AeroSIM RC is a flight simulator with FPV functions (OSD, camera Tilt&Pan, Scenario Generator from satellite image)
And now, it is also a Test Platform for Autopilot / IMU developers
Version 3.3 includes a new feature called "Third Party DLL" that lets autopilot/IMU developers run their software within the simulation, allowing experimentation with any kind of automatic control over the flight.
Some Applications include:
- Development of automatic pilots for navigation or flight stabilization
- Development of low cost Inertial Measurement Units (IMU) based on accelerometers, gyros and magnetic compass.
- Dump flight parameters to a file.
Explained by example.
The example included in the installation package is a simple autopilot that controls the model bank angle by operating the ailerons to keep the model level (allowing at the same time to control the ailerons with the stick)
See the source code here: ThirdPartyDLL.h and ThirdPartyDLL.cpp
Briefly,
1. You write a DLL consisting basically on a function that will be called from AeroSIM RC at each simulation integration step.
2. The data received by this function are all the variables related to the flight (position, velocity, acceleration, angles, height above the ground and stick positions)
3. The function returns a structure with data to optionally overwrite the stick positions, thus controlling the model by your software.
Feel free to download and try the simulator.
If you need help please ask!
Manuel Guillén
Author of AeroSIM RC
Replies
Hello again after a busy time!
AeroSIM RC has released a new version 4.61
You are invited to check what's new in the download page http://www.aerosimrc.com/en/download.htm
In particular, the new FrSky Telemetry feature can be interesting for DIY enthusiasts:
The first version of the OSD644DMD plugin is now ready for download from the usual simulator download page
The guys from DMD are also preparing a new plugin of the LRS 2.52 system with a very interesting features, such as the STAB mode, which overrides the pilot control inputs in case the pilot will crash the airplane. The beta testers are having a lot of fun trying to crash the airplane (in the sim, of course!), while the LRS algorithms identify when to override pilot inputs to save the airplane.
The combination of AeroSIM RC + LRS plugin is a great training system for beginner and professional users to protect their investment (that's what simulators were invented for!)
This video shows how the pilot tries to crash the airplane during landing by pushing the elevator stick, but the system reacts overriding pilot's controls in the last moment.
This is how the OSD644DMD plugin looks like in the simulator:
Let's call it PLUGIN (DLL sounds like something complicated)
Download AeroSIM RC v3.5 and try the Ikarus OSD PLUGIN.
Ikarus OSD is a new OSD, with AutoPilot, and Ground Station (more info at http://www.electronicarc.com)
Ikarus OSD source code was rehosted as a PLUGIN for AeroSIM RC this way:
- 70% of the original source code was nearly unchanged (with minor changes using #ifdef)
- 25% of the original source code is not used because data is provided by the simulator in a clean way (GPS data, voltages/current/RPM, IMU data, etc.), and the code to acquire the data is simply not necessary.
- Only 5% of the source code had to be written specifically to work with the simulator.
GIVEN THAT
- you can do 1000 flight tests while it is raining outside
- you do not crash your beta tester´s models
- you can easily log all data for analysis
- you can set breakpoints in the code and pause the flight for debugging
I think that THIS IS A GIFT for developers reading this forum.
See the source code for the Demo Plugin (included with AeroSIM RC) if you still do not understand HOW EASY IT IS
Manuel
Enter the T3 and show us what you mean!!!
Thanks for the post! But I'm not sure I quite understand how we would use this for autopilot/IMU development. The way other sims that we use (like FlightGear and Xplane) work is that they have a configuration screen where you can choose which output data it sends via serial port and which control data it accepts via another serial or tcp/ip port. You don't need to write any code for them. I'm not quite sure how your dll process compares to this, but it seems more complicated. Am I missing something?
Chris