Skip to content
  • Categories
  • Recent
  • Tags
  • Popular
  • Users
  • Groups
Collapse
Brand Logo

ModalAI Forum

  1. ModalAI Support Forum
  2. VOXL Compute & Autopilot
  3. VOXL Flight
  4. VOXL Flight Clock System

VOXL Flight Clock System

Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved VOXL Flight
5 Posts 2 Posters 1.3k Views 1 Watching
  • Oldest to Newest
  • Newest to Oldest
  • Most Votes
Reply
  • Reply as topic
Log in to reply
This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
  • bogaB Offline
    bogaB Offline
    boga
    Contributor
    wrote on last edited by boga
    #1

    First, about the context. I want to log (VOXL Flight's) camera feed, IMUs and GPS for development.
    I am able to log the camera feed and IMUs (on board the VOXL part) using voxl-logger. And I am able to log the IMUs and GPS on board of the Flight Core part using the default PX4 logging system, specifically Ulog.

    To make sense of the data it should be synchronized, but I am not sure if it is? Does anybody know?

    If I look at the voxl-logger files the timestamp is a 12-digit timestamp in nanoseconds and in the ulogs the timestamp is an 8-digit timestamp in milliseconds.

    voxl-log timestamp example: 293857036778
    px4 ulog timestamp exmaple: 29438654

    • Can someone tell me if these timestamps are taken from the same clock source?
    • Do I understand correctly that both timestamps are in Unix Timestamp format?
    • Is there documentation about the clock system on board of the VOXL Flight?

    The Linux timestamp resets to 1st of January 1970, every time I disconnect the battery. I know that there is no RTC onboard.
    Does anybody have experience adding RTC to the VOXL Flight Deck? Does it make sense to do it?
    If I investigate the ulog files they seem to have correct date in the title. Where is this taken? GPS lock? QGroundControl?

    Eric KatzfeyE 1 Reply Last reply
    0
    • bogaB boga

      First, about the context. I want to log (VOXL Flight's) camera feed, IMUs and GPS for development.
      I am able to log the camera feed and IMUs (on board the VOXL part) using voxl-logger. And I am able to log the IMUs and GPS on board of the Flight Core part using the default PX4 logging system, specifically Ulog.

      To make sense of the data it should be synchronized, but I am not sure if it is? Does anybody know?

      If I look at the voxl-logger files the timestamp is a 12-digit timestamp in nanoseconds and in the ulogs the timestamp is an 8-digit timestamp in milliseconds.

      voxl-log timestamp example: 293857036778
      px4 ulog timestamp exmaple: 29438654

      • Can someone tell me if these timestamps are taken from the same clock source?
      • Do I understand correctly that both timestamps are in Unix Timestamp format?
      • Is there documentation about the clock system on board of the VOXL Flight?

      The Linux timestamp resets to 1st of January 1970, every time I disconnect the battery. I know that there is no RTC onboard.
      Does anybody have experience adding RTC to the VOXL Flight Deck? Does it make sense to do it?
      If I investigate the ulog files they seem to have correct date in the title. Where is this taken? GPS lock? QGroundControl?

      Eric KatzfeyE Offline
      Eric KatzfeyE Offline
      Eric Katzfey
      ModalAI Team
      wrote on last edited by
      #2

      @boga As of SDK 1.1.3 the applications and px4 got timestamps from Linux MONOTONIC clock so the timestamps are indeed aligned. Starting with SDK 1.2.0 px4 shifts to using the MONOTONIC clock on the DSP (Where most of PX4 runs) for the timestamp and it is not aligned (and drifts over time) with the Linux clock.

      bogaB 1 Reply Last reply
      0
      • Eric KatzfeyE Eric Katzfey

        @boga As of SDK 1.1.3 the applications and px4 got timestamps from Linux MONOTONIC clock so the timestamps are indeed aligned. Starting with SDK 1.2.0 px4 shifts to using the MONOTONIC clock on the DSP (Where most of PX4 runs) for the timestamp and it is not aligned (and drifts over time) with the Linux clock.

        bogaB Offline
        bogaB Offline
        boga
        Contributor
        wrote on last edited by
        #3

        @Eric-Katzfey thanks for the answer. Are you sure about that?
        I have m500 drone, where I have VOXL 1 Flight Deck, not VOXL 2.

        You said:"Starting with SDK 1.2.0 px4 shifts to using the MONOTONIC clock on the DSP (Where most of PX4 runs)"

        This sounds to me like you are talking about VOXL 2 Flight, or not?
        I thought that on VOXL 1 Flight the PX4 applications and firmware are running on the ARM M7 STM32F765II - isn't that so?

        Or do the PX4 appliations really run on DSP, also on VOXL 1 Flight controller?

        bogaB Eric KatzfeyE 2 Replies Last reply
        0
        • bogaB boga

          @Eric-Katzfey thanks for the answer. Are you sure about that?
          I have m500 drone, where I have VOXL 1 Flight Deck, not VOXL 2.

          You said:"Starting with SDK 1.2.0 px4 shifts to using the MONOTONIC clock on the DSP (Where most of PX4 runs)"

          This sounds to me like you are talking about VOXL 2 Flight, or not?
          I thought that on VOXL 1 Flight the PX4 applications and firmware are running on the ARM M7 STM32F765II - isn't that so?

          Or do the PX4 appliations really run on DSP, also on VOXL 1 Flight controller?

          bogaB Offline
          bogaB Offline
          boga
          Contributor
          wrote on last edited by
          #4

          I found the following piece of code that seems to be dealing with the time_sync between VOXL and PX4: https://gitlab.com/voxl-public/voxl-sdk/services/voxl-mavlink-server/-/blob/master/src/mavlink_services.c?ref_type=heads

          But I do not fully understand it. Maybe someone can explain? I believe that this means that the logs are also synced or not?

          1 Reply Last reply
          0
          • bogaB boga

            @Eric-Katzfey thanks for the answer. Are you sure about that?
            I have m500 drone, where I have VOXL 1 Flight Deck, not VOXL 2.

            You said:"Starting with SDK 1.2.0 px4 shifts to using the MONOTONIC clock on the DSP (Where most of PX4 runs)"

            This sounds to me like you are talking about VOXL 2 Flight, or not?
            I thought that on VOXL 1 Flight the PX4 applications and firmware are running on the ARM M7 STM32F765II - isn't that so?

            Or do the PX4 appliations really run on DSP, also on VOXL 1 Flight controller?

            Eric KatzfeyE Offline
            Eric KatzfeyE Offline
            Eric Katzfey
            ModalAI Team
            wrote on last edited by
            #5

            @boga Sorry, yes, I was referring to VOXL 2.

            1 Reply Last reply
            0

            Hello! It looks like you're interested in this conversation, but you don't have an account yet.

            Getting fed up of having to scroll through the same posts each visit? When you register for an account, you'll always come back to exactly where you were before, and choose to be notified of new replies (either via email, or push notification). You'll also be able to save bookmarks and upvote posts to show your appreciation to other community members.

            With your input, this post could be even better 💗

            Register Login
            Reply
            • Reply as topic
            Log in to reply
            • Oldest to Newest
            • Newest to Oldest
            • Most Votes


            ModalAI
            Categories Recent Tags ModalAI.com Docs
            © 2026 ModalAI® · Accelerating autonomy for smaller, smarter, safer drones · Powered by NodeBB
            • Login

            • Don't have an account? Register

            • Login or register to search.
            • First post
              Last post
            0
            • Categories
            • Recent
            • Tags
            • Popular
            • Users
            • Groups