Why can't we have the best of both worlds in FC's?

RobertoMFS

Member
Hi Guys, interesting tread.

I'm flying WKM on a big Copter (around 17kg).
I'm working on a big one copter that can be around 25kg.

I never have an issue, I can fly manually but I don't feel comfortable with DJI.
To be honest I thing that the most issues cases can be for a bad build. The copter have several possible fail points, but I still uncomfortable with DJI.

I'm plan to test the pixhawk, and maybe move all my copters.
I love all the features, and implementations.
The possibility of use dual gps, I buy one ublox neo 8 that work with gps and glonas.
I want to test the optical flow option for indoor, etc.

When you say that can find an average components in pixhawk what you means?
Are bad quality?

Thanks guys.
Felix Navidad from Spain.
Regards
Rob.






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dark_star

Member
It's difficult, complex and expensive to create a flight controller that is truly reliable. But 'good enough' and selling units is their goal.
 
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Old Man

Active Member
Felix,

To answer your question about Pixhawk components, they are not bad, just "standard" in quality level. They could be more robust but they would of course cost more. Everyone wants "the best" quality money can buy, at least until their money is what will be paying for it.

The Pixhawk has thus far been extremely reliable. So is APM when set up correctly.
 

Bartman

Welcome to MultiRotorForums.com!!
hate to say it but Hoverfly flew perfect and was extremely reliable. horrible management though.
 

RobertoMFS

Member
Jejeje, I write feliz Navidad (merry Christmas in Spanish...)
And the autocorrect of my iPad change to Felix.

My name its Roberto. Jefe

About the pixhawk, if the hardware it's open, it's not possible get the design and make with better or military certified components?

Regards
Rob.



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Gary Seven

Rocketman
Jejeje, I write feliz Navidad (merry Christmas in Spanish...)
And the autocorrect of my iPad change to Felix.

My name its Roberto. Jefe

About the pixhawk, if the hardware it's open, it's not possible get the design and make with better or military certified components?

Regards
Rob.
Hola Roberto, soy "Gary Seven." Vivo aquí en Catalunya. ¿Tal vez puedo saludar con "Bon Nadal"? (Es broma). Pues nada, bienvenidos y felicidades con tu ingles muy buena.:)
 
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Old Man

Active Member
Sheesh, I can only reply with Feliz Navidad, and Merry Christmas.


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Holger

Member
Ok, so I've been an MK guy for a long time. I absolutely love the constant updates and cool features set. The telemetry is awesome and the Navi log files too. But, the system as a whole is sloppy at holding position and altitude. It's greatly affected by the elements, making for very inconsistent flight performance. This frustration led my partner and I to other FC's.

Our friends and competitors use DJI so we built a new Okto with the WooKong-M. It's ability to hold position and altitude seem second to none. Aside from the occasional freak out with the GPS mode on, it's pretty much rock solid. The kind of performance expected for carrying cameras and sensors. The elements seem to not bother this system either. Only real issue is the lack of useful telemetry features.

So, why can't we get a FC with the best of these two FC's? I want all of the features of the MK and the stability of the DJI. Is that really too much to ask for? Also, would it really cost that much more for the boards to be populated with certified components and parts? Something that may some day get FAA certification for commercial use. The way I see it, we're headed that way anyway so why wait?


I do agree with you on that. I am a real mk fan and actually got a company working and repairing mk copters.
But the position hold is not as good as dji and lacks.
On the other hand if I fly dji I feel 'naked' without the voice feedback.
I love the way I can monitor pretty much everything down to speedy temperatures or things like the relative waypoint features on my remote.

After the flight I can read everything out and analyse problems.
And that is where dji lacks and sort of disqualifies as professional FC.

I also wish for either a better position hold with mk or for another FC with full data locking and telemetry to the rc controller.

I wouldn't use pix hawk on a professional machine, got one, use it, but it has its own problems ..
 

DKTek

Member
So, what allows the DJI to hold position better than the other FC's? Is it the use of characterized components, the algorithms, the use of thermally stable MEMS, black magic.etc.? Maybe all of the above. Does anyone know the real difference whom can explain and help those interested in knowing?

I'm NOT an engineer but I do enjoy self educating. If you are an MK type of guy, you'll notice that they sell bare pcb's along with the parts and pieces to populate those boards. I decided to start researching some of them in order to understand the quality and short comings. Here's a link that may be of interest to others. This link is one of the easier to understand ones for non-engineers, such as myself...

http://www.memsjournal.com/2010/12/...copes-current-status-and-emerging-trends.html
"Even if you need moderate stability but you need it for long periods of time, MEMS is not there yet. MEMS bias stability looks pretty good for short periods of time but starts to drift after 5-10 minutes."

Maybe this is a better choice to base a Prosumer FC on, http://www.vectornav.com/products/vn200-smd .
"Calibration coefficients are stored on the sensor and are fully temperature compensated in real-time onboard to ensure high accuracy measurements over the full operating temperature range."
 

dazzab

Member
So, what allows the DJI to hold position better than the other FC's? Is it the use of characterized components, the algorithms, the use of thermally stable MEMS, black magic.etc.? Maybe all of the above. Does anyone know the real difference whom can explain and help those interested in knowing?
I doubt we will ever know. I'm sure it's all very commercially sensitive and closely guarded info.
Maybe this is a better choice to base a Prosumer FC on, http://www.vectornav.com/products/vn200-smd .
"Calibration coefficients are stored on the sensor and are fully temperature compensated in real-time onboard to ensure high accuracy measurements over the full operating temperature range."
I'm not an engineer but I don't see anything on that page that I haven't also seen on the DIYDrones discussions about the Pixhawk. Although I don't think the Pixhawk deals with thermal stability, yet. I know it's been discussed and that SuperX has it as well.
 

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