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Pypilot Hardware Recipes
#1
It's nice that the Pypilot website is up. I've been interested to see a video of it in action, and pictures of the physical installation. I believe there was once a video but I haven't seen it.

I see the controller is available for sale. I assume Openplotter on our existing Raspberry Pi will eventually play the "computer" role for those who desire it?

The hardware information on github only specifies a "brushed" motor and a ball screw ram, leaving me curious about the specific motor choices that have been tested or would be assumed to work. Of course this could vary from boat to boat. (My boat is probably close enough to the Catalina 32 it was tested on. )

A wireless remote like this would seem to be a simple upgrade:
https://www.amazon.com/INSMA-Wireless-Ch...01CCSG2ZY/


Don't let the quiet of this forum fool you into thinking there is a lack of interest! I think it is just that we don't quite know where to start.
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#2
i agree
i would like to see a diagram or something.
and what about an h bridge instead of an ESC.
i put a pca9685 in for led lighting control,so i got plenty of pwm pins..and a few h-bridges laying around..

jim
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#3
(2017-10-27, 06:02 PM)Saqqara Wrote: It's nice that the Pypilot website is up. I've been interested to see a video of it in action, and pictures of the physical installation. I believe there was once a video but I haven't seen it.
I have more videos, not yet posted.

Quote:I see the controller is available for sale. I assume Openplotter on our existing Raspberry Pi will eventually play the "computer" role for those who desire it?
Yes, you need a minimum of a raspberry pi, and an imu like the mpu9255 to make the autopilot computer.

pypilot can run on other pi's like orangepi as well, and works on the raspberry zero

Quote:The hardware information on github only specifies a "brushed" motor and a ball screw ram, leaving me curious about the specific motor choices that have been tested or would be assumed to work. Of course this could vary from boat to boat. (My boat is probably close enough to the Catalina 32 it was tested on. )

It is tested and working with these motors
1) simrad tp22
2) autohelm linear ram
3) raymarine wheel pilot 4000mkii

Many more can work. I am trying to get a windshield wiper motor because it can also probably work.
Quote:A wireless remote like this would seem to be a simple upgrade:
https://www.amazon.com/INSMA-Wireless-Ch...01CCSG2ZY/
Maybe this can wire into the raspberry gpio...? It seems very expensive. My remote control cost $1. But yes, many possible remotes are possible.

(2017-10-27, 08:49 PM)jim321 Wrote: i agree
i would like to see a diagram or something.

Good idea. I will try to draw something for the wiki.
Quote:and what about an h bridge instead of an ESC.
i put a pca9685 in for led lighting control,so i got plenty of pwm pins..and a few h-bridges laying around..

jim

You could also the raspberry drive the motor directly from hbridge using gpio, but in this case, you would not have isolation, voltage/current feedback, and other feedbacks, so it's better to use a small microprocessor for the controller.


The esc is better to use than hbridges. It already has power input, motor output, and signal, so this makes the controller simpler and more modular. You are free of course to use your own h bridges. In this case, I would recommend modifying:
https://github.com/pypilot/pypilot/blob/.../motor.ino

And make it drive the hbridges on digital outputs rather than a servo pwm output. You could use the same measurement shunt and temperature sensors, or modify it...
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#4
I was trying to order a controller on the store but I am in Canada do you take orders from Canada
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#5
Do you share the drawings / specs for the different hw stuff - mainly the motor controller. I have most of the parts and wanted to assemble the controller myself. I looked around but couldn't find any specs, which escape for example. A simple sketch worth a pays last would do fine.

I assume that using the main Rpi 3 of my own plotter to also cater for the pypilot would be fine?

Openplotter already have GPS, and weathetsensors connected and available in signalk.... It is mainly the motor controller / rudder sensor I would need to add as well as the pypilot panel.... I guess I could figure that one out for myself....
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#6
(2018-02-13, 03:04 PM)LarsD Wrote: Do you share the drawings / specs for the different hw stuff - mainly the motor controller. I have most of the parts and wanted to assemble the controller myself. I looked around but couldn't find any specs, which escape for example. A simple sketch worth a pays last would do fine.
The sketch for the controller is here:

https://github.com/pypilot/pypilot/blob/.../motor.ino

From this you should be able to build your own.

Quote:I assume that using the main Rpi 3 of my own plotter to also cater for the pypilot would be fine?
Yes. I am finalizing the pypilot support for the next release of openplotter. You need to have a 9 axis sensor that is supported, preferably mpu9255 (or 9250 soon)
Quote:Openplotter already have GPS, and weathetsensors connected and available in signalk.... It is mainly the motor controller / rudder sensor I would need to add as well as the pypilot panel.... I guess I could figure that one out for myself....
Unless you mean the hardware buttons? These are mostly intended for tinypilot, but you could wire the correct gpio pins and use them from openplotter.

There is a pypilot control panel included with openplotter. Also a pypilot plugin for opencpn. Either can control the autopilot.

You may build your own controller

Mine have optional features such a
- reverse polarity protection
- fuse
- optical isolation
- waterproof connector and case
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#7
so i am guessing the gerber and bom files wont be available for the controller?
i just like to diy this kinda stuff Smile
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#8
I sent pm.

The schematic is not "secret" or anything like that. It can easily be deduced from the source code. I am not releasing it to avoid confusion at the moment, until I finalize the next schematic.

Please send me private message if you actually wish to build a controller from scratch and have further questions. It should be possible just by reading the arduino/motor/motor.ino sketch in the pypilot source.
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#9
Has anyone sourced an appropriate linear actuator that could be used as a tiller pilot. I see Sean has tested with some actual tillerpilots but I don't have a broken one lying around, unfortunately. So an industrial linear actuator would probably be the next best thing, but the amount and speed of throw would be pretty critical I would think.

Any ideas?
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#10
FWIW Sean did test a configuration using a windshield wiper motor and a winch driver, finding it more efficient than the tillerpilot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaLBRRelT-M&t=32s

However this might be more clutter in the cockpit than some desire.
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