Multipilot32 / AP32 , Monthly project update.

Dear Friends,

this month we have a lot of news and update on MP32 board and project :

http://www.virtualrobotix.com/page/multipilot32-1

This is a fly of Ardupirates32 NG for Gaui 300XS : frame , esc motors and propellers.

1) VRIDE 0.0.4 is available : http://code.google.com/p/multipilot32/downloads/list

the new feature available are :

- i2c lib at 400 khz.

- new bootloader available with security feature when you are in flight , jumper for activate bootloader.

- update firmware using usb .

- update APM_ADC for support VRIMU.

- update APM_RC for support PPM SUM reciver as Jeti duplex 2.4 ghz.

- update APM_RC for support i2c ESC.

2) Ardupirates 32 NG on mp32 work fine , main loop is limit to 800 hz i have tested :

- acro mode.

- stable mode.

- magnetometer , gps and barometer.

- GPS hold work fine .

- Altitude hold could be better.

3) VRIMU is available : http://www.virtualrobotix.com/page/vr-imu-10

- Sensor board with two option : inversense and analog device gyro , accelerometer and magnetometer.

- Navi Board with gps , barometer and differential pressure sensor (Option) , analog and digital input output available.

4) First Revision of Arducopter 2.0 available as starting point for checking functionality :

http://code.google.com/p/multipilot32/downloads/detail?name=ArmCopter32_vride0045_20110513.rar&can=2&q=#makechanges

- All Low level library ported to new MP32 in pre alpha revision.

- Firs revision of code compile .

- The ide is available on repo as VRIMU 0.0.4.5 ready for start to test it.

5) RTF firmware for Gaui 330XS available. contact me at : lasernav@gmail.com for more info.

6) A lot of people start to fly with mp32 ... some video ...

Original post (Virtualrobotix) : http://www.virtualrobotix.com/profiles/blogs/multipilot32-ap32-monthly

Hi Matthew ,

the advantages of MP32 is a lot :

The cpu performances this is coremark benchmark:

MP32 use STM32F103 , the pro version will be used STM32F205 .
APM 4.25 MP8 10.81 and MP32 108.25 20x
More FLASH and RAM - Flash 512 RAM 64.
More resolution on Analog input without ADC componet 12 bit instead of 10 bit
16 Bit of PWM output. More resolution on servo.
SDIO for interface directly SD CARD with FAT16 / 32 file system .

For the user this feature mean :

more stability on the flight we can have a main loop until 1 khz.
more semplicity for download log. You can take a file of log in KML and put it on google earth (available in the next week)
more possibiltiy to extend the functionality of firmware without change the micro . Some revision of Arducopter 2.0 request APM 2560 to work.
In my mind this platform will be available for the next 5 years we are only at the beginning of this project. I think that this is a good platform for our developer and our user to implement the performance of our uav.

Best

Roberto

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Comments

Moderator

Roberto Navoni May 24, 2011 at 3:33pm

@Jonathan,

at the moment the code is up 120 kbyte , i have 512 kbyte on stm32 so i haven't any problem ... less of 250 kbyte is no a good quantity because a lot of functionality need to put driver in the micro . For example FAT file systems for SD Card need 25 kbyte. USB driver for serial port need 15 kbyte .. and all the library need space .. i prefer optimize the code for the speed not for the space so my code is huge on arm , but it's fast :)

The ram is good . Jonathan buy a mp32 is better of stellaris ;)

Best

Roberto
Moderator

Roberto Navoni May 24, 2011 at 3:29pm

@Passunca,

at the moment the price of mp32 is 70 euro + VAT (84) the price is the revision of STM32F103VE , i don't yet define the price for STM32F205 . Could be different .. i need to have the mass production chip before to define the price .. but i think that before the next year the mass production could not be available :(
Jonathan Lussier May 24, 2011 at 11:18am

Roberto,

happy to see your work has been advancing rapidly. I have been following since the beginning. Could you tell me the size of the code that runs (flash usage and RAM usage?).

I was thinking about porting this to SafeRTOS (Stellaris 9-series from TI) but the only commonly available chips are limited in memory size to 128KB FLASH / 48KB RAM.

http://www.newark.com/jsp/search/productdetail.jsp?SKU=72R5270&...
passunca May 24, 2011 at 10:39am

Roberto,

From what i can see on your website the MP32 is 85€.
what is the price tag for the STM32F205 version?
Moderator
Roberto Navoni May 24, 2011 at 10:08am
Hi Matthew ,

the advantages of MP32 is a lot :

The cpu performances this is coremark benchmark:
- MP32 use STM32F103 , the pro version will be used STM32F205 .
- APM 4.25 MP8 10.81 and MP32 108.25 20x
- More FLASH and RAM - Flash 512 RAM 64.
- More resolution on Analog input without ADC componet 12 bit instead of 10 bit
- 16 Bit of PWM output. More resolution on servo.
- SDIO for interface directly SD CARD with FAT16 / 32 file system .
For the user this feature mean :
- more stability on the flight we can have a main loop until 1 khz.
- more semplicity for download log. You can take a file of log in KML and put it on google earth (available in the next week)
- more possibiltiy to extend the functionality of firmware without change the micro . Some revision of Arducopter 2.0 request APM 2560 to work.
- In my mind this platform will be available for the next 5 years we are only at the beginning of this project. I think that this is a good platform for our developer and our user to implement the performance of our uav.
Best

Roberto
Matt Gaige May 24, 2011 at 9:16am

Would you summarize any benefits that the AP32 has over the present CPU board. In other words if the Prirates code is ported over and the "Oilpan" is being used, would the AP32 show any improvement, say ie: from faster feedback ?

Mat

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