PicoBlade crimper
As the club this year plans to compete in the annual SparkFun competition, we needed to get an autopilot up and running. We already had some equipment for a Paparazzi autopilot system, but still had to purchase a few items. Basically, don’t plan on using this system without purchasing crimpers and the related goods.
After we had the system communicating over a USB datalink, the next step was to start getting hardware connected. For simplicity the GS407 GPS module was purchased from DIY Drones, with an adapter board and configured for the Paparazzi. The adapter board seemed a little rickety so a few strips of electrical tape were wrapped around the boards.
uBlox Module
Adapter board secured
The next task was to replace the USB datalink with XBee modules. With an Xbee to USB adapter board and the XCTU software, the individual boards were configured for their respective roles and a 57600 baud rate. We had forgotten that the XBee modules have a different pin spacing than the standard 0.1″, so wires were directly soldered to the module for the aircraft. For a more permanent solution hot glue will need to be added to reinforce the connections.
Groundstation Xbee
Vehicle Xbee
For the next build session we will need to modify a Berg 4L FM receiver and connect our horizontal infrared sensor module. For the receiver a wire will need to soldered to tap into the PPM signal, the antenna connection needs reinforcing with hot glue, and the crystal needs to be soldered directly to the board.
Berg 4L circuitry