Discussion New Quadrocopter and Tricopter UAVP updated with GPS and more - UAVX!

[jesolins]

Hi,
Yes on your TX EPA is upper and lower travel adjustment for each channel. You are correct that the UAVX does the same odd channel summing to get the even channels. With proper adjustment, they will pass. What version of the 3.15 UAVP frimware worked for you? PPM? Is the set TX/Rx set you are using a PCM? I would think that JR XP8103/PPM should be the one that would work for you too. The Spektrum in the menu is 2.4Ghz with a different channel order and will not work for you.
Cheers,
Jim

Originally Posted by anderson12

Right on the testfirmware/using UAVPset 3.03...that is where I am seeing the pass/fail. So what does it mean if half of my channels are failing? I cannot connect all 7 channels to the UAVP board...there is not room for them - I had thought the even channels were calculated? Also, I may be confused on the EPA's...I was assuming this referred to settings in my transmitter (travel adjust settings?), but perhaps it is not? As to which RX/TX combo, I have tried most of them to see if any worked (so far no). My own personal thought was that either the JR XP8103/PPM made the most sense, since that is sorta close. Otherwise the Spectrum DX7/AR6000 since it names the channels the same way. Thanks for any suggestions! I really don't understand how to make the channels not fail or what the failure might indicate I am doing wrong.

[dleroi]

Originally Posted by anderson12

Help please! I am using a JR XP7202 radio with a R702 receiver.

Did you mean the "R720" receiver?

- Don

[anderson12]

Originally Posted by dleroi

Did you mean the "R720" receiver?

- Don

er, yeah. Sorry!

[anderson12]

Originally Posted by jesolins

Hi,
Yes on your TX EPA is upper and lower travel adjustment for each channel. You are correct that the UAVX does the same odd channel summing to get the even channels. With proper adjustment, they will pass. What version of the 3.15 UAVP frimware worked for you? PPM? Is the set TX/Rx set you are using a PCM? I would think that JR XP8103/PPM should be the one that would work for you too. The Spektrum in the menu is 2.4Ghz with a different channel order and will not work for you.
Cheers,
Jim

Thanks...I'll stay with the JR XP setting then. I was a bit hesitant to play with the travel adjusts too much...I was hoping to use the same controller settings for my UAVP (which were set by someone else, but do work) and UAVX. Any speculation on why what works for one in this area does not work for the other? I'm supposing I really ought to do what it says in the manual then as a next step:

"For most cases, simply setting channel 5 lower EPA to 80% and upper EPA to 80% will get a pass on all channels that the Tx/Rx combination allows, i.e., either 5 or 7. The next channels to adjust if you still do not get a pass are setting channels 6 and 7 to 80% upper and lower. If you still cannot get the channels to pass, then post in the forum for additional help."

I'll report back on how that works out those are definitely not my current settings.

Here were my old travel adjust settings, btw, in case I'm doing something obviously wrong:

Throttle
H - 74%
L - 121%
Aile
L - 50%
R - 50%
Elev
D - 46%
U - 55%
Rud
L 56%
R 114%
Gear
+ 88%
-> 64%
Flap
U - 80%
D - 80%
Aux
+100%
-100%

Thanks so much for the responses...helps the frustration a bit, even just clarifying that EPA = travel adjust.

Oh, my UAVX also does not yet have a barometer or a GPS (I have the parts, just wanted to get it working before messing with them) This shouldn't matter for now, right?

I am running the UAVX-GKE.hex file, as that seemed the most obvious choice in the folder. Is that the right version? Is there much difference between that and the UAVX-V1.768gke-18F2620-16.hex file?

[dleroi]

Originally Posted by anderson12

I am running the UAVX-GKE.hex file, as that seemed the most obvious choice in the folder. Is that the right version? Is there much difference between that and the UAVX-V1.768gke-18F2620-16.hex file?

Hmmm...

I've never seen a "UAVX-GKE.hex" file. For a 7 channel Rx, you want the UAVX-V1.768gke-18F2620-16.hex that you mentioned, above.

Cheers,
Don

P.S. What's your first name, or whatever you like to be called?

[jesolins]

As the instructions also state, you should set all your trims, subtrims and travel adjustments/EPA's to the zero settings to begin the UAVX setup. The reason the setup is different from the UAVP is that Prof Egan totally re-wrote the firmware to make it more stable for the different Tx/Rx combo's out there. You can fly the UAVX without the baro or GPS or even compass if you wish. You can always add them later If you have upgraded to the 18F2620 PIC, you should be using the UAVX-V1.768gke-18F2620-16.hex. If you have not upgraded the PIC and still are using the 16F876, then you should be using files from the UAVP-V3.15.457gke-16F876-16 20090720.zip in our download area: http://code.google.com/p/uavp-mods/downloads/list Please adhere to the safety recommendations and setup and check your quad with the props off or motors disabled until you are absolutely sure you have the proper control responses.
Cheers,
Jim

Originally Posted by anderson12

Thanks...I'll stay with the JR XP setting then. I was a bit hesitant to play with the travel adjusts too much...I was hoping to use the same controller settings for my UAVP (which were set by someone else, but do work) and UAVX. Any speculation on why what works for one in this area does not work for the other? I'm supposing I really ought to do what it says in the manual then as a next step:

"For most cases, simply setting channel 5 lower EPA to 80% and upper EPA to 80% will get a pass on all channels that the Tx/Rx combination allows, i.e., either 5 or 7. The next channels to adjust if you still do not get a pass are setting channels 6 and 7 to 80% upper and lower. If you still cannot get the channels to pass, then post in the forum for additional help."

I'll report back on how that works out those are definitely not my current settings.

Here were my old travel adjust settings, btw, in case I'm doing something obviously wrong:

Throttle
H - 74%
L - 121%
Aile
L - 50%
R - 50%
Elev
D - 46%
U - 55%
Rud
L 56%
R 114%
Gear
+ 88%
-> 64%
Flap
U - 80%
D - 80%
Aux
+100%
-100%

Thanks so much for the responses...helps the frustration a bit, even just clarifying that EPA = travel adjust.

Oh, my UAVX also does not yet have a barometer or a GPS (I have the parts, just wanted to get it working before messing with them) This shouldn't matter for now, right?

I am running the UAVX-GKE.hex file, as that seemed the most obvious choice in the folder. Is that the right version? Is there much difference between that and the UAVX-V1.768gke-18F2620-16.hex file?

[anderson12]

Hmmm...well I thought I'd give a report back. Issue mysteriously resolved self in a way. I had not yet played with my EPAs. I am thinking perhaps I have a loose connection or a noisy ground I may have to track down...reason for saying this is that I reconnected my connectors for the 4th time (I keep switching it out with my old board with the old PIC, etc) and suddenly now it recognizes the reciever - yet the only change is moving wires around and reconnecting connectors. *headscratch* I've never had this issue using the same wires/connectors with the old board so either I've got weird luck or maybe the loose connection is a pin on the board. Anyway, for those that answered my questions, thank you...a lot of it is still useful for my next steps.

Another quick question - I'm getting a lot of glitches reported in the test software even though my channels are reading. Should I be concerned about this?

I've also got another question about the TX/RX, but I guess I'll put it in a different thread since it's not really relevant to this one. So here it is.

Oh, and apologies for being anti-social! I'll start signing my posts -- my name is Amber.

[jesolins]

Amber,
The glitches should be zero to in the tens and not increasing with multiple checks/tests when the EPA's are correctly set with a final EPA and subtrim tuning using the Rx test graphic sliders.
Question on your new thread...If you are asking about UAVX code, then how is it not relevant to this thread??? All questions about UAVX code will be answered in this thread.
As far as the Tx stick response you were asking about in that thread, in the UAVPset, the lag due to the PC serial/USB connection data rate is normal and does not relate to the flying qualities. If you want more sensitive flight stick response, then you can either increase the pitch/roll/yaw channel's rate in your Tx, or increase the exponentials. Hope that helps.
Cheers,
Jim

Originally Posted by anderson12

Hmmm...well I thought I'd give a report back. Issue mysteriously resolved self in a way. I had not yet played with my EPAs. I am thinking perhaps I have a loose connection or a noisy ground I may have to track down...reason for saying this is that I reconnected my connectors for the 4th time (I keep switching it out with my old board with the old PIC, etc) and suddenly now it recognizes the reciever - yet the only change is moving wires around and reconnecting connectors. *headscratch* I've never had this issue using the same wires/connectors with the old board so either I've got weird luck or maybe the loose connection is a pin on the board. Anyway, for those that answered my questions, thank you...a lot of it is still useful for my next steps.

Another quick question - I'm getting a lot of glitches reported in the test software even though my channels are reading. Should I be concerned about this?

I've also got another question about the TX/RX, but I guess I'll put it in a different thread since it's not really relevant to this one. So here it is.

Oh, and apologies for being anti-social! I'll start signing my posts -- my name is Amber.

[jesolins]

*reposted
Amber,
The reason for the motors to continue spinning after the throttle is lowered is intentional to preclude them not re-starting. This is adjustable via the UAVPset 3.03 "Idle speed" value. No re-compiling is necessary...
Cheers,
Jim

Originally Posted by anderson12

Yes, definitely more adjustment to my EPA's needed also...although changing the slew limit definitely seemed to help. Important to note though that it takes out the tendancy of the motors to keep spinning when the throttle goes to 0 (meaning the quad could drop suddenly), but I think I like the increased control.

I don't think this has any affect on the autonomous flight, does it? It doesn't call this function at all since it is "ignoring" the throttle, I'm thinking? So far what I've traced out in code doesn't deny this...

[anderson12]

Thanks Jim for all the responses!

Another question (for anyone)...

So I got my GPS attached, and wanted to see if the electronics would recognize the sensor as being connected. They did and happily started searching for signal. The weird thing was that about 2-3 minutes later the vehicle claimed to have a location fix. Weird because I was in a concrete building and assumed I wouldn't be able to get a signal. So I opened up hyperterm as suggested in the test screen and got my read out.

Here is an example line:

$GPGGA 313.6 fx=2 s=9 hd=0.92 ra=-46.3 re =-89 rn =57

Based on looking at the code,
313.6 is the compass reading
fx = the fix (I assume 2D?)
s = number of satallites (9 seems reasonable)
hd = GPS HDilute (what is this?)
ra = -46.3 (altitude...totally wrong, but then if I've only got a 2D fix, no biggie)
re=-89 (GPS east)
rn = 57 (GPS north)

Should there be decimal places on the N and E? How should I interpret them? (I am not at 89deg W, 57 deg N certainly)

Is it a false lock (and therefore junk data) or is this real? If real...I'd like to be able to determine how accurate if someone can help translate? Can the UAVX get a false lock? That's worrisome if so.

-Amber

[jesolins]

Amber,
Seems you have good GPS signals indoors. So you either have lots of glass, or since the GPS signals will not go through concrete, or GPS a repeater system. False locks are not possible with the UAVX. It waits for 6 satellites to lock and for the HDOP (hd) to be less than 1.3 before the first fix is taken. This first fix becomes the RTH fix, but can be reset by going to disarm and arm again if a tighter or relocated RTH fix is needed.
I'll annotate your questions below.
Cheers,
Jim

Originally Posted by anderson12

Thanks Jim for all the responses!
Another question (for anyone)...
So I got my GPS attached, and wanted to see if the electronics would recognize the sensor as being connected. They did and happily started searching for signal. The weird thing was that about 2-3 minutes later the vehicle claimed to have a location fix. Weird because I was in a concrete building and assumed I wouldn't be able to get a signal. So I opened up hyperterm as suggested in the test screen and got my read out.
Here is an example line:

$GPGGA 313.6 fx=2 s=9 hd=0.92 ra=-46.3 re =-89 rn =57

Based on looking at the code,
313.6 is the compass reading Yes
fx = the fix (I assume 2D?) Yes
s = number of satallites (9 seems reasonable) Yes...and darn good for in a concrete building, 1=2d; 2=3d
hd = GPS HDilute (what is this?) Horizontal position error: http://users.erols.com/dlwilson/gpshdop.htm
ra = -46.3 (altitude...totally wrong, but then if I've only got a 2D fix, no biggie) Yes, GPS altitude is not reliable. A 3d fix would be better. The first time a GPS is on it is sucking in empherisis data which helps it lock on quicker and give better data. I hook up an old lipo and leave it on 10-20 minutes before I change lipos and fly.
re=-89 (GPS east) realtive correction required in meters east
rn = 57 (GPS north) realtive correction required in meters north

Should there be decimal places on the N and E? How should I interpret them? (I am not at 89deg W, 57 deg N certainly) No. see above

Is it a false lock (and therefore junk data) or is this real? If real...I'd like to be able to determine how accurate if someone can help translate? Can the UAVX get a false lock? That's worrisome if so. It is real data. It is not possible to have a false GPS lock with the UAVX coding.
-Amber