I have just bought the ArduPilot Mega 2560 Full Kit... plus the Triple Axis Magnetometer HMC5883L. I should have it built over the weekend.. then i'm off to a my mates machine shop, and i'll make the splitter plate for the lower frame onto which i am going to fit the Ardupilot. the magnetometer i'll put on the tail as suggested. I am going to use my X-cell Razor 600E. For those that dont know its around the 50 size nitro heli.
Do i need to buy any other sensors i.e. the Sonar... i can fly a helicopter all day long but this is my first time flying one with stabilisation so any tips would be gratefully appreciated.
If this works well then i am going to try and use it on my x-cell gasser. i can get up to 20 minute flights with this. But i think for the time being a battery 600 is the way to go.
i'll post some pictures when i have it all together.
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To share my own problems for a moment..I tried moving my sonar to the heli's tail but not having much luck getting clean values out of it.
Below you can see the graphs from an alt-hold test this morning. The sonar in red and the barometer in green.
The barometers are closer to reality - the heli was solid for a bit but then would bounce. The cause - the sonar is giving values saying the heli has jumped up 3m so it respond by reducing altitude suddenly. I'm going to try some tests to see if it's the engine/ESC causing the interference with the sonar or the main blades...I suspect it's the former.
You can also see the "2m problem" that we've seen in Malcolm's logs that will likely be resolved once we perform the barometer initialisation just before take-off (somehow) instead of just after start-up.
Got my 450 flying in stabilize mode today! It is pretty sketchy at this point. I think I have to do some work tuning the PIDs and perhaps tune it mechanically as well. I pretty well rebuild it: new blades, new head, new flybarless upgrade, new gyro, new ESC, new 600 skids (cause I will be carrying a camera) etc, so I wouldn't be surprised if I have a bunch of other things to tweak beside just the APM config. Would have been better to get it flying well first, then add the APM I suppose. I think if I spend another day at it I can get it well tuned.
What P,I, and I max should I be using? I checked the wiki, but it seems out of date. I was using P=1, I=0.024, Imax=1000 and like I said it wasn't flying all that well. What values are you using these days Randy? I have the latest code off SVN and the latest MP.
Embarrasing..... found it - but some words on how to read them would be nice :-)
Which log parameters are relevant? and how to determine how to raise or lower the PIDs.
Arild
I have been following this project with interrest. Thanks for all the good work!
There have been some logs and graphs lately. May one of you say some words how to take the logs out, how to create the graphs and a few words how to understand them?
Links to the documentation would be fine.
By the way... is there anyone near Oslo, Norway following? I have three gps trays on the way - it would be nice to meet and fly the ACM2 together :-) please PM me if you are interrested to fly/test togheter.
Best regards,
Arild
Guys,
Been flying my 450 with an APM and the old arducopter code for a few months. Haven't had nearly enough time to devote to it, but I have now found some time to start adding a GPS and mag and getting it all mounted on the heli. I am planning on upgrading my at1280 soon and converting to a flybarless head so that I can run the new code and help with the testing. Been following your thread and I am quite excited about all the progress you are making. Can't wait to get mine going!
Graham
@Randy this is Last nights log file Loiter and stabilise test.
11-08-25.log
First Person KML file open it in google fast forward the first few mins otherwise your flying around the moon for a bit. Its taken from the log above.
11-08-25.kmz
I think might be delayed in joining the fun. I have all my 3 ACM with compass is soldered on the IMU board. Need to save up for another IMU oilpan or maybe get a whole set.
Awesome, thanks guys I am now up to date with how to store, edit and load through arduino! Thanks Malcolm for writing it up, was very clear!
So, are we loading .39 or playing with .38? Now that I know how to do it, I'll probably stick to loading and editing through arduino :)
Oh, also I cant see the instructions or go to any code.google site with Chrome any more, code.google comes back with a broken robot and error 500, and the instruction page shows all the boarders but no content! I have installed firefox and everything looks fine so Ill just use that until chrome updates again I spose :)
Had a great flight today with some pretty promising Loiter hold results. check my blog for the video.
I moved the GPS again, fitted it to the rear fin, much like randy has it the 450. Just checked the logs and had a maximum of 13 sats at one point. I moved the mag away from all the metal and placed it on one of the skid rails.
@Randy could you check the log for me on the loiter hold to see if i need to do any tuning. Had a problem at one point where it came racing towards us in reverse, but on the second attempt it was much better.
11-08-25.log
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