How to connect RC Car to Flight Controller?

ArduRover Rover 4.5
1

Hello everyone,

As the topic says, I am wanting to connect my Rc car to my flight controller.
I am wanting to be able to utilise things like OSD, GPS, RTH ect.

I am Extremely New to all of this, so Layman terms would be appreciates. I have searched google but with no luck. There is plenty of articles running Pixhawk and Autopilot but nothing for simply connecting a Standard FC to an RC Car for idiots like me.

My understanding is that I connect the FC to both my Receiver and the Esc on the Car. But I am at a loss as to how to configure it so that everything works and is displayed on my Monitor.
Do I need any other software to configure the FC? I was told that I needed to configure it in Ardupilot Config but that doesnt seem to be available anymore. Has 5his b33n intergrated into Mission Planner?
I have downloaded Mission Planner, but as you may have guessed, I have no bloody clue what I am supposed to do?

The FC is a Matek H743 Slim. Flashed to Ardupilot 4.5.6
RC Car is a Maverick Quatum Flux 4WD 3s.
Radio Controller is a Radiolink RC6GS 7 channel.
Monitor (no goggles) is a Hawkeye FPV2
TBS Crossfire is also on the car.
VTX Rush Solo Tank 2.5w
Camera Foxeer Cat

2

Ardurover

1 Like
3

Have I missed something? I don’t understand why you highlited the text.

4

Did you know how computer works?
Dave send you a link to the first page of the Ardurover wiki. If you follow this and all additional links shown there you can help yourself and manage to controll your RC-Car

1 Like
5

You do not need google. What you need is to read the link @dkemxr posted.

6

Well thank you Dave. I missed the link, because I am used to seeing a normal link and I did not see the one Dave posted.

7

I would suggest reading thru it entirely and then start the build. 7 channels can work depending on what’s available for switches. You need a switch(s) for flight modes and another for arming is useful.
Once you have it basically running in manual mode switch to Acro and get it running properly in that mode before advancing to tuning. Acro is your friend to troubleshoot issues.

8

I have been reading the Rover page, but I am at a loss and do not understand it properly. It seems to be talking about using a Pixhawk, rather than an ordinary FC.

I Really do appreciats your help, but I have never had a FC before, so all of this is like trying to learn a second language. For you guys it is second nature, but foe me, it is very overwellming and confusing.
At the moment I just want to be able to connect the FC to the car, the rest of the things I want to acheive, like GPS tracking and RTH etc can wait until I have a proper grasp of the basics required to get the car to run with the FC attached. And some understanding of Mission Planner.

9

A “Pixhawk” is an ordinary FC if there is such a thing. The same process’s apply to any FC.
You will need to be more specific with what you don’t understand. Or, try something based on the Wiki and the post with a targeted question.

10

Thanks again Dave for taking the time to reply.
At the moment I have not wired up the FC, the only thing I have done is flash the firmware to Ardupilot rover.

Do I need to configure the FC in Mission planner as is? Or should I wire everything up to it including connecting the FC to the car and my radio controller, then configure it through Mission Planner?

I think I am getting confused because I was told that I needed to Configure the FC using Arduconfigurator for windows but that is not there anymore. So I assume Mission Planner does that now?

11

You can and should use ArduPilot methodic configurator before starting to wire the FC. It instructs you step by step what to do and which documentation to read.

12

Thank you very much for the reply, I have downloaded it to my pc. Now to try and make sense of this as well haha!

I do have a couple of questions if you don’t mind.

I assume that after connecting it to Methodic Config, I am then free to wire up the FC and THEN use Mission Planner?
Do I Need Mission planner to configure anything on the FC so that I can connect the FC on the car, or is it just for planing the automated stuff like GPS Tracking, RTH, route planning etc?

When I wire up the FC to my RC car, do I simply connect the FC to the ESC and also the Reciever. The Reciever has PWM, PPM and Sbus if that makes a differance?

I also have TBS Crossfire which is connected to the Receiver, so I assume I will not need to configure that for the FC?

Apologies if these are very basic questions but I am just trying to make sure I have a proper grasp of what I need to do so I don’t end up having to replace things in the event I connect them wrong.

13

I don’t know where you heard that.
You can read the progress, and then lack there of, here on the funding request if you like. A lot of talk and then crickets.
Arduconfigurator

14

ArduConfigurator is not ArduPilot methodic configurator.

Those are two different software.

The first is no longer active developed the second is.

The first does not support ArduRover, the second has basic ArduRover support.

15

Thanks for the clarification,

Is there any chance soeone could answer my questions in the previous post please?

16

I’ve been trying to wrap my head around all of this for three days, and I’m still feeling pretty confused. I know you all probably think it’s basic stuff, but for beginners like me, it’s really challenging.

Today, I spent the whole day trying to understand the ArduPilot Methodic Configurator, and I’m still lost. It feels like it’s in a different language. These programs don’t seem to be designed for total beginners like me.

I did not realise how difficult this was going to be.

17

Indeed it is designed for beginners like you.

But I don’t know how you could read thru the Rover 1st time setup Wiki and not have a basic understanding of how to connect the components. The “typical autopilot wiring and connections” section covers that. “Autopilot’s inputs and outputs” explain what these are.
And so on…

TBS Crossfire what? Connected to what receiver, the Radiolink?

Here is the Wiki page link for that Flight Controller for more specific info:
Matek H743

18

It was designed especially for users like you. Please explain what you find confusing and we will explain it to you.

19

This will be long because I want to try and explain as best I can why I am struggling to grasp things. If you have the time to read through it, I would appreciate, if not, I understand.

I think I have an basic understanding of what goes where, but I am just confused with the programs and what order to do things, before I wire everything to the FC.

I will answer your question about CRS at the end.

Firstly I thought I had to program the FC in Arduconfigurator, but the link to windows wasnt there. So I assumed it may have been incoperated into Mission planner, so I was trying to read up on that.

Then I find out I need to use Ardupilot Methodic Config to configure the FC BEFORE wiring it up.

Methodic Config asks you to select a vehicle that closely resembles the vehicle you are using, so I click on the dropdown list to see everything is ArduCopter flight controllers, except,the the very last one that is Rover but a completly different brand, which is rover/AION_RI, made by CubePilot.
So I am not sure what to pick. I am using an ordinary RC Car.
I choose the last one in the list, Rover. It then loads another page and I am asked to fill in all vehicle requirements. The selections are,
Flight controller, which has CubePilot listed as the manufacturer, model, MatekH743.

Then there is a section titled Frame, I assume this has nothing to do with me, because I am using an RC Car.

Next, we have RC Controller, which I assumed is the Radiolink.

After that we have RC Transmitter, again Isnt that what the RadioLink RC6GS Controller
Next is RC Receiver, I assume thismis the Radiolink Reciever?

At each title, it asks for firmware info and version

Further along it has telemetry, is that the Radio controllers or the FC? firmware version and FC connection type?

For the Battery monitor what is that? FC or Radio Controller?

Battery, I assume it the lipo I use, in the RC Car, which is a 3s?

Motors, again, I assume this is the RC motor in my car?

Propeleers, none.

GNSS Reciever, coupled with Firmware and FC connection, I do have a Matek GPS M10Q, but I dont have a clue what FW it is or what FC connection it uses.
This is as far as I have got to.

In regards to the the Crossfire TX, it is connected to my Radiolink controller via the DCS port, with the TBS Crossfire 8Ch Diversity Rx, connected to my RC receiver. Again I was wondering if this needs to be configured in some way as well or do just leave it as is?

20

OK, then the Crossfire Receiver will connect directly to the Flight Controller using Sbus protocol. You will not use the Radiolink Receiver. I think you want to configure the Crossfire Tx for Sbus and then connect and configure it as such as per the Wiki link.

BTW-I doubt many, if any, have experience using a Crossfire Tx with that radio so you will have to try some things out. Try Sbus and see if it works. Then you could try CRSF protocol but that requires a different configuration in Ardurover as outlined in the Wiki.