The Robot Thread

For my robot project I have a general F405 flight controller questions for resora

Usually with an embedded device I like to plug in a new device and observe it booting from a serial console.

With a flight controller they all use UARTS.
There seems to be some standardization.
UART1 =ERLS
UART2+UART4=Telemetry
UART3=GPS
UART5=VTX
UART6 seems to be open.

Is there a console available on the Flight Controller Firmware and Program? Can you watch the device boot up over a UART?
Supposedly there is INav on my SoloBoot F405 WING. How can I see it in action? Get version of firmware installed?
Is it possible from the command line with MAVconnect or do I need QMissionPlanner?

I want to connect RockPro64 to the flight controller. I assume UART is the best path to communicate? Can it be used to monitor the FC?
Is there any other uses for USB3 jack on FC besides firmware flashing? IE. console?
 
With a flight controller they all use UARTS.
There seems to be some standardization.
UART1 =ERLS
UART2+UART4=Telemetry
UART3=GPS
UART5=VTX
Click to expand...
UART6 seems to be open.
Click to expand...
Yes, this is configured in the ports tab, example png betafly
 

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Is there a console available on the Flight Controller Firmware and Program? Can you watch the device boot up over a UART?
Supposedly there is INav on my SoloBoot F405 WING. How can I see it in action? Get version of firmware installed?
Click to expand...
QGroundControl on FreeBSD can be compiled locally, I'm currently reading for cmake, there is CPM, and ports prohibits loading libraries when there are already your own system files, there you can also configure the firmware, if it's ardupilot. You can also configure MissionPlaner
betaflight and inav for electron, nothing works for me, the browser crashes, for me ardupilot looks cooler.
Often manufacturers block access to the console, everything must be done through the program, even in the CLI section
 
I wonder how a Lead Acid -Deep Cycle battery is going to work for a ESC based on power Lipo/NiMH ???
Click to expand...

I wouldn't advise it, lead batteries are not very suitable for this, now they use li-ion, because they have more volts per cell and they are high-current, up to 45 A to be exact, and some have a higher energy density per weight. In addition to milliampere hours, there are many other parameters in batteries
 
I really appreciate all your advice. I am really willing to push the limits for batteries.
Unfortunately I already bought two Lead Acid batteries. For a wheeled rover weight is not a problem. I am using an electric wheelchair Jazzy without the chair. 350LB capacity.
The real problem is price. LiPo are expensive. 10X energy density and 3X price. I replaced the two original batteries to test with for $85. They are 12V U1 Lead Acid 300CCA.

I have bought pairs of unconventional ESC. Will test both.

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Plan on soldering XT60 to Matek F405 Wing BEC. I will use 4S 18650 to power controller.
I plan on wiring the ESC direct to battery via XT60. I don't need power sensing from controller/BEC or I can populate those solder pads later.
Three wire R/C connector to S1 and S2 from second controller. Remove positive lead in R/C connector..

I picked up a Kids Power Wheels Car at curb and it has this controller I gutted out. Need to teardown. Car has nice features including remote steering motor.

Amazon.com: JR1932RX-24V Kids Powered Ride on car 2.4G Bluetooth Remote Control and Receiver Kit Controller Control Box Accessories for Children Electric Ride On Car Replacement Parts : Toys & Games

Amazon.com: JR1932RX-24V Kids Powered Ride on car 2.4G Bluetooth Remote Control and Receiver Kit Controller Control Box Accessories for Children Electric Ride On Car Replacement Parts : Toys & Games
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Not all have Wifi on the Engine Controller. Some use bluetooth:

My robot rover looks similar to this one:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLue5p1RQMk
I am ditching the controller and joystick.
 
I realize that a Mobility Wheelchair is for indoor use. After tearing apart the first motors/gearbox I bought in Post#1 I realized the nuances.
The smallest hole will find water. One slot for anti-rotation pin caused all the internal damage. That and just sitting outside.

Sealed motors are needed for outdoor use. Especially off road.

The above video the guy wants to use a Jazzy for mowing the yard. That is an unrealistic goal. Jazzy is indoor device and yard work is not the best task for it.
I thought about putting a pan on bottom to protect undercarriage and protecting motors with sleeve. Not worth it...

So far I have $100 for two Jazzy wheelchair. $85 in batteries... $200 for 3 flight controllers and some wiring. ESC's maybe $175
That is really not bad.
I would have more spent if I went R/C-Truck-Traxas route.

Driving 200miles for the hospital bed wheels was a waste of $160. But I did tear them down and learn alot
That was where I realized they were the same as mobility wheelchair motor arrangement. Probably same people make them.

I wish other people would post their experiences. I know I am not the only tinkerer here...

First Time Setup and Configuration — Rover documentation

ardupilot.org ardupilot.org
 
I was trying to think of a reason to have an ARM64 computer onboard with FreeBSD on my Jazzy Robot with flight controller...

I have come up with it. A diagnostic system for the robot itself. GPIO temp sensors to the motors and gearbox and maybe battery monitoring.
Plus WifiAP and more GPS. Extra cameras and maybe cellular comms? Speakers and Mic on mast? Trying to add features that do not overlap flight controller.

VTX is expensive. 5.8GHz video transmitter board.($200 no cam)

But some of these flight controller boards have a feature called On Screen Display.
From what I can gander you must use an onboard camera and it will overlay "OnScreen Display" from flight controller onto video from camera....

So I guess you have to transmit video back to base camp to see real time video with overlay of OnScreen Display via VTX .
 
I had an idea to take one of those kids electric car/jeep things and hook everything to a RPi
NovaDrive-24V-Two-Seater-Ride-On-Jeep-for-Big-Kids-with-Parent-Remote-Control-Four-Wheel-Susp...webp


Iirc years ago they had like 4 small motors per-wheel and simple wiring with 1 pedal and a battery. That model has a remote and implies they're a little more hi-tech nowadays, but I'd still gut it for a Pi.

Then maybe take the same set-up and toss a blade underneath for a lawn-mower, or sprayer and gallon-water tank for a sprinkler (or both :p; if the basics are easy to wire I'd have a few wild machines)
 
Indeed I have harvested three of these Kids Toys. The biggest drawback is steering system. It is complete trash but with some flat washers you could improve it alot.
"PowerWheels" is the latest one I grabbed and it has a servo in the steering column for remote steering. So it could be useful. I think the 4 drive motors on it would make it much more complicated. My midsize one has 2 drive motors on rear and I think that was ideal.
With 4 drive motors you get into different wheel speed needed and that gets messy.
I don't really know the sophistication of ArduPilot but I am pretty sure Skid Steering is supported. That is where I am starting. Then onto 3 Servos with steering.
 
I will give up my little nugget I have been contemplating. For my first steering robot kart I might go this route> A coleman go-kart.
www.craigslist.org

Coleman all electric go kart - atvs, utvs, snowmobiles - by owner - vehicle automotive sale - craigslist

I am selling a coleman all electric go kart it is a evgk200. Does not have battery, or charger. Has roll bar but is damaged and was removed. If interested let me know.
www.craigslist.org www.craigslist.org
Long drive for something broke. They are $2K new and the drive system is nice. Battery was junk in these. Many complaints on sales sites..

I am pretty sure this is the drivetrain they use:

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Parts > Go-Kart Parts > EVGK200

parts.colemanpowersportsusa.com parts.colemanpowersportsusa.com
 
I really fought hard to resist The Amazon DeepRacer car.
Look at the front tires. Really bad alignment and its fixed. You need to buy a mod tie rod end that is adjustable to fix the issue..
This thing needs all kind of tweaks and I don't want to do that.

Racing Simulator Software - DeepRacer

DeepRacer is the fastest way to get rolling with machine learning, literally. Get hands-on with a fully autonomous 1/18th scale race car driven by reinforcement learning, 3D racing simulator, and global racing league.
aws.amazon.com aws.amazon.com
 
I would like to see the details of the Japanese Robots that are assisting with Fukushima Meltdown.
Rad hardened STM32 controllers ??? They Japanese have been leaders in robotics since their inception..

Pololu seems to be a well document brand for robot controllers:

Pololu - 4.3. Connecting an RC Receiver

User’s manual for the Pololu Simple Motor Controllers.
www.pololu.com www.pololu.com
 
But some of these flight controller boards have a feature called On Screen Display.
From what I can gander you must use an onboard camera and it will overlay "OnScreen Display" from flight controller onto video from camera....
Click to expand...
Yes, you can set such indicators to be displayed on the screen or in the glasses, such as speed, voltage, connection quality ...

Rad hardened STM32 controllers ???
Click to expand...
Rad-Hard are very expensive, Rad-Tolerant type chips are cheaper
 
I have been shopping for ESC for 48V systems. I came across a few.

HC48120

APO-M2

APO-M1

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resora
Thank You so much for helping me. I have some more questions for you. This time regarding Robots, Rovers & Flight Controller Video Systems.

I am interested in VTX at 1.2GHz. 1280mhz is legal here I believe..

Questions: Do the Flight Controllers with two camera inputs broadcast both cameras over one VTX module?
Two streams or one stream switched between two cameras? How do dual camera feeds work?Any handheld RC Controllers have 1.2Ghz with a video display? That would work.

Side question: Could you "record" camera video instead of sending? Logging to MicroSD on F/C. Can you record video to it?
Anything that plugs into VTX connectors and records?
Question Two:
Regarding 1.2Ghz VTX. I am struggling with a Ground Station for 1.2Gz. It is Analog output from all the VRX I see.
Are there any other options? I cannot find any SDR program to do the video demultiplexing. Onscreen with a laptop would be fine.

Any handheld RC Controllers have 1.2Ghz with a video display? That would work.
I thought having a a handheld controller would be hard with a Flight Controller but they are built for them. Amazing stuff.

I am assuming 1.2GHz VTX works with F405 Flight Controllers? Everybody uses 5.8zGHz I realize but I want that extra range.

Sorry to bug you but I am getting in deep. Did not want to dirty up your porting ArduPilot thread.
 
I am going to bite the bullet and go Analog Monitor with 1.2G VTR. I have 24" screen that will be a nice Ground Station.
The kit is so cheap I do not expect much. But I don't need glasses/headset. That is overkill for me.
This is the china kit. I might buy two transmitters for different rigs. Only one base station needed. Switch channels as needed.
12V is available on my Matek F405WingV2 VTX BEC but I have to solder jumperpad. Uck. Maybe i could do jumper instead.

I am also finding CrossBand quite interesting.
2.4Ghz and 915Mhz.
There are some crazy video things going on in Asia....7.2GHz FPV??? It appears no 1.2G is legit in US without license. We are so restricted in our airwaves..

In regards to nice big 1.2G receiver I did find one monitor. Slightly pricey compared to 5.8G gear.

Hawkeye Captain X 10.2 inch 1.2G 64CH 8 DIY channel Monitor with HDMI DVR_Hawkeye Firefly FPV Monitors and Cameras 鹰眼弘创

Hawkeye Captain X 10.2 inch 1.2G FPV Monitor with HDMI DVR
www.cnfpv.com www.cnfpv.com
 
I am really unsure if 1.2G VTX will work on my Matek F405. I see the JHEMCU F405Wing has a marking at VTX connector "5.8GVTX"
That makes me worry some. I have no experience with VTX. Are the modules universal or do I need to buy Matek VTX module for Matek board..
Only 5.8G modules supported? I bought the TX/RX pair from above. If they work I may buy another transmitter.

The diagram for my 1.2G kit shows a camera connected directly. That brings up many ideas for multiple cameras without F/C.
I want to see the quality and framerate of the kit.
 
I also found out that with Flight Controllers with two cameras use a switcher for video stream to the VTX module. I guess it is built into ArduPilot..

I may have jumped the gun on VTX because it has to be supported by a VTX Table in the software.

The set I bought was on Oscars site. This place has some good information.
oscarliang.com

Guide: 1.2GHz -1.3GHz FPV Video System - Oscar Liang

This is an introduction of 1.3GHz FPV system for long range flying, I will walk you through selecting gears and tips for optimal performance.
oscarliang.com oscarliang.com

FPV can be used on anything be it a Robot or Rover or Boat. I am amazed at it.

I bought a RC Servo driven Camera Gimbal for my Jazzy Rover. Only $32 added cost for PAN/TILT camera on my Rover.

So $65 for VTX/VTR pair. $35 for pan/tilt and $35 camera. For wireless video from my ROVER.
 
I had a 5.8GHz camera and receiver; could view a drone 1 floor up and a couple rooms over no problem. Also flew it around a house and a park past trees (didn't seem to have issue with signal without direct LOS; article mentioned trees with 5.8)

I think the camera and receiver was $30, and a RCA-to-USB adapter $15. Got the drone for less than all that :p
Screenshot_2026-07-28_09-21-29.png
 
5.8GHz does seem to be standard these days. Why do I always fly against the wind....

I have no interest in flying autonomously but boating has been my fancy for a while.
But vehicle first. Supposed to do mini-treaded vehicle first but Jazzy without the seat is dandy. No building needed. Just change controller and rewire battery connectors..

1.2GHz is not even legal here. I have to get a Ham Radio License. I am not sure what that entails but learning Morse code used to be a requirement.
For a wireless camera.
I understand band management but it really is way too tight. Open up those unused bands.
 
yes, you can switch video from two cameras, but if the board supports it, there must be two inputs on the CAM board, switching on the remote control, or by command.
video can be analog at 1.2 ghz, but the receiver and antenna must be on the same frequency, as far as I know JHEMCU F405 Wing does not have a built-in transmitter, there may be a connector for vtx with power, and often these are devices at 5.8 ghz.

on the manufacturer's website there are tables of vtx channels, you can set the channel and range.
I read that in America the control at the frequency of 1240 Mhz - 1300 mhz is slightly controlled by radio communication services.
You can connect any VTX, the main thing is to look at the voltage and current for which it is designed, connect with the antenna screwed in, because then it will burn out, do not turn it on for a long time if you are not controlling it from the remote control, when setting up, choose a low antenna power in milliwatts, all this is configurable, drones often work with three bands, video 5.8 GHz, control control 2.4 GHz, 1000 telemetry,
 
resora said:
I read that in America the control at the frequency of 1240 Mhz - 1300 mhz is slightly controlled by radio communication services.
Click to expand...
I am trying to get my license. I am plowing forward. Exam in 17 days.

I probably jumped the gun on FPV video. But GPS Module is the only other piece left to buy for Rover controller.

I have this SoloGood F405 Wing I bought but I am deadlocked. Supposedly it has INav on it. I cannot find a ArduPilot firmware specific for the board. So I am putting it aside.

Two Matek F405 Wing V2 controller due in this week. I really don't like the pin positions on this F405 WING but it is supported with ArduPilot firmware.

Next topic of study is Ground Station Software. I have laptop for it.

So my choices are:

Mission Planner
QGroundControl
Ardudeck

What do you recommend? At this point I realize the FreeBSD target is a Work In Progress. I can install Linux on laptop to learn ArduPilot.

ArduDeck seems to be built from a SDK they have developed. That sounds interesting. Have you tried it?

I remember reading you were working on QGroundControl. Is that my best bet for FreeBSD? I am willing to use PIP to get me going.
 
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