Warning #1: an issue has been found with Tower's Pause button which can cause the vehicle to fly to an old position if the vehicle has not sent a position update to Tower in some time.
Warning #2: Copter-3.3.2 fixes a bug found in Copter-3.3.1's desired climb rate initialisation which could lead to a sudden momentary drop when switching from Stabilize or Acro to AltHold, Loiter or PosHold.
Warning #3: Copter-3.3.2 fixes an issue found in Copter-3.3.1 which could lead to hard landings in RTL or AUTO if the WPNAV_SPEED_DN was set too high (i.e. >400 or 4m/s) and/or the WPNAV_ACCEL_Z was set too low (i.e. <100 or 1m/s/s).
Warning #4: a bug was found in Copter-3.3 which could cause a sudden crash if you abort a Take-off initiated from a ground station. Video description is here. The bug is fixed in Copter-3.3.1 so we recommend upgrading.
Note #1: AC3.3-rc8 corrected a long standing bug in the HDOP reporting. HDOP values will appear about 40% lower than previously but this does not actually mean the GPS position is better than before.
Note #2: if upgrading from AC3.2.1 the vehicle's accelerometer calibration needs to be done again.
Note #3: set SERIAL2_PROTOCOL to "3" and reboot the board to enable FrSky telemetry like in previous versions.
Note #4: the wiki will be updated over the next few weeks to explain how to use the new features
Copter-3.3.1 is available through the mission planner. The full list of changes vs AC3.2.1 can be see in the ReleaseNotes and below are the most recent changes since AC3.3.
Sadly this version (and all future versions) will not run on the APM2.x boards due to CPU speed, flash and RAM restrictions.
Changes from 3.3:
1) Bug fix to prevent potential crash if Follow-Me is used after an aborted takeoff
2) compiler upgraded to 4.9.3 (runs slightly faster than 4.7.2 which was used previously)
Changes from 3.3-rc11:
1) EKF recovers from pre-arm "Compass variance" failure if compasses are consistent
Changes from 3.3-rc10:
1) PreArm "Need 3D Fix" message replaced with detailed reason from EKF
Changes from 3.3-rc9
1) EKF improvements:
a) simpler optical flow takeoff check
2) Bug Fixes/Minor enhancements:
a) fix INS3_USE parameter eeprom location
b) fix SToRM32 serial protocol driver to work with recent versions
c) increase motor pwm->thrust conversion (aka MOT_THST_EXPO) to 0.65 (was 0.50)
d) Firmware version sent to GCS in AUTOPILOT_VERSION message
3) Safety:
a) pre-arm check of compass variance if arming in Loiter, PosHold, Guided
b) always check GPS before arming in Loiter (previously could be disabled if ARMING_CHECK=0)
c) sanity check locations received from GCS for follow-me, do-set-home, do-set-ROI
d) fix optical flow failsafe (was not always triggering LAND when optical flow failed)
e) failsafe RTL vs LAND decision based on hardcoded 5m from home check (previously used WPNAV_RADIUS parameter)
Thanks for your testing!
Replies
Hi Guys and Gals,
I regullarly use this little bit of software from Trimble to get a rough GUIDE to what I can expect from my GPS
http://www.trimble.com/support_trl.aspx?Nav=Collection-8425&pt=...
It is a guide but it will help to get a gauge on what DOP values and which sat constellations are in sight ata particular time and place.
Thanks! I am going to try this w/ my single m8n GPS.. On Friday I posted an image of the drift when sitting stationary in my back yard, and it was moving around randomly and had drifted about 10 meters in a minute...
My reading of the param is that you are now using SBAS, http://egnos-portal.gsa.europa.eu/discover-egnos/about-egnos/what-sbas which is by definition more accurate. So I would surmise that your observations are expected. I guess the question is why you wouldn't want this as the default, presumably it's beacuse the SBAS signal may not be available everywhere?
>My reading of the param is that you are now using SBAS
where do you see it from? GPS_SBAS_MODE is set to 2 and it was always like that, it is a default value.
I think I tried to swap it into 'enforced' value before but it did not do much visible difference. I think those GPS units I have are configured to use it by default. I will test it later.
I was just going on this:
http://copter.ardupilot.com/wiki/arducopter-parameters/
GPS_GNSS_MODE
Changing gnss_mode to 2 enforces sbas and i get no sats on eastern usa coast this way.
Wiki has different values listed.
Ok, it makes no sense. First of all - I just updated MP software to latest beta build and now it lost all comments it used to have to describe a lot of different parameters. Descriptions for most GPS parameters are also gone now.
Secondary, in OLD comments values descriptions were different from what is in that WIKI page now.
What is right and what is wrong is now quite difficult to establish. OK, I guess, it is not what is important, as long as it works well.
so i understand all the GCS development may lag behind...but what changed with AC3.3 that hardly anything but MP can read its log files? droneshare doesnt work, exmaps doesnt work, apm planner doesnt work....it really sucks because i liked the nice tracking of the webapps....does anyone know what changed so drastically in the logging with AC3.3 that broke all these apps? and if possible anyone knows how they go about getting fixed? I left an email for the EXmaps guys but no response yet....
btw am pretty happy with AC3.3r10, working flawlessly for me otherwise, looks like a very good release thus far....got about 20 flights in so far with no hiccups...
Ivan,
It's the change to the first field, previously called "TimeMS" but now called "TimeUS" that is the issue. This field is the system time and has been changed from milliseconds (i.e. one thousandths of a second) to more precise nanoseconds (i.e. one millionth of a second).
Thanks for the testing.
Landing in Loiter after touching down the Quad powered up two motors and promply put 2 carbon fiber props in to the concrete destroying them. I had this happen once before on 3.2 but this is the first time on 3.3rc10.
I am guessing the FC did not know it had landed and tried to correct for a change in GPS location. I normally do not land in Loiter but did this time to my own loss.
My vibes are low, so I do not believe it to be a dirty vibration issue.
Another one of Wes's possible fixes...
In a GPS controlled mode when the throttle is at minimum do not listen to GPS messages. Basicly switch to AltHld mode when throttle is at minimum.
This change could help to avoid undesirable repositioning attempts after a multi is already on the ground, when landing detection fails to detect a landing.
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