Our ArduStation MEGA boards arrived today and I am truly excited to see how they work. Now starts small assembly job for them and then we can start doing testing for those.
Big thanks for Colin for his original ASM work, it's great to see what great minds can create.
New boards looks just awesome. Few connectors are missing but those are quickly soldered. These boards are from the first batch and we have them now small qty in stock. If there are any changes that needs to be made, we will do it and then first production batch will come.
Technical specs:
- MCU: Atmel 2560 with Atmel 8u2 USB "adapter"
- XBee footprint for telemetry with external pins
- IO: Buzzer, Analog, I2C, GPS
- SDCard holder for storage needs
- 128 x 64 pixel Graphics LCD
- 3 x TTL Serial output pins
- 2 x Servo outputs with internal/external power feed
- Encoder port for menus etc use
- Connection for I2C Keyboard
- 4 x LEDs for showing different statues
Jani / jDrones
Comments
Serge, we try to get them on market before Christmas. There are few small changes that we make on board like SDcard holder will be changed for another style and thing like that. Also we might change USB chip to be bigger than what we have.
yes LCD panel can be mounted, question more like should we same time mount main PCB and others. There are mount holes on every PCB so mounting can be done.
As said, keyboard will be separate PCB so mounting is to side, top, bottom of LCD is possible. Only shape is still uncertain.
Joystick switch is not bad idea either. I did put my girls already to look few different type joystick buttons for me so let's see what they find.
Most likely there will be 2 different type keyboards for it. Still thinking if I should actually put footprint of HopeRF modules on board too... Thou that might be too much as we can easily connect 3DR/RFD and other modems to board directly on it's telemetry connector.
Patch, I hear you. I think that one is actually not a push to select. I can see how that would be a PITA if done poorly.
@R_Lefebvre; My Toyota 4Runner has a similar design on the climate control; seems like a good idea at first, but after a few "push instead of toggle" moments, you may not like them. My wife's german sedan has a great console switch, like a scroll/select- the scroll motion is more of a lateral slide, than a tilt-to-toggle; quite nice and more intuitive when switching blind, IMHO.
An more affordable alternative
http://www.digikey.ca/scripts/dksearch/dksus.dll?vendor=0&keywo...
Combined 4-way W/scroll and Select
Some have used this one to modify theTurnigy 9X radio
Jani, this is the type of thing I'd like, but obviously these are insanely expensive.
http://www.digikey.ca/product-detail/en/TS-1D1S00A-1294/679-2501-ND...
It would probably be best, and easy, to make it with simple small buttons, but make them sit below the LCD bezel, or be removable. That way the LCD could be panel mountable without the buttons. Then, provide a simple header which parallels out the buttons. We could connect an external switch to that easily.
Oh yes, and for sure, come up with some way to make the LCD panel mountable. Just need some kind of screw holes or something.
@Hai, there is already good software for it but naturally it will be developed even more. Yeah on that small development stalled after people started to look more autopilots etc. This version already gives enough power and screen that is big enough to show data properly. Also it has several Serial outputs that earlier did not have.
@Rob, Original plan is to have them same way as in first ArduStation. But we are still open for final call... And it also depends on what we can find. Keyboard is anyways made as separate so it can be changed later to different style.
Waiting anxiously Jani. What are you doing for input buttons?
If it's not too late (probably is) I really prefer a nice hat-switch as opposed to 4 buttons for navigation.
I'd also really really like if it is designed to be panel mountable. I'm building a small GCS into a Pelican case.
So we will be able to install a 3DR Radio or similar?
Wow. I've been waiting for this since the Mega 1.0 video! Awesome job!
I hope the software for the new ardustation mega will be better developed and supported than the old one.
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