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
I have just upgraded to Mission Planner 1.2.58 and set about upgrading my apm 2.5 to AC3.0.1-rc1.
Two problems to fix:
1. Logs are no longer being created. Terminal Mode no longer works properly - displays an error in Terminal.cs line 415
2. In Alt_Hold mode, the quad 'hunts'.
I am somehow confused when it comes to the magfield influence by the electrical components as such.
I have several copters and when looking to one (warthox-frame) which has excellent loiter the graph shows quite clearly that the throttle has impact to the magfield. throttle seems to decrease the magfield vector there:
here I am still on the internal compass, since it works fine for me. note, that this copter has a power distribution board and the battery is centered on the bottom of the copter. so everything is pretty symmetric on that quad.
in contrast to that another frame (q40) goes into TBE quite immediatly when entering into loiter mode. here the magfield looks not impressed that much by throttle. this frame is smaller than the good working warthox frame above, has a spider-shape and the battery is more in the rear bottom. so in general that one is not symmetric when comparing front to rear.
in the beginning i started with the integrated compass and TBE was pretty strong. the graph looked similar like from the good working warthox frame, however, magfield was influenced in completly opposite direction, i.e. meaning throttle did increase the magfield vector:
next i moved to external compass which points out on the graphs pretty good, still some influence visible, but much less compared to before. problem is, that this guy still goes into TBE:
Now I am somehow confused how to interprete the magfield graph correct, since it shows the complete opposite from what i expected.
next point is that i will move the compass even more far away from the frame. (from currently 40mm to 100mm).
can please someone have a look to my diagrams/tlogs and explain me how to interprete the graphs correctly?
thanks a lot and best regards from vienna!
Christian
tlog.zip
Doing the compassmot check the first test I had 268 so I added some 30mm stand off so now the APM is 50cm above the PDB. Now the reading is 136. I'm now shielding all the wires etc. How likely is the USB cable to give off a lot of RF noise and how would you test that and to eliminate its influence? Ive read a while ago USB cables can give out a lot but have yet to test it
Hi guys,
Need some help regarding failsafe:
Today I had an RTL failsafe which I would like to know why it happened.
I had setted throttle fs and GPS fs but none of this seems to be the case.
The only difference between this flight and previous 2 (which were just perfect, congratulation dev/test teams!) was that in this last flight I fixed a 720p "wing cam" 10-15cm distance from the radio receiver.
Here is the log file and the video onbard (failsafe starting around 7:58):
Any help would be much appreciated.
Regards,
Miguel
2013-06-30 18-21 8.log
Is it mandatory to update the PPM encoder to run 3.0? If so, maybe add in the PPM update before March 1, that it is required.
I guess it is assumed, but just to make sure.
How/where can I determine the version of the APM PPM encoder before going into the update process if neccessary? I received my APM 2.5+ close to March 1.
Randy, attached is a tlog of my attempts earlier today to try get my quad to fly straight using CH6 declination tuning. The TB'ing is nearly gone but the quad flies yawed off to one side in a mission. From 77% on the tlog is a simple 2 point out-and-in mission run a few times. My compassmot calibration was 37% (but using throttle based measurement, no PM).
I have a external compass on the way but it will take a while and I hoped this log might give a better insight as to trying to solve this on my quad.
Dips in altitude in forward flight are also noticeable.
2013-06-30 09-06-37.tlog
Is it a valid procedure to put the Ch6 on Declination, and then adjust the declination to achieve a dead-reckoning with ground truth vs. mapping imagery? It seemed to work for me yesterday, but I don't know if that was just luck.
So, ie: aim the heli at a landmark, or align it with a road, and then adjust it until MP shows the direction lining up properly on the imagery.
Hello,
I'm flying a new SpiderQuad with my early release Dec 2011 APM2-GPS daughter board.
Firmware is 3.0 rc1 with default parameters and GPS warning #3 applied.
I'm happy with the results after some flights. Alt Hold is precise, Heading control is OK (Compass options on Auto).
Position Hold is quite OK, but fine with 2 to 5 m average horizontal drift.
I had one try on Circle with 10m radius and 5°/sec angular speed (defaults?). Quite precise with a 10 kts wind.
This morning I logged two more 10 mn flights, with position hold, Altitude variation, translations, 360° rotations, and had a try to RTH. All fine with this firmware version. It's a real progress since 2.8 (no way to fly it, so the card was sitting in a box since last summer).
Marc
What happened to YAW_OVR_BEHAVE parameter? I used to use it with ROI (Range of Interest). I could set it to 1 and my Quad would always point to the ROI point that was set in an auto mission. There is also an option in the documentation that talks about DO_SET_ROI, but it's not a listed option in the latest mission planner. Is there a new parameter that allows me to fly and point my copter at an ROI point?
Thanks,
Richard
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