Currently I'm using apm 3.1 mini with tricopter. Simmilar like in wing I need to power servo (one but power hungry) and other electronics (apm, gps, receiver). It is not recommended to use single power source for apm and servos. Servo can draw a lot of power and affect sensitive to voltage change apm. I had few unexpected apm restarts when all was conected to single ubec. You are using additional ubec in teksumo already. I think that you can use ubec to power servos (connection to apm from outputs side is required still). If bec from esc has about 2amps than You can use it in place of power module. Whole tutorial is fantastic anyway it could save a lot of time.
Great video! It’s just very hard to solder the wire for powering the compass. Its very close to the ground plate. I just don’t know why they don’t make it like the way it should be!?
Hi Painless. You wouldn't know how to center the servos in apm plane do you? What I mean is that the ailerons are not spot on center. So if I do this in the transmitter and reading through the wiki, the plane will result in a crash which basically happened to me, as I trimmed my servos on the field. How can I trim my servos so that they will be center and have them so using apm plane. I just can't find the info anywhere or maybe I'm just an airhead. Thank you.
Every step we went through is in this series of videos. I can't remember exactly what we did but this is where the answer will be (if anywhere) on the channel. Best of luck!
***** Next one in the series loaded and scheduled for release on the 6th February, so not long to wait.. Glad you are enjoying the series but please remember that these videos take a long time to research, build, script, create graphics, film, edit and upload. The quick tips take about an hour to make, these longer, more detailed videos can take anywhere from 2 to 5 hours to complete from start to finish. May not look like it but they do! ;) Appreciate the support. Happy flying!
A vtol plane with four motors with tilt rotor capabilities. Apm says they have support in every version of planes beyond 3.5 but it keeps telling me that the board is retired and only uploads version 3.4 and below.
Rubdul Bah ah! VTOL! not sure if that's supported on APM. It's getting very long on the tooth now and the last update for the software update was well over a year ago.. I'd look at a pixhawk.. Best of luck!
+Nathaniel Richardson See the installed GPS on the plane in the next video. When installed correctly the wire connect to the left hand side of the module (looking from the top)
Hi there, thank you for this video. I am having a little problem with my compass. After cutting the jp1 the apm still uses the internal compass. Here's what I did. I followed all the instruction in this video and managed to calibrate the external compass in mission planner. Cut Jp1, do the proper wirings (checked the wirings) and choose "use external compass". When going to flight data to check if it already works I notice that when I rotate the gps/compass module nothing happens in the telemetry. But when I rotate the board it does reflect the movement. I think its conclusive that its still uses the internal compass. The cut in JP1 is already deep I checked the continuity and its already broken. Any inputs?
The board still uses the on-board accelerometers to adjust heading along with the compass. So, even with J1 cut, you will see a heading change if you rotate the main board. You can confirm that it is the external compass being used by opening the Debug Console (on the help drop down menu says 'Show Debug Console') while connected the APM without the external compass then go into inital setup and compass calibration, made sure internal (on-board) compass is selected then run the live calibration & watch the debug window and the X, Y & Z Axis should all be zero no matter how the board is moved. This will prove that it is the accelerometer is causing heading changes (huge thanks to 'Black Dog' for helping figure this out). Hope this helps. Happy flying!
I have a brand new apm 3.1 when i plug it in the computer it doesn't show up and the first led is solid yellow and the second one is blinking red what is wrong? :(
Good day Painless360....is that possible APM Mini 3.1 setting without RC receiver?...i mean that plane fully autonomous...fly and landing only controlled by Mission Planner....do you have any experience on doing that?...
Hi there! Not sure, you can 'fly' the model using the telemetry radios connected to a PC and a joystick (i believe). I've not done it myself as I like to be in (what feels like) full control.. Happy flying!
I just wanted to thank you for all your videos you are the best, I've been flying quads with cc3d board and want to move up to mission control board, what would be the best apm board to start with thanks
scott chapman Two main versions - the APM 2.x and APM Mini 3.1. Lots of versions of the APM 2.x about. I would get a 2.6 or 2.8 version from a reputable seller. 2.7 was a HobbyKing specific one and was brought out to fix a critical error in their 2.6 version. Best of luck with the build.
what if i have the gps that is designed for the apm 3.1? is such method of putting the gps like in the video necessary? or it is just fine if we straight away plug the gps into the gps connection in the apm 3.1. Thanks...
Good friend the late congratulations on your videos. I'm your fã.estou always watching your videos and became interested in riding a Zagi wing with cc3d mini revo and me came a doubt. I have a DX8 and only putting the satellite in the controller I would get a good distance or only serves to flight short distance. What do you recommend. Use with receiver for long distance or only TV I get a good distance.
Sorry, I'm not sure what you are asking. If you mean using just a sat. rx on the revo then you should still get decent range if the antennas are routed well and away from other components. Best of luck!
hello How did you fix the receiver as elevon ? from the radio control receiver or mission planer? also mission planer full parameters is not supporting at this moment...Impossible to fly without fix the elevon old version or new version?
Depends on the space you have in the model. If I had the space I'd go for the larger 2.5/2.6 as the leads and connections are a lot easier than this one. If you are strapped for space then it has to be the 3.1.. Hope this helps..
FPV 4 Fun The APM gets voltage and current information about the main flight battery from the Power Module (if you are using one). If not then you can connect the main battery voltage to the relevant connection on the OSD itself *depending on that one you use. Hope this helps.
Painless360 Thanks. Is there a difference in OSD selection? I am just wondering if I can connect and measure 4S lipo voltage without modification or additional components? In the case I would like to save weight of the Power Module.
a question, currently my telemetry port (apm mini too) conected to bluetooth module, i cant connect osd if the port used by bluetooth should i make a pararrel cable from same telemetry port to power up or use the bluetooth and minim OSD module at the same time? or that 1 telemetry port only for 1 module? i really appreciate, if someone have information for this thx
I agree. One stabilizer into another, may require lots of tuning to get them to work together agreeably. No need for it, even if you might be fortunate to have it work on first try. I wouldn't want to try that experiment myself with my current budget of funds and time. The APM code already uses multi-stage software EKFs (extended kalman filters) to optimize the stabilization based on the IMU sensors and the control inputs. The developers worked hard to get that end result. I would not want to try to tune the APM to cooperate with the stabilizing that the Orx Rx3s is doing. It might mean that one unit tries to correct the corrections of the other, a waste of power and computing, and might put additional wear and tear on the servos. Just replace the Rx3s with another non-stabilizing receiver. Since you are using a Spektrum compatible DMS2/DMSX receiver, maybe get yourself an actual Spektrum receiver. In the past they have been shown to have better and faster signal loss and brownout recovery than the OrangeRx units, and that better recovery may be appropriate to your larger investment with an APM, GPS/compass setup. I'm not intentionally doing an endorsement, but if you are going to replace the OrangeRX anyway, it is an option to consider, since you must have a DMS2 or X compatible transmitter already. There is a longer response that could be made to your question, but it would need a little more background from you on your aircraft, ability to carry more equipment, bigger battery, while not exceeding a maximum wing loading, etc. I hope that is useful info for you.
Great. I found that CC3D video for fixed wing and I hadn't seen this series. The CC3D is great for park flyer, but the APM and a fixed wing Im really looking forward to stretching my legs. The quads are nice but to loiter about a bit in fpv, well....... ArduSub next?
Hard to answer without knowing what GPS unit you're using. The battery maintains the last sat. data to help speed up a GPS lock. It's usually soldered on and needs replacing if it's not remembering and cold starting every time.
I have a question about the GPS modifications. You mentioned that some GPS/Compass units are available that do not require modification. I have this unit: www.myrcmart.com/product_info.php?currency=JPY&products_id=8001 which has a differenct board layout but uses the same GPS I believe. Do you know if it requires modification or is this one of the units you are referring to that are already good to go? Do you have advice for how would I connect this to the APM 3.1? Any help is appreciated and thanks for the great video!
That looks like the one I was referring to. Trace out all the pins in the supplied cable and make sure that they connect in the right way i.e. VCC to VCC GND to GND TX to RX RX to TX SDA to SDA SCL to SCL Let me know how you get on.. Best of luck..
Painless360 Thanks, It looks like it will work then. My GPS unit has two ports, A-Port and B-Port. The B-Port maps perfectly to the APM 3.1 port with the supplied cable. (All the pins are in the same order so a standard 6-pin cable should work.) I haven't tried using the GPS or external compass yet because I haven't done the modifications to the APM board yet. I did get my APM 3.1 set up and working with my wing though thanks to this video series so thanks a bunch!
Hi Painless, All good stuff you are showing. I have made the 3.3Volt modification for the external compass, but when i try to calibate i select external compass and there is no input in mission planner. When I select internal compass also no input, but that is off course good due to the cut of jp1. How is this possible? It's now like there is no compass at all. Before jp1 cut everything worked fine. Please advice. Thanks.
As a plane always flies forward you can calculate your heading by comparing the moment to moment position from the GPS. This is an older series now, and the software has moved on a lot since I made it. Happy flying!
Check the latest documentation and most compasses these days provide that power supply for the compass from the 5 volt line that you'll be powering the GPS from anyway, I just happened to end up with a unit that needed that extra little bit of soldering...
@@Painless360 Here is the one that I got. It looks like a re-branded version of the typical compass. It came with no documentation. Are you familiar with this one? The compass wires are red and white. www.ebay.com/itm/Mini-NEO-M8N-GPS-Module-w-Compass-for-APM-2-6-2-8-PIX-Flight-Controller-RC-Drone/253364043187?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=552526514578&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
hello Painless360 sorry for my English. I do not understand or connect the UBEC output ? (in RX> Bat) = RX feeds the board by the throttle. or UBEC Direct has the position of power modul ? I know you say it in the video. but I not understand English, just with translate I will soon receive Mini 3.1 HK.www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__74644__Micro_HKPilot_Mega_Micro_Sized_Flight_Controller_and_Autopilot_with_Leads_2_7_2_APM_.html
![Blox Fruits Dragon Rework Update [Full Stream]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EqDAp8udhm0/mqdefault.jpg)
Currently I'm using apm 3.1 mini with tricopter. Simmilar like in wing I need to power servo (one but power hungry) and other electronics (apm, gps, receiver). It is not recommended to use single power source for apm and servos. Servo can draw a lot of power and affect sensitive to voltage change apm. I had few unexpected apm restarts when all was conected to single ubec. You are using additional ubec in teksumo already. I think that you can use ubec to power servos (connection to apm from outputs side is required still). If bec from esc has about 2amps than You can use it in place of power module. Whole tutorial is fantastic anyway it could save a lot of time.
Adrian Sychowiec The worry about brownout from excessive current draw is *exactly* why I used a higher capacity switch BEC in this model.Happy flying!
Great video! It’s just very hard to solder the wire for powering the compass. Its very close to the ground plate. I just don’t know why they don’t make it like the way it should be!?
Great as always
Great series as always.
why i cut the line jp1 but the compass on main still works?
What is the ideal ways of connecting R9 slim+ to APM 3.1?
Hi Painless. You wouldn't know how to center the servos in apm plane do you?
What I mean is that the ailerons are not spot on center. So if I do this in the transmitter and reading through the wiki, the plane will result in a crash which basically happened to me, as I trimmed my servos on the field. How can I trim my servos so that they will be center and have them so using apm plane. I just can't find the info anywhere or maybe I'm just an airhead.
Thank you.
Every step we went through is in this series of videos. I can't remember exactly what we did but this is where the answer will be (if anywhere) on the channel. Best of luck!
Thank you :)
Great video, but feels like i got stuck in the middle,
please upload the rest of the videos until doing a first flight and tuning the APM.
Thumbs up.
***** Next one in the series loaded and scheduled for release on the 6th February, so not long to wait..
Glad you are enjoying the series but please remember that these videos take a long time to research, build, script, create graphics, film, edit and upload. The quick tips take about an hour to make, these longer, more detailed videos can take anywhere from 2 to 5 hours to complete from start to finish. May not look like it but they do! ;)
Appreciate the support. Happy flying!
Great video. Just a wonder would you happen to have any instruction for setting up a quadplane.
+Rubdul Bah not sure what you mean by 'quadplane'..
A vtol plane with four motors with tilt rotor capabilities. Apm says they have support in every version of planes beyond 3.5 but it keeps telling me that the board is retired and only uploads version 3.4 and below.
Rubdul Bah ah! VTOL! not sure if that's supported on APM. It's getting very long on the tooth now and the last update for the software update was well over a year ago.. I'd look at a pixhawk.. Best of luck!
I have the same gps/compass module in your video. Which way is the front of the gps/compass.
+Nathaniel Richardson See the installed GPS on the plane in the next video. When installed correctly the wire connect to the left hand side of the module (looking from the top)
Hello I'm trying to setup my mini pix V1.0 with airspeed can not find it online .
Best place to look is always the Ardupilot documentation. ardupilot.org/plane/docs/airspeed.html Best of luck!
Hi there, thank you for this video. I am having a little problem with my compass. After cutting the jp1 the apm still uses the internal compass. Here's what I did.
I followed all the instruction in this video and managed to calibrate the external compass in mission planner.
Cut Jp1, do the proper wirings (checked the wirings) and choose "use external compass".
When going to flight data to check if it already works I notice that when I rotate the gps/compass module nothing happens in the telemetry. But when I rotate the board it does reflect the movement. I think its conclusive that its still uses the internal compass. The cut in JP1 is already deep I checked the continuity and its already broken. Any inputs?
The board still uses the on-board accelerometers to adjust heading along with the compass. So, even with J1 cut, you will see a heading change if you rotate the main board.
You can confirm that it is the external compass being used by opening the Debug Console (on the help drop down menu says 'Show Debug Console') while connected the APM without the external compass then go into inital setup and compass calibration, made sure internal (on-board) compass is selected then run the live calibration & watch the debug window and the X, Y & Z Axis should all be zero no matter how the board is moved. This will prove that it is the accelerometer is causing heading changes (huge thanks to 'Black Dog' for helping figure this out).
Hope this helps. Happy flying!
Ohh I see then mine is working just fine. I was doing this but I am not sure since the flight data shows rotation. Thanks for the answer!!!
I have a brand new apm 3.1 when i plug it in the computer it doesn't show up and the first led is solid yellow and the second one is blinking red what is wrong? :(
Happy to help but please watch ruclips.net/video/olIqTiSJHIY/видео.html and come back to me with more detail of what you've tried..
Good day Painless360....is that possible APM Mini 3.1 setting without RC receiver?...i mean that plane fully autonomous...fly and landing only controlled by Mission Planner....do you have any experience on doing that?...
Hi there! Not sure, you can 'fly' the model using the telemetry radios connected to a PC and a joystick (i believe). I've not done it myself as I like to be in (what feels like) full control.. Happy flying!
I just wanted to thank you for all your videos you are the best, I've been flying quads with cc3d board and want to move up to mission control board, what would be the best apm board to start with thanks
scott chapman Two main versions - the APM 2.x and APM Mini 3.1. Lots of versions of the APM 2.x about. I would get a 2.6 or 2.8 version from a reputable seller. 2.7 was a HobbyKing specific one and was brought out to fix a critical error in their 2.6 version.
Best of luck with the build.
How does it control the throttle in the RTH mode(is it just max throttle ?)
It will use the throttle as it would flying to any waypoint in a mission based flight.
Happy flying!
Painless360 That means it's a fixed value from whatever I set in mission planner ?(e.g won't change due to the wind condition or ground speed ?)
plane.ardupilot.com/wiki/flying/flight-modes/#return_to_launch_rtl will explain all!
Happy flying!
Thanks for your detailed info ,I would like to install in my planes my TX Futaba T14SG is it compatible ? And please a link to order it ,thank you
+Nikolaos Denikarias if the receiver supports pwm or PPM then it should. We get hours from eBay or places like banggood or Hobbyking. Best of luck!
what if i have the gps that is designed for the apm 3.1? is such method of putting the gps like in the video necessary? or it is just fine if we straight away plug the gps into the gps connection in the apm 3.1. Thanks...
+Teddy Matthew if it's designed for the APM it should work straight away. Check with the vendor..
Good friend the late congratulations on your videos. I'm your fã.estou always watching your videos and became interested in riding a Zagi wing with cc3d mini revo and me came a doubt. I have a DX8 and only putting the satellite in the controller I would get a good distance or only serves to flight short distance. What do you recommend. Use with receiver for long distance or only TV I get a good distance.
Sorry, I'm not sure what you are asking. If you mean using just a sat. rx on the revo then you should still get decent range if the antennas are routed well and away from other components. Best of luck!
Hey. Please tell me whether to buy APM as an autopilot for the wing, if so what? And if not, what is best to buy the cheapest?
No need to post twice - I've answered this on your first post. Best of luck!
Is it possible to change the baud rate on this GPS with U-center or any other program?
You can change all the settings. See the full GPS config in the SP3 playlist.. Best of luck..
Could you please make a video about the PX4 pixhawk Lite?
Thanks for the idea. I'll add it to the list..
Painless360 thanks :)
hello
How did you fix the receiver as elevon ? from the radio control receiver or mission planer? also mission planer full parameters is not supporting at this moment...Impossible to fly without fix the elevon old version or new version?
See the rest of the series for the answer. You setup all of the mixing in the flight controller and remove it all from the radio.. Best of luck!
Ok next question. I know the amp 2.6 on amazon ar a little cheaper are they just as good.?
I can't comment on individual sellers but I have had (crosses fingers here) no boards arrive with problems, even from eBay.
Best of luck!
I am debating on getting the mini 3.1 versus the 2.5 or 2.6 any thoughts on which one I should get they both look like good board
Depends on the space you have in the model. If I had the space I'd go for the larger 2.5/2.6 as the leads and connections are a lot easier than this one.
If you are strapped for space then it has to be the 3.1..
Hope this helps..
Hey Painless, can you use the apm 2.8 on a airplane?
Yep, ArduPlane is a nice piece of code!
thx!
can this FC still be used today?
Yes but only with Ardupilot 3.2.1 or older. I would use the a more modern, powerful and supported flight to now... Happy flying
If you power it from ESC, how you can measure/display main voltage in OSD, is that still possible somehow?
FPV 4 Fun The APM gets voltage and current information about the main flight battery from the Power Module (if you are using one). If not then you can connect the main battery voltage to the relevant connection on the OSD itself *depending on that one you use.
Hope this helps.
Painless360 Thanks. Is there a difference in OSD selection? I am just wondering if I can connect and measure 4S lipo voltage without modification or additional components? In the case I would like to save weight of the Power Module.
Loads of different OSDs out there but is you are using the MinimOSD then it is not easily done with an APM due to the basic OSD code.
Best of luck.
Dear friend which version release of Mission Planner you recomend for APM Mini 3.1? Thanks!
I've not used APM for a few years so am a little out of date now.. Sorry i can't be more help..
Thanks, now I am looking OMNIBUS F4 Pro (V2), it looks promissing.
a question, currently my telemetry port (apm mini too) conected to
bluetooth module, i cant connect osd if the port used by bluetooth
should i make a pararrel cable from same telemetry port to power up or
use the bluetooth and minim OSD module at the same time?
or that 1 telemetry port only for 1 module?
i really appreciate, if someone have information for this
thx
No need to post twice ;)
can we use an orx rx3s flight stabilizer with the apm?
I wouldn't, the APM only need to see a radio.. not the stabilized input from something else..
I agree. One stabilizer into another, may require lots of tuning to get them to work together agreeably. No need for it, even if you might be fortunate to have it work on first try. I wouldn't want to try that experiment myself with my current budget of funds and time. The APM code already uses multi-stage software EKFs (extended kalman filters) to optimize the stabilization based on the IMU sensors and the control inputs. The developers worked hard to get that end result. I would not want to try to tune the APM to cooperate with the stabilizing that the Orx Rx3s is doing. It might mean that one unit tries to correct the corrections of the other, a waste of power and computing, and might put additional wear and tear on the servos. Just replace the Rx3s with another non-stabilizing receiver. Since you are using a Spektrum compatible DMS2/DMSX receiver, maybe get yourself an actual Spektrum receiver. In the past they have been shown to have better and faster signal loss and brownout recovery than the OrangeRx units, and that better recovery may be appropriate to your larger investment with an APM, GPS/compass setup. I'm not intentionally doing an endorsement, but if you are going to replace the OrangeRX anyway, it is an option to consider, since you must have a DMS2 or X compatible transmitter already. There is a longer response that could be made to your question, but it would need a little more background from you on your aircraft, ability to carry more equipment, bigger battery, while not exceeding a maximum wing loading, etc. I hope that is useful info for you.
Great. I found that CC3D video for fixed wing and I hadn't seen this series. The CC3D is great for park flyer, but the APM and a fixed wing Im really looking forward to stretching my legs. The quads are nice but to loiter about a bit in fpv, well....... ArduSub next?
How do I keep my external GPS battery from dying?
Hard to answer without knowing what GPS unit you're using. The battery maintains the last sat. data to help speed up a GPS lock. It's usually soldered on and needs replacing if it's not remembering and cold starting every time.
Thanks very much
What are some other frames that would work well?
+InventorJS -Jacob Singh most flying wings will be great. You need the space do the FC and GPS.. best of luck!
How to reverse servo ?
Covered in the series and the wiki too... Happy flying!
this guy should be treated like alishanmao , he is so underrated
+What is this? Thanks for that. Please spread the word.. happy flying!
I have a question about the GPS modifications. You mentioned that some GPS/Compass units are available that do not require modification. I have this unit: www.myrcmart.com/product_info.php?currency=JPY&products_id=8001 which has a differenct board layout but uses the same GPS I believe.
Do you know if it requires modification or is this one of the units you are referring to that are already good to go? Do you have advice for how would I connect this to the APM 3.1? Any help is appreciated and thanks for the great video!
That looks like the one I was referring to. Trace out all the pins in the supplied cable and make sure that they connect in the right way i.e.
VCC to VCC
GND to GND
TX to RX
RX to TX
SDA to SDA
SCL to SCL
Let me know how you get on..
Best of luck..
Painless360 Thanks, It looks like it will work then. My GPS unit has two ports, A-Port and B-Port. The B-Port maps perfectly to the APM 3.1 port with the supplied cable. (All the pins are in the same order so a standard 6-pin cable should work.) I haven't tried using the GPS or external compass yet because I haven't done the modifications to the APM board yet.
I did get my APM 3.1 set up and working with my wing though thanks to this video series so thanks a bunch!
Hi Painless, All good stuff you are showing. I have made the 3.3Volt modification for the external compass, but when i try to calibate i select external compass and there is no input in mission planner. When I select internal compass also no input, but that is off course good due to the cut of jp1. How is this possible? It's now like there is no compass at all. Before jp1 cut everything worked fine. Please advice. Thanks.
+Skill T Happy to help but please watch ruclips.net/video/olIqTiSJHIY/видео.html and come back to me with more detail of what you've tried..
Ok thanks.
Everywhere I look, it is said that for PLANES only, no compass is needed. Just the GPS.
As a plane always flies forward you can calculate your heading by comparing the moment to moment position from the GPS. This is an older series now, and the software has moved on a lot since I made it. Happy flying!
@@Painless360 Thanks! I feel iffy about soldering that wire to the 3v spot so ill try with just the GPS then.
Check the latest documentation and most compasses these days provide that power supply for the compass from the 5 volt line that you'll be powering the GPS from anyway, I just happened to end up with a unit that needed that extra little bit of soldering...
@@Painless360 Okay ill do that. :)
@@Painless360 Here is the one that I got. It looks like a re-branded version of the typical compass. It came with no documentation. Are you familiar with this one? The compass wires are red and white.
www.ebay.com/itm/Mini-NEO-M8N-GPS-Module-w-Compass-for-APM-2-6-2-8-PIX-Flight-Controller-RC-Drone/253364043187?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=552526514578&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
hello Painless360
sorry for my English.
I do not understand or connect the UBEC output ? (in RX> Bat) = RX feeds the board by the throttle.
or UBEC Direct has the position of power modul ?
I know you say it in the video.
but I not understand English, just with translate
I will soon receive Mini 3.1 HK.www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__74644__Micro_HKPilot_Mega_Micro_Sized_Flight_Controller_and_Autopilot_with_Leads_2_7_2_APM_.html
I don't know how to explain it more clearly than we did in the video. Best of luck..
hi! what is name of the connector for the gps?is it JST-SH 6pin connector?thanks