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The Settings Tab in Navigator

The Settings tab in the Navigator software holds information about the aircraft and allows for some configuration options. This information and functionality is usually not needed for performing a regular flight.

My Marlyn: 
This screen gives information about your Marlyn, the firmware, the number of flights executed and the total time flown.  

Connection: 

If Marlyn is experiencing radio issues, you can manually choose the COM port that the radio is connected into on the Ground Control Station (GCS) laptop. 

Compass Calibration: 
To reset Marlyn’s compass, you can use the compass calibration tab. A step-by step on how to use this interface is explained below.

Calibrating Marlyn’s Internal Compass

In any of the following situations:

  • you are travelling to another region, roughly more than 50km (31 mile) away from the previous flight location,

  • you are switching payload modules, or

  • the heading check or heading stability check fails in the pre-flight checklist, it is necessary to calibrate Marlyns internal compass to ensure safe flights. 

To do this, first go to the ‘Settings’ tab within Navigator, then click on ‘Compass Calibration’.

Before Beginning

1. Ensure that there are no metallic objects in the vicinity of Marlyn. This means phones out of pockets, no buildings and vehicles within 20m, and no metal in the ground beneath where the calibration is being performed. 

2. The drone should also be in its surveying configuration, with 2 batteries and a payload module inserted, pitot tube cover and lens cap removed and the cover attached. 

3. Once these steps are complete make sure that you and a colleague are ready, that 1 of you stands by Marlyn and the other person stands by the PC with Navigator, press ‘Start’ on the screen. If the batteries are not inserted at this point, the software will return an error. 

Onscreen Instructions

To perform the calibration, Marlyn needs to be held in 6 unique positions which will be shown on screen. 

Follow the onscreen instructions, first holding Marlyn in the correct position, once this is registered the icon will then start spinning which indicates that the user must spin Marlyn around for 5 to 10 seconds until the icon gains a green border and a green tick. 

The direction of rotation (CW or CCW) does not matter. Navigator will automatically proceed to the next orientation. An example for the first orientation ‘Point Nose Up’ is shown.

6 Calibration Steps

Scroll through the two images for the recommended position to hold Marlyn for each of the 6 steps. 

Calibration Completion

Once the final step is complete, the screen will come up with the confirmation as shown. It is important that after calibration, you remove the batteries from Marlyn so that the settings are saved!

Calibration Failure

If for any reason during the process the calibration does not complete successfully (i.e. if the drone is not placed in the correct orientation at the correct moment), the screen will show the following screen; In this case, you will need to repeat the process from the beginning.