Replies to This Discussion

DeveloperPermalink Reply by jasonshort on September 7, 2010 at 9:02am

You need to remove the Xbee to connect your FTDI.

Hook the GPS directly to your ardupilot and set it up that way. Your GPS is not configured properly and I am not confidant in the Mediatek implementation on the IMU. (I didn't build it.) The MTK GPS needs to receive commands to put it into Binary from NMEA (Nasty Strings).

Once you get the Mediatek talking binary by connecting it to Ardupilot, you can reconnect the IMU.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Tommy on September 16, 2010 at 8:24am

ArduPilot 2_7_1 Test Program 6 for IMU wihout connecting IMU, then serial monitor shows:

After connecting IMU:

• ▶ Reply

3D RoboticsPermalink Reply by Chris Anderson on September 16, 2010 at 9:32am

Please upload your AP_Config.h file. It looks like you've got a setting wrong.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Tommy on September 17, 2010 at 6:51pm

Here are my AP_Config.h settings:

#define DEBUG_SUBSYSTEM 6

#define POSITION_1 MANUAL // the default, don't bother changing.
#define POSITION_2 STABILIZE
#define POSITION_3 FLY_BY_WIRE_A

#define SHIELD_VERSION 1

#define AIRSPEED_SENSOR 1

#define GPS_PROTOCOL 3

#define GCS_PROTOCOL -1


Here are my Arud IMU settings:

#define BOARD_VERSION 2 // 1 For V1 and 2 for V2

#define GPS_PROTOCOL 4 // 1 - NMEA, 2 - EM406, 3 - Ublox, 4 -- MediaTek

#define ENABLE_AIR_START 0 // 1 if using airstart/groundstart signaling, 0 if not
#define GROUNDSTART_PIN 8

#define SPEEDFILT 2 // >1 use min speed filter for yaw drift cancellation, 0=do not use speed filter

#define PRINT_DEBUG 0 //Will print Debug messages

#define OUTPUTMODE 1

#define PRINT_DCM 1 //Will print the whole direction cosine matrix
#define PRINT_ANALOGS 0 //Will print the analog raw data
#define PRINT_EULER 0 //Will print the Euler angles Roll, Pitch and Yaw
#define PRINT_GPS 0 //Will print GPS data

#define PRINT_BINARY 1 //Will print binary message and suppress ASCII messages (above)

#define PERFORMANCE_REPORTING 1 //Will include performance reports in the binary output ~ 1/2 min

#define USE_MAGNETOMETER 0

#define USE_BAROMETER 0

#define ALT_MIX 50

Please advise me any incorrect settings? Thanks.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Simon on September 17, 2010 at 7:28pm

You have you IMU connected to the ArduPilot with the GPS cable, I dont think this is correct.

As per the doco use the GPS cable to connect the GPS to the IMU. Use jumper wires to connect the IMU to the ArduPilot.

There are some great pictures in http://code.google.com/p/ardupilot/wiki/ArduIMU

• ▶ Reply

3D RoboticsPermalink Reply by Chris Anderson on September 17, 2010 at 9:08pm

Indeed. Tommy, if you don't connect the gear exactly as directed in the manual, it won't work.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Tommy on September 18, 2010 at 4:44am

Many thanks Simon. If I connect the ArduIMU and Ardupilot as the pictures in your link, there is no other connector for the conection of the FTDI cable as AP RXi or shield IN Pin are connecting ArduIMU Tx pin. How can I connect FTDI cable to monitor the Serial output?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Simon on September 18, 2010 at 5:08am

I dont think you can with out an Xbee.

I use the Xbees with my IMU and it works very well!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Tommy on September 18, 2010 at 5:46am

Many thanks Simon and Chris, I make it!

But it is quite misleading in the manual...... I always thought connecting the FTDI cable directly to ArduPilot for getting the test results.

• ▶ Reply

3D RoboticsPermalink Reply by Chris Anderson on September 18, 2010 at 8:27am

Glad it's working, Tommy. Can you point out the page in the manual that was misleading, so I can improve it?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Tommy on September 19, 2010 at 7:21am

Hi Chris,

All the pags of Test Program show that the outputs are from the Arduino Serial Monitor. So I thought the FTDI cable should connect to the Ardupilot for getting the results of Test 6. In fact, I got good results of Test 1 to Test 5 and Test 7 in this way so I thought how to connect both FTDI cable and IMU to Ardupilot at the smae time.

http://code.google.com/p/ardupilot/wiki/IMU
http://code.google.com/p/ardupilot/wiki/GPSInput

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Simon on September 18, 2010 at 5:44pm

Hi Tommy,

The reason for this (I think) is the ArduPilot only has one serial port. The one serial is used for the two devices. One input and one Output.
The Rx is used for the IMU and the Tx is used for the Xbee. There is only one-way communication for each device.

Therefore there is no room to plug in the FTDI cable.

The ArduPilot-Mega has a few more ports and therefore two-way communication will be possible.

Cheers

Sim

• ▶ Reply

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• Next ›
• Page