I’m working with Mission Planner trying to fly a drone by defining a mission just to go to a waypoint and returning to launch without having the drone connected to my laptop.
I have my drone connected by USB to Mission Planner using COM port. I’ve defined a mission and I wrote it in the drone (using Write WPs button). After that, on “Flight Data” -> “Actions” I clicked on Resume Mission and the drone starts flying but the question is:
Do I need to have the drone connected to my notebook or can I click on “Resume Mission” and immediately disconnect the USB?
My guess is that most folks are using a telemetry modem to connect to their aircraft and initiate the mission from their ground control station software (Mission Planner, QGround Control).
You can also program a switch on your transmitter to “Auto” and use that to initiate a mission once it has been uploaded to the aircraft. I will often get the aircraft in the air and use this method once I am satisfied everything is working properly.
Can you give us a few more details about your setup?
I have my drone connected to Mission Planer by USB using the COM4 port. The drone doesn’t have a wifi module. Once connected, I can set up a mission and write it on the drone by clicking on “Write WPs” once the mission is defined.
As you may know, on Flight data, inside “actions” tab, there are different options like “Arm/Disarm”, “Restart Mission”, “Abort Landing” and more. Through the options of that menu, and having the drone connected to the computer via USB, I am selecting “Restart Mission” with the aim of executing the mission that was previously created and uploaded to the drone.
I was testing with the other options like “Arm/Disarm” and they work because my drone is armed after clicking that. When I do that I still have my drone connected to the computer via USB.
If I have my drone connected to Mission Planner via USB and if I select “Restart Mission”, will I need to have it connected during the entire drone flight? Because I was clicking on “Restart Mission” and inmediately after the dron starts flying I was disconnecting it to the computer to let the drone fly free but I realized that the dron wasn’t having the correct behaviour after disconnecting it from the computer.
Use a DELAY command as the 1st in an Auto Mission followed by a TAKEOFF command. Using the Actions menu; Arm, select Auto, Do Actions and Mission Start. Disconnect the USB cable. Use a delay sufficient to disconnect and get out of the way.
If you are using V4 beta the failsafe strategy has changed which may effect what you are doing. With USB connected you will have a Ground Station connection which could failsafe when disconnected. This might require configuration to allow.
You really must have a way to control the vehicle in flight to be safe. In many areas it’s actually illegal if the pilot doesn’t have constant ability to control the vehicle. If you want to fly with just the ground station then get a telemetry radio that connects to your computer. But most everyone I know uses both the ground station and a RC radio. If you want some suggestions on which to purchase just ask. Happy Holidays!
Can I ask what the intended use case is? Without context this seems an irresponsible thing to be attempting, as you will have absolutely no way to monitor or control the drone once launched: a scenario that even the most experienced operators with highly reliable, trusted equipment wouldn’t expose themselves to.
@Maria_Victoria_Rocha - I would highly recommend adding an RC connection before proceeding. Not only will you will be able to initiate an auto mission, but more importantly safely control and recover the aircraft if a mission fails for some reason. It’s a basic skill every pilot should have. We can probably recommend several solutions for an RC transmitter if cost is a factor.
As @james_pattison pointed out, some context would be great - perhaps a school project? As @darrell pointed out, a telemetry radio in conjunction with an RC transmitter would be a great way to remotely monitor and control your drone with Mission Planner. Telemetry radios are relatively easy to implement and allow you to upload missions and monitor the aircraft at a safe distance.
