UAVcast. Software for Companion Computer based UAV`s

Sinamics

Posted By: Martin_Vigneau Hi Christian, I am a French student and I’m trying to implement your system to have a long range telemetry and feedback video. But I’m wondering why do you use the Raspberry’s Ethernet port for telemetry instead of the serial link? We could wire the Pixhawk’s telemetry port directly to the rpi’s serial link (as shown below) with a PPP protocol? In this way, we wouldn’t need to use a converter?

Hi Martin

I was never able to get the UDP working by simply connect the serial directly to the Raspberry GPIO, that’s why i used the TTL to Eth converter. I did manage to get MavProxy running at UDP this way, but mavproxy uses allot of the raspberry CPU, so i decided to skip it.

You are welcome to provide any other solution to make this system become more convenience to use. Im sure there are other ways.

Martin_Vigneau

Hi Christian,

Thank you so much for you quick response.
I'm a beginner in these skills so I guess if you were not able to get the UDP working, I won't !

I would have another question : Is the telemetry link bidirectional? Because the function udp_redirect () seems to redirect data from the ethernet port to the internet but what about the other way ?

Thank you Christian for your help

Sinamics

Posted By: Martin_Vigneau Hi Christian, Thank you so much for you quick response. I'm a beginner in these skills so I guess if you were not able to get the UDP working, I won't ! I would have another question : Is the telemetry link bidirectional? Because the function udp_redirect () seems to redirect data from the ethernet port to the internet but what about the other way ? Thank you Christian for your help

Hi
Yes the telemetry is bidirectional. It works exactly the same way as any other radio link. 🙂

Martin_Vigneau

Ok Thanks Christian !

swisseagle

Hi Bernt,

sharing my experience. I just run the following on PI2/ Navio+

git clone https://github.com/UAVmatrix/UAVcast.git
cd UAVcast/Install
./Install.sh
and getting the following exception halfway through the install process ( copy and paste from the console)
[100%] Built target ubox-static
[ 50%] Built target ubox
[100%] Built target ubox-static
Install the project...
-- Install configuration: ""
-- Installing: /usr/local/include/libubox/avl.h
-- Installing: /usr/local/include/libubox/blob.h
-- Installing: /usr/local/include/libubox/runqueue.h
-- Installing: /usr/local/include/libubox/utils.h
-- Installing: /usr/local/include/libubox/avl-cmp.h
-- Installing: /usr/local/include/libubox/ulog.h
-- Installing: /usr/local/include/libubox/blobmsg_json.h
-- Installing: /usr/local/include/libubox/ustream.h
-- Installing: /usr/local/include/libubox/md5.h
-- Installing: /usr/local/include/libubox/usock.h
-- Installing: /usr/local/include/libubox/vlist.h
-- Installing: /usr/local/include/libubox/uloop.h
-- Installing: /usr/local/include/libubox/json_script.h
-- Installing: /usr/local/include/libubox/blobmsg.h
-- Installing: /usr/local/include/libubox/safe_list.h
-- Installing: /usr/local/include/libubox/list.h
-- Installing: /usr/local/lib/libubox.so
-- Installing: /usr/local/lib/libubox.a
mkdir: cannot create directory â/usr/include/libuboxâ: Permission denied
cp: target â/usr/include/libuboxâ is not a directory
cp: cannot create regular file â/usr/lib/libubox.soâ: Permission denied
cp: cannot stat âlibblobmsg_json.soâ: No such file or directory
-- The C compiler identification is GNU 4.9.2
-- Check for working C compiler: /usr/bin/cc
-- Check for working C compiler: /usr/bin/cc -- works
-- Detecting C compiler ABI info
-- Detecting C compiler ABI info - done
CMake Error: The following variables are used in this project, but they are set                         to NOTFOUND.
Please set them or make sure they are set and tested correctly in the CMake file                        s:
blobmsg_json_library
    linked by target "uqmi" in directory /home/pi/packages/uqmi
json_include_dir
   used as include directory in directory /home/pi/packages/uqmi
   used as include directory in directory /home/pi/packages/uqmi

   used as include directory in directory /home/pi/packages/uqmi
json_library
    linked by target "uqmi" in directory /home/pi/packages/uqmi

-- Configuring incomplete, errors occurred!
See also "/home/pi/packages/uqmi/CMakeFiles/CMakeOutput.log".
make: *** No rule to make target 'install'.  Stop.

I hope you can advice
thanks

dan

swisseagle

UPDATE

run it as sudo, it went fine 🙂

Sinamics

Perfect.. Thanks for letting us know.

swisseagle

HI Bernt, I am moving forward and executing the script as you mentioned in the tutorial; from my shell I have the following:

pi@navio:~/UAVcast $ pwd 

/home/pi/UAVcast
 

pi@navio:~/UAVcast $ ls
DroneConfig.cfg  DroneStart.sh  etc  Install  log  README.md  script
 

pi@navio:~/UAVcast $ cat DroneStart.sh
#!/bin/bash
DIR=$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" && pwd )
source $DIR/./DroneConfig.cfg
source $DIR/script/DroneCode.sh
#Add 15sec checktime to cron.
        if [ $DroneCheck == "Yes" ]; then
                #write out current crontab
                crontab -l > $DIR/mycron
                #echo new cron into cron file
                echo "* * * * * /home/pi/UAVcast/script/./DroneCheck.sh > /home/pi/UAVcast/log/cron.log 2>&1"  >> mycron
                echo "* * * * * sleep 15; /home/pi/UAVcast/script/./DroneCheck.sh >> /home/pi/UAVcast/log/cron.log 2>&1"  >> mycron
                echo "* * * * * sleep 30; /home/pi/UAVcast/script/./DroneCheck.sh >> /home/pi/UAVcast/log/cron.log 2>&1"  >> mycron
                echo "* * * * * sleep 45; /home/pi/UAVcast/script/./DroneCheck.sh >> /home/pi/UAVcast/log/cron.log 2>&1"  >> mycron
                #install new cron file
                crontab mycron
                rm mycron
        else
                crontab -r

fi

#Start DroneInit
DroneInit
pi@navio:~/UAVcast $ sudo /home/pi/UAVcast/./DroneStart.sh
pi@navio:~/UAVcast $

when I look on the log folder i see the following:

pi@navio:~/UAVcast/log $ pwd
/home/pi/UAVcast/log
 

pi@navio:~/UAVcast/log $ ls -la
total 24
drwxr-xr-x 2 pi   pi   4096 Jun 15 17:33 .
drwxr-xr-x 7 pi   pi   4096 Jun 15 17:36 ..
-rw-r--r-- 1 pi   pi      1 Jun 15 16:15 Ardupilot.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   11 Jun 15 17:41 cron.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 pi   pi      1 Jun 15 16:15 gstreamer.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 pi   pi      1 Jun 15 16:15 wvdial.log
 

pi@navio:~/UAVcast/log $ cat cron.log
RPI Online

... can you advice what to check?

Sinamics

Hi..
Syntax "cat" is just an file viewer.

Try using this syntax: ./DroneStart.sh

swisseagle

Hi Bernt,

I did a cat to show you what the file content is.
when I run it as 'pi' user I get

pi@navio:~/UAVcast $ ./DroneStart.sh
./DroneStart.sh: line 8: /home/pi/UAVcast/script/mycron: Permission denied

btw, where is this DroneInit thingy (lastline on Dronestart.ch) .. cant locate it anywhere..

what else can I check?

Sinamics

Hi.

Yes, i was little to quick in my last post. droneinit is just a function inside the DroneCode.sh. I just sent you a PM.

Rafa_Salmoral

Hi Bernt, first of all, thanks for this amazing work you're doing

I´ve a questions related with hardware I´m planning to use
I have a K3765 HSPA USD Stick, will it work with your image or there is any coding nedded to have it functional?

Another issue I have is if I do have any chances to skip using TTL to Ethernet adapter, and use MAVLink instead connecting PIX and PI using this diagram:

This is my first time using linux, so I get stuck on every step

Thanks in advance

mocart

Rafa_Salmoral Sinamics
Old post but right now I thinking about all those pixhawk connections.
If you deep dive into ardupilot page you can fine following note:

Powering via USB is recommended as it is typically safer - because the input is regulated. If powering via USB, do not also connect the +5V pin as shown (still connect common ground).

This means if you are powering RPI separetly ( from second BEC, not delivered with pixhawk ) from eg. usb cable and second BEC cable should be 3 wired only ( without red one ) i think

Sinamics

Hi Rafa.

I dont know for sure if K3765 will work, but i guess so. Sure you can use Mavlink, just be aware of the high CPU usage.
Just install UAVcast , and set udp_redirect="No" in the config file.

Also verify that config file has the correct APN name.

I will be away rest of the day, but i can help you out tomorrow if needed.

Rafa_Salmoral

Well, Just finished everything but don´t know if it´s doing right

First of all, I followed your guide and installed everything on my PI B, also made modifications on the main config file

Then I followed this tutorial (http://ardupilot.org/dev/docs/raspberry-pi-via-mavlink.html) to communicate PI B with Pixhawk, but when I test connection using:

sudo -s
mavproxy.py --master=/dev/ttyAMA0 --baudrate 57600 --aircraft MyCopter

I find non readable data (not telemetry) is being shown in terminal and then I get kicked out Putty

I have to say I´m connected to PI using my router, so it´s not directly connected to my laptop (I think this shouldnt matter)

Anyway, supposing that I can get telemetry from my PIX to PI, now what? I haven´t configured my USB modem (not even the PIN code) or told your sript that telemetry must be got from serial instead of the UDP redirect

Any advices or guide during the procces??

Thanks a lot

rma153

Hi Bernt,

I installed and have a few errors - do they matter? Should I proceed?

gstreamer1.0-plugins-bad is already the newest version. 
Some packages could not be installed. This may mean that you have
requested an impossible situation or if you are using the unstable
distribution that some required packages have not yet been created
or been moved out of Incoming.
The following information may help to resolve the situation:

The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 gstreamer1.0-omx-dbg : Depends: gstreamer1.0-omx (= 1.0.0.1-0+rpi18rpi1g) but 1.2.0-1 is to be installed
E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.

 

 

 

 

 

(CDPATH="${ZSH_VERSION+.}:" && cd . && /bin/bash /home/pi/packages/json-c-0.12/missing autoheader)
/home/pi/packages/json-c-0.12/missing: line 81: autoheader: command not found
WARNING: 'autoheader' is missing on your system.
         You should only need it if you modified 'acconfig.h' or
         'configure.ac' or m4 files included by 'configure.ac'.
         The 'autoheader' program is part of the GNU Autoconf package:
         <http://www.gnu.org/software/autoconf/>
         It also requires GNU m4 and Perl in order to run:
         <http://www.gnu.org/software/m4/>
         <http://www.perl.org/>
Makefile:473: recipe for target 'config.h.in' failed
make: *** [config.h.in] Error 127
Making install in .
make[1]: Entering directory '/home/pi/packages/json-c-0.12'


(CDPATH="${ZSH_VERSION+.}:" && cd . && /bin/bash /home/pi/packages/json-c-0.12/missing autoheader)
/home/pi/packages/json-c-0.12/missing: line 81: autoheader: command not found
WARNING: 'autoheader' is missing on your system.
         You should only need it if you modified 'acconfig.h' or
         'configure.ac' or m4 files included by 'configure.ac'.
         The 'autoheader' program is part of the GNU Autoconf package:
         <http://www.gnu.org/software/autoconf/>
         It also requires GNU m4 and Perl in order to run:
         <http://www.gnu.org/software/m4/>
         <http://www.perl.org/>
Makefile:473: recipe for target 'config.h.in' failed
make[1]: *** [config.h.in] Error 127
make[1]: Leaving directory '/home/pi/packages/json-c-0.12'
Makefile:626: recipe for target 'install-recursive' failed
make: *** [install-recursive] Error 1
./Install.sh: line 51: cmake: command not found
make: *** No targets specified and no makefile found.  Stop.
make: *** No rule to make target 'install'.  Stop.
mkdir: cannot create directory ‘/usr/include/libubox’: Permission denied
cp: target ‘/usr/include/libubox’ is not a directory
cp: cannot stat ‘libubox.so’: No such file or directory
cp: cannot stat ‘libblobmsg_json.so’: No such file or directory
sudo: cmake: command not found
make: *** No rule to make target 'install'.  Stop.
pi@navio:~/UAVcast/Install $ ^C
pi@navio:~/UAVcast/Install $

Sinamics

First post is updated with a " UAVcast, Get Started " youtube video.

Enjoy.

rma153

Excellent video Bernt. Thank you

rma153

Bernt,

Although my eth0 is configured correctly in dhcpcd.conf file, when I run ifconfig, eth0 doesn't display inet ip. As such, DroneStart.sh disdplays "Ethernet ip is 1500" because it grabs the MTU:1500 instead.

How to make ifconfig display eth0 inet ip?

wlan0 correctly displays inet ip when I run ifconfig

Sinamics

Hi. Have you made any changes to the /etc/network/interfaces file? If so, please set it back to default. Important! I assume the ttl is powered and connected?

rma153

Have not made any changes to the /etc/network/interfaces file. Yes the ttl is powered and connected

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