MultiWii

Tommie

This happens if the UI requests data faster than the copter can transmit the answers back. Increasing the TX buffer should work, and so should increasing the threshold in the other code block you mentioned. Increasing the required free space makes sure that the transmit buffer has drained enough bef...

Tommie

Funny. Considering what a bloody discussion it was whether freeing RAM is worth sacrificing flash, no one is actually interested in reclaiming that.

Tommie

Since my patch regarding boxitems (viewtopic.php?f=8&t=2107 using an enum instead of #defines) has been applied (although somewhat changed: http://code.google.com/p/multiwii/source/detail?r=1003), I had to rebase this patchset; it has already been done, please check: https://github.com/wertarbyte/multiwii- ... x_channels

Tommie

Tommie

itain wrote:The paradigm of OOP requires both encapsulation and inheritance.
Some encapsulation can be achieved by using static variables in C (scope is limited to a single file).

I agree. Proper namespacing would makes things much easier, be it via classes or ye olde file scope (static).

Tommie

In Output.ino, initialization of PWM_PIN is using A2 etc. that is not supported by C. Arduino pin numbers are currently used as parameters for pinMode and attachInterrupt. These are mixed with uses of actual ports. I suggest to replace all uses of pinMode with proper assignments to DDRx registers a...

Tommie

Take a look at this patch: viewtopic.php?f=8&t=1933
It can increase the number of AUX switches as well as change the number of steps in each channel.

Tommie

That's simple. Since our reference if the Arduino IDE, we are clearly using C++, with whatever standard Arduino passes to gcc.

Tommie

What would MSP_INIT actually do? At the moment, the communication is stateless - every request is processed without context.

Tommie

2. Arduino compiles C files without the -std=gnuc99 options. Statements like for(uint8_t i=0... are invalid. Must move the definitions of the iterator outside the for loop. I done it in some places (maybe missed some). I refuse to touch some functions in LCD.h which are _)(*&%**&^%* That's ...

Tommie

https://github.com/itain/multiwii-firmware/commit/b59e11fbb8d03a6a32f53fce6bcc8b274efc2818 Hm, the premise of this patch/branch is a bit off, renaming the file to .c might break a lot of things since Arduino code is actually C++ and not plain C. I have to admit that I personally like the declaratio...

Tommie

You don't have to explicitely join, just publish your code on github; feel free to oin our IRC channel #multiwii on Freenode, most of the crowd is hanging out there.

Tommie

Some time ago, we had a discussion whether to store flags in form of a single bit or an entire byte. Storing them as a bit saves RAM but occupies flash, so I created this patch to allow a quick transition between the two variants; therefore, each user can pick his own poison.

https://github.com/wertarbyte/multiwii- ... s_bitfield

Tommie

So you have never used the debug[] variables to display arbitrary data in the GUI? Transporting strings from copter to GUI is just an extension of this mechanism. I can give you an example: My data transfer framework, I am manipulating various copter systems, e.g. switching AUX channels, activating ...

Tommie

If you are using bluetooth, you cannot connect to the rfcomm device until the bluetooth connection has been established - which takes a few seconds and can only be done after applying power to the board. So once your GUI is ready to send and receive data, it's probably already to late and the debug ...

Tommie

this is a debug message while doing some dev work .. not a user freindly message to be send other a twitter account , we dont mind if the message is lost . But if I am the developer, I *do* want to see that message. It's the reason I added it there, e.g. for debugging some sensor initialization. Th...

Tommie

I consider an unaware GUI must be used only with the 4x3 states, no other combination. This does work. This is what the compatibility code ensures. But the copter has to distinguish aware and unaware clients from each other - e.g. by different request codes (MSP_BOX vs. MSP_AUX). Blindly delivering...

Tommie

A debug message is a kind of unsolicited message, so no need to ask for it and multiwii can output it continually. The current implementation is perfectly compatible with this principle. So if I print a debug message during startup (for whatever reason) and don't have my GUI already connected (thin...

Tommie

Hamburger wrote:
If you don't want/like/use this stuff, just don't #define DEBUGMSG.

That aspect I like a lot.

So there's something for everyone to enjoy.

Tommie

So you showed no TX offering a 6way switch. aprt from your homebrew hardware. Didn't I just post a picture of a TX with an 6way switch? Didn't some other people in this thread tell hat they are actually using such a device? Obscure hardware as in led.flasher? Very obscure. It's called an "LED&...

Tommie

For each item, you just have to select the right number of 8bit var needed and order bits in this order (n AUX, m states): AUX1.1 AUX1.2 ... AUX1.m AUX2.1 ... AUX2.m ... AUXn.m. With the message AUX_COUNT, the aware GUIs will know what to interpret, and the unaware GUIs won't see the difference. Ac...

Tommie

does this mean from now on we are going to see the code cluttered with stuff like debugmsg_append_str("initialization completed\n"); No, it means that you can place such messages into the code to debug your stuff without breaking the GUI communication. But why does that have to go to a GU...

Tommie

I stand by what I said: Which TX offers 6way zwitching? - a pot does not provide 6 distinguishable states. I could be pedantic and either state that due to the use of an ADC, most pots provide up to 2^10 distinguishable states, or that even a non-discrete space provides an infinite number of distin...

Tommie

Why? What is the advantage of that? I wrote it: no need to consider 2 types of MSP messages In the long run, MSP_BOX should be superseeded by MSP_AUX since MSP_BOX cannot handle any configuration other than 4*3 at all. Having both messages is a gateway, not a permanent solution. This is not what I ...

Tommie

This poses a danger in low memory situations This should not happen now. We had this discussion before. It should not happen, but it might happen. I've just talked to someone who encountered random checkbox settings after flashing 2.1; in his case, it only affected the GPS row, but if it had been A...

Tommie

But this is the way every other communication with the GUI works. The GUI requests data, the copter responds. Changing that will cause problems. The TX buffer is a ring buffer, which means that flooding it with debug data will overwrite any other information waiting for transmission. If the copter k...

Tommie

From reading the code, I think that inflight calibration is not affected by this changeset. Only the actual (dis)arming of the copter by using the AUX matrix is prohibited.

Tommie

Any TX that has an analog pot connected to an AUX channel offers 6way switching. And as I already said, no one is taking anything away from you. If you are completely satisfied with 4*3 AUX states, just keep using that. Other people might want to have more options, and I'd be glad if Multiwii would ...

Tommie

I'm only using 3 pos switches. But if you've read this thread, you might have notice that other people are actually using 6 pos switches. If you don't like using a 6 pos switch, don't use it. Stick to 3 states per channel, nothing is taken away from you. But if anyone else wants to use 4, 5, 6 or 20...

Tommie

Just rebased: https://github.com/wertarbyte/multiwii- ... /debug_msg
Any more feedback?

Tommie

m This neutral patch transforms the BOXACC/BOXMAG/... defines into an enumeration; this maes it possible to leave the actual counting to the compiler while being able to add and remove items; since the number of switchables is (still) limited, this makes it possible to remove unused items and replac...

Tommie

Multiwii provides the capability to arm the copter using an AUX switch. This poses a danger in low memory situations: Although the function itself is rarely used (everyone I know use the TX sticks to arm), flipping a single bit in the AUX matrix engages the engines - something that can happen accide...

Tommie

The AUX channels in my ultra-cheap TX were analog pots. Replacing them with a 6pos switch should pose no trouble, probably even more steps are well possible.

Tommie

In the current implementation, There is a 2x8 bit variable for each item, and 4 bits are unused per item. First 8 bits: AUX1L AUX1M AUX1H AUX2L AUX2M AUX2H AUX3L AUX3M second 8 bits: AUX3H AUX4L AUX4M AUX4H I am aware f the current implementation. In your implementation, you select the right number...

Tommie

Look at these defines: #define LED_FLASHER_SEQUENCE ( (uint8_t) (1<<0 | 1<<2) ) #define LED_FLASHER_SEQUENCE_ARMED ( (uint8_t) (1<<0 | 1<<2) ) #define LED_FLASHER_SEQUENCE_MAX ( (uint8_t) (1<<0 | 1<<2) ) The funny looking stuff to the right is an 8 bit binary number; the lowest (1<<0) and the third-...

Tommie

Just rebased the entire patch set to the latest code:
https://github.com/wertarbyte/multiwii- ... x_channels
https://github.com/wertarbyte/multiwii- ... x_channels
I'd appreciate any type of feedback. Having working patches lying around for weeks without any actual reaction feels quite uncomfortable.

Tommie

Do you want to open source it?

Tommie

I am neither familiar with the Flydumega board nor the Arduino "Mega", but judging from the pictures, there are plenty of digital output pins available, just pick any of them (e.g. D30). I don't understand why Arduino uses a completely useless naming scheme for the pins, but refer to the p...

Tommie

Because I only want to fill the transmit buffer if the GUI actually requests debug messages. Placing debug strings in the TX buffer without actually having a request for them might corrupt other GUI messages due to overflow.

Tommie

Exactly. Concentrating on a single clone would certainly the best choice.

Tommie

For anyone wanting to try out git with Multiwii, I'm keeping my repository at https://github.com/wertarbyte/multiwii-firmware in sync with the official svn (the branch upstream_shared is updated constantly). So if you want to give it a spin, just clone the repository and start contributing. The same goes for the gui: https://github.com/wertarbyte/multiwii-conf

Tommie

I don't now about the flyduino board, but locate the appropiate pins (as indicated in the config) on your ATMega controller: http://arduino.cc/it/Hacking/PinMapping168

Then connect a transistor to it: http://www.mikrocontroller.net/articles ... er_Last.3F
Don't forget to include the necessary resistors, then wire the LEDs up to the transistor (used as an amplifying switch).

Tommie

Another thing: Since git branches are lightweight and local, one can use them for debugging. This prevents debugging code from slipping into production releases, making it necessary to silenty fix it and replace the archive file without incrementing its version number.

Tommie

Transmit debug messages from copter to GUI.
Patch is already available: https://github.com/wertarbyte/multiwii- ... 08832afd6e

Tommie

Configurable number of AUX channels with a configurable number of steps.
Patch is already available: https://github.com/wertarbyte/multiwii- ... x_channels
GUI: https://github.com/wertarbyte/multiwii- ... x_channels

Tommie

[*] Lower entrance barrier for contributions. Using SVN it's very inconvenient for new developers without commit rights to work on a new feature or larger code change, as checkpointing your work requires commit access to the central repository. Managing a patch without being able to commit makes it...

Tommie

How about giving this a test spin now that 2.1 is released?
I've been using it for several weeks now (8 AUX channels), works fine for me; only the GUI needs some makeover to to the number of checkboxes.

Tommie

What about merging it now that 2.1 is out?

Tommie

Here's a short video of my TX with the new LCD: m The top row shows the state of the 8 traditional channels, why the second row alternates between the state of digitally transmitted switch states (^-v--^), the compass orientation of the TX (180°) and a clock indicating the time since switching on th...

Tommie

I'm still waiting for my accelerometer, but in the meantime I was able to fit an LCD to the transmitter:

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