Developer

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.

3691038784?profile=original

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 MarcoDaveC 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 hereherehereherehere 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.

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Replies

  • Hi 

    I'm looking for that "Angle_Max" and i can't find it. I on the APM planner 2.0.14 on Mac.

    The only Angle Max I have is MNT_ANGMAX_PAN/ROLL/TILT  but that's for the gimbal.

    • Rodrigue Amyot, have you found a solution to your problem? I seem to be encountering the same issue and was wondering if you had already figured it out.

      • No I didn't.  It was part of configuring everything but it was not a mandatory setting for me. But I would like to be able to do it for some situation. So I'm still interested to how to do it.

  • Hello,

     

    I have three AP;  one 2.0, another one 2.5 both are from 3DR and one 2.5 from chine that I used to run some test

     

    Two month ago I burn the 3,3 regulator of the chine one, so I read the topic with the procedure to change it and did.

     

    When I was in the investigation process to find a solution I think that somebody had written that if you installed de 3.0 release in a chine AP board you could burn the 3.3 regulator.

     

    I have my test chine board again alive and I have installed 2.9.1 release and is working with no problem a small test quad. , but I would like to installed the 3.0 firmware.

     

    I would like to know if somebody else has read what I think I read, if I am right or wrong.

     

    I am looking forward to hearing from you guys any comments.

     

    Thank in advance, Leopoldo

    • If you burned the 3.3v reg., then it is burned no matter which firmware you install. The reason why your copter seems working with older 2.9.1 firmware is because those running at lower SPI speed and masking the problem. 

      The problem is there, it just that you don't see it. Your IMU sensors (gyros, accels.) are still exposed to 5 volts which they are designed to work with 3.3volts only...

      The only solution is to replace the regulator...

  • Hi All.. Hoping for a little help with log files on RC5. All the info I can find relates to Windows and with iOS it all works quite differently. I am struggling to just simply navigate to view the info I am looking for? I am in the initial flight tuning stage of a new Pixhawk on a 950mm Hex and just starting to do a few hover flights etc to check my data in logs. It is not familiar when using the graph controls etc. and am hoping for a little guidance on how to select the right info from the logs and how to adjust 7 view. It's not as simple as grabbing a section to zoom etc? Any help would be great.. Below file is screen print of first hover and graph gyro x,y,z. The values look good, but I'm not sure with the new graph tools that i am viewing correctly? And... um.... What next?

    2014-03-12 08.49.22 pm.jpg

  • What about running a second GPS for reference? That should clean everything up and the referencing shouldn't be too hard to prog? Just a thought.. Cheers

  • Gents,

    Please could someone help me to find out what happened on this crash? It is the first time it happened after flying several missions with the same equipment for many months. I am uploading here the logs and a link to the video.

    http://youtu.be/Llg2pOn-Eos

    I am using Arducopter 3.0.1 with an Arduflyer 2.5 + external compass.

    Thank you

    2013-12-25 14-41-06 queda 2.tlog

    2013-12-25 14-41-06.rlog

  • Hi All,

    What happened when we switch to LAND mode while quad still on circle mode. I saw a crash today while triggering to LAND quad was banking back side like a lost power.. Using the new V3.1 fw. 

  • hi guys,

    got a crash today after tuning the copter with autotune. the autotune procedure went well. the copter was quite aggressive at takeoff (fast motor correction) but flying very sharp as I would expect it.

    have been flying around few min until I went for a full speed pass. when I pull back the pitch stick the copter went into a backflip and crashed. props off. not sure when the copter disarmed them (in the air or on the ground). what is for sure is that on pitch in and pitch in APM datalog, we can not see clearly at the end of the file the curves going in different directions!

    at the same time I have a second question, why I am not getting GPS data on the same scale as the pitch ones and can not compare them over the time.

    I attach here my log

    201312191156.log

This reply was deleted.

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