24/05/15 OpenROV control board

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Finally got round to playing with the OpenROV control board. It looks like it will save lots of time.

Just had to set the fuse bits, upload the atmega 2560 bootloader, plug in the beagle bone black, apply power and connect a power switch and away she went 🙂

Command line string for setting fuse bits and installing the bootloader:

avrdude -c usbasp -p m2560 -P usb -b 115200 -e -u -U lock:w:0x3F:m -U efuse:w:0xFD:m -U lfuse:w:0xFF:m -U hfuse:w:0xDE:m
avrdude -c usbasp -p m2560 -P usb -b 115200 -V -U flash:w:mega2560boot.hex //(I changed the file name)
avrdude -c usbasp -p m2560 -P usb -b 115200 -U lock:w:0x0F:m

from:

 http://cisana.net/burning-the-bootloader-onto-the-arduino-mega-2560/

and 

https://github.com/OpenROV          for the fuse bit settings

I am re inspired and hope to get the rov together in some form and through it in the water soon.

20/12/2014 OpenROV, arduino

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The first pictures from inside the ROV. Some blue light noise from the LED on the camera reflecting of the inside of the dome.

The Microsoft lifecam hd 3000 720p worked without changing the openrov code.

I was a bit challenged when trying to write the openrov image to SD card from linux. The windows method worked great. I was also challenged trying to take a screen shot from linux- needed to apply changes to display settings to get one screen shot.

I am still playing with the networking. The first latency test on the camera range from 350-250 miliseconds- might be the screen capture, computer, network?

latencyTest1

 

Screenshot openrov

Pictured is the Arduino and  project shield- left and the ACS712s for measuring the current to the ESCs- right. Behind is the new camera housing – 70 5 60mm acrylic tube 4 mm orings and a 8mm stainless connector so the housing can be opened without redoing the thread seal.

The OpenROV software looks great and will save loads of time. This project might turn into an OpenROV in a bigger box. Lots of very clever people have been working on it and that shows. Thank you.

I also made a battery discharger for testing old LIPO 18650s from defunct laptop packs. Inspired by:fixitsan on youtube. With arduino instead of PIC microprocessor.

Ben’s video about battery discharger: