Discussions

I need help (please) setting up connection between an Arducopter 2.8, an RCtimer bluetooth module, and an Android tablet running 4.4.2. I would like to plan and fly simple "missions" using the tablet only as the interface for mission planning - no need to control during flight - no long range communication needed.

I am about at the end of my rope with this - but we'll tuck that away now that that has been said.

The scratch built quadcopter flies great - no issues there. I can plan missions with MP over a USB connection with a PC and they execute as they should.

The bluetooth module is paired with and successfully links with the tablet - no issues there. I worked with the BAUD rate and I think but cannot be sure that this is not the problem. This might need more attention, maybe*.

*Setting BAUD rates has been a challenge because NONE of the guides I have found ANYWHERE accurately show the steps. They may be 100% correct but what showed up on my PC didn't match what the tutorials showed. I tried the Arduino + FTDI route but it did not do as it was described (failed at AT+send... no response regardless of anything tried.) The best perceived result was through Device Manager on my PC (via FTDI) but I can't say that was the right way to set the BAUD rate. Noob.

I have tried with and failed using Ardupilot and Droidplanner.

Ardupilot gets stuck at "No Vehicle", and offers no clues otherwise. It also thinks we are off the west coast of Africa and we are not. It's a nice program & I had it working with a Crius AIOP V2 board a while ago using the very same tablet and BT module!

Droidplanner gets stuck at a blue dot showing my accurate location. The blue dot moves with my tablet but does not follow the location of the quad - so it isn't getting a signal from the GPS on the quad. If I press the satellite image on the screen - as if to set a waypoint like in Mission Planner - a prompt appears "press OK to enter guided mode. To change locations, press and hold the map." If I press OK a message says "Bad GPS for guided". Also, there is a status bar at the top of the screen that shows obviously bad info about my GPS status and a few other things indicating a failed read.

There is a miserable shortage of information regarding the connection of the bluetooth module to the telemetry port but I did the best I could with the information I could find. The BT lights up and bonds without any smoke, so we're close. I have tried switching TX and RX connections with no difference in results.

For what it's worth, my own assessment is: For some reason the BT is not sharing the correct data with the tablet. It could be that the BT is happy with the tablet but not properly connected to the APM, or that the APM/BT connection is fine but it is not communicating properly with the tablet. The BAUD rate and the APM 2.8 telemetry wiring are top suspects.

I have searched for answers to this and and 100 other issues since getting into Aerial Robotics over 3 years ago. You all must know that although the answers have probably been covered in "another thread", finding that thread and hoping to get an answer can be like finding a needle in a haystack.

Any help is very much appreciated in advance!

MODS please help put this in the right place - thanks.