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softice edited this page Jun 18, 2018 · 27 revisions

Hardware

Get the hardware needed (see Hardware under Requirements)

Modem, Antennas and USB cable

Identify the type of Huawei E3372 4G/LTE USB modem you have by opening the cover: there is a sticker close to the SIM tray, showing E3372x-nnn.

E3372h-607, example of type and model

For Hi-Link modems (Huawei E3372 with firmware 22.x) only:

  • Try the modem on a PC first. A web browser should automatically open, otherwise browse to http://192.168.8.1 or http://192.168.0.1 (dependent on model).
  • Go to Settings → Dial-up → Profile Management: set your mobile network operator's APN correctly (if unsure, consult your mobile provider or try this list)
  • Leave all other settings to default
  • If you are getting an Internet connection via the 4G/LTE modem on your PC, you should be all set.

No additional steps are required for E3372 with firmware 21.x modems.

If you are going to use the antennas, you need to drill holes through the canopy cover. It's recommended to glue the antennas and the modem into the canopy cover as shown in the photo below. Hot glue works fine as well.

Closeup of canopy cover inside with modem, antennas, glue

The USB cable needs to be plugged into the modem and the right USB port of C.H.U.C.K, as shown in the photo below. As the USB ports are a bit wonky, you might want to prevent the cable from falling out during a flight. We recommend to either

  • put a drop of glue on the plugged-in cable (make sure you can still insert and remove the battery), or
  • use the battery itself to keep the cable snugly plugged it. This works best with an angle cable and the battery slightly elevated (hint: put some bedding below the battery)

Modem plugged into C.H.U.C.K. showing battery pushing it in

Web Accounts

Glympse

→ Optional, if you want GPS real-time location tracking using Glympse App

Create a free Glympse Developer account at https://developer.glympse.com/account/create

  • Complete the form using a valid e-mail address.
  • Once verification e-mail is sent, click the "Verify Sign-up" link inside.
  • You will see "Your account has now been verified. Welcome aboard!"
  • Click "MY ACCOUNT" on top right and the "My Apps"
  • Click "New Application (+)"
    • Application Name: uavpal softmod
    • Platform: Web API
    • OS: Other
  • Click "Create"
  • You should see the newly generated API Key now (20 characters), note it down as we need it later.

Get the Glympse App for your mobile phone.

Pushbullet

→ Optional, if you decide not to use Glympse, you won't need this.
When using Glympse, the Bebop 2 will send you a Glympse link once it's connected to a 4G/LTE network. This link can either be sent from your Bebop 2 via SMS (charges might apply) and/or a Push Notification (this is where Pushbullet comes into play).

Create a free Pushbullet account at https://www.pushbullet.com

  • Sign in using an existing Google or Facebook account.
  • Click "Settings"
  • Click "Account"
  • Click "Create Access Token"
  • You should see the newly generated Access Token now (34 characters), note it down as we need it later.

Get the Pushbullet App for your mobile phone and sign in with the same account.

ZeroTier

→ Required to establish a bi-directional connection between Skycontroller 2 and Bebop 2, regardless of network topology

Create a free ZeroTier account at: https://my.zerotier.com

  • Click "Create an Account"
  • Fill in a valid e-mail address and chose a password.
  • Click "Create an Account"
  • Go to "Networks" on top
  • Click "Create" to create a new network
  • Click the newly created network
  • You should see the newly generated Network ID on top (16 characters), note it down as we need it later.

Software

You need a PC for the initial setup (to load the softmod to the Bebop 2 and Skycontroller 2). These instructions should work on the latest OS versions of Windows, macOS and GNU/Linux.

  • Download .zip archive of the latest softmod scripts and binaries
  • Unzip contents (the extraction process automatically creates a new folder "beboptwo4g-master" or "beboptwo4g-x.y", where by x.y is the release version number)
  • Use a text editor (e.g. Windows Notepad or macOS TextEdit) to modify the following configuration files. For each of the files, read the description inside the file and replace the first line's example with your own setting.
    • bebop2/uavpal/conf/glympse_apikey (only required for GPS tracking via Glympse)
    • bebop2/uavpal/conf/phonenumber (only required for GPS tracking via Glympse)
    • bebop2/uavpal/conf/pushbullet (only required for GPS tracking via Glympse)
    • bebop2/uavpal/conf/apn (not required for E3372 modems with firmware 22.x)
    • bebop2/uavpal/conf/zt_networkid
    • skycontroller2/uavpal/conf/wpa
    • skycontroller2/uavpal/conf/ssid
    • skycontroller2/uavpal/conf/zt_networkid
  • Ensure Bebop 2 and Skycontroller 2 are on the latest Parrot firmware supported by BebopTwo4G
  • Ensure there is sufficient storage available on the Bebop 2. This softmod only requires 10 MB, however it will not work if 100% of the internal storage is used by videos. This can be checked in FreeFlight Pro.
  • Turn on your Bebop 2 with the 4G/LTE USB modem plugged in. The modem needs to have a SIM card inside.
  • Ensure no device is plugged into Skycontroller 2 via USB cable.
  • Turn on Skycontroller 2 and wait until it's connected to the Bebop 2 via Wi-Fi (green LED).
  • Connect your PC's Wi-Fi to the Bebop 2 (e.g. Bebop2-C123456).
  • Use an FTP tool (e.g. FileZilla) to upload the softmod to your Bebop 2.
    • Connect via FTP to 192.168.42.1 (no username/password required)
    • You have to set the transfer type to Binary (not ASCII). In FileZilla under Edit → Settings... → Transfers → FTP: File Types → Default transfer type → change from Auto to Binary.
    • Transfer the "beboptwo4g-master" or "beboptwo4g-x.y" folder to the "/internal_000" folder on the Bebop 2.
  • Press the Bebop 2's power button four times in a row to enable the telnet server.
  • Open a Command Prompt (Windows)/Terminal (macOS/Linux) and Copy/Paste the following commands manually to install the softmod.
    • telnet 192.168.42.1 (If you get an error under Windows, make sure the Telnet Client is installed)
    • mv /data/ftp/internal_000/beboptwo4g-* /tmp/beboptwo4g
    • chmod +x /tmp/beboptwo4g/*/*_install.sh
    • /tmp/beboptwo4g/bebop2/bebop2_install.sh
    • /tmp/beboptwo4g/skycontroller2/skycontroller2_install.sh
    • reboot
  • Turn off Skycontroller 2 manually
  • The Bebop 2's 4G/LTE USB modem should show a steady LED (indicating Internet connection) after about one minute.
  • The Bebop 2 will register itself as a new member to ZeroTier (based on the Network ID provided in zt_networkid)
  • Use your PC and login to https://my.zerotier.com:
    • Under the tab "Networks", click your Network ID if it's not open yet and scroll down to Members.
    • You should see a new member here, your Bebop 2. Authorize it to use your Network ID (enable the checkbox "Auth?"), feel free to assign a short name (e.g. "bebop2")
    • Click the wrench icon and enable "Allow Ethernet Bridging".
  • Turn On Skycontroller 2 and wait until it's connected to the Bebop 2 via Wi-Fi (green LED) - you don't need to connect a mobile device via USB to Skycontroller 2 at this time.
  • Enable tethering on your mobile device (iOS: "Personal Hotspot" or Android: "Portable WLAN hotspot"), ensure the Network Name (SSID) and Passphrase (WPA Key) match the configuration files ssid and wpa from above.
  • Double press the Settings button on Skycontroller 2 (give it a firm press and wait for about a second before pressing again).
  • Wait for Skycontroller 2's LED to go flashing blue
  • The Skycontroller 2 will register itself as a new member to ZeroTier (based on the Network ID provided in zt_networkid)
  • Use your PC and login to https://my.zerotier.com:
    • Under the tab "Networks", click your Network ID if it's not open yet and scroll down to Members.
    • You should see a new member here, your Skycontroller 2. Authorize it to use your Network ID (enable the checkbox "Auth?"), feel free to assign a short name (e.g. "skycontroller2")
    • Click the wrench icon and enable "Allow Ethernet Bridging".
  • Power off the Bebop 2 and Skycontroller 2.
  • Proceed with How to fly on 4G LTE? (User Manual) to test the BebopTwo4G softmod end-to-end.

Note: these steps only need to be executed once, unless you want to change a setting or apply the latest softmod version to Skycontroller 2/Bebop 2.

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