What other improvements can I make?
Considering my present ROV setup:
Any signals from surface to ROV are on a twisted pair in the Cat5 tether. Any data returned is on the same twisted pair (RS485). NOT ON THE ETHERNET CONNECTION or using QGC.
Data sent includes three thruster speeds and directions, side thruster rotate positions, Rudder and Elevator positions, and various switch and pot positions (lights, throttle fwd/rev/speed, auto dive/climb angle, etc).
Data returned are Heading, Pitch, Roll, Depth (Bar30), Bat volts and current, and alarms/status including over-currents and leaks (main tube, port side pod, and stbd side pod).
I cannot easily do anything about the data sent from the surface to the ROV but it would be nice to integrate some of the returned data to be displayed in QGroundControl.
The difficult way to return data is to use my PIC to communicate with the Companion RPi USB with MAVlink protocol. This would be big learning curve for me.
The easy way to return data is to add a Pixhawk but only use what I need. I can replace the following items that are working on my own system with the Pixhawk equivalent.
Compass/pitch/roll, Bar30 depth, Power sense for Battery volts and current (I’m not sure if it calculates remaining amp/hours %). Any other suggestions?
I am not crazy about adding another load (500mA ?) from the Pixhawk. The RPi, Ping, Camera, and Fathom X current draw is starting to add up compared to my insignificant PICs and moderate thruster currents.
Questions:
Does this plan sound feasible?
Can I buy the Pixhawk loaded with Blue Robotics software?
Only the Pixhawk 1 is fully tested and supported
Pixhawk Mini has been reported to work with ArduSub
If I buy a Pixhawk 1 how do I program it? My research turned up this, but not from any instructions:
Is this the way to install the Pixhawk software?
I also researched the autoconnect problem with the Ping Sonar and found this:
Verify QGC Autoconnect settings
Make sure that the QGroundControl is configured to automatically connect to UDP and USB links. Click on the ‘Q’ icon in the upper left to view the Application Settings. Click on the ‘General Settings’ tab. In the options for ‘Autoconnect to:’, make sure the UDP option is checked. (To see this drag the window up from where it is hidden).
Mine is checked but, as I mentioned before, I still have to click the top line to connect.
I would like confirmation from someone that what I propose will work.
I will not be using the Pixhawk to control thrusters or anything else. I assume it has the gyro and accelerometer and compass built in for plug-and-play? Also does it have the Bar30 software to autoconnect and feed the data to the QGC?
Edit: Al I can find typically on Ebay is “Pixhawk PX4 PIX 2.4.8 32 Bit Flight Controller Only Board Without TF Card RC”. Any idea if these would work? What is TF Card? WOULD THEY HAVE THE GYRO/ACC/COMPASS?