Hello everyone,
I am a university student currently working on my bachelor’s thesis, which involves building a space surveillance drone using Arduino-based components. However, I am facing some challenges and have a few additional questions about my project.
Project Overview:
Here is the hardware I am using for the quadcopter:
- Flight Controller & ESC: Speedybee F405 V4 stack
- GPS Module: u-blox 7M
- Receiver: FlySky FS-A8S
- Camera: ESP32-CAM module
I have successfully flown the drone using the controller, so basic functionality is in place.
Current Software Setup:
I initially set up the flight controller with iNav to explore its features. However, since my project requires autonomous flight and more advanced functionalities, I decided to switch to Ardupilot.
Problem:
When I try to connect the flight controller to Mission Planner, I encounter the following issue:
- After clicking the “Connect” button, I receive the error message: “No heartbeat packets received” after 30 seconds.
I suspect the issue might be related to flight controller drivers, but I’m unsure how to update or troubleshoot them effectively.
Questions:
- In the final version of the project, I want the drone to start its flight and initiate video recording when it receives a signal (e.g., an alarm signal or a similar remote trigger).
- How can I configure the drone to accept such a signal to initiate flight?
- Should this be managed through the flight controller or the ESP32-CAM module?
- I also need the ESP32-CAM module to begin recording automatically when the flight starts.
- How can I program the ESP32-CAM to synchronize video recording with the flight start?
I would greatly appreciate any guidance, advice, or resources you could share to help me resolve these issues and advance my project.
Thank you in advance for your time and support!