Tau Labs Upcoming features
- Thread starter Kilby
- Start date
Bartman
Welcome to MultiRotorForums.com!!
the way I understand it, the CopterControl board is a basic flight control/autopilot board. The future OpenPilot board will be more feature laden including the usual GPS position hold, come home, altitude hold, etc. that have made MK FC's so desirable.
Does that help at all?
Does that help at all?
Bart has it right. CopterControl is basically just a cut-down version of the full-fat product - all the stabilisation stuff but without the navigation features. The Ground Control Station software is the same (just certain features like GPS waypoints don't work for CC). The OpenPilot software, both the GCS ground station and the flight software/firmware, is FREE, as in "no money", "zilch", "zippo" 
(and always will be). Both are built using very clever modular/plugin architectures, so both are massively expandable. The flight firmware can be updated at any time through a USB connection - very simple.
Due to this modularity, there is no practical limit (except perhaps onboard memory) to what the platform can do - if you can dream it (and someone can code it) then OpenPilot can do it.
The full-fat version (probably going to be called the OpenPilot Pro/INS system) will be three boards (main processor, INS, GPS), plus there'll be a very powerful telemetry modem (called PipXtreme), current sensor and even an OpenPilot ESC (with telemetry feedback). It's hard to grasp just how amazing this project is: a bunch of gobsmackingly clever people producing a free platform that rivals/betters the most expensive systems around!
Oh... and if you want to manufacture the hardware yourself, you can do that too - just download the layouts and parts list from the repository
(and always will be). Both are built using very clever modular/plugin architectures, so both are massively expandable. The flight firmware can be updated at any time through a USB connection - very simple.Due to this modularity, there is no practical limit (except perhaps onboard memory) to what the platform can do - if you can dream it (and someone can code it) then OpenPilot can do it.
The full-fat version (probably going to be called the OpenPilot Pro/INS system) will be three boards (main processor, INS, GPS), plus there'll be a very powerful telemetry modem (called PipXtreme), current sensor and even an OpenPilot ESC (with telemetry feedback). It's hard to grasp just how amazing this project is: a bunch of gobsmackingly clever people producing a free platform that rivals/betters the most expensive systems around!
Oh... and if you want to manufacture the hardware yourself, you can do that too - just download the layouts and parts list from the repository
Kilby
Active Member
So are we talking about 2 different boards that share some functionality & software, or is CopterControl the first board to be released and the additional boards will install onto it to form the full-fat product? I'm a little confused. Sorry, but I'm just trying to get my head around this all. It's very exciting to see development on this level in the open source community though!
Two different boards.
CopterControl is an all-in-one-board, with processors, accels, gyro, etc. on one (tiny) board. The full-fat product will be three boards. No upgrade from one to the other - they're physically different.
However, they share "internal architecture", i.e. the CC board and the full-fat system run the same basic flight software and use the same GCS software. But the full-fat system has hardware features/capabilities well beyond where the CC board stops and therefore accesses additional areas in the software, so to speak.
Does that clear it up?
CopterControl is an all-in-one-board, with processors, accels, gyro, etc. on one (tiny) board. The full-fat product will be three boards. No upgrade from one to the other - they're physically different.
However, they share "internal architecture", i.e. the CC board and the full-fat system run the same basic flight software and use the same GCS software. But the full-fat system has hardware features/capabilities well beyond where the CC board stops and therefore accesses additional areas in the software, so to speak.
Does that clear it up?
OpenPilot doesn't make promises it might not be able to keep, so no "anticipated release date". Right now there's a lot of activity finishing CC/GCS software. As soon as that's done, then the focus will shift back to the full-fat hardware.
I'm waiting too. My "feeling" is that I'll be drinking full-fat goodness in "months" rather than "weeks" or "years".
You can follow the progress in the OpenPilot forum.
I'm waiting too. My "feeling" is that I'll be drinking full-fat goodness in "months" rather than "weeks" or "years".
You can follow the progress in the OpenPilot forum.
tri, quad(x/+), hexa, y6, octo, x8, fixed wing, heli... did I leave any out? The GCS has a very nifty mixer table configuration tool, so if your arrangement isn't covered in the drop-down list then you just go to "custom" and tell it what you want. Stabilisation on each axis can be "attitude" or "rate" (allowing easy control or acrobatics). Each "actuator" can be either a "motor" or a "servo" (allowing tricopters and other non-standard arrangements). Between all that lot, I think just about every possible permutation is covered.
The CC board only has 6 PWM outputs, so you'd need to use the i2C output (and a converter) to run 8 motors. Full-fat OpenPilot has 8 PWM outputs so you can run it direct.
The GCS has a very nifty mixer table configuration tool, so if your arrangement isn't covered in the drop-down list then you just go to "custom" and tell it what you want. Stabilisation on each axis can be "attitude" or "rate" (allowing easy control or acrobatics). Each "actuator" can be either a "motor" or a "servo" (allowing tricopters and other non-standard arrangements). Between all that lot, I think just about every possible permutation is covered. The CC board only has 6 PWM outputs, so you'd need to use the i2C output (and a converter) to run 8 motors. Full-fat OpenPilot has 8 PWM outputs so you can run it direct.
Macsgrafs
Active Member
Thanks for the info Jes, just a bit lost as to what GCS actually stands for? I have a I2C to PWM board in the post from Japan, as I was going to go the MK route, but the prices are just out of this world!!!
To be honest I'm lost with all these boards, some in beat some been out a while & it seems to confuse me somewhat
Ross
To be honest I'm lost with all these boards, some in beat some been out a while & it seems to confuse me somewhat
Ross
CopterCam
Member
Ross,
If you are in an urgent need to go Octo wit GPS and Nav.................... check out the UAVX board, full support too !
Sid