Gluonpilot

Hello, I am extending my flights for a 800 meters away and 200 m altitude and works great but I have some problems with 2.4 Xbee radio link to gluon control sation (with FTDI drivers update) due to my antenna setup on the plane, I think so.

When the plane flies away from me the link goes down and works better when the plane flies towards to me or home point. I have some logs to see that.

So any idea to improve. Now I use 35 Mhz transmitter, 0.9 firmware and no video Tx. I have seen the 900Mhz Xbee at Gluon USA shop but I don´t know if it can be used in Europe and what antennas are better.

What is the better mix to fly no more than 2-3 Km away?

-Transmitter at 35 (with LNA 35 from DMD), 2.4, 869-915 Mhz?
-What link to Gluon control station, better antennas?
-And what for a future video?

The tracker antena on ground need time to work and some code for my bussy life.

I will post some files later
Best regards Gluon-lovers

Hello Francisco,

My XBee radio link is about 1km range, and about 1.5km in optimal conditions. Antenna placement and routing of cables is important.
If you want a longer range you will need another system such as the 868MHz XBee Pro for Europe. On my system it interferes with 35MHz RC receiver so you have to keep at least 20-30cm between them. ALso I have to disable the output to 25mW (instead of 500mW), so it can have a lot of potential!

Thanks Tom.

I´m ill now, but next days I will modify the antenna plane setup and make some flight tests again, while a used and cheaper, pair of Xbees 868Mhz comes to me from Italy.

For the future (my todo list) and only to improve the safe, I am thinking about long range receiver-transmitter like this (http://tienda.dmd.es/epages/ea0697.sf/e ... D=35888176) with PPM sum.

As the RTOS priority, if the flight on auto mode something seems to be bad, the Xbee link doesn´t work, out of the line of sight, max range command fails,and... my chief dismiss to me . I will use the RC switch to try return to home because the OSD & telemetry must be the first don´t work so I cannot fly to home looking at the computer on stabilize mode at this very bad moment. And the 35 Mhz and 2.4 Ghz don´t work if the plane flies away by self more than 1 Km.

One doubt for beta tester or pro Gluon users, maybe a switch on flight plane code to reset the Guonboard in flight? or a external PIC who read PWM pulse and reset the power suply to gluon by a transistor or optocoupler? I will try this last option, last I finished my other tasks, .

Gluon RTOS
=============

Control: highest priority
Sensors / Kalman
GPS input & navigation/script
Gluon control station input
Datalogging
Gluon control station output (telemetry)
OSD

Note. This is only for highest security because today Gluon works always well. But I want have a study plan If someday this happen to me.

Thnks

Hello, I have some trouble to get the 868 modules work right.
I have selected one as coordinator (base), airplane as end point, paired together, same PAN, baudrate, single channel function, firmware 1061, but it doesn´t work. I attached the setup file for X-CTU V5 and the pretty new 6. For the moment I only get one way communication, but with the "correct" attached setup they don´t work anyway.

If anyone has this module and the setup file from X-CTU I will appreciate if can upload?
The firmware version is the newest 1061 because X-CTU hasn´t older.



SOS,

Hello, I upload this profiles. It works Ok on bench test at home. I will check on flight tests at higher power level. I hope work well

I have to use the 1027 firmware version because I cannot get the 1061 firmware to work well. The modules are paired, etc, etc, etc.

Hi Francisco,

Sorry you have a different version than I do. My modems can't be set as coordinator. Did you try any of the tutorials online? I guess the configuration will be the same as 900MHz XBee Pro's in the USA.

Tom

Hello Tom,

finally I tested the modules and worked well at 25mW@800m. The power output can be raised up to 500mW, so link at 10 Km with better antenna can be suitable but I only need 2-3 Km.

I didn´t use the router and end device mode, I use the 1027 firmware for the XBP08-DP, only the version 1061 has the same options for the XBPDP-09 and XBP08-DP due the same firmware. The 1061 has the Coordinator modes (end device, standard and coordinator) but doesn´t work full duplex for me. The XBP-XSC 900 has another differents firmwares.

I saw this links, taking pieces from everyone.

http://tutorial.cytron.com.my/2012/03/0 ... unication/
http://xbee.wikispaces.com/Point+to+Point+Xbee+Set+up
http://wiki.paparazziuav.org/wiki/XBee_ ... ro_868_MHZ

As I saw on early post I will use a regulated Xbee board to install the Xbee module at 40-60 cm from the Gluonboard and receiver using the FDTI connector, becasue has some interference (current 6-8 cm cable antenna), now I switch off the transmitter at fly plan on auto mode from the laptop.