i want to know if this would be possible, with the parts i mention . any info would be usefull.im just getting started using the micro maestro, i have to admit, i am very impressed with the product. for my next project, i want to make a device to maintain altitude on my rc plane. here is the idea:
flick a switch on my rc system, which turns on the micro maestro.using a MPL115A1 barometric pressure sensor,i hope to get a reading(50kpa=0 ,115kpa=1023), the reading on startup will be the altitude to be maintained, using the elevator servo.
any ideas , even bad ones, would be useful, i am very new at this, but i hope to learn to use my micro maestro to the fullest.
Thanks
Bob
Hello,
With some serious scripting effort, the Micro Maestro should be able to read the data from that sensor. But do you have some plan for how you will be able to switch from R/C to Maestro control of the elevator when you “flick a switch”? I do not think there is any way to do this without additional circuitry.
Have you considered using a Baby Orangutan? We provide C libraries for reading and outputting servo pulses, and SparkFun provides mega328 code for that sensor, so it should be much easier for you to tie everything together.
-Paul
thanks for the info paul, you seem to be The Man with the know how around here.
i was thinking of something simple, like a servo tester, but instead of the readings from a trim pot, get the reading from the mpl115a1. im not sure that would even be possible in its simplest form.to start, i was thinking of pre setting an altitude before take off. As for the flicking on, either powering up the maestro with receiver controled switch, or possibly directly with the rc rx pulse rate ( probable the first) . for switching from the rc elevator signal to the maestro , i will probably do that externaly aswell, scince im a newbie at scripting.
seems like the more i learn, the less i know. i will deffinitivly look into the baby orangutan, but im a little intimidated lol.
fyi, my last scripting encounter dates back to logowriter and basic!!! i beleive i had a trs80 back then (my dad still has it in a box somewhere)
Well, you somehow need to get your R/C signal to the elevator servo when you need to, or you are going to have a tough time bringing the plane back down for a landing (or controlling it when your Maestro script fails). Do you have a plan for that?
There is a bit of a learning curve for the Baby Orangutan, but doing the code in C is probably going to be a lot easier than doing Maestro scripting plus some external circuitry.
-Paul
on-off could be done with this, or similar gyro pass-con device -http://www.gwsus.com/images/note%20book/e_pc1.jpg.
i think i will be looking into a ardupilot instead, hack instead of stack commands. learning new things is gettn harder n harder (see old dog- new trick) i already have a hard time with stuff i already know! i will continue to fiddle with my micro maestro, but on the ground for a while! thanks for your time and info, and for the great store
Okay, then if you have one of those, there is no need to actually power down the Maestro, right? Good luck with your project, and please let us know how it goes!
-Paul