Has anyone created a PPM -> Joystick module so that a regular PPM signal could be used as a joystick for control in Mission Planner?
You want to connect your RC transmitter or PPM receiver to your PC as a joystick? Taranis, Jumper T16 and others have a USB joystick mode, for other transmitters there are
USB Simulation adapters available from a lot of vendors for a few bucks.
I want to connect a standard 2.4GHz RECEIVER’s PPM output to this device and then connect the device to my laptop running MP. That way, I could use my hand-held controller wirelessly with my laptop anywhere near. None of the “wired” joystick adapters that I have found (the ones that come with simulators) handle more than 4 channels, and most have really bad resolution. I don’t have a Taranis, or Jumper. My method would work with ANY transmitter that would bind with the receiver I had installed in my “device”.
I would use a teensy for this. There is a ppm library for it and it can be configured to be recognized as a USB joystick.
I have built a nice, little device that contains a R/C receiver and a TEENSY 3.2. It is USB powered and works great. Now, I can use my regular 2.4GHz hand-held controller wirelessly. I have 6 operational analog channels, so I can do the regular 4 plus MODE and CAMERA angle. The whole thing is in a 3D printed 40 X 75 X 25mm box which includes a LED power indicator and a tiny pushbutton to connect the BIND pins on the receiver. The TEENSY’s USB port is accessible through one end, and I also included a tiny hole in the side that gives access to the TEENSY reset button so I can reprogram the device without opening it.
Thank you for the suggestion!
Any links or code or other helpful information available?
I’m trying to find it now. I should have ZIPPED the whole project up when I finished it.
Oh, this is what I was looking for.
Haven’t found your project yet?
Make sure to read this thread. I think it’s possible to use a flight controller to act as an interface.
Absolutely correct. This works like a charm. And the installation process is very simple and straightforward. Once done, mission planner recognizes the controller as a joystick and you can assign the channels.
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I think I have found it. I have to reprogram another TEENSY 3.2 with the code to confirm.
unfortunately, not quite what I need. I would like to be on ardupilot (quiet long distance flights). As I understand it, betaflight is more suitable for freestyle.
By the way, what if I only use telemetry? without main transmitter?
I.e. I connect telemetry transmitting and receiving equipment to the drone. To the laptop too. Can I use the mission planner to control the drone manually with a joystick (for example: takeoff and landing, simple aerobatics) and over long distances by waypoints?
Please read the posts more carefully.
The betaflight FC is not used on the vehicle! It is used as a USB joystick dongle for the GCS computer. This way you can use any RC transmitter as a joystick.
Why don’t you clearly re-state what you do need?
In general, I want to transmit control commands from the mission planner to the transmitter. That is, get rid of the remote control.
It seems to me that I can only use RFD868 to receive telemetry and control the drone?
Which “transmitter” do you want to use for this communication? I take it you don’t want to use a transceiver like the RFD868?
I’m pretty sure only one radio connection is needed to use Mission Planner. I’m not positive, but I believe this radio connection needs a way of sending and receiving Mavlink messages.
This thread was originally about using a normal RC transmitter/receiver pair as a joystick input to Mission Planner. The solution @charles_linquist came up with replicates the work discussed in this thread I linked to earlier. (Or the technique mentioned in the other thread replicates the work of @charles_linquist. I don’t know which method was developed first. Bother techniques were likely independently developed.)
By “transmitter” I mean something like a crossfire TX that plugs into the remote control.
I am currently considering using only RFD868 for two-way communication. From the drone, telemetry data from the laptop control signals.
Just due to the fact that I’m just getting into the topic of drones, I really lack knowledge. Therefore, I was not sure about the possibility of using RFD868
So you want this bundle. Plugs into your radio like a crossfire module, and it will also create a wifi link To your laptop for mission planner. Crossfire can technically do this as well but it’s not very practical yet.
Well, I’m very curious to see that code. Even though the betaflight controller is working. So you can send the code even untested.