Hello
I am new to this forum so hopefully my question has not been answered already - I have looked at the archives but do not find an answer to my specific question:
What I am trying to do is use the ArduPilot Mega hardware to gather position (lat/long/ht) and orientation (pitch/roll/yaw) in a manned fixed wing aircraft, aerial photography application. So there is no need for RC.
So my questions:
1. Will this work? In other words will I be able to capture the position/orientation information at say 10Hz (the GPS max) via USB to my laptop?
2. Can I power the ArduPilot Mega via USB for this application or do I still need an external power supply?
Thanks
Julian
Replies
Hi Julian,
The answer to all of your questions is Yes, with the possible exception of the GPS rate. I have used the APM to log trips by train, bicycle, and car. Just as you suggest, you can power the APM with a laptop connected to its USB connector.
The rate of the GPS logging is governed by two things: the GPS receiver and the APM firmware. The default receiver by MediaTek is running at 1Hz. The optional Ublox at 5Hz. The logging loop speed of the firmware is another factor.
Others can certainly offer more details, but I wanted to let you know you're "barking up the right tree."