Arducopter 2.0.34 Preview

Hi All,

I just posted a new experimental version of Arducopter with new PIDs and control laws for Yaw. It's download only for now and I wouldn't recommend trying it unless you can rigorously test it. Please be careful. I've flown this in Stable, Simple, Acro, Loiter, and Alt Hold with no known issues. But you never know! This version is not yet compatible with the mission planner.

What's new:

New PIDs - I rewrote the control laws from scratch to add a PI Rate function. The end result should fly nearly identically to the current version. The nice detail is that we can use NG PID values for easy transition!

Before: -> After

Stabilize P –> Stabilize P (Use NG values, or 8.3 x the older AC2 value)

Stabilize I –> Stabilize I (Stays same value)

Stabilize D –> Rate P (Stays same value)

–> Rate I (new)

I added a new value – an I term for rate. The old stabilization routines did not use this term. Please refer to the config.h file to read more about the new PIDs.

I added the framework for using DCM corrected Accelerometer rates. Code is commented out for now.

Added set home at Arming.

Crosstrack is now a full PID loop, rather than just a P gain for more control.
Throttle now slews when switching out of Alt hold or Auto modes for less jarring transitions

Sonar and Baro PIDs are now combined into a throttle PID Yaw control is completely re-written.

Jason

I was so excited so I just erase eeprom and recalibrate everything and went to the field. its a bit windy 5-10knots randomly blowing not constant. The 2.0.35 ATL_HOLD and loiter was pretty good I must say. loiter is wandering 5-10m but it was constantly find the sudden gust of wind. I got scared with what Jose mentioned on the RTL so i did not test it yet. maybe on a wider field.

Notice a bit of oscillation switching stabilized and atl hold on the first few flights. on this last one it was minimal.

Here's a vid of my last flight, test was a bit short. Apparently all my other flight test (longer test) were not recorded. I forgot to click the shutter :D

1st 1 min is on stab mode

2nd was switching between stab to alt_hold a bit of oscilation after switching around 1:06

3rd was loiter, i dont think it can be heard on the vid but you can here the propellers fighting the wind.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VF6-OmXPVPs

keep it up Jason. Great Job

Replies

Sasha July 13, 2011 at 3:50pm

My test flight with gopro but on 2.0.34, hexa, all default, servo cam stab off, raw video,was trying some acrobatic movements in stabilize mode so it could be shaky because of my fast hand on sticks.. should put expo on ele and ailerons now its all tx default. On 3min 2 sec - hovering quite stable...
Jose Angel July 13, 2011 at 3:17pm

Understood, I flew today 2.0.35 but I didn't test alt_hold.
I'll give it a shot tomorrow!
Jose Angel July 13, 2011 at 2:48pm

I also observed that alt_hold is not as accurate as two weeks ago... but my first thought was that these days there is a lot of wind in my area....

Jason, any major change in alt_hold in last two/three versions?
Wayne Harton July 13, 2011 at 2:24pm

Hi Jason great work you are doing. I don't even have time to test a revision before there's another one to try. Everything has been working well on the default I couldn't believe how good alt hold was on 2.032-3 working really well on default pids. I was only testing at low altitude with the sonar but it was rock solid maybe 2" movement max even when travelling and going over objects the quad would just rise over the object and come back down the other side at the same height. Since loading 2.034-5 the alt hold has become very jerky with aggressive corrections and is up and down like a yo-yo. I have reduced the P value down to .2 and it has calmed it down a bit but it is still all over the place. Any ideas?
Developer

Adam Rivera July 13, 2011 at 2:23pm

I have to say, DiyDrones is the coolest community ever. Every time I order something from the store, it shows up in like 2 days (FAST!!!), and every time I ask questions, someone is willing to help. I am a software developer and this has really inspired me to take a close look at the code so that perhaps I will be able to help sometime in the future. Thanks DiyDrones!
Vincent Mees July 13, 2011 at 1:39pm

Concerning declination I'm getting two different values for the same location on two different sites.

Which one is correct.

Position is:

Latitude: 51° 11' 7.3" N
Longitude: 3° 5' 38.5" E

Sites are

http://www.magnetic-declination.com/

Magnetic declination: 0° -24' EAST
Declination is POSITIVE

http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/geomagmodels/struts/calcDeclination

Declination = 0° 20' W changing by 0° 8' E/year

Magnetic Declination on Map

Click on the map to find the magnetic declination at your location
Sasha July 13, 2011 at 1:07pm

Jason, i cant see 2.0.35 in APM it shows 2.0.33 by clicking on hexa or quad...hmm
Jeff E July 13, 2011 at 5:21am

Tested RTL:

- Moved the quad about 100ft away

- changed to Loiter, front is facing away from home

- changed to RTL and it turned towards home and started moving

- took about 5-7secs (not accurate)

One good thing is that it did not over shoot that bad..maybe about 1-2ft only and turn around and it stayed there like in loiter mode. Pretty good test I should say.

Unfortunately that that will be my last test, due to pilot error (and considering I flew at night) I hit a tree branch..still happy with the current code cant wait to get hold of another frame :D
100KM

u4eake July 13, 2011 at 2:31am

This thread is going nicely ! I have another question regarding camera control. Would it be hard to implement a dead zone in the camera stabilisation ? The issue I have is that stabilisation works nicely when, for instance, pitching forward to gain speed (big stabilisation correction), but it doesn't work so well when hoovering stationary in some wind. The small corrections when hoovering translate into small shocks of the stabilisation servo's, causing a horribly shaky and 'nervous' image. I've managed to reduce the shaking a bit by redesigning my camera mount and using higher resolution servo's, but I can't seem to eliminate it completely.
Anyone else noticed this, and would a dead band for the stabilisation servo's solve this issue ?
Jeff E July 12, 2011 at 7:13pm

I was so excited so I just erase eeprom and recalibrate everything and went to the field. its a bit windy 5-10knots randomly blowing not constant. The 2.0.35 ATL_HOLD and loiter was pretty good I must say. loiter is wandering 5-10m but it was constantly find the sudden gust of wind. I got scared with what Jose mentioned on the RTL so i did not test it yet. maybe on a wider field.

Notice a bit of oscillation switching stabilized and atl hold on the first few flights. on this last one it was minimal.

Here's a vid of my last flight, test was a bit short. Apparently all my other flight test (longer test) were not recorded. I forgot to click the shutter :D

1st 1 min is on stab mode

2nd was switching between stab to alt_hold a bit of oscilation after switching around 1:06

3rd was loiter, i dont think it can be heard on the vid but you can here the propellers fighting the wind.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VF6-OmXPVPs

keep it up Jason. Great Job

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