Crius V2.0 Guide for MegaPirateNG

[Jumpy07]

This guide is specifically written for the Crius
V2.0 board and MegaPirateNG.

This is more of a hardware and features guide., work in progress, latest version will be posted here only.

Current version V1.0
[attach=1]

Disclaimer: Use at your own risk, I am sure there will be a few errors and typos, would welcome feedback.

Thanks to Gaza07 for the very good wiring diagrams.

[Gaza07]

Thank you for creating another excellent guide Craig 

[maba64]

Thanks a lot  !!!

Maba

[GroundAttack]

Thanks from me too!

[ausi1972]

Hi again Craig,
Pete here.
Just an update on getting the V2 working properly due to the power issues that many have reported and I have tested extensively.
It is an issue with the M120 schottky diode.
I have found that it is best to just bridge it or remove it and put a link in.

I have also included the GPS config for the CN-06 V2 module which sets it to 38400, removes all the messages crap that we don';t need, sets it to pedestrian mode for better accuracy and 10Hz (not mine I found it!)

[Gaza07]

Hi ausi1972 and welcome to the forum, thanks for letting us know about the problem and how to get over it 
I assume this diode has no affect if people power with a external Ubec ?

[Ross]

Just an update on getting the V2 working properly due to the power issues that many have reported and I have tested extensively.
It is an issue with the M120 schottky diode.
I have found that it is best to just bridge it or remove it and put a link in.

I have also included the GPS config for the CN-06 V2 module which sets it to 38400, removes all the messages crap that we don';t need, sets it to pedestrian mode for better accuracy and 10Hz (not mine I found it!)

Could we have a larger explanation of this problem..I have not seen it mentioned before.  Thanks.

[Jumpy07]

Just an update on getting the V2 working properly due to the power issues that many have reported and I have tested extensively.
It is an issue with the M120 schottky diode.
I have found that it is best to just bridge it or remove it and put a link in.

Not heard of this one..  the diode is there for a reason, to protect the board. Have seen people having booting problems, but this is probably related to voltage problems, either BEC in ESC or UBEC. Diodes introduce a voltage drop.. if input voltage is low than this could be causing problems.. this is a common issues on the APM.

I have also included the GPS config for the CN-06 V2 module which sets it to 38400, removes all the messages crap that we don';t need, sets it to pedestrian mode for better accuracy and 10Hz (not mine I found it!)

Yes, set 38400, and it does turn a lot off erroneous sentences, it also sets the refresh for the GPS at 4hz which is the max recommended for the APM/Crius. The CN-06 max refresh is 6hz (no matter what you set it in U-Centre).

[maba64]

Hello

Please explain also :
SJ2 /SJ3

PG1 -PG5

Tanks a lot !!!

Best Regards
Maba

[Falcon26]

I would like some help on the wiring from the flight control board to  the Optima 7 2.4 receiver the throttle has white, red, and black there is only provisions for one wire for Ail (1),Elev (2), and Rudd (4) where do the red and black go ? I have looked for a picture and have not found none any help would be greatly appreciated

[Gaza07]

Hi Falcon26 and welcome to the forum you only need one red (vcc) and one black (gnd) between the receiver and the flight controller the reason for this is because inside the receiver and on the flight controller all the red (vcc) pins are linked together and all the black (gnd) pins are also linked to gether to so if you connect any of them its the same as connecting all of them, you only then need to connect the signal wire from each channel of the receiver to the flight controller, most people connect the throttle with signal / vcc / gnd and then just signal to the rest hope this helps 

I would like some help on the wiring from the flight control board to  the Optima 7 2.4 receiver the throttle has white, red, and black there is only provisions for one wire for Ail (1),Elev (2), and Rudd (4) where do the red and black go ? I have looked for a picture and have not found none any help would be greatly appreciated

[neil-liverpool]

Thanks gary  , ive just orderd this board so now im gonna have another late reading up about it!

[pomerus]

Hi ausi1972 and welcome to the forum, thanks for letting us know about the problem and how to get over it 
I assume this diode has no affect if people power with a external Ubec ?

Well, I have what seems to be a similar problem to what ausi1972 described -
When powering the board through USB there is no problem to arm/disarm the board using YAW stick on radio.
However, when connecting power wither using ESC (jumper on) or external UBEC (jumper removed) - can';t arm the board. very strange.
The only walk-around I could find is to provide power to the receiver using external UBEC, and suddenly can arm the board using yaw stick.

Did I say "Strange"???

This is cumbersome, but more importantly it shows that a problem is hiding there and what I did is to "override" it rather than solve it.
ausi1972';s description might point to a similar problem.

I will be very happy to hear if others have similar problems, or if anyone can think of an explanation and solution.
my setup : MegaPirateNG 2.8R3, Spectrum DX6i, RCTimer Crius AIOP v2,  mounted on a mean HEX machine, 30A SimonK ESC (RCTimer)

Thank you much !  (it';s already been around 6 hours of frustration trying to make things work)

[Jumpy07]

Did the TX calibration screen in Mission Planner show the PWM values when you were trying to arm.. if so did they look normal ?
Also can you confirm this is a V2 Board from Rctimer ?
Did you use a meter to check the 5v rail.. if so what was the voltage ?
I allways power my boards with a seperate UBEC as it mimises the chances of brown outs...

[pomerus]

Did the TX calibration screen in Mission Planner show the PWM values when you were trying to arm.. if so did they look normal ?
Also can you confirm this is a V2 Board from Rctimer ?
Did you use a meter to check the 5v rail.. if so what was the voltage ?
I allways power my boards with a seperate UBEC as it mimises the chances of brown outs...

Hi Jumpy07

First and foremost, Thank you for the excellent guide !!

Yes, V2 board.
No, didn';t check the 5V rail. But am using the same UBEC, and it works when connected to the receiver, and doesn';t work when connected to the extended power.
Radio calib - pulses look normal.

Reading around, I see people are having similar problems. I wonder if ausi1972';s diode is the key to it all ... The other option is that the card is "super-sensitive" to voltage values, and that different voltage routes create different voltage values on the card.

I';m currently clueless ...

[DT]

Thanks for taking the time to put this guide together, it';s been very helpful.

Now, brace yourselves for a newbie question, here goes
On page 39 of the guide it has information about a buzzer circuit so I built one this afternoon and then tried to put it on pin 32 as instructed. The thing is I can';t find pin 32 mentioned on the board so where';s it gone?

[peter_a]

Guess !!!!!!! , it`s not near the main chip and the big crius ( solder pads ) marked 32 ~ 37 ?

[DT]

Ah, I was looking for a pin rather than a pad but from the clues I';m guessing it';s this.

[Gaza07]

Looks like you may have found it let us know how you get on as it will help others 

[peter_a]

Looking at the AIO pro v1 board :-

http://www.unmannedtech.co.uk/3/post/2013/02/all-in-one-pro-board-setup-with-megapirates-code.html

Pin 32 was the camera pitch pin and it was a pin not a solder pad.

[Gaza07]

The difference would be dealt with in the defines I hope   

[DT]

Well, I put together a buzzer circuit and changed the code but it doesn';t work yet.
As this thread is about the guide I';ll start a new thread to save this one getting side tracked.

[peter_a]

I know how to program with the arduino platform and consider myself a intermediate to advanced programmer with the atmel atmega which is what the AIO is based off.
But this is one hell of a complex bit of code .   

[lakis21]

Well, I put together a buzzer circuit and changed the code but it doesn';t work yet.
As this thread is about the guide I';ll start a new thread to save this one getting side tracked.

Hello to make the buzzer to work just enable on copter leds, and update the defines.h.
please have a look here:
http://www.multi-rotor.co.uk/index.php?topic=595.msg14286#msg14286

In mission Planner on the parameter list you have to enable the BuzzerCopter LED Mode.
Just put LED_MODE=9 is you want to enable just the buzzer.
more info:
https://code.google.com/p/ardupilot-mega/wiki/APM_Parameters#Copter_LED_Mode_(_ArduCopter_:LED_MODE)

[jimbo385]

My apologies if this topic has come up before but I am at a complete dead end!
I have the Crius Aio Pro V2 board from RC Timer and have loaded Megapirate NG2.8.
Having used Aduino to set up the board wit the MegapirateNG s/w over 20 times with different .h param changes to configure my JR PCM9XII Tx (9303 in US), I still have no motors firing up/arming or Servo working on my Tricopter. The red and green leds are flashing intermittently but no change when yaw stick moved either right or left for up to 20 seconds! h
Does this board not work at all for a Tricoptor ? 
Last but not least, in APM Planner I can see my 3dr radio working correctly, GPS working correctly (CN 06), and RC working correctly. No data on motors or servo available. Do I have to start again from scratch and use Multiwii to get this board working ?
Somebody pleeeeeeeeeeeeease help!!!
Many thanks, Jimbo...
Ps... Love the guide, but unfortunately, starting to hate the board!

[Gaza07]

Hi Jimbo you say your rc controls are correct have you calibrated the tx in the planner ?
can you double check that when you move the rudder it is actually the rudder bar on the screen that actually moves a lot of people have the wrong tx selected and the channels get mixed up,
I will be in chat in a bout 20 min s pop in and we can see if we can resolve your problems 

[barneyg]

Really silly thing but it caught me out ... You are in stabalize mode when trying to arm for the first time after boot ?

[bulesz]

Hi Gents,

I';m glad to find this great forum! I try not to ask too stupid questions.. :) I';m studying the guide, and could connect the BlueTooth, GPS as it should but plan to use my ultrasonic sonar for more precise autolanding (using 2.8 mp).
Regarding to the guide the sonar on that pic has 4 pins, mine has 5 as you can see (I have an OUT pin as well)



So what to do? just skip that extra pin?

Many thanks,
B

[Jumpy07]

Havent tried and SR-05, but it is 4 pin compatible.. the extra pin can be ignored..

VCC
TRIG
ECHO
Gnd
Out

[bulesz]

Great, many thanks!
I will make the soldering tomorrow.

My plan is set up a failsafe:
with GPS locked: RTH + auto landing
or if NO GPS signal then just autolanding.

Is this possible?

Cheers,
B