ArduPlane home page

Convert any RC airplane into a fully-autonomous UAV!

Just add the APM 2 autopilot to any RC aircraft and it becomes a fully-programmable flying robot with a powerful ground station and Mission Planner.

Features include:

Return to Launch with a flick of your RC toggle switch or a mouse click in the graphical Ground Station
Unlimited 3D GPS waypoints
Built-in camera control
Fully-scriptable missions
One-click software load, and easy point-and-click configuration in the powerful Mission Planner. NO programming required!
Replay recorded missions and analyze all the data with a graphing interface
Supports two-way telemetry with Xbee wireless modules.
Point-and-click waypoint entry or real-time mission commands while the UAV is in the air
Fly with a joystick or gamepad via your PC--no need for RC control!
Built-in failsafe will bring your aircraft home in the case of radio loss

All instructions and software are here.

APM 2 is an open source, Arduino-compatible, pro-quality autopilot. It is the most advanced IMU-based open source autopilot available today, and provides an entire UAV control system with scriptable missions with 3D waypoints, in-flight uploading of commands and powerful ground station software.

APM 2 supports any kind of of vehicle with a one-click change of code. Available code include ArduPlane (fixed wing), ArduCopter (rotary wing), ArduRover (ground vehicles) and more.

Everything you need to create an ArduPlane UAV:

* APM 2.5 autopilot with GPS ($179)

* [Optional] Telemetry kit ($75).

You'll also need a at least a five-channel RC radio setup, a soldering iron, a mini USB cable and of course something that flies! (We're partial to the SkyFun delta wing (right) and
Bixlee 2 powered glider (left) or its equivalents ourselves).

Resources:

Manual
Source code/firmware

Note: ArduPilot Mega requires no programming, but it's open source and you're welcome to modify it if you'd like. If you are going to play with the code, you can use the free Arduino IDE to edit and upload the code to the ArduPilot board.

Chris, Thanks for playing around with the dip switches and finding a combo that worked for you. As luck would have it, that combo also works for me. I was going to try every possible combination, but never got a chance to. Now that this problem is fixed, I have a new one, When I switch to stabilize mode my left elevon moves immediately to the maximum wing down deflection (elevon up), even though the plane is still level (in fact, has not been moved from the calibration attitude). If I pick up the plane and bank it 45 deg to the left, the autopilot removes the left elevon bias, and holding that bank angle I am able to verify that the control surfaces respond correctly to pitch and roll motion. Of course, when I roll the plane back to wings level the elevon bias reintroduces itself. I have rebooted several times, and the problem is repeatable. In manual mode the control surfaces are right where they should be. Any thoughts?

You need to be a member of diydrones to add comments!

Join diydrones

Comments

James Adams October 8, 2010 at 11:29pm

Oh, right. Sorry about that. Yes, they are pretty much within that range.

CLI: I did understand that much but it just doesn't seem to work. It only seems to actually go into the proper mode maybe 1 out of 10 times that I change the switch and reboot.
3D Robotics

Chris Anderson October 8, 2010 at 11:14pm

I meant that the RC inputs are more or less as shown in the manual. As for the CLI, you have to reboot the board every time you change the position for it to be recognized.
James Adams October 8, 2010 at 11:06pm

Yes, RC inputs are working fine.
3D Robotics

Chris Anderson October 8, 2010 at 11:00pm

The airspeed connection is shown in the manual.

The boards are tested before they're sent out, so I doubt that's the problem. More likely a soldering error. Are your RC inputs working as shown in the manual?
James Adams October 8, 2010 at 10:01pm

I think my OilPan has issues.
I finally got the beta code loaded and CLI tests are saying that my gyro/accel output is all over the place (between 2000 and 4000 and each axis without me moving the board), and that my airpressure raw output is 0. Also not getting any airspeed output.
Any clues why?
Did I just get I bad board?

BTW, what is the correct way to hook up the airspeed v2 expansion kit? Just the jst/white 6 pin cable into the OilPan’s I2C/white cable plug or using the 3 pins for just the standalone airspeed sensor?

Also, it has troubles getting into and out of CLI mode.
I flip the slider switch, and only with plugging the usb in and out can I get it to ocassionally go into CLI. And then with the slider switch in the normal position, I’ll get an light show from the a, b, and c LED’s once in a while, and then never again for quite some time. I’m quite confused.
flying toh October 7, 2010 at 6:06am

I think there is something wrong with my ArduPilot Mega Board.I change a spare one, and it works.
Is there a anyway to make my own ArdupilotMegaPlanner?

Domain Default page
Developer

Doug Weibel October 6, 2010 at 8:36pm

You will have to give us a lot more information so we can help.....
flying toh October 6, 2010 at 7:35pm

Hi all, I'm having a big problem now. Loading in the beta codes is compelete but i can't use my 6channels RC to switch between mode. I cant even use manual to control.
Dean October 6, 2010 at 7:26pm

Chris, Thanks for playing around with the dip switches and finding a combo that worked for you. As luck would have it, that combo also works for me. I was going to try every possible combination, but never got a chance to. Now that this problem is fixed, I have a new one, When I switch to stabilize mode my left elevon moves immediately to the maximum wing down deflection (elevon up), even though the plane is still level (in fact, has not been moved from the calibration attitude). If I pick up the plane and bank it 45 deg to the left, the autopilot removes the left elevon bias, and holding that bank angle I am able to verify that the control surfaces respond correctly to pitch and roll motion. Of course, when I roll the plane back to wings level the elevon bias reintroduces itself. I have rebooted several times, and the problem is repeatable. In manual mode the control surfaces are right where they should be. Any thoughts?
hoopty October 6, 2010 at 10:25am

got it

of 71

This reply was deleted.