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HappyKillmore's GCS Alpha Release is ready

Posted by Paul Mather on November 7, 2010 at 11:30pm
LotsOfWaypoints.gif
FirstPerson.gif
ChaseCam.gif


I guess I'll call it an Aplha release. I'm not done with the installer yet. The system requirements are .NET 2.0 framework, Google Earth (and maybe the plugin) and DirectX must be installed.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=0856eacb-4362-4b0d-8edd-aab15c5e04f5&displaylang=en
http://www.google.com/earth/download/ge/
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=2da43d38-db71-4c1b-bc6a-9b6652cd92a3&displaylang=en
http://www.google.com/earth/explore/products/plugin.html

Download the GCS

I would STRONGLY recommend NOT trying this in the field with a live plane! This program is for TESTING ONLY at this point.

To use the program, select your COM port with your GPS or AP connected through FTDI or USB to serial. Select your baud rate. Click Connect. You can try the Search COM button which will cycle through all your available COM ports at different baud rates looking for your data stream. The Search Baud button will only search on the selected COM port for your data stream at different baud rates.

Once connected, if it's an AP unit, the waypoints and home location should be set automatically. If you're not using AP then you can build a mission file using the AP config tool and copy the .TXT file into the missions folder that gets created in the root directory with the GCS executable. Don't worry, this process will be easier in the future.

On the settings tab, you can select different options for your instruments and Google Earth Settings. The cockpit view isn't working yet.

Chances are excellent that nothing will work with APM since I have done absolutely zero testing with APM.

This release also includes NO error trapping and it will fail if you start collecting serial data before the Google Earth window is loaded....

Let me know how things go....

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Comments

  • Paul Mather November 9, 2010 at 9:54am
    Give me a minute.... I'm looking into that and I don't see the altitude changing when using the AP data stream.
  • KnutL November 9, 2010 at 9:42am
    I dont use an IMU, I have Thermopiles !! I have an EM406 as GPS receiver and a standard ArduPilot HW/SW.
    Connection via Xbee to my PC.
    If I look at the incomung data stream (using your Serial Data tab) I can see roll and pith values coming
    in, by I dont see any reaction on the instrument.
    Shall I download a new version of your sw ?
  • Paul Mather November 9, 2010 at 9:33am
    Ok, I think I've got most of the bugs fixed. One big bug is in the AP source. If you're using the ArduIMU there is no provision in the ArduIMU binary to send the VERY IMPORTANT Satellite count, GPS lock and HDOP parameters to the AP. I have asked for these items to be added but the request has been rejected. This makes the combination of ArduIMU and AP very unsafe with a GCS. You have no way to know if you have 2 satellites or 12. The "GPS Lock" that the AP knows about is only the connection between the ArduIMU and the AP, not the IMU and GPS.


    In addition, the AP ASCII messages do not include any variable for GPS lock (with or without the IMU) or Satellite count. HDOP was completely missed by AP all together. (For those who don't know HDOP is an accuracy value that tells you how much error there is on the lat and long coordinates).
    gps.in
    This domain may be for sale!
  • KnutL November 9, 2010 at 9:16am
    Installation was easy, no prblems at all.
    Ok, here are a few lines of the trace data. Hope that helps.
    634249232271900000:+++ASP:0.0000000000,THH:10.8000001907,RLL:-27,PCH:-11, in:1108,***ÿ
    634249232272990000:+++ASP:0.0000000000,THH:10.8000001907,RLL:-27,PCH:-11, in:1108,***ÿ
    634249232273950000:+++ASP:0.0000000000,THH:10.8000001907,RLL:-27,PCH:-11, in:1108,***ÿ
    634249232274910000:+++ASP:282.3912353515,THH:10.8000001907,RLL:-27,PCH:-11, in:1108,***ÿ
    634249232276000000:+++ASP:282.3912353515,THH:10.8000001907,RLL:-27,PCH:-11, in:1108,***ÿ
    634249232276960000:+++ASP:0.0000000000,THH:10.8000001907,RLL:-27,PCH:-11, in:1108,***ÿ
    634249232277920000:+++ASP:0.0000000000,THH:10.8000001907,RLL:-27,PCH:-11, in:1108,***ÿ
    634249232278990000:+++ASP:0.0000000000,THH:10.8000001907,RLL:-28,PCH:-10, in:1108,***ÿ
    634249232279940000:+++ASP:0.0000000000,THH:10.8000001907,RLL:-27,PCH:-11, in:1108,***ÿ
    634249232280690000:!!!LAT:53072008,LON:8817916,SPD:2,CRT:180,ALT:76,ALH:65560,CRS:241,BER:189,WPN:1,DST:5988944,BTV:9970.7402343750,RSP:0.0000000000,TOW:0,***ÿ
    634249232281160000:+++ASP:0.0000000000,THH:10.8000001907,RLL:-28,PCH:-10, in:1108,***ÿ
    634249232282120000:+++ASP:0.0000000000,THH:10.8000001907,RLL:-28,PCH:-10, in:1108,***ÿ
    634249232283190000:+++ASP:0.0000000000,THH:10.8000001907,RLL:-28,PCH:-10, in:1108,***ÿ
    634249232284140000:+++ASP:0.0000000000,THH:10.8000001907,RLL:-28,PCH:-10, in:1108,***ÿ
    634249232285110000:+++ASP:0.0000000000,THH:10.8000001907,RLL:-28,PCH:-10, in:1108,***ÿ
    634249232286180000:+++ASP:0.0000000000,THH:10.6999998092,RLL:-28,PCH:-10, in:1107,***ÿ
    634249232287300000:+++ASP:0.0000000000,THH:10.6999998092,RLL:-28,PCH:-10, in:1107,***ÿ
    634249232288090000:+++ASP:0.0000000000,THH:10.6999998092,RLL:-28,PCH:-10, in:1107,***ÿ
    634249232289180000:+++ASP:282.3912353515,THH:10.6999998092,RLL:-28,PCH:-10, in:1107,***ÿ
    634249232290140000:+++ASP:282.3912353515,THH:10.5000000000,RLL:-28,PCH:-10, in:1105,***ÿ
    634249232290930000:+++ASP:282.3912353515,THH:10.5999994277,RLL:-28,PCH:-10, in:1106,***ÿ
    634249232291670000:!!!LAT:53072006,LON:8817878,SPD:2,CRT:169,ALT:77,ALH:65560,CRS:250,BER:189,WPN:1,DST:5988941,BTV:9969.2109375000,RSP:0.0000000000,TOW:0,***ÿ
    634249232292120000:+++ASP:0.0000000000,THH:10.5999994277,RLL:-28,PCH:-10, in:1106,***ÿ
    634249232293070000:+++ASP:0.0000000000,THH:10.5999994277,RLL:-28,PCH:-10, in:1106,***ÿ
    634249232294040000:+++ASP:0.0000000000,THH:10.6999998092,RLL:-27,PCH:-11, in:1107,***ÿ
    634249232295130000:+++ASP:0.0000000000,THH:10.6999998092,RLL:-27,PCH:-11, in:1107,***ÿ
    634249232296080000:+++ASP:0.0000000000,THH:10.6999998092,RLL:-27,PCH:-11, in:1107,***ÿ
    634249232297040000:+++ASP:0.0000000000,THH:10.6999998092,RLL:-27,PCH:-11, in:1107,***ÿ
    634249232298120000:+++ASP:0.0000000000,THH:10.6999998092,RLL:-27,PCH:-11, in:1107,***ÿ
    634249232299080000:+++ASP:0.0000000000,THH:10.6999998092,RLL:-27,PCH:-11, in:1107,***ÿ
    634249232300040000:+++ASP:0.0000000000,THH:10.6999998092,RLL:-27,PCH:-11, in:1107,***ÿ
    634249232300780000:!!!
    LAT:53072020,LON:8817893,SPD:1,CRT:152,ALT:76,ALH:65560,CRS:240,BER:189,WPN:1,DST:5988940,BTV:9969.0830078125,RSP:-0.0199999990,TOW:0,***ÿ
    634249232301290000:+++ASP:0.0000000000,THH:10.6999998092,RLL:-29,PCH:-11, in:1107,***ÿ
    634249232302170000:+++ASP:0.0000000000,THH:10.6999998092,RLL:-27,PCH:-11, in:1107,***ÿ
  • Paul Mather November 9, 2010 at 8:33am
    Fantastic. Did you guys have to jump through any hoops to get it to run?

    Can you guys click on the data file tab, then type something into the blank combo box (ie My Sample Data) and then hit the record button (button with red circle)? After a few minutes of collecting data, please click View Data File and post a few lines of your "raw data" here so I can see what commands I'm missing.

    Thanks for testing!!!
  • KnutL November 9, 2010 at 6:07am
    Hi
    I can confirm Andres results with regards to GPS: I have a lock but GCS says no lock.
    GCS reports a Lattitude and a Longitude with correct values.
    Mode and Throttle: Also as Andre sayed= Is 0 and stays 0
    (used on Vista)
    greetings knut
  • Andre Cilliers November 9, 2010 at 5:16am
    Hi Happy, Just some feedback to you. I have tested your GCS on win XP (S3) this is on AP 2.7.1 with old red shield. GPS EM406 (SIRF mode) and XY & Z sensors.
    The results is GPS Lock: Not Lock (I do have a lock)
    Battery display 11855.66 V (3s Lipo)
    Satellites: 0
    HDOP: 0 ??( I am not sure what this do)
    Waypoint #1
    Latitude: -25.67788 (correct)
    Longitude: 28.19667
    Mode: 0 ( do not change)
    Throttle 0 (do not change)
    Altitude gauge show :4055 Ft (this is correct above sea level I now this can be set to read above ground level but I have to find out how to do this then I will test again)
    Hope this information can help you.
    Will test next on the laptop that I use at the Flying Field. (Win7)
    Kind Regards
    Andre
  • Paul Mather November 8, 2010 at 12:31pm
    Can you guys make sure you have DirectX installed?
    http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=2da43d3...
  • Alexander November 8, 2010 at 11:57am
    Hello Happy....It's not running on my XP 32bit with .NET3.5.
    Here is the error report:
    EventType : clr20r3 P1 : ground control station.exe P2 : 1.0.0.1
    P3 : 4cd83b70 P4 : ground control station P5 : 1.0.0.1 P6 : 4cd83b70
    P7 : d P8 : c6 P9 : system.invalidoperationexception
  • Paul Mather November 8, 2010 at 9:46am
    SupreCharger, do you get an error message?
This reply was deleted.