3D Robotics Wireless Telemetry?

[Cpig]

Anyone using the 3D Robotics Telemetry kit for live tracking?
https://store.diydrones.com/category_s/13.htm
Seems similar to the Xbee but is supposed to be more efficient (sends binary data) and easier to program? These were designed for use in UAVs but I'm thinking they will do well in a Rocketry application as well.
I'm ordering one with the Mediatek 3329 GPS to try my hand at live tracking. I plan on streaming it live to a laptop ground station running Google Earth.
Just wondering if anyone had any experience with these?
Joe

 

[cwbullet]

How does this work? Any body ever try one out?

 

[Cpig]

How does this work? Any body ever try one out?

It works by sending data wirelessly to the receiver that is plugged into your USB port. Your computer then takes the data (NMEA or Binary GPS data stream) and translates it into points on your map. You can import a NMEA GPS feed into Google Earth which will plot it in near real time.
I made one with an Xbee, GPS and Arduino board but this kit looks like a better, lower cost solution.
Joe

 

[cwbullet]

What software is required?

 

[Zephhyr]

What software is required?

The software we use with our QuadCopter is called Mission Planer ( https://code.google.com/p/ardupilot-mega/wiki/Mission ), I would imagine it would work fine for a rocketry application.

It has been reported that the standard 900Mhz unit has a range of around 4km, and with a small amp over 7km. Line of sight of course.

Here is a link to an in depth write up of the unit. https://code.google.com/p/ardupilot-mega/wiki/3DRadio

 

[Cpig]

What software is required?

Chuck,
The only software you need it the company's APM Planner software that you use to program it. (Free download). After programming, the only software I use is Google Earth to track my rocket. I have it working but haven't tried it in flight yet.

 

[iter]

You can use the radio kit standalone, but as others are saying, it really works with the whole 3DR/DIYDrones suite. I use their APM1 autopilot in my R/C models and have yet to exceed its range. The logs put any recording rocket altimeter to shame. You can graph altitude, acceleration, location, etc., and you can import the data into Excel or any other software for analysis. Their PC software allows you to pre-fetch map tiles, so you can be out in the field with no internet connection and still see your flight in real time on a moving map.

Ari.

 

[cwbullet]

Pretty cool. I may have to try this one.

 

[fossunit43]

If you buy the ArduPilot, do you also need an arduino board? or is it built in.

 

[iter]

Built in.

Ari.

 

[csjohn]

Hey guys,

Have any of you ended up using the 3DR Telemetry kit "in the field"? The link that Zephhyr gave above mentioned that in testing they got ~7.2km of range, and they later go on to state that the radios should be able to sustain a link at 4x that range. Does anyone know how realistic that is?

Also curious - can these radios be used for any type of communication? or is it exclusive to reporting telemetry? --- Has anyone tried or had luck with using the radios to send commands to remote units?

(I'm building a autonomous boat at the moment and want to be able to send it commands remotely at range [e.g. go here, pan camera, etc])

Cheers!

 

[cwbullet]

They have not been available since it was posted. I might try it if they are ever for sale.

 

[iter]

These radios are basically TTL-level UARTs with an RF connection instead of a cable. You can send anything you want through this link.

The larger system is an autopilot for UAVs, including telemetry coming down and commands going up. You may want to look more closely into the complete system for your boat. They have autonomous ground vehicles running with the system; I expect a boat is doable as well.

Their manufacturing is sort-of-just-in-time. Things go in and out of stock all the time. If a part is out of stock, you may want to check back in a couple of weeks.

Ari.

 

[mikec]

The link that Zephhyr gave above mentioned that in testing they got ~7.2km of range, and they later go on to state that the radios should be able to sustain a link at 4x that range. Does anyone know how realistic that is?

Based on the sensitivity on the HopeRF datasheet, at the lowest data rate of 1.2Kbits/s one might expect ranges of tens of miles with the transmitter airborne. On the ground range would be much shorter. Of course I don't know how optimistic the datasheet is; at the highest data rate, 900 MHz, 15 dB fade margin, omni-omni, theory says the range should be about 9 km -- not a bad match with testing.

 

[cwbullet]

That is what I suspect. I am a little leery because a lot of the link do not work on their site, but i might order some parts and test them out.

 

[csjohn]

Based on the sensitivity on the HopeRF datasheet, at the lowest data rate of 1.2Kbits/s one might expect ranges of tens of miles with the transmitter airborne. On the ground range would be much shorter. Of course I don't know how optimistic the datasheet is; at the highest data rate, 900 MHz, 15 dB fade margin, omni-omni, theory says the range should be about 9 km -- not a bad match with testing.

Yeah in my case the boat is fairly large, so rather than using a small omni antenna without amplification, I can look into something more beefy to perhaps give the range a boost.

Has anyone here personally tried or heard about using these radios to send imagery data? (i.e. camera mounted on UAV, or camera mounted on boat sending imagery back at some manageable rate?). I assume if the imagery is possible then sending back on board sensor data will be trivial as well.

 

[mikec]

Has anyone here personally tried or heard about using these radios to send imagery data?

Bits are bits, but at a datarate of only 100-250 Kbits/sec you'll have a hard time sending video. Most FPVers use analog video transmission.

A lot of these questions are discussed over at https://www.diydrones.com

 

[BLKKROW]

Is the tracking done through GPS or RF?

What I am trying to say is do you need a Ham license to use this?

Also in the review it talks about a Purple PCB called AMP2 is this needed for tracking inside the rocket? Or did you just need:

https://store.diydrones.com/3DR_Radio_433Mhz_Ground_module_p/br-3dr433.htm

with this:

https://store.diydrones.com/3DR_Radio_USB_915_Mhz_Ground_module_p/br-3drusb915.htm.

I am just looking into tracking for a 38mm min diameter project.

 

[iter]

You don't need a Ham license. These are license-free ISM band radios.

The two radio modules you link to work on different bands. You need both ends to work either in the 900MHz or the 433MHz band. They sell kits for both bands that include matching air/ground ends: https://store.diydrones.com/3DR_RadioTelemetry_Kit_433Mhz_p/kt-telemetry-3dr433.htm and https://store.diydrones.com/3DR_RadioTelemetry_Kit_915_Mhz_p/kt-telemetry-3dr915.htm

You can use these radios any way you like, but to take advantage of the entire system, including their free ground station, you need to use their purple autopilot board. The autopilot board includes a GPS (which I understand you're mostly after), accelerometers, gyroscopes and baro sensors, which all report their readings to the ground station in real time. The ground station also logs these readings and you can graph them after your flight. The transmission if fully digital; none of the fox-hunt-style wandering around with headsets on.

It is possible to rig your own GPS to their radio, but I recommend against that. It requires matching voltage levels and baud rates and--most importantly--you'd need your own software to map the GPS data coming down. This is a big project.

I'm not sure on the exact dimensions of the APM2 board (I have a larer APM1), but I believe it's slightly over 40mm.

Ari.

 

[BLKKROW]

You don't need a Ham license. These are license-free ISM band radios.

The two radio modules you link to work on different bands. You need both ends to work either in the 900MHz or the 433MHz band. They sell kits for both bands that include matching air/ground ends: https://store.diydrones.com/3DR_RadioTelemetry_Kit_433Mhz_p/kt-telemetry-3dr433.htm and https://store.diydrones.com/3DR_RadioTelemetry_Kit_915_Mhz_p/kt-telemetry-3dr915.htm

You can use these radios any way you like, but to take advantage of the entire system, including their free ground station, you need to use their purple autopilot board. The autopilot board includes a GPS (which I understand you're mostly after), accelerometers, gyroscopes and baro sensors, which all report their readings to the ground station in real time. The ground station also logs these readings and you can graph them after your flight. The transmission if fully digital; none of the fox-hunt-style wandering around with headsets on.

It is possible to rig your own GPS to their radio, but I recommend against that. It requires matching voltage levels and baud rates and--most importantly--you'd need your own software to map the GPS data coming down. This is a big project.

I'm not sure on the exact dimensions of the APM2 board (I have a larer APM1), but I believe it's slightly over 40mm.

Ari.

Yeah I understand they need to be the same Mhz.

I just want something that is easy to use, and does not need a HAM license. I might have to email to company for dimensions.

https://store.diydrones.com/3DR_Radio_USB_915_Mhz_Ground_module_p/br-3drusb915.htm

So with this installed in my laptop would I still need the purple board?

 

[iter]

https://store.diydrones.com/3DR_Radio_USB_915_Mhz_Ground_module_p/br-3drusb915.htm

So with this installed in my laptop would I still need the purple board?

Yes.

Ari.