19 replies to this topic

[jbw]

I started this over winter break, It's improved since the video, but I've still got a long ways to go. Note also that most of the instability is because I'm a terribly pilot. I've never really flown RC anything.

[Chris Walker]

Very impressive, jbw. I can only imagine what you can do with a bit of native code in there too... BTW, any chance you can post a version without the last few seconds of audio? We'd like to tweet about it and show off your project, but don't want to have to add a language disclaimer Bonus points for a video of the newer more stable version Chris

[jbw]

Sorry about that, I'll edit it when I get the chance...

Unprofessional camera man...

Very impressive, jbw. I can only imagine what you can do with a bit of native code in there too...

BTW, any chance you can post a version without the last few seconds of audio? We'd like to tweet about it and show off your project, but don't want to have to add a language disclaimer

Bonus points for a video of the newer more stable version

Chris

[jbw]

Bonus points for a video of the newer more stable version

Now that I can't do immediately. I'm waiting on more propellers after the power supply came loose and it boomeranged a trashcan.

[Luke Cummings]

Can you offer any details up about your platform?

[jbw]

Bonus points for a video of the newer more stable version

One of the first flights since reworking the orientation algorithm.
I really only tested a few gains since the change, so there is some improvement to be done, but it is already 100x easier to control!

At one point I show it yawing, I then release and it returns to it's original angle.

All code is still managed!

[Brandon G]

great job JBW, PM me when you get a chance

[Jarrod Sinclair]

One of the first flights since reworking the orientation algorithm.
I really only tested a few gains since the change, so there is some improvement to be done, but it is already 100x easier to control!

At one point I show it yawing, I then release and it returns to it's original angle.

All code is still managed!

That is SWEET!!! Good landing and much more stable. Great job!

[hanzibal]

jbw, that's really neat - you mean you built the whole thing yourself, i.e. the bodywork, rc receiver module, motor controllers, etc or did you build onto existing q-copter product?

[jbw]

I chose many of the components (motors/escs/props) based off of the Aeroquad project. I use a Xbee serial radio module to send tilt/heading/control gains. I wrote the gyro/accelerometer/magnetometer drivers, serial commands, PID control, and orientation filter. After a while of trying to write my own quaternion filter, I came across an efficient version I found in C and just converted to C#.

The top video is using Atan tilt approximation with a kalman filter to stabilize, the bottom using the more robust quaternion filter.

jbw, that's really neat - you mean you built the whole thing yourself, i.e. the bodywork, rc receiver module, motor controllers, etc or did you build onto existing q-copter product?

[hanzibal]

Wow, that is impressive! Havn't dealt with filters (like kalman) since school so I'm far too rusty on that to really understand the details here, only enough to be appreciate the efforts you've put into this thing.

[hanzibal]

Btw, a friend of mine has worked a lot with digital neural nervous systems and has a great deal of experience in implementing various digital filters, mostly in C but some in C#. He's a busy man these days, but please let me know if you might need his advice in something.

[fileark]

JBW any chance we can pry the code out of you? A friend and I have been talking about porting arduino quadcopter code over to the netduino for a while now and you would save us a massive amount of time. Thanks a bunch!

[Michel Trahan]

Man, Great Job ! And that was in December ! Do you have plans to show the code ? or we can only drool ? Has Chris Seto seen this ? He was saying impossible ! So good job !

[Chris Seto]

I don't say impossible, but I do say that a controller done in NETMF is very likely to be highly unstable and unreliable for a professional quality flight control unit. NETMF is not designed for timing critical control systems.

[Michel Trahan]

I know lol and that is why i have a 200MHz .Net MF waiting for me to get up to speed with coding sensors to try it out I'm a slow learner ... not as agile as I used to be lol mentally that is !

[Chris Seto]

200Mhz NETMF is still NETMF...! a sub $5 ARM or DSPIC can run a flight computer just fine, no need for an expensive NETMF target

[Michel Trahan]

Yes you need it when you don't know C or C++ and only know Visual Studio as a compiler lol I come from VB6 ... therefore, netmf is my best bet ! And I don't want a professional quality flight control, I just want mine By the way, my main goal is to learn .net and I decided to start with .netmf ! This community rocks ! Mike. p.s.: You should see my smile lol

[greg]

Yes you need it when you don't know C or C++ and only know Visual Studio as a compiler lol I come from VB6 ... therefore, netmf is my best bet ! And I don't want a professional quality flight control, I just want mine

By the way, my main goal is to learn .net and I decided to start with .netmf !

This community rocks !

Mike.

p.s.: You should see my smile lol

Look at it as a new opportunity to learn. Pick up a PIC or ARM or AVR and get at it. PIC and AVR is certainly easier since you don't have to write all the initialization code though.

[Gineer]

That video is very, very cool for two reasons:
1. I've built a TriCopter based on a .Net MF Board running at 72MHz (Not sure if I'm allowed to say which one in this forum) using a Kalman Filter. I'm in the process of tuning the PID Controller, but with all the posts that .Net is not capable of this, I've gotten fairly nervous. It's great to see one actually fly.
2. It's a custom built quad, just like mine.

Just like everyone else, I'd love to see your code/design in return for a full disclosure from my side too.

I'm planning to build a quad this year as part of my university project, but I might not go fully managed for that version.

What do you think?

One of the first flights since reworking the orientation algorithm.
I really only tested a few gains since the change, so there is some improvement to be done, but it is already 100x easier to control!

At one point I show it yawing, I then release and it returns to it's original angle.

All code is still managed!

Thanks
Gineer