I am about to build a new plane for fpv flight and uav using Ardupilot.I have both an empty EasyStar and Easyglider foamy.Do I have more chance for success using the EasyStar, or there is no significant difference? I mean the Ardupilot firmware handles both or it's optimized more for one or the other plane?In case of the EasyStar, not sure if it worth to add ailerons?The Ardupilot is equipped with the standard gps, horizontal and vertical infra, pitot sensors.Power system: brushless motor + Lipo.
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I tuned a little bit the heading error constants, the result is pretty good.
Today I did many starts, the plane flew the line of route at least 20 times.
I even switched off the radio - RTL did it's job.
The altitude control is not perfect - the lane slowly climbes above the target altitude. I suspect that it doesn't use the elevator for diving, and the minimum speed is enough for a very slow climb.
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I installed the Pitot tube to the wing, and did some more tests on the robotpilot. While it kept the track and got all the waypoints, it badly wobbled. The PID loop needs tuning.
The first test was without this wobbling, probably because it flew at much higher speed - full throttle because of the lack of the Pitot feedback.
The plan was Home + 4 waypoints, target altitude 100m. I tried aileron+rudder and aileron alone with fixed rudder. The wobbling was the same.
The mode and the distance to the next waypoint displayed in the upper left corner. The arrow at the bottom shows the home direction, the number below the distance from home. Altitude is on the right. The 1% is the remote control receiver's packet loss error percent (actually 0%, but inaccurate analog signal)
In the second circle I activated RTL mode (it's activatinng on signal loss/receiver fail-safe as well).
The fasst receiver has fail-safe on ch3 only (shame on Futaba) so I had to use ch3 as ctrl channel and ch5 as throttle (easy to do on my Multiplex Evo ).
My "to do" list:
- serching for a possible bug - Ardupilot starts the motor even in manual mode at the moment it captured gps fix
- writing an air speed display item and calibrate it to the gps speed
- trim the infra sensors, writing an angle display during "jumper on mode"
- fly-by-wire test to check if the stabilization or the waypoint direction part is more responsible for the wobbling
- clean up the throttle loop code (it seems to be "under construction")
- writing in-flight selectable "fly-by-wire" mode
- replacing the uncomfortable jumper with some automatic startup
I tested a lot the pilot using HappyKillmore's gps emulator before flight, and tested the sensors using simple sw pieces as well. So I was pretty sure the plane is in good condition. However my plan was just a manual flight, maybe testing the fly-by-wire mode, no more. I uploaded a 5 point plan anyway.
I started the glider with disconnected gps. The manual control mode was perfect, no need for trims at all. After several circles, at high altitude I activated the stabilizer. It worked very well. I tried to pilot - oops, both aileron and elevator reversed. No problem, the autopilot stabilized it if I centered the sticks. I tried high tilts, steep dive - the autopilot handled them. Ok, back to manual mode - the controls were normal this mode of course - and landed. (I didn't think that manual and auto mode stick directions can be different and didn't test it before)
New battery, and gps plugged in, jumper on. Relative slow startup, but finally 10 satellites received, good. Jumper removed.
Manual start, high altitude, start wp mode. Surprize - everything worked. The osd displayed wp1, the distance to wp1, the plane slowly turned toward the wp and reached it. The displayed wp2 and so on. It hit all 5 waypoints without any suspicious movements. I observed the fpv video, my friend the plane, ready to switch back to manual. But thre was no need to do so - the plane just flew very calm and did the job.
I decided to build first the EasyStar, because I like to try the Ardupilot as soon as possible, and building this plane seems to be easier.
Later I figure out how to modify the Glider, how to move the prop above the wing. I am afraid of the CG problem.
I have to put the video Tx to the tail because of interference with the GPS and rc Rx. If I move the motor toward the back as well, maybe just pushing the battery into the nose is not enough. And there is so small room for the electronics. Ardupilot, osd, camera, infra sensors, gps, Pitot - that's a lot of device and wire.
The other consideration with a conventional (puller, tractor) prop is that you have to mount the pitot tube outboard of the prop wash, which is less convenient than just mounting it in the nose
EasyGlider is not optimal out of the box for FPV or UAV use, due to the motor in the front and crowded equipment area. I would agree with Cronselaar's suggestion to convert to pusher with a motor pylon. That's too much modding for me, but if you're good at airframe mods maybe it would be okay.
My 2c...
Just choose one... Code was written for the Easystar but you will still need to tune it to your airframe... So it's all the same!
I'd go for the Easyglider... Larger wingspan thus longer flight time with the same wingloading, just keep in mind the pusher vs puller config if you want to add cammeras.
Replies
I enabled the print_remzibi_debug function, because I was curious what happens with pitch_set_point when Ardupilot is above the target altitude.
I found that pitch_set_point was correct, it became more and more negative as the plane slowly climbed above the target, and reached the -14 limit.
So the problem is not the pitch_set_point, the algorithm has the correct input, just the response is not what expected.
http://www.vimeo.com/6882574
Today I did many starts, the plane flew the line of route at least 20 times.
I even switched off the radio - RTL did it's job.
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showpost.php?p=13247441&postcoun...
http://www.vimeo.com/6857423
The altitude control is not perfect - the lane slowly climbes above the target altitude. I suspect that it doesn't use the elevator for diving, and the minimum speed is enough for a very slow climb.
The first test was without this wobbling, probably because it flew at much higher speed - full throttle because of the lack of the Pitot feedback.
The plan was Home + 4 waypoints, target altitude 100m. I tried aileron+rudder and aileron alone with fixed rudder. The wobbling was the same.
The mode and the distance to the next waypoint displayed in the upper left corner. The arrow at the bottom shows the home direction, the number below the distance from home. Altitude is on the right. The 1% is the remote control receiver's packet loss error percent (actually 0%, but inaccurate analog signal)
In the second circle I activated RTL mode (it's activatinng on signal loss/receiver fail-safe as well).
The fasst receiver has fail-safe on ch3 only (shame on Futaba) so I had to use ch3 as ctrl channel and ch5 as throttle (easy to do on my Multiplex Evo ).
http://www.vimeo.com/6802222
My "to do" list:
- serching for a possible bug - Ardupilot starts the motor even in manual mode at the moment it captured gps fix
- writing an air speed display item and calibrate it to the gps speed
- trim the infra sensors, writing an angle display during "jumper on mode"
- fly-by-wire test to check if the stabilization or the waypoint direction part is more responsible for the wobbling
- clean up the throttle loop code (it seems to be "under construction")
- writing in-flight selectable "fly-by-wire" mode
- replacing the uncomfortable jumper with some automatic startup
Configuration: Ardupilot, remzibi OSD, VSN500 camera, 1W Lawmate 1.3GHz Tx, Fasst receiver,, 2200mAh 3s Lipo, 40A esc, 117g Ray outrunner, 9*6 folding prop, Multiplex Evo 9 radio.
I tested a lot the pilot using HappyKillmore's gps emulator before flight, and tested the sensors using simple sw pieces as well. So I was pretty sure the plane is in good condition. However my plan was just a manual flight, maybe testing the fly-by-wire mode, no more. I uploaded a 5 point plan anyway.
I started the glider with disconnected gps. The manual control mode was perfect, no need for trims at all. After several circles, at high altitude I activated the stabilizer. It worked very well. I tried to pilot - oops, both aileron and elevator reversed. No problem, the autopilot stabilized it if I centered the sticks. I tried high tilts, steep dive - the autopilot handled them. Ok, back to manual mode - the controls were normal this mode of course - and landed. (I didn't think that manual and auto mode stick directions can be different and didn't test it before)
New battery, and gps plugged in, jumper on. Relative slow startup, but finally 10 satellites received, good. Jumper removed.
Manual start, high altitude, start wp mode. Surprize - everything worked. The osd displayed wp1, the distance to wp1, the plane slowly turned toward the wp and reached it. The displayed wp2 and so on. It hit all 5 waypoints without any suspicious movements. I observed the fpv video, my friend the plane, ready to switch back to manual. But thre was no need to do so - the plane just flew very calm and did the job.
I am really happy...
eg15.jpg
eg16.jpg
I decided to build first the EasyStar, because I like to try the Ardupilot as soon as possible, and building this plane seems to be easier.
Later I figure out how to modify the Glider, how to move the prop above the wing. I am afraid of the CG problem.
I have to put the video Tx to the tail because of interference with the GPS and rc Rx. If I move the motor toward the back as well, maybe just pushing the battery into the nose is not enough. And there is so small room for the electronics. Ardupilot, osd, camera, infra sensors, gps, Pitot - that's a lot of device and wire.
Just choose one... Code was written for the Easystar but you will still need to tune it to your airframe... So it's all the same!
I'd go for the Easyglider... Larger wingspan thus longer flight time with the same wingloading, just keep in mind the pusher vs puller config if you want to add cammeras.
Gerrit