ArduRover basic config (GPS and L298N brushed motor driver)

Hi Yuri

I have 3 of the clones, I discovered the one I purchased 4 years ago but never used. I set that one up the same way and it does exactly the same

I contacted the supplier this morning and they advised that they have changed supplier as well.
They also replacing the 3 autopilots I have with new ones.

What other hardware do I require with the Matek autopilot, wire or headers or what else, they don’t day much apart from that you need to solder a lot.

Thank you for your support it is appreciated

were all the pixhawks from the same supplier?

That is correct yes I have 3 of them, setup the 3rd one and it does exactly the same. It is definitely a hardware issue. Contacted the supplier and they are exchanging all the devices with new ones, they have also changed supplier. Cannot wait for the replacements and have purchased the Matek autopilot that I should have by Monday latest

ok a bad batch of boards would explain the problems. I thought you had bought them from different suppliers thats why i was finding it really hard to believe it’s a hardware issue but if they are all from the same place then its far more lightly.

I hear you, I know very little about these things and am learning quickly. I trust that the Matek will do its thing and the end of my problems. Been an uphill struggle because you cannot purchase anything off the shelf, it is always a 6 to 8 week delay and that doesn’t help much but we are
winning

Hello Yuri

I am busy preparing for the new Matek autopilot
What is the difference between the following 2 devices and which one’s firmware must I download?

MatekH743-bdshot or
MatekH743

Is there anything else I need to download?

Thank you

Sincerely

Anton

The MatekH743 target is fine, but you should download this file and follow these instructions.

The Matek boards ship with either no bootloader or one that’s incompatible with ArduPilot, so you have to follow the instructions linked above for the initial firmware flash. Once that’s done, you can use Mission Planner to update to future versions and ignore the STM32CubeProgrammer software (probably just uninstall it if this is the only Matek board you intend to use).

BDSHOT refers to a bi-directional speed controller protocol for brushless motors - completely irrelevant to this build. The “-bdshot” firmware runs perfectly fine on the board you have chosen, but it adds some features you’ll never use and potentially reconfigures a few pins in a way that isn’t necessary for you.

I prefer to solder the included DuPont headers with those boards (about an hour of your time), as it makes component replacement very easy. Of course, that assumes you have some RC servo wiring supplies at hand (or a DuPont crimper and terminal kit). If you can’t crimp the female terminal ends, soldering direct is fine - just less convenient if you want to reconfigure or replace things.

I have re-titled this topic, as it covers a lot more than GPS.

Thank you Yuri

I am awaiting delivery of the device and will be soldering the headers as soon as I receive it. Fortunately i do have a DuPont crimping kit and will be making up the wiring leads.

Yes it does and I think the focus is more on the motors and functionality of the autopilot.

I have learned a valuable lesson from this whole exercise and that is not to buy cloned devices, they not cheap but then as a newbie you do not know.

In future when embarking on any exercise the best advise would be to find a forum on the subject and ask questions, you will get answers.

Hello Yuri

In typical SA fashion the courier didn’t deliver yesterday due to a “vehicle” failure.

Hopefully today

Hello Yuri

I have the MatekH743 in hand, had to go and collect from the couriers myself. I have soldered the headers and I have installed the firmware as per your instructions.

There are 2 connections

COM17 ArduPilot SLCAN (COM17)
COM17 ArduPilot MAVLink (COM18)

The device is connected in Mission Planner on COM18

I have a 8Gb SD card formatted and inserted in the SD card holder and have loaded your LUA file in the scripts directory

Do I have to solder the Battery power leads to the board as well?

Yes. See link below. You can separate the two boards fairly easily with a small screwdriver to make soldering easier.

https://www.mateksys.com/?portfolio=h743-wing-v2#tab-id-4

Thank you Yuri

Just to confirm I need to solder the Battery leads to BAT + and BAT -
Do I have to solder Curr, VBat,G and VX as well and do I need to use silicone wire for them? I will be soldering 1mm silicone wire on BAT+ and BAT-

Yes to everything but the specific wire insulation composition. I prefer silicone, but it doesn’t really matter that much as long as it’s flexible enough to withstand a little vibration.

Thank you I will use silicone, I found some and will get it in the morning
I see there is no compass on the Matek
I have a couple of external compasses or do you think I should just use the GPS?

No opinion. Use what works. It’s a small electric vehicle so may not be super susceptible to EM interference on compasses.

The stuff I have is thin and more for crimping and signal.
Not for power

Accuracy is what I am looking for at the end of the day.
I am going to go fetch the wire quickly

Hello Yuri

I have soldered the wires and reassembled the device.

To confirm, the lua script you wrote must be uploaded to the scripts directory on the SD card, the setup must be the same as you described in the document you created.

The wiring between the L298 and the Matek is not all that clear and I am trying to figure it out. Using the I/O mapping for ArduPilot PWM pins. It is a little confusing at present but I am working on it.

The GPS goes to TX2/RX2, SERIAL 3, the compass to I2C1.

The battery monitor seems to be straight forward.

Is there anything else I need to pay attention to?

Thank you, looks like it is almost there

Everything is exactly the same as you did before.

Hello Yuri

Could you please confirm the following:

There are 2 pins marked CL1 and DA1, do I use the ones next to TX2. This is for the compass
How does the AUX connectors on the Pixhawk relate to the PWM connectors on the Matek?
S1 and S2 looks like it is Servo 01 and Servo 03.