How can I read FLY**.DAT files

Don't hold it in....share with us your process on viewing .DAT info on whatever Android app.

Okay - you asked for it! LOL

This is for Android only - I don't know the workings of the Apple stuff. Connect your Android device to your PC. When the appropriate dialog box appears - it will have an option like "Open device to view files" That opens up for me, with two folders - one for card and one for phone. Open the PHONE folder and look for a DJI folder. Open that and you'll find a folder named "djipilot." In that folder, open the folder named "flightrecord." I've not run the app with a tablet - but it should be reasonably obvious if you have more than one folder - it shouldn't take too much sleuthing to find the appropriate path to the proper folder.

And there you will see all your flight records. They are in folders that make them look like .txt files - but they're not. Hang on.

Keep that folder handy and open your browser. Navigate to www.flylitchi.com. On that web site, you want to navigate to LOGS. Once you do, you'll see an option down on the lower left to convert files to CSV format. Select (or drag and crop, copy and paste) one of your log files from the phone and start the conversion. Now, this could get tricky.

I have Microsoft Office on all my PCs. When the file is converted, Excel automatically opens and the converted file is displayed in Excel. If you don't have Excel on your PC I have no idea where the file goes or what happens next! Sorry!

If you do have Excel, the file opens up and you'll see all these columns of data. Info from that particular flight is gathered every so many milliseconds and each line represents a snapshot of what your Phantom was doing at that specific time. Even rather short flights will have hundreds, maybe thousands of lines.

The above works ONLY for the files found on your phone.
If you stumble across "Enter Flight Data Mode" in the DJI Pilot app, you'll be directed to plug in the appropriate USB cable to the front of your Phantom (that's the USB port hidden under the small flap beneath the logo on the front) and download pilot data. THOSE FILES WILL NOT WORK IN THE PROCESS I DESCRIBE ABOVE. They will generate errors. The files for the process I described MUST come from your Android device - phone/tablet, whatever.

Don't give up yet. There are some people working on a system that should make it easier to read pilot data files. You might be able to find a bit of info at www.flightreplay.com

Now you know everything about the subject that I know. Frankly, there was so much data there. I just went back to reviewing my pilot logs in the appropriate section of the pilot app - on the main screen, select User Center and the center icon provides access to your flight logs.

Good luck - sorry it's so long, but.....
 
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I think you are referring to the files I have posted in thread #22 of the topic in the link below.

http://www.phantompilots.com/threads/dji-log-converter.43319/

But either way it's nice having your detailed post so others may navigate to in order to see more of what we have thus far.

My apologies if it looked like I was trying to steal any of your thunder - I had NOT seen the post you're referring to. The post I saw that got me going in the right direction was the site I referenced - www.flightreplay.com - they're supposed to be in the process of creating some kind of "reader" for the data coming from your mobile device. Not sure who besides DJI might be working on the data that comes via the front USB port.
 
I would just love a app that gave me all the info just like flytrex did
Max Speed ,max height max distance with out scrolling through the whole flight and backing up 10 times to get right spot!
 
I would just love a app that gave me all the info just like flytrex did
Max Speed ,max height max distance with out scrolling through the whole flight and backing up 10 times to get right spot!

The DJI Pilot app provides that already. You do not have to be connected to see this information - therefore you can look at it from just about anywhere - at least with the same mobile device you use to fly your Phantom.

Start the Pilot app. There should be four options on the bottom - camera on the extreme left and User Center on the extreme right. Enter User Center. The icon in the middle - it's been described various ways - looks like a broadcast tower, looks like a triangle with a curve on the top - whatever - it should be the icon in the middle of the bottom.

Open that and there are your fllight logs - and your flight path. You can replay the flight and you can see max altitude and max distance - don't remember if you can see max speed or not - I personally don't find that important so if it isn't there it doesn't bother me!

Enjoy. I think what's here is what *most* people want to see. It certainly works for me.
 
The DJI Pilot app provides that already. You do not have to be connected to see this information - therefore you can look at it from just about anywhere - at least with the same mobile device you use to fly your Phantom.

Start the Pilot app. There should be four options on the bottom - camera on the extreme left and User Center on the extreme right. Enter User Center. The icon in the middle - it's been described various ways - looks like a broadcast tower, looks like a triangle with a curve on the top - whatever - it should be the icon in the middle of the bottom.

Open that and there are your fllight logs - and your flight path. You can replay the flight and you can see max altitude and max distance - don't remember if you can see max speed or not - I personally don't find that important so if it isn't there it doesn't bother me!

Enjoy. I think what's here is what *most* people want to see. It certainly works for me.
no this dosn't give you max speed or max distance only gives you total distance flown, not how far away or how fast .
Yes I can play it back to watch for it but why not have those shown along with the total distance
 
Can someone make an inventory of what gets captured where? Let's catalog all the parameters in the TXT file and the DAT file. Every data point. Especially the ones that aren't yet known. This will be very useful for looking at flyaway reports, what went wrong threads, etc.

All this information should be public. We did it the hard way for the P2/NAZA. It'll be easy for the P3 now that the logs are already there.
 
Can someone make an inventory of what gets captured where? Let's catalog all the parameters in the TXT file and the DAT file. Every data point. Especially the ones that aren't yet known. This will be very useful for looking at flyaway reports, what went wrong threads, etc.

All this information should be public. We did it the hard way for the P2/NAZA. It'll be easy for the P3 now that the logs are already there.

Yes, it's my understanding that the two groups (the two I've discovered, anyway) are pretty certain the FLY.DAT files are in the same format as they were on a previous Phantom version. I'm personally new to DJI and Phantoms. I've owned several quads, but the P3 is my first Phantom.
 
Sorry for basic question,



I cannot find "Flight Data" option in my Pilot app (Android 1.1.0). Is it only available in iOS version?

Unfortunately, I can't see what's going on - there are a lot of things you cannot see or do with the pilot app unless you're connected to a Phantom that's turned on. But, no, is NOT only for the Apple guys - you can also enter Flight Data Mode on the Android version of the app.

Also - this should be somewhere in a FAQ if not already. Just a few days ago a group known as "Drones in SC" put out an incredible YouTube video - "DJI Phantom 3 & DJI Pilot App Walkthrough & FAQ"

It is awesome - it's the "manual" so many of us are looking for. I don't think he omitted anything in the pilot app - and it's dedicated to the Phantom 3, not a bunch of gleaning from the Inspire version. it's somewhat long - about 35 minutes - but it's very, very comprehensive.
 
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Unfortunately, I can't see what's going on - there are a lot of things you cannot see or do with the pilot app unless you're connected to a Phantom that's turned on. But, no, is NOT only for the Apple guys - you can also enter Flight Data Mode on the Android version of the app.

Also - this should be somewhere in a FAQ if not already. Just a few days ago a group known as "Drones in SC" put out an incredible YouTube video - "DJI Phantom 3 & DJI Pilot App Walkthrough & FAQ"

It is awesome - it's the "manual" so many of us are looking for. I don't think he omitted anything in the pilot app - and it's dedicated to the Phantom 3, not a bunch of gleaning from the Inspire version. it's somewhat long - about 35 minutes - but it's very, very comprehensive.

Okay, I'm back - saw another post and the guy included a screen-shot - the Flight Data Mode shows up in the pilot app in the Advanced Settings screen. That's the start of the process where you can connect a USB cable to the front of your P3 and download FLY.DAT files.

You apparently can't see this screen unless everything is turned on and connected.
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Thanks for posting that. I've barely learned how to post a pic - haven't delved into videos yet!
 
My apologies if it looked like I was trying to steal any of your thunder - I had NOT seen the post you're referring to. The post I saw that got me going in the right direction was the site I referenced - www.flightreplay.com - they're supposed to be in the process of creating some kind of "reader" for the data coming from your mobile device. Not sure who besides DJI might be working on the data that comes via the front USB port.

Excuse me mr.smith, there is no thunder about it.

As for www.flightreplay.com I'm familiar with the owner of that domain. I was also one of the few that did some beta testing with that website prior to public announcements about it. He also contacted me this afternoon in reference to .txt & .dat files.

Anyway, another member here has some access to the FLY***.DAT files. I have used his converter he had developed for these files. He says the above mentioned files are only a bunch of messages. And my files that I converted were for the most part just what he said. I attached a copy if anyone would like to see for their selves.

But..... In my opinion, there is much more in our FLY***.DAT files then these messages. I say that because if you look each FLY***.DAT is a different file size. And when running 2 separate files through the converter they both appear the same with the only exception the values have different numbers.
 

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  • FLY024.DAT.LogMessages.txt
    38.2 KB · Views: 595
If they're anything like the P2 logs, the FLY*.DAT should look something like this:

090x-msgs.jpg


This part in green is an OSD data payload for the NAZA. The data structure is likely to be different on the P3 but the overall format should be similar. There's a lot of information here: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2071772

The stuff that is for the A2 should be the most similar if not the same as the P3.
 
It's a completely different format from the P2, NAZA and A2 series, sadly. Both the overall file structure and the specific payload structures are new.
 
It's a completely different format from the P2, NAZA and A2 series, sadly. Both the overall file structure and the specific payload structures are new.

Odd that they would give them the same filename as the logger they did on the Mark II OSD. Regardless, if they are a totally different structure, they they aren't a true reflection of data on the CAN bus and will be of limited use.
 
Odd that they would give them the same filename as the logger they did on the Mark II OSD. Regardless, if they are a totally different structure, they they aren't a true reflection of data on the CAN bus and will be of limited use.

Presumably it's the same logic that led them to not bother to verify the checksums of the GPS uBlox packets... causing fly-aways (just a theory).

I do think there's useful data to be mined from the new FLY.DAT files, but it's going to be a long job to figure out what means what. I can see the raw binary frames, there are about 40-50 different types of frame, but there's zero information anywhere indicating what the structure is or what the fields mean. It looks very low level - raw IMU data, internal flight controller state, that kind of thing. The .txt files were easy to decode because they are written by the Android app, and it's easy to decompile Android apps. The .DAT files are written by the flight controller, and the firmware for that is encrypted, so it's much harder. Frankly it's probably not worth the time it would take to figure it out.
 
I can decode them but I don't know what all the fields mean yet. I can see raw IMU and flight controller data, and a bunch of textual log messages. They're not very interesting. Excerpt below:


0 mis cali 55 55 6aff fff0 cnt:0
0 imu status:0
0 startup:4.158847

0 Board:"wm320v2"
1 compass calibration init!
[ 648] => cfg_var_table_size_0
1 [FDI MAGN[1]] event:turn on
1 [FDI GYRO[1]] event:turn on
1 [FDI ACC[1]] event:turn on
1 [FDI BARO[1]] event:turn on
1 [FDI AHRS] event: turn on
1 [FDI CTRL] event: turn on
1 temp cali (0.000000,0.000000) 0 fw:4 4

1 temp cali 0 bw:0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 ba:0.000000 0.000000 0.000000

1 app temp cali (23.000000,65.000000) aa fw:6 6

1 app temp cali aa bw:0.000059 -0.001558 -0.000292 ba:-0.000842 -0.000172 -0.001501

etc. etc.
Good thing they are not in Chinese!
 

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