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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      • Developer

        This is the new default param changes in RC9:

        EKFCHECK_THRESHOLD_DEFAULT 0.8
        THROTTLE_ACCEL_P 0.50
        THROTTLE_ACCEL_I 1.00
        THROTTLE_RATE_P 5.0
        THROTTLE_ACCEL_D 0.0
        THROTTLE_ACCEL_IMAX 500

        With heavy drone (props >= 15") i suggest:

        THROTTLE_RATE_P 3.2
        THROTTLE_ACCEL_I 1.40
        THROTTLE_ACCEL_P 0.70

        • Hi Marco,

          what are the differences in THROTTLE_RATE_P ?

          once i tested all settings from 1 to 8 and could not notice much differences.

          What settings would you suggest for an acro sport drone ? 

          for now i have

          THROTTLE_ACCEL_P 1.25
          THROTTLE_ACCEL_I 2.5
          THROTTLE_RATE_P 5.0

    • I thought I saw rc8 when I did an update tonight on my Pixhawk (about two and a half hours ago), did it get posted for a few minutes ?

      .

      • Developer

        Martin,

           Yes indeed, you saw it!  It was up there for many an hour or two before Tridge's fix arrived and the auto-builder produced -rc9.

        • LOL. Checked my Pixhawk, not only saw it, loaded it....

  • Hi all,

    I wonder is anyone could take a quick look at the attached logs please. I'm flying 3.2rc7 and after a couple of flights in the garden where I basically stayed in a static position I ventured out into an open area and made a school boy error of trying to run before I could walk and tried out Drift mode. Predictably, this ended in a heavy crash which I put down to my inexperience but, maybe, there was a problem with the quad?? With my inexperienced view of the logs it looks like the GPS went wrong and the number of sats went down and the HDOP went sky high.

    Could  you anyone tell me if this is fair assessment of what actually happened?

    Thanks in advance,
    Mark

    PS thanks for all the effort you guys put into this. You've produced an amazing bit of kit!

    fd66b43a-9154-4e73-89bf-05ef2d4d654d.log

    https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3701827061?profile=original
    • Hi Mark,

      It's a bit hard for me to tell what happened in that flight, there's a lot going on at the end.  Based on your text, I assumed that you were in Drift and just drove it into a tree or something.  But it's more complicated than that.  You were in Drift, but then switched to Auto, then Land, then RTL in quick succession.  RTL is the last mode showing, but it flies for a bit in RTL, then has a GPS glitch.  

      While all this is going on, the copter is manoevering quite hard with high bank angles.  Even during the RTL.  When the GPS glitch clears, there's a spike.  And also, the baro reading is fairly unreliable during much of this, with large disagreement between baro and inertial alt.

      Your problems with controlling Drift may have also been caused by an unfortunate HDOP spike.

      It's really hard to see any silver bullet that caused a crash.  Sort of a bunch of problems all at once.

      • Hello Rob,

        Thanks for the reply. I never actually hit the tree but it was pretty close I admit. The quick change of modes might have been me in a panic trying to get it into RTL which it looks like I eventually did. Though I don't think it ever looked like it was actually trying to RTL.

        I did notice that the GPS was loose inside the plastic puck enclosure and rattled. Maybe that had something to do with it.

        I've ordered the parts to rebuild it and I'll give it another go but more sedately this time.

        thanks again,

        Mark.

  • not the correct tread but i want to request that the images denoting the frame type for firmware be increased in resolution so you can see motor rotation and the port number for each firmware on the firmware tab rather than having to search online.

    It makes perfect since but has not been done.

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