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Pitlab.com OSD & Autopilot launched

The OSD (On Screen Display) is an instrument that provides the pilot with navigation information helping him to conduct a safe and conscious FPV (First Person View) flight. The information are imposed on an image from on-board camera, giving more control over the RC model and facilitating safe return to base.

OSD displays all key information about  model:

  • GPS position and time,
  • altitude and speed over ground in metric or imperial units,
  • course (CMG) and number of visible satellites,
  • distance and direction to base,
  • current, voltage and consumed energy for electric planes,
  • way-points near to plane.

OSD with autopilot it can display additional information about:

  • artificial horizon,
  • barometric altitude,
  • variometer (also provide acoustic vario signal),
  • magnetic heading (compass).

With OSD FPV flights are safer. Pilot knows where he is and know way to home even in unknown terrain. The OSD with artificial horizon allow to continue flight in conditions of reduced visibility, for example in the cloud or at night. It also works as user interface for configuring autopilot. It displays menu and allow to choose between many options using included keyboard (locally) or RC channel (remotely).

OSD supports PAL and NTSC standards. The system automatically detects transmission standard from on-board camera and adjusts the information system. In case of loss of the signal from the camera, OSD continues to generate in the video standard in which the camera worked, allowing you  to complete the IFR flight according to the instruments

The UAV Autopilot is the safety part of FPV system. It offer IMU based stabilization of the plane in hard conditions, flight through the waypoints and automatic return to base in case of RC link lost. UAV Autopilot offer 3 flying modes activated with free RC channel:

  • Transparent mode (OFF), where signals from RC are redirected to servos
  • Stabilization mode (STAB), where flight is automatically stabilized. User using his RC set desired angles of pitch and roll ordering to the autopilot to keep them
  • Autonomous mode (AUTO), where autopilot continue flight to the next waypoint without user input.

Autopilot offer many mixers to allow wide choice of flying platform. Actually it support settings:

  • Classic T
  • Ailerons on 1 or 2 channels
  • Flying wing
  • V-tail or reversed V-tail
  • Reverse on aileron, elevator and rudder

RC Autopilot can be configured using OSD. It displays menus with option to choose. Configuration can be done also in flight. http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1811191

A friend has one but we haven't flown with it yet, looks good though.

Views: 3476

Comment by Pitlab on January 17, 2013 at 10:18am

Hello Graham

I had a plan post info here few days later, but you do it first. Any way thanks for publishing.

Comment by Tilman Baumann on January 17, 2013 at 10:20am

Nice hardware integration, but who needs yet another closed source autopilot software?

Comment by Pitlab on January 17, 2013 at 10:50am

This system is dedicated for FPV flyers, especially who perform long flights. In that kind of flight is easy to lost RC signal. Autopilot give a chance to recover from this situation. Main product is OSD, Autopilot is only add on.

Below both boards together (OSD on bottom and AP on top):


Moderator Comment by Graham Dyer on January 17, 2013 at 11:28am

Sorry if I jumped the gun, Pitlab, but thought it looks like a great system, can't wait to try it out. :)

As you stated, the main product is the OSD, the Autopilot is an add-on and a great way of doing safer FPV flights with minimum worry. I changed the post to add the OSD part.

Comment by Pitlab on January 17, 2013 at 1:37pm

Don't worry and thank you for updating information about OSD. :-)

Comment by ECODRONES on January 17, 2013 at 8:12pm

Really nice!

This AP can read how many WP? Autonomous Landing and Takeoff works? What flight plane software I could use?

Thanks in advance!

Comment by Zbigniew Bigaj on January 17, 2013 at 11:58pm

Frankly speaking this system is designed mostly for FPV, so UAV capabilities are to some extend limited.

System support so far 9 waypoints at a time, and we use proprietary software (FPV_manager) to manage waypoints using Google maps background.

So far there is no autonomous takeoff and landing feature.

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