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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        • Hello Micha,
          I also have a micro vbrain 5 with the firmware ArduCopter-vrubrain-v51-PPM, the board of the second generation is fantastic circuit small and very well done, very light, great for a MicroQuad 250/300 mm.
          My problem is that I can not perform the calibration of the ESC, run the initialization procedure as APM2 to do, but you do not calibrate the esc will continue to issue the Beep lack of signal.
          I was able to calibrate the esc, only arming the controller and immediately after putting the Throttle to the max and then to a minimum as it usually does, but to restart the esc continue to beep no signal.
          I do not know if my problem (esc not compatible, but with APM2 work) or a firmware issue.
          how did you do the calibration?
          For the cables you are right they are of little use, so I had to delete the supplied connectors and then adapt the inputs and outputs to the standart RC, surely it is to improve the wiring supplied
          As for your problem during my tests I have not seen the activation of the failsafe with the Turnigy 9X.
          greetings

          • I always calibrate my ESC's manually. One by one. Just connect the esc to the throttle channel of your receiver instead of the Vrbrain. Power up the esc with your throttle stick up and when it beeps, move the stick all the way down and you are done. I then check if the motor spins up correctly.

            Are you using D4R-II with 27ms firmware?

            That failsafe thing is just so strange. A third model with the same receiver and firmware connected too a multiwii board performs just fine so that rules out my transmitter.

            • Hello Micha,
              Yes, I also tried individually directly with the receiver, but the strange thing is that at the start and after the initialization of the flight controllers ESC start doing Beep, Beep as if there is no signal from the FC.
              Emile told me that the problem of calibrating a release 3.2RC3 released for the beep at the start of the ESC should I increase the parameter TRIM Motor.
              No I do not use the D4R-II with 27 ms firmware, I installed this firmware ArduCopter-vrubrain-v51-PPM, as it says on the website of VR μBrain.

              greetings

              • Right, i did not change the firmware on the VRbrain. They came with 3.2 RC2. D'ont tell me there is a separate firmware version for SBUS and PPM? That could explain a lot..

                About the esc's, have you tried playing around with the endpoints of your trottle channel on your transmitter?

                • Hello,
                  Today I made ​​the first flight with VR Micro Brain 5.1, I was very satisfied with the behavior in flight, very smooth, without bumps and jolts, listening to the sound of their engines was very smooth and progressive accelerations and decelerations, the only strange thing ruotavo when the quad on himself left very, very slowly while turning to the right a bit faster in the other direction either pitch or roll was very responsive and fast.
                  I do not know where to look in the parameters (if it is a setting), as regards the behavior mentioned above.

                  greetings

                • Hello Micha,
                  I solved I changed the ESC and everything is ok, for the calibration I made one at a time with the receiver.

                  regards Fabio

                  • Good to hear you resolved it. :) Do you like the way it flies? I do ;)
                    for my part i got in touch with Roberto,sent him the logs and he is looking into it.

        • Pm me Casey.bearsch@digi-dna.net
  • Hi,  beta testers, I tested all flight modes and auto mission with AC3.2 rc3 with  hexacopter TOW 7Kg, without EKF below my observations:

    rtl land loiter poshold althold and stabilize ok

    Auto ok waypoint ok, spline ok, do set ROI ok with brushless gimbal, do change speed ok.

    auto takeoff and land ok.

    Autotune OK

    Condition YAW absolute ok but relative no work.(if I set 90° copter only achieve 30-45°)

    Rally point no work when invoke RTL from manual mode (althold, loiter, poshold)(even after upload on MP) not test through auto-mission ( you confirm test process for rally point is automission and RTL?)

    Question relative to pixhawk users: waypoint limit? and Rally point limit?

    Regarding battery failsafe, the best would be that from all flight mode when capacity limit is reached  invoke RTL, and when voltage limit is reached invoke land ?  what do you think?

    Also regarding auto mission, there's possible to start mission from mp directly? add start mission button? if it already works what's the process?

    Also with little hexacopter f550, I tested MOTOR FAILURE in flight, and copter could continue flight, even it could be difficult to maintain the heading. when motor failure occur drone drop off 2-5m drifting in direction of the failed motor. AC3.2 recover this situation in 2-3 seconds without dead roll. before AC3.2 my attemps always crash doing roll of dead.

    When we can use Do-Mount-Control?

    Also regarding pause auto-mission, it works, but there is possible to move actual waypoint number variable to eeprom? like this even when copter no finish big mission, and when it rtl, land and we change batteries (reboot), when we restart mission, automatically copter go to waypoint targeted just before rtl?

  • Developer

    We've just found a mostly innocuous bug in -rc3.  I've added it as Warning #2 in the main discussion above.

    The bug is a missing bracket in this line.   This issue is that for PX4/Pixhawk users, their vehicle could have the throttle/radio failsafe triggered even if it's been disabled through the mission planner's Failsafe set-up page.  This throttle failsafe is triggered when the PX4/Pixhawk stops receiving updates from the receiver which can happen when the TX is turned off or the receiver is pulled loose.  Now most users would want a failsafe to trigger in this case so it shouldn't be a problem.

    If you generally do *not* set-up your throttle failsafe I would recommend waiting until -rc4 is out which will include the fix.

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