Getting Started
To take full advantage of Cumulus, you need a PDA with either an
internal or an external GPS receiver and a set of map files. Currently
Cumulus supports the following hardware devices:
- Android devices up release level 2.2.x (FroYo) and higher with a screen
resolution 800x400 and higher in landsacpe mode
- The Nokia Internet Tablets N800/N810 with Maemo OS2008
- The Nokia Internet Tablet N900 with Maemo OS2009
- PC Linux desktop running Debian or Ubuntu
When you start Cumulus, it will create all the necessary data
directories by itself, if they do not already exist. Furthermore you
will be asked once whether you want to download missing airfield or
map files from the Internet. Your decision is valid until to the
termination of the program. If Cumulus is moving no file downloads are
executed. Only enable the automatic download if you have an active Internet
connection running!
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PDA
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As long as the program runs on the PDA and you are on the move, the
automatic shut-down of the screen to save battery life is
deactivated. If you move slower than the defined speed limit, the
screen is switched off after a certain time. If you then move
faster, the screen is automatically switched on again. The speed
limit can be configured in the
Look&Feel
settings.
For operation over several hours you need to supply
external power to your PDA. Furthermore, it is recommended that you
switch off all automatic connection or update attempts (WLAN, version
updates, ...) before take-off, as these can rob Cumulus of resources,
slowing it down for a while and irritating you with popup dialogs.
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Android Hints
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Please notice, that some functions under Android are only reachable via the
Android Menu Key and not over the internal Cumulus menu. That
concerns the GPS receiver and the barometric sensor. After every
startup of Cumulus you must switch on again these functions! The
previous state is not saved.
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Android's Barometric Sensor
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If your Android device has a built in pressure sensor, you can activate it,
that it delivers air pressure data. If you want to use these data in Cumulus,
you have to switch the
altimeter display to Baro. Furthermore you have to adjust the
altimeter to the correct MSL altitude.
Please notice, that in this case no other external connected devices
deliver barometric altitude data, otherwise you can get displayed wrong
values.
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Possibilities to connect to external GPS devices
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Cumulus can be operated with build-in or external GPS devices. A GPS
device can be connected via Serial (RS232), USB or Bluetooth from
Cumulus. The following variants are possible for connection to a GPS
receiver:
-
Linux PC
- Serial (RS232)
- USB
- Bluetooth
-
Nokia Internet Tablet N8x0
- Build-in GPS
- USB
- Bluetooth
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Nokia Internet Tablet N900
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Android device
- Build-in GPS
- Bluetooth
- USB-IOIO
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GPS Hardware
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Many flight recorder and also Flarm provide only a serial interface as
link to other devices. To connect to such devices you need an adapter.
Cumulus supports the following adpters:
- Serial-USB adapter (not for Android)
- Serial-Bluetooth adapter
- USB IOIO Uart board (only for Android)
Examples for such adapter:
- Serial-Bluetooth adapter
- USB IOIO Uart board, firmware 4.0 and higher (only for Android)
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GPS Activation
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Once you manage to connect your GPS to Cumulus,
select the correct device and baud rate in the
GPS Settings. Refer to your GPS
manual for the correct settings. The most common devices are:
- /dev/ttyS0 - Serial (RS232) device
- /dev/rfcomm0 - Bluetooth device
- /dev/ttyUSB0 - USB device
The default NMEA connection speed is 4800 bps on a RS232 serial channel.
If you have a Nokia Internet Tablet N800/N810 or N900, it is
not necessary to set up a special GPS device. Available devices will
be recognized automatically during Cumulus start-up, unless you want
to connect to a GPS device via USB. In this case you have to select
the USB device from the GPS configuration options.
If you have an Android device with a built in GPS nothing
has to be setup. To external GPS devices is only a connection
possible via Bluetooth radio or an USB IOIO Uart board. A USB IOIO
Uart board must be configured and activated via the Android menu before
you can use it. See
GPS Settings for more information.
Note the following exception!
After every startup of Cumulus under Android the GPS receiving must
be enabled by hand. To do that, press the Android Menu key,
select the entry GPS on and choose the desired device (internal,
Bluetooth or IOIO). Bluetooth devices must be paired before Cumulus is
started. Cumulus does not support BT pairing!
Once your GPS device is set up, press the key G
or click on the GPS status indicator in the status bar to check the
GPS status. You can remove the GPS status page with the Escape key or
with the close button.
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Personal
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In Personal Settings you define the coordinates of your home position
in the area in which you fly. The setting is important to ensure an
unskewed map rendering! See Personal
Settings for more details.
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Glider
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Define your preferred gliders in Glider Settings. See Glider Settings for more
details.
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Maps
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Cumulus uses the same maps as KFLog, the KDE Flight Logger. Needed
airfield and map files are downloaded automatically by Cumulus,
if you enable this option at start-up. To install all the maps around
your home position, see here for more
information.
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Waypoints
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Cumulus uses waypoints to facilitate navigation. You can either edit
the waypoint files on the PDA or prepare them on a PC using KFLog
or Cumulus and then transfer them to the PDA. See
waypoints for more details.
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Tasks
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Cumulus also supports the definition of flight tasks. You can either
create and edit a task file on the PDA or prepare it first on your PC
using KFLog or Cumulus before transferring it to the PDA.
See here for more
details on tasks.