Blogs

This board is one of many Linux-Based boards that run Ardupilot. What is spepcial about this board is that has very simple architecture. Only necessary components has been added. No extra or redundant components. However it is still expandable and more sensors can be added if you want to.

The PCB shield is designed to use simple breakouts available in the market. No special soldering skills or components are required. You can build from scratch your own board using this PCB and learn the basic architrecture of Ardupilot boards and move to next step where you add extra sensors and ending by building your own board.

Yes this board acts more like a developing kit rather than a ready-to-fly board. Again if you want to fly with it you can but then do not use pin headers and solder the breakouts directly on the board.

On the software side. OBAL board does not have special drivers. All you need to do is to clone ardupilot repository and compile the code. Nothing special, nohting hidden , completely open source.

For more information please check Ardupilot Documentation. Also there are some videos that describe in details how to build it, compile and deploy the software. Have fun :)

This video illustrates the adaptation of a ArduPilot Rover to the Artificial Intelligence DonkeyCar environment. This includes the adding-editing of 5 files of the DonkeyCar library. A linear AI model trained by behavioral cloning resulted in a satisfactory autonomous test drive.

These instructions explain how to set up a Spektrum DX7 transmitter for 6 different flight modes, using just the 3 position Flaps switch (in combination with the Rudder switch). This way you'll use just one channel for the flight modes and leave the Gear and Aux2 channel open ...

(note that you have to use the DX7 in "airplane mode", not in "heli mode" to fly a quadcopter)

• switch on your remote while pressing SCROLL DOWN and SELECT
• go to "D/R Switch Sel" menu (with the SCROLL UP/DOWN button)
• select "Com Rudd" by pressing the INCREASE button
• go to the "Input Select" menu (with the SCROLL UP/DOWN button)
• press select until you reach "Flap:", make sure it is set to "System" (you can change the setting with the INCREASE button)
• press SELECT
• set "Flap Trim" to "Inh" by pressing the INCREASE button
• switch off the remote
• switch on the remot
• Press SCROLL DOWN + SELECT to access the programming mode
• Go to "Mix1" (with the SCROLL UP/DOWN button)
• go into the menu of "Mix1" by pressing the INCREASE button
• Select "Flap" > by pressing the INCREASE button
• press SELECT to jump to the second position and select  > "Flap" by pressing the INCREASE button
• press SELECT
• Set rate to "+100%" and "-50%" (with the INCREASE/DECREASE button, you'll have to put the FLAP switch in the "N" position for the first value and into the "2" position to set the second value)
• press SELECT
• Set SW to "Mix" by pressing the INCREASE button
• press SELECT
• set offset to "10" by pressing the INCREASE button
• Go to "Flap Sys" menu (with the SCROLL UP/DOWN button)
• set Flap Norm = UP to "46%" (with the SCROLL UP/DOWN button)
• press twice SELECT
• set Flap Mid = DN to "8%" (with the SCROLL UP/DOWN button)
• press twice SELECT
• set Flap Land = DN to "100%" (with the SCROLL UP/DOWN button)
• press twice SELECT
• set Auto Land to Inhibit (with the SCROLL UP/DOWN button)

connect now your APM to the Ardupilot Mega Planner, go to the setup page and assign different flight modes to the switch combinations of your remote.

I like to have easy access to the simple mode (just to get very quick out of a difficult situation) which is the reason why I have two switch combinations programmed for simple mode. I have set it the way that simple mode is always selected if the "Flaps" switch is on "N" (away from me), no matter if the "Rudder" switch is on or off. This way I have just 5 modes accessible, but I can very easy and quick switch back to simple mode.

(this is based on the blog post by Limebear)

This is how it worked for my DX7,

I use various switch combinations of the FLAPS and the GEAR switch which will give you 6 modes;

(note that you have to use the DX7 in "airplane mode", not in "heli mode" to fly a quadcopter)

• Press SCROLL DOWN + SELECT to access the programming mode
• Go to the "Travel Adjust" menu with the SCROLL UP/DOWN button
• click the SELECT button till you reach "Flap", then set "Flap" to "U 65%" and "D 65%" (INCREASE/DECREASE button, you'll have to move the "Flap" switch to select between "U" and "D", this means put the switch in "N" position (away from you) to program the "U" value and move the switch to the "2" position for the "D" value)
• Leave "Gear" on 100% - 100%
• Go to "Mix1" (with the SCROLL UP/DOWN button)
• go into the menu of "Mix1" by pressing the INCREASE button
• Select "Ger" > by pressing the INCREASE button
• press SELECT to jump to the second position and elect  > "Flap" on by pressing the INCREASE button
• press SELECT
• Set rate to "19%" and "31%" (with the INCREASE/DECREASE button, you'll have to put the GEAR switch in the "0" position for the first value and into the "1" position to set the second value)
• press SELECT
• Set SW to "on" by pressing the INCREASE button
• Leave Offset at "0"

connect now your APM to the Ardupilot Mega Planner, go to the setup page and assign different flight modes to the switch combinations of your remote.

I like to have easy access to the simple mode (just to get very quick out of a difficult situation) which is the reason why I have two switch combinations programmed for simple mode. I have set it the way that simple mode is selected if the "Flaps" switch is on "N" (away from me), no matter if the "Gear" switch is on or off. This way I have just 5 modes accessible, but I can very easy and quick switch back to simple mode.

(this is based on the blog post by Nick Wadman, I just adopted the programming description for a DX7)