fhorinek/skydrop

SkyDrop combined variometer

SkyDrop

!!! If you are looking for updates go to this site (or download files from github as RAW) !!! http://vps.skybean.eu/repo/updates/

I want to ...

• ... update SkyDrop firmware
• ... configure SkyDrop via configurator
• ... report bug/suggest feature/ask for help
• ... see what features are implemented in lastest release
• ... look for solution to my problem
• ... see what features will be implemented in next release
• ... browse issues

Bug reporting etiquette

• Search issues before posting new bug report/feature request
• Post Debug.log with the problem (in Debug first Enable debug.log, Clear the log and then recreate the issue)
• Tell us what was the trigger of the bug (opening menu, landing, certain settings)

Folder structure

skydrop
SkyDrop vario source code
skydrop_sd_bootloader
Bootloader inside the devices
updates
Official firmware updates

External library and code

We are standing on shoulders these giants:

SkyDrop

FatFs - (C)ChaN (http://elm-chan.org/fsw/ff/00index_e.html)
/src/drivers/storage/FatFs
LUFA - (C)Dean Camera (www.lufa-lib.org)
/src/tasks/task_usb/LUFA
Kalman filter - (C)Alistair Dickie (https://github.com/alistairdickie/BlueFlyVario_Android)
/src/fc/kalman.cc
Intel HEX file format reader and converter - (C)Alexander Belchenko ([email protected])
/utils/hex2bin/intelhex.py
CParser.py - (C)Luke Campagnola
/utils/ee_maper/CParser.py

Configurator

Angular.js (angular, angular-animate, angular-route) - (C)Google (https://angularjs.org/)
app/bower_components/angular, app/bower_components/angular-animate, app/bower_components/angular-route,
jQuery - (C) The jQuery Foundation (https://jquery.com/)
app/bower_components/jquery
UI Bootstrap - (C) Angular-UI team (https://angular-ui.github.io/bootstrap/)
app/bower_components/angular-bootstrap
Bootstrap - (C) Mark Otto, Jacob Thornton, https://github.com/orgs/twbs/people (http://getbootstrap.com/)
app/bower_components/bootstrap
Angular Chart - (C) Jerome Touffe-Blin (http://jtblin.github.io/angular-chart.js/)
app/bower_components/angular-chart.js
Chart.js - (C) Nick Downie (http://www.chartjs.org/)
app/bower_components/chart.js
seiyria-bootstrap-slider, angular-bootstrap-slider - (C) Kyle J. Kemp (https://github.com/seiyria)
app/bower_components/seiyria-bootstrap-slider, app/bower_components/angular-bootstrap-slider
FileSaver.js - (C) Teleborder, Inc (https://github.com/Teleborder)
app/bower_components/filesaver
angular-ui-switch - (C) Kristijan Sedlak (https://github.com/xpepermint)
app/bower_components/angular-ui-switch

Tools info

Tools we are using:

Eclipse IDE for C/C++ Developers
https://www.eclipse.org/eclipseide/
AVR Eclipse plugin
http://avr-eclipse.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/The_AVR_Eclipse_Plugin
PyDev Eclipse plugin
http://pydev.org/
AVR GCC Toolchain 7.2.0
skydrop/utils/avr-toolchain/build.sh

Build info

• Open & build project in Eclipse IDE (a directory Release should appear)
• cd skydrop/Release
• Run ../utils/build/pre_build.sh
• make
• Run ../utils/build/post_build.sh and you can see message *** POST BUILD DONE ***, if everything went good
• Copy UPDATE.FW and UPDATE.EE from Release dir to root directory on skydrop SD
• --- OR ---
• Copy SKYDROP.FW from Release dir to root directory on skydrop SD

Datasheets

All datasheets needed for development can be found in doc directory

Bluetooth connection

pan1026 clasic SPP

$ hcitool scan
Scanning ...
	00:13:43:0E:F5:1E	SkyDrop SPP
	
$ sdptool records 00:13:43:0E:F5:1E
Service Name: Serial Port
Service RecHandle: 0x10000
Service Class ID List:
  "Serial Port" (0x1101)
Protocol Descriptor List:
  "L2CAP" (0x0100)
  "RFCOMM" (0x0003)
    Channel: 5

^C
$ sudo rfcomm connect 0 00:13:43:0E:F5:1E 5
Connected /dev/rfcomm0 to 00:13:43:0E:F5:1E on channel 5
Press CTRL-C for hangup

skydrop's Issues

Where is GPS data stored?

How do I start and stop GPS tracking and where is GPS data stored?
I enabled GPS and after a while a had a static "G" on the display.
After some hours of moving and driving around with the vario, I checked the data on the card, but no files could be found...

feature request: acoustic feedback

It would be nice to have some button sounds and a different sound for each of the five pages while flipping. Then it would be possible to change it in flight blindly.

Problem: adjusting Altitude treats it like an immediate flight start.

Enable long-press / long-press delay

Feature request: When changing values in setup, make "long press" increase/decrease values rapidly after 500ms (similar to changing altitute).

Feature request: Please change "long press time" to 500ms when changing altitute. My guess is that it is about 2000ms now? Too long.

wind direction & speed widget

I deem this is the only missing feature to make Drop a fully self-sufficient device.

updates doesn't work

I installed the update of 29.6......... Skydrop starts and always shows the same: test
The sane happens with the update of 28.6.
When i install update 0322 my skydrop has no sound.
What runs wrong.

Wrong "back" link in debug menu

When leaving the "debug" submenu with the "back" menu entry, you're not getting back to the main menu, but to the "settings" submenu.

Change default autostart feature config

The current default of Settings->Logger->Autostart->Suppress Audio set to ON leads to lots of people worrying that their vario won't beep.

Please change the default for this setting to be 'OFF'. Then when the vario comes out of the box the first time and is switched on, it passes the customers first test!

Battery percentage as a widget value.

feature request: inverse LCD screen

I think the inverted LCD screen (white on black bgrnd) is much more readable in sunlight...

GPS information as widget values

It would be nice to have the possibility to view the GPS coordinates of the current position.

Opening new menu

Bug: When opening menu (setup or widgets), highlighting always switches to the second item.

feature request: make use of the RGB-LED

It would be nice having the RGB-LED as an additional indicator. Maybe for active settings menu or as warning lamp or something like this.

Question: What does the value "GHdg" (ground heading) say?

Make contrast menu setting a 'live adjustment'

Unlike other config settings, currently it is easy when adjusting the LCD contrast to make your skydrop temporarily unusable.

Because the contrast is only changed when 'confirming' the new value, it is difficult to know if you have selected the best value, or one which will make the screen unreadable. Contrast often needs to be adjusted on LCDs in my experience due to changing environment temperature and pressure.

Please change the adjustment facility for the contrast so that the actual contrast setting is adjusted in real time as the value is changed, without the need to 'confirm' the value. This will allow the adjustments to be made easily and safely.

Audio Volume - Less Gradual (0%, 40%, 55%, 70%, 85%, 100%)

Audio Volume gradation is too fine for a variometer in my opinion. Do you really need 5% increments? That's not an audio player! Something like 0%, 40%, 55%, 70%, 85%, 100% would be enough for most users. Currently the interface is extremely poor. Imagine default screen. Now, how many times do you need to press buttons to get Audio Volume from 0% to 100% and back to the main screen? That's 35 TIMES pressing these awful buttons!
Count:

• long press "o",
• ">"x5,
• "o",
• ">"x2,
• "o",
• "o",
• ">"x20,
• "o",
• long press "o",
• long press "o",
• long press "o".

USB Connection doesn't work on a Mac

Device reboots (blue-green-red-reboot) continuously.

new issue: acoustig feedback when GPS signal has been found

Additionally to the blinking "G" on the display it would be great, if an acoustic signal would appear if a GPS signal was found and the "G" gets static...

feature request: save configuration to SD card

there is so much FW upgrades, and that is cool because we have more and more settings, but would be nice save them to the cfg file and store it on the SD, and after FW upgrade everything would be like before... layouts & widgets, disp settings, audio settings, vario & alti setting, etc...

Temperature is not correct

How to exit widget mode

Just long hold on the select widget screen or click on widget and find back on the bottom

Battery status

Bug: Battery status switches between full bar and empty bar when not charging. When charging it switches between 0 and 100%.

Contrast settings need refinement

Be aware that changing contrast by more than 10% will result in a white or black display, rendering the device unusable (until you do a firmware update).

Settings should be in a range where it is still possible to use the device (60 .. 75% in my case).

No GPS fix

I get no GPS fix. I am waiting for 1/2 an hour and I get no GPS signal. GPS is enabled and I am outside:-) The G in the corner right up is flashing.

Feature Request: Redefine Buttons

At least the middle button should be configurable (short press), e.g. mute would be really important for me. Left and right might also get more functionality. I would like to see a PC configurator for these kind of things...

feature request: acoustic feedback while adjusting speaker volume

I think it would be helpful, if you get an acoustic feedback while setting the "general volume" in the "audio" menu. It should be as loud as the switched percentage, so that you have a direct control over the setting made...

GPS offset

Unfortunately I seem to have a (constant?) offset of about 60-70m in height of my GPS. I found out by comparing to the GPS of my other Vario and my Android Phone (A-GPS).
Even if it's a hardware-problem, it could possibly be fixed by a configureable offset? Due to the lacking possibility to show the GPS coordinates right now, I cannot tell if there are other offsets as well. This offset might become annoying after the implementation of #27

"Power-off-delay"

Feature request: New "Power-off-delay" is much nicer. Could be even shorter.

analog/digital/average vario

Sorry for the silly question, but being user manual not available there are still some question marks :)

Could you please clarifiy the difference between varios?

We have 2 widgets: "Vario" and "Avg"
To my understanding, Vario should show analog "real time" vario (unfiltered), while Avg should show averaged analog Vario, according to "Average vario integration interval" (standard 10secs).

Is this correct?

But what about digital vario and its integration interval setting?

Thanks in advance!

req

Prevent cyclic Alt configuration

GPS problem

"G" blinking and looking for satellites, but GPS can not connect.

Configurable screen count

For my case 5 screens are way to much so it would be amazing if I could set the amount of screens between 1 and 5.

Problem: Update seems to fail...

After storing the two Update-Files of version 0322 on the SkyDrop and disconnecting it, the vario does not show anything on the display. Long-pressing the right button or the power-button doesn't help. Not even reconnecting via USB does not show anything at all on the display... :-(
The storage card is recognizedby the PC and can be used normally.
What can I do to re-activate it? Factory-Reset? Does unplugging of the battery help?

Start-up screen

Feature request: When switching device off and on again, it will always start up with screen #3. Please make it the last screen used.

usb connection

Connection doesn't works on win7

Battery display

Feature request: Different battery status views: 1. Status not shown (save some screen estate), 2. Only percentage shown in upper/lower left/right corner, 3. One line of Pixels on eiter top, bottom, left or right side, 4. Battery bar.

Feature for all 4 viewing options: Only show battery if lower then X percent. X definable

feature request: customization of vario sound

Settings for vario/sink tone frequencys.

Bug: Alt2

It relative to itself in the standard config. I ve to set it to an other ref value to make Alt2 and Alt3 stop counting useless values.

Altimeters in imperial units

Altimeters differences & setting

1. how is absolute altitude calculated at start up? Based on GPS data only? Or pressure+GPS?
2. can you briefly explain the difference between Alt's?
   Alt1 = Absolute to QNH1
   Alt2 = Relative to Alt1
   Alt3 = Relative to Alt1
   Alt4 = Absolute to QNH2

Changing Contrast Settings Question

Default Contrast in build 0551 is 70%. Once I try to make it higher or lower and press "<" or ">", the value changes to 78% or 79%. You can't cancel it and have to press the "o" button. Once pressed, no matter what's the contrast setting, the whole background becomes dark and it's very hard to see anything on the screen. Build 0530 does the same. The only way to get display back to normal is to update the software.

Factory test for pan1026

feature request: Flip display

Depending on how the vario is fixed on the harness or body it might be useful, if it was possible to flip the whole display and the button-settings (180 degrees)

Highlighting of menus

Feature request: When in menus, after klicking "back" don't always highlight the first item of the previous menu. Highlight the item that you just came back from.

Version displayed on startup

Bug: Version should be 0093, when starting up it shows 0087

odometer, distance to takeoff, xc-distance would also be nice.

feature request: airspace warnings

It would be nice to have airspaces in the device. They can be putted as openair-textfiles at the sd-card. And then there are a displaypage showing the name and borders of the next airspace and the vertical and horizontal distance. And there should be warnings.

Time incorrect, too slow

Bug: Real time is now 18:45, Skydrop shows 18:22. It was set correctly this morning at around 07:00. 23 minute offset after approximately 12 hours.

auto start detection

Autostart detection could be better with detection of change in altitude AND in speed,
eg. altitude +-5m, speed >5km/h for more than 10sec.