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: 115180

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jason W on May 27, 2012 at 5:24am

It's 12lb without payload (as seen in the first video).  Battery mass is non-trivial - not quite 5lb.

I figured putting the batteries out on the arms was probably suboptimal, but we eventually want a heavy payload underneath (simulated with lead weight in the second video), and putting the batteries on the arms helps me keep from stringing the mass out vertically.

Do you think it would help if I got the batteries closer to the CG?

thanks,

Jason

Permalink Reply by Grips on May 27, 2012 at 6:16am

Gustav: I'm not ragging on the code.. just venting about my troubles thats all. I've got another three 5000mah batteries charged and I am going to try and start with the PIDs that Rui stated above and see where that gets me.

Jasonw: Where did you get those landing gear legs?

Permalink Reply by Gustav Kuhn on May 27, 2012 at 6:50am

Point taken :-)

Permalink Reply by Jason W on May 27, 2012 at 6:50am

They're cut from the same carbon-structural foam-carbon layup as the frame, with some aluminum brackets epoxied onto the end to give me something to thread screws into.

-j

Permalink Reply by Gustav Kuhn on May 27, 2012 at 6:51am

Hi Dev People,

Mission Planner tells me the latest code won't fit on a APM1 1280 board anymore ?

If I manually upload, are there any functions I can switch off to still install ?

Permalink Reply by Grips on May 27, 2012 at 6:59am

Can anyone explain the Dampening values that are in the MP, including the Dynamic one? Thanks.


ModeratorPermalink Reply by Dean Wynton on May 27, 2012 at 1:08pm

Hi Grips,

I am not a developer so I may be corrected by one? But the way I see it is the dampening is basically your Rate D value, the dynamic gain is basically like using exponential on your radio,the more you push the stick the more Rate D is reduced, and when the sticks are centered you have the full Rate D setting up to the amount in your parameters. 

Rate D dampens the effect of P and I

It is not the easiest of things to understand, unless you can see in real time the effects of a PID controller and play with the settings to see the outcome, and even then it can be difficult to get your head around?


ModeratorPermalink Reply by Dean Wynton on May 27, 2012 at 1:26pm

Hi Ondrej,

I dont understand your post?

 for me too please :-)

If it is concerning the dampening values? then I have provided an explanation as I see it above... 

Permalink Reply by Grips on May 27, 2012 at 5:30pm

Hi Guys,

   I'd like to give a shout out to Rui Marques. I used your PIDs to start off with and things were alright.. Stab_P 3.2 is certainly too low and the pitch/roll was really sluggish and it sounded very different.  All of the other values worked like a charm. I know that I would certainly love to have a set of Xbee's to kill the walking to and from a laptop to plug-in just change a value. Around 4.3 was where I found stab_P to be half decent.

I still have a bit of an issue with the mystery Expo in my setup. I used a completely new model memory and re-calibrated the radio in MP and I've still got what seems like expo. No mixes were used and I only had the ability to switch into loiter. I'm going to try another few packs tomorrow evening to see about that dampening value to see if thats contributing to my issues or not.

I was actually out hovering over my two cars (2009/2010) so I must have been feeling a bit of trust today for sure. I was back doing altitude pumps to test for yawing and actually some side to side aggressive flight. It still needs a bit of more yaw control though from what I can tell.  Nothing at all against Russ, but I'm ditching the CM-2 legs for sure. The copter flew great in minimal breeze but a gust yaws the copter easily it seems. Wait.. isn't there a PID for that? Either way, I'd like to make things more vertically compact and I am going to do some small legs out from the booms.

Loiter: When I switched into loiter mode it seemed like the motors were really pulsing like 'pitch pumps' on a heli. I never let it do too much or go far but I'd venture a guess this will certainly need some tuning as well.

/Happytosaytheleast

Permalink Reply by Rui Manuel Cravo Marques on May 28, 2012 at 2:00am

good to know :D now you have to tweak it for your personalized frame. It looks bigger and heavier than mine, so I guess you will have to rase the P parameters a bit. Again regarding that "expo" symptom, check in the parameters list how much deadzone (dz) you have for each channel. I attach the screen to show the parameters. And regarding logs, you may download the logs from your board after a flight wich will generate some log files and also a kmz from your flight if you have the gps up and running.

 

Look at my RC DZ value and see if you have the same.

Permalink Reply by Grips on May 28, 2012 at 7:15pm

Rui; I checked my parameters and I've got 30 values on everything by ch 4 which has 40; the same as yours.

Could I essentially change the DZ values to 0 for the roll/pitch or even drop them by half to see if it fixes my problem?

Permalink Reply by Rui Manuel Cravo Marques on May 29, 2012 at 4:02am

Hi Grips. I've been checking your roll graph and it doesn't look too far from mine, so I think it must be something with the expo curves from your radio, but I could be wrong. Also, have you tryied with STAB_D_S at 0.5 ? In the radio what mode are you using ? heli ? acro ? The radio should be in acro mode without mixes. Usually heli modes have mixing active because of tail propeller compensation.

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