At this point, the only way to get my plane flying with Ardupilot is to buy a different FTDI cable which may or may not work with my setup(I don’t have the programming skills to bypass the configuration utility and add waypoints directly into the code). I’m running Windows Vista on my laptop and have the latest Ardupilot board with the shield kit as shown below. I’ve also installed the latest code, configuration utility and the newest version of the Arduino IDE.Before I invest any more money in this project, can I get some feedback from anyone running a similar setup to mine but with the newly recommended FTDI cable where they are successfully downloading code, read/writing from the configuration utility and flying autonomously with Ardupilot?I’m sure there are success stories out there and they would really help those of us that are struggling to hang in there. I believe in the Ardupilot project and Chris' clear approach to explaining concepts and products has helped me immensely in understanding autonomous systems and in choosing the best equipment. This is a fascinating hobby and always a challenge.
Can anyone help me with groundstation? I'm trying to get GPS and airspeed telemetry from the Ardupilot to be displayed on my computer in real time, but all the values in groundstation are showing up as zeroes and it thinks I'm in the Atlantic Ocean.
I am very close to completing ground testing on ArduPilot 2.0 with EM-406 GPS, this setup accepted way points from Arduconfig program and I get good telemetry to GS also servos respond to tilting testbed, I wont install in airframe until my ground tests pass. I walked my property boundary with test bed and had some one monitor ground station. It works great, But I want version 2.2 with speed sensor & uBlox to work.
Second ArduPilot 2.2 is using uBlox GPS, but ArduPilot is not getting data from GPS yet. (uBlox configure issues) I got a new MacBookPro anda used IBM ThinkPad to work on this, I prefer Mac over Win OS, I am setting up Win XP w/sp3 in a VMware virtual machine on my mac I will use the IBM ThinkPad as a backup for some tasks. I will work on this over the holiday weekend and post my results.
I understand you, Bryan. No prob at all with this. Sorry but yes I got out of the subject.
As to your question, sorry I can't help but I'm not running vista (and by the way won't ever). I could ask the same as you for XP, but I may as well wait a few days for the FTDI cable I ordered yesterday from Jordi's online shop. Anyhow I'm also going to use it as a spare FTDI for other Arduino boards (and I like those shops much more than the local supermarket ;-)
I agree Reto. This is a great project and this was stated in the opening post. But we are getting off subject. All I'm trying to find out is if anyone with the latest code and hardware and running Vista (my setup) is able to successfully download code and read/write from the configuration utility using the newly recommended FTDI cable. If this combination works, I'll buy a new FTDI cable. If someone has gone as far as to fly autonomously, better yet. That's all! No hidden agendas!
Again, all I want to know is if the new FTDI cable works with my setup so I can purchase it.
Seems like the DIY effect is not interpreted equally when people start peeping into DIYdrones than after a few months trying out. Sure, this is not RTFdrones, but if it was, I for sure wouldn't be member! One doesn't need to be member of a supermarket to buy things...
On the other hand, it's open source. I had no idea about OS/Arduino/coding stuff some months ago. Now I tried out so many things, I feel comfortable doing some mods on the code to suit it to my project, and I was able to code some pan&tilt stuff, etc. Of course, I spent some tens in the learning process, but much less than for just practicing regular RC flying as a hobby. DIYdrones a nice extension for RCists and BIY kit worms like I feel I am now. I hope Chris and Jordi and DIYdrones will go on for long time. It's a great project!
Hi Bryan
I have been looking for success stories for a while, and the only success that I could find is Chris and Jodi winning the sparkfun competition.. I'm still a big user of this site and like the thought about having a Autonomous Vehicle in the sky.
I have not been able to find any video documentation of an Autonomous flight where you can see navigation.
Not to be negative in any way but as I see it, I think the focus has been on the development - and i'm not a coder - I droped my own diydrone because every week there was a new code and new hardware to buy.
I'll wait untill there will be a finished product so I don't have to buy new cable, board, sencor and other stuff.
Hooks.
Chris,
Reread my post. I'm not venting. I'm trying to find out if all I need to successfully fly with my setup is a new FTDI cable. If that's the case, my check is in the mail. Like I said, I want to hear some positive input to give this project a shot in the arm and inspire us!!!
BTW, the Sparkfun competition was not won with the electronics/software version I described above. ;-)
If you use the recommended setup (EasyStar, all recommended hardware) you can win the Spadrkfun Autonomous Vehicle competition with ArduPilot like we did. Or does that not count?
Byran, I'm sorry you're frustrated and sorry you didn't understand what open source hardware and software meant in terms of complexity going in. (good thing you didn't try Paparazzi instead, which is in many ways even harder). Perhaps, in retrospect, you would have been better off going with a commercial autopilot like AttoPilot. But at this point you're just venting on this site, which is not what it was intended for. Jordi and I are working hard on other things for the good of the entire community (and then there's the small matter of day jobs), and can't drop everything to solve your particular problems. Please be more patient.
Comments
Second ArduPilot 2.2 is using uBlox GPS, but ArduPilot is not getting data from GPS yet. (uBlox configure issues) I got a new MacBookPro anda used IBM ThinkPad to work on this, I prefer Mac over Win OS, I am setting up Win XP w/sp3 in a VMware virtual machine on my mac I will use the IBM ThinkPad as a backup for some tasks. I will work on this over the holiday weekend and post my results.
As to your question, sorry I can't help but I'm not running vista (and by the way won't ever). I could ask the same as you for XP, but I may as well wait a few days for the FTDI cable I ordered yesterday from Jordi's online shop. Anyhow I'm also going to use it as a spare FTDI for other Arduino boards (and I like those shops much more than the local supermarket ;-)
Again, all I want to know is if the new FTDI cable works with my setup so I can purchase it.
On the other hand, it's open source. I had no idea about OS/Arduino/coding stuff some months ago. Now I tried out so many things, I feel comfortable doing some mods on the code to suit it to my project, and I was able to code some pan&tilt stuff, etc. Of course, I spent some tens in the learning process, but much less than for just practicing regular RC flying as a hobby. DIYdrones a nice extension for RCists and BIY kit worms like I feel I am now. I hope Chris and Jordi and DIYdrones will go on for long time. It's a great project!
I have been looking for success stories for a while, and the only success that I could find is Chris and Jodi winning the sparkfun competition.. I'm still a big user of this site and like the thought about having a Autonomous Vehicle in the sky.
I have not been able to find any video documentation of an Autonomous flight where you can see navigation.
Not to be negative in any way but as I see it, I think the focus has been on the development - and i'm not a coder - I droped my own diydrone because every week there was a new code and new hardware to buy.
I'll wait untill there will be a finished product so I don't have to buy new cable, board, sencor and other stuff.
Hooks.
Reread my post. I'm not venting. I'm trying to find out if all I need to successfully fly with my setup is a new FTDI cable. If that's the case, my check is in the mail. Like I said, I want to hear some positive input to give this project a shot in the arm and inspire us!!!
BTW, the Sparkfun competition was not won with the electronics/software version I described above. ;-)
Byran, I'm sorry you're frustrated and sorry you didn't understand what open source hardware and software meant in terms of complexity going in. (good thing you didn't try Paparazzi instead, which is in many ways even harder). Perhaps, in retrospect, you would have been better off going with a commercial autopilot like AttoPilot. But at this point you're just venting on this site, which is not what it was intended for. Jordi and I are working hard on other things for the good of the entire community (and then there's the small matter of day jobs), and can't drop everything to solve your particular problems. Please be more patient.
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