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.

Bricking and and unbricking are new terms for me . I consider myself as an old fossil who was taught about P.I.D controllers that involved adjusting resistors and capacitors using IC Operational amplifiers. I had the priviledge of having teachers at Ryerson University who were from 3 sides of the Second World War ( the Allies ,the Germans and the Russians) while I studied Controls Technology in the late 1970's. My teachers ,at that time , were not impressed with the digital versions of control systems
simply because of system crashings that turned controllers into useless "bricks". They were believers of " Analog Computers".
In the past 3 weeks I have been developing this Ardupilot Mega autopilot controller and
I am really amased at the amount of software that is involved in getting a final product.I have been programming computer software for the past 33 years and if I got a nickel for everytime my program became a brick be because of a simple voltage spike or other intermiitent.... . After dealing with that ,I have now stood back and looked at the whole picture and found how vulnerable this system is and have come to the realisation that the good old analog technology from the 1940's is more reliable and less likely to becomming a falling brick from the sky.

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Comments

Samuel April 2, 2011 at 11:12am

Well i meant that port...I dont use the other GPS port. But i already had a look at the code:
FastSerialPort0(Serial); // FTDI/console
FastSerialPort1(Serial1); // GPS port
FastSerialPort3(Serial3); // Telemetry port

When i exchange Serial1 with Serial3 i can connect my GPS to Telemetry port :)
Darren April 2, 2011 at 11:02am

you can use the 4 pin header next to that port for your gps. the 4 pins are marked next to the gps connector. see pic,

http://ardupilot-mega.googlecode.com/svn/ArduPilotMegaImages/IMG_47...

you can make a cable out of your old gps cable.
Samuel April 2, 2011 at 10:34am

Hi,

i destroyed my GPS port on the ArduPilotMega...since the Mega has more than one serial port is it possible to use the telemetry port for example instead of the GPS Port for the GPS? What do i have to change in Code if its possible?

Cheers
Developer

Sandro Benigno March 27, 2011 at 6:25am

@eng.a.ramdan: currently, we can command up to eight motors through APM outputs. You can take a look at this ArduPirates page, they have Hexa and Octo ones there:

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1286011
eng.a.ramdan March 27, 2011 at 5:34am

Thanks Sandro, this is a very important point, I'm using Ardupilot and it's Mega IMU and i really don't know if there are limitations on the motors and it's associated ESCs that i can use with ardupilot and i'ts IMU ? !!
Developer

Sandro Benigno March 23, 2011 at 2:18pm

@eng.a.ramdan, actually you don't need necessarily to increase the size of frame, motors and propellers. However, you would to add motors.

Hexa and OctoCopters are more strong and more efficient than Quads. The "efficiency" part sounds weird, I know that... but is a fact. When the copter have more than 4 motors they all will work at less RPM, so you will deal with the best part of the motor's drag curve (power vs efficiency). So when dragging that payload, your hexa/octocopter will for sure drain less battery than a super-big quad. ;)
eng.a.ramdan March 23, 2011 at 12:20pm

Sandro, Thanks for your reply ...I really need to have a bigger quad-rotor as I'm planning to have a payload of 3K(crazy haa :) ) and changing motors,propellers and frames of the standard ardupilot is a MUST here.So all what i need is just to edit in the P,I,D values of the controller to give certain stable response?

I think i have to give a try to the ardupilot simulator first coz i don't have any idea about the response of such thing :) !

Thanks again Sandro for your kind reply, i appreciate that and i will keep this chat updated with the results
Developer

Sandro Benigno March 23, 2011 at 11:42am

@end.a.ramdan, if your frame is too bigger than normally is... you will probably need to change the PID values.
The more it is bigger, the more it will delay to tilt. It could be good in terms of stabilization by the same way it could be very bad, when you need to correct the angle quickly. So, think about adopt one of the standard ArduCopter sizes, and you'll be fine.
eng.a.ramdan March 23, 2011 at 11:19am

I'm building my own quad-rotor using Ardupilot-Mega and it's IMU. I will assemble everything by myself (ESCs,Motors,propellers,Frame which will be relatively large compared to the shipped complete quadrotor). The question is, do i need to modify anything in the ardupilot flight controller or it's IMU as i will build the quad-rotor using other components which mentioned above(not arducopter components i mean) ?! do i need to edit some configurations in the flight control software? ...
Larry Baraniuk March 22, 2011 at 9:35pm

Bricking and and unbricking are new terms for me . I consider myself as an old fossil who was taught about P.I.D controllers that involved adjusting resistors and capacitors using IC Operational amplifiers. I had the priviledge of having teachers at Ryerson University who were from 3 sides of the Second World War ( the Allies ,the Germans and the Russians) while I studied Controls Technology in the late 1970's. My teachers ,at that time , were not impressed with the digital versions of control systems
simply because of system crashings that turned controllers into useless "bricks". They were believers of " Analog Computers".
In the past 3 weeks I have been developing this Ardupilot Mega autopilot controller and
I am really amased at the amount of software that is involved in getting a final product.I have been programming computer software for the past 33 years and if I got a nickel for everytime my program became a brick be because of a simple voltage spike or other intermiitent.... . After dealing with that ,I have now stood back and looked at the whole picture and found how vulnerable this system is and have come to the realisation that the good old analog technology from the 1940's is more reliable and less likely to becomming a falling brick from the sky.

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