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)

Replies

- - - Christian > Felix Meissner June 25, 2014 at 1:17pm
      
      :)
      
      hopefully the sats have a good navigation controller to avoid hitting each other...
      - yudi irawan > Christian June 25, 2014 at 5:16pm
        
        How about apm counfiguration? Could you tell me the wiring for apm? Thanks
        
        Christian > yudi irawan June 26, 2014 at 12:20am
        
        yudi, I will try APM at the weekend.
        
        See DF-13 shematic for APM:
        
        compass cable is the same and goes to I2C port.
        
        Winston S. Aquino Zabala > yudi irawan June 25, 2014 at 5:29pm
        
        Christian! Another problem that I noticed is, a random flashing in the reception of the satellites, suddenly the satellites do not appear in Mission Planner and in less than a second, reappear again.
        
        Admin
        
        Thomas J Coyle III > Winston S. Aquino Zabala June 26, 2014 at 12:17pm
        
        @Winston,
        
        It looks like I missed setting one configuration parameter that controls the messages sent by the GPS.
        
        If you are using U-Center, you need to go to the Message View/MSG(Messages) and set UART1 On with a check in the box between "UART1" and "On" and put a 1 in the box to the right of "On"
        
        I found this Message parameter setting in the 3DR LEA-6 configuration file.
        
        The data stream appears to be pretty stable now in U-Center.
        
        By the way, U-Center does not appear to convert UBX transmissions as far as HDOP and the number of sats.
        
        Regards,
        
        Tom C ArduRover2 Developer
        
        Admin
        
        Thomas J Coyle III > Winston S. Aquino Zabala June 26, 2014 at 8:56am
        
        @Winston,
        
        I believe that there may be a problem with the capability of the CSG M8Q to handle a Measurement Period of 200ms (5Hz).
        
        I too have seen the data stream glitches, when using U-Center, at a Measurement Frequency of 5Hz.
        
        Switching back to a Measurement Frequency of 1Hz (default) cured the data stream glitching.
        
        Also, the HDOP value appears to be stuck at 1.1 no matter how many sats are presently be acquired.
        
        PS: It appears that U-Center does not decode the number of sats and the HDOP when in the UBX (binary) mode.
        
        Regards,
        
        TCIII ArduRover2 Developer
        
        Admin
        
        Thomas J Coyle III > Thomas J Coyle III June 26, 2014 at 10:52am
        
        @Winston,
        
        Since I am using U-Center, and not the MP connected to my Pixhawk which at boot up will send configuration parameters to the GPS, the reason for the data stream glitches, according to Craig Elder, is that the GPS is sending back unnecessary messages that are eliminated by the configuration parameters sent by the Pixhawk. The reduced number of required messages reduces the GPS transmission overhead thus eliminating the glitching.
        
        However, that does not explain why you are seeing the glitches in the MP assuming that you have the M8Q/N connected to your Pixhawk and are using the MP to communicate with the Pixhawk over MavLink?
        
        Could it be that the present GPS configuration parameters being sent to the M8 by the Pixhawk firmware are not correct for eliminating superfluous messages?
        
        Regards,
        
        Tom C ArduRover2 Developer
        
        Christian > Winston S. Aquino Zabala June 26, 2014 at 12:28am
        
        Winston, did you connect via USB or telemetry? Sometimes I have a telemetry lag causing the numbers to disappear.
        
        So we have to check the GPS in CLI while connected via USB. (with 3.1.5 bcs 3.2 doesn't have CLI)
        
        If there appear lines like '.................................................' we really have a lag in GPS communication.
      - yudi irawan > Christian June 25, 2014 at 5:07pm
        
        Many thanks chris...I will order one
Ravi June 25, 2014 at 8:04am

@christian, so what i understand is Ublox-Neo-M8N is plug and play with pixhawk. all one has to do is connect GPS and compass (i2c) connectors. is that correct?

of 373

This reply was deleted.

Discussions

ArduCopter-3.2 beta testing

Replies

Activity