APM Oil Pan!

Is 2:22AM (when i started writing this) and i can't sleep, so i decided to write this post.

I been working "hard" and the fastest i can to finish this thing, theres only one step remaining in order to start the "mass" production of this board.

This is how the last step will be done:

-A unique assembled board will be shipped from California to Spain.

-Then Jose Julio in Spain will open his "Surprise Board" and make us the great favor to all of us of checking the board integrity and the harmony of all the components on it (thanks in advance JJ).

-That includes checking some new components i can't mention right now.

-If Jose Julio says 'Si", then i will start the mass production.

By now SparkFun is straggling trying to supply all the components and test bed for APM. It will be released soon.

The board is kinda of big right now. This board will be called the "huge" version. When the code becomes very mature i will create a an smaller version of the APM and APM Oil Pan without the multiplexor on the APM and without the bulky FTDI chip on the APM Oil Pan, so i can save 30% of the size. This one will be called ArduPilotMega "In my way" version. ;-)

Oil pan stands for the old shield name. The difference is that the shield goes into the bottom of the ArduPilotMega board.

~~I decided to let the community guess the rest of the specs for ArduPilotMega Oil Pan, because write stuff in English make me drowsy. The best guesser will receive a $50 certificate. ;-)~~

Come 2:56AM!!

Freddy, Mark,

I know about that issue exactly, but i didn't have time to think a response, is the same problem inductors cause. I was confused because i remember a similar issue involving relays, diodes and magnetic fields, but in this case when the internal switch of the relay has an inductor between it and a the power supply, the "metal plates" of the relay stick together after it disconnects (relay gets damaged),, this is caused when the magnetic field of the inductor collapses after the switch is disconnected and generate a spark that melts the metal plates inside the relay and they "fuse" together..

I also knew about the internal diode on the uController but i never think about the coil. I was confident the system was fine because i roughly test it on my servo switch...

Thanks!

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Comments

GillesW May 15, 2010 at 2:07pm

Jordi,
thank you for such a fast answer !

Regards,
Gilles (FRANCE)
Darren May 15, 2010 at 10:51am

is there any other components the mega users can get in advance of the shield? i recall a magnetometer add on or something like that on the diydrones site.
Developer

Jordi Muñoz May 15, 2010 at 10:42am

Gilles,

The shields are almost ready, I'm just waiting for final approval i can post some pictures as soon is possible....

The Shield is very flexible too! You can put it on the bottom or in the top of APM... Also you can use the female headers either way.... But let see if we can set an standard.... ;-)

The availability would be around two weeks (only 80 boards).... Almost for sure..

Regards and thanks for the patient!
GillesW May 15, 2010 at 7:14am

Hello Jordi,

I have just received my APM : very nice board.

Like everybody, I am now waiting for its associated IMU shield.

So, 4 little questions :

1. Do you have news about its availability ?

2. Do you have its final schematics (in pdf format is possible ?)

3. Do you have screenshots of its final configuration ?

4. whath king of contacts do you suggest for the APM (male, female , curved, ...) and which one will be in contact with the IMU shield ?

The question #4 is also important to prepare the APM that is waiting its connectors...

Thanks a lot for your work (and for your answers !!)

Best regards,
Gilles
Developer

Jordi Muñoz March 23, 2010 at 10:09pm

Sure Julio, i still making changes to board, but soon will be ready to go!
Developer

Jordi Muñoz March 3, 2010 at 6:54pm

Freddy, Mark,

I know about that issue exactly, but i didn't have time to think a response, is the same problem inductors cause. I was confused because i remember a similar issue involving relays, diodes and magnetic fields, but in this case when the internal switch of the relay has an inductor between it and a the power supply, the "metal plates" of the relay stick together after it disconnects (relay gets damaged),, this is caused when the magnetic field of the inductor collapses after the switch is disconnected and generate a spark that melts the metal plates inside the relay and they "fuse" together..

I also knew about the internal diode on the uController but i never think about the coil. I was confident the system was fine because i roughly test it on my servo switch...

Thanks!
Developer

Mark Colwell March 3, 2010 at 12:59pm

Good research, uP pins have good protection..
Freddy Gauss March 3, 2010 at 12:30pm

@ Mark; You may very well be correct. The ATMega series has internal diode protection on it's GPIO pins, both for over voltage (clamp to power) and for under voltage (clamp to ground). The relay uses 10mA at 5V, the AVRs internal diodes can probably handle this much current repetitively.
Developer

Mark Colwell March 3, 2010 at 12:18pm

Jose could measure control pin to relay, with O'scope to see what happens, and you can decide if uP can take spike or dip. May not need diode for this case.
Admin

Morli March 3, 2010 at 12:12pm

How large?

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