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First Tests of IMUNEXT v2 controller

Posted by Melih Karakelle on July 15, 2010 at 5:20am
Hi Guys,

I was design IMUNEXT v2 board on this March but i didn't find time for testing and working with it.
Now i have a time for this because my Quadrocopter, Camera mount and Plane waiting for stabilisation ;)


IMUNEXT v2 including 8 channel servo IN/OUT , Serial port for XBee modules or GPS, Serial PPM input for external controls.

I'm planning to share opensource codes and circuit schematic for designers. You can load your own code into ATMEGA328 core.

I will share Quadro and Plane tests when they are available.

Thanks
Melih
Tags: imu, imunext, stabiliser
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Comments

  • Melih Karakelle August 15, 2010 at 9:31am
    Hi Michael

    Yes I can, Its including a GPS connector for my GPS boards and position and altitude hold is possible.
    But i'm not sure GPS is good device for holding altitude because they have big altitude error ranges and barometric altitude holding is better than GPS.

    I just broke my propellers when testing my Quadrocopter then i'm writing PID loops for motors. Maybe it will fly in one or two week with this IMU. Then i will share the results.

    Thanks
    Melih
  • Michael Abraham August 15, 2010 at 8:29am
    Hi Melih, this is great Device. I am flying a Conrad Quadrocopter. Only 4 Channels needed. 1 for Throttle, 1for Yaw ( Gier ) , 1for Nick and 1 for Roll. So what I looking for is a Position Hold by a switch.We Quadrocopter pilots need a Thing like yours. Conrad will never develop and sell , like yours.
    Now my Question. Can you interagted a GPS Sensor on your IMUnext Device for Holding Altitude and Position ?? by switching you Device on viaa 5Channel on ? I need no Navigation and so. I think you made it.
    Please full programmed, because I cant .
    Thanks Mike from Rc Heli Hall Berlin
  • Melih Karakelle July 15, 2010 at 9:32pm
    Ok, I can do that :)
  • AVS July 15, 2010 at 8:33pm
    Yes I agree with what you have said but I always like to experts at work with well written code.

    Code space can be limiting in terms of simple support for different devices such as GPS. It would be good to find a board that can handle all of the code for different devices without a compiler switch.

    I am pleased you feel this can be done with a single chip (+ fail safe) on a single board that would be a much easier and cost efficient system. It might be a winner, I look forward to hearing more.
  • Melih Karakelle July 15, 2010 at 8:29pm
    Hi Tim

    All arduino users thinking "it is a small chip" but an imu only takes %2-5 of an atmega on 14.7mhz.if youhave right programming skills, It is enough for everything.

    Watch my SimpleOSD project, I'm using same atmega;
    - drawing video informations with 14 million pixel per second,
    - reading GPS
    - current and voltage sensors
    - checking a ppm channel
    - reading infrared signals
    - calculating everything
    - sending all values over my audio modem protocol.

    Then; it's only using %30-40 of CPU and %60 of memory.
  • AVS July 15, 2010 at 11:02am
    Yes that is true. Not sure about I2C because it needs to be a stream that doesn't hog the bus but i guess it would just update an eeprom in the background.

    I don't know why the chips don't have many more serial ports
  • Xander July 15, 2010 at 10:58am
    I wonder why GPSs are never offered with I2C or SPI communication options. It'd be nice not to be limited to serial.
  • AVS July 15, 2010 at 7:24am
    Melih,

    Yes that all makes sense. It looks like you have the great ability can design an autopilot or UAV controller!

    I only suggested the extra things because you have included servo control on the IMU. So it seems more than just an IMU :) But this is a lot for one small chip to read the sensors and to manage the servos?
  • Melih Karakelle July 15, 2010 at 7:06am
    Hi Tim,

    Yes you completely right.
    Actually I designed it for my daily design needs. I know 2 RS232 better than 1 and maybe failsafe chip is good option but IMUNEXT is only an IMU (not an autopilot) for me, and i can stabilize somethings with this IO options and test codes on this board, after development stage i can design specially focused IMU for production.

    Maybe i can design a plane autopilot or similar. i don't know.
  • AVS July 15, 2010 at 6:27am
    That looks good.

    The only thing is that you say one serial? Xbee OR GPS? I think that's a mistake otherwise you would have a winner :) Obviously, your design does allow xbee out and gps in but two way xbee would be much more expandable.

    If you are at an early stage I suggest adding a mega instead of the 328. Again it might make it possible for your IMU to work without need for an additional board. The mega has two serial and more code space.

    Finally if you are controlling servos then what about a fail safe?

    BUT that is really good work!
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