An introduction to drones: hardware, protocols and auto-pilot systems

An introduction to drones: hardware, protocols and auto-pilot systems

Soubhi Hadri

School of Electrical and Computer Engineering

The University of Oklahoma

October, 2017

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction.2. Build Your Own Drone.

• Hardware essential parts and Assembly.• Firmware for flight controller.• GCS (Ground Controller Station).• Calibrations.• Flight Modes.

3. MAVLink Protocol.• MAVLink Micro Air Vehicle Communication Protocol

4. Companion Computers.5. My Work.

• SDK for drone application development.• Logging and Configuration.• Example on Simulator

Introduction

An introduction to drones: hardware, protocols and auto-pilot systems Slide 1| Introduction

Building an Auto-piloting System for Drones. Slide 2

Introduction

Drone : UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) is an aircraft without a human pilot aboard

| IntroductionAn introduction to drones: hardware, protocols and auto-pilot systems Slide 2| Introduction


Introduction


fixed-wing aircraft(Plane)



Introduction


fixed-wing aircraft(Plane)

Copters

• Tricopter.

• Quadcopter.

• Hexacopter.

• ….


Build Your Own Drone

Building an Auto-piloting System for Drones. Slide 3| Build Your Own DroneAn introduction to drones: hardware, protocols and auto-pilot systems Slide 3| Build Your Own Drone



Hardware essential parts and Assembly:

| Build Your Own DroneAn introduction to drones: hardware, protocols and auto-pilot systems Slide 4| Build Your Own Drone

Building an Auto-piloting System for Drones.


• Choosing a MultiCopter Frame.


| Build Your Own Drone Slide 4An introduction to drones: hardware, protocols and auto-pilot systems Slide 4| Build Your Own Drone




• Mounting the Flight Controller : The Autopilot board.







• Connect GPS+Compass Module with FC.









| Build Your Own Drone

• Connect ESCs (electronic speed controllers ) and Motors with

FC.

Slide 4An introduction to drones: hardware, protocols and auto-pilot systems Slide 4| Build Your Own Drone






• Connect ESCs (electronic speed controllers ) and Motors with

FC.


• Propellers and Battery.




Hardware essential parts and

Assembly:

| Build Your Own Drone Slide 4

Detailed Wiring Infographic (Copter)

An introduction to drones: hardware, protocols and auto-pilot systems Slide 5| Build Your Own Drone



Flight Controller:




Flight Controller:

- A flight controller (FC) is a circuit board of varying complexity. It controls motors and

the drone’s parts.




Flight Controller:



- The majority of flight controllers also employ sensors to supplement their calculations

(IMU).




Flight Controller:




(IMU).

- Flight controllers are configurable and programmable




Flight Controller:




(IMU).

- Flight controllers are configurable and programmable

- i.e.: Pixhawk

| Build Your Own Drone Slide 5

Pixhawk flight controller(cube)




Firmware for Flight Controller:

- Firmware = Flight stack.






- Flight stack is the software that runs on FC.







- Open source flight stack : Ardupilot and PX4.








• Both provide the main function like navigation.









• Ardupilot is growing fast and provides more algorithms.










• License:

• ArduPilot is GPL : means that people modifying and then selling ardupilot

are obligated to make their modifications open.










• License:

• ArduPilot is GPL : means that people modifying and then selling ardupilot

are obligated to make their modifications open.

• PX4 is BSD : The modifications are not required to be opened.






Estimation and Control Architecture




GCS (Ground Controller Station)

- How to load the firmware onto the FC?





- How to load the firmware onto the FC? Using GCS

- GCS :

- A ground station is a software application, running on a ground-based computer, that communicates with your UAV.






- GCS :


- It displays real-time data on the UAVs performance and position.






- GCS :



- Helps you to figure out the problems on the drone.






- GCS :



- Helps you to figure out the problems on the drone.

- Linux : APM Planner.

- Windows: Mission Planner.

- Mavproxy: a light command line GCS.






APM Planner 2Status tap




Calibration:




Calibration:

- After assembling the hardware and uploading the hardware, the drone need to

be calibrated.




Calibration:


be calibrated.

- Using GCS you can do:




Calibration:


be calibrated.


- Calibrate the ESCs.




Calibration:


be calibrated.



- Calibrate Sensors (Accumulator and compass).




Calibration:


be calibrated.




- Radio Transmitter calibration.




Calibration:


be calibrated.




- Radio Transmitter calibration.

- Calibrate any other optional hardware.




Flight Modes:




Flight Modes:

1- Modes require GPS lock prior to takeoff:




Flight Modes:


• Loiter Mode: automatically attempts to maintain the current location, heading and

altitude.




Flight Modes:



altitude.

• RTL Mode (Return To Launch mode) :navigates Copter from its current position

to hover above the home position.




Flight Modes:



altitude.



• Auto Mode: the copter will follow a pre-programmed mission script stored in the

autopilot which is made up of navigation commands (i.e. waypoints).




Flight Modes:



altitude.



• Auto Mode: the copter will follow a pre-programmed mission script stored in the

autopilot which is made up of navigation commands (i.e. waypoints).

• Guided Mode: is a capability of Copter to dynamically guide the copter to a

target location wirelessly using a telemetry radio module and ground station

application




Flight Modes:

2- Modes do not require GPS lock prior to takeoff:




Flight Modes:


• Stabilize Mode: allows you to fly your vehicle manually,

but self-levels the roll and pitch axis.




Flight Modes:




• Altitude-hold Mode : copter maintains a consistent altitude while allowing roll,

pitch, and yaw to be controlled normally




Flight Modes:




• Altitude-hold Mode : copter maintains a consistent altitude while allowing roll,

pitch, and yaw to be controlled normally

• LAND Mode: attempts to bring the copter straight down.


MAVLink Protocol

Building an Auto-piloting System for Drones. Slide 13| MAVLink ProtocolAn introduction to drones: hardware, protocols and auto-pilot systems Slide 14| MAVLink Protocol


MAVLink Protocol

Micro Air Vehicle Communication Protocol :

| MAVLink ProtocolAn introduction to drones: hardware, protocols and auto-pilot systems Slide 15| MAVLink Protocol


MAVLink Protocol


- It is used mostly for communication between a (GCS) and Unmanned vehicles.

| MAVLink Protocol Slide 14An introduction to drones: hardware, protocols and auto-pilot systems Slide 15| MAVLink Protocol


MAVLink Protocol


- It is used mostly for communication between a (GCS) and Unmanned vehicles.

- Using MAVLink you can get telemetry data from drone and send control and navigation command to it.

| MAVLink Protocol Slide 14An introduction to drones: hardware, protocols and auto-pilot systems Slide 15| MAVLink Protocol

Companion Computers

Building an Auto-piloting System for Drones. Slide 15| Companion ComputersAn introduction to drones: hardware, protocols and auto-pilot systems Slide 16| Companion Computers


Companion Computers

| Companion Computers

- Travels on the vehicle and communicate with (and control) the flight controller.

An introduction to drones: hardware, protocols and auto-pilot systems Slide 17| Companion Computers


Companion Computers


- Gets all the MAVLink data produced by the autopilot and can use it to make intelligent

decisions during flight.

| Companion Computers Slide 16An introduction to drones: hardware, protocols and auto-pilot systems Slide 17| Companion Computers


Companion Computers




- Good solution when you have heavy processing.

| Companion Computers Slide 16An introduction to drones: hardware, protocols and auto-pilot systems Slide 17| Companion Computers


Companion Computers




- Good solution when you have heavy processing.

| Companion Computers Slide 16

Jetson TX1

An introduction to drones: hardware, protocols and auto-pilot systems Slide 17| Companion Computers

My Work

Building an Auto-piloting System for Drones. Slide 17| My WorkAn introduction to drones: hardware, protocols and auto-pilot systems Slide 18| My Work


My Work

- SDK for drone application development.

• Build your auto-pilot system with simple command.

| My WorkAn introduction to drones: hardware, protocols and auto-pilot systems Slide 19| My Work


My Work



| My Work Slide 18An introduction to drones: hardware, protocols and auto-pilot systems Slide 19| My Work


My Work



• No need for previous knowledge of drone’s protocol.



My Work



• No need for previous knowledge of drone’s protocol.

• Safe.



My Work

• Configurable.

- SDK for drone application

development.


My Work

• Log file.


- SDK for drone application

development.


My Work


- Simple Example.

My Work

• Example with SITL.



References

Slide 22

• http://ardupilot.org/

• https://dev.px4.io/

Building an Auto-piloting System for Drones.An introduction to drones: hardware, protocols and auto-pilot systems Slide 24| References

http://ardupilot.org/

http://ardupilot.org/

Thank You

An introduction to drones: hardware, protocols and auto-pilot systems

An introduction to drones: hardware, protocols and auto-pilot systems

Engineering

Transcript of An introduction to drones: hardware, protocols and auto-pilot systems