Settings

Activate the GPS-System and assign channel

To use the NaviCtrl with the compass module MK3Mag and the MKGPS you must activate the function GPS in your settings.
In addition you need to have a channel for the mode control to switch between the functions (Free, PositionHold, ComingHome)
(pre-set is Poti2 => channel6). This channel must be assigned to a 3-way switch at the transmitter.
(How a channel at the transmitter will be assigned to a switch you will find in the appropriate instruction manual of the transmitter.)

Activate CareFree and assign channel

If the function CareFree is used you must assign an additional channel to that function.
This function is set up to "0" = Deactivated by default.
If here an appropriate channel is set you must assign a switch at the transmitter.
(How a channel at the transmitter will be assigned to a switch you will find in the appropriate instruction manual of the transmitter.)

• 
  How the function CareFree and the additional activated Teachable CareFree can be used,
  you can find here: CareFree
  
  
  
  

The easiest way to set up/activate the functions is over the menu-point EasySetup.
Here you can activate the GPS and set up the channels to switch for GPS/CareFree.
Pre-set is already POTI2 => channel6 for the function of the GPS. CareFree is in the pre-settings on "0" = OFF.

Settings in EasySetup

The settings in EasySetup can be made directly in the different sub-sites.

The GPS can be switched ON/OFF in the tab Configuration:

• 
  If you use only the NaviCtrl with the compass module (MK3Mag) it can be activated here individually.
  An additional function like Fixed alignment can be given. Is that function activated you can yaw the Kopter during the flight
  If you release the yaw-stick the Kopter automatically aligns itself into the direction
  in which the Kopter was at the start.
  
  

In the tab Navi-Ctrl you can switch also the GPS ON- and OFF.
Also, you can set up here the channel to switch the function:

Under the tab Misc you can set up the CareFree control
and the Teachable CareFree:

GPS-Mode control

A total of three modes can be switched with the GPS mode control.

Those functions are:

• GPS_MODE_Free (Free)

• GPS_MODE_Position Hold (PH)

• GPS_MODE_Coming Home (CH)

As described is this function already pre-set on Channel 6 (POTI2). This channel can also be changed as desired.
To use the function a 3-way switch of the transmitter should be set to that channel and also been used.
The Height switch should be switched ON while using this function.

TIPP:

• The height switch i.e. can be set to the same channel like the GPS Mode Control.
  This saves you not only a channel-switch on the transmitter. As soon as the function PH or CH is switched ON automatically the function to keep the height is switched ON.

Dynamic PositionHold

Either in the EasySetup (see picture above) or under the tab Navi-Ctrl2 the function Dynamic PositionHold can be activated.

The function of the mode PositionHold (PH) is different if Dynamic PositionHold is enabled or disabled :

• Function OFF:
  

  • The Kopter will be throughout moving the Nick- / Rollstick directly controlled.
    The function PositionHold (PH) will be switched off if you move the sticks.
    At the new position and after you release the sticks the function PH will be switched on again.
    
    

  Function ON:
  

  • Also here you can fly the Kopter through moves with the Nick- / Rollstick to a new position.
    In that way PH will be not disabled/enabled but the nominal values of the GPS-coordinates will be moved.
    An more accurate and exact positioning of the Kopter is possible even in windy conditions.
    The Kopter will fly a little bit slower to the position, moves more sluggish.
    
    

Signal beeps

If the NaviCtrl (with Compass/MKGPS) is properly connected the FlightCtrl beeps more often. The beeps tell you as follows:

• If the switch for the GPS function will be switched from free to GPS_MODE_PositionHold or GPS_MODE_ComingHome
  and there is no Sat-Fix (LED on the MK-GPS is not flashing) it will beep 1 time per second.
  The Kopter beeps as long as a minimum number of satellites was found and a Sat-Fix was reached. (See also Paramter "Min Sat").
  
  

  Exception: The beeping will be more quiet if a Sat-Fix is available but a sufficient number of satellites wasn't found.
  
  

  Notes:
  

  • This beep takes place even if GPS is disabled.
    (If GPS is deactivated set also the value for "GPS Mode Control" to Zero (0).)
    
    

• 1x beep *beep* - when changing the GPS-Modes (free - PH - CH)
• 1x beep *beep* - when logging new target-coordinates

LED-indication

On the NaviCtrl you can find 2 LEDs, 1x red and 1x green. The red LED indicates you a failure.
To show you the respective failures the NaviCtrl must be hooked up to the MK-Tool. The failure will be shown there.

The red LED stays on also if the compass is not calibrated! A failure message is displayed as "error6".

Functional test

Here you need to open the Terminal Window in the KopterTool. If the NaviCtrl is hooked up single over the connector Debug and connected with the MK-USB and a closed jumper on the MK-USB
you should see the following initializing sequence of the NaviCtrl:

How do you start?

First Start

If you want to try out those functions you need to have a lot of space and a bunch of open sky.

1. As discribed above activate the GPS-Function (and CareFree) and assign the switch(es) at the transmitter.

2. Switch ON the MikroKopter and ensure a radio contact between transmitter and receiver.

3. Wait for the first Sat-Fix.

   • LED at the MKGPS glows as long as there is no Sat-Fix and flashes if a Sat-Fix is available.

   • If the GPS-Switch on the transmitter is on PH or CH the Kopter beeps as long as required in a tact of a second until the minimum of numbers of satellites has been found.

   • Beeps are more quiet if the Fix is there but not all 6 satellites were found.

   • With a confirmation beep the beeping stops as soon as the Sat-Fix is there.

4. Control of the communication between NaviCtrl and FlightCtrl.

   • The Kopter beeps in intervals as long as the GPS has no Fix (it beeps only if you are on PH or CH, in the FREE-Mode it will not beep).

   • if the GPS-Switch at the transmitter will be switched it must beep short each time.

5. Wait until the GPS has a Sat-Fix and the LED on the MKGPS flashes.

6. Switch to GPS_MODE_Free!

7. Start engines.

   • Hover some seconds and (if necessary) fine-adjust the MikroKopter at the transmitter so that the Kopter can hold the position by itself.

   • Now bring the Kopter into your desired height and activate the height control.

8. Switch to the GPS_MODE PositionHold (PH).

   • Position will be logged (will be acknowleged through a beep).

   • GPS should work now and the Kopter should hover with a difference of a few meter on its position.

MicroSD-Card

Into the NaviCtrl you can place a Micro SD-Card in the size up to 2GB (in FAT16 formatted).
Here you can save the flight-route and other datas of the Kopter in KML-Format and GPS-Format.
The SD-Card will be plugged in as you can find under Connections into the NaviCtrl.
A detected and initialized Micro SD-Card you can see in the initialization of the NaviCtrl.

If you want to read or change the data on the Micro SD-card, it must be removed from the NaviCtrl and plugged into an appropriate card slot on the PC.

SETTINGS.INI

On the SD-Card from the NaviCtrl there will be automatically a file generated named Settings.ini with the following content:

• KMLLOGGING = 500 (Interval (in ms) the logging of the KML-Datas. Default = 500.)

• GPXLOGGING = 1000 (Interval (in ms) the logging of the GPX-Datas. Default = 1000.)

• MAX_FLYING_ALT = 0 (Input of the max. flight-altitude. Default = 0. See INFO)

• MAX_FLYING_RANGE = 0 (Input of the max. flight-radius. Default = 0. See INFO)

• DESCEND_RANGE = 0 (Input of the safety-radius for the max flying range. Default = 0. See INFO)

• GPS_SBAS_DGPS_ON = 1 (Switch on/off DGPS receiving. Default = 0.)

• MIN_EVENT_TIME = 2 (Adjustable trigger. See: Delay Time)

• GPSAUTOCONFIG = 1 (1 = the NC writes its own GPS-Configuration (temporary) into the MKGPS. Default = 1.)

stored data - folder "LOG"

During flight the Kopter will create once a folder "LOG" and save some informations (for each flight) on the micro-SD-card in a .KML and a .GPX file.

These are:

• ele

• time

• sat

• Altimeter

• Variometer

• Course

• Groundspeed

• VerticalSpeed

• FlightTime

• Voltage

• Current

• Capacity

• RCQuality

• RCRSSI

• Compass

• NickAngle

• RollAngle

• NCFlag

• ErrorCode

• TargetBearing

• TargetDistance

• RCSticks

• GPSSticks

• Actual Waypoint

• Value of the WP-Event

• Nick- and Roll-Servo-Value

You can take a look on this informations with the programm "GPX-Viewer" or "MK_GPX (Link)

Presentation of the flight data in Google Earth

In Google Earth you can display and see the saved flight-datas of the Kopter. In the actual Google Earth Version (>6.1) you can display the flight-route
by loading the .KML or the .GPX-file.

Tipp
If you open a .KML file with "Google Earth" and see only red stripes, you have to edit the .KML file.
Here in this file you can change the coordinates like you see here:

• Example:
  

  • Wrong: +7.1234567,+53.1234567, 0.000
  • Right: +7.1234567,+53.1234567,0.000

Since software version v0.26g (NaviCtrl) the changes are already included in the KML-log.

(The flight-route will be also displayed in the height if you set up in the properties of the file the Height to Relativ to ground.)

Parameter

The practice has shown that the default parameters (settings) are already sufficient for almost all MikroKopter.
Who wants to do a little bit fine-tuning that can be done in the settings. You can do that in the tabs NaviCtrl and NaviCtrl2.

Debug-Interface

To the Debug-Interface the MK-USB will be hooked up there. Here you can set up the NaviCtrl, download new software or you can get failure information over the KopterTool.

For the data transfer between the Kopter and the PC you can use also a Bluetooth-Module or a Wi232-Module.
The module will be hooked up also to the Debug-Interface of the NaviCtrl. A second module (Bluetooth or Wi232) to receive the datas will be connected to the MK-USB.

NMEA

Since the Software-Version 2.00a (for NaviCtrl) we can also use the format NMEA (e.g. for Cameras witht Datalogging). The output is at 57600 baud. The records are sent with RMC & GGA. You can get the data on PIN9 of the Debug connection of the NaviCtrl.
NOTE: To use the NMEA you need a plugged microSD card (max. 2GB/FAT16) and the entry "NMEA_INTERVAL" in the Settings.ini must have a value entered. If you already have a microSD card in! NaviCtrl used muss after a software update the existing settings.ini it are deleted so that a new one can be created with the parameters.

Upgrading software

1. Connect the NaviCtrl over the 10- and 6pole connection plug with the FlightCtrl (see MK-Tower)

2. Connect the MK-USB to the Debug-Interface of the NaviCtrl - DO NOT place the jumper on the MK-USB.

3. Now switch ON the Kopter.

4. Start the KopterTool and click in the Terminal Window (Button Firmware Update and Terminal) on Update Software (serial). Then choose the .hex-file.

5. The Update-sequence starts and should be done after approx. 1-2 minutes. At the end you can see debug-datas in the Terminal.

Further information for the Update (also if an update fails) you can get here: SoftwareUpdate

Error Codes

If you use the GPS-System (NaviCtrl + Compass + MKPGS) on your Kopter and you calibrate the Gyros, you can see for a short time "error 6" + "error 3" in your Telemetry-Display.
This is normal. Because the connection between FlightCtrl and NaviCtrl is briefly interrupted when you calibrate the Gyros .

For all other Failure codes you can find here some Tipps to resolve it: ErrorCodes