Navigator needed for BlueOS functionality on Raspberry Pi 4 B?

[bajaMike (Mike Bennett)]

I DO NOT yet have a Navigator board. I only have a new RPi4B and was thinking of installing BlueOS to run some other robotics. Is the Navigator mandatory for the BlueOS software to function? If not what kind of tasks can I run not having the Navigator?

[EliotBR (Eliot)]

Hi @bajaMike,

@bajaMike

Is the Navigator mandatory for the BlueOS software to function?

Nope

@EliotBR

BlueOS is intended for general robotic systems. It currently provides the most support to vehicles running an ArduPilot autopilot firmware, and given Blue Robotics only make submarine and water surface vehicles that’s where most of our internal development efforts are focused, but BlueOS doesn’t place intentional requirements on the vehicle[/system] type - it just needs a network connection for its interface to be accessible.

@bajaMike

what kind of tasks can I run not having the Navigator?

Anything that can run on a headless Raspberry Pi, with the convenience of the built in interface, and developer tools (e.g. wifi manager, file browser, terminal, etc), although the biggest benefits of using BlueOS at the moment would likely be for projects that can make use of its built in services (e.g. the camera manager, serial bridges, etc) and/or its Extensions system (i.e. the available extensions, and/or the ability to develop and easily distribute your own).

If you want to create some other kind of vehicle then you may want a flight controller board (which could be a Navigator, but could also be some other board running an ArduPilot autopilot firmware, and soon also PX4 autopilot firmwares). If you’re not using an autopilot (e.g. if you’re making a robot arm or static sensor board or something) then you’ll likely want to disable the autopilot-/MAVLink- related services, which is possible, but somewhat inconvenient at the moment.

[bajaMike (Mike Bennett)]

Thanks for the info. I was going to use the Thruster Commander (TC) to control two T500s on a catamaran project and wanted to be sure I had all the necessary parts before ordering. Will the TC allow me to completely control the T500 with my game controller?

[EliotBR (Eliot)]

@bajaMike

Will the TC allow me to completely control the T500 with my game controller?

Our Thruster Commander is a board with a microcontroller on it, and it uses voltage measurements to control servo-style PWM signals.

Unless your game controller outputs 0-5V signals or provides potentiometers that can be used in place of those that come with the Thruster Commander then there’s likely no way for you to interface your game controller with the TC.

If this is for a remotely controlled boat then you might be able to directly pass radio controller signals to your thruster ESCs via a radio receiver, but that sounds quite different to what you’ve described so far.