Developer

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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  • Another report: Beta 3.2-rc2 on Pixhawk, EKF on, Flip "Pro" dead-cat quad frame. Short version: All good through Flight Modes Stabilize, Alt-Hold, Loiter, Circle & Hybrid. 

    Details:Determined that earlier issue of slow ascending in Loiter/Alt-hold modes was due to the throttle mid-point setting having somehow (probably by me) been changed (parameter THR_MID). Again flew in Stabilize, Atl-Hold and Loiter, all excellent. Then invoked Circle mode and flew two laps, which worked so well that the superimposed map tracks generated by the log look like a single pass. Great stuff! Then tried Hybrid; outstanding! That will likely be the mode I will most commonly use for cruising around and general photography. No odd issues of any kind to report so far. Logging was complete and normal. Next tests will be RTL and Fence.

    Note: I did have an issue with autotune yesterday. The process worked reasonably quickly and as expected, but the result was not an improvement over the previous settings. Flip was noticeably more twitchy in new state, even once getting into a bit of a roll oscillation. So I didn't save the new tuning, the old one from 3.1x seems fine.

  • I just record Hybrid mode test here.

    • Hi Balloon, nice video. Where is this video taken if i may ask? I will be in Thailand by the end of the year and i would take a quad with me. It would be nice to have to know a place where Thai multicopter pilots meet.

      • In video taken at Bangkok University Sangsit Campus in Pathum-thani is north form Bangkok.

        • Thank you Balloon. I see that i can take the train in the direction of Ayutthaya from Bangkok. Hope to see you there. ;)

    • Nice video, the hybrid mode is working as expected, thx for testing it!

      The only issue hybrid suffers from is the baro disturbance, we can see altitude drops on braking phasis.

      i have the same on my open-frame copter, much more (even none) for my closed-frame copter

      • Yes, i saw is about Barometer have issue it. But, I think we can solve about Baro issue. It maybe have very perfect.

        • Yes I notice this barometer disturbance issue as well. Maybe fix on RC3?

  • Hi,

    I tested both 3.1.5 yesterday and 3.2-C2 today with a standard 3DR hexacopter with APM 2.6.

    I only flew in Stabilize, Loiter and Hybrid. It all was ok. Then I wanted to look at the logs which gave problems:

    1) I cannot get to download the logs over mavlink, it always seems to timeout. So I installed 3.1.5 again to be able to download the logs.

    2) when I look at the logs the data seems to be swapped for many fields (e.g. Desired pitch seems to be the roll data etc.). Maybe this is due to generating the logs with 3.2-RC2 and then downloading them with 3.1.5.

    However, when I look at the logs of 3.1.5 (i.e. flown on 3.1.5 and downloaded on 3.1.5) then again many fields seemed to have swapped.

    So I am not sure whether this problem is also there with 3.2-RC2, but for sure there is a problem with the log files for 3.1.5.

    @Randy, can you confirm this problem?

    2014-05-30 17-14-09-138.log: Flown with 3.1.5 and downloaded with 3.1.5

    2014-05-31 10-06-18-139.log: Flown with 3.2-RC2 and downloaded with 3.1.5

    Regards,

    John.

    2014-05-30 17-14-09-138.log

    2014-05-31 10-06-18-139.log

  • Finally got enough courage to load the beta on my quad 450 style. 

    Was very touchy when first starting out in Stabilize mode. Switched to Loiter and tested Hybrid for a minute. Seemed fine. Then landed and switched my mode 2 back to Alt Hold. 

    Tried doing an Autotune but it got so far and kept stopping, I would move the quad a little and it would do 2 jerks forward and backward and then stop again. 

    So gave up on autotune. Landed and then took off and was flying around in Alt Hold and it seemed to be pulsing a little when fast forward flight. Was over my neighbors yard and all the sudden it started fluttering and fell out of the sky and landed on his grass. 

    Logs attached.

    Back on the workbench repairing the 3 broken arms. I hope this helps and you can figure out what was the problem. One thing I haven't done is check all my motors and ESC's to make sure one of those didn't fail.

    Brad

    2014-05-30 20-19-25.rlog

    2014-05-30 20-19-25.tlog

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