ArduCopter 3.0 is ready for widespread use. To make the transition easier, this time we are asking people to voluntarily upgrade from 2.9.1b for the next month or so before we make 3.0 the default firmware downloaded by the mission planner. The new version can be found in the Mission Planner's Beta firmware's link, firmware.diydrones.com, GitHub and the new Downloads Area.
Warning #1: A bug was found in the FENCE in which if you lost GPS it could lean at extreme angles as it tried to maintain an invalid position. This is fixed in AC3.0.1-rc1.
Warning #2: This release has not been fully tested on Traditional Helicopters
Warning #3: GPS glitches can cause sudden and aggressive position changes while in loiter mode. You may wish to reduce the WPNAV_ACCEL to 100 and Loiter PID to 0.2 (from 1.0) to reduce aggressiveness.
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.
http://ardupilot.com/downloads/?did=63
2. Click on the MissionPlanner's Firmware screen and click the "Beta Firmwares" link on the bottom right. The version numbers should update to "ArduCopter-3.0.1rc2", 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. If you purchased an APM prior to March of 2013, update your PPM encoder to the latest firmware.
http://copter.ardupilot.com/wiki/common-ppm-encoder/
http://copter.ardupilot.com/wiki/common-ppm-encoder-apm2x-atmega32u2/
5. Try out the new version in stabilize mode first, then alt-hold, then loiter and finally RTL and Auto.
Special Thanks to Marco, DaveC and the rest of the beta testers for putting 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.
Added by Craig:
Please watch Randy's videos on setting up and flying APM-Copter 3.0 before you go flying. They are excellent!
Replies
Hi everyone, I have setup a relatively large octo and I am looking for someone to have a look at t\my latest log file and see how I can improve the loiter performance. I have got my little hexi dialed in really sweet, but the big octo still seems a bit nervous in loiter and auto. I have done a few auto flights with it and I have been playing with settings to see if the response was what I was looking for to learn more about what to tune etc.
In Particular I think alt hold could be a bit better, also a kind of nervous twitch (pretty constant..) in loiter.
Any help here will be very much appreciated. It is a large octo, 15 x 5.5" props hovers around 35-40% throttle and around 20 minute endurance.
I don't have a current sensor on this one yet. I need to find something that can handle up to 200 amps at 25v
I have not done the compassmot on this beast, but will be disassembling tomorrow to move the power distribution system as low in the frame as I can get it. Over all I have several multicopters all running APM2.5's and they are slowing getting swapped over to v3. My little hexi has never been so locked in. it is awesome, just wish I could get the octo to the same point.
2013-06-20 20-22 18.log
Hi Guys, great work. Loaded 3.0 this morning and have done a few test flights.... All looks mainly okay so far however I do have a random yaw issue I cannot track down. I have done all the compass calibration and compassmot (39% mag field) and loiter is fine. However I seem to get a short yaw now and again with no input from me. Below is the log output showing this you can see yaw out at the start with no yaw input? What should I be looking for to resolve this?
Log files attached below.
rgds,
Marcus
2013-06-20 09-14 2.log
2013-06-20 08-56-46.tlog
Have just tried the Geo Fence for the first time and it worked ok.
The wiki did not explain exactly what would happen but it triggers a RTL, which can be over ridden with a mode change. There is no explanation of the FENCE ACTION parameter. I guess thats not implemented in 3.0?
I have some suggestions.
I have had a number of RTL events due to range and TX problems. It would be nice to have the MP voice shout which event had triggered ie RTL or FENCE_RTL as trying to over-ride a TX problem with mode changes could be bad.
Also it would be good to select just a verbal warning with no action ie “FENCE”.
anyone seen the compass be off by 90 degrees? when my APM is pointed west, mission planner (and yaw) report 360/0 degree (north) heading.
the compass rotation seems to not affect it, i tried ROTATION_YAW_90 and ROTATION_YAW_270 neither did anything.
I've been testing the RTL mode and noticed that my tricopter does not turn to face towards home, like it used to, when it executes the RTL. The tricopter heading direction remains the same and it flies backwards towards home during RTL.
How do I make the tricopter face towards home automatically when RTL is invoked?
I found interesting behavior testing the compassmot command. I found that moving my main battery wires around could greatly influence this reading. My worst reading was around 38%, my best reading 1% - quite a range. I think I have my copter sorted now where I can get a small range between 3 and 6% when changing batteries. I assume good consistent low numbers is a good thing.
Here's a tip I learned - battery orientation makes a big difference. I found that if I had a bad reading with a given battery I could flip it over 180 degrees and the noise number would be much better. I have a few different batteries I use and found that I needed to flip some of them over (move my mounting velcro to the other side) so that my reading wouldn't jump from 4% to 25% noise due to a battery change.
I have a current sensor so I'm using the current method on my APM 2.0. My battery is mounted underneath my frame with the APM on top. Both are in the center of the frame.
Maybe this tip will save someone else some time.
Brian
Upgraded my 2.9.1b quad, verified the PID changes, did the compassmot cli setup (28% interference) - no issues.
Only time for a couple flights, alt hold and loiter seemed tighter. Like it so far.
Thank you all very much.
Here are the logs,
sorry no telemetry
2013-06-19 22-12 2.log.gpx
2013-06-19 22-12 2.log
I just added this note to the discussion but I will also post the information here for those of you getting email updates.
Added by Craig:
Please watch Randy's videos on setting up and flying APM-Copter 3.0 before you go flying. They are excellent and will help everybody.
My Hex won't arm with 3.0
I just upgraded my 3DR Hex (APM 2.5) with the 3.0 firmware.. I went out to see how it would fly, but it will no longer arm.
I have telemetry. I'm using 3DR radios with a Samsung Galaxy Note II running the Andropilot App. Every time I tried to arm I was getting the status message "Prearm Check Mag Field". I blipped the throttle to see if the props would spin, but the system was disarmed.
I've never seen this message with the old firmware.... Is there something else I need to do?
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