GPS & CoPilot sensor snap on turret

This is the way I mount my GPS and CoPilot sensor units onto my high wing Kadet Senior.It is a simple turret made of balsa scraps in which the GPS (Locosys LS20031) lies on top and the CoPilot lies below.The GPS board is plugged into the turret with a 4 pin header since it needs independent Vcc (3.3volt unit).A four wire cable (scavenged from an old PC) with female header plug was added to the CoPilot to get rid of the built in connector. The CoPilot sensor is plugged on the side of the turret.Finally, four magnets will be epoxied at the base of the turret and 2 x 4 pins female headers will be epoxied through the top surface of each wing half. So the turret can be snapped/plugged steadily onto the wing and taken off after flight to be carried with other valuable devices in a separate case.Here some pics of the modifications

FMA CoPilot thermopile sensor

Soldering breakout cable to dismantled FMA CoPilot

CoPilot with breakout cable

Locosys LS20031 GPS board with 4 pin male header

Plugging GPS board into turret

Adding some foam pad between GPS and CoPilot

Plugging CoPilot and inserting into turret

Turret back view with inserted devices

Turret side view

I hesitated for long time to do it, but I must say I regret nothing and wonder why I didn't do it earlier!
In fact, I intend to use the sensor on my UAV for ArduPilot code ver. 2, and once in a while the whole FMA CoPilot on my son's trainer. Struggling with this fixed length flat cable and with these - in my opinion - unadapted connectors is not appealing to me.
Just a note on the sensor board: it is, and everything soldered on it too, covered with some sort of transparent hard glue. This is probably intended for bad weather flying, although the thermopile windows would hardly be usable in wet weather! I tried first to scratch the connector solder joints to get rid of the glue but that wasn't the way. I then simply melted the glue covering the solder joints with the tip of my iron. Once your breakout cable is soldered, do not hesitate to check out each connection with your multimeter!

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Comments

Reto April 6, 2009 at 8:55am

In the meantime, I finished the turret, epoxied the magnets to its base, fitted magnets to both wing halves, fitted the female header connectors in each wing half, and finally tested the assemblage. Works ok and very functional.
Some pictures:

My GPS-XYsensor removable turret

Closer view

With turret off
helitron April 6, 2009 at 3:19am

No prob Reto, thanks for the answer :-) ! Of course I meant only the line FROM the Ardu TO the GPS, 5V to 3.3V. But when you don't use it on the Ardu, you don't need a level shifter or resistor.

Erwin
Reto April 6, 2009 at 3:07am

@ helitron: sorry I was away last day. Do you mean the 5V Tx from ArduPilot to GPS ? In fact, in my setup, I will use only the GPS Tx connector which is going to the ArduPilot serial Rx. I never used a level converter and it worked fin many hours until now. Do you think a level converter is an absolute necessity?
When I need to reprogram the Locosys, I use an FTDI breackout board powered at 3.3V. It's the only situation where the GPS Rx pinm is used in my setup.
helitron April 5, 2009 at 2:42am

Reto,

just recognized that's only a voltage converter, how do you convert the 5V Tx line to 3.3V for the Locosys ? Or have you added simply a resistor ?

Erwin
helitron April 5, 2009 at 2:35am

Thanks Reto !

Erwin
Reto April 4, 2009 at 2:30pm

Forgot to mention the converter handles 5A!
Reto April 4, 2009 at 2:29pm

Hi helitron. I see I'm not the only one not liking the FMA cables/connectors! thanks for feedback.
I use a 5v/3.3v DC/DC converter I ordered from Ebay (5 pieces pack) and I am glad with them.
There's a post about these here. The specification sheet is here.
helitron April 4, 2009 at 2:21pm

Nice done Reto ! I do the same since a long time, always when I've got a new co-pilot the first thing I did was exchanging the original stiff cables on the sensor. Is really a simple work. The covering you mentioned is only a anti-wet-spray and removing with the iron is the simplest way.

By the way, what 3.3 V level converter have you used for the Locosys ?

Erwin
Reto April 4, 2009 at 1:04pm

I hesitated for long time to do it, but I must say I regret nothing and wonder why I didn't do it earlier!
In fact, I intend to use the sensor on my UAV for ArduPilot code ver. 2, and once in a while the whole FMA CoPilot on my son's trainer. Struggling with this fixed length flat cable and with these - in my opinion - unadapted connectors is not appealing to me.
Just a note on the sensor board: it is, and everything soldered on it too, covered with some sort of transparent hard glue. This is probably intended for bad weather flying, although the thermopile windows would hardly be usable in wet weather! I tried first to scratch the connector solder joints to get rid of the glue but that wasn't the way. I then simply melted the glue covering the solder joints with the tip of my iron. Once your breakout cable is soldered, do not hesitate to check out each connection with your multimeter!
T3

Rory Paul April 4, 2009 at 11:57am

Nice I am currently fighting with FMA standard length cable trying to pack it into a space that it just too small for it. After seeing your pictures I think I will crack it open and replace the cable with something else.

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