External power to ipad

[John_W]

Hi,
We are looking for a solution to supply external power to an ipad while connected to the DJI controller. I have tried a lightning to USB3 camera adaptor (with both USB 2 and 3 cables, the unit is working as I can connect to a flash drive), Y split USB cable, custom made cables with only data from controller and power from second USB connector. None of these have worked, We get power through our attempts, but no data from the controller.

We have plenty batteries for the Inspire, but the ipad is now the limiting factor.

Is there a proven solution?

 

[TWMInspired]

I use the DJI Crystal Sky 7" monitor to fly, it comes with 2 removable batteries, I only use the ipad when I need to run DJI ground station pro (IOS only app) or Pix4D

 

[Donnie Frank]

Hi,
We are looking for a solution to supply external power to an ipad while connected to the DJI controller. I have tried a lightning to USB3 camera adaptor (with both USB 2 and 3 cables, the unit is working as I can connect to a flash drive), Y split USB cable, custom made cables with only data from controller and power from second USB connector. None of these have worked, We get power through our attempts, but no data from the controller.

We have plenty batteries for the Inspire, but the ipad is now the limiting factor.

Is there a proven solution?

Two iPads. Used this method in the film industry for a couple years, as some of those days were over 12 hours.

D

 

[hhung516]

not very familiar with I1, but I2 controller can charge the device (iPad in your case) while flying, so all you need is to charge your controller to keep it going.

 

[Donnie Frank]

not very familiar with I1, but I2 controller can charge the device (iPad in your case) while flying, so all you need is to charge your controller to keep it going.

Inspire 1 doesn't charge the tablet.

D

 

[John_W]

I use the DJI Crystal Sky 7" monitor to fly, it comes with 2 removable batteries, I only use the ipad when I need to run DJI ground station pro (IOS only app) or Pix4D

I was hoping to not spend loads of cash...

 

[John_W]

Two iPads. Used this method in the film industry for a couple years, as some of those days were over 12 hours.

D

We have two ipads, but with preloaded missions out in the field, its not ideal. We'll have to start loading all missions to both.

 

[John_W]

not very familiar with I1, but I2 controller can charge the device (iPad in your case) while flying, so all you need is to charge your controller to keep it going.

Would be great, but as @Donnie Frank says, I1 controller does not charge the device

 

[Donnie Frank]

We have two ipads, but with preloaded missions out in the field, its not ideal. We'll have to start loading all missions to both.

Yep....that's exactly what I do. Every night before going to bed I make sure both iPads are plugged in and charging (NOTE: Just because they're plugged in doesn't always mean they're charging - maddening. The OEM cables are crap!). But I digress...

The next morning I wake up and load the missions on both iPads and move the map around to make sure I'm caching the entire area. As of this writing I have 4 iPads; two 9.7" and two 12.9". I purchased these one at a time for my drone company as needed over a period of roughly 6 years. The oldest - the iPad Air 9.7" - is pretty much good for DJI apps only. Thank God I run legacy apps or these older iPads would probably be paperweights.

I run Autopilot 4.7 on the 9.7" Air Pro on legacy iOS 12.1.4. My spare iPad for these missions is my older 12.9" iPad running legacy iOS 12.3.1. But since I use the RC's caddy for those Autopilot missions, I've yet to use the 12.9" iPad because 9.7" iPad is the largest that fits. But 12.9" is there if I need it and I can make it work if I have to.

The FOURTH iPad (run-on-sentence-type-rant)....

<rant>

About a year ago MapPilot announced that they were forcing paying customers into a completely new MapPilot version (MapPilotPro - HEY! I ALREADY HAD PRO!!) with a subscription-based business model, essentially disabling all the features in the "old pro" that we already paid for - and not grandfathering in any of us (10% discount? Pfft). I predicted that this "new version" wasn't going to support legacy iOS, thereby not only forcing users into a 3x more expensive subscription (that has to be paid every year), but also forcing users into a new iOS, which then forced them into new iPads (as legacy iPads don't support iOS 13), which was required by the new MPP. And, of course, I was right. They were SO cavalier about it; "Just buy a new iPad." Yeah...easy peasy. No problem. Just let me pull this thousand bucks out of my pocket.

So what they viewed as just a "casual change that customers will happily embrace" turned into a huge GD PITA that turned lives upside-down and required users to invest a minimum of $1,000 for a new iPad for the privilege of paying $150/year for a now-subscription-based waypoint program.

I was then lectured how the old business model wasn't sustainable, like it was somehow my fault that the original business model didn't work (even though I was one of their best supporters who had paid for their most expensive package. Twice). And that I should be happy about being forced into the new subscription-based business model. And I should also understand their policy to NOT grandfather in loyal customers and supporters of their software. And I should be happy that my predictions of having to invest a minimum of $1,000 for hardware to support these changes came true (something they don't tell you - you have to corner them on it). I'm not bitter or anything.

</rant>

On the good side, MPP works well. So I try not to complain too much. But the point of this rant is that the MPP "sidegrade" forced me into purchasing my new, FOURTH iPad - 12.9" iPad running (now legacy) iOS 13.2.2. And, unfortunately, since the new and improved MPP won't run on iOS 12, I have no spare iPads for my MPP missions.

I'm also noticing that I'm being met with the Apple message...



But no matter how many times I tap the "Download" button, the "compatible version" never downloads. The error message just keeps reloading. Madding.

This is why I've never been a fan of Apple. I use their stuff because I'm essentially forced to. And I will concede that these iPads are pretty robust and reliable. But it comes at the sacrifice of versatility.

I guess my point is that if you're going to have a "drone business," you're going to need multiple tablets anyway for redundancy. And when it comes to all the tablet offerings, it's pretty clear that these iPad machines are the most compatible and, ergo the most reliable for the jobs we do. The caveat is that you have very little control over them. If upgrades and/or updates fail or don't work, you have no user-friendly options for "rolling back." This is why I never, ever update iOS or software versions unless I absolutely have to. Once something works out in the field, I stick with it. And if I'm forced into an update, I try to test these updates on small, local jobs. It's a real song and dance.

D

 

[John_W]

Yep....that's exactly what I do. Every night before going to bed I make sure both iPads are plugged in and charging (NOTE: Just because they're plugged in doesn't always mean they're charging - maddening. The OEM cables are crap!). But I digress...

The next morning I wake up and load the missions on both iPads and move the map around to make sure I'm caching the entire area. As of this writing I have 4 iPads; two 9.7" and two 12.9". I purchased these one at a time for my drone company as needed over a period of roughly 6 years. The oldest - the iPad Air 9.7" - is pretty much good for DJI apps only. Thank God I run legacy apps or these older iPads would probably be paperweights.

I run Autopilot 4.7 on the 9.7" Air Pro on legacy iOS 12.1.4. My spare iPad for these missions is my older 12.9" iPad running legacy iOS 12.3.1. But since I use the RC's caddy for those Autopilot missions, I've yet to use the 12.9" iPad because 9.7" iPad is the largest that fits. But 12.9" is there if I need it and I can make it work if I have to.

The FOURTH iPad (run-on-sentence-type-rant)....

<rant>

About a year ago MapPilot announced that they were forcing paying customers into a completely new MapPilot version (MapPilotPro - HEY! I ALREADY HAD PRO!!) with a subscription-based business model, essentially disabling all the features in the "old pro" that we already paid for - and not grandfathering in any of us (10% discount? Pfft). I predicted that this "new version" wasn't going to support legacy iOS, thereby not only forcing users into a 3x more expensive subscription (that has to be paid every year), but also forcing users into a new iOS, which then forced them into new iPads (as legacy iPads don't support iOS 13), which was required by the new MPP. And, of course, I was right. They were SO cavalier about it; "Just buy a new iPad." Yeah...easy peasy. No problem. Just let me pull this thousand bucks out of my pocket.

So what they viewed as just a "casual change that customers will happily embrace" turned into a huge GD PITA that turned lives upside-down and required users to invest a minimum of $1,000 for a new iPad for the privilege of paying $150/year for a now-subscription-based waypoint program.

I was then lectured how the old business model wasn't sustainable, like it was somehow my fault that the original business model didn't work (even though I was one of their best supporters who had paid for their most expensive package. Twice). And that I should be happy about being forced into the new subscription-based business model. And I should also understand their policy to NOT grandfather in loyal customers and supporters of their software. And I should be happy that my predictions of having to invest a minimum of $1,000 for hardware to support these changes came true (something they don't tell you - you have to corner them on it). I'm not bitter or anything.

</rant>

On the good side, MPP works well. So I try not to complain too much. But the point of this rant is that the MPP "sidegrade" forced me into purchasing my new, FOURTH iPad - 12.9" iPad running (now legacy) iOS 13.2.2. And, unfortunately, since the new and improved MPP won't run on iOS 12, I have no spare iPads for my MPP missions.

I'm also noticing that I'm being met with the Apple message...

View attachment 32368

But no matter how many times I tap the "Download" button, the "compatible version" never downloads. The error message just keeps reloading. Madding.

This is why I've never been a fan of Apple. I use their stuff because I'm essentially forced to. And I will concede that these iPads are pretty robust and reliable. But it comes at the sacrifice of versatility.

I guess my point is that if you're going to have a "drone business," you're going to need multiple tablets anyway for redundancy. And when it comes to all the tablet offerings, it's pretty clear that these iPad machines are the most compatible and, ergo the most reliable for the jobs we do. The caveat is that you have very little control over them. If upgrades and/or updates fail or don't work, you have no user-friendly options for "rolling back." This is why I never, ever update iOS or software versions unless I absolutely have to. Once something works out in the field, I stick with it. And if I'm forced into an update, I try to test these updates on small, local jobs. It's a real song and dance.

D

I'm with you 100% on being forced into apple products, and had similar issues with other flight planner software. Another reason to get away from DJI and into open source Cubes.

If this adapter worked it would solve my current (pun intended) issue. Seems the DJI controller cannot send data through it, as it works for other purposes.

We also try to keep things stable, don't upgrade firmware unless absolutely necessary. But apple and DJI need to maintain their profits...

 

[Donnie Frank]

I'm with you 100% on being forced into apple products, and had similar issues with other flight planner software. Another reason to get away from DJI and into open source Cubes.

If this adapter worked it would solve my current (pun intended) issue. Seems the DJI controller cannot send data through it, as it works for other purposes.

We also try to keep things stable, don't upgrade firmware unless absolutely necessary. But apple and DJI need to maintain their profits...

Everything has to be hacked.

While the iPad offers the option to turn off "Automatic Updates" (see screenshot below), this does NOT stop it from *downloading* the latest iOS and mercilessly bugging you every day to update until you finally relent and hit that "update" soft button. And once you start that process, there's no turning back. Not even from an accidental update, which could very well cascade into rendering your DJI apps invalid, which would then have to be updated with all their new "Easter Eggs" and "surprises." Argh.

In the arms race with Apple, I had been *manually* deleting the downloaded update so *at least* updating would now be a two-part process of downloading AND then updating. This was to avoid the scenario of accidentally hitting the "Update" button, thereby sending the iPad into an unrecoverable update tailspin. Fortunately, there's a hack for that.


That's right! "Up to date!" Eat it, Apple!

Can you image fooling a legacy iOS (2 or 3 generations behind) into thinking it is the latest/greatest version and thinking it's up to date? Ergo, not bugging you every single day of your GD life to update???

The rigmarole....

So....just to conduct normal day-to-day business which includes mostly mapping, construction progress videos and the occasional traffic analysis, I have to hack:

* The iPads themselves (iOS). All 4 of them.
* The software I use (iPad apps - ALL of the apps - every last one!).
* The drone's firmware (all of my drones).
* The Windows software I use (iTunes and DJI's Assistant-2 software).

I have to hack *everything*. It's maddening that I have to do all this hacking for the PRIVILEGE of having reliable tools in my toolbox that aren't changing and morphing into god-knows-what from week to week - telling me I can't do this or I now have to do that and on and on and on. It's an arms race - an arms race that I'm winning FOR NOW - until a company pulls the rug out from under me and flat out turns off their servers (like MapPilot did). At least in that one instance all it cost me was money and not clients.

Unfortunately, I still have to count on some infrastructure. So when THAT goes away, there's not much I can do about it. I feel like it puts me at somewhat of an advantage over other would-be drone pilots. Fortunately, my business partner fully appreciates my hacking skills and understands the value of this level of reliability.

I would honestly HATE to be some poor average guy who thinks you can just go buy a drone and start mapping. I imagine that *someday* "droning" will be like that. But that's certainly not the case these days. For now it's just getting worse and worse.

In another thread I talked about a mapping job that would've been stopped dead in its tracks had I not had my hacked P4P with me (I had initially launched my business partner's unhacked drone that we use as a spare). This includes a crew of a dozen survey professionals who traveled to the jobsite 90 miles each way - THOUSANDS of dollars would've been wasted - all hinged on my little drone being able to get up in the air and take photos. Fortunately for all of us, I had my hacked P4P with me and was able to get on with my job.

D