662 replies to this topic

[Brian]

Is there currently support (or at least planned support) for sonic range sensors for more accurate altitude near the ground?  Actually, given my recent battle with the ceiling, I might need one top and bottom!

[K Wells]

Brian, I believe the Revo was designed to be Modular....We also have a OP GPS board in its 7th revision..it is close too...So, I would say yes, in a modular board...but Like everything else...coding is the real delay....

[Spydmobile]

Brian, on 26 January 2012 - 05:30 PM, said:

Is there currently support (or at least planned support) for sonic range sensors for more accurate altitude near the ground?  Actually, given my recent battle with the ceiling, I might need one top and bottom!

Ignorant here, but I hope so, I want to use an array of them
Franco

[dankers]

Brian, on 26 January 2012 - 05:30 PM, said:

Is there currently support (or at least planned support) for sonic range sensors for more accurate altitude near the ground?  Actually, given my recent battle with the ceiling, I might need one top and bottom!

HAHA, top and bottom, I did not factor a top one in. So yeap as a sonar input and it is designed to support the cheap ones that are around $15 if I recall correctly, it has a special port for it. Also if you really want a 2nd one you could use a serial sonar as well, Revo has lots of serial port, never have enough serial ports

[Dado]

What can i say what already hasn't been said, i'll just say that beeing a part of OpenPilot community is a blessing for a hobbiest like me.
Community is awesome and very supportive, developers share the same passion as little flyer as me and they don't settle for less, always takeing time and effort to deliver the ultimate flying expiriance for all the ppl.  

Seriously i couldn't ask for more, not even in my crazyest hobbiest dream.

OpenPilot is a dream comeing true and it stands for a lot more than what meets the eye, i'm loveing it!!

[K Wells]

Well said...

[Igor van Airde]

Hi guys, great work! For me this looks like the most promising free software "build a multirotor controller" project I have ever seen!

Two months ago, I bought an ArduCopter board, because it was the only hardware from a big project that was aviable to customers easily. Buying a paparazzi Lisa/M or a CC was not possible at this time. As I got the board I had to change the control structure a bit to get sufficient results on my Tricopter. But I also want to test flight controllers of other big projects.

Now I'm on a point that I want to manufacture prototypes of Lisa/M or CC by hand, to get an advanced flight controller to play around and hopefully improove the software.  But as I read above, I can have troubles with the gyro of the CC? How many percent of the gyros are affected?
I'm also thinking of trying the Revo. Are the EAGLE files in the GIT repository up to date? Is it possible to reproduce the results from your video with these files or is the actual hardware version not released at all? I like your approach that you dont want to give beta boards to the end users, but I have to criticize that it becomes also harder for potential developers to join. If I build prototypes I waste money that I would more like to give to your project instead.

As I read, the project has just enough money to keep it running, but not much more. Is there a way to make donations to help this project? Or have you ever thought of something like crowd funding, for example on http://www.kickstarter.com/ ?  The Quadshod project did it like this, now they start a bussiness on it. Don't get me wrong, I really like the free and non commercial aspect of OP, but if having to less money slows you down, think of something like donations or crowd funding!

So could you tell me which hardware I should reproduce for myself to have a good start? (I studied electrical engineering, know basics of feedback control systems and did already smaller embedded hardware and software projects. So I'm not afraid of beta hardware or software.)

Regards, Igor

[peabody124]

Hey Igor.  Thanks for the compliments - we're pretty proud of our software.

Great to have you.  People with controls experience are always extremely welcome.  CC files are in altium but the original beta hardware was in Eagle.  However, that's the "beta" hardware which means a separate ahrs and main board which is currently deprecated in favor of revo.  In fact all the code for that is deleted in my latest source trees and this will be merged to next shortly so I would highly recommend not making that design.

Revo files will be released when the hardware is publiclly sold, but we've had enough hassle with cloners etc that unfortunately the files will stay private until then.

As for availability of boards, developers always get preferential access as this drives our development - so please start poking around in the code and suggesting patches!

[K Wells]

Welcome to Open Pilot, Igor

My recommendation would be to PM Dankers, talk to him about your skill sets, get involved with the Project by helping...I have found by experience here....making yourself available, taking the bull by the horns, and delivering selflessly to the Project...can reap tremendous rewards. Those with integrity and honesty do very well here

[Spydmobile]

Welcome to our community Igor!
Franco

[dezent]

I had a really bad day today with mail servers full of spam and some kid trying to ddos our service provider...
And then i find this
i can't wait to have revo on my heli!
Will it fit the Trex 500? I've been thinking about flying my Gaui X5 with CC lately but i
could save it for the revo

Thank you for the update!

[dankers]

Quote

Will it fit the Trex 500?

It has the same width as the CC, the CC form factor in part came about so it would fit in the standard gyro location of a T-Rex 500, so yeap for sure it will fit on a T-Rex 500.

[ahds]

Thanks for the update! And many thanks for the first video! It helped, setting my budget for the next versions of cc:
Watching the video, "somebody" looking over my shoulder said: "...so this is a new device for ventilating used beds in the morning?!? We should buy one for each bedroom..."
I said: "Yes! And the new versions will even save our money as we would need just ONE. The new autopilot will find all critical sleeping spots automatically and ventilate them!"
Well, our household hedge fund is now covering all future cc-boards, options and features!

Great job! Thanks to all developers and to the excellent marketing approach!

[z-axis]

ahds, on 27 January 2012 - 01:52 AM, said:

Watching the video, "somebody" looking over my shoulder said: "...so this is a new device for ventilating used beds in the morning?!? We should buy one for each bedroom..."
I said: "Yes! And the new versions will even save our money as we would need just ONE. The new autopilot will find all critical sleeping spots automatically and ventilate them!"

Perhaps my wife would apprecite such a feature. I'll make my Revo quad activate via alarm clock, or better integrate some olefactory sensor for clearing the sheets without the dutch oven fluff move.

[vantasstic]

Wow...this is interesting stuff.  I've loved my CC boards...got four of them now.  I just bought a (more than twice the price) DJI Naza board and it's not half of what the CC is...it does have a good altitude hold though.  I'm certainly not smart enough to code, develop, etc. these things.  I am sure impressed with those of you who can.  I look forward to future developement of the Revo board.  I love the idea of releasing it when it's ready (unlike the XAircraft FC that's been a pain since release of their GPS/mag sensor).  I'll gladly wait for the Revo to be release and will fight tooth and nail with others trying to get one.  Keep up the good work OP gurus.  I'll be here anxiously, but patiently, waiting!!!!

[lspphoto]

This sounds really exciting. Brutal honesty rather than fluffy marketing woffle wins you lots of points dankers!

vantasstic, on 27 January 2012 - 03:17 AM, said:

got four of them now.  

Well the obvious question would be how have you managed that when there are plenty of people who have missed out on getting 1?!

Edited by lspphoto, 27 January 2012 - 03:55 AM.

[fredz69]

Dadorcp, on 26 January 2012 - 06:38 PM, said:

What can i say what already hasn't been said, i'll just say that beeing a part of OpenPilot community is a blessing for a hobbiest like me.
Community is awesome and very supportive, developers share the same passion as little flyer as me and they don't settle for less, always takeing time and effort to deliver the ultimate flying expiriance for all the ppl.  

Seriously i couldn't ask for more, not even in my crazyest hobbiest dream.

OpenPilot is a dream comeing true and it stands for a lot more than what meets the eye, i'm loveing it!!

Very true Dadorcp

Fantastic news, you guys at Open Pilot just keep raising the bar

So glad I joined the Open Pilot community

[AlPackin]

lspphoto, on 27 January 2012 - 03:44 AM, said:

Well the obvious question would be how have you managed that when there are plenty of people who have missed out on getting 1?!

It was much easier to get them back before the word spread about how good they are

[jes1111]

<-- "speechless with admiration"

[Spydmobile]

lspphoto, on 27 January 2012 - 03:44 AM, said:

This sounds really exciting. Brutal honesty rather than fluffy marketing woffle wins you lots of points dankers!


Well the obvious question would be how have you managed that when there are plenty of people who have missed out on getting 1?!

Van set up a tent outside the US distributors door, and camped out every time
Franco