MSP430 quadcopters

[jason p]

figured since everyone got a msp430 couple months back ,, this was cool !      somthen to do an cheap !

http://code.google.com/p/simple-flight-controller/

This is is a FREE & OPEN SOURCE project to build a flight controller for quadro-copter flying machine. New flying control for other multirotor like tri-copter, hex, etc, will be added later on.

Features:

• Gyro dampen stabilizing quad-copter
• Remote gyro gain setting via a receiver channel
• Arm & disarm the controller using left stick of your radio transmitter (mode 2)
• Ability to save some basic stats during flight into flash and can be retrieved later.
• Command line interface for set up and stats viewing
• 1-micro second resolution for reading receiver signal and sending signal to ESC's
• 200Hz control loop (can be increased)
• Work with any radio receiver/transmitter and doesn't expect any channel sequence / order
• Can use the built-in CC2500 of the TI EZ430RF board, so no RX is needed in this case.
• Use hardware PWM and hardware event capture.
• Very low jitter
• Easy to add in feature
• Inexpensive: $20 for the main board. $10 for the gyro board.
• Quick to build.
• Very light weight and can be built very small.
• Very low power consumption
• Currently works in quadro-copter mode only.

Near future plan:

• Tricopter
• Adding GPS
• Accelerometer

It's built around a MSP430-RF2500 experimental kit available from TI webstore, a Wii Motion Plus gyro board, and some off-the-shelves speed controllers and brushless motors.

The code is written in C for MSP430F2274 and is GPL V2 licensed. Used with Code Composure Studio (CCS V4).

Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FqNSNsSOtY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68t_vRlQ3LA

Building a palm size quad-copter & Introducing a new simple flight controller

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Hello all,

After some time flying with a 12"-arm quad-copters, I want to build a small one to fly in the office, and I also want to see how it feels to see a small quad fly.

Videos:
1. 10" motor to motor configuration:
. Video here

2. 6.5" motor to motor (same as the 10" but with cut down arm length. It uses 4 brushless ESCs, 4 brushless motors, external receiver - currently flying with built-in receiver):


Video here


3. 4" motor to motor (brushed motors, counter rotating props, built-in receiver, Wii MP gyro board, no ESC):


Video here



4. 3" motor to motor (same set up as the 4" above)

Video here


5. 3.6" motor to motor (brushless version) intended to have longer arm for real-estate reason.
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showp...&postcount=462


*******************

Part list:

6" or bigger quad:

* 4 x Hextronix 5g brushless motors
* 4 x 6A Turnigy Plush ESC's
* 4 GWS EP 4025 props. These props are just regular CCW props, I will have to tilt 2 motors front and back for counter rotating purpose.
* Rhino 460mAh 2-cell Lipo battery

4" or smaller quad:

* Walkera UFO#8 motor set: http://www.clubheli.com/Walkera-UFO8...Z-12_p_20.html or here: http://www.chinesejade.com/walkera_ufo.htm, or: http://www.goodluckbuy.com/walkera-u...motor-set.html
* Counter rotating props: http://www.indoorflyer.co.uk/x-twina...of-2-391-p.asp (about 4cm long)
* 350mAh 1-cell LIPO battery: http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store...idProduct=7569

* Simple flight controller: TI wireless dev kit
running my software: http://code.google.com/p/simple-flight-controller/

* Gyros: Using a Wii Motion Plus gyro board (clone version): http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.32506


Or a home made ST gyro board using (LPY550AL and LPR550AL):

* Frame: made of thin & light aluminum tubes I bought at a local hobby store. Its size is 3/16 x 3/16" and is 12" long. The 4" quad version is using some small 1/16" CF rods.

* Receiver: There are two options:

1. Any external RX that match your TX would work, or
2. Using the built-in radio chip (CC2500) of the TI Wireless dev kit, and use make an RF module to work with your TX. See build thread for more info.

Cost:
* Wii Motion plus board: $11
* Main controller: $25 (since we are using only one target board of the wireless dev kit)
* 4 motors: $28
* 4 ESC's: $32
* battery: $5

* RX & TX are not counted as everyone of us should have a set, but any TX & RX should work. I've tested my controller code with Spektrum DSM1, FrSky.

* An option of using no external receiver (thanks to the TI's MSP430-2500RF kit) is also utilized. In that case, the cost and weight of the quad is even reduced more.

Schematics:

1. Using your own receiver and brushless ESC: http://simple-flight-controller.goog...controller.pdf

2. Using built-in RF radio of the TI's EZ2500RF kit for receiving controls from another TI EZ2500RF kit (save weights) and brushed motors: http://code.google.com/p/simple-flig...C.pdf&can=2&q=

3. Using built-in RF radio of the TI wireless dev kit, and brushless ESC: schematic is similar to the brushed motors above, but just remove 4 FETs and connects the MCU's pins to the brushless speed controller. http://code.google.com/p/simple-flig...C.pdf&can=2&q=

If built-in radio of the MCU board (MSP430 EZ2500RF board) is used, then an adapter to the RC radio using PPM stream from the buddy port or from the PPM pin of the RF module (like HiTec Eclipse or Futaba module) is needed. The schematic for such device is this: http://simple-flight-controller.goog...o_ez2500RF.pdf

[Jeff Jackson]

check this out, not as small as what you have, but cool none the less.  I love my ardrone is awesome with the ipad.  Battery life is terrible however.

http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~3/8eBgGcLCtz4/

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[jason p]

awesome ,,  i love those ,,    i really need a army of em ,,  :)
 
  ardrone is pretty neat ,, i was looking at one awhile back ,  

[Brian Wagner]

Great, now I'm gonna spend the rest of the day learning everything I
can about how I can build one of these!

On Wed, Mar 30, 2011 at 2:30 PM, jason p <jasonpi...@gmail.com> wrote:
> awesome ,,  i love those ,,    i really need a army of em ,,  :)
>
>   ardrone is pretty neat ,, i was looking at one awhile back ,
>

[DE 'Tad' Heckaman III]

are sumo bots allowed to leave the surface?

--
Tad Heckaman

[jason p]

was thinking you all got that maker bot ,, it would be so cool if someone could come up with a little palm sized quad copter frame ...        like wicked cool ! 

    hell or propellers ,,  wonder how hard that would be ?