2024-05-18 Pegasus Pre-Competition Test

Owned by Daniel Puratich
Last updated: 2024-05-22 by Yuchen Lin
5 min read

Admin Preparation

Requested By

@Nathan Green @Yuchen Lin @Daniel Puratich

Goal Summary

Final test before competition.

Status?

DRAFT / SUBMITTED / WAITING FOR SUB-TEAM REVIEW / APPROVED

Desired Airframe

Pegasus 1

Date(s)

18th May 2024

Testplan

Test 1: Task 1

Procedure

Goals / Objectives

Knockoff Criteria

  1. Turn on the drone and load the passenger

  • simulate with payload situation

  • Mechanical setup complete and tested(cabin off and payload in)

 

  1. Upload the mission 1 path

  • Make sure waypoint in mission planner

  • Waypoint flashing not successful

  • Wrong waypoint is being flashed onto the drone

  1. Battery plugged in

  • make sure all the control signal are updated and powered

  • VTX ready

  • No pre-arm warning

  • motor tested and props in right order

  • fail safe configured(battery with the correct operation, GSO failsafe 15 sec delay)

  • logging SD card installed

 

  1. Bring the drone to the flightline

 

 

  1. Conduct pre-takeoff checklist

  • sensor health

  • control link

  • vtx

 

  1. Enable logging

 

 

  1. Arm in auto

 

 

  1. Wait for the drone to complete 3 laps and land.

  • Make sure drone is following the flight path as expected

  • Check no LTE link lost during flight

  • Drone unstable

  • unable to establish VLOS

  • Timer threshold:

    • flight time exceeded 5 min.

    VBatt below safety threshold: 40V

    • QLAND immediately, disarm when landed.

    • Recover drone & gather state of batteries

    Lost link

    • Follow lost link procedures. Maintain vlos if possible.

    • Contact necessary local authorities.

  1. post landing checklist

  • disarm the drone, toggle safety switch before crew approach the drone, disconnect the battery

 

Test 1: Task 1

Procedure

Goals / Objectives

Knockoff Criteria

  1. Turn on the drone and load the passenger

  • simulate with payload situation

  • Mechanical setup complete and tested(cabin off and payload in)

 

  1. Upload the mission 1 path

  • Make sure waypoint in mission planner

  • Waypoint flashing not successful

  • Wrong waypoint is being flashed onto the drone

  1. Battery plugged in

  • make sure all the control signal are updated and powered

  • VTX ready

  • No pre-arm warning

  • motor tested and props in right order

  • fail safe configured(battery with the correct operation, GSO failsafe 15 sec delay)

  • logging SD card installed

 

  1. Bring the drone to the flightline

 

 

  1. Conduct pre-takeoff checklist

  • sensor health

  • control link

  • vtx

 

  1. Enable logging

 

 

  1. Arm in auto

 

 

  1. Wait for the drone to hover at the final waypoint

  • Make sure drone is following the flight path as expected

  • Check no LTE link lost during flight

  • @Daniel Puratich Call out last waypoint

  • @Nathan Green Wear goggle

  • Drone unstable

  • unable to establish VLOS

  • Timer threshold:

    • flight time exceeded 5 min.

    VBatt below safety threshold: 40V

    • QLAND immediately, disarm when landed.

    • Recover drone & gather state of batteries

    Lost link

    • Follow lost link procedures. Maintain vlos if possible.

    • Contact necessary local authorities

  1. Wait for the one minute landing window

  • Just below 50% throttle to achieve smooth landing

  • @Yuchen Lin start last min time count down

  • @Yuchen Lin Callout last meter altitude

  • @Yuchen Lin Callout 30 secs and 15 secs

  • Same as above

  1. post landing checklist

  • disarm the drone, toggle safety switch before crew approach the drone, disconnect the battery

 

Necessary Preparation

Explain what capacity you need, what needs to be mounted, etc.

Necessary items:

  • Jetson

  • CV camera

  • < rfd900 >

  • etc

Flight characteristics needed:

  • Flight speed

  • flight distance

  • max altitude

  • < etc >

Comms / Support needed:

  • Autonomous/repeatable missions

  • ability to hold location within +/- X meters

  • FPV Video from the drone?

  • etc….

Mandatory Attendees

This is a section for all attendees from your subteam which will be present for this flight test. (because they are testing their products, or otherwise)

Name

Phone #

Sub-team

Role

Name

Phone #

Sub-team

Role

 Smile Khatri

8076320853

Mech

  • Mech lead stuff

Flightline Team

Name

Phone #

Role

Reason

Name

Phone #

Role

Reason

 @Nathan Green

 

 

 

@Yuchen Lin

 

 

 

@Daniel Puratich

 

 

 

@Amy Hu

 

 

 

@Smile Khatri

 

 

 

@Tong Zhang

 

 

 

@Emma Chan

 

 

 

@Hardy Yu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pre-Flight Checklists

  • Software configuration correct

  • Compare against latest baselines and verify no params changed, or changes approved by comp-ft-team

  • LTE tested

  • Autopilot Orientation checked

  • Motors tested

  • Prop direction check

  • Sensors outputs healthy & within range

  • Controller input mappings correct

  • Controller input choices correct for pilot preferences

  • Wireless trainer tested & working per pilot preferences.

Hardware (wiring)

  • Wires are not too tight or too loose (comfortable, not strained, not flapping around)

    • No cut/exposed wires

    • Shrouding is neat + presentable

    • Solder joints look good

      • no cracks

      • no corrossion

      • no exposed contacts (unless expected)

    • Specific requirement from @Daniel Puratich

      • no exposed pad without solder on ESC caps

        • i did this on peggy 2

        • someone will need to do with peggy 1

      • ESCs all have a touch of hot glue to secure cap to board

    • Connectors fully plugged in

    • Connectors in good health

Hardware (airframe)

  • Bolts secure (nothing loose)

    • Carbon fiber not cracked

    • 3D prints not failing / crushed / cracked

    • No loose items

Hardware (groundstation)

  • ELRS Gemini tested & Working

    • Logging correct

    • Data looks correct

    • Control tower tested & working

  • Tracking antenna x2 (control + video) (mechanical)

    • Servos secure

    • Hardware (antennas) secure

    • No cracks/bends/chips in polycarb/aluminum

    • Gears / shafts look healthy

    • Grease if necessary

  • Tracking antenna x2 (control + video) (electrical)

    • Electrical components secure

    • Power delivery / signal wires secure, no cracks/corrosion/damage

  • Video System

    • goggles(?)

    • Monitors(?)

    • Video tower tested & working

  • Laptop w/mission planner configured correctly.

    • LTE Link tested working

Flightline Kit

  • Spare motors

  • Spare props

  • Spare tools

    • Metric allen keys

    • Socket set

    • Pliers (flatnose + needle nose)

  • USB-C cable (short & long)

  • Soldering iron + heat shrink + spare cables

  • Power supplies for ground station computer

  • Ground station computer

  • Spare bolts

  • Radio Controllers

  • Mission plan clear

  • flightline roles assigned

  • Communication hierarchy established

  • Incident procedures & roles in-place & briefed to all flightline team members

  • Timeline for day-of clear

  • Battery charging plan, equipment management plan clear.

  • Transportation clear

  • Batteries in safety bag

  • Equipment

    • Zip tie

    • duck tape

    • label maker

    • Type c cable

    • ELRS Gemini

    • Saleae Logic Analyzer

    • charged WARG laptop

    • spare bag for small electronics

    • controller box

      • two controller

      • battery tester

    • VTX box

  • execute

Total 5 main system checked:

  • Power system(battery and connection)

  • Propulsion system(motor and propeller)

  • Controller system(Control links and ground station system)

  • Sensory system(sensors)

  • Video system (VTX)

  • Debrief

  • clean / store equipment if necessary

Flight Test Timeline

note test 1 is competition task 1 and test 2 is competition task 2

Date/Time

Action

Notes

Date/Time

Action

Notes

lunch time ish

Briefing @ WARG Bay

 

 

Arrival at Flight Test Location

 

 

Experiment with tracking antenna

 

 

Bring equipment to flightline

 

 

Test1 card 1

@Hardy Yu manually track the drone

RTL because RC failsafe

 

Configure direct binding phrase to use normal controller elrs instead of gemini

 

 

Test 1 card 1

 @Nathan Green

 

Test 2 card 1 practice #1

 @Nathan Green

 

 Test 2 card 1 practice #2

 @Nathan Green

 

 switch battery

 

 

Test 2 card 1 practice #3

@Nathan Green

 

Test 2 card 1 practice #4

@Nathan Green

 

Test 2 card 1 practice #5

@Yuchen Lin

 

Presentation Photos

 

Start 4:30pm

Debrief

 

DEBRIEF

Flight test debrief report

Before Card 1:

Before departure

@Yuchen Lin didn’t logistic going to flight test → next time book the car beforehand + long weekend machine shop does not open

@Yuchen Lin @Hardy Yu Testing with huston → connected to mission planner and able to forward the message(test 2 times)

  • first one does not flash the latest code

  • second one see tracking antenna working as expected

After departure

pre-flight tracking antenna testing: (no code change)

Keep rotating without stop and does not work

After adjust to the north keep rotating clockwise

does not help after adding delay

 

Card 1 Test 1

Flight planning

  • conduct half task 1 goal (1.5 lap)

Flight test card requirements/objectives Performance

  • Comp sim

Control performance & payload situation

  • Four payload in the cabin + alien key

  • @Hardy Yu manually track the drone

Identified issue

  • Compass variance issue

  • place the drone backward and cause sharp turning

Issue need to be RCA

  •  Gemini not working (performance worse than without gemini) → fully lost link

    • Link quality got worst after first lap

    • possible thermal issue

    • flew lost link 750 meter

    • previously tested with the same gemini board with smaller antenna with 3km

    • gemini is not hot at all

    • look at power used(power limit)

 

Card 1 Test 1 retry 1

Flight planning

  • conduct half task 1 goal (1.5 lap)

Flight test card requirements/objectives Performance

  • Check tuning in all three mode and compass variable at full throttle.

Control performance & payload situation

  • Four payload in the cabin

  • Current draw pretty good at calm weather

  • half of task 1 5000mah

Identified issue

  • aggressive takeoff

  • Almost all the time ekf yellow

Issue need to be RCA

  •  

 

Card 2 Test 1

Flight planning

  • Test the auto mission task 2 pathing and training pilot for landing

Flight test card requirements/objectives Performance

  • During flight time upload the mission to pixhawk

  • Arm in auto and complete the mission

  • Pilot navigate through and land on the pad with fpv goggle

Control performance & payload situation

  • Four payload in the cabin

  • GSO and pilot get familiar with callout (Better callout procedure for less than 1 meter → with range finder) practice next week

  • cannot really callout the height sub 1 meter

  • easy to land on the paved ground

  • all the landing are smooth and within timeframe

  • descent first

Identified issue

  • @Daniel Puratich callout at last waypoint based on height not ardupilot

  • Full path does not show outside of planning window

Issue need to be RCA

  •  

 

 

Overall performance and Lessons learned

Outcomes

  • confident in flight characteristics of the drone and electrical robsutness

    • spline waypoints looked good during flight but looks poor on mission plannre

  • low confidence in custom rf links and tracking antenna

    • not using tracking antenna for comp → cc @Daniel Puratich to bringup at AEAC

    • Gemini board was low link quality

      • try another gemini board and see if it works

  • @Nathan Green apply new mag fit data based on today’s data

Check weather before comp.

Flightline tasks:
bring vtx tower, drone(path uploaded, battery in , shourds on), controller and the monitor

 

Before takeoff

@Daniel Puratich conduct the pre takeoff checklist

manually toggle safety switch

confirm take off flight mode

arm in auto