Arducopter 2.8.1 is now in the mission planner and in the downloads area! Remember to do your MP configuration again after loading this code, since it erases your EEPROM and sets it to the new defaults.
Note: Issues with APM1 user's level feature not working are now resolved. If you installed 2.8 we highly recommend you upgrade to 2.8.1 as 430 extra bytes of RAM have been freed up which reduces the chance of memory corruption (although we haven't seen any cases of this on the APM2 at least) .
Note #2: this release has not gone out for Traditional Helicopters until they can be tested fully. Flip and Toy mode have also not been fully tested.
Improvements over 2.7.3:
- Improved ACRO mode (Leonard Hall)
- Improved stability patch to reduce "climb-on-yaw" problem (Leonard, Rob Lefebvre, Randy)
- Rate controller targets moved to body frames (yaw control now works properly when copter is inverted) (Leonard/Randy)
- Less bouncy Stabilize yaw control (Leonard)
- OpticalFlow sensor support for APM2.5 (Randy)
- DMP works again by adding "#define DMP_ENABLED ENABLED" to APM_Config.h You can also log DMP vs DCM to the dataflash by adding "#define SECONDARY_DMP_ENABLED ENABLED" (Randy)
- Watch dog added to shutdown motors if main loop feezes for 2 seconds (Randy)
- Thrust curve added to linearize pwm->thrust. Removes deadzone found above 90% throttle in most ESC/motors (Randy)
- More timing improvements (main loop is now tied to MPU6000s interrupt) (Randy)
- GPS NMEA bug fix (Alexey Kozin)
- Logging improvements (log I terms, dump all settings at head of dataflash log) (Jason)
Bug Fixes / Parameter changes:
- fixed skipping of last waypoint (Jason)
- resolved twitching when no GPS attached (Tridge)
- fixed loss of altitude if alt hold is engaged before first GPS lock (Randy/Jason)
- moved Roll-Pitch I terms from Stabilize controllers to Rate controllers
- TILT_COMPENSATION param tuned for TradHeli (Rob)
Code Cleanup:
- HAL changes for platform portability (Pat Hickey)
- Removed INSTANT_PWM (Randy)
As per usual 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.
Please note that on this release we've moved the Roll and Pitch I terms from the Stabilize controller to the Rate controller. There's some evidence that says this can lead to flips on take-off if you move the roll or pitch sticks around as you take-off so we recommend you leave these sticks in the middle until you're in the air.
Please feel free to report issues you find in the discussion below and/or add them to the issues list.
Thanks and enjoy!
Replies
MAnaged to run out today just before the fog bank settled over us and flew an auto mission with 2.9 RC5. VERY happy. Unfortunately, no camera was handy, but overall it just looked sharper and more crisp in flight and it really nailed the waypoints.
Very happy with latest RC. So far, no issues at all.
Is CLI working properly over telemetry yet? I see in the MP that it still says: "*NOTE* CLI Works over USB only", but I do recall reading somewhere that one can now access the CLI over the telemetry link...
Hi, I ran into another problem I cant seem to solve, when trying to update the ppm encoder, I get to the step to short the 2 pins for reset, I hear the usb reboot but I get a message no driver, I look in the device manager and find under "other" Arduino Mega 2560 DCU, no driver is installed for this, and I cant find a driver for it. any suggestions?
I have been trying lots of things to get this driver to install and still no go. I am wondering, I see the APM2 board jp2 is in a different place on the APM25 which is what I have, is there anything different I need to do with the apm25?
thanks
John
As this topic is scanned by so many experts at the moment, perhaps I can ask a slightly off topic question.
How important is it for the APM to be near the centre of gravity?
Im working on a ‘H’ frame quad and it would be convenient to put the APM at one of the frame ends. Would this cause the accelerometers to sense pitching as vertical movement?
Im trying to get away with everything on one layer but the batteries will occupy most of the mid section.
Thanks.
Vince
Today noon I was out to test my Y6 with APM2 and 2.9rc5. Could not do that much, because it was very windy and very cold. After half a battery I finished, because could not move my fingers any more.
The short test showed me some issues. First of all, sonar did strange things. I put it on channel 7. Then switched it on during alt hold and the copter climbed up quickly.
When sonar was on, alt hold was somehow strange.
Then I tried loiter, but that did not do that well. As I wrote, wind was strong and gusty. Once in loiter at about 2m, the copter decided to dive into the ground, but I could avoid that by quickly switching to stabilize and take over control.
Maybe the wind was far to strong for flying my copter, but when I am able to hold it in stabilize, the FC could be able to do so in the automatic modes.
So I think I have to change some of my settings. I think I put rate P and throttle_acc P a little to high, as I tuned it when there was no wind. So when there is much wind, the copter does a little bit of overreacting, I think.
I downloaded the logs and when I take a look at the alt values, it doesn't show what I was flying.
I was never higher then appr. 10m. Even the GPS Data looks strange, because I never was there where it is deisplayed, when I load it to google earth. The starting and landing points are o.k., but some lines are far away from where the copter really was.
I attached the log file. Maybe someone can read something in it.
2013-01-16 20-15 1.zip
Hey, guys
Has anyone experienced something that, if left on the floor of the machine is disproves the altitude value starts to decrease when they overthrew the right to rise.
This phenomenon can be observed althold mode, when you hover the quad rises and tilts to the left, to the right you'll decide descends.
This is normal or did I just not well translated 2.9 RC5 firmware (APM2.5 board).
Tomi
i've crashed my quad because of an overheat esc (2.9rc2) a couple days ago..
i've rebuild whats left into a tricopter (2.9rc4), and crashed again because of an overheat esc again..
both crashes is with canopy installed, both flew very well without canopy.. my frame is turnigy HAL.. my esc is redbrick 20A with dt750 10" prop.. lesson learned, i should put my esc under the prop wash or never use redbrick at all..
Got time to try out 2.9 latest RC today. After a number of stupid mishaps (none of them SW related) finally got things going. Initial setup was using my rate and stab settings from 2.8.1 (fairly tightly tuned using Dave's methods) and the default settings for the new stuff.
Ordinary flight seemed OK, but a little different - before, if I hit the stick the thing immediately responded. Now it appears to hesitate just a bit, and it seems to coast a lot farther after I let up than it used to - either forward and back or side to side.
Switched on Alt-Hold and it began to pogo up and down sometimes generally climbing and other times not.
Got into the settings and changes INS_MPU6K_FILTER to 20 from 0 and set Throttle Accel P to Chanel 6 (.5 - 1 range)
Immediate huge improvement. Seemed to do best with Throttle Accel P at the lower end. This quad is small and alittle bouncy and I suspect vibration is an issue.
Ended up with Throttle Accel P at .6 with i at 1.2 and the alt hold is lovely. I especially like being able to hit the throttle, see it shoot up, drop to midpoint and it just stops in place. Really nice.
I have left the Throttle Rate PIDs at default as I have no idea what effect to expect form them.
Loiter is about where it was before except better altitude hold. I am using the Mediatek from JDrones which I have not updated to the newer firmware, so didn't expect much better loiter. But it is pretty good as is.
Landing is sweet even with Sonar disabled (I almost never use Sonar - it just seems to cause trouble).
Question to the gurus: Now that alt hold is pretty good, where to play with tuning to get back to snappier overall control?
True, the switch was still in Loiter position.
I was too excited to even realize it immediately.
I will use a switch from the radio to.
Thank you.
Today I tried the rc5 on my Y6 with the APM2. It is really great.
I could not fly a lot around, because I only had the time to go in front of my house and do some hover tests.
Tried Alt Hold and it works very well. Sometimes the copter lost altitude, when moving around, but then I discoverd, that I did not have the throttle stick right at the middle or inside the deadband.
So Alt Hold works great. When raising or sinking the coptert locks imideately when I bring back the throttle stick to center.
I disabled sonar at the hardware form of the Missionplanner, because I did not find the sonar option in the Channel 7 dropdown.
Do I have to hardcode sonar on/of for channel 7 in the config?
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