I'm pleased to announce that we've joined forces with the other Arduino-based powerhouse in the aerial robotics world, the AeroQuad quadcopter team, to extend the ArduPilot platform to whirlybirds of all kinds. The project, called ArduCopter, will use the ArduPilotMega and IMU shield hardware along with a low-cost custom platform that will be available commercially to provide a full quad UAV with both stabilization and GPS waypoint navigation. It builds on the awesome work of Jose Julio in ArduPilot quad development, with the excellent full-systems integration of the AeroQuad team. We expect that first code and hardware will be available this summer.
And here's the impressive work of the AeroQuad team:
Another team is also extending this to traditional helis, starting with the Trex 450 heli (and its equivalents), which should be ready for release this fall. Along with Blimpduino, this should make for 100% coverage of all aerial robotics platforms on the Arduino platform, with shared libraries and ground stations across projects. Go Arduino!
We'll be setting up a proper microsite here, along with dedicated tab, for the project in the next few days.
If you haven't already seen this preview of what the ArduPilot/ArduIMU combo can do with quads, check this out:
And here's the impressive work of the AeroQuad team:
Here's the announcement from the AeroQuad team:
ArduCopter - The Full Featured UAV Multicopter!
Hey guys, as many of you know the AeroQuad has teamed up with DIY Drones on developing a very full featured multicopter! Chris from DIY Drones has proposed the name of this new effort to be called the ArduCopter! It will be based on the ArduPilot Pro Mega (APM) and the APM sensor board currently nicknamed the Oil Pan. Here's an initial feature list and software road map. Please chime in! Your input is valuable! I'll keep updating this front page until we agree on the first version of the ArduCopter's capabilities.
ArduCopter Feature ListSoftware Roadmap
- 6 Degree of Freedom IMU stabilized control
- Gyro stabilized flight mode enabling acrobatics (loops and barrel rolls)
- GPS for position hold
- Magnetometer for heading determination
- Barometer for altitude hold
- IR sensor integration for obstacle avoidance
- Sonar sensor for automated takeoff and landing capability
- Automated waypoint navigation
- Motor control using low cost standard PWM Electronics Speed Controllers (ESC's)
- On board flight telemetery data storage
- Mounted camera stabilization capability
- Wireless command & telemetry for long distance communication
- Capability to fly in "+", "x", hexa and octo configurations
- Battery level detection
- User configurable LED flight pattern
- Capability to use any R/C receiver
- ArduCopter Configuration and Ground Control Software
- Realtime graphs of flight data
- GUI for configuration of PID and other flight parameters
- On Screen Display integration
- Waypoint programming using Google Maps
- Mixertable view to auto configure "+", "x", hexa and octo configurations
- Initial baseline using Jose Julio's v3 software
- Provides absolute angle PID flight control
- Obstacle avoidance
- Waypoint navigation
- Generalize basic ArduCopter functions (ie. Separate PPM receiver input and motor control functions into separate libraries. Allows future coding of PWM vs. I2C ESC's)
- Emphasis on developing new capability into easy to use C++ libraries
- Integrate user defined EEPROM storage capability
- Develop/optimize AeroQuad serial real-time command/telemetry for ArduCopter
- Integrate AeroQuad Configurator for external software configuration of ArduCopter
- Rename Configurator to Ground Control Station and integrate graphical programming of waypoint navigation
- Integrate AeroQuad rate PID control
- Integrate mixertable configuration for multicopter configurations
- Integrate AeroQuad camera stabilization
- Integrate I2C motor control
- Develop capability to wirelessly control ArduCopter directly from Ground Control Station (USB joystick controller from laptop or through waypoint programming)
Comments
If you go to the link you provided above for you ESC/motor combination and scroll down the page a bit you will see this:
Programming the TowerPro ESC is a 2 stage process. The first stage enters programming mode for one of four variables that can be adjusted. The second stage programs the selected variable. The programming process is actually quite simple, once you understand the tones and can identify the variable you wish to change.
STAGE 1 – Identifying the variable to change and entering programming mode.
* Connect the motor and speed controller to the receiver.
* Turn on the transmitter power and move throttle stick to the full on or UP position.
* Connect battery power to the speed controller.
* After a few seconds you will hear a sequence of tones. 3 tones in a rising melody followed by ID tones. 1 ID tone for Cell Type, 2 ID tones for Brake, 3 ID tones for Timing Mode and 4 ID tones for Cutoff Voltage. (Each sequence will repeat 3 times)
∮— CELL Type
∮— — BRAKE
∮— — — TIMING MODE
∮— — — — Cutoff Voltage
(Note - Turn on TX first then apply power to ESC)
If you have programmed each of your ESCs correctly, and each ESC/motor works with your transmitter then it is reasonably safe to assume that your problem is not with your ESc/motor circuits - So I would start looking at how your ESCs and Rx are connected.
It would be good to see a photo of your setup - I usually prepare a bench harness for any new build before I install into a frame.
Cheers
Why connect things first?
1 - If your ESCs will run some checkup when you turn it on, so if all is connected, you will give to him the right info. (wrong info = wrong behavior).
2 - What happens if they start without signal? So your ESC may interpret it as a motive for, let's say... enter in safe-mode? Or maybe cut off motor for protect you from errors by floating input? I don't know... ( The same for absence of TX signal, so I will told you again, always power up your TX first, before power up the things with battery Lipo). Maybe someone think different but that's the way I was instructed by people more experienced than me.
Good look with the next steps!
;)
"diferença de potencial" = potential difference of & "corrente de fuga" = Harmonic leakage current
I'll have to check to see if there are leakage currents between ESCs. I never experience any problems that I'm aware of but will certain check on the various ESC I have.
The fact is you always may have a differential between the ESCs, so it can generate "leakage current" between each individual power line and a lot of noise. The only way for joint it all is with diodes (polarized directly) in each line to stop the reverse leakage, but the noise will be present anyway by other draining ways.
Isn't an ideal system to be compared as battery cells in parallel.
Maybe your ESCs have protection on BECs so it may work, but not without eventual issues.
Dimos, please list all the things that are working, telemetry, artificial horizont, motor grahps in Configurator, led's and how they blink etc...
What happens on Configurator when you elevator stick full up. What happens if you move rudder full righ and throttle full down..
Just one newbie question: Will eventually the I2C Escs hook up to the Oilpan or Ardumega, or will you need to add some hardware? Sorry, not so knowledged about stuff like that...
Daniel
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