teacher

[sas11]

I am in need of some help. If there is someone around the lynchburg Va. area that just enjoys this stuff and is willing to help me with a project i would appreciate it. I am working with Automation direct plc and a mini micro. Trying to learn to write a program for my experimental helicopter. I feel like if I could get the basics I could accomplish what I am trying to do.

Thanks

 

[leitmotif]

Tell us what you have in mind

 

[TimothyMoulder]

It's your lucky day Sas. You just stumbled on a few hundred guys with about a million years of combined AD experience who love to answer questions and help out newbies.

Just show some effort, be as specific as possible with the questions, and you'll get more help than you know what to do with.

Good Luck!

TM

 

[maintenanceman38]

You are way in over your head with this project it is unreal. To do this you would need 4 air pressure sensors,(One for each side to measure altitude.) I have flown a helicopter in a simulator once and if everything is not correct, You crash. Look at everything that needs to be monitered. All are varible inputs. You need to monitor Engine RPM, Main Rotor Blade angle,(This gives you rate of assension or decention.) Rudder control otherwise the helecopter will spin in the direction of the main rotor and crash. You need to master the basics before attempting to automate it.

 

[maintenanceman38]

If you succed, It will be a sad day for the world as AI is possible.

 

[CroCop]

If you succed, It will be a sad day for the world as AI is possible.

You smokin' a little whacky tobbacy on a Sat night?

 

[bkottaras]

You smokin' a little whacky tobbacy on a Sat night?

That is also called AI in my neck of the woods!

 

[Peter Nachtwey]

I am a skeptic like mainenanceman38.

I don't think sas11 or hundreds of AD programmers are up to making a helicopter fly by computer control. Certainly not with a PLC. Flying a helicopter doesn't require AI. It requires a control system. Search for "helicopter auto pilot", duh.

Maintenancman38, AI is possible now it just isn't very intelligent,.... yet.
You seem to be a little paranoid.

 

[Greg Dake]

Skeptical yes, but you can't ding him on ambition...Looks like he's a 2nd semeseter student:


http://www.plctalk.net/qanda/showthread.php?t=37946

 

[Peter Nachtwey]

For starters

http://autopilot.sourceforge.net/rev2.2.htmlI didn't see a PLC mentioned. I see gyros, accelerometers, Kalman filters etc. Fun!!! Note, this system still can't hover. It takes more programming.

 

[Peter Nachtwey]

So where does a million of year of AD experience get you?

It's your lucky day Sas. You just stumbled on a few hundred guys with about a million years of combined AD experience who love to answer questions and help out newbies.

Just show some effort, be as specific as possible with the questions, and you'll get more help than you know what to do with.

Good Luck!

TM

Where is the help?
I know I am being a a$$ hole but I think my point is valid.

 

[sas11]

wow

I never exspected such varied responses. I am in a group of 4 people we have all built our own exp two seat helicopters. I have taken two semesters of plc's at the local community college in hopes of getting a start on the project. But the plc classes did not come close. I greatly under estimated the knowledge needed.
What I am trying to do is write a program where I can monitor temps and pressures, no altitude or anything like that, but maybe engine and rotor tach. I would like to have some alarms and mount a c more micro in my intrument panel. Does this help?

Thanks

 

[Peter Nachtwey]

That is a lot simpler but you are talking about a real helicopter!!!!

What I am trying to do is write a program where I can monitor temps and pressures, no altitude or anything like that, but maybe engine and rotor tach. I would like to have some alarms and mount a c more micro in my intrument panel. Does this help?

I still wouldn't use a PLC. This is a job for an embedded system. A long time ago I/we did some contract work for FLIR systems. We made GPS interfaces ( ARINC 429, RS232, RS485 ) that would put symbology ( elev, attitude, cross hairs, time, date ) on the infrared video. It used Hi-Rel Hi-Rad parts. The design was rugged and almost crude because we could use off the shelf video chips because they didn't meet specifications. The system had to survive extreme extreme temperature, vibration etc. This was just a simple symbology card and NOT part of flight safety systems. I don't think an AD PLC will be up for that unless you can get a waiver. I would check with the safety regs before starting. In my case the FLIR Systems engineers did the research and just told us what was necessary to get the job done. I recognized some of my work on cop TV shows about 15 years back where helicopters follow criminals at night using infra red.

You may be able to find some PC104 cards that will be acceptable.

 

[sas11]

This is experimental aircraft. Regs in that area do not apply. Also Rotorway International has this on the kit heli. They call it a FADAC system. It works very well and monitors/ alarms several points. I just want this as an extra there is room in my intrument panel while I will surely leave the trusty gauges.