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 steve F11music.com on -
Anyone tried this to shield magnetometer? I'm thinking to put this on the bottom and top of my apm.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ultraperm-80-Magnetic-Shielding-MuMetal-Mu-...
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Permalink Reply by Michael Pursifull on -
You do understand what happens if you managed to successfully shield your magnetometer from magnetic fields, right?
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Permalink Reply by Dave C on -
Very funny, but good point.
Just so this is not open to interpretation, my goal with mumetal is not to sheild the APM from magnetic fields, but to shield the power cables/esc's/battery etc so that any interference they produce is not picked up by the mag. Putting the the APM in a mumetal box would of course cause nothing but trouble!
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Wiki NinjaPermalink Reply by Gary McCray on -
Definitely !
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Permalink Reply by Gustav Kuhn on -
Tsk, tsk, nice one Mike :-)
A good source of cheap muMetal stock are in the housing of tape deck motors, you know, the thingies before Walkmans?
All those motors you stripped out, kept for 20 years, and threw away last summer? :-)
All this shielding stuff is treating the symptom, not the problem.
Wires carrying dc, positive and negative twisted together, should cancel out the magnetic field in them.
Ditto for the "effective AC" feeding the motors.
Maybe running the three motor wires inside Alu booms help?
And then, the blatantly obvious videos of the developers flying STOCK machines.
With no problems.
I don't know everything, but I proceed from the assumption that if the dev's machines fly right, and mine don't, I either have a duff board, or I screwed up somewhere in the assembly.
I help with electronic stuff at a LHS, and all I can say, my definition of proper soldering, mechanical installation and neat wiring, somewhat differs from some of the comebacks I'm landed with.
And yes, sometimes I get a duff board, factory fault ?, something the client did ?, who knows.
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Wiki NinjaPermalink Reply by Gary McCray on -
I do not think you want to put MuMetal on both sides of your APM.
If you have an APM 2 with built in GPS only put it below the APM if you put it on top, you will block the GPS totally.
If you have an APM1 the magnetometer isn't attached anyway and that is where the shield might need to be.
In any case, putting a MuMetal shield on both sides of a magnetometer might possibly block the magnetometer from being able to see the earths magnetic field, and at this point I am not sure if that isn't also true for a near MuMetal shield on only one side.
I am going to try that and see what happens.
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Permalink Reply by Marc Puig Pasarrius on -
I've bought the same one. It doesn't help if your compass is close to the shield. Here I have a short review.
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Permalink Reply by Rui Manuel Cravo Marques on -
Hello. Having made about 20/25 flights without any problem or strange reaction since version 2.5.4, I would like to give some suggestions that solved some of my problems. This are not rules, just suggestions :
1 - use an external uBEC instead of the an ESC BEC. uBECs are much more reliable and efective since they use a switching regulator instead of regulating voltage via heat dissipation (linear BEC from ESC). However, you should separate it as far as you can from your RX since it may cause interference.
2 - Don't trust the servo connectors from the BEC to provide power to the board. Solder the red and black wires comming from the BEC to the power rail from APM (red = 5v || black = ground). I had a loose connector wich aparently was ok, but it was not, causing some strange power losses.
3 - Also to prevent bad connections, after you have aligned all the signal wires comming from the ESCs to connect to the APM, put some duct tape around all the aligned connectors in a way you have a single big connector, that will prevent that a "rogue" connector comes loose, and it's easier for you to analyze if they are all well connected.
4 - Yes. It's true, don't trust bullet connectors that come soldered from factory. Most of them come loose easilly. Preferebly solder the motor wires directlly to the ESC wires, or, if you still want to use bullet connectors (like I do), redo the solders from factory, and put some heat shrinking tube around the connection to absorb vibrations and keep it together.
5 - If you're using an APM1 + Oilpan, make sure to verify if the oilpan is well attached to the APM, because after a rough landing or a crash, the boards may separate a bit and you don't notice, causing sensor reading problems and strange behaviours.
6 - For some versions now, the STAB I parameter comes by default at 0.100. I remember some time ago Marco advised to lower it or put it to 0 since the I term was already integrated in the software. I don't know why it still comes by default at 0.100 but in my oppinion should come at 0.0. This term was giving me strange twitchings. Instead I use a RATE I term of 0.015 (may not be adequate to everyone but try values from 0.010 to 0.020), and yes, even with a COG away from the center, I get a leveled flight, not when I take off, but after 2 or 3 seconds in flight.
7 - Very important. Don't use cheap propellers. You may not notice but they brake in mid flight leading to strange crashes, wich you may think were from a motor or ESC. Choose good nylon APC props or the carbon reinforced ones. The carbon reinforced ones, are stiffer but break much easily than the APC ones when they touch something.
Happy flights everyone.
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DeveloperPermalink Reply by Marco Robustini on -
For point 6 yes, set Stab I to zero and use Rate (0.010 or 0.015 is a good starting value).
Dunno why Jason or Randy don't update this wrong default.
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