Discussion ArduPilot 2.2 software released -- now with built-in stabilization!

[radiohound]

Originally Posted by FAKHREALAM

How about in USA.

Fakhre Alam

Here is a USA supplier:

http://ppzuav.com/osc/catalog/produc...products_id=53

[FAKHREALAM]

Originally Posted by radiohound

Here is a USA supplier:

http://ppzuav.com/osc/catalog/produc...products_id=53

Thanks.
Fakhre Alam

[Buzz_Lightyear]

Originally Posted by FAKHREALAM

How about in USA.

Fakhre Alam

UPDATE: I will no longer be able to ship IR boards to customers in the US.

[13brv3]

Greetings,

In V1, there was a line where you could change from RTL to WP mode. I don't see that in V2. Best I can tell, V2 is always in WP mode, but the first waypoint is the home position, so it would RTL anyway. The next standard waypoints appear to be a parallelogram sort of holding pattern.

Is this correct?

BTW, the V2 setup is mounted on a piece of cardboard, and I'll give it a test drive in a little while.

Thanks,
Rusty

[zlite]

Originally Posted by 13brv3

Greetings,

In V1, there was a line where you could change from RTL to WP mode. I don't see that in V2. Best I can tell, V2 is always in WP mode, but the first waypoint is the home position, so it would RTL anyway. The next standard waypoints appear to be a parallelogram sort of holding pattern.

RTL/Waypoint mode is now selectable in the air with a three-position toggle, proportional dial or, if you're handy with Rx programming, two toggles mixed. The default settings in the code are:

Toggle down: manual mode
Toggle middle: waypoint mode
Toggle up: RTL mode

But if you want to select it manually in the code (you don't have a three-position toggle or your Tx can't mix), you can hardwire the state in the code. Look at this in the system tab:

 byte Tx_Switch_Status(void) //Returns zero when we are in manual mode, returns 2 when autopilot mode 0, return 3 when autopilot mode 1...   
 {
   if(digitalRead(4)==HIGH)
   {
     if(digitalRead(5)==HIGH)
     return 0x02; // WP mode 
     else
     return 0x03; // RTL mode
   }
   else
   return 0x00; 
 }

To switch the top toggle position from RTL mode to Waypoint mode, you'd just change those return values in the code as follows:

byte Tx_Switch_Status(void) //Return zero when we are in manual mode, return 2 when autopilot mode 0, return 3 when autopilot mode 1...   
 {
   if(digitalRead(4)==HIGH)
   {
     if(digitalRead(5)==HIGH)
     return 0x03; // RTL mode
     else
     return 0x02; // WP mode
   }
   else
   return 0x00; 
 }

[13brv3]

Originally Posted by zlite

RTL/Waypoint mode is now selectable in the air with a three-position toggle or two toggles mixed.

Hi Chris,

I guess I didn't realize that the 3 position switch had been activated in V2. In fact, I just read this on the LED sequence post:

[Note: the "Mode" LED is only used for three-position toggle switches, so you can have an intermediate position between autopilot on and off. The feature is not currently used by ArduPilot, but may be in the future.]

If the 3 position mode is working, that's great, and I have no shortage of 3 position switches. The next question will be verifying which mode I'm in, to make sure the switch is properly configure. Will the mode led be on to confirm one mode or the other?

Thanks,
Rusty

[zlite]

Originally Posted by 13brv3

Hi Chris,

I guess I didn't realize that the 3 position switch had been activated in V2. In fact, I just read this on the LED sequence post:

[Note: the "Mode" LED is only used for three-position toggle switches, so you can have an intermediate position between autopilot on and off. The feature is not currently used by ArduPilot, but may be in the future.]

Ah. Thanks for the catch. I'll update the post .

The Mode LED comes on when you are in Waypoint Mode (middle position of the autopilot toggle channel.)

[13brv3]

Originally Posted by zlite

Ah. Thanks for the catch. I'll update the post.

The Mode LED comes on when you are in RTL mode.

Excellent info! I upgraded the installed system to V2, and noticed that the mode led blinks when going from on to off on a two position switch. Once I add the center position, I expect it will stay on in that position. I'll take it for a walk tomorrow, and if all seems well, will flight test it next weekend.

Thanks again for a great way to spend my time :
Rusty

[zlite]

Originally Posted by 13brv3

Excellent info! I upgraded the installed system to V2, and noticed that the mode led blinks when going from on to off on a two position switch. Once I add the center position, I expect it will stay on in that position. I'll take it for a walk tomorrow, and if all seems well, will flight test it next weekend.

Thanks again for a great way to spend my time :
Rusty

I corrected the response above: the middle position (when the LED comes on) is Waypoint mode in the default code.

For those who don't have a three-position toggle, you can use a proportional dial as well. When you turn it half-way, you're in Waypoint mode. All the way is RTL.

[13brv3]

Originally Posted by zlite

I corrected the response above: the middle position (when the LED comes on) is Waypoint mode in the default code.

For those who don't have a three-position toggle, you can use a proportional dial as well. When you turn it half-way, you're in Waypoint mode. All the way is RTL.

Hi Chris,

That's even better. I'll just keep my current two position switch then, since I only want RTL for now.

Rusty

[bmw330i]

Originally Posted by radiohound

Here is a USA supplier:

http://ppzuav.com/osc/catalog/produc...products_id=53

I am not sure I have those (bare PCB) in stock. I have the boards assembled without the IC and without the Thermopiles here:
http://ppzuav.com/osc/catalog/produc...products_id=92

Just add the IC and Thermopiles ... I had a mixup with the assembler where they ordered the wrong part so I ended up with 100 of these. 5.95 each. Barely more than the cost of the bare PCB.

I am in California and can ship them immediately.

NOTE: This is not the "small" version but the orig. design. Still smaller than the FMA one. Here's a photo of the differences in sizes between the Paparazzi designed ones. Note the size differences. I have the orig. which is not all that bigger. Just less that IC and Thermopiles for 5.95.

-BMW

[bmw330i]

You guys are doing a great job. I bought two of these ArduPilots and am just waiting for some sort of GCS to become ready to use. Adding the IR stabilization was a great leap forward. Also you are raising the bar as far as giving detail instructions showing the connections and pinouts with howto information for newbies. All well done.
Your pace of progress is amazing. Excellent work.
-BMW

[zlite]

Originally Posted by bmw330i

You guys are doing a great job. I bought two of these ArduPilots and am just waiting for some sort of GCS to become ready to use. Adding the IR stabilization was a great leap forward. Also you are raising the bar as far as giving detail instructions showing the connections and pinouts with howto information for newbies. All well done.
Your pace of progress is amazing. Excellent work.
-BMW

Thanks! A simple GCS is now in private beta. We don't have point-and-click map-based waypoint entry working yet, but everything else is in place. No need for the Arduino IDE or any fiddling with code at all!

Hope to release it in the next few weeks.

[Dimitris76]

Chris,

how does ArduPilot act in v2.0 if a thermopyle sensor is not connected? The reason I am asking is that I like 2nd version's enhancements but I prefer to use the stock Co-pilot for attitude stabilization...
Also, in manual control mode (not RTL or WP) does ArduPilot (with thermopyle sensor connected) still stabilize, or not?

Dimitris

[zlite]

Originally Posted by Dimitris76

Chris,

how does ArduPilot act in v2.0 if a thermopyle sensor is not connected? The reason I am asking is that I like 2nd version's enhancements but I prefer to use the stock Co-pilot for attitude stabilization...
Also, in manual control mode (not RTL or WP) does ArduPilot (with thermopyle sensor connected) still stabilize, or not?

Dimitris

I would not recommend using 2.0 without sensors. All of our PID loops are designed to combine stabilization and navigation data; I'm not sure what would happen without the first.

If you disconnect the GPS, switching on the autopilot puts it in what we call "fly-by-wire" mode, which is similar to FMA Co-Pilot stabilization. ArduPilot basically flies the plane, and you just steer it manually. Like a F-16 ;-)