Originally Posted by RickEis

We need this to work with the Pro Mini also - You thinking it won't ?
I can't figure the pins - guess I need to study them a bit more ?

For example
GPS -> Arduino UNO

GND - > GND
5 V - > 5 V
IN - > PD1 (??)
OUT - > PD0 (??)

Rick

GPS should be the same for all boards.
TX -> RX
RX -> TX

The pin-config for MAX7456 is the same for most Arduinos, just to mention the most used boards; Arduino Uno, Arduino duemilanove and Arduino Nano (which I would pick).

Arduino mini pro uses pin 9, 10 and 11 - but it doesn't seems like SS is available. It can probably be fixed with another software-version, but I would suggest using Arduino Nano instead.

Originally Posted by RickEis

Dennis,
Is this looking correct for the UNO ?
I have a hayday reading these arduino schematics
Probably because I never have
Rick

GPS is correct, but I would prefer if you connected the sensors like this:
(just move all 3 connections 1 place)
A0 = Battery voltage (from resistor divider)
A1 = RSSI
A2 = Current sensor

It can be changed in software, but that's what I'll be using as default.

Please be aware that the voltage you have connected from the current-sensor MUST be connected with a voltage-divider. Otherwise you will end up with a dead Arduino.

(Vin is battery-voltage, Vout goes to A0 pin on Arduino. For max 4S li-po, with good safety margin, something like R1= 10K ohm and R2 = 3.3 K ohm could be a possibility)

Originally Posted by RickEis

Dennis,

V2 compiles first time with both mini pro and uno and looks excellent as in the pict I posted previously
I'm assuming V2 loaded the English text with the mini pro because I had only done it manually with the Uno - so I think it worked perfectly

When I input video, it threw the text around (see Pict).
- problem maybe ntsc verses pal?

Also I hooked gps-out to rx0 uno and gps-in to tx1 uno and "still waiting"
I believe the baud rate for my gps is 38400 - change the 9600 in config.h
//#define BAUD 9600
#define BAUD 38400
not sure if that was the right place to change things ?

Tried mini pro again - tried to read Arduino Mini Pro schematic -
(hard to understand for me
UNO -> MINI PRO
cs=pb2=pin 10 -> pin 12 ?
sdin=pb3=pin 11 -> pin 11 ?
sclk=pb5=pin 13 -> pin 9 ?
sdout=pb4 =pin 12 -> pin 10 ?

Didn't work - gray screen

// General configuration
#define VideoSignalType_PAL
//#define VideoSignalType_NTSC

// Unit system
#define UnitSystem METRIC
///#define UnitSystem IMPERIAL

// gps baud rate


Rick

Yup, just define another baud-rate in the config-file
The "jumping text" is caused by wrong PAL/NTSC settings.

NTSC/PAL settings is not implemented, same goes for unit-system

If you actually plan to hook it up and do a real test - please let me know and I'll fix you a software-version with NTSC ASAP.

Originally Posted by Dennis Frie

GPS should be the same for all boards.
TX -> RX
RX -> TX

The pin-config for MAX7456 is the same for most Arduinos, just to mention the most used boards; Arduino Uno, Arduino duemilanove and Arduino Nano (which I would pick).

Arduino mini pro uses pin 9, 10 and 11 - but it doesn't seems like SS is available. It can probably be fixed with another software-version, but I would suggest using Arduino Nano instead.

How does this schematic look for the Nano?

You said, "If you actually plan to hook it up and do a real test - please let me know and I'll fix you a software-version with NTSC ASAP."

A Nano should be here Monday and I hope to have everything running with the Uno, then I can load it all onto the Nano and fly -

Any other ideas beside the baud rate that would prevent the gps from working now?

I have a couple of these http://www.digikey.com/product-searc...ds=620-1238-nd
Do you think one of these would work better then the other sensor I have been showing in the schematics? Not sure what size Cf and Rf is supposed to be?

Rick

Daniel, are you experimenting with the Max7456 yet?

Did you notice that coordinate 0/0 are out of the screen?

Originally Posted by flyandi

Daniel, are you experimenting with the Max7456 yet?

Did you notice that coordinate 0/0 are out of the screen?

Daniel? Do you refer to me?
In that case, yes .

The hardware and software is pretty much ready for a test-flight, just need some sparetime
If you look at the last couple of posts you'll notice, that I have done a little more than a quick test.

Originally Posted by RickEis

How does this schematic look for the Nano?

You said, "If you actually plan to hook it up and do a real test - please let me know and I'll fix you a software-version with NTSC ASAP."

A Nano should be here Monday and I hope to have everything running with the Uno, then I can load it all onto the Nano and fly -

Any other ideas beside the baud rate that would prevent the gps from working now?

I have a couple of these http://www.digikey.com/product-searc...ds=620-1238-nd
Do you think one of these would work better then the other sensor I have been showing in the schematics? Not sure what size Cf and Rf is supposed to be?

Rick

Sorry, been busy the last couple of days...

The schematic you have drawn for Arduino Nano should be right
Nano uses same pins as Uno, duem etc:
D13 = SCK
D12 = MISO
D11 = MOSI
D10 = SS

The voltage-divider is also connected right

You can connect the voltage from urrent-sensor to Vin (called Raw sometimes) if you want to use the onboard regulator.

The current-sensor from Allegro is pretty bad at driving capacitive load, so you will need a large capacitor and pretty small capacitor. Can't remember the values, but did a quick calculation and showed a simulation a while ago.

ACS756 verses Sparkfuns AttoPilot 90A

Originally Posted by RickEis

ACS756 verses Sparkfuns AttoPilot 90A

Looks good. If you can get both, I'd love to see the performance differences.

Interesting, I actually have the AttoPilot 90A. I've started to add some code to the Multiwii to use it but haven't finished. I found it actually to work quite well.

Originally Posted by Legot

Looks good. If you can get both, I'd love to see the performance differences.

Legot,

I have both and just soldered the ACS756 as you see in the pict. I need to solder the capacitors ect after I figure which size CF and RF as in the schematic (see report 2164 above)?

The specs say, "CF is for optimal noise management, with values that depend on the application". So what does that mean ?

Not sure if it would wire up the same nor if the code would work as is.

And I'm not sure how we would compare ?

Rick

Originally Posted by Dennis Frie

Sorry, been busy the last couple of days...

The schematic you have drawn for Arduino Nano should be right
Nano uses same pins as Uno, duem etc:
D13 = SCK
D12 = MISO
D11 = MOSI
D10 = SS

The voltage-divider is also connected right

You can connect the voltage from urrent-sensor to Vin (called Raw sometimes) if you want to use the onboard regulator.

The current-sensor from Allegro is pretty bad at driving capacitive load, so you will need a large capacitor and pretty small capacitor. Can't remember the values, but did a quick calculation and showed a simulation a while ago.

Dennis,
You said, "You can connect the voltage from urrent-sensor to Vin (called Raw sometimes) if you want to use the onboard regulator."
Are you suggesting powering the Arduino's with a 3 or 4 cell ~ 11 + Volts? I guess I have been concerned about frying the little guys. And I heard switching BEC's are more efficient (for the larger V drops) then the linear voltage regulators (used by the Arduino's). So,,,,I have been using switching 5 ~ 5.5 V BEC regulators to power Arduino's. I got concerned and looked into when I saw folks frying their $200 APM2 boards Maybe my concern is not valid ?
Don't linear voltage regulators get hot going from 11 + down to 5 ?
Rick

Originally Posted by RickEis

Legot,
The specs say, "CF is for optimal noise management, with values that depend on the application". So what does that mean ?
Rick

CF is basically a smoothing capacitor. Its placement between VOUT and GND allows it to fill in dips in the analog signal (which is a voltage) that comes from VOUT so that the readout can be more reliable and accurate.

In the Performance Characteristics charts on the datasheet it shows that using a 10nF capacitor for CF, there is a maximum of 10mv noise (pretty much nothing since the Atmega328 ADC has increments of about 40mv). In the Common Operating Characteristics chart, it shows that the Output load capacitance shouldn't exceed 10nF, so CF should be 10nF or lower.

RF seems to be a simple current limiting resistor so the output of the IC doesn't burn. I would just use something around 1k ohm, its not a particularly critical value at all (correction, see post 1944).

Originally Posted by RickEis

Legot,

I have both and just soldered the ACS756 as you see in the pict. I need to solder the capacitors ect after I figure which size CF and RF as in the schematic (see report 2164 above)?

The specs say, "CF is for optimal noise management, with values that depend on the application". So what does that mean ?

Not sure if it would wire up the same nor if the code would work as is.

And I'm not sure how we would compare ?

Rick

Rick...
Have a look here:

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showp...postcount=1944

Looks like a 10 nF capacitor and a 10 K resistor will be close.

Originally Posted by RickEis

Dennis,
You said, "You can connect the voltage from urrent-sensor to Vin (called Raw sometimes) if you want to use the onboard regulator."
Are you suggesting powering the Arduino's with a 3 or 4 cell ~ 11 + Volts? I guess I have been concerned about frying the little guys. And I heard switching BEC's are more efficient (for the larger V drops) then the linear voltage regulators (used by the Arduino's). So,,,,I have been using switching 5 ~ 5.5 V BEC regulators to power Arduino's. I got concerned and looked into when I saw folks frying their $200 APM2 boards Maybe my concern is not valid ?
Don't linear voltage regulators get hot going from 11 + down to 5 ?
Rick

A seperate 5-volt BEC/UBEC is probably the best idea, if you also use it for MAX7456 and GPS

They do get hot, but it depends a lot on the load and input-voltage.

But just stick to the BEC/UBEC, that's the best solution