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.

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:

3DR Quad Set-Up Suggestions

AC 3.0 Pre-Arm Checks

AC 3.0 Maiden Flight Checks

AC 3.0 "Live" Compass Calibration

AC 3.0 CompassMot Setup

AC 3.0 Fence

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.

AC 3.1-rc6 is now available through the Mission Planner's Beta firmwares link or on github. There were quite a few changes, mostly safety related since -rc5. These changes include:
1) Heli improvements:
    a) support for direct drive tails (uses TAIL_TYPE and TAIL_SPEED parameters)
    b) smooth main rotor ramp-up for those without external govenor (RSC_RAMP_TIME)
    c) internal estimate of rotor speed configurable with RSC_RUNUP_TIME parameter to ensure rotor at top speed before starting missions
    d) LAND_COL_MIN collective position used when landed (reduces chance copter will push too hard into the ground when landing or before starting missions)
    e) reduced collective while in stabilize mode (STAB_COL_MIN, STAB_COL_MAX) for more precise throttle control
    f) external gyro parameter range changed from 1000~2000 to 0~1000 (more consistent with other parameters)
    g) dynamic flight detector switches on/off leaky-i term depending on copter speed
2) SingleCopter airframe support (contribution from Bill King)
3) Drift mode replaces TOY
4) MPU6k SPI bus speed decreased from 8Mhz to 500khz after 4 errors
5) Safety related changes:
    a) crash detector cuts motors if copter upside down for more than 2 seconds
    b) INS (accel and gyro) health check in pre-arm checks
    c) ARMING_CHECK allows turning on/off individual checks for baro, GPS, compass, parameters, board voltage, radio
    d) detect Ublox GPS running at less than 5hz and resend configuration
    e) GPSGlitch acceptable radius reduced to 5m (stricter detection of glitches)
    f) range check roll, pitch input to ensure crazy radio values don't get through to stabilize controller
    g) GPS failsafe options to trigger AltHold instead of LAND or to trigger LAND even if in flight mode that does not require GPS
    h) Battery failsafe option to trigger RTL instead of LAND
    i) MOT_SPIN_ARMED set to zero by default
6) bug fixes:
    a) missing throttle controller initialisation would mean Stabilize mode's throttle could be non-tilt-compensated
    b) inertial nav baro and gps delay compensation fix (contribution from Neurocopter)
    c) GPS failsafe was invoking LAND mode which still used GPS for horizontal control

Unless there are serious issue found, I expect this (or something extremely similar) will become the official AC-3.1 release and I will be creating a new "AC3.1 ready for wider testing" discussion within a few days.

One thing that I'm very interested in finding out is what are the best values for the GPSGLITCH_RADIUS and GPSGLITCH_ACCEL values. Best means the lowest values (i.e. strictest so we catch more glitches) that doesn't create lots of false positives. RADIUS should be between 100 ~ 1000 (i.e. 1m ~ 10m) and ACCEL should be 300 ~ 1000 (i.e. 3m/s/s ~ 10m/s/s). Any feedback on this or anything else related to -rc6 very much appreciated.

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Developer

Randy November 16, 2013 at 12:08am

AC 3.1-rc6 is now available through the Mission Planner's Beta firmwares link or on github. There were quite a few changes, mostly safety related since -rc5. These changes include:
1) Heli improvements:
    a) support for direct drive tails (uses TAIL_TYPE and TAIL_SPEED parameters)
    b) smooth main rotor ramp-up for those without external govenor (RSC_RAMP_TIME)
    c) internal estimate of rotor speed configurable with RSC_RUNUP_TIME parameter to ensure rotor at top speed before starting missions
    d) LAND_COL_MIN collective position used when landed (reduces chance copter will push too hard into the ground when landing or before starting missions)
    e) reduced collective while in stabilize mode (STAB_COL_MIN, STAB_COL_MAX) for more precise throttle control
    f) external gyro parameter range changed from 1000~2000 to 0~1000 (more consistent with other parameters)
    g) dynamic flight detector switches on/off leaky-i term depending on copter speed
2) SingleCopter airframe support (contribution from Bill King)
3) Drift mode replaces TOY
4) MPU6k SPI bus speed decreased from 8Mhz to 500khz after 4 errors
5) Safety related changes:
    a) crash detector cuts motors if copter upside down for more than 2 seconds
    b) INS (accel and gyro) health check in pre-arm checks
    c) ARMING_CHECK allows turning on/off individual checks for baro, GPS, compass, parameters, board voltage, radio
    d) detect Ublox GPS running at less than 5hz and resend configuration
    e) GPSGlitch acceptable radius reduced to 5m (stricter detection of glitches)
    f) range check roll, pitch input to ensure crazy radio values don't get through to stabilize controller
    g) GPS failsafe options to trigger AltHold instead of LAND or to trigger LAND even if in flight mode that does not require GPS
    h) Battery failsafe option to trigger RTL instead of LAND
    i) MOT_SPIN_ARMED set to zero by default
6) bug fixes:
    a) missing throttle controller initialisation would mean Stabilize mode's throttle could be non-tilt-compensated
    b) inertial nav baro and gps delay compensation fix (contribution from Neurocopter)
    c) GPS failsafe was invoking LAND mode which still used GPS for horizontal control

Unless there are serious issue found, I expect this (or something extremely similar) will become the official AC-3.1 release and I will be creating a new "AC3.1 ready for wider testing" discussion within a few days.

One thing that I'm very interested in finding out is what are the best values for the GPSGLITCH_RADIUS and GPSGLITCH_ACCEL values. Best means the lowest values (i.e. strictest so we catch more glitches) that doesn't create lots of false positives. RADIUS should be between 100 ~ 1000 (i.e. 1m ~ 10m) and ACCEL should be 300 ~ 1000 (i.e. 3m/s/s ~ 10m/s/s). Any feedback on this or anything else related to -rc6 very much appreciated.
TheMightyThor November 15, 2013 at 3:39pm

hello i dont know if i can request something of the programmers but since "Warning #4: loiter turns does not maintain altitude. This bug will be fixed in AC-3.0.2." is a Bug, is there any chance altitude params can be added to that function?

I am thinking how useful it would be if i could Send params that says Start at this Altitude, then End at this Altitude, Always point nose to the Way Point Center.. I am asking this because as a camera person, I would find this a very cinematic shot.

If those params arent changed, it would just circle at its current altitude. if it cant be done, i understand, i am sure you ahve more pressing issues, i was looking for a script for this but thats harder to find than to ask this question.

thanks in advance, keep up the good work.
Dragu Mihai November 15, 2013 at 3:20pm

I have so many logs in log folder and i don't know which one belongs to which copter. Please add a System ID parameter. Let's give them a name!
Brian Sigmon November 15, 2013 at 1:57pm

Sorry if this is a repeat issue - I decided to try out rc5 today (upgrading from 3.0.1) to see what autotune was about. That was interesting - I need autotune for my tail servo I need to get rid of a slow tail wag in my tricopter.

Anyway I've had this happen 3 times (not everytime I switched) when switching from alt hold to stabilize my controls reversed roll, pitch, yaw (I think - I landed fast - I'm not that good at reversed controls!!) - thankfully not throttle. If I landed and disarmed/rearmed (not power down/reset/etc) it was fine again - strange. That sort of behavior could definitely cause someone to crash. Don't know if this has been reported or not for tricopter.

Also regarding tricopter at least on my tricopter, having the tail prop spin on armed is a problem when disarming - my servo tilts the spinning prop into the ground. I have copterleds turned on to tell me arm status so I'll probably just disable the prop spin feature since I don't really need this feature.

Only other issue I have had for a while is that I cannot use ch6 to tune parameters. I set the range but MP doesn't match my input. When I read the value I'm trying to adjust it's always out of the range set by MP. This used to work at some point - I've had this issue for a while now even with 3.0.1.

Thank you for all of your work! I hope this feedback is useful.
ArchillesElbow November 15, 2013 at 12:02pm

I have asked him to do esc recalib
Rashed alzaabi November 15, 2013 at 11:50am

Hello all,

i crashed last week but i didnt know the reason, suddenly all motors switched off for second then start spin in the air but the copter couldn't balance it self , full video here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05bWb8nK6Xo&feature=youtu.be
Moderator

John Church November 15, 2013 at 11:40am

Goodness me, Leonard. With the perfect amount of time to get a smoke in while it was autotuning, I now have the best tune yet.

F450, APM2.5 between the frames with external mag. 30cm over the frame with 8" props on a 2.6A 4S on the top of the frame. Stock PIDs left the machine a bit twitchy. Flies like butter now. Thanks dude.
ArchillesElbow November 15, 2013 at 10:18am

I checked motors and props before I flew it.. I was also worried about the circular movement... If u check te logs tho doesn't the vibrations seem too low for all that movement?? (Logs for only the second flight- p at 0.17)
I checked compass and throttle mid before flight (500ish) compass was fine
12-HAK November 15, 2013 at 5:23am

I have some train tunnel cam from 3.1 rc5 :)

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ArchillesElbow November 14, 2013 at 9:42pm

Mmm friend building a hexa.. On default pids it does the wobble dance.. From the logs I think it maybe the apm is fixed on too softly can you guys perhaps have a look and tell me what u you think?
Vid: http://youtu.be/eEgwoKZUokk
Logs: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/52526195/2013-11-12%2017-39-06.zip
(Only first few mins valid.. He forgot to turn apm off on the way home:))

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ArduCopter-3.0.1 released!

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