Ardustation 2 Version 2.0.15 Release - Adds Mavlink 1.0 Support - Discussions

I've just uploaded the latest Ardustation 2 release - 2.0.15 which adds Mavlink 1.0 support. This is to support the upcoming releases of ACM and APM with Mavlink 1.0. You can still use this release with Mavlink 0.9 by commenting out the "#define MAVLINK10" statement in the main ardustation2.pde file.

This version will also warn you if it detects the wrong Mavlink heartbeat being transmitted. Ardustation 2.0.15 will display an error message on the LCD when it detects the wrong heartbeat and direct you recompile with the opposite state of the #define MAVLINK10 statement. The start up message displayed on the LCD will indicate if you have compiled for Mavlink 1.0 or Mavlink 0.9.

I've have tested Mavlink 1.0 with ACM 2.6 Gamma, APM 2.4 (with Mavlnk 1.0 enabled) and with the Mavlink 1.0 version of the Mission Planner.

As always, please let me kinow if you have any issues with this release.

heyno@heino.com or comment on this forum post.

http://code.google.com/p/ardustation-ii/downloads/list

and is also available in my git clone here:

http://code.google.com/r/hrpull-ardustationii/source/checkout

and you will need a git client to pull the clone down.

Heino

Ok, trying to use Ardustation for the first time. I have to power from a BEC because the LM317 doesn't seem to be working right.

So I've got everything connected, and the Xbees are talking (I can see the heartbeat). But other than that it's not going well.

I'm using Arducopter 2.7.1, and Ardustation 2.0.15.

When I do Get Params, it gets up to 49 of 51 and then gets stuck. If I then Edit/View Params, is shows a bunch of stuff that don't make any sense. I think it's showing AC params with Arduplane names.

(Edit: Oh wait, now the names appear properly. Weird)

Then, the menus don't seem to be as shown here:

http://code.google.com/p/ardustation/wiki/UsersGuide

Most importantly, I don't have the PIDS menu, which was the biggest reason I'm doing this.

Am I doing something wrong?

Bearing_Home=calc_bearing(Latitude_Home, Longitude_Home, latitude, longitude
);
Bearing_Home = 180-(Bearing_Home/2.0);
// Offset for servo limit
Bearing_Home = Bearing_Home + offset;
if (Bearing_Home > 180.0)
Bearing_Home = Bearing_Home - 180.0;
else
{
if (Bearing_Home <0.0)
Bearing_Home = Bearing_Home + 180.0;
}
Pan.write(Bearing_Home);

Replies

Adrian January 10, 2013 at 2:08am

ANYONE?
Adrian January 8, 2013 at 11:34am

Hi

When I use "Antenna test " from ardustation on PAN settings from 90 to 95 my 360deg winch servo goes 90deg - how can I correct that / where in the code.

Thanks
Larry August 16, 2012 at 6:04pm

Ardustation Users, is the Ardustation compatable with the newer 3DR radio telemetry receivers? I notice the Ardustation seems to have a place on the back for an XBee, how would I interface it to a 3DR instead. I intend to use the Ardustation to control a antenna tracker. What are the largest (strongest) Servos anyone has used to date?

Comments and advice appreciated!

Larry
Rob_Lefebvre August 12, 2012 at 7:57am

Ok, trying to use Ardustation for the first time. I have to power from a BEC because the LM317 doesn't seem to be working right.

So I've got everything connected, and the Xbees are talking (I can see the heartbeat). But other than that it's not going well.

I'm using Arducopter 2.7.1, and Ardustation 2.0.15.

When I do Get Params, it gets up to 49 of 51 and then gets stuck. If I then Edit/View Params, is shows a bunch of stuff that don't make any sense. I think it's showing AC params with Arduplane names.

(Edit: Oh wait, now the names appear properly. Weird)

Then, the menus don't seem to be as shown here:

http://code.google.com/p/ardustation/wiki/UsersGuide

Most importantly, I don't have the PIDS menu, which was the biggest reason I'm doing this.

Am I doing something wrong?
Andre S August 7, 2012 at 8:05am
Hello Heino,

Hope you are still reading this :)

I finally built myself a simple (and not yet fully functioning) antenna tracker and wanted to get going on the antenna tracking side. However, I have some conceptual problems to understand the code at that part. So let's say one has a 180 degrees Pan servo. Accessing this via the servo library allows one to control the servo over a range of [0,180] degrees, as I understand. Also, if I understand correctly, the Ardustation computes the bearing from the home location to the current location of the plane and maps that to the control (the angle from 0 to 180) for the pan servo.

So if we assume that the tracker was initially oriented to point north (center point servo, so 90 degrees servo input), which corresponds to 0 degree bearing, then should one not just subtract 90 degrees from the bearing to get the proper servo control? Instead, inside Antenna.pde the code does something else:
```
Bearing_Home=calc_bearing(Latitude_Home, Longitude_Home, latitude, longitude
);
Bearing_Home = 180-(Bearing_Home/2.0);

// Offset for servo limit

    Bearing_Home = Bearing_Home + offset;

    if (Bearing_Home > 180.0)

       Bearing_Home = Bearing_Home - 180.0;

    else

    {

        if (Bearing_Home <0.0)

           Bearing_Home = Bearing_Home + 180.0;

     }

     Pan.write(Bearing_Home);
```
Particularly the division by 2.0 I don't quite understand. Sorry for that strange question but I'm trying to learn here :-) Thanks and best regards,

Andre
steve July 15, 2012 at 9:28am

Heino,

Do you know why my APM Planner 1.1.97 mav1.0 shows altitude 158 and the display on the ardustation is 290. Its tracking ok but it seems with this altitude difference, it would cause it to under or overshoot the plane. I'm doing this with the plane sitting on the ground next to the tracker.
steve July 10, 2012 at 11:03am

Do you know why I would be getting this during a flight? I'm using latest arduplane code with mavlink 1.0. Most of the times it works but during a flight I notice it stops tracking and then I see that error. I restart it and all is ok again.

Wrong Mavlink

Recompile with

Mavlink 0.9

85
steve July 9, 2012 at 5:44am

I'm using 3S 2200 LiPo for the antenna tracker with a castle BEC for the ardustation because it came with a wrong resistor on the power regulator. Anyway since I'm installing this in a permanent location, I would like to power it with a 12v adapter. I have a 2 amp 120/12 adapter. Would it be a problem to hook it up directly like that but still keep the battery on in case something happens to the 120v or the adapter? Just to have backup but so I don't have to worry about running out of battery power. I just know LiPo's need a specific type of charging but I'm thinking with 12v it will not cause a problem of overcharging or would it?
steve July 8, 2012 at 1:13pm

Yes I must have remembered that getting me stuck last time. I'm getting ready to fix my antenna to a 6 meter mask and will not be able to mess with it easily though not impossible. I know can get the home location in the usual way and then just not press home again on subsequent flights where I restart the antenna tracker. I guess that would work as I don't always reset the home position now from day to day and it's always pointing right. But what I would prefer to do is put in it's exact longitude latitude since it will always be at that location. I'm guessing when you press the home button, it fixes that log/lat in a variable somewhere? Can I just fix the variable to it's permanent location?
steve July 8, 2012 at 7:00am

I'm getting an error when trying to upload via Arduino 1.0.1 on OS X. I started by replacing the library and ardustation2 folder in my sketch folder. I then compiled which was ok but then when I upload I get this.

Binary sketch size: 23,804 bytes (of a 32,256 byte maximum)
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding

I'm connecting and powering via FTDI cable. I chose Arduino Uno as board type.

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