Hi everyone. I am Planning to make an Arduino drone flight controller using an nano RP2040 connect . I thought 133 Mhz and the dual cores would really come handy . I have mpu6050, bmp180, nrf24l01(for remote ) , neo 6m , an SD card (for data logging ).
My question is which libraries should I use for PID (if there are ?) ,gps, IMU .
and is the IMU on rp2040 better for drone purpose or should i also include the Mpu6050 for more precise measurements (using the average of two accelero and gyro values from two sensors) .
I just want to check the wiring and working of sensors before I move to fabricate my PCB .
Also since rp2040 is 3.3 v board should I also use the nrf24l01 adapter board or directly connect it to 3.3v o/p of rp2040 .
I have seen tinygps libary being used with softwareserial library . But I checked in arduino library manager and its not in there. How would I use that library.
Have you any experience with all the various parts of the software you will be writing?
In particular and right away, have you confirmed the ability of your proposed remote control radio signaling method to provide continuous immediate data from the ground to the aircraft?
And quite a few other such questions. Just want to know if you are insane or a genius.
Have you done much flying? Have you used any of the very well developed open source flight controllers?
I am not saying you shouldn't do what you propose, only that it would be easier for some ppl than for others.
Check out @lordmax2's activity on these fora, who I just invited by mentioning, who is on a very long and wonderful slog getting something into the air.
BTW the preferred term is quadcopter or multirotor, just so we aren't talking about the death machines that our fearless leaders use to maintain control.
If I succeed people will call me a genius , If I fail they will call me insane . At present I am neither.
I have experience with arduino ide with bmp180 , sd module . I made some projects with temp humidity sensor and data logging . I have seen videos of DIY projects where nrf24l01 has been used for remote control work so I suppose I can work that out . I was just studying control system where I encountered PID control method and I had most of the above mentioned sensors lying around so I thought of making my own flight controller where I can learn a bit of control system .
And No , I have no prior experience with flying . If this work out it will be my first ever experience with quads.
I will be using joysticks and potentiometers for quad remote along with nrf24l01.
I have been working on my drone for quite a while, it's a very interesting project with a lot to learn and research. My first Arduino project was to make a drone, and a lot of people on the forum basically called me "insane" but with other words
I saw your question about a PID Library, there are a few out there; one I believe is called "Bolderflight" and also Multi Wii, but I wanted to do my own, so I did, it still isn't perfect, but its beginning to look pretty darn good.
I am using the NRF24L0 +PA LNA right now, but I think it is pretty "old school" and one-sided. I have actually ordered an Odroid, it is like a Raspberry Pi but about 4 times as powerful. And with it I want to try using 4g as the communication between the pilot and the drone. Well see how that goes, but it unlocks quite a few possibilities, like flight in cities and around corners, etc.
Pro tip: Remove the propellers when testing, and when testing with propellers use gloves, a sweater/jacket, protection googles and a helmet
Absolutely not
If you succeed people will call you an adequate engineer. If you fail then people will say you are not an engineer by any stretch of the imagination.
Genius has not yet slipped that low, even in these hyperbolic days.
If you tie your quad to a brick it cannot lift, and the brick has a low friction base like felt on a linoleum floor you can do a test as follows:
Your elevator control should obviously be trying to make the quad pitch up or down.
Your aileron control should obviously be trying to make the quad roll left and right.
Your rudder control should obviously be making your quad rotate left or right.
And the throttle should obviously be trying to hoist the brick.
You can learn a great deal from this simple test. Even such a simple matter as having the wrong propeller on an arm will show right up, and anyone who sez she is beyond the point where such silly accidents like wrong propellers happens in the field is lying.
I have seen it happen to the very most experience pilots IRL and on YouTube.
More likely in the beginning you may find all kindsa crazy stuff happening making you glad you tied it to a brick.
Without the brick the all same experiments can be made. Now the throttle will actually make the quad lift off, hence the general term "hop test".
If it can't pas a hop test, it would be very foolish to try to fly…
The range and fidelity of your radio control system should be tested without the possibility of the quad actually taking to the air. A friend, a brick and a football field or larger come in handy.
Last, I recommend highly against taking 5 volts for your control system from an ESC BEC. I wouldn't use one for anything. If that BEC decides to do something bad, you gonna smoke your FC and anything else. Use a dedicated step-down buck regulator of some good quality and operate very well within its specifications. Pololu has many, and they tend to be a bit less aspirational spec-wise than the way-too-cheap modules you can find.
