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ArduOktoKopter Flies

Posted by Peter Seddon on November 8, 2010 at 9:00am
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I have just tried my Oktokopter on its second flight (despite the wind and light rain that made it a very short flight) and it seems flyable. When the weather calms down I will give it a longer flight and try and shoot some video.

Here are some brief details:
KDA20-22L motors, Turnigy 30A ESC's converted to I2C, APC 10 x 4.7 props, UBEC, GWS RX8 receiver, 10mm sq aluminium frame with pcb central hub and mounting plates

RC1 code modified to add I2C motor control and mixertable for controlling 8motors. ArduOktoKopter.zip


Peter
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Comments

  • Developer
    Jani Hirvinen November 9, 2010 at 4:39am
    Peter, both ArduCopter and AeroQuad mixertables are created by roberto who is ArduCopter team member. Redfox is his nickname on repositories.
  • Peter Seddon November 9, 2010 at 2:43am
    @robero
    I am not sure where my mixertable came from as I have been reading Aeroquad and Redfox code and taking bits from each. There was also a thread on the Aeroquad frum about mixertables that I found and used.

    @Steve
    I don't think there are enough PWM outputs from the APM to drive 8 ESC's so the alternative is I2C or one of the other fast pwm prtocols that are being trialled.

    Peter
  • Developer
    Jani Hirvinen November 8, 2010 at 10:36pm
    Roberto, yes ArduOcto is using our mixertables that you wrote and like you said too. We are working to integrate that on main code.
  • Christian Schulze November 8, 2010 at 8:15pm
    @EUGEN MILJAN and @Steve,

    I'm experimenting with a quad rotor using the APM+Oilpan and completely custom frame. Using carbon fibre for the arms. There was plenty extra so before starting the build I did some testing. I've found the non woven fibre splits, tears and twists unless the drill bit is < mill.

    However I had great success using a Dremel and diamond taper bit after first drilling a < .5mm pilot hole. Hot knife through butter as they say.

    One thing to keep in mind, is how to mount the arms to the body, and how to mount the motors. I found crushing the arms was very easy. One idea which I'll explore later is filling the arms with glue or some other none compressive material, but only where high compressions are applied (screw holes) to the arms.
  • Chris November 8, 2010 at 5:02pm
    wow thats a lot of cables
  • Steve November 8, 2010 at 3:58pm
    That kind of carbon (pultruded) can't be drilled. Doing so will cause it to split down the grain. But you can epoxy other parts to the outside. You need woven carbon fiber if you plan to drill holes.
  • EUGEN MILJAN November 8, 2010 at 3:23pm
    I have started a research for my oktokopter project, and have few questions for you guys...
    Can I use Carbon fiber square tube 10mm x 10mm inner 8.5mm for construction of the arms
    http://cgi.ebay.com/Carbon-fiber-square-tube-10-x-10-x-8-5-x1-000mm...
    and carbon fiber plate 4 mm thick to make main frame to achive better weight/payload ratio?

    Also... Are there any stronger ESC's that can be converted to I2C.. in a 40A range?

    Kindest regards.
    Eugen
  • Steve November 8, 2010 at 2:54pm
    This is made for an MK will it work with an Arducopter?
    http://www.flashrc.com/flyboard/6648-convertisseur_i2c_%3E_ppm_4_6_...
  • Moderator
    Roberto Navoni November 8, 2010 at 2:33pm
    Faster more affordable only 2 wire .. until 20 BL-ESC bidirectional bus .. that can feedback information .. amp used by reguler .. temperature ecc
  • Steve November 8, 2010 at 2:17pm
    What is the benefit of converting to I2C? Faster communication?
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