[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:
- ArduPilot board
- Shield expansion kit with airspeed sensor
- GPS module (uBlox5 recommended)
- XY and Z sensors or ArduIMU+
- FTDI cable for programming
- [Optional] Two Xbee modules for wireless telemetry. This one in the air and this one with this antenna on the ground/laptop side. You'll also need two Xbee adapter boards. You can connect the airborne Xbee adapter to Ardupilot Mega with jumper wires.
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:
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.
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:
- A GPS logger to record your mission and play it back in Google Earth
- A tiny video camera to record the flight
- A wireless video setup to see realtime video from the air
Comments
@ Fefenin: I use the adapter straight from the box. It was designed for specifically for Ublox so it should be OK. I will.
@ Chris / Jordi. If I connect the Ublox through the adapter and EM406 cable and connect the FDTI cable to the shield just normal. Am I able to use Ucenter to check the function of the GPS/adapter combo? How to connect the GPS to Ucenter using shield or adapter?
@ Jordi, I also thought of false conntacts. I did heat shrink both units together and the capacitor touched the GPS. So I removed the heat shrink tubing to mount the adapter without tension just to be sure but no luck and still no lock.
Check your ublox connection. If is a few tiny degrees tilt the socket will make false contact. So make sure is perfectly horizontal to the GPS PCB.
are you sure your GPS adapter was set to 5V and not 3V when you first tried?
is there a way you can connect the FTDI cable to your Ublox to use the Ublox config software
if you could do that then you could see if the settings are right (right sentences)
it may have occurs that the settings made were saved by mistake into Ram and not EEprom ???
just a thaught
fefenin
yes I followed the exact steps as described in the manual. my easystar.h file is located: C:\Program Files\arduino-0017\hardware\libraries\ArduPilot_Headers\easystar.h. If I removed it and try to upload the code and it gives an error. I have paste it back and got "upload done", so it is loading the correct .h file. Attached is the .h file I use.
Soldering job was done by a guy whos profession is in design and building electronics. So I feel pretty confidend that he did a good job.
The GPS was actually bought from sparkfun but I could not program it so I shipped it to Jordi who was kind enough to program the unit and ship it back to The Netherlands. So if he was able to program it I guess the the GPS unit works. Maybe a Ublox adapter problem? But I can feel that the Ublox heats up a little when the ardupilot is powered, so I guess the GPS is powered. The only way to test is to use a different GPS module which I don't have at hand.
(BTW, I don't remember the yellow Stat LED coming on with the uBlox. I comes on when it's programming the EM406, but the uBlox doesn't need programming. Are you absolutely sure you've got the code pointing to the right easystar.h file, with the GPS mode 2 selected?)
Did you change the easystar.h config file to set the GPS to 2 (uBlox)?
Next hiccup, no GPS lock which is similar like last week. I have the Ublox programmed by Jordi, adapter and cable (long and short & tried both) plugged it in. Blue LED is blinking rapidly approx 5Hz but never turns solid. Several times outside for over 15min still nothing. Stat LED blinks once or twice during start up or after reset then never come on again. Rest of LED bahavior is normal as per manual. Any takers on this problem?
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