[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
First, if the red LED is on on EM406 that means it hasn't been switched into binary mode. Have you read the manual and set up your autopilot properly, setting the configuration file for SiRF and either soldering on the jumper wires for throttle control or used a bind plug for startup?
Second, I don't understand what you're saying about the GPS tester. The GPS module is supposed to be connected to ArduPilot, not directly to the serial port. Again, the manual explains how to use this test with the serial monitor.
You have to read and follow the manual step by step or nothing will work. Maybe someday we'll have plug and play autopilots, but right now it's very much RTFM.
all is good, only EM406 GPS is causing problems.
When connected to shield and Airframe_test loaded, the led on the GPS was first steady red, and now it is and remains flasihing red at 1Hz (I can reset, it keeps flashing red).
I tried to run "RAW_GPS_tester, but since GPS is connected to serial port, neither the GPS nor the serial monitor work...
Any help someone, please?
Jan
#define THROTTLE_CRUISE 125
set it to 125. It is on a 0 to 125 scale.
One wire soldering broke on my USBTiny's connector.
Something else is after flashing the switch wouldn't work, I found out why : I forgot to change the frequency to 2MHz on the ATTiny.
All is good now, I will move forward now and feedback with the results.
Thank you all for your help,
Jan
Thanks,
Jan
Hello, i have to quote Happy on this RCGroup Forum (The point of this thread is to get the ArduPilot's current mode, waypoint number and distance to waypoint )
because thats all i need for this mix of Ardupilot and Remzibi´s OSD, and so far thats all i just could get to work!! I have read all in this forum and also on DIY Drones but somethimes i get a litle confused because i read diferent ideas and solutions and they just dont work with me. So let me try to explain what i have and then what do i need as a help questions. I have the Ardupilot with a Shild and the firm is the Ardupilot_25_04 and the Remzibi withe v. 1.68 update, i have only the GPS that comes with the OSD. So far i have donne was to put all together in a ABS box that will be my NAV System for my Senior Telemaster. I just need to see true the OSD the ArduPilot's current mode, waypoint number and distance to waypoint , just that! I have try with the pictures that members upload to this forum to do the same but its not easy. So: - Were do i plug the GPS on the Shild? yes i did remove the white wire from the 4 wire plug and conect him on "IN" in the FTDI cable plug, but i have also see in other forum this GPS conected on the Ardupilot 5v GPS conector pins- What wires are going to the OSD and were do we plug them? i have seen 2 and also 3 to the OSD
-Is the OSD powered by the Ardupilot or with its own battery? i have seen both ways!
-What changes do i have to make to Ardupilot code work with the OSD GPS? Can you please show me how to?
- My Ardupilot GPS blue light can flash like all day without lock! Any ideas on this?
-Is it easyer to work with the Ardupilot without the Shild? and the IR sensors are expensive too!!
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