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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)

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              • No worries. It's a design by Guy McCaldin. Check it out here:

                http://diydrones.com/profiles/blogs/3d-printed-anti-vibration-mount

                If you have a 3d printer you can print the pieces yourself and the blue dampeners are from HK. I don't have a 3d printer handy so I just ordered one from ReadyMade3D. 

                • Kristian, I am too a bit off topic here.... give that foam tape from 3dr a chance to mount your pixhawk... and see the difference ;) so far that tape is the best thing I have tried, too bad they do not sell it separately from the pixhawk. 

                  • Thanks Artem. You know, it's funny you mention that. I originally was using that to mount the pixhawk on my Discovery in-between the upper and lower plates (it just barely fit, but not quite centered. It was much cleaner though of course.

                    I was having issues with slight jitters/twitchiness here and there affecting video in the gimbal and so I thought maybe it was caused by slight vibrations, so I moved to this setup which only fits on the top plate. At this point, it's really hard to say if it's better than the foam mounting tape that 3DR provides. I still get slight jitters and twitchiness when it's just sitting there in the air and I really don't know why. 

            • Developer

              hmm... that set-up looks pretty darn good to me.

              • Thanks again for all the help. I had a few more flights yesterday, back with the 3DR gps and no further issues (apart from the props not spinning when armed). Any thoughts again on how the compass offsets got so far off to cause the massive toiletbowling? 

                Could it have been as simple as the last time I installed a software update maybe I forgot to run compassmot again? Like I mentioned, when I installed the M8 gps, I made absolutely sure to redo compass calibration and following that, I had probably 10-15 good flights with no issues like this, until this one occurred. I was also at least a few hundred meters from any above-ground power lines when the incident occurred.

    • What does a solid red LED on the Pixhawk mean? This is what I get now when I power it up. I can't connect it to MP via telemetry, but I can upload new firmware. Uploading fresh firmware doesn't seem to help, even after uploading ArduPlane, then back to ArduCopter to clear out any settings. Still just get a solid red main LED.

      I'm starting to think this means my Pixhawk went down for a dirt nap... apparently in it's last flight it tried to commit seppuku via EKF and it might have actually worked. Weird... 

      • Did you try disconnecting everything from the pixhawk? Are you using a power module? You could also try with or without that via one bec. Use a different / known good battery too. I had a solid red once too I forget what it was but it wasn't the pixhawk. 

        • Genius!! :) That did the trick. Thank you for that!

          I disconnected everything and powered it up over USB alone to my computer and that finally awoke it from its slumber. Can connect to MP just fine as well. I reconnected everything and it still powers up like normal and appears to be initializing fine. 

          The only odd thing is that it's eerily silent. No beeps from the buzzer or nothing. It's just silent as can be even though it appears to be loading everything fine. I might try doing a reset and then re-install ACrc11 to see if that fixes it, but not sure why the buzzer isn't beeping at all.

      • Try removing the data card and formatting it with your pc    put the card back in the pixhawk restart the pixhawk and see if it comes back to life.  I have managed to corrupt the card on a couple of occations and when this happens i get these symptoms   

        Best of luck

        • Thanks for the advice, but no luck. Still a solid red LED.

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