slot requests are in (4 to 6). we hear tomorrow how many we will get
Funding
Update
Copter
Copter-3.6 beta testing should start this week. Just want to have a look over coverity to be more sure there’s no weird memory issues (no reason to think there is, it’s just a regular check I do)
re-tested variable pitch quadcopters as people probably noticed from the blog on ArduPilot.org
Rover
Rover-3.2.3 was released with a few minor fixes (WP origin, two paddle input, boats look like boats on the GCS)
Rover-3.3 beta testing can start any time. I plan to start that this week or next…
Will get it in as it currently stands and we’ll look at ChibiOS support
Peter and tridge will look at this
UTC2305 - changing tradheli build
waf copter --upload would upload a random target
Now a separate shortcut build target
./waf copter and ./waf heli
UTC2305 - ESC telemetry
First flight done
We have telemetry in the logs
Already have the ESC messages because of uavcan escs
Blheli32 now available everywhere, not just on multicopters
Tridge needs to update the docs
Mavlink message?
Use mavlink2 zero-trimming
ESC mask field which specifies how many in the fields you get are actually valid
All fields of the same type in one message e.g. voltage goes in a single message type
PH2.1:
JW: Why only available on Auxout?
[9:12 AM] (Channel) PR: Yes, the level shifter on 1-8 is one way. It’s a high current drive.
So it can drive optocouplers
JW: DOes this levelshifter limitation apply to Pixhawk 1?
Should work on the IO board on PH1, but development bandwidth required
D-shot on io channels in the future, maybe?
PixRacer works on all channels
MindPX will work on all 14 channels (they’re all FMU)
PH2.1 will be able to do telemetry but never configuration
IO microcontroller needs to be killed?
Philip: Most people getting 2.1s do use the passthrough
Trouble getting PH2 users involved in the community
Any example of a vehicle being saved by the IO?
Why do we keep iterating on hardware?
What problems are being solved?
“Faster” isn’t necessarily sufficient
All telemetry comes back on a single pin back to the autopilot (solder together, it timeslices)
[9:21 AM] (Channel) JP The telemetry request goes out on the dshot pins, but the response goes to a uart (sequentially).
JW: Now that I think of it, I guess there’s not much reward to putting dshot output only on the main pixhawk pins. The biggest advantage dshot gives us right now is the passthrough setup. pwm/oneshot is fast enough for our control loop and works well to date
AT: jacob: there are other advantages. 1) no ESC cal needed 2) easy setup of reversible motors
AT: you need passthru to enable it on the ESC, but once enabled it is easy to use
UTC2320 - GSoC
Came up with top
Will request slots
Google to respond in next 24-48 hours on how many slots we get
Week or two to decide which candidates to take on
End of month everything is announced
Coding starts some time in May?
Some great proposals!
May suggest to partners they grab a student or two
UTC2322 - Luis and funding updates
contacted all renewing partners
Next week a cleanup of the partners list
Asked SPI for numbers on current position
Need to talk about the swag shop with SPI
More funding requests needed!
Please submit!
Some companies are interested in supporting AP in specific ways
Targeted funding
Randy’s working up a document on the subject
Trying to sell AP to potential donors
Point out where their needs are on our roadmap
E.g. compasses are a problem for our users, and Paul want to reduce our reliance on it
Hand it out at big drone events?
Weak-spot identification
Let funding committee know about places that can be fixed so funding committee can chase things with potential donors
If you are talking with potential donors, contact Randy and he can help you use the document he’s preparing
UTC2328 - Copter beta testing
This week for sure!
ChibiOS?
We’ll do both NuttX and PX4
Rover 3.2.3 went out
Boats appear on ground station as boats
Variable pitch quadcopters are fully tested and documented now
Code was done a long time ago, but it wasn’t documented