iOS Ground Station on Phantom 2

OI Photography said:
crawf57 said:
Maybe I've misread the user manual, but it looks like you are supposed to be able to configure the P2 (i.e. assistant software) using the iPad GS App over bluetooth - except for firmware updates... has anyone managed to work out how to do this?

From the User Guide Notes section:

You can configure the Flight control system using the Assistant software on a PC or iOS mobile Device
wirelessly over the link of the 2.4G Bluetooth Datalink, however you cannot upgrade the firmware of
the Flight control system using this communication route.

There's a separate app for iPhone (and maybe iPad) that functions as the NAZA Assistant Software does on the PC, it's not the same Groundstation App for iPad. However, the Assistant Software app will work over the BT connection on the Groundstation setup....no new hardware is needed if you have that already, just the separate app.

THANK YOU!! I thought I was going nuts! :roll: But on the down side, I foolishly thought it would work with my P2... (with 2.4GHz downlink and BT) :(
 
crawf57 said:
THANK YOU!! I thought I was going nuts! :roll: But on the down side, I foolishly thought it would work with my P2... (with 2.4GHz downlink and BT) :(

No problem! And, I do think that should work...have you tried using the Assistant app over the BT connection on the Data Link? I know it works with the P1 and I thought it worked with the P2 (non-Vision) as well now :?:
 
OI Photography said:
crawf57 said:
THANK YOU!! I thought I was going nuts! :roll: But on the down side, I foolishly thought it would work with my P2... (with 2.4GHz downlink and BT) :(

No problem! And, I do think that should work...have you tried using the Assistant app over the BT connection on the Data Link? I know it works with the P1 and I thought it worked with the P2 (non-Vision) as well now :?:

Yes - I tried it with the BT on the Data Link.... might try it again though in case I messed something up... any particular connection / power on sequence I should be trying?
 
crawf57 said:
OI Photography said:
crawf57 said:
THANK YOU!! I thought I was going nuts! :roll: But on the down side, I foolishly thought it would work with my P2... (with 2.4GHz downlink and BT) :(

No problem! And, I do think that should work...have you tried using the Assistant app over the BT connection on the Data Link? I know it works with the P1 and I thought it worked with the P2 (non-Vision) as well now :?:

Yes - I tried it with the BT on the Data Link.... might try it again though in case I messed something up... any particular connection / power on sequence I should be trying?

All I can tell you for sure is that the ground and air modules of the groundstation need an active link first. If you can't get it to work like that, you can try plugging the BTU in to the canbus on the Phantom directly and use the Assistant App that way.

Btw, did you upgrade your P2's firmware today to make it compatible with the Data Link groundstation?
 
All I can tell you for sure is that the ground and air modules of the groundstation need an active link first. If you can't get it to work like that, you can try plugging the BTU in to the canbus on the Phantom directly and use the Assistant App that way.

Btw, did you upgrade your P2's firmware today to make it compatible with the Data Link groundstation?

I didn't update today... I did update a few days ago when V2 was released... am checking all now... thanks again!
 
Got my ground station in today. I got a few questions.

1. Do I need to use a PC to set it up for the first time?

2. Updating the BTU do you do that thru the craft using assistant software or directly to PC?

3. Can I use a external USB battery pack like the link below to power GS?
http://www.amazon.com/New-Trent-iCarrie ... 74KE7QAR59
 
extrememc said:
Got my ground station in today. I got a few questions.

1. Do I need to use a PC to set it up for the first time?

2. Updating the BTU do you do that thru the craft using assistant software or directly to PC?

3. Can I use a external USB battery pack like the link below to power GS?
http://www.amazon.com/New-Trent-iCarrie ... 74KE7QAR59

1. Yes. Use a PC to perform updates on all your pieces of hardware via corresponding DJI software.
2. BTU update is done with it connected to ground end datalink transmitter via CAN-Bus port. And the datalink transmitter will in turn be simultaneously connected to PC via its included USB cable.
To update the air end (datalink receiver), temporarily disconnect BTU and plug the ground end directly into the air end via the CAN-Bus port.
3. Yes, such as this solution (only need to watch 30 seconds for your answer): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQxSoQHZX70&t=4m10s
Sorry, I can't lend advice on the model of power pack you mentioned specifically, because I honestly don't know the answer.
 
I flew again today briefly. I learned a few things.

1) Where I am, I can get far more range on my tx than the BT unit. I can get visual and Tx range through trees in a suburban area, at about 130m up, at about 1300m out horizontally. (I can go farther if in an open field of course, rural land, and/or if I fly higher because it preserves LOS).

The best I can get on the BT unit is maybe 500m horizontally before it loses signal entirely. The iPad looks like nothing is happening, but of course I can still see it on my FPV doing it's thing.

2) I flew about 1500m away on a waypoint program today (each leg). Three legs of that and the battery was down to 25%, in light (8mph) winds. At about 1300m my FPV started to completely die. At 1200m the tx intermittently lost signal. On the screen, I could see "FS" for failsafe but also "Waypoint" (it's something like WPT) indicating it's flying waypoints. And yes, it continued. It will not fail safe home if it loses the BT or the Tx, it just follows the program fully autonomously. Scary, but as designed.

3) At 1100m or so I regained tx signal (it just flips on the iOSD to "GPS" but unless you intervene it keeps on the program). I didn't get BT back until only 200m out. It's very slow to reconnect.

I'm not sure why my BT/data link is so sketchy. It's not really a problem once you program in what you want, it'll fly there and back, but the TX and FPV way outlast the BT link. Maybe I just need to get the antenna much higher? The airside antenna are pointing down, well at about 45 degrees.

4) I also learned, you really MUST fly up manually to a safe height before you set the program to "go" if you are near any obstacles. You just can't set a waypoint close by at the right height if you have any trees or buildings close because it will lift off, and rise up quickly to that first WP. When it did this, it crashed into a tree. I couldn't stop it in time... my first crash ever I might add. (The P2 was dirtied up but everything but the props survived. It landed props down oddly enough, so they got destroyed but the quad and all the attachments were dirty but otherwise in perfect condition.)

The flight itself was great (also my first flight at 2.7k/24 on the Hero3 black). The flight is marred by some yaw judder as is usual with gps flights but that will be fixed with the H3 gimbal coming soon. The 2.7k looks far sharper than the 1080/60 I usually shoot in, but of course you lose some ability to smooth it out in post shooting at 24fps.
 
killjoy said:
Zippy1144 said:
When you say "Manually" do you mean the manual setting or that you used the controller to take over with assisted flight (GPS, Atti,)? BTW, thank you for that encouraging report.
Ya, I guess I said that wrong. These terms are all still new to me. I just mean I switched back to me controlling the P2 with the white controller. But yes, I still was utilizing all the usual GPS hovering and stability assistance features.
Later, I flew a more complicated 10-waypoint loop around my house, using the circle template. I still haven't discovered a blanket setting that will keep the camera pointed at centre of the circle. But I can see how to easily set the desired heading at each individual waypoint, which should turn out the same with a little more work.

I also did the same thing today, 10 - waypoint loop in the field in front of the house, everything worked very nicely! Like you I'm trying to work out how to keep the camera pointing into the centre of the circle, if you work it out before me please post. At the moment it's looking very manual change the heading at each waypoint. Want to use it for Photogrammetry, Like this,

NfQoanv.png


as manual flying can be tricky..

Video

http://youtu.be/Vtj4P9oqsoM
 
Cr8tive_leo said:
markloane said:
Want to use it for Photogrammetry, Like this,


Very nice! With GS I can see DJI doing something like Parrot did with their GPS addon, program camera movements.

If you preprogram the circle with all the correct angle changes, then save that as a template (new, in the latest iPad GS), you could conceivably do it just once. Then put that template on anything you want to 360.

I suspect the movements may still be a little stilted, but that's where the H3-3D 3 axis gimbal comes in. It's a follow me kind of thing on the yaw, so it should in theory smooth out all the movements and make it a perfect circle, depending on your radius. (the tighter it is the more severe the angle changes, no?)
 
The Wookong GS has the ability to be programmed for a POI-Point of interest, and will maintain exactly 3? meters away from the POI, and fly an exact circle around it-with the camera pointed directly at the POI.
Wonder why the IOS GS can't do that?

And, why do I need Bluetooth, if I just plan on using a Pee Cee?? Would I even need to mount the antenna's on the air unit, or could I just wrap those up and stow them?

For the brave Snipe Hunter.....where's the video :)
 
And, why do I need Bluetooth, if I just plan on using a Pee Cee?? Would I even need to mount the antenna's on the air unit, or could I just wrap those up and stow them?

No need for BTU if using PC but will still need the antennae on air unit to communicate (2.4GHz) with the ground unit which will be USB connected to PC.
 
crawf57 said:
And, why do I need Bluetooth, if I just plan on using a Pee Cee?? Would I even need to mount the antenna's on the air unit, or could I just wrap those up and stow them?

No need for BTU if using PC but will still need the antennae on air unit to communicate (2.4GHz) with the ground unit which will be USB connected to PC.
Got it. Just can't seem to find any dealer selling that unit.
I believe the "air unit" only needs to plug into the iOSD mini-is that correct? And, there is no interference when using both the air unit/ground unit, and the remote control?
 
I believe the "air unit" only needs to plug into the iOSD mini-is that correct? And, there is no interference when using both the air unit/ground unit, and the remote control?

Yep - that is correct and no interference when using both the 2.4 Data Link and RC together...
 
crawf57 said:
I believe the "air unit" only needs to plug into the iOSD mini-is that correct? And, there is no interference when using both the air unit/ground unit, and the remote control?

Yep - that is correct and no interference when using both the 2.4 Data Link and RC together...
cool-so you could run both the air station antenna's right alongside the RC antenna's on the aircraft?
 
I have two requests for the implementers of Phantom flight control systems:

1) Give me an EASY way to do a circular pan around a point, where I call the radius and speed, and perhaps camera angle relative to radius or tangent. I imagine that this could be one of a number of programmed/programmable routines in a "flight deck tool box". It would be great to be able to invoke them in real time, mixing hand flying with automated routines.

2) Give me a hard floor capability that I can enable/disable/modify in flight. I was filming surfing this morning, and would have bagged much better footage with a 3 or 4 meter hard floor that I could trust to keep my ship dry. I am currently flying the Futaba 14SG without throttle centering spring, and it's nerve wracking focusing simultaneously on camera lighting, course lock, ship speed as surfer rips down the line, smooth yaw, etc., while still keeping my P2 out of the water. With all that going on at once, I was reluctant to go much below 7 meters. At sunrise with light coming through the wave, the image is much more dramatic with ever meter lower that I can safely fly.

I think the space of hybridizing hand flying with programmed flight "macros" is fascinating.

Kelly
 
Can someone share pictures of their setup. I want to install my mini iosd inside the phantom 2 and also put the can bus from the leg inside the phantom 2, so now the problem is getting that can bus cable from the air data unit on the bottom of the phantom 2 up to the mini iosd inside the phantom 2 to plug it into the extra can bus port. Any help , any suggestions. I don't want to use a can bus hub or put everything on the outside of the phantom 2 .

Thanks
 
I don't have a picture of the inside at the moment, but I mounted the iOSD Mini inside (removed case from iOSD), removed the external leg-mounted Canbus, attached the new Canbus cable that comes with the datalink setup to it, sent it out thru a widened side vent hole and down to the airside of the Datalink. The iOSD sits nicely behind the aft end of the battery.

This pic shows the outside where the Canbus cable comes out the vent hole. The other cable is to the Flytrex.
 

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bernardb said:
I don't have a picture of the inside at the moment, but I mounted the iOSD Mini inside (removed case from iOSD), removed the external leg-mounted Canbus, attached the new Canbus cable that comes with the datalink setup to it, sent it out thru a widened side vent hole and down to the airside of the Datalink. The iOSD sits nicely behind the aft end of the battery.

This pic shows the outside where the Canbus cable comes out the vent hole. The other cable is to the Flytrex.

Nice , I can leave the case on the iosd mini if I want and still run the cable the way you did , correct ?

Thanks
 

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