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.
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 Marco, DaveC 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 here, here, here, here, here 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.
Replies
I don't know if it's the best place for this, I made a vibration test today, with the same frame, same vibration dampener, same battery, I only change my propeller.
The first flight (green : 2013-08-08 18-51 5.log) was done with Graupner 10x5 propellers.
Second flight (red : 2013-08-09 19-15 1.log) was done with 3 Blade 9x4.5 Propellers.
For both flight (speed flight), all propellers were well balanced. The second flight was very windy.
2013-08-08 18-51 5.log
2013-08-09 19-15 1.log
Hello Randy,
I have a problem with my APM2 with the calibration of accelerometers use the M.P. 1.2.67, and when I do the calibration, as wiki procedures, it gives me the following error "Calibration Failed", I run both in MP mode in the CLI.
What might be the APM2 defective?
APM2 fw 3.0.1
MP 1.2.67
Thanks Randy and the development team.
New to arducopter, mildly experienced but getting stronger with arduplane. Sorry if this has been asked and answered but I did some autonomous missions for the first time with my qav500 just to test it out. I had 4 waypoints, and when it got to the third, it then decided it was time to go to waypoint 65335 and then loiter for a bit and land. I've read that this was fixed in 2.8.1 / 2.9, but I'm running 3.0.1. I then did the trick where you insert a "blank" waypoint right after the last waypoint, and then before that insert the "DO_LOOP" command back to waypoint 1. That didn't work either, the copter tried to go to the fake waypoint which was apparently, according to it, somewhere off to the east. Oddly, Mission Planner shows no evidence of waypoint 6 in the flight plan (the last, "empty" waypoint" being over there.. but its off to find it anyways. I've uploaded my tlog for reference. Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong, or is this a bug?
2013-08-08 19-03-27.tlog
Help ! I need some advice .... have been having problems with quad misbehaving ... when in auto and this evening when switching from loiter to circle .... quad sort of banked left and kept banking ..no response to switching back to stab mode and ended up upside down in wheat field ..(no damage) was only at 10 feet at the time ....if you could point me in the right direction to sorting this problem out I would be eternally grateful !!
Thanks
A
2013-08-08 18-14-46.tlog
2013-08-08 18-14-46.rlog
Hello everyone.
First let me congratulate everyone that made this APM possible - very well done and thank you for this gift!
However, I do need your help further, if someone would be so kind. It follows a crash of which the cause is not known to me, probably because I'm still too inexperienced in interpreting logs fully so I will attach the relevant one below.
Basically, following a very light and brief shower that stopped me flying, I set the hex on the ground, re-armed but didn't bother to check the leds this time due it to being literally just a minute or two since the last good flight with solid GPS lock.
Applying throttle, the hex took off to about shoulder height as expected then all hell let loose. It violently wobbled left away from me and despite instinctive corrections to the TX, it ended up trying to bury itself backwards into the ground, breaking two arms and ripping the wires out of one motor (who says bullet connectors can't be trusted to hold tight? lol )
Until I read this post by Tom Mahood, (which appears to be carbon-copy of my crash), I was ready to blame it on the theory that the FC came loose and was lifted to odd angles by prop draft, causing the crazy acitons of the APM. Is there a common theme between our builds or is it just coincidence?
p.s. For those examing my log; I'm fully aware the vibrations are out-of-spec as I've been testing various materials and mounting methods since I built the hex several weeks ago - all to no avail. However, please don't assume this was the cause because I can provide other logs with the same awful vibes, flying almost perfectly in Stab, AltHold, Loiter, Circle, RTL and Land modes.
Thank you for your time and excellent work
2013-08-05 19-19 2.log
Is there any code that I can add now to the arducopter firmware to fix the loiter turns altitude hold bug by the time the next version comes out?
I am working on a university project and would love to fix that problm before my project deadline plz.
thanks
Randy,
Before this great update in the parameter list I can found:
SER_AUX_BAUD, SER_AUX_PORT, SER_CLI_BAUD, SER_CLI_PORT, SER_GPS_BAUD, SER_GPS_PORT
Now the only one is SERIAL3_BAUD (used for telemetry)!!!!
How can I change AUX and GPS serial baud rate???
I am not sure if it comes from Mission Planner v1.2.66 or from the FW....
Please can someone help me??...
Rino
Hi guys,
During maiden flight of my new Y6 setup with APM2.5 fw 3.0.1 I have lost of control which has led to a scary hard landing with a few broken prop. Can anyone please have a look to the log ? I can't deternmine if it's an hardware or software issue...
My setup : f450 converted to Y6, 1000kV motors on 3S, 10x4,7 prop on the bottom, 9x4,7 on the top, APM2.5, external magneto
Thanks a lot
Pierre
2013-08-07 22-26 85.log
First up, great work! I'm really enjoying arducopter 3.0.1 on my discovery frame. The only issue I have left is the occasional loiter flyaway. I understand this is caused by GPS glitches (as noted in the warnings section of this post).
I hope this hasn't been asked a million times yet (I've read as many of the last 100 pages as I can) but I would like to know if there is going to be some kind of software filter in the next release of Arducopter to prevent this?
I think this is what DJI is doing in the naza, when the GPS jumps the naza will temporarily rely on the ACC data until it can confirm wether the multi has actually moved (I assume by averaging the GPS data over a period of time).
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