PX4Flow on Intel Aero not responding.

[NLope6]

I have an Intel Aero RTF that I've been trying to get a px4flow working on. I read somewhere that the firmware for the intel aero autopilot should be able to support the px4flow, but I still cant get it to work. I'm using the telemetry port on the intel aero and connecting it to the i2c port of the PX4Flow. I was wondering if there's an alternate method of doing this. I've seen others mention that they used the px4flow in a similar connection but just can't get it working on my end.

[Alexandra_C_Intel]

Hi NLope6, Thank you for your interest in the Intel Aero Drone. Could you tell me the output of aero-get-version.py? Also, you may find the instructions below helpful. https://www.instructables.com/id/Intel-Aero-Drone-Altitude-and-Position-Hold-Using-/ Regards, Alexandra

[NLope6]

This is the output of aero-get-version.py

BIOS_VERSION = Aero-01.00.13

OS_VERSION = Ubuntu 16.04.5 LTS"

AIRMAP_VERSION = unknown

FPGA_VERSION = 0xc2

AeroFC firmware version = 1.6.5

I've been trying to make firmware to enable the px4flow. A recent firmware I made used AeroFC firmware version 1.8.0 with modifications to allow PX4flow but to no avail.

[LFerr7 · Accepted solution]

The 1.8.0 firmware is unstable on the Aero. Get the 1.8.2 from https://github.com/PX4/Firmware

In Firmware/ROMFS/px4fmu_common/init.d/rcS add

if ver hwcmp AEROFC_V1 then px4flow start & fi

▪ In Firmware/cmake/configs/nuttx_aerofc-v1_default.cmake add

drivers/px4flow

Then follow only step 5-9 of the Instructables (just flash the newest FPGA cause the 0xc1 has inverted pins and won't work),

Make sure that pins are correctly connected to the TELEMETRY port

Also it is really important that you don't run systemctl start aero-optical-flow nor systemctl enable aero-optical-flow.

Send me a DM if you need further help cause interacting with @Alexandra_Intel​ or any other Intel agent will result in a colossal waste of time.

[NLope6]

How would I flash a new FPGA? I know there should be three on the intel aero by default, but not sure how to get/where to find newer versions. Thanks.

[LFerr7]

To flash the FPGA you just type

sudo jam -aprogram /etc/fpga/aero-rtf.jam

but you already have the newest version (0xc2)

Did you manage to flash the Flight Controller?

[JesusE_Intel]

I apologize for all the inconveniences this issue has caused. The latest software bundle (1.6.2) for the Intel Aero Drone includes Px4 version 1.6.5. This version does not enable the px4flow by default, so we recommend building from source and making the changes LFeer7 suggested. Keep in mind that Px4 maintains and updates their flight stack. Since the release of our software bundle 1.6.2, Px4 has released a couple of versions with improvements to the Px4flow driver. You can find the latest image (1.6.2) on the Intel Download Center page: https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/27833/Intel-Aero-Platform-for-UAVs-Installation-Files?v=t Follow the instructions on the Aero wiki page for flashing the different parts of the drone (BIOS, FPGA, and flight controller). https://github.com/intel-aero/meta-intel-aero/wiki/02-Initial-Setup#flashing Once the image is installed, navigate to /etc/fpga and run jam –aprogram aero-rtf.jam. For the flight controller you can flash the included version 1.6.5 or download the latest from Px4: https://github.com/PX4/Firmware/releases When updating to the flight controller, make sure to do a frame reset as mentioned in the wiki. "Navigate to the Airframe menu and select “Reset” to reset the drone’s airframe configuration. Select “Apply and Restart” and restart the drone" Regards, Jesus

[NLope6]

@LFerr7​ 

omg thank you so much. It finally works. I've been struggling on this for a while, and I really appreciate your help on this.