I'm a little bummed that newcomers are getting more capable drones for even less than I shelled out to get my "cutting-edge" FreeX Skyview. :^\
I don't have a lot of experience--although I'd have had a LOT more if it had offered the modes I wanted to fly--making it easier for me NOT to panic and fly into "That Hickory Tree."
The dealer I purchased from has since moved on to other shinies and was silent on the request for help for upgraded firmware or providing an API and I've found nothing on "hacking the FreeX" on the web.
So, I'm thinks: I should just build a new one. But then I thinks: wait a minute, if I build a new one, at some point I will have a machine that will be operationally a lot like the one I already have, duplicating a lot of the existing hardware.
And then I thinks: hey, a quad is compose of hardware and software. At some point there's some interface where somewhere where a hardware brain software talks to the flying hardware and why don't I cut the cord at that point, and install a new brain and tell it about the old hardware so it can fly it? I figure I'll have to augment hardware to provide, say, storage for pre-programmed flight patterns.
It strikes me that the ArduPilot thesis is about doing just that--the part about configuring a brain to run various hardware.
I have a pea-brain (although mother always said it was larger than any other she could think of), but it's slowly dawning on me after looking inside the beast that, whatever motors, ESCs, etc, are installed, they are what they are, and I can look up their specs and then amputate and install whatever WHATSIT it is that hosts ArduCopter and inform it about all the hardware. And then configure ArduCopter, upload my missions and fly--with my existing transmitter even.
Firstly, has this been--yawn--done to death? that is converting proprietary vehicles to ArduPilot? Like maybe a DJI Phantom 2, of which the Skyview seems to be bizarro twin.
Secondly, has anyone seen a practical use-case for the FreeX Skyview?
Thirdly, is this post ridiculously mis-posted or mis-conceived? If so, delete it with my apologies, but send kind advice my way.
I'm attaching a copy of a couple of photos of the interior.
Thank you, flyers.
--
David
Replies
Be thankful of the difference.
You are more likely to have problems converting a Phantom due to their cheap non standard ESC's.
If you decide to go the Pixhawk route then get a small PWM to PPM convertor (couple of bucks on eBay) and you can still use your existing radio gear.
David Nelson said:
This fellow put a, newer, Pixhawk controller in a Phantom I:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LNSgBV9xXg
This appears to be the laser-focused document needed to get started:
http://download.ardupilot.org/downloads/wiki/pdf_guides/APM2_Quad_S...
I just wish someone else must've done this. I never do anything first. That I can write about anyway.
Continuing to poke around, I found these posts, right here on DIYdrones:
http://diydrones.com/profiles/blogs/arduphantom-apm-arducopter-in-a...
http://diydrones.com/profiles/blogs/what-a-phantom-should-look-like...
Just as I hoped, but for the fact that the differences between the Skyview and the Phantom are more than cosmetic, from the looks of things.
Mike,
Thank you. My post misrepresented me as somewhat smarter than I am. From your helpful reply, I get that my transmitter, probably old, is PWM (pulse-width modulated) based, while the latest stuff is PPM (pulse-position).
Beyond that, your casual tenor suggested to me I might be taking it too seriously and I went off to Amazon to hunt for an "APM" (ArduPilot Mega? flight controller board) where I happily discovered all sorts of them. Of course, the descriptions don't mention the modulation type per se, but I'll presume that's part of the APM version spec.
I would be grateful for a recommendation of a version to search for. I see, in one place, an APM2.6 recommended for multirotor (requires external GPS/compass, allowing them to be mounted away from ESCs and motors). Would that be suitable?
You have a working airframe, so your build is mostly done.
If you put an older APM in then the Rx will just connect straight to it.
The Pixhawk on the other hand uses PPM input so you need a PWM to PPM convertor.
Stick a GPS somewhere and your done.
As long as the speed controllers use PWM everything should be fine.