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 made a flight today with ArduCopter 3.1-rc8 9-Dec-2013 on my X8 (a homebulit frame weight 3kg without lipo)
First I fly stabilize then loiter and when looking at BarAlt-RelAlt it looks fine
I landed, disarmed, waited 1 minut, armed and then a short flight in Stabilize (i wanted to record the throttle needed for hover)
The looking at the log BarAlt-RelAlt the BarAlt looks rubbish.
Both flight was OK, no problem.
I compiled the hexfile myself and changed "This firmware xxxxxxxx" this to keep a record of what firmware I have compiled.
I also attached a pic of AccZ taken just 2 minutes before the above flight, then I disabled IMU
Look at the attached pictures of the BarAlt-RelAlt
I have also attached both logs.
2013-12-09 14-38 2.log
2013-12-09 14-38 3.log
AC3.1-rc8 is available now through the mission planner's Beta Firmware's link. Not many changes over -rc7 but here they are:
1) add Y6 motor mapping with all top props CW, bottom pros CCW (set FRAME = 10)
2) Safety Changes:
a) ignore yaw input during radio failsafe (previously the copter could return home spinning if yaw was full over at time of failsafe)
b) Reduce GPSGLITCH_RADIUS to 2m (was 5m) to catch glitches faster
3) Bug fixes:
a) Optical flow SPI bus rates
b) TradHeli main rotor ramp up speed fix
I'm expecting that -rc8 will become the official AC3.1 release (i.e. just a name change) in about a week. Thanks for all the testing so far and if anything comes up I'll have a look at your logs.
all dears i am going to assemble arducopter and i want some comments about selecting frame which frame is best and strong that it should handle 5-10kg weight and second thing which i want to designe such arducopter that i could controll it from 10km range through fpv camera. its flight may be in between 1km but should be controlled from long range so guide me about selecting antena and also camera and also other important information you have
With the problems in loading firmware to my X8 with Mission Planner I started to look for other means.
I have an Ubuntu on a virtual machine in my Win 7, where I have compiled a project successfully, but so far haven't had the guts to upload yet... besides, I still have to sort out USB connections through the VM.
So the other means was through the patched Arduino.1.0.3 .
Here I had a little surprise. 3.1 rc7 compiles "too big". 262,438 KB where the limit is 258,048.
So question 1) do the linux compilers optimize enough to get the code squeezed into the space required?
My only other option then is get my linux working.
Question 2) Do the everyday linux compilers that we have optimize enough to get it into the required space? Are 3DR compilers enhanced?
I guess we are pretty much at the limit with APMs
Thank God I've got my Pixhawk!
Although I've still got an X8 with an APM 2.6 stuck in 3.01!
Safety: How about a temperature sensor (thermistor) for li-po battery? (useful in winter or hot summer to know if li-po battery is in optimal temperature range 20-50 C)
Having a bit of an issue trying to set up a 450 quad for a friend.
I have loaded RC7 and done all the setups and calibrations.
It can see many satellites (7-10) and clearly knows where it it when connected to MP but the HUD says 'no GPS fix'
OK so now I try to fly in STAB by disabling the GPS failsafe but the HUD still says 'failsafe' when I try to arm. Im assuming its the GPS failsafe still preventing arming as its the only thing in red and there are no other warnings
CLI test for gps and compass is fine.
Any ideas?
Arducopter 3.1 CIRCLE around me
I can't seem to load 3.1 rc7 to my X8.
First I updated to MP 1.2-88.
Did the upload as I usually do for my Iris. Connect cable, change port number and baud top right but don't connect.
Go to load firmware. It loads 3.01. I click "Beta Firmware". and 3.1 rc7 appears.
I click the X8. Syas "checking board version", and hangs for a good 5 minutes. After a while it will start to load Hex but hangs and then times out. My internet conection is good.
I tried loading the hex file from code.google, and then "load custom firmware". After a pause, it begins to load Hex, and then hangs about half way through.
What gives?
I backed up to MO 1.2.86, but the same thing!
Hi Randy, here is the dropbox link with raw footage about AC3.1 ROI and CIRCLE function
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/aoafar9mu2fwn2a/1ksvVHi0F-
Regarding my previous post about RTL, here is the internal log.
Thank you for your help, Mihai.
2013-12-07 16-07 39.zip
Hi randy, it will be nice if user can reduce the copter speed when approaching home during RTL. I want it slow stop.
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