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
I'm using Planner 1.1.93 mav 1.0 and with the new config screens I'm not sure about my loiter or yaw settings. First I noticed in section ArduCopter Config that my loiter P=0, I=0 and IMAX 30 but when I go to other section ArduCopter Pids I see other settings for loiter which are 2.4 | .08 | .4 | IMAX 30.
And regarding YAW, for the first time I tried to take off in ACRO mode to try and tune that and it quickly does a fast yaw even though it is very good in stable mode. SO I checked my Rate Yaw and it's .13 | .0 | .002 | IMAX 50
and in stabilize Yaw it is 8 | .01 | IMAX 8
Is this right or is my acro spin caused by something else?
Rate mode is best tuned in Acro mode as it only uses the gyros, once you have it behaving quite well in this mode you can switch into stab mode and tune that, at least thats how I do it? I wouldn`t recommend this method for anyone that is not comfortable flying though? as a badly tuned acro mode can be a handful. If you go too high with rate p it will actually make the machine less responsive and have a delayed reaction to input...
Stab mode use both the accelerometers and gyros, Stab p is for tuning the accelerometers
Question for anyone: I would not consider myself a "PID beginner", but I can always use more tips and tricks from other experienced users. My question is this, Given that the Stab P gain could change the way that the RATE P/I gains behave, how can you decouple them for the purpose of tuning? I have tried several strategies and the one I use most often is below.
1. Set Stab P to 1 so it is not a affecting the desired rate at all.
2. Fiddle with Rate_P until the fast oscillation is visible and then reduce a little so it goes away
3. Increase Stab P for more responsive controls
The problem is at number 3. If you increase the Stab P, the desired rate increases which increases the rate error which seems to induce fast oscillations again. Am I on track here? How do you find the balance between the two terms? Right now I have my copter pretty well tuned, but I feel that I stumbled upon functional gains rather than fully understood the process.
T-Rex 450 hovering with APM2 2.6.
To hover T-Rex 450 in stabilize, I need to have always a little right roll input through the RC. I don’t like to trim it through the RC.
It feels like the APM2 wants to level 100% horizontal.
No Heli hovers at a 100% horizontal attitude, because it needs always to counter act the thrust of the Tail Rotor. This is the difference to hovering with a Quad.
I flew the T-Rex 450 before with “HeliCommand” and it had a provision to ‘trim’ the horizontal attitude, called “neutral roll attitude” in decrees (see picture) 4 is the default good for 450 size Heli. On my big one (1200 size) it’s 2.
How can I overcome the left drift without trimming the RC?
I tried to trim the Swash more to the right, but of course no success as expected.
Hi, Im having a problem when I upload the 2.6 firmware to my APM1. Having difficulties when ARM and DISARMED the motors. Sometime it worked and sometime didnt. When i switched back n downgrade to 2.5 firmware everything seem to be ok again. Is the 2.6 firmware developed to suit APM2 and not APM1?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ultraperm-80-Magnetic-Shielding-MuMetal-Mu-...
ok.. My APM1 hasn't recorded any logs since I loaded 2.6. How do I fix this?
Hi folks,
I'm in an awkward position. I'm just completing a Y6 build (my first build, actually) and I'm starting to do some initial testing. My setup is as follows:
Scarab YSiix airframe, 775kv motors, GWS HD-9050x3 props (3 blade, 9"x5" - balanced), 2650 4S, APM2 on AC2.6
I have been running some tethered hover tests (light fingertip pressure to keep it in position) and I noticed that it was twitching randomly, mainly in the roll axis when one or the other of the front pods (2-3 or 1-5) seemed to do a momentary jerk up or down. Didn't notice it so much in pitch.
Rather than tearing it apart and soldering all the motor connectors (that will come, but after I've confirmed everying is behaving properly), I started looking at the logs. I'm new to this, so it took some time to get familiar with the information, but it appears that the servo outputs to the front pods were experiencing random spikes (high and low) that appear related to spikes in the x accelerometer and x gyro IMU.
Since I've never done this before, I'm not sure where the problem lies. Is this just a normal tuning issue (Rate Roll P, perhaps), or is this an indication that there is something amiss, either in the wiring of the copter, or in the sensors on the APM2?
Logs are attached.
Thanks!
Brian.
I posted this earlier but I got no response and I feel this is a really significant issue and would really appreciate some input on it.
Basically when you go into any automatic mode, the manual override serves to offset the set point for whatever auto function(s) you are in, this means that the least bit of stick displacement from center (or throttle from position alt hold was engaged in) causes continuous movement of set point causing continuous movement of copter in direction of displacement.
Especially for the throttle, this means you are often going slightly up or down in alt hold mode.
But it can also cause slow continual horizontal displacement if stick doesn't exactly return to dead PWM center.
I think an adjustable dead band for the manual over ride might be the solution.
Maybe it's already in there, but having an adjustable dead band for the manual over ride on auto modes seems like it would be a really big help.
In Alt hold, I often end up with the Quad continuing to rise or fall slowly, and I have a very strong feeling this relates to my throttle being just slightly displaced from the point where I put it into Alt Hold which would act to move the altitude at which it was held.
Possibly similar results on Loiter horizontally (drift). If there was a little bit of dead band this could be eliminated as even a a possibility, if it was parameter list adjustable, even better.
For the throttle you could dynamically establish the dead band center point at the throttle position where alt hold was engaged, for the other axes, fixed stick center would probably be OK.
The throttle is a particularly problematic example because if you use any Yaw control, you are bound to displace the throttle slightly.
If I'm completely off on this please let me know. and please let me know what you think in any case.
I'm having big problems with my compass now. It will spin, and move eratically, which makes my copter unflyable, however when I do a CLI compass test, it shows that it is fine every time. Does anyone have any ideas?
http://diydrones.com/forum/topics/compass-spins-and-behaves-eratically
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