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3D RoboticsPermalink Reply by Chris Anderson on July 1, 2011 at 5:58pm

My Xbee adapters don't have a reset button either, but normally if I plug them in after the Write fails, they automatically trigger a firmware update. You might have to do it a few times to get it to work. I've done this with many Xbees over the years, and never failed to eventually get them working again.

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Permalink Reply by Nick Wadman on July 1, 2011 at 5:59pm

Well I just tried it again with the new update , Alt hold works close to the ground for a few seconds the it climbs out !

Loiter just climbs out!  and does not appear to hold position at all.

I cant unbrick the xbee as it says press the re-stet button that I dont have on the xbee s !

 

I bought the Arducopter to do AP work as I saw quads and hexacopters on the internet hovering and holding position!

After 10 days straight average 12 hour a day on trying to get this copter to fly and  hold position I am near to accepting the fact it is not going to do what I bought it for.

I am average on computers but not a whizz kid for sure maybe thats the problem! I dont know.

JMD 45, Thanks for your advice , I bought a complete kit with soldered and tested board from J Drones here in Thailand so would expect that the motor/ESC/prop combination wuld be OK ?

 

Nick

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Permalink Reply by Nick Wadman on July 1, 2011 at 6:13pm

Hi Chris,

 

Thankyou that worked!  But for how long?  Lol I have re-programed 7 times already!

Are you using1016 or 1002 ? I am now on 1016 for the first time .

Where shoud I start looking for a 'loose wire'  ?

 

Nick

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Permalink Reply by Nick Wadman on July 1, 2011 at 6:19pm

But now when I go to terminal it streams random numbers and wont work?  althouh it is working in flight data!

 

Nick

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3D RoboticsPermalink Reply by Chris Anderson on July 1, 2011 at 6:23pm

Just make sure your power wires (+ and GND) to the Xbee and the APM pins are really solid. Crimp them if not. If one of those loses connection while data is coming in, it can brick the Xbee as you found.

As for the Alt Hold and Loiter, have faith. Remember you're using Beta software that is being updated every day as we catch bugs etc. This is totally bleeding edge stuff and you are in the first five weeks of its public beta test process. If you're getting frustrated, just take a break for a week or two. By the time you come back, we'll be out of beta and all will be well.

In you'd rather not be a beta tester (and I can understand why you wouldn't) you can always use the ArduPirates Code until we come out of beta. It has been in use since last year and is quite solid and has been used by hundreds of people. Alt Hold and Loiter work well in that, last time I checked. But it's a totally different code base and requires different desktop software, so it will take a little learning
http://code.google.com/p/ardupirates/

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Permalink Reply by Nick Wadman on July 1, 2011 at 6:39pm

Hi Chris ,

 

I had no Idea that it was all that new!  I can understand why it has issues , The thing I am a bit angry about is when I travelled to Bangkok to see Jani I told him what I needed to do with the copter ( carry my camera mount that I normally carry on a GSR 260  Gas heli and do AP work using position hold and waypoint navigation)

I think he should have told me that it was not ready at this stage! 

on the website it talks about doing these things but I wish I had known the stage of development as I need to use it now.

I am not really sure where to go from here.

 I dont want to speak out of turn and am sorry to ask the question but will it ever be able to do what the MK mikrocopters can?

 

I apreciate your help and advice Chris  Best regards Nick

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3D RoboticsPermalink Reply by Chris Anderson on July 1, 2011 at 7:38pm

Yes, we are benchmarking against MK. We'll get there soon enough.

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Permalink Reply by Nick Wadman on July 1, 2011 at 8:44pm

I cannot seem to install Ardupirates software to try it .

Is there any way someone could talk me though it ?  on skype maybe?

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Permalink Reply by Nick Wadman on July 2, 2011 at 5:34am

Hi Chris,

Sorry its me again !  Lol  I spent today trying to install ArduPirates as I am very keen to try it.  But with no luck!

I then contacted my freind in the UK who works with computers in a big way, and useing the program 'team veiwer' he was able to try to install it for me an my computer , But he said this,

 

First clean up everything (make copies in some other directories if you wish)

1. copy "libraries" directory from "ardupirates\trunk\ArduPiratesNG" to "arduino" directory
2. copy libraries directory from "ardupirates\trunk\QUAD\ArduCopter_SuperStable " to arduino directory DO NOT overwrite when asked
3. create "ArduPiratesNG" directory in the "sketches" diretory
4. copy the files from "ardupirates\trunk\ArduPiratesNG" (not the libraries dir) to the "ArduPiratesNG" directory in "sketches" diretory
5. in arduino open sketch "ArduPiratesNG"
6. compile (should do without errors)
7. go to http://ardupirates.net/config/ select NG Platform, select your options and generate new config.h
8. it's quicker if you copy&paste it into the opened config.h
9. save an recompile

is not enough to work on.  

could you tell us an enplanation of which library? and where is ArduPirates/trunk/arduPiratesNG ?

 

If there is any chance of some help to get it installed I would be very gratefull.

 

Nick

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Permalink Reply by Nick Wadman on July 2, 2011 at 7:02pm

I have got to the stage of configuration of Ardupirates code in arduino can anyone tell me how to change the values to configure my copter in config h.?

 

Nick

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