Anyone see a problem with doing this (I plan on using a netbook to control it, so actually connecting to the network won't be a problem).
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Anyone see a problem with doing this (I plan on using a netbook to control it, so actually connecting to the network won't be a problem).
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Look at my HD FPV + Telemetry via WiFi system Here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdHIohydwYE
I have researched and used these systems for Draganfly streaming video, you can use to controland video.
Ubiquiti Networks UBIQUITI NSM5 NANOSTATION M5 - 5 GHz. 16 dBi 500 mW MIMO AIRMAX
Ubiquiti Bullet M5 HP 5GHz Access Point/CPE
Axis Communications AXIS M7001 1-CH Video Encoder.
other utilities may be given to those teams.
from late last year: http://www.insecure.ws/2009/12/17/a-little-jump-in-the-wifi-world-o...
however getting a proper camera and system to run on small (1 meter max) planes is still tricky
using regular wifi won't work out
this also ensure low latency and no dropouts that the wifi would suffer from btw
I own a few 54GL's (awesome routers by the way) and the first thing I do is flash the firmware with DD-WRT. The additional functionality is priceless. They can be field striped very easily to just the main board and two antennas and the weight is only a few ounces. They also host a serial port on the board that you can solder headers to. I've read a couple accounts of people using them as the sole control and communications platform for remote control applications (usually ground vehicles), but since they run at ~250 Mhz and there is ~MB of free memory on board, and its capable of easily connecting to an SD card, you can really expand them to do a lot!
I really have to get of my WRT54GL's with the power boosted way up (again done in firmware) flying and let you know what the results are.
The good:
it's cheap and easy to make it work - and it does work. the quality is better than analog, too, noise free.. and latency is not bad.. but..
The bad:
It's not all that long distance and if you lose the wifi link, it takes long enough to re-establish that you have already crashed. I barely go more than 500m by security, even if it could go much further, it doesn't feel safe enough. At this short range no issue however.
It lose link a bit "at random" (it feels like using a Spektrum radio for FPV, except Spektrums reconnect quick, if you have Spektrum+FPV or UAV experience you'll know what I mean)
Also, the power ratings and sensitivity ratings of the wifi devices aren't any better than cheap analog ones. That means, a 1W rated Alfa device does not emit at 1W. It's approx 800-900mW in 802.11b at 1Mbit (which is not enough) and around 4-500mW at 54Mbit, 802.11g (it's not bad at all but it's not what it says)
Likewise, I have found out the sensitivity at 54Mbit to be around -60dbm (its -76bdm rated or so I think so it's a pretty good drop..) - keep in mind its one of the best consumer wifi device (there are better ones but they cost a lot more). You can fix the power issue with a booster, but not the sensitivity.
Talked to some guys that do networking for a living (or out of boredom, either way) and read through FCC regs. Using a low gain, omni-directional ant. max power is 1W, though using directionals lets you raise power (up to about 4W, but the cone would be a little narrow to track a moving object). I was thinking of using 802.11n, which looks like it will let me use 5GHz. And probably won't be using a wireless camera, I'm going to be shoving an Asus Eee in, so I could hook up any camera with a USB port, and can control it all over the same channel.
It will really give you good distance and bandwidth, provided you use something a little better than integrated antennas (a directional antenna on the ground at least). But you'll run into troubles with drop-outs, wifi takes a couple seconds to reinitialize the connection if it's lost (but that's not a huge problem for a UAV, and a zero problem for a VTOL).
I recommend this thread on Ubiquiti forums, there are some good ideas in there.
Let me know if you start doing anything on this.
Earl