ArduCopter-3.2 beta testing

Warning #1: PX4/Pixhawk users upgrading from AC3.1.5 (or earlier) may need to re-do their compass and accelerometer calibration because AC3.2 also uses the backup compass and accels. Pre-arm checks have been added to ensure this has been done.

Warning #2: on the APM2.x the logs must be downloaded using MAVlink instead of the terminal.

AC3.2-rc14 is now available for BetaTesters through the mission planner’s Beta Firmwares link. The full release notes can be found in ReleaseNotes.txt and changes from -rc13 can be seen below.

Feel free to raise issues found during testing on this discussion or in the new support section in the APM Forum.

It’s a big release with “the onion” restructure and a bunch of new features (including these 57 closed items) so we need to re-test almost everything including all flight modes, all mission commands and all the new features. Marco and I will be maintaining (and adding to) this testing list. Issues reported will first be checked by Jonathan, Marco and I and then confirmed bugs/issues will be put on the github issues list (and then hopefully fixed).

Thanks especially to the beta testers who put their copters at risk testing each release. Enjoy!

Changes from 3.2-rc13
1) Safety Features:
     a) fail to arm if second gyro calibration fails (can be disabled with ARMING_CHECK)
2) Bug fixes:
    a) DCM-check to require one continuous second of bad heading before triggering LAND
    b) I2C bug that could lead to Pixhawk freezing up if I2C bus is noisy
    c) reset DCM and EKF gyro bias estimates after gyro calibration (DCM heading could drift after takeoff due to sudden change in gyro values)
    d) use primary GPS for LED status (instead of always using first GPS)

Andy,

I had a look at your logs and something went very wrong with the inertial nav altitude. The scale is not great in the image below but in any case, the inertial nav altitude estimate is in green. It bounces around between +20 and -60m for the first couple of minutes and then it shoots up like a rocket to 2.9km and then drops again to -600m. This is certainly the cause of the behavior you saw:

a) When the alt climbed above 100m it triggered the altitude fence and switch to LAND mode. Because it thought it was climbing it reduced the motors to their minimum and you saw the vehicle come down. Even though your throttle was at zero, it didn't automatically disarm because it didn't think it had landed (because the climb rate >500m/s).

b) when the inertial nav alt peaked and started falling, the vehicle now tried to slow it's descent by ramping up the motors and then it crashed into the ceiling.

I've never seen this but I think the cause is your backup accelerometers haven't been calibrated. We've added support for redundant accelerometers and gyros but we have not extended the pre-arm check to ensure that both are calibrated so we better add that!

We don't have a chorus of people running into this because most users of PX4/Pixhawk are new and so they wouldn't be carrying over their parameters from AC3.1.

I'm very sorry for your troubles, we will confirm this is the issue put a warning at the top of this thread to tell people to redo their accel calibration and fix it for -rc3.

Replies

Mike Mac June 13, 2014 at 6:30am

APM and rally points?

　

Why are rally points for Pixhawk only? I have APM 2.5 in an aircraft and rally points work very nicely. Why airplane but not multirotor?

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- Developer
  
  Randy > Mike Mac June 19, 2014 at 2:33pm
  
  Mike,
  
  We've run out of flash place on the APM1/APM2 so we cannot include all features at the same time on these boards. Pixhawk has much more flash space so we can include all features on that board. ArduPlane is also almost out of flash space I think but it's still slightly under the limit.
Mike Mac June 13, 2014 at 4:59am

Auto Mode bug found. Has anyone else had this problem?

http://diydrones.com/forum/topics/i-need-tuning-help

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- Developer
  
  Randy > Mike Mac June 19, 2014 at 2:30pm
  
  Mike,
  
  Thanks for the report. It's a known issue with AC3.2-rc2 but it's fixed in master so it'll go out with AC3.2-rc3.
12345 June 13, 2014 at 4:58am

Quote

Permalink Reply by MICHAEL on June 3, 2014 at 7:01am

Hi just installed v3.2 rc2 all went well but when i connect to the terminal so a can do a erase and clear

calibrating barometer appears and then a whole bunch of code keeps on going. How do i stop this so a can gain access the the commands to clear and erase like i always do after a new firmware install.

Thanks for the help

Does anyone have an explanation on how to erase and clear APM 2.5 with v3.2 rc2?
- Michael > 12345 June 13, 2014 at 6:17am
  
  see note 11 on page one.
This reply was deleted.
- This reply was deleted.
  - Rob_Lefebvre June 12, 2014 at 12:25pm
    
    Logs?
    
    I wonder if you had a GPS event indoors and it tried to RTL?
    - This reply was deleted.
      - This reply was deleted.
        
        This reply was deleted.
        
        Developer
        
        Randy June 12, 2014 at 6:20pm
        
        Andy,
        
              I had a look at your logs and something went very wrong with the inertial nav altitude. The scale is not great in the image below but in any case, the inertial nav altitude estimate is in green. It bounces around between +20 and -60m for the first couple of minutes and then it shoots up like a rocket to 2.9km and then drops again to -600m. This is certainly the cause of the behavior you saw:
        
           a) When the alt climbed above 100m it triggered the altitude fence and switch to LAND mode. Because it thought it was climbing it reduced the motors to their minimum and you saw the vehicle come down. Even though your throttle was at zero, it didn't automatically disarm because it didn't think it had landed (because the climb rate >500m/s).
        
            b) when the inertial nav alt peaked and started falling, the vehicle now tried to slow it's descent by ramping up the motors and then it crashed into the ceiling.
        
             I've never seen this but I think the cause is your backup accelerometers haven't been calibrated. We've added support for redundant accelerometers and gyros but we have not extended the pre-arm check to ensure that both are calibrated so we better add that!
        
             We don't have a chorus of people running into this because most users of PX4/Pixhawk are new and so they wouldn't be carrying over their parameters from AC3.1.
        
             I'm very sorry for your troubles, we will confirm this is the issue put a warning at the top of this thread to tell people to redo their accel calibration and fix it for -rc3.
        
        This reply was deleted.
        
        Frank Al June 14, 2014 at 7:16am
        
        Andy, did this work for you? I'm also having issues with altitude on PX4/PX4IO, even in 3.2-latest of june 11th. My report is on page 37 of this thread. In EKF-mode the altitude sticks at 15000 meters after a few minutes and in 'legacy'-(non-EKF) mode the altitude drops to a steady 0 meters after a few minutes.
        
        And also @Randy: I was under the impression that PX4 does not have a backup accelerometer. After calibration in 3.2 (latest and rc2) INS_ACC2* all are zero.
        
        Thanks for looking in to this!
        
        Developer
        
        Randy June 12, 2014 at 7:28pm
        
        Andy,
        
             I think if you connect your px4 as it is now (i.e. without the backup accels being calibrated) to your PC with the USB cable you'll see the altitude (via the mission planner) move all over the place especially if you lean the board.
        
             If you re-do the accel calibration and repeat the test I think it'll be a-ok.
        
             Thanks again for this important report.

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