Flight Log File

[Pilot_FML]

I just ran across a very interesting post in an Arducopter forum that referenced being able to analyze why a particular "run-away" occurred by looking at something called a dataflash log file.

Do any of the DJI Phantoms create such a log file and if not are there plans to make this capability available in future?

If its just a difference between flight controllers (APM vs NAZA), can Phantom owners somehow currently augment their systems to record pertinent flight data and transmit this data back to a ground station? If nothing else it might help reduce/eliminate follow-on run-aways :idea:

The Arducopter in question was retrieved and I'm guessing the flight data was somehow pulled off the APM flight controller. My idea of a "transmitted" data file would be taking post flight analysis to the next level because even a non-recoverable bird would have left clues about why things went wrong.

 

[OI Photography]

The NAZA doesn't do it, and I haven't seen where anybody has cracked it. It is possible to get flight telemetry systems that will fit in the Phantom and broadcast the data back to the ground (usually as visual info overlaid on a video feed), but this the closest thing to what you're talking about (and it works great): http://flytrex.com/

It doesn't record the NAZA's actual parameters, but it does record several channels of telemetry and other info used by the NAZA.

 

[Pilot_FML]

The NAZA doesn't do it, and I haven't seen where anybody has cracked it. It is possible to get flight telemetry systems that will fit in the Phantom and broadcast the data back to the ground (usually as visual info overlaid on a video feed), but this the closest thing to what you're talking about (and it works great): http://flytrex.com/

It doesn't record the NAZA's actual parameters, but it does record several channels of telemetry and other info used by the NAZA.

Thank you very much for the feedback . I found some great video from a Flytrex user showing the telemetry parameters and what I can only describe as a birds-eye view of the actual Phantom flight path superimposed on the in-flight video. Wayyyyyyyyy cool...

With a little thought, the recorded flight path could yield bearing and distance information helpful in finding a lost Phantom. Actual GPS data would have been better but I just found a nice project to take up idle time this winter. Some ideas are forming in this retired engineers head .... :geek:

 

[OI Photography]

My pleasure! The video you saw with the gauges overlaid on the video was probably done with Dashware: http://www.dashware.net/

Dashware has a couple of gauge templates that can read/display flytrex data, and you can build your own as well. Once you learn it, it's pretty easy to use, and as you see the results can be awesome

I'm sure you can come up with lots of ways to use the raw data the flytrex produces, I'd really love to figure out how to combine my mission data to a single file (other than just manual copy/paste) and manipulate/audit it as a single dataset.

 

[Pilot_FML]

My pleasure! The video you saw with the gauges overlaid on the video was probably done with Dashware: http://www.dashware.net/

Dashware has a couple of gauge templates that can read/display flytrex data, and you can build your own as well. Once you learn it, it's pretty easy to use, and as you see the results can be awesome

I'm sure you can come up with lots of ways to use the raw data the flytrex produces, I'd really love to figure out how to combine my mission data to a single file (other than just manual copy/paste) and manipulate/audit it as a single dataset.

I checked out the FlyTrex website and set up an account. Next step is to see how the Dashware app interfaces....
Looks like there's another FlyTrex user only a few miles from where I live!

From what I can see on their site, you upload a particular mission and they in-turn provide you a mission map representing the flight.

A few questions... I may be able to help you simplify manipulation of your data.
1. What kind of a file (i.e. file extension) do you send them to create your map?
2. What types of files are you manually copying/cutting/pasting?
3. What type of file will hold your "single" dataset?
3. Can you point me to any forums dedicated to FlyTrex/Dashware users? Couldn't find any w/Google.

 

[Pull_Up]

I checked out the FlyTrex website and set up an account. Next step is to see how the Dashware app interfaces....
Looks like there's another FlyTrex user only a few miles from where I live!

From what I can see on their site, you upload a particular mission and they in-turn provide you a mission map representing the flight.

A few questions... I may be able to help you simplify manipulation of your data.
1. What kind of a file (i.e. file extension) do you send them to create your map?
2. What types of files are you manually copying/cutting/pasting?
3. What type of file will hold your "single" dataset?
3. Can you point me to any forums dedicated to FlyTrex/Dashware users? Couldn't find any w/Google.

Flytrex data is saved on micro sd from the Flytrex core in a proprietary format (*.FPV). You upload this to the Flytrex site and it will crunch that proprietary data file to produce the maps, graphs, etc. Once you have that you can export the mission as a *.kml file for Google Earth overlay and other use, or as a *.csv file. It's this latter that you import into Dashware and then line up the video with the data to get them synchronised.

Dashware and Flytrex are standalone sites and systems, but this video shows the entire process of how you get a Flytrex mission into Dashware: http://youtu.be/OoicZxUb10U