3D Robotics

ArduPilot (Legacy) main page

 

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[This original ArduPilot board, now called the "Legacy ArduPilot" is no longer produced or officially supported by the DIY Drones dev team, and this page is maintained just for historic reasons. However, there are still many users of it out there and it still works fine. The user group for Legacy ArduPilot users, for both thermopile and IMU use, is here.]

 

ArduPilot is a full-featured autopilot based on the Arduino open-source hardware platform. It uses infrared (thermopile) sensors or an IMU for stabilization and GPS for navigation. It is the autopilot used to win the 2009 Sparkfun Autonomous Vehicle Competition.

The hardware is available from Sparkfun for $24.95. An expansion board ("Shield") kits that includes an airspeed sensor, a 3.3v power regulator for 3.3v GPS modules and other sensors and cables and connectors for easy attachment of the XY and Z sensors, is available from our own store for $57.20.

 

User f

ArduPilot features include:

  • Can be used for an autonomous aircraft, car or boat.
  • Built-in hardware failsafe that uses a separate circuit (multiplexer chip and ATTiny processor) to transfer control from the RC system to the autopilot and back again. Includes ability to reboot the main processor in mid-flight.
  • Multiple 3D waypoints (limited only by memory)
  • Altitude controlled with the elevator and throttle
  • Comes with a 6-pin GPS connector for the 4Hz uBlox5 or 1hz EM406 GPS modules.
  • Has six spare analog inputs (with ADC on each) and six spare digital input/outputs to add additional sensors
  • Supports addition of wireless modules for real-time telemetry
  • Based on a 16MhZ Atmega328 processor. Total onboard processing power aprox 24 MIPS.
  • Very small: 30mm x 47mm
  • Can be powered by either the RC receiver or a separate battery
  • Four RC-in channels (plus the autopilot on/off channel) can be processed by the autopilot. Autopilot can also control four channels out.
  • LEDs for power, failsafe (on/off), status and GPS (satellite lock).


Resources:

ArduPilot requires the free Arduino IDE to edit and upload the code to the ArduPilot board.



The code is currently optimized for the Mutiplex EasyStar three-channel powered glider and FMA sensors, but can be modified for other aircraft and sensors. It uses the rudder/ailerons and elevator to maintain level flight and navigate to GPS waypoints. It supports a desktop setup utility and ground station software. It also includes a "fly-by-wire" mode that simply stabilizes RC flight. The main code is ArduPilot2.x.zip in the download section of our Google Code repository, where x is the latest version.

What you need to make a fully-functional autopilot:


Open source extras:

  • If you want to build your own board from scratch, the necessary files and component lists are here.
  • [Note: you shouldn't need this, since this code is loaded on the ArduPilot board at the factory] Latest multiplexer code (for the board's second processor, an Attiny, which runs the failsafe system) is here.
    Instructions for loading this code are here.



Recommended UAV setup:

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Airframe option one: Hobbico SuperStar (49" wingspan, $95, shown above). This is an inexpensive, good flying high-wing trainer with ailerons. It can be hand launched in a park or take off from a runway, and replacement parts are readily available in case of a crash. If you want much better performance with this aircraft, you can upgrade it to a brushless motor, speed controller and a LiPo battery. [If you don't already have one, you'll also need a balancing charger and power supply.] Note: any stable aircraft with both ailerons (for stabilization) and rudder (for navigation) can work, so feel free to experiment with what you've got.

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Airframe option two (recommended for ArduPilot 2.x): EasyStar (shown above). Performance can be improved with the modifications described in this post.

You'll also need:

  • A six or seven channel RC transmitter and receiver, with at least one toggle switch (ideally three-position but two-position will work, too, although you will have to mix channels to have access to both autopilot modes in the air), such as the Futaba 7C.
  • Some servos (at least three for ArduPilot 1.0; at least two for ArduPilot 2.x) and at least three female-to-female servo cables to connect the RC receiver to ArduPilot.


Cool optional extras for your UAV:

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Comments

  • there is tiny board forsale that are design to go into a predefine failsafe position when no valid signal is sent from the receiver ...

    those could be the solution for you Earl, if you put one of them on the Ctrl channel it will go into RTL or WP mode as it was define earlier...

    you can find them here : fail safe unit
  • Admin
    Earl,

    I believe that you are one of the few users who are running the Xbee module directly off of the Shield. Most of us are using the Adafruit adapter which has a 5 vdc to 3.3 vdc regulator and therefore does not load the Shield 3.3 vdc regulator as it is using the Shield 5 vdc servo supply.

    Just a thought.

    Regards,
    TCIII
  • 3D Robotics
    The MUX/attiny is designed to reset the autopilot if you toggle the enable switch five times fast. It might be that your RC system just puts out noise with no signal, and that's being interpreted as toggling the switch up and down. Unfortunately, every FM RC system is different, so no-signal behavior can vary.
  • 72 mhz. The other clue is the 3.3v reg on the shield is runnung the XBee. It goes on/off on/off with no TX signal. I looked at the data and it appears the unit is resetting over and over with no TX sig on control line. I will make a video to show what's going on.
  • i was thinking the same way...

    if there is no signal at all Ardupilot can be stay stuck with the pulsin command waiting forever...

    can someone try to help me for something??

    i'am asking for something that i don't understand here : this link

    regards

    fefenin
  • 3D Robotics
    If there is no RC signal in the startup period or when you switch into autonomous mode (when the RC-in is read), the autopilot can hang.
  • What is your failsafe doing when the transmitter is turned off ? That said, the xbee going off telemetry is weird. That would indicate something else happened other then failsafe engaging and turning off the switch. Also in manual mode the xbee's should still send telemetry.
  • 3D Robotics
    What kind of RC system are you using? 2.4 or 72?
  • I have a strange problem with 2.3
    My TX on, flight jumper on.
    Blue flashes. In 10 sec or so steady blue.
    When I go to AP mode ok, in RTL mode ok. LED's proper
    All this time the XBee is sending data to ground station.
    If I turn RC TX off to simulate LOS, the blue GPS light goes out and system indicates it is in manual mode and XBee stops sending data.The green and red led seem to flash intermittently.
    The GPS is a U-Blox but in the NEMA mode at 38400 baud. The .h file has GPS = 0 (NEMA mode)
    Any clue or am I looking at things wrong ?
    Earl
  • I have successfully flash the V1.5 today, I try V1.6 no errors during programming but the AP doesn't respond if I switch it on. No problem I am migrating to the Jeti 2.4 soon, lost of signal recognition is useless with 2.4. Still have the problem no fly by wire stabilisation in V23 on X or Y depending the Z sensor, V2.2.3 seems to work ok. Checked all the sensors and found no errors, also traced the xyz signals to the CPU all three sensor voltages are logic.
    Below my fbw setting:
    //2-1
    #define FLY_BY_WIRE_GAIN_ROLL .5 //Decrease the value to increase the response of the sticks. DESIRED_ROLL = //STICK_POSITION*FLY_BY_WIRE_GAIN_ROLL
    //2-2
    #define FLY_BY_WIRE_GAIN_PITCH .5 //The same as roll.
    //2-3
    #define FLY_BY_WIRE_SPEED_SETPOINT 20 //The airspeed you want to hold in fly by wire mode.
    //2-4
    #define GPS_ERROR_SPEED_SETPOINT 3 // In -m/s; , in case of GPS failure the airplane will enter into stabilization mode only and will try to maintain the airspeed set here.


    A cigar for whom who solved this challenge. :-)

    Thanks, Michel
This reply was deleted.