Ardupilot 2.1 is out and can be downloaded by the mission planner (or with Git). You must have the latest version of MP to be compatible. If you're compiling with Arduino, you must use the "mrelax" version of Arduino that is in our downloads section. This is because Arduino was never tested with code larger than 128K. And since our code is probably the most complex Arduino project ever, we found the issue. This altered version of Arduino allows you to specify a special compiler flag that makes it work again. Otherwise it's functionally identical to version 22. When we transition to 1.0 of Arduino, you won't need to use a modified version, since they have patched it for us.
This version has a few new features, but is mostly a bug fixes and compatibility with APM2. The nav routines have been updated and well tested. I'm getting very reliable results now.
One new feature that I snuck in was SuperSimple mode, which re-calibrates simple mode when you are flying with GPS > 20m from home. It allows you to fly in any direction in Simple outside of this radius. Check the wiki for more info.
Added Auto_land mode to help with Failsafe implementations.
Here's a video I took flying WPs using CH 7 to toggle record them. I flew back and forth over the park to se how straight a line I could maintain and how repeatable it was, then I recorded a few waypoints to the left and right, then I recorded a landing wp by toggling CH7 when the copter was on the ground. The landing could be improved, it was trying to maintain a location and didn't level out in the last meter to the ground as it should. I was missing the screw holding my Arm in place so it folded in just a bit, no real damage done. BTW, this video is W/O a sonar.
The next video is of the Loiter control. I improved loiter a bit with a bug fix and the stability patch from the stabilization. Wind was mild. Could be tuned just a little higher.
Here's a video from Dec 17 showing WP recording. The radio was on the ground the entire video. The 3DR frame did not have a sonar on it. The landing was recorded as well.
Upcoming:
Tridge wrote a Geo - fence routine to restrict flight within a certain area for Arduplane. We'll port that over to AC. You'll be able to fly acro inside a safe area and have it go into AP if you loose control!
We need one more pass to finalize the Optical flow integration.
Finalization of the Z Accel code.
Have fun and fly safe,
Jason
Replies
I just noticed that the sign was wrong on the original calculation of x_actual_speed in Loiter. I wonder if that has been the cause of all of this.
Jason
Hello to All,
I have juste done some tests flights of the firmware ArduCopter v2.1 alpha with the MOD_02 from afernan in light wind conditions. So, I can say, Woow, the ALT_HOLD and LOITER are very STABLE... I have also used the Emile and Robero GPS fix. During the LOITER mode, the position is locked as a rock in the air. I shall post a video Asap.
I have just needed to re-tune the LOITER PIDs, you will find below my working PIDs:
You may download the tested firmware AC21_AF02 with my setup parameters HERE
Good Work afernan, emile and robero, this is a really good improvement !!!
Happy flights to All,
Regards, Jean-Louis
How to mount your magnetometer to a safe location with a good solder contact, thanks Steven Harsanyi for this great idea.
I use a biadesive foam and non conductive removable glue (Pattex Repair Extreme), see photo.
A new video with the loiter of my heavy octo and the mod by afernan:
(ArduCopter V2.1 (mod by afernan) - Loiter test)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7um4D9PlYU0&feature=mfu_in_order...
When i move to mode RTL or GUIDED its stay there for 1 second and jump tp LOITER.
Its happened both with the receiver and from the MP.
Any clue?
Test tomorrow with afernan version
Magnetometer soldered with usb cable, and gps put on a alu plate. How to calibrate the compass, I am afraid the calibration is done indoor with test ? Is there possible to do calibration once again?
Today i fly again the 2.1 Alpha release (original), and in hover (stabilze mode) i've stranger rotation of over 90° of yaw with the yaw stick at the center, with self control i rotate again the drone for the other 280° for a complete circle and i put it to the ground safety.
Compass problem? Likely, therefore believe it is better to delete the code the "in-flight calibration" and make it to the ground once and for all, like Mikrokopter:
http://vimeo.com/21602317
Another problem (in loiter) is some stranger fastest variation of the motors speed, i think depends on a misreading of sonar data, but I assure you that for at least two minutes remained in perfect proportion without ever giving these "shots".... same "shots" when i've with the yaw.
I believe in the code, as I said, we have to correct the less violently variable speed motor when read as a "strange" sonar value.
For example, if the sonar sequential readings are "10-10-10-10-20-10-10" the number "20" should be ignored or filtered, if the problem is this, or just put a "soft correction". I can only guess, dunno... see my video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCb6TCYG7gs
And a welcome to the "crashed hexa with blocked apm and shrieking motors" club for me...
I have over 100 successful flights with my hexa with various firmware versions.
Today I tried 2.1 for the first time. The hexa flew fairly good in stabilise for the first 5 min orso. I was just flying around some in stabilise to let it auto-calibrate the compas. It seemed to show a little more instability on descend then before. There was almost no wind.
Then I tried ALT_HOLD at about 2 meter altitude. Went fine for about half a minute, then the hexa suddenly tilted HARD to the right side, I countered with left stick, which seemed to help, it tilted to the left side (but it didn't feel like I had control), then it crashed with shrieking motors (not turning but making awfull sound). All this happened in 1 or 2 seconds.
I couldn't disarm motors, had to unplug the battery.
This seems the same as others have experience with the i2c lockup due to compas ground. However it strikes me that it always seems to happen in althold ? Never had compass problems before and I regulary use simple mode (but didn't use it yet today).
This is my first crash in 100+ flights where I clearly can blame the APM. Too bad, I had just bought some fireworks to launch from the hexa at christmas, but I've lost confidence now to fly it in the dark. (or to fly it at all) This is scary stuff !!!
I'm at the fly space for testing again 2.1 Alpha (original), in hover (stabilze mode) i've stranger rotation of over 90° of yaw with the yaw stick at the center, with self control i rotate again the drone for the other 280° for a complete circle and i put it to the ground safety.
This is the log...
Welcome to the club of "yaw rotation problem"... :P
2011-12-21 02-38 1.log
I'm looking in the code for the manual throttle function applied to "alt_hold", i want to put same "fine throttle tuning" (manual altitude) in the loiter function... does anyone can help me?
I do not understand why it was not applied to loiter, is very useful!
Many users have already made this request.
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