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
Hi,
how can i creat a ROI Mission? Id like to Programm a mission where my copter locks to some preeset directions.
If i Set Roi events at the planer it does not work... the copter looks to the next waypoint or if I rotate maualy it holds this position... what can i do to preset the direction?
thanks
Alex
@Randy...
I've been flying V3.1 rc7 on my Iris, during the developer testing, and It's running great. In mission planner now, loading betas, this version comes up for all configs. Is this real?
I've got an X8 and would like to try the rc7, so it seems that I should be able to try it.
A second related question, I have two Pixhawks coming soon, one of which I want to put into an X8 configuration. And I thought I saw somewhere that The Mission Planner "V" configuration would be used for X8. My new X8 frame is oriented much more like a V than a straight X, and even more-so than the 3DR X8. Does the "V" config adapt to 8 motors?
Hi Guys! I´ve been testing RC 7 this weekend. So far only one strange issue found.
While in loiter mode, sometimes the tricopter starts to drift to one side and if I didn´t correct it, it continued to fly away.
Today there was absolutely no wind, some flights I could leave it there for 10 minutes and I had a perfect loiter, then the problem started.
Here are some logs (although I´m not sure that this are the ones that show the problem) to see if you can fin anything.
Thank you very much
2013-12-02 00-54 10.log
2013-12-02 00-49 9.log
Is there some documentation on the new flight modes in 3.1? Not seeing anything about sport and other new modes here:
http://copter.ardupilot.com/wiki/flight-modes/
I'm using 3.1rc7 and I guess the satellite's are having problems today, at least in the SH. Best I could get was 6 sats and 3.5 hdop. Did a short flight in stabilize and then noticed it starting to auto land. Then it would refuse to arm or arm and immediately disarm. I understand the reason for this in GPS dependent modes and I know even stable uses GPS to some extent but I was wondering what would happen in an FPV flight if this happened. I mostly fly in places that are not flat and are hard to get to and impossible to land. It would just auto land me and then it could roll several hundred meters to the bottom of the valley.
Wouldn't it be better to allow control instead of auto land since I would be flying with FPV camera and have no problem to land if necessary? I mostly use alt hold for FPV and even that should be fine with a bad GPS fix.
Is there a way to turn off this auto land triggered by bad GPS fix?
Regarding the modes available on 3.1rc7, the wiki doesn't say anything about the following modes: "OF_loiter, ToyA, ToyB, Sport". Drift is not listed either (or is that one of ToyX?).
Can anyone provide some clarification on these modes please? ( I know what OF_loiter is)
Also what is Multi Mode in the ch7/8 options?
Hi,
I just had a huge crash this morning, hoping somebody can help with my logs.
Setup:
Arducopter V3.1 rc5
APM2.5, modified with External compass
TBS disco,
Tiger MT2216-11 (900KV)
F30A ESC
Graupner 9x5
What broke:
4 props
1 arm
GPS antenna
Antenna stand
external piezo buzzer
Dragonlink receiver SMA coupling
1.3G CP video antenna
GoPro lense protector
Top Frame plate
I was in my backyard making use of the low winds setting some trims. A bit of a slight wind came through, which I tried to correct for by giving it a little bit of reverse pitch, then it just pulled itself full backwards and nearly straight into myself, and narrowly missing my kitchen window. It smashed straight into the wall at full reverse throttle. It stayed that way until I was able to disconnect the lipo. No property damage, just my quad.
I had just finished installing a new antenna mast which holds my GPS and compass, so was making sure it was still trimmed OK. not sure if the new antenna had anything to do with the crash.
2013-12-01 09-02 26.log
Thanks
with the compass calibration where I have built my own external compass and GPS mount, which out of the Compass setup should I select on the APM compass setup page?The compass is same as was use on the APM1 board and now mounted on the pole in the same direction as it was as on the board. I assume "APM with External Compass" is only for the 3DR external compass?
Good evening all. I don't know if the problem I'm about to explain is 3.1RC7 or Mission Planner issue but I have noticed it on multiple occasions since testing the RCs. I was tuning Alt Hold P using channel 6 on my ER9x and I set the the min to be .75 and the max 2.6. Everything went well I was noticing a difference while turning the dial and flying. I got to around the 2.6 max where I was most happy. I landed, disarmed and packed up to head home since I didn't have my laptop on me to check PIDs. When I get back to the computer and plug in Alt Hold is showing a P value of 0.0000. I do not have the radio on at this point but the knob is still in the same position. Turning on the remote and a refresh screen I see the Alt Hold value of 2.29.
Am I wrong to believe that value should have been saved to APM and present without having to turn on the remote? This has happen on multiple occasions but I just assumed I was doing something wrong. Any suggestions?
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