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ArduPilot 2.4 Demo (Not Official Release)

Posted by Jordi Muñoz on September 30, 2009 at 4:59pm
Hi there, well I'm happy to announce the new ArduPilot 2.4 firmware, i still have many things to add, but i will leave them for 2.5 .What's new:-Improved ADC conversion, now uses interrupts to free some CPU.-uBlox parser bug fix, now i can navigate better.-Added a new header option called "ALT_HOLD_HOME". Let you select what altitude you want to hold for home, 0 will hold the altitude you are when you switch to RTL, 1 = will hold the altitude defined on the confiq. tool.-Altitude hold dramatically improved for my Easystar. (Thanks to Bill!).-Airspeed and throttle control improved.To do:-Add Happy Kill More code for Remzibi Integration.-Change the TX protocol to binary.-Use interrupts for the serial output.-Header typos correction.-Maybe cross-track error or another solution to fly straight lines between waypoints.Source Code: ArduPilot_EasyStar_V24.zipMy header: easystar.h
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  • remzibi October 2, 2009 at 3:30am
    In my opinion configuration of MTK chipsets of GPS modules need some changes as in my understanding are some mist described .

    This lines in fact set update frequencys :
    #define LOCOSYS_REFRESH_RATE_200 "$PMTK220,200*2C" //200 milliseconds
    #define LOCOSYS_REFRESH_RATE_250 "$PMTK220,250*29\r\n" //250 milliseconds
    So first set update for 5Hz(every 200ms) and second as 4Hz(every 250ms) - and it is OK .

    But this line show as what info must be transmitted by every by update :
    #define NMEA_OUTPUT_1HZ "$PMTK314,0,1,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0*28\r\n" //Set GGA and RMC

    So in fact not define 1Hz , but nuber 1 define transmit this selected info every update (this update frequency set by line "$PMTK220,200*2C" - 5Hz for example) .

    this line will define selected info transmit every 5 updates :
    #define NMEA_OUTPUT_5HZ "$PMTK314,0,5,0,5,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0*28\r\n" //Set GGA and RMC to 5HZ
    So in fact , when 5Hz is set by "$PMTK220,200*2C" , it not define transmition for 5Hz but for 1Hz only , as it say - transmit this selected string every 5 updates .

    So I propose to exchange all of this :
    #define NMEA_OUTPUT_5HZ "$PMTK314,0,5,0,5,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0*28\r\n" //Set GGA and RMC to 5HZ
    #define NMEA_OUTPUT_4HZ "$PMTK314,0,4,0,4,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0*28\r\n" //Set GGA and RMC to 4HZ
    #define NMEA_OUTPUT_3HZ "$PMTK314,0,3,0,3,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0*28\r\n" //Set GGA and RMC to 3HZ
    #define NMEA_OUTPUT_2HZ "$PMTK314,0,2,0,2,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0*28\r\n" //Set GGA and RMC to 2HZ
    #define NMEA_OUTPUT_1HZ "$PMTK314,0,1,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0*28\r\n" //Set GGA and RMC to 1HZ
    to only this line :
    #define NMEA_OUTPUT_GGA_RMC "$PMTK314,0,1,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0*28\r\n" //Set GGA and RMC

    And frequency of update will select only this lines :
    #define LOCOSYS_REFRESH_RATE_200 "$PMTK220,200*2C" //200 milliseconds - 5Hz update
    #define LOCOSYS_REFRESH_RATE_250 "$PMTK220,250*29\r\n" //250 milliseconds - 4Hz update

    so variable LOCOSYS_REFRESH_RATE_200 - can be changed to LOCOSYS_REFRESH_RATE_5Hz
    and variable LOCOSYS_REFRESH_RATE_250 - can be changed to LOCOSYS_REFRESH_RATE_4Hz

    Also add this lines selecting modules to work with WAAS correction positioning system :
    #define WAAS_SET1 "$PMTK313,1*2E"
    #define WAAS_SET2 "$PMTK301,2*2E"

    So usage in GPS_NMEA sketch can be :
    void init_gps(void)
    {
    pinMode(12, OUTPUT);//Status led
    Serial.begin(9600);
    delay(1000);
    Serial.println(LOCOSYS_BAUD_RATE_38400);
    Serial.begin(38400);
    delay(500);
    Serial.println(LOCOSYS_REFRESH_RATE_5Hz);
    delay(500);
    Serial.println(NMEA_OUTPUT_GGA_RMC);
    delay(500);
    Serial.println(WAAS_SET1);
    Serial.println(WAAS_SET2);
    }
    All are .println to end each line by CR LF char .

    This config will work well with every MTK based GPS modules - as Locosys , em85 and GT(delivered with OSD set) , if some wants - can try also 10Hz update with GT modules :) .
    Can be added in next ver. ?
  • fefenin October 1, 2009 at 2:34pm
    great work again , soon this project will be better than professionals autopilot!
  • Developer
    Jordi Muñoz September 30, 2009 at 11:05pm
    Thanks Peter!


    LOL!
  • Curt Olson September 30, 2009 at 8:03pm
    Are those fire and forget missiles? I think in reality you'll get a lot of torque on your airframe when the first missile fires. You should probably validate your airframe alignment before firing the second missile (rather than just waiting a second.) Here the whole time Jordi's been talking about Miss Duino I thought he was referring to his girlfriend. :-)
  • Peter Meister September 30, 2009 at 7:47pm
    Congrats Jordi - Way to go!!!

    -Peter
This reply was deleted.