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
I have one question:
If I've FS_GPS enabled, when I arm the copter (indoor, with no GPS fix) at the beginning the motors run and 0,1 sec later its stop. If I've FS_GPS disabled this doesn't occur.
This could be a bug? How can I fix this?
Thank you so much!
Been playing around with 3.0.1 but having a hard time with drifting. Been trying to raise pids slowly for Loiter - is that correct because I am not seeing any improvement. I have the APM on a (failrly heavy) test quad - not a Arducopter - just my kluge of parts - but has worked pretty well in the past. Any suggestions for tuning? Or could it just be a bad manual compass calibration?
Randy
Could you run your eye over the enclosed log file.
In particular
vibration should I be trying to improve it some more.
Is the compass within limits.
This is in a
3DR Hex
880kv motors
10 x 4.7 apc props
APM 2.5
Version 3.0.1
Thanks for any suggestions
David Ardis
2013-07-11 21-48 3.log
Question 1:
Does Arducopter 3 now autostart the MAVLink streams as they are configured in the parameters? Or is it still necessary to send a stream start command via telemetry?
It's a bit unpractical if you don't have a laptop and want to just go FPV-flying using MinimOSD-Extra...
Question 2:
How important is the vibration issue REALLY? I mean, is AC3 totally unflyable with vibrations? What's the absolute limit?
Installed v3.0.1 today and after setting declination tuning on ch6, I got some very stable loiters. I put the range for the setting from 0 - 2 and started at 0 during flight. I ended up getting the best loiter at 0 and a lot of TBE at 2. How can I lock that setting in? Declination in my area is -38 and with the slider at zero I saw the declination change to -20. I'm use to how the ch6 tuning works in the PID tuning screen where you can read to see the value to fix it and then turn of ch6 tuning. Is the declination reading automatically displayed as soon as you get to the screen where you adjust that?
The High VSpeed alert in minimosd is because I didn't have it set right.
Does this release have auto trim and / or save trim?
AC-3.0.1 has hit the mission planner. It's basically the same as AC-3.0.1-rc2 but there were a couple of minor changes:
1. Loiter PID P back to 1.0 (was 0.8 in -rc2)
2. bug fix to the stopping point for RTL and Loiter (but only when Loiter is part of a mission)
Please join me over on the new discussion which is here.
Folks,
What typically causes high Z axis vibrations? I can see how motors and props can cause X and Y vibes, but Z is not on the axis of rotation of the props. What should I try to get my Z vibration levels down from where they are. See my attached vibration levels.
Thanks in advance.
Vibration.jpg
Now THAT'S what I'm talking about -- loaded 3.0.1rc2, stock pids, on my quad and have been thru 3 batteries of flawless performance! The yaw problems gone, no loiter circles at all, Sonar alt hold is really nice and snappy, no more bobbing up and down. Baro hold good as well, I did not see any alt change when yawing. Simple mode working fine as well.
Thanks Leonard for this tough bug resolution, and thanks to all, especially Randy who must need to sleep sometimes!
There was a little issue with the auto-builder which cause AC3.0.1-rc2 to not appear in the mission planner but that's resolved and it should show up in about an hour.
After some feedback from Marco & Olivier I've upped the Loiter Position P at 0.8 instead of reducing it all the way down to 0.2.
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