OK - After working with a small group of Alpha testers, I guess we are ready to open the flood gates and make a public release of ArduPilotMega!
Here is what you need to know:
- This is an Alpha release - expect there to be bugs. If you don't want to deal with bugs, wait for the Beta. There will still be bugs in the Beta (probably), but a lot less.
- For the Alpha release we will NOT be providing a .zip download. The code will be changing frequently as we find and fix bugs. You should use a SVN client to get the most recent revision to the code. Look below for a mini tutorial. If you don't want to mess with SVN, please wait for the Beta release.
- Read the ArduPilot Mega manual. It is located here. Expect the manual to change on a daily basis. Recheck it frequently.
- Please understand that there is a HUGE amount of functionality in ArduPilotMega. Most of it is still untested in actual flight, and some specific commands are not fully implemented.
- We have made extensive use of libraries. You must either add these to your Arduino install or we would recommend using the great new "Sketchbook checkout" put together by Michael Smith which will handle getting the libraries for you and keeping them current. See the SVN mini tutorial below.
- There is some functionality in place for the Legacy ground station. There is also functionality in place for the new ground station, however the new ground station is not ready yet.
What has not been tested:
- Airspeed Sensor and associated control laws
- Magnetometer
- NMEA
- Most of the commands
- Use of many of the options in the config file
Good luck and happy autonomous flying!
Mini SVN Tutorial
This is a quick tutorial on how to use Tortise SVN to download the ArduPilotMega code using the "Sketchbook checkout" and how to keep your copy up to date.
- Install the TortiseSVN client on your PC. Get it here.
- On your PC open a window for the directory into which you would like to store your local copy of the code. Right click in the window and choose SVN Checkout.
- Fill in the URL of repository with: http://ardupilot-mega.googlecode.com/svn/Sketchbook/trunk/
- The checkout directory field should contain a folder name of the folder you are in appended with \Sketchbook
- Click OK. This step downloads all the firmware and library files you will need. If you have a slow connection this step can be glitchy. If you get an error that one or more libraries you can use the SVN update feature to correct this after the checkout completes.
- You should now have a Sketchbook folder which contains folders for ArduPilotMega, libraries, and Tests.
- Open the Arduino IDE. Go to Preferences in the File menu. Change the Sketchbook location to this new Sketchbook folder. Now choose Sketchbook from the File menu and choose ArduPilotMega.
- You are now ready to compile the latest code.
- To update your local working copy to the latest revision, go to the directory containing your Sketchbook folder, right click on the Sketchbook folder, and choose SVN Update. With this one step you will get the latest code for ArduPilotMega and all the libraries downloaded to your PC.
Comments
But saying "I tried X and it didn't work like and I didn't look at the code or attempt to debug anything" isn't consistent with 'alpha release'.
I guess i shouldn't be tinkering around on a alpha release, but it is the keen interest, and some stuff i got figured out, so i thought "why not go on trying"
Daniel
Please folks, this is an alpha release. If you can't read the code and the schematic this is *not for you*.
don't know what changed, but suddenly the IMU-debug worked.
Now been testing the Pressure-sensor debug, that works (means it displays value etc.) but it doesn't change.
Stays constantly on 0m. I have a long usb cable, and have tried everything from the floor in my room to the ceilling, but it stays by 0m. Although the Raw pressure value does change slightly.
Any ideas what that could be?
Regards
Daniel
Regards
Daniel
Go to APM_Config.h change all to
#define SERIAL0_BAUD 38400
#define SERIAL1_BAUD 38400
#define SERIAL2_BAUD 38400
#define SERIAL3_BAUD 38400
next
GPS configuration
#define GPS_PROTOCOL GPS_PROTOCOL_IMU
Telemetry
#define GCS_PROTOCOL GCS_PROTOCOL_IMU
Finally go to GCS_IMU_output and change all Serial to Serial3 example:
Serial3.print("AN0:");
Serial3.print(read_adc(0)); //Reversing the sign.
Serial3.print(",AN1:");
Hope this can help you to solve the problem.
after at last managing to upload the APM Code to APM i am tinkering around with it.
As an absolute noob, I thought I'd try out the debug-modes first, to see some reaction.
My APM is connected via USB, the port is correct, because the code upload worked.
So I select debug mode 6 (have tried some others too) - which is the IMU test mode, upload the code new, and then i open up the serial monitor. The starting message is correct (looks like the one flying toh posted on page 11), and then i get a letter mixup, just like he does. I am using baud rate 38400, like suggested in the manual, For fun i even tried other baud rates, all without success.
Anyone that can point me to what i am doing wrong?
Regards
Daniel
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