Bringing up Gluonpilot config

[Tom]

Hi Ben,

If the module says "opening ppm...", it is configured to use PPM instead of PWM. What does the config tool tell you when you do a "Read"? Is it still PWM or is PPM selected? It should show PPM as that is how it seems to be configured now.

I think you got the .NET runtime error because you did a Write before doing a Read.

Tom

[Ben]

Hi Tom,

With your input and a little more experimenting I got the RC input working. The "green bars" of channels 1-5 are responding to transmitter controls. But, I haven't been able to get any activity by the servos.

Under the Servos tab values for 1-5 of the Neutral boxes are filled in. I can check or uncheck the Reverse boxes. But the two items at the top "Servo neutral value is taken from manual mode trim settings" and "Servo neutral value is set here" are both grayed out (I can't select or deselect them). Also, at one point I got the Neutral values to fill in with real values. But, with more playing they are now set to the min or max value in each case, and I can't get them back to more realistic values.

I prefer to run the servos off of a separate power source, and so far I have not closed solder jumpter SJ2 and SJ3. I have one battery that I am using for power. Power is connected to the transmitter, and that seems to carry power to the Gluon board through the PPM1 and PPM2 connections (direct connection to 5V on the Gluon board is not needed). Please tell me exactly how to connect the three servo wires. I tried connecting the ground and power wires of the servo to the battery, and connecting the signal from the servo to the signal (farthest from the edge of the Gluon board) on the various 1-6 servo connections on the Gluon board. I also tried the above, with adding a connection from power ground to the ground (pin on board edge) of the 1-6 servo connections on the Gluon board.

Hope you can help me get my servos turning. Ben

[Tom]

Hi Ben,

It sure seems like a weird problem and isn't easy to debug remotely...

In the servo's tab you can only check or uncheck the reverse option.

Some points to verify:
- Your transmitter needs to be on when the gluonpilot is booting.
- Is the board in "Manual" mode? The AP channel should be > 1700 in the RC input tab.
- Are the servos in neutral position?
- Do the servos receive a valid signal (try to push the servo horn: if it remains in the same position and offers resistance to change, then the servo is receiving a signal. If you can change the position of the connected servo horn, then it's receiving no signal).
- Which mixing option did you program?
- If you 'Read' the settings after booting the module, does the configuration look normal?

Tom

[Mitch]

Connections -

The easiest would be to plug a second 5v battery into one of the spare gluonboard servo connectors to power the servos (only with the two jumpers not soldered). Then you can run the servos from the normal gluonboard servo connections.

Another way for temporary testing, you can remove the pwm wire from a servo connector and plug it into a receiver connection for +5 and ground. Then jumper the loose pwm wire to a servo output pwm pin on the gluonpilot board.

Either way will ensure you are getting +5 power to the servos and have a common ground with the board.

[Ben]

Thank you Tom and Mitch,

With your input and with a few hours of testing, occassional logic, but mostly trial and error, I now have the servos operating in both manual and AP mode. However, in both modes servos 1 and 2 always operate together (but in opposite directions). It doesn't matter whether my transmitter is set with both channel as Normal, or if one is Normal and one is Reverse. Servos 1 and 2 work together, but in opposite directions. Control is set to Aileron. Under Servos none are in Reverse. I just noticed that my problem may be caused by Control being set to Aileron, but my battery just died and I don't have any power to check it tonight.

Under the Servos tab does Min and Max show values for Manual or AP? Or do these values even being used at this point in development?

Regarding PID, what do P, I and D stand for? These three together with Max pitch and Max roll seem to be the controlling elements for the servos. Please say a little about how these combine to control servo activity.

Thanks again for your input, Ben

[Tom]

Hi Ben,

Good you got it working, but strange it took so long. If you find any reproducable bugs or issues, please let me know.

Servo1 and 2 move in opposite directions in aileron mode, controlled by only 1 channel on your transmitter. You can reverse them in the servo's tab. Don't forget to Write the settings when you change this! Rebooting the module is required if you want the trim settings to be taken into account after reversing a servo.

The min/neural/max values in the servos tab are not used for the moment. They are calculated on start-up with the transmitter's stick positions as input.

PID controller: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PID_controller

For airplanes, it is sufficient to use the P-part. I and D can be set to "0". A good start for the "P" term is 0.4. After some test flights you'll probably need to make some adjustments. A smaller value will give less deflection.

Tom