Paul Cox Notes

work in progress:

Getting Started in Paparazzi

Paul Cox Nov 2008

Installing Software on Ubuntu Intrepid Ibex 8.10

Used CVS to download "paparazzi3". also discovered Booz guys are using svn and that repository is called "paparazzi4"

Read the wiki multiple times through, built everything acording to instructions, and fired off the program which seems to run in simulator mode, although

I'm currently not seeing any action when I hit the "Launch" button. I probably haven't read something important somewhere...

Gather hardware

Looked at the hardware designs in CVS to see if I wanted to customize a design or build one of the "released" designs. In summary, the current things

folks are building and using are:

• Autopilots
  • Tiny 1.3 - ARM processor and GPS on 4 layer PCB with 0402. Benefits: smaller and 4 layers is more reliable Drawbacks: Design is older and has evolved so there are some missing feature and maybe some issues (Insert more specifics here as I learn them)
  • Tiny 2.11 - ARM processor and GPS on 2 layer PCB with 0603 SMT devices.
  • TWOG - Tiny 2.11 without GPS. I assume people want to branch out and use different GPS and not just the u-blox stuff. Also I see mention that some people want to mount GPS hardware some place different on their airframe than where the autopilot resides.
  • Booz - Some very exciting quadrotor developments. HW Design not checked yet as there's some errata that someone feels like needs to be fixed before it is commited.
• Sensors
  • Single Axis IR - For two Melexis thermopiles
  • Dual Axis IR - For four Melexis thermopiles
  • GPS board - A PCB to hold just a GPS and an antenna. For use with TWOG

Looked at how much to have the PCBs fab'ed by quick turn board house, but unless you order 25 or more PCBs you're better off buying from the listed vendors. I went with PPZUAV:

• Single IR PCB $8
• Dual IR PCB $8
• Tiny 1.3 PCB $9.95
• Tiny 2.11 PCB $5
• $6.80 shipping (California to Washington)

I check first to make sure all was in stock, and David replied that it was. Order took a couple days to process and a few days for the post office to deliver the priority lettter. PCBs arrived in a little padded envelope and even though I knew the dimensions before, I was surprised at how small they are in the flesh.

Components were mostly from Digikey:

• TI DC/DC was only available in SMT and no Schottky diodes.
• Mouser had the switching DC/DC in through-hole and Schottky diode so put in an order with them as well.

Complete List: (insert spreadsheet here)

Of note:

• Looked for GPS modules and antenna and found some items of interest. A Tyco GPS module with a built in antenna for $60 <>. Also antenna <>.
• Different center frequencies are available 1575 and 1579, but googling seems to show that 1575 is the main GPS freq. Not sure what 1579 is useful for, but it kinda looks like the one paparazzi recommends from their testing is centered at 1579 so I must be missing something.

Complete List: (insert spreadsheet here)

Wireless GPS

While waiting for all the hwardware to arrive, built a wireless GPS device.

Main components:

• Wireless modem: XBee Pro 802.15.4 (XBP-24-AUI)
• GPS:
• Battery: 2S Lipo (gutted Axim x50v battery, rewired from parallel to series)
• Antenna: Some rpsma? wifi antenna I had laying around with a u.fl connector/pigtail.

Other components:

• TI DC/DC converter (same as used on tiny)
• 100uF tantalum capacitor (TI DC/DC conv requires this on the input)
• SPDT toggle switch
• Samtec mating connector for GPS
• Kynar wire
• Plastic box and some thin model plywood for a case

Receiver is another XBee Pro in a USB carrier board. The XBee Pro has a wire antenna (XBP-24-?UI). Looking back I should have ordered with the RP-SMA so I can put some coax on there to a big honkin' antenna to improve range.

Build process:

• Main obstacle here is the fine pitch connector on the GPS module.

XBee Pro and the GPS module are 3.3V devices. For the TI DC/DC used on Tiny to produce 3.3V a 1.87kOhm resistor is needed an input capacitor of 100uF is needed. I wired up all these components

Bring up process

...stay tuned!