DIY Autopilot/IMU
I have decided that I am going to build my own Autopilot/IMU for my UAV. I know there are plenty of units that I can buy off the shelf but that would take the fun out of it for me. I want to build my own and really understand how everything works. I am an experienced programmer and have basic electronic skills including PIC microcontrollers. My friend is an experienced RC pilot and he has offered to help with the flying aspect of the project.
I have included a basic block diagram of my initial design, any suggestions/comments would be appreciated. Unfortunately I forget to include the altitude/air speed sensor on my diagram. I would like to make sure I have a sound basic design before I get started and that I am not going about this the wrong way. Thanks!
I have included a basic block diagram of my initial design, any suggestions/comments would be appreciated. Unfortunately I forget to include the altitude/air speed sensor on my diagram. I would like to make sure I have a sound basic design before I get started and that I am not going about this the wrong way. Thanks!
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uav.png, 13 KB
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Replies to This Discussion
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3D RoboticsPermalink Reply by Chris Anderson on -
What's "uC"?
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Permalink Reply by hypergolic on -
microcontroller, i.e. PIC
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3D RoboticsPermalink Reply by Chris Anderson on -
Ah. Looks good. I'm not sure about 802.11's range for this application, but otherwise I think you've got the block diagram right.
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Permalink Reply by hypergolic on
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I was thinking about going with the XBee Pro, looks like it can reach about a mile with line of site. That would be fine for my initial work and go with something long range later.
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Permalink Reply by Howard Gordon on -
You'll probably need to use a directional base station antenna to get past a mile with 802.11 (Wifi) or 802.15.4 (XBee). XBee Pro range is at least 2x what you'll get with WiFi (I have used both XBee Pro and Lantronix Matchport).
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Permalink Reply by hypergolic on
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Yeah I ordered the XBee modules so I am going to give those a try for now. I guess my next step would be to get a ham radio license and use something licensed?
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Permalink Reply by hypergolic on
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I have updated my diagram.
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autopilot.png, 18 KB
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Permalink Reply by hypergolic on
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Any comments on using a Gumstix as the main processor versus a propeller or something similar? I would think the gumstix would give me more flexibility but may take more work.
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3D RoboticsPermalink Reply by Chris Anderson on -
We've used Propeller and like it a lot (although learning Spin and Propeller assembly will take some getting used to)--it's very powerful hardware and can handle parallel functions like video on-screen telemetry easily. Meanwhile, Jack Crossfire uses Gumstix for his heli IMU, so you might want to ask him what he thinks of that. At least with that you can stick to standard C.
I think both can do the job fine, but Propeller might be more optimized for a pro-quality autopilot given its parallel architecture.
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Permalink Reply by Andreas on -
Hello hypergolic ,
Can you provide the code that you used?
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