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.

@Michael Smith Well.. I think I did not explain my self well or you did not get this very straight.
As i said up there " I have tons of doubts . I'm using the hardware because for an engineering project I analized the control for an airplane with mathlab and simulink , but have no idea how you guys translate that into code" This is my doubt I dont want anyone to do my job because is done , Just want to know if they use a similar process for analyzing the cinematic equations of the airplane , and then translate them to the code, that's all , I don´t want ANYONE to give me code and that´s all because I obtained and developed my equations on my own , and also I write "USING THE HARDWARE". As this is supposed to be a forum where you can ask for some help that's why I typed that sorry if that's what you think but is not. Thanks for your help

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Comments

Whooper October 18, 2010 at 5:24am

Hi
I am using the radio test to check the output from APM. Mode is on manual.
Throttle input works fine but there is no throttle output (I need this to run xplane).
The other channels' input and output work fine (roll, yaw, pitch).
I have checked the code and "THROTTLE_OUT" is enabled.
I connected a servo to the throttle output channel and it operates correctly.

Any thoughts on what else I can check?

Many thanks
Josiah VanderMey October 14, 2010 at 11:21am

Hi, I am trying to run the ArduPilotMega_demo code from the manual, but it appears that it will only read one input channel at a time. If I plug in two channels, the only one that responds is the first one that I plugged in. If I unplug both channels and then plug in the other channel first, that one works. Does this mean that the ppm encoder on the 328 is bad?

Thanks,

Any thought?
flying toh October 13, 2010 at 5:11pm

Hi I have a couple of questions to ask.

The APM board has 8 output pins. I have use up 4 for roll, pitch, motor and yaw. That’s mean I’m left with 4 output pins.

1)I’m planning to add an FPV camera that can rotate left right and up down that is controlled by 2 servos. Which part of the code do I edit to change it to move? (example using output 4 and 5)

2)Can I transmit via XBee to use one of the output pin to drop something when I reach each of the way points?

Thanks!
Uwe Gartmann October 13, 2010 at 4:37pm

@Matthias: Thanks, I installed a SVN client to download the newest software. The software develops so fast. Amazing!
Michael Andrus October 13, 2010 at 7:42am

I was watching a recently posted video and noticed that on landing the airplane was having a lot of difficulty with the cross wind it was fighting on landing. I am a full scale as well as an R/C pilot and I always land into the wind. This allows for maximum control on flare as well as minimum airspeed at touchdown. Since this autopilot system has a fully functional air/data computer on board, we should be able to calculate winds aloft. The autopilot could use this information to make a smarter decision on landing. Perhaps we can develop in the configurator a "safe" area for landing defined by 4 coordinates. The aircraft could then use this information to "decide" how to make the approach to landing.
James October 13, 2010 at 5:39am

Woohoo!

My ArduPilotMega board and Oilpan shield finally arrived! Just need to get some rightangle header pins and get the soldering iron warmed up, and then I can get started with tweaking, tuning, buying and experimenting.

Both of them look good by the way, a very quality product!
Daniel R Ramirez Rebollo October 12, 2010 at 11:12pm

@Michael Smith Well.. I think I did not explain my self well or you did not get this very straight.
As i said up there " I have tons of doubts . I'm using the hardware because for an engineering project I analized the control for an airplane with mathlab and simulink , but have no idea how you guys translate that into code" This is my doubt I dont want anyone to do my job because is done , Just want to know if they use a similar process for analyzing the cinematic equations of the airplane , and then translate them to the code, that's all , I don´t want ANYONE to give me code and that´s all because I obtained and developed my equations on my own , and also I write "USING THE HARDWARE". As this is supposed to be a forum where you can ask for some help that's why I typed that sorry if that's what you think but is not. Thanks for your help
Developer

Michael Smith October 12, 2010 at 11:01pm

@Daniel - Let me get this straight.

You have an "engineering project", by which I assume you mean that you are in school and this is work that you are supposed to do as part of your study. And you are hoping that someone here will "help you with it", by which you mean "do your work". And you are hoping that this someone, who is presumably working on the current code will forget all of their current context and go back to something that (you mistakenly believe) is simpler.

And now you are asking Chris to find this someone to do this work for you?

I realise that perhaps, as a student, you haven't really had to deal with the world at large yet, but let me give you a hint here.

No.

here.no
Daniel R Ramirez Rebollo October 12, 2010 at 10:50pm

I will , I just want to analyze the previous code whis hase less functions and will be easier , I'm really interested of the PID control analysis wich is the subject of the project , I doný want to just download the code upload it to the board and done ! have my project finished . So Chris who will be able to help me whit that I'll really appreciate it thanks.
3D Robotics

Chris Anderson October 12, 2010 at 9:54pm

Daniel: Why don't you use the latest code?

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