Hi,
I was wondering if anyone could help me figure out how I would access and modify the code within the "STABILIZE" flight mode. At this point I have read through the advanced configuration settings here:
http://code.google.com/p/ardupilot-mega/wiki/AdvancedConfig
However, I am confused because I want to access the code and I am not sure how. I have an APM 2.0 and right now I am just very confused.
Thanks
Replies
You'll have to download and compile your own firmware for the autopilot.
This link explains how to do it with the arduino programmer:
http://code.google.com/p/ardupilot-mega/wiki/Programming
and a previous forum post I was involved with may help you with some of the details. I'd encourage you to take a decent bit of time to figure out how the code is laid out, and maybe doing some arduino tutorial examples before jumping in and modifying firmware.
Ok, I'm sorry if I was not more clear. Let me start off by saying that I am trying to build an autonomous ornithopter. I know that the ArduPilot software is only for fixed wing or rotary wing aircraft, however ornithopters are neither. Thus I downloaded the relaxpatch and the ArduPilot software and looked through it for a long time and realized that changing the software to be totally ornithopter friendly would take A LOT of time. However, I also realized that I could probably "cheat" a bit by simply changing the code that is used to actually stabilize the ornithopter, simply because the flight characteristics of ornithopters are obviously different than fixed wing aircraft. Besides the difference in flight dynamics (which I admit is a huge difference) my ornithopter is not that different from a regular plane. It is only three channels: it has a "rudder" and an "elevator" as well as a throttle. My APM 2 arrived last Friday and I downloaded the mission planner and got everything to work so basically I just need somebody to show me where I can actually access some of the different flight modes built into the code within arduino.
We need to know what you want to change, in order to point you to the right file, or files.
I suggest using Visual Micro, when it comes to learning to code, and tracing functions, it's alot easier then using the Arduino IDE
http://www.visualmicro.com/
Don't forget, you need the relexed compiler for APM
What precisely are you trying to do?
If you want to code, then you can download it from the google code project under "downloads." You'll also want the arduino v.22 with relax patch from the same page. That will allow you to modify the code, compile it and upload it to the board over USB.
Almost everything is a parameter. You can just change parameters over MAVlink (using the mission planner) and get what you want. If you're talking specifically about changing the behavior of a mode to do something it couldn't do before, then by all means, code away.