Developer

ArduCopter 2.5 released!

Version 2.5 of the ArduCopter code is now available in the AP Mission Planner and in the downloads area!

 

Enhancements:

  1. The first ArduCopter code release optimized for the APM 2.  Leans and drift should be much reduced or even eliminated for most users.  This was accomplished through a number of core improvements to the DCM implementation by Tridge like this one and this one.
  2. Loiter and waypoint following should be improved due to a D term bug fix, some tuning and the improved DCM performance mentioned above.
  3. On start-up, the yaw heading is updated with first successful mag read (so you should no longer see the slow rotation from north to your actual heading).
  4. Increased output rate to ESCs to 490hz.  This update rate is also user selectable using the new RC_SPEED parameter.
  5. hexa copter stability patch bug fix (should resolve slight flattening when pitching forward and accelerating very rapidly).
  6. improved baro filtering
  7. fix to dataflash logging of Mag heading
  8. addition of H1 swash plate type and bug fix for proactive yaw compensation for collective pitch changes for TradHelis.

 

Tuning:

The default PIDs are optimized for a 3DR/Jdrones quad with 850 motors and 10" props. If you're using more powerful motors/props, start by turning down Rate Roll P in 25% steps.

While some testers have reported very good flights with the default PIDs, some have reported that this release is a little "sharper" due to the DCM improvements and have found they needed to:

     reduce stabilize P by 10% (i.e. 4.5 -> 4.2)

     reduce stabilize D by 30% (i.e. 0.15 -> 0.10)

     increase rate D from 0 to 0.001

Tuning loiter can be tricky.  Refer to the discussions which will appear below for more community feedback on what parameters work best.

 

Please post your feedback in this discussion.  For enhancement requests  and bug report, please add them to the arducopter issues list.  When possible please include logs (tlog and/or dataflash) and tell us whether you're using APM1 or APM2 and what version of the software you're using (presumably 2.5 but tell us anyway!).

 

Thanks for this release go to the developers (both in the core team but also those who have provided bug fixes through the issues list) and also the community members who participated in the previous release thread and provided some great detailed information in the form of issue reports and logs which allowed us to nail some bugs!

 

Tags: ACM, APM1, APM2, Heli, Quad

Views: 115153

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Replies to This Discussion


DeveloperPermalink Reply by Randy on April 14, 2012 at 2:04am

I forgot to mention that 2.6 (and this beta) will support the new 3dr radios as described on this wiki page.  Firmware development was by Tridge.

Permalink Reply by Chris Barlow on April 14, 2012 at 8:46am

Any clues on how to make it fit a 1280 please?

Permalink Reply by John Campen on April 14, 2012 at 3:48pm

Randy was there any work/testing done on the issue posted about not being able to disarm the AMP boards when the copters flip over? Or something added like a kill switch? I think besides myself there were a few others have this same problem and we posed this on the issues page

Permalink Reply by Hans Miller on April 14, 2012 at 1:40am

I thought it would be interesting to mention an observation I made regarding magnetic declination.

In my experience, setting the correct magnetic declination for your location is not enough. You also have to perform procedure to establish a correction factor for your particular airframe. Before I go any further with this, am I the only one who has had a similar experience? 


DeveloperPermalink Reply by Randy on April 14, 2012 at 1:56am

Hans,

     My guess is that the airframe specific declination you're seeing is mostly small imperfection in how the compass is mounted.  It's difficult to get this wrong on an APM2 where it's soldered to the board but it's very possible/likely on an APM1 especially if connected by a cable (instead of being soldered directly on top of the oilpan).

Permalink Reply by Hans Miller on April 14, 2012 at 2:01am

This could be the case, although my 5 degree correction seems to be a bit too much, as I should be able to see a mis-alignment that big...(apm1-soldered on)

Permalink Reply by F5PQL on April 14, 2012 at 3:17am

if it can help, my compass had a slight derivative of 5 to 10 °, I moved to 5cm and since it is a rock;-) there was surely something that caused an interference ...

I just tested the 2.6beta on my quad and no problem in "stabilized" by cons in alt_hold Ipretty nervous jumps from 10 to 20 cms from time to time, other times I would do after the rain; - (

Permalink Reply by Tomas Soedergren on April 14, 2012 at 3:41am

Hans, yes, I have had similar experience with declination.

Using visual geographic references together with the MP map and copter symbol´s heading line, I tweaked the declination to have visual and map heading to coincide. That would arrive at +2 degrees rather than the +4,5 from internet declination database. With APM2, firmware about a month ago.

I dont know how valid my calibration method is. Anyway, this was before the later updates in compass library.

/ Tomas

Permalink Reply by Hans Miller on April 14, 2012 at 3:53am

Yes and yes. I used exactly the same method for correcting mine. At least I'm not the only one. Maybe we need to find the root cause for this and get it included in the manual. I expect this will be due to a local magnetic field caused by the hardware.

Permalink Reply by Ian forbes on April 14, 2012 at 10:46am

I am running ArduCopter 2.5.3 on an x8 using turnigy 18A escs, and Kda 20-22Ls.  I uploaded sketch for X8 via arduino,  but for some reason motors 7 and8 continue to beep, I programmed the escs individually as per wiki, but it still won't acknowledge 7 and 8 at all now.  I had it working sorta, where all esc would beep (odd sequence, sounded like 1-4 beep then 5-8 would beep.  But 7 an 8 would keep beeping till the APM finished booting up.  Now I can't get them to start at all.  swapeed escs and connections, this is definately an issue in the APM2 or software... Anyone having this issue with X8 config?


DeveloperPermalink Reply by Marco Robustini on April 14, 2012 at 11:37am

Yes, this "problem" is fixed in the version 2.6, in beta phase.

Permalink Reply by Ian forbes on April 14, 2012 at 11:49am

@Marco,

Ah glad to know it wasn't anything I did! Still muddling through newbie screw ups and software errors, can't tell the difference sometimes...Thanks for helping me stay sane through this!

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