 say starting in the upper left corner and going clockwise the wp #1 would also be my home position?

Thanks!!

saabguyspg, I am not sure if I understand your question.

When Atto is initiated and it picks up the satellite lock it establishes the home position at that coordinate. So, if you have a flight plan already written but are not sure of your next flying location, you can use the R in front of the $00000, so when Atto locks its new home position it will remap every way point.

Now you will not see this in the WP.txt, meaning it will not re-write them for you, but it will carry out the waypoint sequence at the new location.

and yes the home position is at the first waypoint line, that is $00000.

[Mecha]

I made a mistake on the last post $00000 is not home it is your first waypoint which gets re-mapped to your home position.

to answer your question:

if you are standing over wp1 it would be your home position, other wise there would be a home position wherever you power Atto

As I understand it, wp1 ($00000) and home position are two separate locations, meaning your home position is acquire during satellite lock, while wp1 is pre-programmed in the WP.txt file as line $00000.

All the R does for you is re-map your way point locations to the "NEW" home position.

You can actually fly Atto without a WP.txt file, once the initial satellite lock is acquired, it takes those coordinates as its new home position.

I hope this clears things up

[saabguyspg]

sorry to be a pain....

I understand how the home position is set etc but lets say there is only two waypoints in my pattern. I fly to them and then send you my text file on the other side of the world. you put an R in the front of the waypoints.

this now means all waypoints are referenced to the new home position... but how does atto know how far away and at what angle the waypoint one would be to start the pattern?

Like you say the home position is set on boot up and that relative to point one is the missing link in my mind because the wp file does not know where you had as your last home position relative to the first way point.

Have you tried this feature yet?

i would really like to try it out but something seems missing in my mind. the only way it could work is if it used wp#1 as home and that started your pattern. Otherwise the wp file does not know where to start from and how long to fly to and what angle to fly to get to the first waypoint.

this is tough to describe.... thanks for your input!

[Mecha]

no problem saabguyspg,

Here is a quote from Dean

"Note the "R" on waypoint 0 after the dollar sign. This R (or could be a small case r) causes 0th waypoint to re-map
to your current set home position and all other waypoints maintain their relative positions with respect to the 0th
waypoint. This means the entire path is preserved and pulled (translated in the XY without being rotated) to any
location on Earth - whereever you happen to be.

AttoPilot even takes into account the fact that longitude lines compress as you proceed to the poles. So, no matter
where a "R" path was written for or where you happen to fly it, it will have the same shape and distances between points.

If you want you plane to fly to Scottsdale Arizona (just kidding) then remove the R after dollar sign on the 0th waypoint"

I had trouble finding this so I try explaining the best I could. Sorry for the confusion.

And yes, I have tried it many times. I always use the R even if I am at the location where the coordinates reside.

[Mecha]

There is another trick but I haven't used it in a while so I could have it mixed up. try it with care!!

here it is if you want to try it.

Place an H at the last waypoint ($H00003 in the 4 waypoint example) and the plane will ether loiter at the home position after finishing the 4th waypoint, or it will loiter at the last waypoint. I can't remember anymore.

I have no plane at the moment so I have my Atto sitting in a box. I need to get back in the air.

Let me know if you try it.

[saabguyspg]

Thanks Mecha and thanks for taking the time to explain it all. I will give it a shot!!!

[dmgoedde]

No, I don't have the WP.txt utility.......that explains some things. :) Is this something you can send me or do I need to get with Dean? I can't get ahold of him is why I came here. Any help you can give is most appreciated!It is in a .ZIP file on the micro SD card provided with your v1.8 unit. I sold you your unit before I started including a QuickStart sheet in each box that explains the main questions people have. If it simply is not in the .ZIP file, I apologize and I will right now e-mail the .ZIP file and quickstart pdf to you.

Dean

[dmgoedde]

sorry to be a pain....

I understand how the home position is set etc but lets say there is only two waypoints in my pattern. I fly to them and then send you my text file on the other side of the world. you put an R in the front of the waypoints.

this now means all waypoints are referenced to the new home position... but how does atto know how far away and at what angle the waypoint one would be to start the pattern?

Like you say the home position is set on boot up and that relative to point one is the missing link in my mind because the wp file does not know where you had as your last home position relative to the first way point.

Have you tried this feature yet?

i would really like to try it out but something seems missing in my mind. the only way it could work is if it used wp#1 as home and that started your pattern. Otherwise the wp file does not know where to start from and how long to fly to and what angle to fly to get to the first waypoint.

this is tough to describe.... thanks for your input!This is what Atto knows from the various sources:
1) Upon GPS lock, it knows where it is
2) The 0th waypoint is written in the WP file, so Atto knows this too
3) When "r" or "R" is encountered on the start of the line for 0th waypoint, Atto knows that the path is to be translated from the hard-coded (actual) coordinates defined in WP, and shifted up and over to be at the current location that GPS has found. This could be by tens of thousands of miles. The entire path is pulled over and the "anchor point" of the path that is pulled on top of your current location is the 0th waypoint. All the other waypoints have some relative position with respect to the 0th waypoint. Simply put, they are yanked to your current locale so that they now have the same relative positions to the actual current GPS home position. To make it really work well, the longitude is corrected for so that a 300 meter East/West separation of a given two waypoints defined on the equator is still a 300 meters seperation if you happen to be flying this "r" path in Northern Canada.

See an example I did last year (the attached image). A single "r" path flown at 5 random locations within 20 miles of my house... I picked random spots and got out and launched the UAV. Behind a Home Depot, a ranodm greenbelt, by a construction site, and 2 desert spots further away. There is a 2nd example of a larger pattern. The small pattern suffered due to the very small course size.

[dmgoedde]

There is another trick but I haven't used it in a while so I could have it mixed up. try it with care!!

here it is if you want to try it.

Place an H at the last waypoint ($H00003 in the 4 waypoint example) and the plane will ether loiter at the home position after finishing the 4th waypoint, or it will loiter at the last waypoint. I can't remember anymore.

I have no plane at the moment so I have my Atto sitting in a box. I need to get back in the air.

Let me know if you try it.Default (no "h" or "H" on last waypoint) is that when mission is complete UAV returns home to initial locked home position for end of flight loiter. If the "H" is there, then those coordinates of the "H" waypoint are a non-home end of flight loiter location. Intended application: cross country flight.

[saabguyspg]

ok Thanks Dean, that is exactly what I wanted to know. The home position in the field becomes the first waypoint in the text file. Otherwise it would not know where to start.

easy. So when you create a pattern the first point in the pattern should be the assumed launch point. Excellent.

Thanks agian!

brilliant BTW.

[dmgoedde]

The "R" marked paths are GREAT for lots of situations:
1) Wanting to fly a useful "stock" photo grid mission complete with triggers and complex airspeed and altitude profiles, but don't want to take a laptop to the field at all. Perform the grid anywhere you happen to find yourself and let Atto worry about the coordinate translation and longitude corrections.
2) Ability to distribute to friends a particularly favorite flight plan that they can immediately use in their area of the World without bothering with course edits.
3) Ability for me to publish standardized flight plans to get people up and running when they are just starting out
4) Ability to have a stock demonstration flight plan that you can use to show friends and family wherever you happen to be without fuss. Throw the UAV in the trunk of the car and take it to the family reunion and have it perform a complete photo mission over the area.

Attached is another photo I was searching for last week. It is a large area view of my 5-site test last year.