TrainingSphere - 8 - Frame completed

23 Aug 2015

Today I completed the wiring of the TrainingSphere. The final result is shown in picture

As you can see, I finally made the decision the use the Emlib Navio+ board. This is a really challenging project I want to continue to develop even after the end of this design challenge, so I invested some money in a piece of hardware that is reliable and tested enough to make me develop applications that run in the Raspberry environment and interact with the APM platform. Possibilities are really endless compared with "closed" solutions like pixhawk and ardupilot

Anyway, next steps will include

1. Parameters settings

2. Compass calibration

3. Accelerometer calibration

4. Radio calibration

and finally... first flight (hoepfully)

After that, the plan is the add the optical flow sensor for making the sphere able to loiter in an indoor enviroment

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screamingtiger over 9 years ago

Im curious, maybe I missed it, but what is the Raspberry Pi doing? I see the Navio connected to it but not sure what function it does. Thanks!
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balearicdynamics over 9 years ago in reply to screamingtiger

I suppose that manages the entire system, servos, speeds and all the data excluded by Navio that should be processes, especially the hardware control. Navio itself is controlled by The Raspberry PI. Take a look to this link: http://www.emlid.com

Enrico
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screamingtiger over 9 years ago in reply to balearicdynamics

It doesn't manage the servos, the Navio does that, I think its like my setup where the Pi will send the Navio the PWM signals in place of the receiver from the transmitter. So it will monitor the position and send corrections is my guess.

I am interested to see how stable the PWM signal will be coming off the Pi. I use the chipkit pi for this very reason as typically anything PWM needs a real time system. Hardware based PWM cannot be used since the range is too small.

I am using the Pi to read 2 PWM channels but I don't need precise resolution, the PWM just goes from the Min to Max with a switch on my radio, so the chance of a "delay" from the OS shouldn't be more than a millisecond, if it is I have an issue! Most delays I have seen are in the microsecond range, but this will cause issues trying to hold a servo at a precise location.

Interested!
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screamingtiger over 9 years ago in reply to screamingtiger

BTW cool frame, and I LOVE this concept of the training sphere. I had considered it.
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balearicdynamics over 9 years ago in reply to screamingtiger

It is true, Joey, I have included the servos and motors but this is - together with the GPS if I am not wrong - a part managed by the Navio board. Interesting your question about the PWM indeed. I remember you come crazy (and me too) connecting the ChipKit PI to the PI

Enrico
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amgalbu over 9 years ago in reply to screamingtiger

Hi Joey
Enrico is right
I think the real-time version of raspian available for download at emlid.com may solve your problems
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amgalbu over 9 years ago in reply to screamingtiger

Hi Joey
Enrico is right
I think the real-time version of raspian available for download at emlid.com may solve your problems
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screamingtiger over 9 years ago in reply to amgalbu

LOL I should of just bought the Navio board. Its basically what I made with the raspberry pi and chipkit pi.
OH well. I had fun.
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screamingtiger over 9 years ago in reply to amgalbu

I am not seeing an image for Raspberry Pi 2....
Did you find one?
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amgalbu over 9 years ago in reply to screamingtiger

Sorry, I'm not with you. Which image are you talking about?
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screamingtiger over 9 years ago in reply to amgalbu

Real time Raspian, didn't you have to install it for your project?
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amgalbu over 9 years ago in reply to screamingtiger

Yes, it's available here
http://docs.emlid.com/Downloads/Real-time-Linux-RPi2/

BTW, I initially wanted to use the Raspberry Pi board, but the image provided does not boot at all. Don't know why...
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