05. Intel Aero Setup

In this section, we will make sure that our Intel Aero is running the most up to date software to ensure Backyard Flyer will work as best as possible.

Checking Intel Aero Version

Logging in to Aero

The Intel Aero broadcasts a wifi hotspot that allows us to connect to the onboard computer and both get telemetry information from the drone and access the operating system of the onboard computer.

Connect to Wifi

The Intel Aero is broadcasting a wifi hotspot we can log into that should start with the prefix Aero-.

To connect, the password is 1234567890.

SSH Into Aero Computer

Once connected, we can then ssh into the Intel Aero with the following information:

• ip address: 192.168.8.1
• username: root
• password: none

For additional details on the network configurations of the Intel Aero, check out this guide on Intel Aero's Network Configuration.

Updating Intel Aero

If the Intel Aero needs to be updated to the newest version of the operating system, we can follow along with these initial setup instructions. For easiest setup, you will need the following items:

• keyboard and mouse
• monitor
• micro HDMI cable to connect to a monitor
• USB OTG cable

Note that each version of the Intel Aero operating system comes bundled with a new version of the PX4 autopilot that is designed to work best with that version of the OS.

Companion Computer OS

During the setup, it was seen that the Intel Aero is running Yocto linux on board. For integrating the backyard flyer script, there will be no need to change the operating system on the drone. It is worth noting that the Intel Aero is also capable of running a full version of Ubuntu, so for any of you interested in exploring more applications on your own, keep in mind that that is possible.