Guys, 

I´m planning to install a GPS on the quad I built, a QAV250 using Naze32 rev5.
Is there any restriction for using GPS on this particular FC ? 

Thanks

What do you mean by restrictions? There's millions of videos and tutorials on how to set up your Naze32 with GPS. You will need an OSD though (mavlink is pretty popular with the Naze

There are lot of videos, but regarding naze32 rev6, where there is different wiring. There are videos mentioning TX goes to pin4 and RX pin3, however these pins are currently in use by my receiver.
In my case, this is rev5, and I don´t want to have OSD, is this really required ?


thanks

What are you going to use a GPS for on a QAV250?

Basically it is a try. I want to see what I get in term of stability, especially on the wind. I´m aware this is a racing drone, and GPS doesn´t fit on anything related to race (on drones area). But I still want to try.
Actually, I got it already:
http://www.banggood.com/NZ-GPS-For-NAZE3...15134.html
And here is my setup:
GPS RX Pin 3
GPS TX Pin 4
gnd/+ working fine on the ESC rails, I see gps properly powered.

I´m attaching few images demonstrating it.

About the only thing you might be able to do with a GPS on an F1 based flight controller running Cleanflight/Betaflight is show an approximate speed and your current GPS coordinates on the OSD.

Otherwise, it's just extra weight.

None of the flight modes (acro, angle and horizon) will benefit from GPS. Betaflight and Cleanflight don't make any particular use of a GPS and any legacy code that's still in the firmware is unsuitable for any kind of reliable GPS modes.

If you want a quad that flies autonomously, flash iNav to your flight controller instead. In contrast to BF/CF, iNav is actually designed to use a GPS, barometer and compass and deliver 'hands off' flight modes.

You need to decide what you want this craft to do and dedicate it to that function. There's nothing that says you shouldn't make another craft that is better suited to a different application.

(21-Apr-2017, 09:07 PM)unseen Wrote: About the only thing you might be able to do with a GPS on an F1 based flight controller running Cleanflight/Betaflight is show an approximate speed and your current GPS coordinates on the OSD.

Otherwise, it's just extra weight.

None of the flight modes (acro, angle and horizon) will benefit from GPS. Betaflight and Cleanflight don't make any particular use of a GPS and any legacy code that's still in the firmware is unsuitable for any kind of reliable GPS modes.

If you want a quad that flies autonomously, flash iNav to your flight controller instead. In contrast to BF/CF, iNav is actually designed to use a GPS, barometer and compass and deliver 'hands off' flight modes.

You need to decide what you want this craft to do and dedicate it to that function. There's nothing that says you shouldn't make another craft that is better suited to a different application.

Hi Unseen, 

Maybe iNav is an alternative, and I´ll certainly review it !
But CleanFlight provides few flight mode alternatives for GPS also.
Have a look here.

Something I find as alternative is to use ports 7 and 8 from the board, currently unused.
But is there anyway I configure UART2 to use ports 7 and 8 instead of 3 and 4 ?

Thanks

(22-Apr-2017, 01:49 AM)flabombarda Wrote: Something I find as alternative is to use ports 7 and 8 from the board, currently unused.
But is there anyway I configure UART2 to use ports 7 and 8 instead of 3 and 4 ?

Thanks

No. The pins marked 7 and 8 on the Naze32 rev5 can be used as a software serial port if you enable the SOFTSERIAL feature in the configurator. If you do that, you lose the LED_STRIP and CURRENT_SENSOR features. See: https://github.com/cleanflight/cleanflig...0Naze32.md

Also, I'm aware that you can set various GPS modes in the configurator, but the Cleanflight documentation for GPS describes the code as 'experimental' and all the feedback I've seen says that it doesn't really work properly.

The whole reason iNav was created was because the GPS support in Cleanflight was rubbish.

But, as you seem determined to try it, despite the warnings that it probably won't work and that you are very unlikely to get stable readings from the flight controller's magnetometer, I'll say no more on the matter. Please let us know your experiences.

(22-Apr-2017, 09:38 AM)unseen Wrote: No. The pins marked 7 and 8 on the Naze32 rev5 can be used as a software serial port if you enable the SOFTSERIAL feature in the configurator. If you do that, you lose the LED_STRIP and CURRENT_SENSOR features. See: https://github.com/cleanflight/cleanflig...0Naze32.md

Also, I'm aware that you can set various GPS modes in the configurator, but the Cleanflight documentation for GPS describes the code as 'experimental' and all the feedback I've seen says that it doesn't really work properly.

The whole reason iNav was created was because the GPS support in Cleanflight was rubbish.

But, as you seem determined to try it, despite the warnings that it probably won't work and that you are very unlikely to get stable readings from the flight controller's magnetometer, I'll say no more on the matter. Please let us know your experiences.

Super thanks Unseen !

That was very helpful.
I´ll play around with iNav to see the benefits for this kind of usage I´m looking for 

Hi Unseen, 

Let me see if you have any clue

- I' ve flashed iNav, and confirmed (CLI) that I have softserial feature enabled properly.
- Then I connected the TX/RX from GPS to pins 7 and 8 (SOFTSERIAL2).
- I enable GPS from the configuration tab.
- Reboot

Then I basically lose the YAW and THROTTLE channels, somehow using the Pins 7 and 8 (previously unused) affects these other channels.

Any clue on what could be causing this ?

I completely reviewed the documentation from iNav for GPS usage, looks very straight forward: https://github.com/iNavFlight/inav/wiki/...pass-setup

Here is a point that makes me think:

Activate GPS in the ports tab in cleanflight/iNav configurator and set it to 57600 using UART or 19200 using softserial (on your chosen port)
 
When I go to ports tab, I don't see software serial ports, only uart 1 and 2, is that expected ? Then I enable GPS and change the baud rate to 19200 on uart as you can see below.
I think this could be causing the conflict.


If I also enable the option Serial RX for that port, it disables the GPS on this screen also, this is the only configuration I can do.

Any thoughts ?

Many thanks

Here is the problem, I can't find a way to use Software serial as I have PWM receiver (one wire per channel). When I save the setting it reverts back.
I find a video that explains that is not possible to use Software Serial on Naze32 if you have PWN.

Problem not solved, but at least clarified.

Thanks

Yeah, although you found that the latest Cleanflight fixed your problems with a PWM receiver, using one on the Naze32 derivatives robs you of quite a few functions as it dedicates 8 pins as receiver inputs instead of just one.

If you swap to a receiver that has PPM output, it will give you access to UART2 and enable access to the two software ones as well. It still means compromises though as you can't use the LED_STRIP or CURRENT_SENSOR features if you enable the software serial ports.

from my perspective
"gps hold" worked as expected (1-2m travelling before auto adjustment - ofcurse in Angle mode)

"gps RTH" didn't work for me ( it worked from time to time depending on the quad position and angle... i don't recommend it , yet i played with it on naze 32 rev 5 like 2 years ago... so the code might have been updated - i don't know stopped playing with it)

on how to connect there is a gazzilion videos, look at Painless360 he had a series about naze32 - it included connection of GPS

The biggest problem with trying to do any GPS stuff with the Naze32 full version is in trying to use the onboard compass. Seeing as it's on the flight controller, and normally just a centimetre from the PDB and ESC wiring which is throwing out huge amounts of magnetic interference, the compass readings will be varying wildly as you fly.

Realistically, the only way to even get close to good enough data from the compass is to use a GPS with a built in compass and make sure that the GPS is installed on a pole that's long enough to get it out of the magnetic fields created by the wiring and motors.

Of course, the smaller the craft, the harder this is.