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
Is there any way to get the correct date and time from the log files GPS Data.
PS Great work with 3.0.1 rc2 update got it installed this evening and tested with no issues
Patch for the vibrations during Loiter (with reflashed ESC and other):
I have tried now the new fix of Leonard (thanks mate) for this know problem, now vibrations completely disappeared during Loiter.
This great fix will be available in the next release.
Bests, Marco
Leonard and I have just pushed 3.0.1-rc2 into the downloads area, GitHub and it will also appear shortly in the mission planner's Beta firmwares area.
The changes are mostly small bug fixes but we've also reduced the Loiter Pos P to 0.2 and you may notice that your loiter is not quite as tight as before but we'd like people's feedback on what values work well for them (it should be between 0.2 and 1.0)
Improvements over 3.0.1-rc1
1) Rate Roll, Pitch and Yaw I fix when we hit motor limits
2) pre-arm check changes:
a) double flash arming light when pre-arm checks fail
b) relax mag field checks to 35% min, 165% max of expected field
3) loiter and auto changes:
a) reduced Loiter Pos P to 0.2 (was 1.0)
b) reduced Loiter speed to 5 m/s
c) reduced WP_ACCEL to 1 m/s/s (was 250 m/s/s)
d) rounding error fix in loiter controller (should remove wobbles when using SimonK ESCs)
4) Stability Patch fix which was freezing Rate Taw I term and allowing uncommanded Yaw
If all goes well we will make this the official version very soon so it will appear in the Mission Planner in place of 2.9.1b.
Thanks!
@Andre: are you still getting high compassmot values? I was using the same SS ESC's as you but have now changed to some SimonK flashed Turnigy 20A UBEC (http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=...) and my compassmot dropped from 150+% to 35%, I just changed the ESC's
Hi all,
For those having loiter wobble problems I would like to get feedback on what your rate pids are set to. If you have the time I would like you to try reducing your Rate Pid's and especially your Rate D terms.
If you could post the PID values for Roll and Pitch that you were seeding the wobble on and then what values you tired and what you saw.
Thanks!
I am so impressed with 3.0.1 rc1 It just works!
Stable mode, loiter, RTL, auto all work perfectly!
I did struggle a bit getting it to arm the first time until I learned about the mandatory pre-flight calibrations, which is a good idea in hindsight.
I have one nagging issue that isn't 3.0 related. I had this issue with 2.9.1 as well. When in loiter, my altitude jumps around quite a bit. Is this typically a vibration issue, or something with the barometric pressure sensor not being shielded well enough from prop wash? What should I be looking at in my to help me determine the cause and what to be looking at?
Horizontal position holds unbelievably well. I was just out flying 15-20 mph wind and in loiter mode, it stayed in about a 4' circle horizontally. Almost unbelievable! :-)
Thanks in advance and to the team for really AWESOME software!
Have the mission planner issues been resolved?
Loiter test of my 3DR Hex using version 3.0.1 rc1 after solving problems with magnetic and GPS interference.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMynCRUDJPg
GPS interference improved by mounting on a elevated support on the top plate.
GPS Mount.jpg
Positive feedback 3.0.1-rc1. Took the quad to test loiter at the beach in sustained winds 23 mph, clearly a great improvement over 2.19b. Expecting bright sun and high winds, we placed a centimeter of black fabric directly over the pressure sensor, inside the 3DR APM case that came with it. Our voltage is off by ~ 0.5, for this MP version, could not find the APM Input Voltage to adjust it (did not try to change the default voltage divider).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFfHgeSO2RE
I tried to use CONDITION_YAW in 3.0 via the mission planner over the weekend and had the following results:
1. The absolute/relative flag is ignored. The turns are always relative.
2. The CW/CCW flag is ignored. Turns are always clockwise.
3. Negative values for turn amount are ignored. No turn is done if you put in a negative value.
4. Values over 180 degrees are ignored, no turn is done.
On the other hand, the ROI command seems to work well, except that it causes significant jerkiness in the motion of the copter.
I don't have a gimbal on my quad and was trying to use the heading of the copter to film a tour of a location.
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