I am looking for a cheap way to measure my altitude (when 0-2 meters) with minor error rate.
I have encountered that sharp sensor and it gives analog output voltage between 0-5V within 20-150cm range.
Datasheet: pdf.direnc.net/upload/gp2y0a02yk-e.pdf
Is it possible to use it with APM 2.8?
Another question: is APM series deprecated and/or no longer supported? what have they been replaced?
APM 2.8 is no longer supported. The latest ArduCopter firmware it can use is 3.2.1 (Feb 2015).
I don’t know about the Sharp sensor, but since it is an analog device it should work without any special drivers, so it will probably work with APM.
The list of current supported boards is here: http://ardupilot.org/copter/docs/common-autopilots.html
From memory the sharp sensors are analog, but inverted (voltage decreases with range).