New software updates for each software component used to operate the BlueROV2 have just been released. This is our second big software update, and this time it can be performed without opening the electronics enclosure!
Notable changes in this update are:
- Ability to display camera tilt angle, lights level, tether turns and more in QGC
- GPS input support in companion, including support for the Water Linked Underwater GPS Developer Kit
- Fewer default pre-arm checks
- Acceptable compass calibration threshold has been relaxed
- Pilot input failsafe timeout increased from 1 second to 3 seconds (âLost manual controlâ message)
- Gyro calibration is disabled at boot by default
- Support for the Bar100 pressure sensor
- Companion login is changed to:
user:pi
password:companion
- Allow selecting a custom image to display in the QGC ui in place of the âArduSubâ logo
- Many other various bugfixes, feature additions, and improvements, reference the release notes below for a comprehensive list of changes
To update each software component, follow these directions:
QGC
Download and install the new version of QGC (BlueRobotics flavor):
I would like to take this opportunity to make an announcement for anyone who may not be aware:
Please note that QGroundControl is a software project targeted at all types of unmanned vehicles. BlueRobotics has compiled a revision that we recommend for use with the BlueROV2 and ArduSub. All of the links to QGC installers on our website go to our revision of QGC, which is not the same as the mainline âupstreamâ version of QGC that will appear first in a web search. The upstream stable version is âv3.2.4â. Our revision is built on top of that and is called âv3.2.4-BlueRobotics-Rev1â.
Companion
- Plug a fully charged battery into the ROV and connect the tether to your computer.
- Navigate to 192.168.2.2:2770 in your browser and ensure that the ROV has access to a WiFi network. If you do not see a webpage at this address, you need to perform the update according to the instructions here.
- Navigate to 192.168.2.2:2770/system. Click the button that says âUpdate companionâ.
- The update process will take between 10 and 20 minutes depending on the Internet connection speed. Wait for the update process to complete. When it completes, the browser will refresh.
- The companion version should now be 0.0.10.
- If the update fails (usually due to a loss of internet connectivity), you will be warned that the ROV will reboot and to leave the battery plugged in. At this point, once you are able to refresh the webpage, it is safe to either power down the ROV or attempt the update again.
ArduSub
- Navigate to 192.168.2.2:2770/system. Click the button under the âPixhawk Firmware Updateâ section that says âStableâ.
- Wait for the update process to complete, and you are finished!