Do you want an ArduPilotMega board?

Jordi Muñoz
DIY Drones

January 22, 2010

I know some of you want to help and also for those that can't wait to put their hand's on the ArduPilotMega board here is your opportunity: You can be a Beta tester!

The final version of the board will almost the same, just some small corrections like an extra set of resistors pads i added just in case that will be removed in the final version, right now are just bypassed.

The requirements for being a beta tester are:
-Have and know how to use an AVR ISCP Programmer (i recommend the AVRISP MKII), to upload new HEX's just in case we decide to change the PPM encoder firmware.
-Windows XP/Vista/7.
-Have a FTDI cable programmer.
-Know how to use Arduino Environment and some basic programming skills.
-Have a clue what digital electronics means (If you are a regular user or a certified noob, i don't recommend this board to you right now).
-Willing to share your experience!
-Have ~~$38.90 dlls~~ $44.90, i'm giving the board almost to the production cost (for low quantity's). The final version may cost up to $65 dlls!

If you are ok with all this, you are welcome to get one board right now:
http://store.diydrones.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=BR-ArduPilotMega-01

The boards come with firmware (for AT328) and bootloader (for AT1280).

I will be posting news&updates on the comments.

I have a basic firmware that reads and decodes the PPM signal and display the 8ch PWM's into the terminal:
APM_demo.zip [ http://api.ning.com/files/FOMsBeKbyzF2h-1CDNC4aHGdPKJcGfSvaKiZLjyaE1lBHd7qZBAYZG1GgooIW7vR0u8nw4QZEL3o8gTVmtW4vBcm*aLW1zZl/APM_demo.zip ]

The folder "PPM_Decoder_AT1280" is located the code for Arduino IDE. On the folder "PPM_Enconder_AT328" is the firmware for the PPM enconder, if you have Windows and the AVRISP MKII just double click on the .bat file and press any key and it will upload the hex to the board, make sure to connect your programmer on the "AT328 port".

PPM Encoder configuration:
-MUX is controlled by input CH5.
-Throttle FailSafe is input CH3 (Futaba).

The Eagle Files of the Board are here:
ArduPilotMega_v10.brd [ http://api.ning.com/files/FOMsBeKbyzGrcssz23ZYs29YI9as5NL-*StpV*30tvRbHkYvz-K9VtD1FnsU7zIxoOsJ7bJ09yxzP4O-xodUYf01ZckO5qOV/ArduPilotMega_v10.brd ]
ArduPilotMega_v10.sch [ http://api.ning.com/files/bTS8WSe9r-pzyONykBsqqzSNxSVJVnZ*xrDgaSNzTs*yRjV*tA7EZ7xOx0Kw*4VQZZTMA3GvOpDC5MiOLmggKG9ntNlqJkKJ/ArduPilotMega_v10.sch ]

3:30pm