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
Maiden flight today with the V3.0.1-rc1. I opened gas to take off and, suddenly, the quad has turned on itself and crashed to the ground upside down. The quad has not gotten off the ground. The shift was immediate.
I've tried twice. The first time, the quad turned backwards, the second forward.
I have to say that so far my jalopy has flown always very good. Of course, I checked the propellers (I have not left any of them backwards after the compassmot procedure), reviewed the rotation direction of the motors, etc.
I hope someone has time to review my "flight" logs
Thanks.
2013-07-07 16-20 1.log
2013-07-07 16-20 2.log
I've always only ever flown my quadcopter with the sonar enabled. I now want to try alt_hold without it. Which PIDs would I need to tune if it's not holding the height, "Altitude Hold', "Throttle Rate" or "Throttle Accel"?
First full fpv flight with V3 rc1 and I had not issues whatsoever. I have been hovering, getting compassmot to 39% and little vibration due to weather. In other words I spent time getting everything right.
Tried Stab, ALT Hold and Loiter in about 10kts and was perfect. Tried RTL to test and flew straight home and a simple 3 waypoint AUTO mission on TBS Discovery in X-mode on stock PID's.
On 9x5s it was pulling a few too many amps so I switched to 10 x 5s expecting to have to do some tuning and same smooth perfect flight with no extra tuning.
I have had APM 1, 2 and 2.5 and for me this version is a real breakthrough especially in holding ALT without any pulsing which I always struggled with.
Only problem I have had is once or twice it hasn't got GPS fix, but after a couple of restarts it works.
Well done to the developers and testers. I am hopeless at any of that stuff so wouldn't be doing this without you.
Cheers
Up and running Arducopter V3.0.1-rc1 on a quad X and it is rock solid and accurate so far. I put it up today against some heavy winds in loiter, followed by a couple of missions and it made them look easy. Thanks to the dev team for all the great work, for the videos by Randy and Marco and to Michael for the excellent MP! Well done!
Gentleman,
i just want to thank everyone for the effort everyone put into developing this version. it is absolutely remarkable to say the least. i was a bit nervous loading 3.0 since some of the comments from some users, but my experience was positive(very stable flight). i was kind of tired of the previous versions and today i said, you know what if this version is less stable than the previous im done with the ardupilot. Tryed Stable, Alt Hold, and finally RTL( if it didnt come back was prepared to trash entire 3dr kit). all flight modes were awesome, i didn't even do all the compass mot. i did the atmega update and that was it. my dampening is velcro from home depot between the ardupilot and frame and works great( it is the earthquake rated one). that being said i am ordering a couple more 2200Mah batteries because time flew by, before i knew it all batteries were done(hoping i didnt kill any of them). excuse my grammar watching a movie with my wife, and if she finds out im on here again she will kill me.lol.
Best,
Luis
Every time I update the new software version on my APM, I want to know what are the default PID settings, but If I execute the reset option, then ALL the values are reseted, including Gyro, accel, and so on.
Question: Is there any way to load only the default PID values of any version? If not, could be considered this option for future versions of the MP? (something like a "DEFAULT PID" button in Arducopter Pids screen)
Thought I gonna add my results here as well after installing 3.0.1-rc1. After seeing other's results I was actually surprised to get 4% with the quad facing south. Over the last few weeks I also modded the support structure a bit. I added the CD Box for protection, all Cables are shielded, the APM2 resides on Moongel dampeners and sits atop a double sided copper plate.
Compassmot.JPG
IMG_6666.JPG
IMG_6667.JPG
I apologize if my reasoning is too obvious, but so far I have not understood very well this topic.... If I understand correctly, the ppm encoder recognises a signal loss, so that the throttle failsafe can be triggered, regardless of whether the tx/rx combo you are using offers the failsafe options or not. In other words: Failsafe option is a purely software feature, and can always be activated, regardless of the used hardware (Tx and Rx). Right?
I've always had RTL on my main mode switch which is a 3 position switch combined with a mix switch to get 6 modes. Now I'm thinking to put RTL on a dedicated switch like ch7 or ch8 but I'm wondering how it would work. A couple of examples I can think of:
You are in alt-hold mode or any other auto mode and then RTL via ch7 or ch8 but then before it completes the RTL, switch it back off. Will it go back to the auto mode that the 3*2 position switch is in?
What if you change the 3*2 position switch during the RTL? Does it interrupt the RTL? If I switch off the ch7 RTL in that case does it go back to the current mode or the one prior to the switch?
I just use Frsky failsafe to switch to RTL. Simple and never failed me. I must learn to use the Arducopter FS one day.
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