Version 2.5 of the ArduCopter code is now available in the AP Mission Planner and in the downloads area!
Enhancements:
- 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.
- Loiter and waypoint following should be improved due to a D term bug fix, some tuning and the improved DCM performance mentioned above.
- 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).
- Increased output rate to ESCs to 490hz. This update rate is also user selectable using the new RC_SPEED parameter.
- hexa copter stability patch bug fix (should resolve slight flattening when pitching forward and accelerating very rapidly).
- improved baro filtering
- fix to dataflash logging of Mag heading
- 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!
Replies
In this case, ive a question. as i know, we dont have the battery monitoring over the 3 (3S) resistors anymore in the code, or?
so, how i monitor the battery to get these all nice blinking led stripes ?
Now that 2.5.3 is out and working reasonably well, we are turning our attention to enhancements and bug fixes for the next release, 2.6. What this means is that you should take extra care if you are loading code directly from trunk (aka git) as it will be in flux for the next couple of weeks.
Now, I hope there are not too many people actually doing this. We recommend people use the code from the mission planner or from the downloads area but I wanted to warn people just in case!
BTW, it's hard to say at this point what improvements will be in 2.6 but some yaw improvements are likely.
Hi,
At the moment its very nice weather in Belgium so ideal to do some flight tests with 2.5.3.
First impressions:
Very stable but sometimes a random movement, like a slow twitch. The quad corrects itself very fast.
Then I noticed that the yaw suddenly moved 10° to the left without my input. A few moments later again. I didn't do any mag calibration. Ihad read about the yaw solution in another thread so I wanted to test the calibration with Tlog.
This was done and the random yaw movement was gone. But when flying fast forward the quad can't hold the yaw. It seems to turn left or right for a couple of degrees.
In previous versions I know that this was rock solid.
Loiter seemed to do fine but I have to test it in an open field.
As allways this version is getting better.
I'v just ordered a new APM2 ;-)
Is it possible to deactivate the auto land function? the copter should loiter till i get em to the ground.
It would be really nice if there was an option on Mission Planner say in a drop down box to select either the current version default version of the firm ware or the other various beta or git versions being worked on. Also with previous versions if you want to revert to them.
I must say its hard to keep track of which and what is and isn't working unless you flow the forum every day. This for some of us isn't possible. I was away for nearly 2 weeks and I'm now having to trawling through days of conversations to find out what issues there are now with 2.5 and 2.5.3. Seem a lot of issues on both so far.
Again, as suggested previously a number of times now, can there be a pop up window that advise issues and changes when we open an update for MP or APM? This would save us a lot of time having to trawl for issues or miss something and then destroying our copters.
Hi all,
Huge compliments on 2.5.3, I'm fairly new to this, but have been able to get my Hexa + in the air without too much troubles. Honestly I spent most time on finding the correct thread in this forum!
However...today first the first time I tried loiter and RTL. Loiter seemed to work OK by decreasing Loiter_P to 0.15 (anything higher and it overshoots drastically). However, RTL: it only worked once and perfectly! On subsequent tries though, it never landed and it turns out that the APM planner was shouting 'loiter' at me (I have speech enabled). In other words: it was reverting to Loiter mode, additionally, the parameter AUTO_LAND changed from 20000 to a large negative number. Any idea why?
Thanks!
Alexander
Here's simple question - when we install a new version of software, should we load and write the param file (dated Feb 2) from the downloads section of the wiki? or use default params in the code?
While I'm at it, is the proper way to load a new release?:
1) make any code modifications to the code
2) compile and upload using the Arduino IDE
3) issue an "Erase" in the CLI
4) issue a "Reset" in the CLI
5) reset the APM
6) launch the Mission Planner and do all the steps in the "APM Setup" page.
7) Clear the logs (if not already perfomed)
8) go fly.
I get better results using the APM Param file from feb 2. I know a lot of work as been done since then, and I expected a new param file for the stock 3dr frame, APM1 with 850 motors.
My update on 2.5.3: ran the same waypoint mission 10 times on my 3DR hexa-- RTL, waypoints (still needs nav tuning!), land, loiter, alt... all working well. Very good job on 2.5.3 guys!
Interesting when I looked at the throttle trim value from auto-setting and it was 20 off from my manually-tuned value (512 self-tuned vs 532 auto). In getting a good trim, I manually hover (at least 5m) for about 30sec, switch to alt hold, go back to manual at the slightest dip, and switch back to alt-hold, etc... until I get a good hold. Then, I repeat the exercise while flying around very slowly so it can readjust and fine tune the value for level flight.
There are still alt jitters in still air (< +-1m), but within tolerance, and likely too stiff of a throttle_rate_P default value (using defaults rate pids for the hexa). Auto was solid if I was previously in loiter or manual hover then switching to auto. But, when moving (e.g. 1m/s) and switching to auto I either get a 2-3m dip in alt or it would randomly veer off while finding the 1st waypoint. For folks having auto issues: lower you nav's wp speed (make it 2m/s) and lower the nav p setting and see if it's more stable.
Only other abnomally is an occasional yaw jerk in simple mode. It corrects eventually. Stab mode works fine. Still investigating. Going to upgrade the Y6 to test out this afternoon.
Flying with Hexa, APM 2 hardware:
Does anybody else has the same problem as I do?!
in Acro and Stabilize modes flying perfect (2.5.3 better than ever before!)
but then I hit Auto mode (waypoints) engines almost quit and hexa started to fall from the sky. Lucky had enough time to recover. Where should I look for problem? Checked the altitude (was lower than preset for waypoint) and tried few times. Not sure where to dig for the problem? Thanks
Virgis
How well should we expect a stock 3dr quad kit to cope with gusty wind? I was having serious trouble trying to manually control mine to stay in one spot this afternoon with maybe a 35km gusting wind. Whenever a gust would hit, it would oscillate, sometimes quite wildly (maybe 40 degrees or so), and sometimes it would take off in one direction or another as a result.
I'm running 850kv motors with 10x4.5 props on the latest git 1.5.3 (also tried straight mission planner 1.5.3). I'm just on default PIDs at the moment, tried turning rate_p up to .15 thinking that if it could counter the gust faster that might be good for stability but that just started to jitter so I turned it back to 0.14.
Where I live it is windy more often than not, so does anyone have any good strategies for PID tuning or getting by in a windy area?
I am also noticing that the yaw doesn't hold exactly, on previous code sometimes it would yaw significantly clockwise when I gave a boost of throttle, and usually back again when I backed off, even on a calm day. Haven't had a chance to test other than in the gusty conditions today
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