MinimoSD isn't plug and play by any mean, and when you succeeded in having an APM working with telemetry and GPS, then you just do not want to take the risk to fry anything. The how-to procedure is nothing but frightening.
Is there any PnP OSD you may recommend for the APM ?
Thank you
Replies
Agreed. I have already zapped a 5v Mobius camera. Installation is overcomplicated compared to my DOS and Hornet OSD which just plugs together and works.
If you want simple FliteTest just did an FPV episode that showed how to set up this product.
http://www.immersionrc.com/product-details.php?fpv_product=1&fp...
That said, your search for simplicity is going to cost you.
MinimOSD, or even knock-offs, are the cheapest "plug-and-play" thing you can get right now.
If you just plug it in, its default config will show you a lot, although mine initially had things overlapping - which I fixed with the software provided.
The largest, scariest thing with the potential to fry stuff is the power wire. With most cables you buy, it's the red wire. On the OSD itself, it's labeled 5v or power
As long as the red wire hits that, plugging in the connector upside-down won't hurt anything. Once you figure it out though, just label things and/or take a picture on you cell or something to refer to.
The most you would fry would be the MinumOSD, but given it's $50 (for an authentic one) and $179 for the immersion you can get 2 and still come out ahead. You'll have to do a little soldering though, but if you're in this hobby for long, you might not be able to avoid this skill forever. It's useful to be able to do, and if you are dead-set against doing soldering then ask your friends for help.
The Immersion also doesn't integrate with the APM. It has its own device with GPS, etc. So not only is it expensive, it doesn't do what you want.
There are plenty of YouTube videos going over the MinumOSD setup. The community seems to have embraced it. You may be best to give it a try.
Hell, if you're really worried about frying it and want something that's almost cheap enough to burn, buy a knock off:
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/On-Screen-Display-OSD-Board-MinimOSD-APM-Tel...
Thank you very much for your explanation.
Believe me, the APM forced me to learn a million things, including soldering, spending hundreds of hours reading the non-existing manual, but also swearing in different languages :-)
I have already fried 2 APM out of 3 (I did not know that you should not connect or disconnect servos while APM is switched on or you blow a regulator. You only find out when it happened to you), one GPS (new GPS and old GPS have the red power cable inverted), one I2C, and of course I ripped a few GPS and compass DF-13 connections, etc...
My last alive APM has its barometer cooked for some reasons, all classic known solutions had already been tried.
So even when you do everything right, then some components are not reliable. Do you want to talk about the power brick ? ;-)
In the end it gets MUCH cheaper to purchase plug and play stuff. At least for me. So i really do not mind spending another 100 dollars if it saves me shipping costs, pain and sweat, a few components, and time.
I want to spend my free time flying, not sweating/swearing/paying... You know what I mean.
To stay on a positive tone, I would definitely purchase the couple APM + minimOSD if it was becoming plug-and-play.