instagram

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

TauOSD + VTX

Sparky2 is available here http://www.hobbiesfly.com/taulabs-sparky2-0.html

In case you want the video first:

After the amount of fun I had putting a VTX on Brushed Sparky, it got me asking what else would benefit from integration? In the background, I've also been plodding away at a few various revisions of TauOSD. This was inspired by BrainFPV resurrecting and vastly improving the OSD code. The video overlay of that was working fairly nicely, so adding a VTX directly on board seemed like a fun idea.

Features:

  • Fully graphical OSD with crisp black and white OSD and double buffering
  • Integrated 32ch 600mW 5.8ghz VTX. Channel selection provided via GCS.
  • Powered by STM32F4 with enough CPU power to redraw every frame
  • 5V and 12V switching supply that can be used for camera and external VTX. Nice clean power.
  • Switchable camera input (can be controlled via transmitter)
  • Runs up to 4S batteries.
  • Gets data from flight controller via CAN
  • Serial port available for mavlink telemetry (not implemented yet)
  • standard 36x36mm footprint
TauOSD+VTX
Back with 32ch module

This creates a really compact setup as you can stack a Sparky2 on top of this and have everything you need for flight, telemetry, OSD, and VTX in a 36x36 footprint (although I'd recommend a heatsink on the OSD). I still don't find an OSD incredibly useful, but the minimal set of things like altitude, battery, current and flight time really are quite useful.

Minimal hardware required for an OSD and FPV system. Sparky2 is powered from the TauOSD+VTX and sends all the information for the overlay.



Testing:

I installed both Sparky2 and TauOSD+VTX in my havoc for testing. This is using the 12V supply to a PZ0420 board camera mounted on the front.



Here it is flying. This is running on a 4S battery directly into the OSD, which is then also powering Sparky2.



So far I'm quite happy with the video, which looks really crisp and clean. The OSD is stable and easy to read (thanks BrainFPV)!

The previous VTX used a TX5813 module followed by an HMC406MS8G. It was a learning experience to get all the video traces routed carefully at 50 ohm (working out for OSHpark specs), with components placed at various phases along the transmission line. I was happy to see it seems to work well, although I really could do with a VTX power monitor to see if it really hit the spec'd power.

The latest version uses a really nice 600mW 32ch module which is convenient for supporting all googgles.

Future plans

  • Sync the settings back and forth between Sparky2 and TauOSD to allow the awesome settings configuration menu that BrainFPV developed to be used.
  • Do more flight tests showing off features like video input switching.
  • Embed telemetry information in the audio stream

27 comments:

  1. Like that a lot. This will for perfectly with my Pixhawk setup. You could kill the minimosd and the its text osd. As for mavlink, ready to help on this.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This might work really well with another idea I've been kicking around. I want to set the video channel I'm using not from the GCS, but from the transmitter. And not just for the VTX but also the VRX in parallel.

    What I'm envisioning is this.

    Transmitter: Taranis, because nothing else really has the flexibility. One 3 pos switch, One momentary switch. Two receivers (you can bind 2 at once on the Taranis). One channel on each receiver for video channel (32 positions).

    Switch UP - Channel "A" sent to both receivers (one in model for VTX, another at the video receiver to control them both together.

    Oh NO, someone jumped on your channel?!

    Switch Middle - Channel "B" sent to both receivers, poof you're on your "backup" channel.

    ---

    To store the A and B values would work like this.

    Switch UP for A, use momentary toggle to cycle through the channels. ONLY gets sent live to the video receiver so you can find an empty, clear channel. You don't want it to the vtx yet to avoid knocking other pilots out of the air.

    Switch Middle for B, same thing but for B.

    Switch Down - Save values.

    Switch returned to UP for A, now sent to both. Or mid for B, now sent to both.

    -----

    Thoughts?

    ReplyDelete
  3. I read your post.it was amazing.Your thought process is wonderful.

    online nursing degree program

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Peabody124,

    Has there been further developement on the TauOSD?
    And the whole Sparky CANBus Implementation which I find very interesting.

    One TauLabs Github there a 4 month old firmware but unfortunately none of the hardware files

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hello. Thank you for the informative content that you have provided. However, I would like to recommended highly professional assignment help services that are being offered by My Assignment Help Oz. Few years back, me and my friend needed ‘my assignment help Australia’ and were having no luck with assignment requirements and structures.
    That is when, some of my friends recommended me about MAHOZ and how premium their assignment help services are.
    We chose their help my assignment services and ended up scoring more than 95% in our final academic grades.
    They turned out to be the real saviors for us.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks for sharing such an informative post with us and for more further queries please do get in touch with our expert technician. MYOB Support Phone Number

    ReplyDelete
  7. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete

  8. Hire Homework Helper Online Today And See A Significant Boost In Your Academic Career.Top homework helper is home to more than 3000 online live homework tutors who are quite impressive in solving various primary homework related issues. In fact, some of these tutors hold a PhD degree, which clearly shows how competent they are at handling various school and college homework problems.
    With our math homework help online, you can now stay assured of scoring top grades in mathematics. If there is any concept that you cannot understand, then you can just hire our mathematics homework helpers and they can give you a solution. You can reach out to them any time you want from dawn or dusk.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Your markdown will be instantly applied. These reasons for suppression are affirmed and shown doable by procedures for the Budget site. If you like to get more reasons for constraint, you require mass coupons. Such markdown makes it helpful for home improvement shop proprietors to get the most recent things at such an insignificant expense. Join the totally free dispatching with the most recent code from WIRED and see how a ton of money it is possible to get a fair game plan on the going with purchase. Thomas Cook Airlines Discount Code

    ReplyDelete
  10. At Assignments Help Services Ace, we have the expert assignment writers because of that we can provide the ideal help for the missions in UK to our clients. Students who desire excellent results employ our homework composing service and become calm as they understand that we'd provide them with the work that will never direct them to disappointment. When pupils employ our solutions, then they are content with the wise choice they made as they reach the effect in the form of the success following hiring our services.

    ReplyDelete
  11. From the beginning, till the very end, subject experts at Best Assignments remain there with the clients so their assignments are delivered to them, without a single blunder in it. So next time, when you need someone for essay writing help, be sure to contact us. We are the leaders of online assignment writing.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Essay Typer
    Need Essay Typer online? Get help from expert writers for Top Quality and Plagiarism free work. 24x7 Live Help. Order Now! This kind of essay calls for debating skills where you need strong statement evidence to support your arguments. It is very difficult as proving one’s point takes powerful
    Essay Typer

    ReplyDelete
  13. What’s that one place that gives you the best essay writing help, for affordable rates and assures you no plagiarism at all? You guessed right. Best Assignments is the hub of reliable and experienced subject experts who craft every assignment with immense precision and dedication. So when are you choosing us?

    ReplyDelete
  14. Wonderful article. Very interesting to read this article. Printer Helpers an independent and top notch printer game plan and foundation expert community association in California, US.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Our specialized Quran Classes and has qualified team and teaches the best quality courses for students of all ages.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Islamic Teacher is the teaching Online Quran institute for the Holy Quran and Islamic studies. We offer online Quran classes to the worldwide Muslim culture.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Chase Verify Card – Chase bank Credit Card clients can confirm and activate online at chase.com. In the event that you have just applied for a Credit Card of Chase Bank, you ought to activate it by confirming it online at Bank's authentic site is www.chase.com. On the off chance that you "How would I enact my interest Credit Card?" Are searching for. So read the cycle beneath to confirm the card, at that point activate it.
    Read More…

    ReplyDelete
  18. Well explained! We are also an assignment writing help provider. So, the students struggling to write their college assignments can opt for our online R assignment help and can get a quality assignment written from us

    ReplyDelete
  19. Acadecraft offers quality Online Virtual instructor-led training. The company is top-tier content development and elearning service provider in the US.
    Therefore, the team members are equally proficient. They ensure 24/7 services and innovative content.
    For free quotes and samples, approach the team info@acadecraft.com.
    special education content development services

    ReplyDelete
  20. Nice post. Thank you to provide us this useful information. Also if you are looking for online retail localization services ?

    here i suggest you Acadestudio. At Acadestudio adapts your content to target audience needs. We are the leading localization services and first choice of global clients. Make a long lasting impression on buyers and expand your business in the worldwide market place. Our services range from interpretation to translation, dubbing and voice over, subtitling and localization.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Many of the students fear to take up online exams due to lack of knowledge in the subjects and they are looking for someone to take my online exam. That’s why, we came up with Exam Help UAE for the students. Our Coding Online Exam Help service guarantees you an A+ grade.

    ReplyDelete
  22. It is an informative post. This blog is one I regularly check, and I enjoy it! It is very good information, especially the last part, I like such information a lot. Excellent profile on this topic spacebar counter. You will be able to see your exact score after you complete the spacebar test. You can repeat the test as many times as you like.

    ReplyDelete
  23. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete