Beyond Robotix Micro CAN Node Development Set with STLINK V3 MINIE

We’ve created a library called ArduinoDroneCAN which lets you create your own custom programs to communicate with Ardupilot and PX4 via DroneCAN messages very easily. Our abstracts away the internals of DroneCAN so you can get on and just send messages when you want. We have done all the configuration files required for VScode/Platformio for the Micro CAN node which means all you need to do is press upload and you’re away. The repository can be found here: https://github.com/BeyondRobotix/Arduino-DroneCAN?utm_source=FAQ

There’s a few different ways to connect sensors to Ardupilot, if the sensors are natively supported then AP_Periph can be used with our Micro CAN node. However, if the sensor is not supported or you want to write custom logic for your sensor, you can use our ArduinoDroneCAN software to write a driver to convert the sensor information into DroneCAN messages. The CAN node supports Serial, i2c, SPI and has multiple GPIOs, PWMs and ADC connections. Since our software stack is Arduino based, you can also use Arduino libraries to minimise the time you need to spend coding. The repository can be found here: https://github.com/BeyondRobotix/Arduino-DroneCAN?utm_source=FAQ

If you’re creating custom PCBs for your project and need CAN interfaces, our Micro CAN node is designed to minimise time to market for your application. We’ve done the microcontroller design, documentation and firmware so you can just integrate the high density connector using our KiCAD template, and now your project is CAN enabled. Documentation on CAN node integration: https://beyond-robotix.gitbook.io/docs/can-node-system/micro-node?utm_source=FAQ

Ardupilot and PX4 support many ways of inputting and outputting data for all types of uncrewed aircraft and ground vehicles. Lua scripts can be used to write device drivers without any extra hardware, and support for scripting in Ardupilot has increased significantly. However, you’re limited to the Lua language which is basic and performance limits can be reached with a few complex scripts running. Scripting is not supported in PX4, which means your solution would not be transferable. Another option is to write your own device driver native for PX4/Ardupilot, however, the implementation would need to be different for each and this requires modifying source files for the autopilot which has licensing issues for Ardupilot and potentially could introduce bugs threatening the autopilot functionality. Re-flight trialing flight firmware can become very time consuming depending on the scale and complexity of your project. MAVLINK can be used in some cases, however not all functionality is not supported through Ardupilot, for example airspeed data cannot be ingested into Ardupilot through MAVLINK messages. MAVLINK would also require a dedicated serial port, which can become limiting depending on the complexity of your project. However, DroneCAN is transferable between both PX4 and Ardupilot and doesn’t require any modification of programs running on the autopilot. This means you can iterate quickly independently of the autopilot. Many functionalities are also supported on DroneCAN from GPS to EFI messages. Ardupilot/PX4 can also command external devices with no modification using servo or relay commands. If there are other devices on your CAN network, such as GPS or airspeed then your new custom CAN device can access these messages and utilise them in your application if wanted. Previously, utilising DroneCAN for your project would have been complicated - however with our Micro CAN node and ArduinoDroneCAN library, you can get going within minutes! https://beyond-robotix.gitbook.io/docs/can-node-system/micro-node?utm_source=FAQ https://github.com/BeyondRobotix/Arduino-DroneCAN?utm_source=FAQ