I have just bought the ArduPilot Mega 2560 Full Kit... plus the Triple Axis Magnetometer HMC5883L. I should have it built over the weekend.. then i'm off to a my mates machine shop, and i'll make the splitter plate for the lower frame onto which i am going to fit the Ardupilot. the magnetometer i'll put on the tail as suggested. I am going to use my X-cell Razor 600E. For those that dont know its around the 50 size nitro heli.
Do i need to buy any other sensors i.e. the Sonar... i can fly a helicopter all day long but this is my first time flying one with stabilisation so any tips would be gratefully appreciated.
If this works well then i am going to try and use it on my x-cell gasser. i can get up to 20 minute flights with this. But i think for the time being a battery 600 is the way to go.
i'll post some pictures when i have it all together.
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Hi Guy's :-) Add 1 to the team. I knew this was a long term project when I signed on.
I have available a 600efl (flybarless), 250 flybarred, and 250 flybarless, a pair of APM 2.0's (one mounted and flying in the 600, the other on the desk currently). I also have on the way once shipping a APM 2.5, ArduIM V3, and a full array of sensors plus the Ublox GPS.
I get a few hours each evening and some time each weekend for flying.
I can mount my second APM 2.0 to my 600 just to capture data if that is what you are looking for at this time?
Ok, who's up for some testing?
Anybody have something with a flybar or flybarless controller that they can simply mount an APM on, but won't be in control, just "along for the ride". Do some hovering, collect data, and send the data back to us?
There's some discussion go on in the dev list about this issue. Jonathan Challinger would like some data, and could maybe prepare something to collect extra data. And Jason Short has a quick patch to test and see what happens.
I keep track of your progress and review most code changes, but no flying.
I repaired my FBL 450 and loaded V2.7.1 for the last local meetup. It flew horribly. I didn't even dare to try any Alt Hold or anything else. That's why the thought of off loading the stabilization to another FBL controller and having the APM just to do the autonomous part came to mind. It is similar to you put APM on a flybarred heli and with an external gyro for the tail. It works much better, right?
To be honest with you Robert, if i go back to 2.0.49 or what ever it was, and it kinda works then i'm back to square one. Also this is never going to work with a Gasser, if it cant handle the vibes from a balanced electric then how the hell is it going to cope with a single cylinder engine. Also the gasser is worth a fortune, so i'm not willing to install it !
My Futaba CGY 750 works fine that copes with ease and the vibe damping is around 0.5mm of the hardest foam i have ever seen.
This is not really getting us anywhere.
If we are going to carry on with this then we need a path..... Forget all the other stuff and concentrate on getting it to come back to level in Stab mode, like you said if that doesn't work then nothing else will.
You understand the code way better than i do, is there any way you can see if 2.0.49 is different to the latest?
Would be good to see if we could get a small team together with different skills.....
Do you want to be a team leader?
Nope, no good.
Another crash. I'm just about ready to give up on this. I can't keep crashing and rebuilding these things. I just don't know what to do anymore.
Gotta drain 3 packs. How? Put 'em in the quad. It always works.
Just getting ready to test my latest (and last) attempt at vibration damping on the 450. If this doesn't work...
But I discovered one of the swash servos seems to have failed. Intermittent connection where the wire goes into the case. Not sure if it's cause or effect of the last little biff I had with it 2 days ago. (just broke the tail blades, umbrella gear)
Luckily I have a spare, but I'm not sure why it happened. I actually have the servo wire strain relieved by gluing it on to the case. Maybe it was during handling while working on this vibe mount, pressing on the wire with my thumb I dunno.
So, I just tried my 450 again. I've got it running as smooth as I possibly can, and still getting serious leans. At least, that's what I think it is. I just can't get it to calm down, nor will it hover reliably at all. In fact, after doing auto-trim and landing and looking at the HUD, it was totally out of whack.
The current incarnation has no vibration damping, so I'll have to figure something out again.
So after taking out another set of tail blades, I had to drain my batteries again, so I just pop 'em in the quad, and just fly around sweetly... frustrating in a way. I want the heli to work!!!
It rained on and off on sunday so didnt get a chance to test, i'll be out tomorrow with it.
Dont panic, i'm sure it will be fine :)
CGY 750 Rate Mode
The swash plate follows the stick movements, (as slow or as fast as the stick is moved) when you lean the heli the swash plate puts an opposite affect in, when the heli stops say at a 45 degree angle the swash plate goes back to level.
HL Mode
The swash plate follows the stick movements, (as slow or as fast as the stick is moved) the difference being, if you say put a full forward elevator in the swash plate doesn't come back level it moves back slightly but then stays in a slight lean the way the stick was pushed, pull it back the other way (back elevator) it moves all the way to the rear and does the same thing as above.
Lean the helicopter and it puts opposite movement in, stop leaning and it continues to hold opposite lean. Does not come back to level, but this would be expected in HL mode.
There were a few guys in the early days just using 2 HL gyros to control a flybarless Heli
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