ArduCopter 2.6 released!
Version 2.6 of the ArduCopter code is now available in the AP Mission Planner and in the downloads area!
Updates to MavLink 1.0 means you will need to use "ArdupilotMegaPlanner10.exe" to connect. If you've updated your mission planner recently you should find this executable in the directory where the mission planner is installed.
The above video is done using a prototype 3dr ublox GPS which seems to have better accuracy than the standard mediatek.
Improvements over 2.5.5 include:
- MavLink 1.0 support (use with ArdupilotMegaPlanner10.exe) [Tridge, Craig]
- Stability improvements especially during level hover [Jason]
- throttle range improvement (higher min and max) [Jason]
- improved standard Loiter PIDs [Alan, Heino, Jason, Angel]
- dataflash erase speed up ('+' messages removed but it only takes 6 seconds now) [Tridge]
- Copter LEDs [Robert Lefebvre]
- RTL loiter stage target set to home to improve final landing position [Jason]
- flip & acro improvements [Jason]
- circle mode target improvement for ground station [Jason]
- Auto Approach [Adam Rivera / Marco]
Bug fixes include:
- UBLOX driver fixes (lock should now be more reliable) [Tridge]
- enable mavlink messages during dataflash erase which resolves issue in which new APMs fresh from the factory appeared unresponsive [Tridge]
- proper printing of lat/lon values in dataflash logs [Randy]
- removed duplicate GPS reads [Jason]
- resolve flooding of telemetry link with low-battery warnings [Tridge]
- RTL bug would land if rtl_approach_alt was more than 1 [Jason]
- WP Radius could not be set larger than 1.3m [Jason/Randy]
Tuning:
PIDs are optimised for the 3DR/Jdrones quad with 850 motors and 10" props. If you're using more powerful motors/props and are seeing bad flight behaviour in stabilize, start by turning down Rate Roll P in 25% steps.
This time we spent some time optimising the loiter PIDs. Tuning loiter can be tricky so please refer to the discussions which will appear below for more community feedback on what parameters work best.
All feedback welcome below. Enhancement requests and bug reports can be put into 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 2.6 but tell us anyway!).
Happy flying!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by OG on -
Built desingned & CNC it my self. I made it from 80 % mat carbon fiber 20% baracoda based on a desine I came across on the web
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Permalink Reply by Vincent Mees on -
With the AH problem resolved on my APM2, I loaded 2.6 on my APM1.
Stab as usual ok.
AH not so responsive but acceptable. When lowering or lifting the quad in AH with THR, is the altitude reset?? Mine still comes back to its previous height.
Loiter also quite good. Within 2m.
But the yaw problem returned ....
In flight when hovering it randomly changes yaw for about 10 degrees. I did some hard turns a then in hover again at it wouldn't do it. Just random yaw changes. Reamed and still there.
Calibration of compass was auto
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Permalink Reply by Peter Chaffe on -
The way I understand it, the altitude is set when you switch to AH or L.
any alt error is corrected by the apm, if you exceed the error range by giving too high or low throttle then it will rise or sink. but I belive the alt is set until you switch out of AH etc..
This apears to be what I'm seeing as well...You might have better success manually calibrating your compass, worked here...
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Permalink Reply by Vincent Mees on
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will try, thx
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Wiki NinjaPermalink Reply by Gary McCray on -
One of the problems with auto compass calibrate is that if you do it inside you are often in the vicinity of metal or electronic equipment (computer!) which definitely can look like a magnetic offset 15 to 20 degrees or more easy.
So declination can be truly screwed up on auto.
It would be nice if they listed the compass parameter in normal declination degrees and minutes format rather than radians since you cant readily look at it and tell if it's right or not.
My guess is the negative thing is a problem.
The best way I have found for initial declination setup is to use their web site to get your location where you are going to be using your copters declination and then entering it manually.
If you don't get declination right, the yaw thing is never quite right and Loiters tend to circle a bit.
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Permalink Reply by u4eake on -
Vincent, what I did was put 2.0.49 on my copter, let it automatically calibrate compass during first flight and wrote down the values of x, y and z offset. Then put 2.6 on my copter, disabled COMPASS_LEARN and manually put in the values from 2.0.49 => no more yaw probs.
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Permalink Reply by Vincent Mees on
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thats something to try when the rest fails.
Thx
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DeveloperPermalink Reply by Marco Robustini on -
Nice trick, LOL! ;-)))
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ModeratorPermalink Reply by Graham Dyer on -
Tried a few roll flips and loop flips yesterday, works pretty well - technique is to accelerate vertically for 2 secs or so (until maybe 25m high), then while climbing - hard right stick and zero throttle simultaneously and the quad will neatly do a 360 flip, throttle up when it's horizontal again (or at anytime if you're in trouble, the quad will sort itself out).
Backflip and frontflip work the same but interestingly my quad always rotates 180° after the flip, (the flip must be messing with the compass :))
I couldn't get it to do a neat left flip as it seems to rotate much slower but that may just be the timing of the two stick movements.
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Permalink Reply by Duran - SteadiDrone on -
rolls are so much fun, did a lot again today, with my quad and big 1m octo too. i also get the 180 degree yaw afer front or backflip, interesting
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Permalink Reply by John Campen on -
I suspect that when the copter is inverted the yaw position is then reading opposite to when the copter is right way up so perhaps yaw is trying to correct it at 180 but has a slight lag so ti happens once upright. I doubt the code includes yaw compensation when the copter is upside down?
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DeveloperPermalink Reply by R_Lefebvre on -
Yes, I believe what is happening is this:
You start the flip facing north. When the aircraft is inverted, it is now facing south. When the pilot pushes the throttle stick back up to stop the flip, he accidentally nudges just a small amount of yaw, even the smallest amount. As soon as that happens, the yaw controller accepts "south" as the new heading. That's a defect in the controller. When you complete the flip, you are facing north again, but the quad now things it should face south, so it begins to spin to face south.
That's my theory anyway.
Does the yaw stop if you touch the rudder stick soon as it starts to turn?
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