Quick Start for BlueROV / ArduSub Users

Requirements:

Hardware:

• Tracker 650 + mounting solution.

• Blue Robotics ROV (BlueROV2) or any vehicle that has the following:

  • ArduSub flight controller (Pixhawk, BlueRobotics Navigator, etc.. )

  • Companion computer (Raspberry Pi, Nvidia Jetson, etc.. )

• Ethernet switch

  • We recommend the Blue Robotics Ethernet Switch

Software:

• mavlink2rest

  • mavlink2rest is included in BlueOS. If you are running BlueOS, no further action is required.

  • mavlink2rest can also be installed standalone using the instructions provided at the link above.

• ArduSub

• Cerulean SonarView (technically optional)

  • The BlueOS Extension version of SonarView may be used instead of the desktop app. This can be found in the BlueOS Extension Store.

  • 1.9.10-beta or later is required.

Hardware Setup

1. Power off the vehicle completely and open the primary electronics enclosure.

2. First, route the Tracker 650 cable into vehicle's primary electronics enclosure. Ensure the sealing surfaces and o-ring are lightly greased and free of debris. Tighten the cable penetration.

3. Connect Tracker 650's power leads to the vehicle's power distribution rails. (Red +, Black -)

4. Plug the 4 pin JST-GH connector into your vehicle's Ethernet switch.

5. Secure wires using waxed lacing cord or zip ties with a small strain relief loop to prevent strain on the pins and connectors. Close the primary electronics enclosure.

6. Attach the Tracker 650 to the mounting bracket. Attach the mounting bracket to the vehicle.

7. Power on the vehicle.

Software Setup

The Tracker 650 is designed to be mostly plug-and-play with a stock Blue Robotics BlueROV2. The full default configuration is described here. Essentially:

• The Tracker 650 will request a DHCP address by default, but will fall back to 192.168.2.8 in the absence of a DHCP server

• It sends position delta messages to mavlink2rest at 192.168.2.2:6040
• It assumes the sensor is oriented with the arrow pointing forward.

Final steps:

1. Some autopilot parameters must be configured to accept the positioning messages from the Tracker 650.
2. Reboot your vehicle.

3. You can check if mavlink2rest is receiving messages from the Tracker 650 by viewing mavlink2rest (http://192.168.2.2:6040/ or http://blueos.local:6040/) and looking for VISION_POSITION_DELTA messages near the bottom of the list.
4. At this stage, a BlueROV2 should be able to utilize ArduSub's position hold flight mode if all is well. Position Hold will only be available when the Tracker 650 has a bottom lock.

Additional Functionality

The Tracker 650 can now be configured using its built-in web server (recommended), or with Cerulean SonarView which is available as a BlueOS Extension as well as a Linux, macOS, or Windows app. The Tracker 650 is also configurable though CeruleanTracker (Microsoft Windows only, deprecated).

• The Tracker 650 can act as an echosounder by enabling the MAVLink "Send Distance" function.

• In order to use ArduSub's dead reckoning and waypoint navigation features, a global origin must be set. In the absence of another positioning source, the Tracker 650 can send a (0,0) global origin to mavlink2rest by enabling the "Auto Origin" Option. The message will be sent once after the Tracker 650 establishes communication with the vehicle.

  • Although the vehicle's position will not be georeferenced, this is still useful for local navigation and testing.