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Has anybody else here built or contemplated building any radio gear?
I'm new here, and so nobody will know anything about me, but i am all for diy. Buying things ready made just doesn't flick my switch.
I decided a year os so ago to build my own chopper, and i mean the whole thing.
So i started designing the main rotor swashplate, rotor attachments then the tail rotor, then started piecing all the bits together (on screen not physically yet) and have a pretty much complete design as far as the mechanic is concerned.
Then i decided to work on the radio side, just a month or so ago. I looked at what i had and what i would need.
haves:
A box of various servos,
A box of various control gear from boats and cars, (all two channel)
Lots of electronic and computer (programming/networking knowledge)
plenty of bits of computer (Pic chips, a gumstix, a simpad, zaurus)
Don't haves
.... Couldn't think of anything!
So i set abut my work!
I started a website few weeks ago but its already in need of updating as i have done quite a lot since.
Basically i have now got a pic microcontroller chip which reads from 10 anolog-to-digital converters and sends the readings to a a Siemens simpad (this is or will all be explained on the site). This has a wireless network card which connects to the gumstix (tiny computer) onboard the device to be controlled (in this case a chopper). The gumstix then sends the data to another microcontroller which has pwm outputs connected to the servos. So far i have written code for all parts and have a working prototype with the exception of the final stage, (i think the pic is faulty - i'm awaiting a new 1). The roundtrip time for for packets to the gumstix and back is 10 - 20 milliseconds, add to that 3mS for the data to get from the adc pic to the simpad, and 3mS to get from the gumstix to the pwm board The total time from control to response should be 11-16 milliseconds, which i believe is very useable. And i'm sure this figure can be improved upon.
I will be implementing all kinds of fail safe and warning systems and basically can make this system do pretty much anything. from send video/ pictures back to monitoring engine temp / rpm and fuel levels and even GPS coordinates if i wanted to go really crazy!
I don't know anything about commercially available helicopter radio gear , do they genrally have feedback from the craft at all?
Sp has anybody else tried anything like this or interested in doing so? If so , do let em know
Cheers
Dan
I'm new here, and so nobody will know anything about me, but i am all for diy. Buying things ready made just doesn't flick my switch.
I decided a year os so ago to build my own chopper, and i mean the whole thing.
So i started designing the main rotor swashplate, rotor attachments then the tail rotor, then started piecing all the bits together (on screen not physically yet) and have a pretty much complete design as far as the mechanic is concerned.
Then i decided to work on the radio side, just a month or so ago. I looked at what i had and what i would need.
haves:
A box of various servos,
A box of various control gear from boats and cars, (all two channel)
Lots of electronic and computer (programming/networking knowledge)
plenty of bits of computer (Pic chips, a gumstix, a simpad, zaurus)
Don't haves
.... Couldn't think of anything!
So i set abut my work!
I started a website few weeks ago but its already in need of updating as i have done quite a lot since.
Basically i have now got a pic microcontroller chip which reads from 10 anolog-to-digital converters and sends the readings to a a Siemens simpad (this is or will all be explained on the site). This has a wireless network card which connects to the gumstix (tiny computer) onboard the device to be controlled (in this case a chopper). The gumstix then sends the data to another microcontroller which has pwm outputs connected to the servos. So far i have written code for all parts and have a working prototype with the exception of the final stage, (i think the pic is faulty - i'm awaiting a new 1). The roundtrip time for for packets to the gumstix and back is 10 - 20 milliseconds, add to that 3mS for the data to get from the adc pic to the simpad, and 3mS to get from the gumstix to the pwm board The total time from control to response should be 11-16 milliseconds, which i believe is very useable. And i'm sure this figure can be improved upon.
I will be implementing all kinds of fail safe and warning systems and basically can make this system do pretty much anything. from send video/ pictures back to monitoring engine temp / rpm and fuel levels and even GPS coordinates if i wanted to go really crazy!
I don't know anything about commercially available helicopter radio gear , do they genrally have feedback from the craft at all?
Sp has anybody else tried anything like this or interested in doing so? If so , do let em know
Cheers
Dan
, It won't be going anywhere near any vehicle of any type until i am totally happy with it. I don't own any expensive RC helis anyway. I have designed one and will be building it myself (with the help of my cousins workshop full of CNC machines) once i am happy with the radio. I am very much a DIY rather than buy ready made kinda person, to me researching, designing and making is at least half the fun - and very educational.
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