Helicopter- Why the EFlite Blade CX
It is small, light weight, modifiable, and parts are cheap and readily available at the local hobby shopor on eBay. The Blade CX is consideredan indoor outdoor, meaning I can test the helicopter indoors during inclementweather, and a Ready To Fly (RTF) helicopter, so limited set up isnecessary. It is also a twin rotordesign with counter spinning blades, meaning there is little learning curvewhen flying. This will make it mucheasier to program for as the helicopter should be a stable startingplatform. Also I already have one.
I picked the CX over the CX2 model as the CX uses standard FM signals over the CX2’s 2.4 GHz. This means that even though I lose theability to jump frequencies, the helicopter’s operation will not be affect by,or affect nearby 2.4 GHz systems, such as wireless LANs, Bluetooth, or othercommon devices.
The blade CX has a 300ft out door unobstructed range. This can be enhancedwith a more powerful radio, but 300ft is plenty for demonstration purposes.
Wireless Camera- Why the ZT-811T
This is a small camera with a 2.4ghz/900mhz frequency. I would ratherthe 900mhz, due to wifi interference and future implementations, however i doneed to use it as 900mhz needs “line of sight” to work while the 2.4 ghz seemsto just have reduced quality and range. Since this camera is needed for seeing out of the “cockpit”, just incaseyou need to navigate treacherous airspace with precision, or you lose sight ofthe copter and just want to know what its doing and where its going, this isvery necessary. The near VGA qualitymeans that the image comes out large and clear. Also, as it is a pinholecamera, focusing won’t be a problem unless you are viewing it in a low lightsituation. Specs are below
· Iris Automatic
· Exposure Automatic
· Focus Adjustable 30 mm to Infinity
· Validity Pixel: NTSC - 510x492
· Resolution 380 Lines
· Horizontal Viewing Angle 52 Degree
· Effective Range 300-1000ft
· Voltage 9 to 12 volt DC (receiver)/6-9 volt DC(camera)
· Power Consumption 200 mWatt (camera) 200mWatt (receiver)
· Current Consumption 200 mA (camera) 500 mA(receiver)
· System NTSC ONLY
· Operation Duration of Camera 8 hours on 9 voltDuracell or Energizer
· Dimensions 20mm x 20mm x 20mm
· Video Output Through RCA Video Cable
· Minimum illumination 3 Lux
Microcontroller board.for output
This is still under evaluation with my friend who is an EE. Looks like I’ll have to besoldering. At the moment, we’ve jumpedform analog outputs to digtal outputs with a digital pot for each joystickcontrol.
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