How to connect to 3DR solo using only pc ?

Posted by Rn on April 27, 2016 at 2:45am

Hi 

Finally bought the 3RD solo. 

I trying to write some software that will be able to get information (telemetry data) from the drone and sending flying commands to the drone.

I reading the Solo development guid and i still can't understand some issues .. 

1. Is it possible to do what i trying to develop ?

2. Is it possible to connect somehow to the 'Accessory Bay' with some other additional communications hardware device and control the solo drone thru this hardware device ?

3. There is some application over android that can control the solo drone - those application connect to the solo RC by using WiFi. 

Can i write also some application that can 'talk' with the RC and having control on the solo drone ? 

Is there some android libraries that i can use to have the connection with the RC ? 

You need to be a member of diydrones to add comments!

Join diydrones

Tags: 3rd, solo, develop
Email me when people reply –
Follow

Replies

  • Ahmed Agbabiaka April 27, 2016 at 12:20pm

    1. yes. to get telemetry you need get the vehicle state. vehicle state has all the attributes that one would see in telemetry data. to fly the drone, there are several methods, but the recommended method is to put the drone in guided and set a target position or use velocity components.

    2. it is possible to connect to the accessory bay. you need and accessory board which breaks out the pins. the available communication methods are usb otg, serial and CAN. the recommended method is via the usb otg. since solo runes dronekit-python, if a connected device can speak python it would be able to control solo.

    3. its a little confusing what you are trying to do here. dronekit android apps connect to solo via wifi that is provided by the controller. once connected, android apps that implement dronekit android can connect, control and do everything that is supported by the sdk.

    check out dronekit python and dronekit android sections for more information, examples as well as the full sdk reference

    www.dronekit.io

    • Théo > Ahmed Agbabiaka May 21, 2016 at 4:12am

      Hi Ahmed,

      Thank you for the information! Did you succeed to actually use the serial ports on the accessory port? I'm trying to establish a serial connection to a raspberry pi but it's like the SER2Tx and SER2Rx pins were not connected to anything, I cannot get any heartbeat and the connection finally timesout...

      I'm not using the breakout board because I just need to use the two serial pins I mentioned and a ground pin, so I just soldered some wires on the JAE connector:

      3691300335?profile=original(The white and blue cables are not used)

      Am I doing a mistake? 

      So far I managed to connect the raspberry through the wifi and it's pretty promising so I eager to be able to connect it through serial :)

      Any advice would be really valuable!

      Thank you in advance

      Théo

    • Rn > Ahmed Agbabiaka April 27, 2016 at 1:19pm

      Thanks, 

      But there are still somethings that i can't understand

      I have the solo drone .. and i can't see how to connect something to the accessory bay.

      How can i connect anything to the Accessory Bay ?

      Can i buy it from ebay and just connect it to the Accessory Bay ? 

      How i connect it to the power supply ? 

      I know that there is some telemery kit that i can buy on ebay - is there is some way to connect the Air Module to the drone ? 

    • Ahmed Agbabiaka > Rn April 28, 2016 at 8:47am

      As Chris said, you need an accessory bay breakout board. you can get a bare board or a fully assembled.

      Bare Board *minimum order of 3 and requires you to install JAE 30 pin, Micro USB, zener diode, 4 pin molex click mate and 6-pin molex click mate

      https://oshpark.com/shared_projects/JAZFqfYG

      Fully Assembled Board
      http://www.3drpilots.com/threads/3dr-solo-accessory-breakout-board-...

      theoretically you can connect a telemetry radio to solo. you would need to connect it to the serial connector on the breakout board and configure it in mission planner. i've not tried this so its not guaranteed to work.

      OSH Park ~
    • Chris > Rn April 28, 2016 at 12:04am

      There is a little rubber-like rectangle cover plate that covers the accessories connector.  You'd then need a breakout board to connect to it.  It's limited in what it can provide (USB, Serial and CAN - only the first one is officially supported).  You can ask someone in the Solo Mod Club to get a breakout board or you can order a circuit board and populate it yourself (this is what I did).

      You can get the telemetry through the WiFi connection via UDP or you can connect a telemetry radio via the break out board (although it's not officially supported).

      To fix stuff to the accessories bay there are 4 M2 screw holes you can fix stuff too.

      Chris

    • Eylon Sorek > Ahmed Agbabiaka April 27, 2016 at 12:49pm

      Thank you!

      -- Eylon 

This reply was deleted.