Hey guys! I am planning to create a small flying wing plane running ardupilot, and would like some feedback on my plan and answers to a few hardware questions. PLEASE poke all the holes you can in my plan, as the more aspects I get fleshed out the better. Here’s the plan:
A small flying wing made out of foam - Flik FPV Wing found here: Alight Wing - Flik
A pixhawk 4 flight controller (previous project)
ExpressLRS telemetry and control? see questions below
m9n gps (from previous project)
FPV system (I haven’t decided on what system yet, suggestions are welcome. Either way, it shouldn’t effect the other systems as it is a separate loop.
Flysky fs-16x (from previous project) with expresslrs? see questions
My questions revolve around the use cases of expresslrs and how flexible the system is.
I have seen someone use an external module with the fs-16x here, any suggestions on what module to use? there appears to be a lot of options.
Is it possible to use expresslrs for both telemetry to mission planner on a computer AND use it for rc control with one reciever? Or would I have to buy two pairs of tx and rx to make that work? I have some cheap 50m telemetry radios but would like something with better penetration. I currently have zero expresslrs hardware so suggestiongs for tx and rx are welcome.
Should I just bite the bullet and spend the money to purchase another tx that has an internal expresslrs module or will my hacked together fs-16x work fine?
All hardware and plan suggestions are welcome, you won’t hurt my feelings if you say my plan is trash and I should scrap the whole thing!
Thanks for your help!
I can’t say about the flysky radio, but ELRS now has MavLink mode. It can do your data link and send telem data to your laptop. If you use an external module you can send the data by wifi or usb. If you’re using a built-in ELRS module like in a RM Boxer then you can only use wifi. Both work.
If you’re buying an ELRS module for this consider something with the chip set (LR1121) like the RM Nomad. Only because it will give you access to a couple of data rates that are optimized for sending Mavlink data.
Do you have recommendations for receivers? Is 900mhz or 2.4ghz preferable for longer range and better penetration - I presume 2.4ghz but am wary of assuming anything.
Once upon a time, when Crossfire was king, and people still considered Spektrum radios a good option, it was simple: 900Mhz gave the best range and penetration.
Those were simpler times.
Now we have ELRS and that makes it complicated.
Technically, 900Mhz will still give you best overall range and penetration, however the penalty is that it can’t carry the same amount of data at the same speed. So if you’re asking to do telemetry and RC then you need to make some trade offs.
Modern ELRS has high speed packet rates for both 900 and 2.4, especially with the new chipset. Range on ELRS in either band is plenty for most people. And if the claims are to be believed the data throughput on both bands should work well for MavLink
I’ve just bought a few of the new XR4 receivers and the Nomad module. The cool thing with this gear is it works on both 900 and 2.4. So one of the things I want to do is test both modes and see what works best for me.
And that’s just it, the internet is full of opinions on 900 vs 2.4.
Thanks for your help! I am interested to hear the results of your 900Mhz vs 2.4ghz test. Can radiomaster modules be wired to non-radio master radios? I don’t see the normal connnection pins on them, but the pictures may not be capturing it. All I see is USB-C and power.
The modules come in two form factors, Nano and JR-Bay. They are pretty much standard across the RC world. If your radio is designed to take an external module then it will be one of those two.