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DroidPlanner & 3DR flight test (APM for Android)

Posted by afernan on April 7, 2013 at 12:30pm

3689514490?profile=originalI´ve succeeded to use the DroidPlanner (by A. Benemann) software with my Arducopter using a 3DR telemetry link in a real flight tests on the field.

To do that you'll need a couple of things:

- OTG (On The Go) USB cable (3€ in Amazon)

- A "rooted" Android terminal. I´ve used my Nexus 7. (Please google for how-to "root" an Android terminal).

 

I've got it working really quite straight forward:

- connect the 3DR Tx on the N7 (see video attached)

- select "USB" as "Telemetry Connection Tipe"

- enjoy...

 This is thanks to the great  work done by Arthur Benemann on this software. It really worths. See this post.

 

Main performances work very well. Video attached shows main use tips.

https://vimeo.com/63518230

 

Below some ideas for future updates and comments:

- next update suggestions:

- should have a parameter edition: this is a must. Very important

- edition of WP´s

- How to use offline maps?

 

Small bugs to correct:

- guided works well but altitude is not specified (lift to the infinite and beyond)

- Text to speech only works in some pages (not in all)

- Changiing from "flight data" page to "planning" page brakes the program.

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Comments

  • Developer
    Arthur Benemann April 7, 2013 at 7:24pm

    Follow me also on the list:

    https://github.com/arthurbenemann/droidplanner/issues/2

    But I will work on the core functionality first.

  • Developer
    Arthur Benemann April 7, 2013 at 7:22pm

    Thanks for sharing the video afernan. It's great to hear that people are using the app :).

    Just as a notice for everyone, the phone probably does not need to be rooted (but I haven't tried on an uprooted phone) to use the USB functionality. For connection via TCP can be a standard phone (tested).

    About the bugs there is a issue list on github. If you have any other issue put it in there (or if it is there comment on the respective issue)

    • guided works well but altitude is not specified (lift to the infinite and beyond)

    Will be fixed soon, that's why it is currently disabled by default

    https://github.com/arthurbenemann/droidplanner/issues/20

    • Text to speech only works in some pages (not in all)

    Currently TTS doesn't do very much (just says connect and disconnect I think). I just added a base model. But as guided will be better implemented soon. IF you have a message you thinks is good add it to the github issue:

    https://github.com/arthurbenemann/droidplanner/issues/48

    •  should have a parameter edition: this is a must. Very important

    On the works: 

    https://github.com/arthurbenemann/droidplanner/issues/5

    https://github.com/arthurbenemann/droidplanner/issues/46

    • edition of WP´s

    Can you add an issue with a better description of what you want? Currently you can move the waypoints around by using a long click.

    • How to use offline maps?

    I should do a wiki on how to do this. But you just have to save map tiles to your SDcard. The best way to do it is to copy the files you have from Mission Planner on a standard Windows 7 that should be: 

    "C:\Program Files (x86)\APM Planner\gmapcache\TileDBv3\en\GoogleSatellite"

    And copy all the folders within this folder to the sd card on your device (the folder should already be in the sdcard if you used the app once), on a folder called:

    "SDCard/DroidPlanner/Maps/"

    •  Changing from "flight data" page to "planning" page brakes the program.

    That's is strange, I thought i fixed that. Did it happened while you where connected? Did it happened more than once?

  • Stefano Santucci April 7, 2013 at 6:38pm

    I suggest to plan also  a "follow me" 

This reply was deleted.