AvrMiniCopter - Linux based controller project - Discussions

Hello Everyone,

I want to share a project I have been working on for the last year. It is a quadcopter controller with full Linux support (maintained using buildroot)

This means:

full networking support (Wifi, Bluetooth)
use scripting or any programming language you want
SSH, Busybox, and hundreds of other tools
compile your own additional tools
video4linux/camera (when using capable board - i.e. Odroid-W or RPi)
anything else Linux supports

The controller's features currently are:

Support for quadcopters in X configuration of any size
2 fly modes - Auto-level & Acro
Altitude hold
learner mode (attach 2 controller simultaneously - one for the teacher and one for the learner)
fast (boot time of around 2-3sec)
WWW configurable (i.e. you can adjust anything using your phone in the field)
Camera support for taking pictures and videos
Live and Offline log charting (vibrations, quaternions, altitude, etc)
Out of box bluetooth (PAN) and WIFI connectivity for receiving flight logs, accessing the file system (NFS and SSH), browsing videos and pictures
Endlessly and easily extensible

The setup is relatively simple and includes 2 boards - AVR board (like Arduino Pro Mini) and SPI capable SBC (like Odroid W or RPi) wired together using SPI.

With the software provided the setup is of plug-and-play and you can control your quadcopter using PS3 controller or via network.

See the wiki for more information.

Sources: https://github.com/rpicopter/AvrMiniCopter
Wiki: https://github.com/rpicopter/AvrMiniCopter/wiki
Precompiled images: https://github.com/rpicopter/AvrMiniCopter-images

If you passionate about linux and quadcopters than this is something you should try! :)

Let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks,
Gregory

Replies

QuadrotorThai Tevada April 11, 2015 at 1:03am

Hello Gregory D.
I want to compile your code with myseft. Can you tell me step by step to do it. Do I make buildroot before?
- Gregory D > QuadrotorThai Tevada April 12, 2015 at 2:55pm
  
  Depends on what exactly you want to do. Check the AvrMiniCopter architecture: https://github.com/rpicopter/AvrMiniCopter-wiki/wiki/Design
  
  If you want to hack the code that controls the quadcopter then you only need Arduino IDE. However if you want to recompile the Raspberry Pi/Odroid image then you need buildroot.
QuadrotorThai Tevada April 4, 2015 at 9:41am

I test fly on level mod it not yet stable.
- Gregory D > QuadrotorThai Tevada April 4, 2015 at 9:57am
  
  Did you adjust acro and stab PIDs? You first need to make it fly well in a stab/acro mode before trying to tweek altitude hold mode. Do you have experience in other quadcopter controllers like MultiWii, ArduCopter, naza, etc?
  - QuadrotorThai Tevada > Gregory D April 4, 2015 at 9:05pm
    
    Yes I ever fly with Multiwii, Arducopter, naza.
    Now I adjust acro and stab PID to very stable.
    But it can't adjust realtime after adjust PID must to unplug and plug power it will work.
    - Gregory D > QuadrotorThai Tevada April 6, 2015 at 4:41am
      
      You can adjust PID realtime through 'WS Debug' or through command line.
      
      Just send a command with the new PID value, for example:
      
      '112 500' to set rate pid Kp to 500 for pitch
      
      For the full list see lines 279-311
      
      https://github.com/rpicopter/AvrMiniCopter-Arduino/blob/master/AvrM...
      
      where:
      
      pid_r - rate pid for yaw, pitch, roll
      
      pid_s - stab pid for yaw, pitch, roll
QuadrotorThai Tevada April 4, 2015 at 1:44am

Hello.
How to use WS Debug.
- Gregory D > QuadrotorThai Tevada April 4, 2015 at 1:58am
  
  What are you trying to debug?
  You just need to send a command. List of commands is in the help on the screen. You might also want to clear the filter there.
QuadrotorThai Tevada April 4, 2015 at 12:59am

I do not test with altitude hold yet. I will post vedio soon.
This photo baro in the bottle caps.
- Gregory D > QuadrotorThai Tevada April 4, 2015 at 2:22am
  
  I should have added - To engage althold you will need to hover in place and press the x button. Only then you can let the throttle go.
  
  In the next weeks I will be submitting a new version where you can use althold to self start and self land.

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