All you need to have 4G telemetry and video is a Raspberry Pi and a LTE modem.
Flash your Raspberry Pi as you normally would. We recommend using the Lite image as you probably won’t need full fledged desktop on your little flying beast.
For a detailed guide go to https://www.raspberrypi.com/software/
Remember to enable SSH after the installation. Just create a new empty file called ssh.txt on the “boot” partition of the flashed SD card.
SSH to your Raspberry Pi and execute the installation command:
curl -s https://drone-mate.com/install | sudo /bin/bash
After the installation is complete, you can access DroneMate from your browser.
Just type your Raspberry Pi IP address as URL.
Wiring diagram:
Your Raspberry Pi needs to be physically connected to your flight controller and configured properly in order to capture the telemetry and send it to your devices.
Connect to your Flight Controller to your computer and open its configuration software (Mission Planner for Ardupilot or iNav Configurator for iNav installations).
Make sure the telemetry port of your choice is enabled, Mavlink 2 is selected as its protocol and set the baud rate to our recommended setting of 115200 (if not supported, pick the highest supported number). Save the baudrate setting in a file, because you will need it later.
You can connect Raspberry Pi to your flight controller using the GPIO pins or with an USB cable.
GPIO wiring:
The exact wiring depends on the flight controller board you are using and the autopilot software. As a rule of thumb you need to do 2 things.
For this example we are showing wiring a Raspberry Pi to Matek F765-Wing board. F765 in particular has very powerful servo rail capable of 8A continuous draw which is more than enough for a Raspberry Pi. Please not the following diagram is suitable for an iNav installation. The Pin mappings would be different if ArduPilot is installed. Refer to your board manufacturer for the exact pins needed or contact us for assistance.
Once the wiring is complete, power on the system and make sure both the Raspberry and the Flight Controller are correctly powered on.
For the next step we will go to DroneMate portal.
VPN is your secure private network that allows you to connect to your drone while connected to 4G network.
We recommend that you use ZeroTier VPN because they offer free service for non-commercial usecases.
curl -s https://drone-mate.com/install | sudo /bin/bash
Really – just paste this command in the terminal of your Raspberry Pi.
To get 4G telemetry and video you need an LTE modem. For now we support HiLink modems. They do not require additional software and configuration. As long as your SIM card doesnt have a PIN, Raspberry will be connected to the internet as soon as you plug the modem.
Recommended:
Go to the VPN section in DroneMate and input your ZeroTier network ID. For a free ZeroTier VPN account click here.
Install ZeroTier application on your Ground Station device (there are apps for Windows/Mac/Android/iOS).
Go to the Ground Station section in DroneMate. Add the Ground Stations you are going to use along with their VPN IP address.
We recommend:
For now we only support Raspberry Pi camera.
Go to the Camera section in Drone Mate and add your camera preferences.
Be mindful of your bandwidth. For most applications 10Mbit bitrate will do the job.
Remember – if its good enough for Netflix – its good enough for FPV.
Have a question? Or maybe you want to share your build?
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Regardless if you fly drones professionally or for fun.
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