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
One warning I can give on autotune - escpecially with a bigger quad is be careful when the quad switches from roll to pitch autotune.
It can come back right into your face.
Make sure you keep it well out in front of you all through the process.
It did this to me and scared the $^%$ out of me...
But straight after autotune I went out and did this vid - so it works :)
http://youtu.be/B14h1lEItOA
So, tried to find the answer in here already, but 245 pages makes that difficult. When updating from 2.9b, and re-tuning the PID's, what general direction are the PID's going to change? E.x. is the Rate roll P going to be higher in 3.0.1 or lower when changing from 2.9b? I just want to better define my range of values to put on chan6 when I'm tuning to get a more accurate value. Thanks!
Houston i have a problem!!
Today I tried Autotune for the first seven minutes everything ok, then started to do some testing with contractions very fast with about a 35-40 ° tilt back and forth two or three times then came down doing a flip, I could not disarm so I disconnected the battery, broke two propellers and I think then I look at the wrong aluminum frame. Unfortunately I did not save the parameters because I disconnected the battery without disarming.
The flip can be seen in the movie 8:05
I attach logs and movie.
greetings
http://youtu.be/PrTFxs1bfm0
2013-10-17 17-52 1.log
@randy,
How do i enable the auto-tune in RC 4? Do i have to compile the code manually or is is already enabled in the Mission planner version?
Joe
Today I did the autotune on my quad with success. After I tested Alt hols and loiter and all is good.
Attached is the log. total 9 minutes and the autotune took c.a 4 minutes. Very interesting to see.
I had a gopro camera onboard and I plan to upload the video, but slow internet I do not know if I cold do it.
Thanks to dev team for an outstanding upgrade.
2013-10-16 11-18 1.log
If posible in 3.1 release. I see have problem about motor spin when arm. If it have bad landing or crash when have motor spin and propeller have cut to the ground is maybe damage. I think it should don't spin when armed in stabilize and arco mode. Because, If we have problem it. We will can change to Stabilze and cut throttle for low damage.
i have just completed my hexa, \rafter all calibrations , performed a test and it flies ok, but it randomly does a \"yaw glitch\" , allway on the same direction,(clockwise) very short , less than half a second , but it rotates probably 10 deg each time .
I would like to know , what can i look for in order to understand what is causing this fault
Copter conciguration
frame .flamewhell hexa 550
\rmotors 2212/13 1000kv
Esc 30a Simon k
apm 2.5, 3dr telemetry\rspektrum 8channels receiver\rsonnar
3dr power module
internal compass
external gps
rmode tested : simple stabilize
Update on the Octocopter performance issue:
I just flew a couple of packs with code compiled from trunk today, so it should have all the latest changes that Randy and Tridge have done recently to resolve this issue. I compiled as Octo-Quad, and I flew in Loiter, Simple mode, with Mount running, and I flew it around in Loiter, spinning it continuously as it flew in circles and changed altitude, and it performed just about flawlessly. Telemetry did slow to a crawl, but I occasionally got updates. I should have stopped and held position to see if telemetry came in, but didn't think of it at the time. Alt Hold felt pretty good, and I was getting telemetry in AH. I could hear a bit of motor pulsing, but it's WAY better than before.
Hi Randy,
Could you let me know when is the expected date for the next release? A version that supports optical flow sensor?
Thanks.
Hi all,
Here are some instructions on using Auto Tune:
1. upload the 3.1rc4 code to your APM
2. set the CH7_OPT or CH8_OPT to 17 to allow turning on/off the auto tuning with ch7 or ch8
3. ensure the ch7 or ch8 switch is in the off position
4. go to a wide open space on a reasonably calm day
5. take off and put the copter into AltHold mode at a comfortable altitude (3m or higher)
6. put the ch7/ch8 switch int the upper most position to engage auto tuning:
- you will see it twitch about 20 degrees left and right for a few minutes, then it will repeat forward and back
- use the roll and pitch stick at any time to reposition the copter if it drifts away (it will halt the test and use the original PIDs during re-positioning and will continue with the tests once you stop moving the sticks)
- move the ch7/ch8 switch into the off position at any time to abandon the autotuning and return to the origin PIDs
7. when the tune completes the copter will be left with the newly tuned PIDs active, fly around to see how it responds
8. If you are happy with the new PIDs:
Leave the ch7/ch8 switch in the ON position, Land disarm to save the PIDs permanently.
If you DO NOT like the new PIDS switch ch7/ch8 off to return to normal PIDs. the gains will not be saved when you disarm
When doing this on a calm day the copter can move up to 5m pretty easily so an open flying field is very helpfull. The copter moves even further when doing auto tune on a windy day.
When adjusting the position of the copter attempt to bring the copter to a halt before letting go of the sticks. The auto tune will work better if the copter is nearly stationary after the re-position.
The Auto Tune should take about 5 minutes to complete.
You can tell the tests are finished because the copter will stop twitching. However, somtimes after reposition the tests stay paused and a bit of a nudge on the sticks will generally get it going again. So if giving the sticks a nudge doesn't get the tests going then you are probably finished.
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