Developer

ArduCopter-3.0.1 released!

ArduCopter 3.0.1 has been released and is now available in the Mission Planner, firmware.diydrones.com, GitHub and the new Downloads Area.

Warning #1: Compass calibration and reducing interference is far more important than with 2.9.1b

Warning #2: GPS glitches can cause sudden and aggressive position changes while in loiter mode.  You may wish to reduce the Loiter PID P to 0.5 (from 1.0) to reduce aggressiveness (see image below of where this gain can be found in mission planner).

Warning #3: optical flow is not supported but will be back in the next release (AC-3.0.2 or AC-3.1.0).

Warning #4: loiter turns does not maintain altitude.  This bug will be fixed in AC-3.0.2.

Warning #5: This release has only been lightly tested on Traditional Helicopters.

Improvements over 2.9.1b include:

  • Inertial Navigation for Loiter and Auto meaning much more accurate control (Randy,Leonard,JonathanC)
  • 3D navigation controller follows straight lines in all dimensions between waypoints (Leonard,Randy)

         WPNAV_SPEED, WPNAV_SPEED_UP, WPNAV_SPEED_DN, WPNAV_ACCEL allows configuring speeds and acceleration during missions

  • "compassmot" to compensate for interference on compass from the pdb, motors, ESCs and battery.  (Randy,JonathanC) (Set-up video here)
  • Safety improvements:
    • simple Tin Can shaped Geo Fence
    • pre-arm checks to ensure all calibration has been performed before arming (can be disabled by setting ARMING_CHECK to zero).  (video description here)
    • GPS failsafe - switches to LAND if GPS is lost for 5 seconds
    • stability patch improvements to stop rapid climbs in very overpowered or overtuned copters
  • Circle mode improvements including "panorama" when CIRCLE_RADIUS set to zero (Randy,Leonard)
  • SONAR_GAIN parameter added to allow better tuning of sonar surface tracking
  • CH8 auxiliary switch (same features as CH7)
  • works on PX4 (some minor features still not available) (Tridge,PatH)

How to upgrade:

1. Make sure you are using Mission Planner 1.2.59 or newer (get it here)

2. Click on the MissionPlanner's Hardware, Install Firmware screen.  The version numbers should appear as "ArduCopter-3.0.1", then click the appropriate frame icon and it should upgrade as per usual.

3. Reduce the Loiter and Alt Hold PIDs if you have modified them from the defaults.  The modified PID values for the 3DR frame can be seen in the image below.

Note: Nav parameters have been combined with Loiter so do not be concerned if you can't find them.

3691038784?profile=original

4. Although not directly related to this release, if you purchased an APM prior to March of 2013, update your PPM encoder to the latest firmware (instructions here).

5. Try out the new version in stabilize mode first, then alt-hold, then loiter and finally RTL and Auto.

Numerous How-To videos are available:

Special Thanks to MarcoDaveC and the large number of testers on the pre-release thread who put their copters at risk during the extended testing period.  Some of their videos can be found hereherehereherehere and here.  Thanks also to MichaelO for the MP changes required for this release.

All feedback welcome.  Please put your questions, comments (good and bad!) below.

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Replies

  • In the attachment does it appear motor 2 is running slower? Does this log entry follow the same order they are plugged into the APM?

    m2-check.PNG

  • How to set HEXA_FRAME? Thank you

  • How to set HEXA_FRAME? Thank you

  • Can I see in the logs the total distance flown in a session and speed?

  • hi

    great job just upgraded to 3.01 all works fine arms ok takes of lands in stabalize mode

    but when switched to loiter loiters fine but when I switch back to stabalize  land and then motors will not shut down

    just ticking over

    am I missing a setting somewhere

    many thanks stuart

  • Is logs enable raw disabled in 3.0+?

  • Wow!
    “You should switch to using a HAL_BOARD flag in your local config.mk.”I use ArduPilot-Arduino-1.0.3-windows, open ArduCopter folder not found config.mk file. How to change FRAME_CONFIG?

  • Sorry to bother. i am considering trying 3.0.1 for the added loiter accuracy. Warning #4 says loiter turns does not maintain altitude.

    Not exactly sure if I am missing some kind of terminology here but what is loiter turns? Does that mean if I tell it to yaw in loiter it turns off alt hold? Or does that mean in waypoint mode it looses altitude when facing a new waypoint? Is there some kind of affect on RTL?

  • watch the video at 10:00 there was a little toilet?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSdjB0ux6VQ

    and why FS is not planted and Vice versa raised my beetle?

    may I again something just noticed, logs such as normal

    logs are attached:

    2013-07-30 21-54 16.kmz

    2013-07-30 21-54 16.log

    2013-07-30 21-54 16.log.gpx

  • I did again some flights yesterday and today. In stabilize mode it goes more or less ok...I mean I can fly but I have the feeling that the copter as some yaw and is drifting a bit towards the right.

    alt hold works but I am getting some big motor amplitude (motors shows a lot then pull hard again)

    in loiter, it is simply not working at all (might be some link with my last crash). when I go into loiter the copter flies either forward or turns aggressively (I have to check the logs and video records but very bad sign).

    it used to work great in 2.9.2b version! haven't changed anything except the firmware!

     

    hope you can advise on what might have changed since last firmware that would create those issues

This reply was deleted.

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