Not many people know but we have an piece of open source software for controlling an Antenna Tracker. It's been built by Tridge (Arduplane lead developer) for use in the outback challenge.
Sadly we have no documentation and, as far as I know, nobody except Tridge has used it. Still given Tridge's track record on building great software I suspect it works well and if it doesn't, I'm sure we can fix it. So to not let this piece of code go to waste, I'd like some help from people who are interested to give it a try and help me figure out how it works.
Here's the little that I know:
- It runs on any of our supported board (APM1, APM2, PX4, Pixhawk, Flymaple and perhaps VRBrain)
- For APM1/APM2 users building the code is as easy as opening our hacked ArduinoIDE and selecting File > SketchBook > Tools > AntennaTracker and then building in the normal way. For PX4/Pixhawk, our autobuilder doesn't automatically build a binary but I can provide one if people are interested.
- It can control a Pan and Tilt gimbal like this or this found on servocity.com.
- It may or may not require a GPS
- It must somehow receive vehicle position updates from the ground station which has the telemetry radio that is connected to the vehicle. Maybe through a USB cable. Tridge probably uses the python ground station, MAVProxy, to passthrough the vehicle position data to the AT but perhaps we can get MichaelO to build out a similar feature in Mission Planner.
- I imagine this antenna tracker could also be used to keep a camera focused on the vehicle which might be good for easing the burden on creating videos of our vehicles.
So if you want to give it a try please do and stick any findings, questions or issues below. Alternatively Issues can go into the issues list.
I'll start sticking things into the wiki as they become clear.
Replies
I don't know.. I haven't tried the AT firmware yet but plan to week after next. My challenge, though, is that I intend to do it on a USB-tethered APM. I hope it works.
Hello Folks,
I very frustrated about this nice Idea with Antenna Tracker.
First of all I´m also not able to connect with the second Telemetry like Doug. See here in the Forum
Second: I don´tn know how to Tune the Tracker. I calibrated the ACC and the Compass like for the Copter. In Mission-planner under the "Extended Tuning" I tryed test button but does nothing. I expected that I can adjust the Servos, Is´t it?
The Only thing to get a movement from the AT is to connect the AT with the Copter via Radio and press the Saftyswich then the AT start uncontrolled movements with no end.
Please see my Videos about my AT and the behavior.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIxQwFXRxpY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ8V95ZYIFU
The AT should manly used for a Video Antenna, the Mavlink Radio communication is good enough with a dipole Antenna.
Any constructive suggestions are appreciated.
Firstly, you must have GPS fix to do any tuning.
Secondly, the test buttons and sliders don't work.
Thirdly, go outside and place the aircraft (AC) and antenna tracker (AT) 10 meters apart. If after switching both on the AT doesn't point in the general direction of the AC then you might have to reverse one or both of he axis.
Now, if the AT is pointing at the general direction of the AC, but oscillating, start changing the PID values for one axis until it calms down and then do it for the other. You will quickly understand in what direction you have to change the default values.
I got the AT working this way. I would be using it now if it wasn't for the fact that you can't change the mode of the AC through Mission Planner when the AT is in proxy mode.
Thank you for your input.
Of course gps signal is mandatory and I had the gps fix! Ok the signal is weak and the distance to short, I'll give the AT a try outside.
But why to the hell the test buttons and sliders in the mission planer are not working when they are there??
Is it so complicated to get them work? If they would work it will be much more easy to adjust the way and the angle of the AT and of course you can figure out how does it work.
The really bad thing is that the 2nd telemetry port is not working and, as you sad Martin, the modes are not setable to the AC if the AT is in Proxy.
What is about the dev team, is there any improvement planed?
I spend a lot of money in the AT because I like the idea with the Mavlink datas to use for the AT and I trusted Randy and his video and the wiki. But at the moment the AT is useless for me bcouse of this behavior, not able to set the modes to AC and without the 2nd telemetry.
Please, please dev team: let it improve!
Ciao
Andre
I tryed the AT with the Copter in a distance of more than 10meter with very good GPS signal. But the behavior still remains the same, even with reverse the Servos.
Are there more people outside have the AT working, and are able so show how to get it working?
I just tested the AT with MP mavlink forwarding. It doesn't seem to work. When I made the connection with AT it came to life and started it's scan pattern, but was not able to find the airplane. When I ended the connection the AT returned to its parking position. I think this means that it received the data, but something was missing.
I have the same issue as Doug. The antenna tracker will only connect to the computer over USB. Using TELEM2 is no go. I got the antenna more or less tracking while connected to USB. Getting it to work wireless would be really nice.
This is a bit frustrating.
The problems are following:
The second one is a very serious issue.
So I figured out how to get the antenna tracker (AT) working. I would use the ctrl+f "Mavlink" option in Mission Planner to forward the data to the AT. I'll go out and test it when it stops snowing.
@Martin,
Which board are you using? APM or Pixhawk?
What do you mean, you can't change the mode of the aircraft? If you change it the AT stops working? Are you using ArduCopter? If 'yes', I highly recommend upgrading to AC3.2 because there's an issue in AC3.1.5 that it doesn't check the target of a mode change request from the GCS. So if you use the MP to change the mode of the AT, AC may also try to change to that mode.
Randy, Would it be possible for you to create a setup, configure, and test video? I hate to ask, but I have hit a wall on getting the second telemetry unit to communicate with my GCS. Not sure what to do with Ctrl+F menu and I see nothing in the drop down menu under the 2nd Mav button. At this point, I feel a video will help many of us stuck with this problem.
Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving!
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