- Sun Mar 20, 2011 5:00 am
#123216
Want to build your own autopilot? it`s vary easy.
So what steps to do autopilot ? I go along this plan:
1. Idea to build autopilot.
2. Read Internet about same projects, what sensors thay use. read more the better)))
3. Select sensors and hardware platform you whant to use (I select Arduino Mega(1280/2560), MAX7456, LYPR540AH, MPXV5004DP, SCP1000_D01, HMC5843, ADXL335)
4. buy breakout boards with sensors you need.
5. build first prototype with prototype board, breakout boards, kilometers of wire and some resistors and capasitors 6. write code to drive this. if somethig wrong , go to step 5 and rebuild. because of wires you can see thick places of your design (witch lines must be as short as posibl and other - noize and osciloscope your friends here)
7. when all looks good go to some cad (for example eagle) and draw schematics and layout of second prototype. be careful, this prototype must fly))) 8. prepare gerber files, select pcb fabric and order prototype PCB (I select custompcb.com, 1 week production, 1week delivery witjh fedex) 9. By all chips, smd caps, resistors and other
10. solder pcb, ideal there are 2 steps 1) solder smd 2) solder header and thruhole components and headers (in my case 5 steps : solder caps/resistors with hot plate, reballing chip places and chips, solder chips with hot air, solder barometric chip with hotplate, solder thruhole components and headers, but all this can done with only two steps, pcb say thanks to you:) make pcb hot as less times as posible))
11. write code to test all sensors of the board (in my case all sensors was working without problem, but i found one bug in PCB design, so i cut one trace )
12. Final and most dificult step - write firmware for your own self-made autopilot board
So. my autopilot have this features:
1. 9DoF sensors for AHRS (3x gyros, 3x accelerometer, 3x magnetometer sensors)
2. airspeed sensor
3. barometric altitude sensor
4. OSD for FPV flight
5. 8 ppm inputs (from standart hobby RC reciever)
6. 8 ppm outputs (to standart hobby servo/motor driver)
7. 3.7/2.8 power regulator (can used with telit gsm\gps module)
8. 2.8V USART (can be used with telit gsm\gps module)
9. 3x 5V USART for telemetry, debug or something alse.
10. 3.3/5V I2C bus (for aditional axternal sensors)
11. 3.3/5V SPI bus (for aditional external sensors)
12. posibility to make extension board (all arduino mega pins have headers on top and bottom of shild)
13. opensource hardware design/software
Sorry for my vary bad english)))
good luk in your projects
So what steps to do autopilot ? I go along this plan:
1. Idea to build autopilot.
2. Read Internet about same projects, what sensors thay use. read more the better)))
3. Select sensors and hardware platform you whant to use (I select Arduino Mega(1280/2560), MAX7456, LYPR540AH, MPXV5004DP, SCP1000_D01, HMC5843, ADXL335)
4. buy breakout boards with sensors you need.
5. build first prototype with prototype board, breakout boards, kilometers of wire and some resistors and capasitors 6. write code to drive this. if somethig wrong , go to step 5 and rebuild. because of wires you can see thick places of your design (witch lines must be as short as posibl and other - noize and osciloscope your friends here)
7. when all looks good go to some cad (for example eagle) and draw schematics and layout of second prototype. be careful, this prototype must fly))) 8. prepare gerber files, select pcb fabric and order prototype PCB (I select custompcb.com, 1 week production, 1week delivery witjh fedex) 9. By all chips, smd caps, resistors and other
10. solder pcb, ideal there are 2 steps 1) solder smd 2) solder header and thruhole components and headers (in my case 5 steps : solder caps/resistors with hot plate, reballing chip places and chips, solder chips with hot air, solder barometric chip with hotplate, solder thruhole components and headers, but all this can done with only two steps, pcb say thanks to you:) make pcb hot as less times as posible))
11. write code to test all sensors of the board (in my case all sensors was working without problem, but i found one bug in PCB design, so i cut one trace )
12. Final and most dificult step - write firmware for your own self-made autopilot board
So. my autopilot have this features:
1. 9DoF sensors for AHRS (3x gyros, 3x accelerometer, 3x magnetometer sensors)
2. airspeed sensor
3. barometric altitude sensor
4. OSD for FPV flight
5. 8 ppm inputs (from standart hobby RC reciever)
6. 8 ppm outputs (to standart hobby servo/motor driver)
7. 3.7/2.8 power regulator (can used with telit gsm\gps module)
8. 2.8V USART (can be used with telit gsm\gps module)
9. 3x 5V USART for telemetry, debug or something alse.
10. 3.3/5V I2C bus (for aditional axternal sensors)
11. 3.3/5V SPI bus (for aditional external sensors)
12. posibility to make extension board (all arduino mega pins have headers on top and bottom of shild)
13. opensource hardware design/software
Sorry for my vary bad english)))
good luk in your projects
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