Litchi on Mini 3 Pro with new controller?
- Thread starter bobmoore1954
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rexster1505
Well-Known Member
I've now bumped the app build up to DJI MSDK 4.16.1, which is the current release.
Quick update. Other than testing with alternatives to QGroundControl (e.g. Mission Planner), I've pretty much frozen other testing until I have a Mini 3 in hand to test the emulation for waypoints, etc. I have decided that I cannot justify the extra cost of the Mini 3 RC version when this app testing all obviously uses the RC-N1 and an Android phone anyway. Unfortunately, DJI's estimated shipping dates put the standalone Mini 3 without controller still two months away at least, behind both other configurations. If you know of a source for the Mini 3 (FCC version) without controller that will be faster than DJI's current timeline, please let me know. All of my efforts to find alternative sources so far are batting a big zero. Thanks!
I've been asked what functionality I would expect the app to provide for the Mini 3 prior to the (who knows when?) availability of Mini 3 support in the DJI MSDK. I can speculate based on the Mini 2 experience, but these are only speculations at this point and cannot be confirmed until an actual Mini 3 is in hand.
Normal waypoints loaded into the wrapper app from a ground control station like QGroundControl would be anticipated to work, via the usual automated joystick mechanism. I also anticipate that collision avoidance would function as enabled from the Go Fly app (which would not be left running). Note that in a waypoint situation you wouldn't normally want it stopping at an obstacle but rather going around it, so that setting will be important.
Less clear is if collision avoidance can be enabled and disabled from the wrapper app (as opposed to from the Go Fly app) and whether or not collision warnings can appear on screen. The former might be possible depending on how closely the Mini 3 interface mirrors the emulated drone models. The latter seems unlikely in the short term, but it's possible that the controller will still make its warning sounds for collision situations.
And that's about as far as I can go with speculations until there's a way to test.
Normal waypoints loaded into the wrapper app from a ground control station like QGroundControl would be anticipated to work, via the usual automated joystick mechanism. I also anticipate that collision avoidance would function as enabled from the Go Fly app (which would not be left running). Note that in a waypoint situation you wouldn't normally want it stopping at an obstacle but rather going around it, so that setting will be important.
Less clear is if collision avoidance can be enabled and disabled from the wrapper app (as opposed to from the Go Fly app) and whether or not collision warnings can appear on screen. The former might be possible depending on how closely the Mini 3 interface mirrors the emulated drone models. The latter seems unlikely in the short term, but it's possible that the controller will still make its warning sounds for collision situations.
And that's about as far as I can go with speculations until there's a way to test.
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Due to limited resources in the RC controller, it is problematic whether or not Litchi could even fit and run properly, and right now NO external apps can be installed on the RC controller at all. Nor would the Mini 3 work with Litchi using any controller (including the RC-N1 and a suitable phone) without DJI releasing the SDK for the Mini 3. In the case of the Mini 2, that took them over a year from the release of the Mini 2 itself to release of the associated SDK support. Maybe they'll be faster this time, but don't hold your breath.
It may be possible since it has the SD card slot - firstly to install via that route - and possibly store some at least of app data on the card.
DJI has generally been helpful to 3rd party developers once initial teething problems are sorted with their own software.
There is very little free RAM on the controller. That will present an absolute hardware limitation for any apps of interest.
I don't know what motivation DJI would have to make the controller powerful enough to run anything more demanding than DJI Fly. Perhaps they did, intending to eventually support third-party apps, but... I'd be surprised.
Droning on and on...
Well-Known Member
I do: Customer satisfaction and making money.
It was a foolish decision to put so little RAM and storage in the RC... that's among the cheapest hardware on the PCA. Who here wouldn't have paid $25 more to have usable RAM and storage?
So the latest in this realm seems to be that DJI is claiming MSDK support for the Mini 3 Pro around the end of this month. Now, if this actually happens, I'll be both amazed and impressed. As you may recall with the Mini 2, they kept missing their announced dates for MSDK support for multiple quarters, and it didn't actually appear until more than a year after the Mini 2 was released. But I'd be happy to be pleasantly surprised if they can really get the MSDK support out for the Mini 3 Pro very quickly. That support is needed for apps like Litchi, etc. to function.
However, a couple of key notes:
1) It still seems unlikely that these non-DJI apps will run on the Mini 3 Pro RC. Right now no other apps can run on it, and even if that limit is lifted there is very little free ram to run other programs. There may be ways around both of these issues eventually, but I don't suggest counting on it for now at least.
2) Programs like Litchi (given the appropriate MSDK support and the app developers making the necessary changes) would (for the foreseeable future absent breakthroughs) have to run on a phone connected to the RC-N1 controller. And notably, the new V5 MSDK that would ultimately support the Mini 3 Pro is not backwards compatible with the V4 MSDK that supports the Mini 2. So there may be considerably more work involved for the app developers. And DJI says the Mini 3 Pro will only have support in the V5 MSDK, not the V4 MSDK, but also that the V5 MDSK is Android only. In other words, based on what DJI is saying now, it appears that 3rd party app support for the Mini 3 Pro will not be available for iOS devices.
However, a couple of key notes:
1) It still seems unlikely that these non-DJI apps will run on the Mini 3 Pro RC. Right now no other apps can run on it, and even if that limit is lifted there is very little free ram to run other programs. There may be ways around both of these issues eventually, but I don't suggest counting on it for now at least.
2) Programs like Litchi (given the appropriate MSDK support and the app developers making the necessary changes) would (for the foreseeable future absent breakthroughs) have to run on a phone connected to the RC-N1 controller. And notably, the new V5 MSDK that would ultimately support the Mini 3 Pro is not backwards compatible with the V4 MSDK that supports the Mini 2. So there may be considerably more work involved for the app developers. And DJI says the Mini 3 Pro will only have support in the V5 MSDK, not the V4 MSDK, but also that the V5 MDSK is Android only. In other words, based on what DJI is saying now, it appears that 3rd party app support for the Mini 3 Pro will not be available for iOS devices.
An updated DJI post now says that MSDK support for the Mini 3 Pro will not come in 2022. In my previous post on this thread I expressed skepticism about their "end of August" timeline that they listed in an earlier post. We should have been asking "end of August in WHAT YEAR?"
Why would the fly App affect running litchi? I think it would be the firmware that added RID. Try uninstalling FLY.
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