9 replies to this topic

[XXL-Wing]

Hi!

Just started an idea i want to share for comments:

I have one old Android Smartphone that i do not use for phoning anymore.

I will try to connect this via Bluetooth to the CC and have it as GPS, Magnetometer and long-range command interface using SMS or GPRS/EDGE/UMTS. Maybe write a special software to do that.

Could also be used as camera :-)

Anybody tried to do that? Comments? Ideas?

cheers
Mike

Edited by XXL-Wing, 16 January 2012 - 01:01 PM.

[D-Lite]

Beside of the weight issue, I like that idea. It would maybe make some sense to remove the battery and power the phone from the main battery via a voltage regulator. Depending on the phone service provider you may most likely not get direct access from the internet to your phone but you can work around this by initiating the connection from the phone and use that channel to send commands back. Their has been a discussion in another thread about maximum altitude you can reach with GSM and it seems to be very limited but highly depends on the antenna setup of your local GSM base stations.

[XXL-Wing]

The idea was mainly about using a smartphone as GPS/MAG and Camera, would be i think a very low-cost solution and could also record to SD and stuff like that. Telemetry and command interface using GPRS or fallback SMS is an addon. Limited in flight altitude, but nearly unlimited in range ;-)

I think a smartphone is not heavier than a camera, and replacing the battery i do not think will help much, because the additional energy you then pay for with a bigger main battery :-)

There are people that tested GSM and stuff in Europe and managed to get up to 500m above ground. Question is: how good is your camera ;-) And: in Europe maximum allowed altitude for model airplanes/copters is 150m... so this should work.

What can be implemented in the smartphone is a check of field quality and transit that back to the ground station, and additionally do not let the copter go higher if in low field strengths.

I will order some bluetooth module to be connected to the CC (any suggestions?) and then do a few tries.

Edited by XXL-Wing, 16 January 2012 - 01:51 PM.

[Fabian]

XXL-Wing, on 16 January 2012 - 01:48 PM, said:

I will order some bluetooth module to be connected to the CC (any suggestions?) and then do a few tries.

not using those myself ( using the 433mhz onces from the wiki) however how about those ?

[XXL-Wing]

Good call, i will try to find out if they can be paired with a smartphone, anybody tried that yet?

[Fabian]

uhm this is just a serial rf modem.. wouldnt pairing require a network stack / protocol  / drivers ?

[D-Lite]

Fabian, on 16 January 2012 - 04:29 PM, said:

uhm this is just a serial rf modem.. wouldnt pairing require a network stack / protocol  / drivers ?

This should be okay. The BT modules connects to the CC via the serial port. The phone needs at BT stack which supports the SPP/RFCOMM profile which any normal BT stack does (apart from iPhone/iPad).
If you don't want to fiddle with BT you could also try to find a serial cable for your phone and connect it directly (after checking that the signal level doesn't exceed 3.3V)

[XXL-Wing]

well most phones today do not have a serial interface anymore.

what i found searching for a solution is this:
http://www.watterott...oduct&info=1534

A Bluetooth module compatible with XBee modules, this is a nice replacement as i already have the adapter board for the XBee modules, so it is just exchanging the boards and you switch from ZigBee to Bluetooth and connect to the phone.

I'll give that a try.

Edited by XXL-Wing, 16 January 2012 - 04:41 PM.

[D-Lite]

XXL-Wing, on 16 January 2012 - 04:41 PM, said:

well most phones today do not have a serial interface anymore.

It's not always obvious that they have one. At least it's worth a quick search. BT though is more universal of course.

XXL-Wing, on 16 January 2012 - 04:41 PM, said:

A Bluetooth module compatible with XBee modules, this is a nice replacement as i already have the adapter board for the XBee modules, so it is just exchanging the boards and you switch from ZigBee to Bluetooth and connect to the phone.

A bit pricy for a Class 2 device but it should do the trick.

[XXL-Wing]

i will try to grab one maybe on embedded world in nürnberg end of february, they sometimes give away such gadgets for free if you are from big companies :-)