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

      Lior,

      Well, that's interesting.  So you can just upload the official arducopter code onto the CX-20?  I guess it works just like an APM2.

      I can't think of any changes from AC3.1.5 to AC3.2 that would cause that.  In both cases the pilot has direct control of the throttle.  If you go back to AC3.1.5 does it become more powerful again?

      I would guess that there's some issues with the throttle range being reduced but it wouldn't likely be a firmware change but rather a parameter change.  RC3_MIN, RC3_MAX, THR_MIN, THR_MAX would be the params to compare.  If you have dataflash logs of similar flights on the same copter with just the two firmwares swapped that would probably highlight the issue.

      I've actually heard similar comments in other situations (sometimes when comparing vs a multiwii) but we've never gotten any hard evidence which has allowed us to dig into it.

      • Randy,

        thanks for your answer - much appriciated.

        1. yes the CX-20 comes with an APM board.

        2. i havent gotten around to downgrading back to 3.1.5 but i might try that - but trust me it is noticeable.

        3. in both machines we used a pre tuned set of parameters we found online in a thread about the CX-20 - with many parameters different from default - flew great on 3.1.5 but seems interesting if this could relate to the issue.

        4. in one instance i was flying in POS HOLD loosing altitude slowly, changed to stabilize - quad started loosing altitude quickly and coming down hard, opened full throttle and it was barely slowing down (didnt manage to stop the fall) so switched back to POS HOLD (UAV flight school teaches you to instictly revert back to last good state) and the quad stopped descending and regained control. interesting isnt it?

        5. this is the V3.1.5 parameter file which was used:

        http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showpost.php?p=28938697

        we simply upgraded to V3.2rc9 (or 10) and calibrated radio and compass and flew.

        RC Groups - View Single Post - CX-20 Cheerson Auto Pathfinder
        RC Groups - the most active Radio Control model community: electric and fuel rc airplanes,rc helis,rc boats and rc cars. Features discussion forums,…
        • Developer

          Lior,

          Really hard to say without seeing a pair of logs.

          As a side point, it's not great to just blanket apply a list of parameters like this.  There is some risk that the Eeprom (where we store parameters) will fill up.  I've never seen a case of the eeprom filling up personally but the symptom would be the user is unable to permanently update a parameter - it would keep being reset when the board is rebooted.

          In this file, no care has been taken to remove those items which are vehicle specific including RC values, FlightModes, INS (i.e. accel & gyro) offsets, compass-offsets, AHRS_TRIM, CH7/CH8 opts.

          • My apologies i should have stated that we did set of which you mentioned.

            RC cal.

            accel cal.

            compass cal.

            CH7/8.

            Flight modes.

  • Hi Randy and Dev Team,

    Could you please help on how to trigger camera from APM if you have 2 axis servo gimbal occupied the RC10 & RC11.
    it was succeed to trigger the camera if I use A10 (RC10) but since the gimbal is using A10 for Roll and A11 for Pitch, how can I trigger the camera using other analog channel?

    Thanks in advance.
    Waladi
    • Developer

      Hi Waladi,

      RC10 and RC11 are PWM outputs by the way not to be confused with the analog pins A0~a9 on the left side of the APM2.  The labelling on the side of the APM2 is sadly somewhat misleading because it names "RC10" and "RC11" as "A10" and "A11".

      You could try using RC7 or RC8 (at the back of the APM2) although those pins runs at a very high output rate (400hz) which may not be compatible with whatever servo or method you're using to trigger the camera.

      • Hi Randy,

        Do you mean I have to use the Output pin (RC7 or RC8) at APM 2.5 (at the back of APM direction)?

        I'm using IR shutter trigger and it's not working when I plug-in to output 7 or 8 and JP1 inserted.

        Sorry for not understand your point.

        • Developer

          Waladi,

          I'm really not sure which IR shutter trigger you're using but I guess if RC10 worked it must work based on a pwm signal.  RC7 and RC8 also produce pwm signals (as opposed to digital high/low signals) so they should work but (as mentioned above) RC7 and RC8 output at 490hz (as opposed to RC10 and RC11 which output at 50hz).  I imagine the IR shutter trigger you have doesn't like that high output rate.  So I'm afraid I don't have a solution except to stick with RC10 and RC11 somehow or try another variety of IR shutter trigger.

  • Loaded 3.2 today - with a quad that did a fly away with 3.2 as well ( log posted earlier in topic) Reflashed re calibrated everything and flew again today.

    Seemed to fly okay but alt hold seemed a little finicky.  I pulled up the log to look at a few things and I noticed there was a ton of errors in the review a log

    What are the errors from?

    • Developer

      Brandon,

      Looks like GPS glitches.  Quite a few of them.  Maybe there's some FPV equipment close to the GPS?

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