Plane | Final Static Prototype [Documentation]

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Let me preface this by saying that I am immensely proud of this work. The work up to here is very special and I can only hope that my work going forward is as good as this.

So I’m calling this the “Final Static Prototype” because it’s pretty damn complete for being prototype and it does not move. I intend on making a moving, non-flying prototype sometime in the future. Let’s start out with the video:

Now an explanation for each of the components starting with the controller.

It’s pretty much the same deal I’ve been using this entire time. The program works as follows.

1. The computer sends a delay value and a cycle number

2. The arduino receives that data

3. The arduino sends the debug switch value, the x and y values of the joystick and the pot value.

4. The program renders that information on the program.

Here’s the controller’s source:

//include/define
#include <string.h> // we'll need this for subString
#define MAX_STRING_LEN 20 // like 3 lines above, change as needed.

//Mux control pins
int s0 = 8;
int s1 = 9;
int s2 = 10;
int s3 = 11;
int SIG_pin = 0;

//Shift Register Pins
int SER_Pin = 5; //pin 14 on the 75HC595
int RCLK_Pin = 6; //pin 12 on the 75HC595
int SRCLK_Pin = 7; //pin 11 on the 75HC595
#define number_of_74hc595s 1 //How many of the shift registers - change this
#define numOfRegisterPins number_of_74hc595s * 8 //do not touch
boolean registers[numOfRegisterPins];

//serial stuff
const char EOPmarker = '.'; //This is the end of packet marker
char serialbuf[32]; //This gives the incoming serial some room. Change it if you want a longer incoming.

//other pin setup
int joystick_x;
int joystick_y;
int pot_1;

int debug_switch = 4;

//vars
int sample_delay;
int cycle_number;

void setup(){
 //mux setup
 pinMode(s0, OUTPUT);
 pinMode(s1, OUTPUT);
 pinMode(s2, OUTPUT);
 pinMode(s3, OUTPUT);
 digitalWrite(s0, LOW);
 digitalWrite(s1, LOW);
 digitalWrite(s2, LOW);
 digitalWrite(s3, LOW);

 //shift register setup
 pinMode(SER_Pin, OUTPUT);
 pinMode(RCLK_Pin, OUTPUT);
 pinMode(SRCLK_Pin, OUTPUT);
 pinMode(0, INPUT);
 clearRegisters();
 writeRegisters();

 //other pin setup
 pinMode(debug_switch, INPUT);

 Serial.begin(115200);
}

void loop(){ //start of main loop -------------------------------------------
 //delay(25);
 pin_remap();
 if (Serial.available() > 0) {
 static int bufpos = 0;
 char inchar = Serial.read();
 if (inchar != EOPmarker) {
 serialbuf[bufpos] = inchar;
 bufpos++;
 }
 else {
 serialbuf[bufpos] = 0; //restart the buff
 bufpos = 0; //restart the position of the buff

sample_delay = atoi(subStr(serialbuf, "," , 1));
 cycle_number = atoi(subStr(serialbuf, "," , 2));

 serial_handshake();
 //delay(100);
 }
 }

 delay(sample_delay);

} //end of main loop --------------------------------------------------------

//start of logic functions ------------------------------------------------
void serial_output_deploy(){
 Serial.print("0");
 Serial.print(",");
 Serial.print(joystick_x);
 Serial.print(",");
 Serial.print(joystick_y);
 Serial.print(",");
 Serial.print(pot_1);
 Serial.print(",");
 Serial.print(sample_delay);
 Serial.print(",");
 Serial.print(cycle_number);

 Serial.println("");
}

void serial_output_debug(){
 Serial.print("1");
 Serial.print(", ");
 Serial.print("Joystick X Axis: ");
 Serial.print(joystick_x);
 Serial.print(" , ");
 Serial.print("Joystick Y Axis: ");
 Serial.print(joystick_y);
 Serial.print(" , ");
 Serial.print("Speed Potentiometer: ");
 Serial.print(pot_1);
 Serial.print(" , ");
 Serial.print("Amount of delay between cycles: ");
 Serial.print(sample_delay);
 Serial.print(" , ");
 Serial.print("Cycle Number:");
 Serial.print(cycle_number);

 Serial.println("");
}

void pin_remap(){
 joystick_x = map(readMux(15), 0, 1023, 180, 0);
 joystick_y = map(readMux(14), 0, 1023, 0, 180);
 pot_1 = map(readMux(13), 0, 1023, 0, 179);
}

void serial_handshake(){
 if (digitalRead(debug_switch) == HIGH){
 serial_output_debug();
 setRegisterPin(1, HIGH);
 setRegisterPin(2, LOW);
 writeRegisters();
 }

 if (digitalRead(debug_switch) == LOW){
 serial_output_deploy();
 setRegisterPin(2, HIGH);
 setRegisterPin(1, LOW);
 writeRegisters();
 }
}
 //end of logic functions --------------------------------------------------
void clearRegisters(){
 for(int i = numOfRegisterPins - 1; i >= 0; i--){
 registers[i] = LOW;
 }
}

void writeRegisters(){
 digitalWrite(RCLK_Pin, LOW);
 for(int i = numOfRegisterPins - 1; i >= 0; i--){
 digitalWrite(SRCLK_Pin, LOW);
 int val = registers[i];
 digitalWrite(SER_Pin, val);
 digitalWrite(SRCLK_Pin, HIGH);
 }
 digitalWrite(RCLK_Pin, HIGH);
}

//set an individual pin HIGH or LOW
void setRegisterPin(int index, int value){
 registers[index] = value;
}

int readMux(int channel){
 int controlPin[] = {s0, s1, s2, s3};
 int muxChannel[16][4]={
 {0,0,0,0}, //channel 0
 {1,0,0,0}, //channel 1
 {0,1,0,0}, //channel 2
 {1,1,0,0}, //channel 3
 {0,0,1,0}, //channel 4
 {1,0,1,0}, //channel 5
 {0,1,1,0}, //channel 6
 {1,1,1,0}, //channel 7
 {0,0,0,1}, //channel 8
 {1,0,0,1}, //channel 9
 {0,1,0,1}, //channel 10
 {1,1,0,1}, //channel 11
 {0,0,1,1}, //channel 12
 {1,0,1,1}, //channel 13
 {0,1,1,1}, //channel 14
 {1,1,1,1} //channel 15
 };

//loop through the 4 sig
 for(int i = 0; i < 4; i ++){
 digitalWrite(controlPin[i], muxChannel[channel][i]);
 }

//read the value at the SIG pin
 int val = analogRead(SIG_pin);

//return the value
 return val;
}

char* subStr (char* input_string, char *separator, int segment_number) {
 char *act, *sub, *ptr;
 static char copy[MAX_STRING_LEN];
 int i;

 strcpy(copy, input_string);

for (i = 1, act = copy; i <= segment_number; i++, act = NULL) {

 sub = strtok_r(act, separator, &ptr);
 if (sub == NULL) break;
 }
 return sub;
}

Now for the output simulator (eventually the plane)

This works like the controller with the “handshake” protocol as described above, but it writes to the servos and then sends sensor values. Here’s that source:

//include/define
#include <string.h> // we'll need this for subString
#define MAX_STRING_LEN 20 // like 3 lines above, change as needed.
#include <LiquidCrystal.h> //we'll need this for the lcd
LiquidCrystal lcd(22, 24, 26, 28, 32, 34); //pins for the lcd, I set it up using the ladyada tutorial.
#include <Servo.h>

//inputs
int debug_switch = 7;

//outputs
Servo left_servo;
Servo right_servo;
Servo esc;
int esc_pwm = 6;
int debug_led = 11;
int deploy_led = 12;

//numbers
int left_servo_pos;
int right_servo_pos;
int current;

//serial stuff
const char EOPmarker = '.'; //This is the end of packet marker
char serialbuf[32]; //This gives the incoming serial some room. Change it if you want a longer incoming.

//shift register setup
int SER_Pin = 8; //pin 14 on the 75HC595
int RCLK_Pin = 9; //pin 12 on the 75HC595
int SRCLK_Pin = 10; //pin 11 on the 75HC595
#define number_of_74hc595s 1 //How many of the shift registers - change this
#define numOfRegisterPins number_of_74hc595s * 8 //do not touch
boolean registers[numOfRegisterPins];

void setup(){
 //lcd.begin(16, 2);
 left_servo.attach(3);
 right_servo.attach(5);
 esc.attach(6);

 current = 0;

 pinMode(debug_switch, INPUT);
 pinMode(1, INPUT);

 pinMode(debug_led, OUTPUT);
 pinMode(deploy_led, OUTPUT);
 pinMode(SER_Pin, OUTPUT);
 pinMode(RCLK_Pin, OUTPUT);
 pinMode(SRCLK_Pin, OUTPUT);
 pinMode(esc_pwm, OUTPUT);

// for(int i = 0; i < 180; i += 1){
// esc.write(i);
// Serial.println(i);
// delay(15);
// }

 clearRegisters();
 writeRegisters();

 Serial.begin(115200); //changing this to other speeds has not been tested using this meathod
}

void loop() {
 if (Serial.available() > 0) {
 //lcd.clear();
 static int bufpos = 0;
 char inchar = Serial.read();
 if (inchar != EOPmarker) {
 serialbuf[bufpos] = inchar;
 bufpos++;
 }
 else {
 serialbuf[bufpos] = 0; //restart the buff
 bufpos = 0; //restart the position of the buff

 if(digitalRead(debug_switch) == HIGH){
 debug();
 }

 if(digitalRead(debug_switch) != HIGH){
 deploy();
 }
 out_deploy();
 }

 }

}
// below is just function logic, which I do not fully understand. but it works.
char* subStr (char* input_string, char *separator, int segment_number) {
 char *act, *sub, *ptr;
 static char copy[MAX_STRING_LEN];
 int i;

 strcpy(copy, input_string);

for (i = 1, act = copy; i <= segment_number; i++, act = NULL) {

 sub = strtok_r(act, separator, &ptr);
 if (sub == NULL) break;
 }
 return sub;
}

void clearRegisters(){
 for(int i = numOfRegisterPins - 1; i >= 0; i--){
 registers[i] = LOW;
 }
}

void writeRegisters(){
 digitalWrite(RCLK_Pin, LOW);
 for(int i = numOfRegisterPins - 1; i >= 0; i--){
 digitalWrite(SRCLK_Pin, LOW);
 int val = registers[i];
 digitalWrite(SER_Pin, val);
 digitalWrite(SRCLK_Pin, HIGH);
 }
 digitalWrite(RCLK_Pin, HIGH);
}

//set an individual pin HIGH or LOW
void setRegisterPin(int index, int value){
 registers[index] = value;
}

void spinto(int target) {

 //digitalWrite(led2, LOW);

 while(current > target){
 Serial.println(current);
 esc.write(current);
 delay(15);
 current--;
 }

 while(current < target){
 Serial.println(current);
 esc.write(current);
 delay(15);
 current++;
 }
}

void debug(){
 setRegisterPin(2, HIGH);
 setRegisterPin(1, LOW);
 writeRegisters();

 left_servo_pos = atoi(subStr(serialbuf, ",", 1));
 lcd.write("Lft Servo:");
 lcd.write(subStr(serialbuf, ",", 1)); //witres the first bit of content before the first comma (or other seperator) to the lcd
 left_servo.write(left_servo_pos);

 lcd.setCursor(0, 1);

 right_servo_pos = atoi(subStr(serialbuf, ",", 2));
 lcd.write("Rgt Servo:"); //this signifies that the first seperation has occured
 lcd.write(subStr(serialbuf, ",", 2)); //same thing as 2 lines above, but with the second parts. this can be repeated
 right_servo.write(right_servo_pos);

 analogWrite(esc_pwm, atoi(subStr(serialbuf, ",", 3)));
}

void deploy(){
 setRegisterPin(2, LOW);
 setRegisterPin(1, HIGH);
 writeRegisters();

 left_servo.write(atoi(subStr(serialbuf, ",", 1)));
 right_servo.write(atoi(subStr(serialbuf, ",", 2)));
 analogWrite(esc_pwm, atoi(subStr(serialbuf, ",", 3)));
}

void out_deploy(){
 Serial.print(analogRead(0));
 Serial.print(",");
 Serial.print(analogRead(1));
 Serial.print(",");
 Serial.print(analogRead(2));

 Serial.println("");
}

//esologic.com
//Thanks to http://arduino.cc/forum/index.php?topic=119429

The visual basic program which I’m calling “Vehicle Companion” can be found here in all of it’s glory. The picture below also shows the whole system.

Now all I need is the money to make this thing wireless because I’ve got a way to make it into a moving prototype using materials I already have. I’ll put a donate button somewhere on this website eventually if you want to help me out.

Thanks for reading.

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