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:
- 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.
- Loiter and waypoint following should be improved due to a D term bug fix, some tuning and the improved DCM performance mentioned above.
- 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).
- Increased output rate to ESCs to 490hz. This update rate is also user selectable using the new RC_SPEED parameter.
- hexa copter stability patch bug fix (should resolve slight flattening when pitching forward and accelerating very rapidly).
- improved baro filtering
- fix to dataflash logging of Mag heading
- 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!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Steven Harsanyi on -
It certainly makes a difference for me especially my y6 with 12" props. The copter tail wants to flip up when I try to take off. I will make a video of 2.6 with my y6 in the morning. Here is a video of my 450g y6 with 8" carbon nylon props. In the video I am in position hold mode for most of it. I was doing fast forward flight and flipping it into position hold. Crazy stable and there was a small wind blowing. I have the ratio at .92 and have excellent yaw control. Any higher and I start to lose yaw control and the copter wants to pitch its tail up. Another thing I noticed on my 12" prop y6 with a ratio of anything higher than .94 the bottom props start to vibrate when I hover. I have some 11" and 12" props coming and I am going to try 1.0 ratio with the 12x3.8" on top and 11x4.7" on the bottom.
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Permalink Reply by Steven Harsanyi on
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I have default pids except for stabP is at 4.1.
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DeveloperPermalink Reply by Randy on -
Steven,
ok...darn. I had a chat with Chris earlier today and we were thinking that although it's not cool that we lose features as we move "forward" we don't want to hold up the 2.6 release because of this oversight. Maybe what we will do is hold back the Y6 code until either the 2.6.x patch release (if we have one) or worst case 2.7 (which will probably come about 3 weeks after 2.6 goes out). How does that sound? I did check before removing this just not with enough people!
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Permalink Reply by Dani Saez on -
You mean no Y6 in 2.6.x, for let's say a month....??? or you're only referring ot the TOP_BOTTOM_RATIO???
I won't like to be left behind :-( but if it is for a greater good, I can keep the 2.5.3 for a while. Although I tested yesterday indoors at the gym, the top_bottom_ratio from 1 to .92 in 2.5.3, and saw no apparent difference.
My Y6 is 2kg plus batts, maybe the paramenter is more noticeable in heavier Y6s??
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Permalink Reply by Steven Harsanyi on
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Hi Randy, I can wait. It is nice to be able to adjust the ratio but I actually hovered both of them today with latest git. I had to change out the props on my large y6 to APC SF 12x3.8 because the cheap epp props on the bottom would vibrate when I gave some throttle after I had it hovering. I think a prop would snap off on the bottom if I really throttled it. But after changing to the better props I can say that they still hover nice! I also noticed now that the top motors are warm on both copters whereas before only the bottom ones were warm. Also I got slightly less flight time on both copters but I was inside just hovering because it is so windy here today to fly outside. My small y6 has 8x4.5 GLB carbon nylons props which are very stiff and I had to double up the prop savers on the bottom but it also hovered nice. When I used ch6 tuning for the ratio with 2.53 you could hear a noticeable difference in the 'hum' of the copter props with barely a drop in altitude til i passed .92 then it would fall quick or flip. I have an atto current/voltage sensor I just got and I am going to log the current values and see what kind of difference there is.
This is a video from tonight on my 8" prop 450 gram Y6 with MinimOSD. I like to test!
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DeveloperPermalink Reply by Marco Robustini on -
I think in fact it is better to reintroduce it, I had already discussed with Randy but I have not had the opportunity to experiment with my X8 why I sold it.
The difference is perhaps tangible depending on the type you propeller installed and by the distance.
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Permalink Reply by palo sestak on -
Hi Randy,
nope, reverse of RC7 only reverses users intervetions (just logicaly reverses channel 7). So when you moves yaw stick you can see the servo movement is correctly reversed. On the other hand the navigation this doesn't accepts therefore there is need to add this code in AP_MotorsTri.cpp somewhere around line 132:
if(_rc_7->get_reverse() == true)
{
_rc->OutputCh(AP_MOTORS_CH_TRI_YAW, ( (-1 * ( _rc_yaw->radio_out - _rc_yaw->radio_trim) ) + _rc_yaw->radio_trim ) );
}
else
{
_rc->OutputCh(AP_MOTORS_CH_TRI_YAW, _rc_yaw->radio_out);
}Note: _rc_7 I added as parameter in constructor. This change requires advancing also other code because I adapted also class AP_Motors as ancestor of all 'motor' classes.
Could be perhaps better way to solve this rc_7 channel propagation to these classes ...
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Permalink Reply by palo sestak on
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Nice to read it.
Looking forward - I don't need still edit this code on every new release I want to test ;o)
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Permalink Reply by Matt Gaige on -
Just my 2 cents.
Coming from a Naza on this frame to a APM2, I am very please with the change. A couple hours of reading and tuning and it is enjoyable to fly in stable mode with my Gopro cam. To me this is a big jump from my experience with a APM1 2860 from last year. This frame is 600mm with Avroto motors (750KV) and 11" CF props. Because of the motors my Rate P is down to .095 and because of the Simonk flashed ESC's my Stab P is up to 8.0. I spent more time troubleshooting the wrong Gimbal pinouts in the wiki then anything else. Cut my Thr P in half for alt hold and it shows a very good improvement over the APM1. I also found that a cover over the center plate also helped with stability. It cut the wind from vibrating the APM2 which is stretched over rubber bands. A big improvement with this board was seen when I mounted it an inch and half off the center plate, my mag started working well after that. Before it was flush to the plate and my Dist board caused horrible problems in air.
Anyway... thanks for the improvements and the hard work.
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Permalink Reply by John Campen on -
I not convinced about the rubber mounts though Mathew. This was my 2 cents on it here.
http://www.diydrones.com/forum/topics/arducopter-2-5-released?comme...
Just something to keep in mind if you spot any bouncing issues or jerky behavior
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