3D Robotics

3689412367?profile=originalIf you update to the latest Mission Planner (1.05) you'll see a cool new feature Michael Oborne has just added: integrated OSD video! Just select your video input device from your aircraft's camera feed from the Configuration screen (Planner tab) and it will replace the background of the artificial horizon on the GCS, turning it into a heads-up display instead, as shown in the left window above.

 

Pretty cool, huh? It's a virtual OSD!

 

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  • One more thing... if you're looking for an omnidirectonal circularly polarized antenna, take a look at the "clover leaf" - which is available in kit-form.

    http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1388264

    73's, KA6RBJ
  • i have test for RTL fiuture.. but when i go to RTL mode the head is rotate 180degre. and i cancel (so scare).

    it's is true? method of RTL way by rotate heading?
  • Actually, there's quite a difference between using Wifi (digital transmission) and analog, as far as working range given the same physical constraints (power output, antenna gain, etc). A simple (and admittedly exaggerated) example of that is CW (continuous wave) Morse Code. Where *all* digital signals would fail to demodulate, the Morse signal would be easily picked out.

    A more down-to-earth earth example... digital receivers that are capable of operating at various baud rates will often list multiple receiver sensitivity figures that are inverse to the baud rate. The higher the baud rate, the lower the receiver gain. Not by coincidence, the modulation scheme also affects receiver gain figures. Simpler modulation schemes, typically employed for lower baud rates, produce better receiver sensitivity figures for various technical reasons (see ARRL Handbook).

    I'm trying to embed a formula in my response, but I don't seem to be able to. I was trying to show the interpolation formula for the typical Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) that is used to quantize a signal. It is the interpolation formula that the receiver must decode fully in order to reproduce the signal. In addition, modulation schemes come into effect.

    In summary, given the same output power, receiver front-end and receiver sensitivity, an analog signal will exhibit much more range than a digital signal. It's the laws of physics.

    73's, KA6RBJ
  • Developer

     

    I'm not sure the cost is the biggest problem here because using such a system do allow for a single transmitter for telemetry and HD video.

     

    But using an IP link is more complicated than an analog one. You need to master IP setups. This is certainly the main problem because a large community of RC users wouldn't have the necessary knowledge.

     

    If you need high bandwith, encryption, multiple streams in the same link, HD Video and point to multipoint for very long distances coverage, this is the way to go and the price is not so high regarding the possibilities.

     

    It would be more usefull in Europe where radio bands are not very open.

     

     

  • 3D Robotics
    JDM45: Gotcha. That said, none of that is currently used by the FPV or aerial video community (for reasons ranging from cost to range). Maybe for multicopters, which tend to fly closer to home, it would make more sense, although I can't say I've ever heard of it outside of indoor applications (where you don't need video in your GCS anyway).
  • Developer

     

    Why ? There is no major range differences using Wifi than using analog radios or other digital protocols.

     

    There are many reliable Wifi links in production, with distances as long as 30 km or more.

     

    Even if the moving target is a problem because you can't put on it easily a directive antenna, it's possible to use a directive antenna on the ground, with the ardutracker system, and get medium range links.

     

    With a 5.8 gHz link, using a 0 dBi omnidirectionnal antenna on the model, and a 16 dBi directive antenna on the ground, using 200 mW power each side, using 802.11n 2 streams MCS8 / 20 Mhz mode it is possible to get a reliable 4 km link.

     

    3692225837?profile=original

     

    Do not forget that using IP links, it is easy to design point to multipoint setups, so that there is no limits in the distance range, if you are using many access point on the ground linked by internet or by radio bridges.

     

  • The problem will be the range of a wifi device :/

     

  • Developer

    Yes i think that the most adapted devices are Mikrotik RouterBOARD SXT, because they have integrated dual polarisation antenna and USB serial port.

     

    Circular polarisation is interesting to avoid fading for moving targets.


    It is a 5.4 Ghz enhanced wifi device with TDM protocol support and AES128 encryption.

    The cost is about 60 euro each side of the link.

     

    It is possible to get 200 Mbps bandwith in optimal conditions. Obviously there is enough bandwith for HD video and high speed telemetry.

     

    Dimensions and weight :

     

    140x140x56mm, 265g

     

    Removing the plastic enclosure it is possible to nicely reduce the weight.

     

    Ubiquity as nice devices as well, but they don't have an USB port to my knowledge.

  • Developer
    JMD45 do you have a sample product, that would be used in the rc enviroment? Like most things, its very possibly, but cost and actualy products wil lbe the down fall.
  • Developer

     

    Chris, there are many devices able to create an IP link, from Wifi to Wimax and proprietary protocols. Obviously Wifi is less expensive and is available in many different frequency bands, from 180 MHz to 5.4 Ghz.

     

    Using such a device, it is easy to integrate all streams you need in the same radio link. For cameras, the simpler is to use IP cameras, as they have native Ethernet connection. For telemetry, you can connect the serial port of the APM to the radio device, and translate to a TCP connection to get it back at the ground station with a virtual serial port emulator, or eventually directly inside the ground station if it is able to accept a TCP stream instead of a serial port input for telemetry.

     

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