3D Robotics

Connecting to APM 2.5 via Bluetooth

If you'd like to connect to APM 2.5 wirelessly but don't need the long-distance reach of the 3DR radios, you can use the Bluetooth connection built in to your laptop, along with a Bluetooth module. 

Here's what you'll need to do this:

Once you get the Bluetooth module, you need to set it to the right baud rate. A guide to all the commands it can use is here, but here's the short form:

  1. If you have a USB Xbee adapter or an FTDI cable,  use that to connect the Bluetooth adapter directly to your PC. If you don't have those, you can also do with wirelessly over Bluetooth using the Serial-over-Bluetooth process described below, but I haven't tried that myself.
  2. With any terminal program (TeraTerm, HyperTerm, etc), select the COM port assigned to the cable/adapter the Bluetooth module is plugged into, and set the baud rate to 115k.
  3. Within 60 seconds of powering on the Bluetooth module, enter "$$$". This should produce a "CMD" command prompt.
  4. Type "SU,57"[Return]. This will set the baud rate to 57k. It will not take effect until you power cycle the module.
  5. Now you can unplug it from the USB Xbee adapter or FTDI cable. Plug it into the Xbee adapter board, and with the APM adapter cable, plug it into the APM telem port.
  6. Power APM with the Power Module. (Don't power it via USB, since you can't use wireless and USB at the same time)
  7. On your PC, go into the Windows Control Panel/Hardware and Sound/Devices and Printers. Select "Add a Bluetooth device". It should see the Bluetooth module, which will be called "FireFly". Connect to it. Say OK to any boxes that come up about pairing codes.
  8. Now if you look in your Control Panel/Device Manager/Ports (COM & LPT), you should see two new ports called "Standard Serial over Bluetooth link" with COM numbers after them. You'll be using the first (lower) of the two.
  9. Go into the APM Mission Planner and select that port, with the baud rate of 57k.
  10. You should now be able to connect to APM over MAVLink via Bluetooth!

 

 

 

Views: 1860

Comment by Александр on February 3, 2013 at 1:50am

3dr radio is more universal at the price not much above


3D Robotics Comment by Joshua Ott on February 3, 2013 at 2:26am

This broadcasts on Frequency 2,402 ~ 2,480 MHz, folks should be careful if their RC setup uses the same frequency range.


3D Robotics Comment by Joshua Ott on February 3, 2013 at 2:55am

I think it's inevitable to get away from 2.4 gHz for RC, there are too many other useful things on that band.

I would hope that, before long, RC control is relegated to a never used backup system.

With all the future growth we're looking at, I'm sure someone will figure out a fast-secure-dense transceiver technology that will give us: control, telemetry, and video link in one tidy interference-free package.

Comment by Tom in ON on February 3, 2013 at 7:21am

Should be able to connect via mobile phone with this? Is there an app?  


Developer Comment by R_Lefebvre on February 3, 2013 at 7:26am

There is now:

http://diydrones.com/forum/topics/andropilot-alpha-tester-discussio...

The only problem with this is that at this point, you can't blue-tooth directly to the bluetooth receiver on the aircraft.  You would need two bluetooth radios, and two bluetooth USB adaptors.  One on the phone, one on the copter.

Comment by Richard Warrender on February 4, 2013 at 7:55am
I have thought about this alot and the Bluetooth 4.0 Low-Energy has lots of potential to be the 'wireless USB' cable and would remove the need to choose COM ports. It would also have an added advantage it would work on new iPhones and iPads. You could build a board that mated Bluetooth 4.0 LE with the Ground-based Xbee/3DR. Do you think people would find such a board useful? I am going to try and build one.
Comment by Anish on February 8, 2013 at 4:01pm

are we going to see some apps on mobile phones soon ;)


Developer Comment by R_Lefebvre on February 8, 2013 at 4:04pm

There already is:  Andropilot

Comment by Shyam Balasubramanian on February 9, 2013 at 8:17pm

Hi Chris,

This is a good feature. Going forward, Is there a module (from 3DR) to communicate via a Wi-Fi too and does Mission Planner already support this feature?

-Shyam.

Comment by Bill Bonney on February 9, 2013 at 11:14pm
@shyan: you can use this https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10822 to connect via WiFi. MP supports TCP or UDP connections so it supports this. It's working great for me.

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