How to install SIYI apps on HereLink V1.1

Hardware OSD/Video
1

This post really belongs over on the CubePilot board - but I need to include @SIYI (Frank Wang) and I didn’t find him in that board’s directory.

I received a SIYI A8 last week, and was delighted to find a very informative YouTube video from SIYI about how to install their apps for A8 Ethernet support on HereLink. Herelink V1.1 With SIYI A8 Mini Ethernet Connection Test - YouTube

The ethernet connectivity provides both the video stream and gimbal control.

There appear to be two apps required - a SIYI FPV APP - which does some configuration tasks, and a custom version of Qgroundcontrol which displays the video and has touch screen support for gimbal control.

These apps are available here: SIYI A8 mini 4K 8MP Ultra HD 6X Digital Zoom Gimbal Camera with 1/1.7" Sony Sensor AI Smart Identify and Tracking HDR Starlight Night Vision Mini 3-Axis Stabilizer 95g Lightweight 55x55x70mm for UAV UGV USV RC Planes and FPV Drones

As info - the CubePilot wiki has a page on installing custom apps: Installing a custom app - CubePilot

I need help on how to install these two SIYI apps so I can follow the instruction in their video.

By clicking the “checkerboard” icon on the bottom right corner of the HereLink Launcher screen:

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A screen appears showing the available apps:

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The only browser available is the app called “WebView Browser.” There is no advanced browser such as Chrome or Chromium or Firefox. And there’s no Google Game Store app.

Launching the WebView Browser brings up the app with only the ability to enter a URL.

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This allowed me to enter the URL address of the SIYI page with the apps to download:

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Scrolling about halfway down that page, I could then select the “Downloads” option to navigate over to another page where the SIYI apps could be selected to download:

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Clicking “SIYI FPV App” to start that download I got a screen complaining that this file was on Google Drive and that my web browser wasn’t capable to download the file:

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Trying the other file I clicked on “SIYI Modified QGroundControl App” to try downloading it and it brought me to this screen:

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I could click on that square and it gave me the option to download the file:

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I clicked on the “Download” icon, which took me to another screen - which said the file was too large to scan for virus - and it gave me the option to download it anyway:

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I clicked on the “Download Anyway” icon - and waited - and got no confirmation about a download being complete.

I tried the “Downloads” app back on the app screen - and nothing showed up.

So at this point I’m stuck.

I’d like to have these two SIYI apps for the A8 on my HereLink so I can follow the instructions on the SIYI video - but I’m going to need guidance on how to install these apps.

Thank you.

2

I tried and it downloads on my side
However, let me add a .zip version and please try if you can download the .zip version

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3

Thank you Frank - I appreciate your responding to this so quickly.

I’ve tried downloading both the SIYI FPV app and the SIYI QGC app, both in zip file format, and both get to this point and go no further:

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If I had to guess, the issue has to do with the “web browser” that came installed on my HereLink V1.1.

It’s called “WebView Browser Tester.” According to the Google play Store, this app is for testing the rendering of URL’s. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.companyname.dkhybriagd&hl=en_US&gl=US&pli=1

It looks like this app does not include the ability to download files.

So perhaps the right question to ask is how to download new files and apps with this limited set of pre-installed apps:

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Unfortunately, the “Downloads” app only allows viewing downloaded files - not to actually download them from another computer.

Also, using the “Settings” app to check the Android settings, the “Files” app shows that it’s installed - but there’s no way I can find to run it.

Perhaps there’s some other connectivity option - like through the USB or wi-fi.

As the video I’ve referenced shows a HereLink V1.1 with the SIYI apps installed, can you please share how you managed to accomplish this?

Thank you.

4

Frank -

I went back to the CubePilot wiki to look again at the page on installing custom apps:

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I was able to do this on my HereLink controller up to this point:

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From here I’m stuck. It appears like this option allows the HereLink to act like a disk drive - so some other computer can copy files to it - or it allows the HereLink to access files from a USB connected thumb drive. Or maybe something else.

I wish I were better informed about the Android operating system.

Anyway - this allows me to get only so far in the instructions on the CubePilot HereLink Wiki. I can only get to this point:

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I don’t know what it means to “Check if the unit is connected” - or what it would be connected to.

And then the following commands appear to be performed in some sort of CLI interface. I don’t know where that might be.

What’s quite strange is installing something like QGC on an Android tablet is quite simple. One only needs to use the web browser to go to the page where the download is presented, do the download, and then install the files.

Perhaps what’s needed is for Chrome to be installed on the HereLink - to make things like this much simple. I’m going to post an inquire about this over at discuss.cubepilot.org.

OK - I’ll also do some research about the Android USB Debug mode to see if I can learn more.

Thank you.

5

Frank,

From what I can tell, installing custom apps such as the SIYI apps, requires the use of the Android SDK - which is a part of the Android Studio IDE.

To write the SIYI apps these tools were likely required - so your engineers were already setup to get these apps over to the HereLink controller.

There maybe be a bit of an issue with the fact that the HereLink controller runs Android version 7. As I understand it, there capabilities for loading new software on Android changed with version 8.

I’ve installed Android Studio on my computer - but it’s a huge application. If this is what’s needed to get the SIYI apps installed on the HereLink, I’ll need a little guidance.

Perhaps the SIYI engineers can help with this.

You may have seen that I post technical articles on my website. There aren’t too many - but it’s growing. Once I get this figured out, I’ll likely write an article about this. Perhaps both SIYI and CubePilot can borrow from whatever I write to supplement their own documentation.

Here’s a link to my articles so far: Technical Articles | Copter Cam Tech

thanks for your help!

6

I looked at their website and they updated the “Herelink” software installation video, maybe it will help you. Herelink how to install third party app - YouTube

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7

Thank you - this is exactly what I needed to know!

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