I've finally perfected the X-Plane HIL for Ardupilot. This will be a feature on 2.6.3 which will be in beta today.
Flying Waypoints:
Here is missed waypoint detection: (I nudged the plane at the last second with the radio to miss the WPs.)
Here is fully auto take off and landing:
Here is the video of auto takeoff and landing:
Xplane and Ardupilot from Jason Short on Vimeo.
If you want to try this out you have to use some software to glue this all together.
Serproxy - used to talk serial to Ardupilot
Perl - to link Serproxy and X-Plane using "X-Plane.pl"
X-Plane 9 (the free version works fine, but it time limited)
I've only tested this on a Mac, so if anyone can try this on a PC, please let me know of changes to make, if any.
In the config header you will see a new ground station called GCS_Xplane (3). You must also use GPS_protocol 3 for ArduIMU.
Here is the Perl file:X-Plane.pl
Here is Windows Serproxy - Windows
Here is Mac Serproxy - Mac
in the config set:
newlines_to_nils=true
comm_baud=38400
Then set the com port accordingly
Go ahead and download 2.6.3 from the SVN. I'll post a beta soon as a download.
Moving forward I'd like to replace the Perl/Serproxy combination with a single C or Python based solution. If anyone can help, that would make it so much easier to set up!
Bonus:
Comments
Can you post the source code as well?
Nathaniel
I have written a serial to xplanes program in c# it can be downloaded from http://vps.oborne.me/Ardupilot2Xplanes.exe
Its based on the 2.7 code
http://gitorious.org/ron-s-hanger/easystar-rc/trees/master
Thank u !
"I have ordered my X-Plane from Laminar, it is already on the way containing 6-7 double layer DVD's of scenery databank of almost all the globe. "
I have it.
They have EVERYTHING depicted accurately... except your local airport. And the next closest local airport. And the next closest (who cares about an arport that cannot accomodate a Boeing or two?). And except the record flight airport you would like to takeoff from. LAX is superb. Then your local plains with 1 house every 200m turn out to have Arizona looks, and Paris suburbs gain Chicago layout...
At the end you can 'simulate' a flight around top overcrowded city centers, and nowhere else.
Because for merely Google Earth accuracy you would need Terabytes.
Looking forward to implementing some of your ideas.
http://diydrones.com/profiles/blogs/position-amp-wind-extended
http://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?app=downloads&showcat=60
Thanks for FlightGear Sim setup info, I agree that Sim testing is preferred to UAV flying away or into the ground. HW in loop can reveal any goofy behavior with little risk to equipment or people. I have flown FG with Rascal_110 in past using Jean-Louis Naudin's AP 2.47 AP and ArduFGControl 1.1 glue code on a HP laptop with Nvidia graphics. It worked great. but I could not get it going with AP 2.6
I have not flown ArduPilot 2.6_2 in the air since March due to not trusting my code or PID settings, but with Jason's new AP in loop Sim I can verify that I don't have up and down swapped, and PIDs are set pretty close. I have X-Plane 9 and prefer to run it on my MacBookPro.
Thank You Jason, keep the great updates & utilities coming...