I wanted to open up a discussion about how we are powering our avionics, meaning servos and APM, on helicopters as they present a unique challenge in the APM world, and must be treated carefully. After crashing my Octocopter last weekend because I l
Read more…I am opening this topic to serve as the go-to place for talking about the upcoming 2.9 software release for Trad Helis. I think this will be necessary as 2.9 will have SIGNIFICANT changes in the way that the helis fly, and also in the settings you w
Read more…I'm considering getting my son (7 yo) a quadcopter for Christmas. I spend a lot of time working on these things, and so we could do this together. Also it would be fun to see how to develop the program so that "even a child can use it".
I have consi
Read more…I now have 2.8.1 code working for TradHelis. For anybody who has not been following along, this now brings attitude rate control to TradHelis for the first time. When combined with Leonard and Randy's Earth to Body frame rate rotation algorithm, the
Read more…Just wondering if anybody is still using APM1 on TradHeli?
Last night I just did some test hops with the APM2.5 in the new rate control mode. It seems to be working. Can't declare victory yet, but it's promising.
But the thing is, a key to it's succe
Read more…I've noticed a lot of talk about what happens after you load a new firmware which requires an EEPROM reset. It seems a lot of people start with the default parameters, and then spend all the time required to tune it up again. Or, some people are ty
Read more…I just noticed that I seem to have lost the antenna on my airborne Xbee! Must have gotten torn off somehow. It's just the simple little white wire antenna. Can I just replace it with another piece of wire? What length?
Read more…Starting a new thread to show what I'm working on. I'm building a new Octocopter of my own design. The goal is to use it for Aerial Photography, lifting a mid-weight camera such as a Sony Nex5. It will of course be using Arducopter for control. ;
Read more…I've looked in the wiki, and the Eagle files, and I can't find it. I found an image of the chip online, but can't locate it on the board. I just want to know where it is, and whether or not it should be covered on a TradHeli application to prevent
Read more…Does anybody know how how to use the PPM encoder input on 2.5? Does it use the old APM1 method (jumper between input 2 and 3, PPM into input 1)? Or does it use the "APM2 method" (solder jumper on the backside, PPM input into input 5?) which never a
Read more…I'm going to put an APM2.5 on an Trad Heli, and I need to use an external mag so that I can have it on the tail away from the main motor. How do you do this? I see the solder jumper, but I haven't seen any documentation on the use of this jumper.
Read more…I just assembled my Ardustation last night and managed to upload the code using an FTDI Basic board, and I'm able to power and test it via the FTDI. But it won't power on when I plug in a 12V wall wart to the power jack. Trying to figure out what's
Read more…I won't copy-paste too much of the info, but this looks really interesting. They have purpose built a machine intended for AP or UAV use. Note the huge area in the frame for battery packs, or the boom mount battery area, which includes a GPS puck mo
Read more…Really basic question here. I'm working on building a radio transmitter from scratch, using Tx firmware from elsewhere. I want to build Ardustation into the unit. I'll be having a ~1/16" aluminum plate waterjet cut to hold the joysticks, and obvio
Read more…I'm opening this up to try and get all the discussion about yaw problems into one place so that it's not scattered. I'm working very hard to fix the yaw control because it seems to be the #1 complaint about the general flight characteristics current
Read more…So, I've got this slightly used and abused APM1.4 that I want to try putting on an airplane because it won't fly a helicopter anymore. And I've got a 10 year old 80" Hangar 9 Cub ARF that I haven't flown in 6 years, and I'm not particularly attached
Read more…Is anybody using this function? How does it work? I've read what's in the wiki, and it's really not that helpful.
#define CH7_OPTION CH7_AUTO_TRIM
Allows you to hold trim the accelerometers of the copter when this switch value is high.
I gave it a sho
Read more…I want to find out if anybody is actually using this code to control their LED lighting? I am trying to work on a single, unified LED lighting program. I am thinking about deleting or completely hijacking Motor_LEDs.
I just wanted to know if that wi
Read more…I'm starting this thread in order to begin a discussion on potential Governor systems for use with Arducopter.
Malcolm Churn started talking to me about it a few days ago and it seems like something that is worthwhile pursuing if the AC system is ever
Read more…I want to share the work of somebody from another forum. I thought his solution to vibration problems in multi-rotors is pretty novel, a good implementation, and quite effective. It appears that not only does damping the motors protect the frame (a
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