Ground Control Station FAB

FAB (Free Air Broadcast) 3D Telemetry

 

This page is devoted to a tool that enables telemetry and gps data to be displayed in 3D realtime using google earth. Data can be sent to the pc using serial either via xbee or serial cable in simple text format.

 

The software due for release in July 2010 is written in C# and provides kml and tab delimited logging along with an easy to use set of analog and digital instrument controls

 

The pitch, roll, height and position you provide via arduino (or ano) is also reflected using 3D geometry in google earth

 

The uses the google sketch up 3D models allowing you to specify your own equipment for display. (The plane in the examples is just an example)

 

Google earth is optional and has been used because of it's ability to run off-line

 

Serial Example

 

It is intended to cater for a wide range of serial formats here is an example of one.

 

The following serial command would make the plane shown below pitch down and roll left

 

+++ PCH:-20,RLL:-50

 

Sending GPS position and altitude automatically shows the 3D model in the correct location. Compass bearing, course, ground speed etc can all be displayed or used within the tool

 

!!!LAT:-52.345354,LON:-1.345678,ALT:400,BER:240,GRD:120

 

The screen update rate is optional but defaults to 5 times per second, using the google earth radio selection folders you can view the model from various positions

 

Waypoints and Home

 

Waypoints and home can also be sent via a serial link

 

As you or your model travel, the next waypoint and home are marked with optional tracer lines allowing you to easily get your bearings. There are also many other OSD type controls to assist. Below you can see a yellow/green for the next waypoint and a dark line for direction to home.

 

Pictures

 

The following screen shots were taken in realtime using an acceleromoter, giro, gps and arduino via xbee > xbee > pc

 

Standing back at 20,000 feet. Take your arduino, atto or UAV dev board and laptop on your next plane journey and see what the pilot would like to see!

 

 

If you send NWP:#6 via serial then the path to waypoint 6 is displayed in realtime

 

 

 

Glass cockpit view. You can switch on a HUD and other controls or keep it clean like this

 

 

Set the virtual camera to follow your arduino behind, above or from any distance. better than video!

 

 

Switch on the analog instruments

 

 

 

See the real attitude of your model LIVE!!

 

 

Tips & Bits

Connect two or more arduinos and spy on the serial communication using visual studio and "Serial Echo"

Coming soon! Android and Processing for Visual Studio

How to prevent or remove Visual Studio pch folders

How to configure visual studio color coding for arduino source code

See more Examples

We can use different arduino engines to power our visual studio addin. However, please use the arduino 0022 engine until we have an arduino 1.0 solution.

The new version of Arduino for Visual Studio includes initial suport for the new arduino .ino file extension. You can not yet compile for arduino 1.0 but you can compile sketches containg a mix of .pde and .ino sketches.

Multiple sketch projects and windows projects can co-exist in a single solution. Fully integrated. F5 Compile and upload (startup project). Build Project, Build Solution