Ongoing Ideas

[bradleyk]

I will keep this thread updated with on going ideas,
just post your idea, in this thread, if you want to discuss an idea make a new thread with a post here linking to your thread

Failsafe.
altitude hold.
gps

indoor flying sensors, (bumb,height)
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=18

Heading Hold
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=17

[VladZ]

I did failsafe mode on my TriWii clone...
There are 3 types of rx's. First one - simple, stops PPM stream when rc link is lost.
Second type is partial fail-safe, rx will continue PPM stream but throttle channel will be put at "low stick".
Third type - you can program any channel to response what ever...

I am using third type of rc rx. So to do it my way, you just need rx with ability to set fail-safe setting on channel. I am using AUX1 channel for it... In my rx, I have programmed AUX1 to have a high level when rc signal is lost, so when controller sees high level on AUX1 for more then 3 sec it disarm motors.

I have added this code in RX processing loop (it is executed every 0.02 sec)

if (rcData[AUX1] > 1700) {
lostRC++;
} else {
lostRC = 0;
}
if (lostRC > 150) //if RC signal is lost for 3 sec, stop motors
armed = 0;

In case of simple fail-safe, ( when throttle stick set to low ) just lower limit on MINTHROTTLE - lower then MINTHROTTLE signal will stop motors.

In case if rx does not have fail-safe feature there should be kind of timer implementation which will monitor delays between PPM frames, but this can be unreliable due to RF noise etc. Other thing is to get RSSI signal out of rx and connect it to AD input of arduino.

Well, all in all it's just easier to get some rx with at least some partial fail-safe function.

[spagoziak]

I have my type 3 rx (in this case the tiny spektrum ar6100)set to run throttle at about 40% and auto level channel turned on so the craft will lower to the ground, leveled. Gonna come down pretty fast & hard but better than falling out of the sky.

[VladZ]

I don't think AR6100 is type 3... it's type 2, when you can program only throttle channel.

Well, anyway, I would not put it down with 40% of throttle, because you have no control over the landing site... imaging it will hit something (or somebody) and will still have motors running at 40% of rpm.

Better shut motors off completely and let it be a brick.

[Alexinparis]

I think most 2.4gHz receivers are type 1, 2 or 3.

But for other 35/40/41/72 mHz receivers, there is a "type 4": signal is an anarchical low and high state stream. It's at least the case with old R700 receivers from Graupner.

[spagoziak]

I don't think AR6100 is type 3... it's type 2, when you can program only throttle channel.

Well, anyway, I would not put it down with 40% of throttle, because you have no control over the landing site... imaging it will hit something (or somebody) and will still have motors running at 40% of rpm.

Better shut motors off completely and let it be a brick.

If we lose control of the radio link, we don't have control of its landing site anyway. With some throttle, it'll land flat and somewhat heavy onto whatever's below. If the throttle's off, it'll tumble and likely hit whatever's below at a much faster speed. I had a motor shut off on me from 35 feet once (bad hk bullet connectors) and the impact was so forceful that one of the aluminum arms on my Jakub frame broke in half, and two others bent severely. I tried straightening them out by hand... they're impressively strong. This tells me that dumping a 1000g quad from 35 feet is really going to ruin whatever's below, unless those props are allowed to help a bit.

[BrokenRotor]

What does everyone think about using the compass for heading control? For a QUAD/HEX/OCTO this would help beginners ordinate their crafts without regard to which way is forward. Whatever direction the craft is flying is now forward, the pitch/roll stick is always the same control, yaw direction is only needed to stop the rotations of the craft.

[IceWind]

That can be a interesting idea specially for FPV.
For acro mode it would totally messed the usage.