I have some questions, but first let me tell you what I have done so far. I have my arducopter assembled, all ESC’s calibrated with the following calibration:
ESC Tower Pro w25 settings Brake-off, Battery type-Li-Poly, Cutoff Mode-Soft, Cutoff Threshold-Medium-High, Start Mode-Normal, Timing-Medium.
Motor-Turnigy 2217 20turn 860kv 22A Outrunner Motor spacing is about 51cm
APM and IMU Fatubu T6XH radio with 4500mAh battery.
My questions are:
Are the ESC setting correct for theses motors and application?
What mode should I start off with to try to get it in the air for the first time?
What PID settings to start off with?
Thanks for any help,
Scott Quartochi
Replies
Hi Scott, I have the same Turnigy 2217 20 turn 860 kv 22A Outrunner Motor. When I connect the ESC's and battery etc, the cables connected to the motor spin WITH the outside out of the motor as the cables are connected near the shaft. Does this make sense? How did you resolve this issue ?
These two images show the cables moving whilst the motor is spinning...
Thanks
We in ArduCopter team can only give starting point for PIDs. And future ArduCopter full kit can use those values quite well due airframe and electronics is same.
Here is quote from one of out developer how he tunes PID values:
"Adjust PID is not an easy task, I started with a basic (low values) of P and D and I=0 (ex: P=1, D=0.3) then I start to increase I until the quad auto trim (I part is like a trim value, if it´s too low the quad could not auto trim...) then I start to increase D ( be carefull because too much D makes quad unstable). when I get the maximun D value I reduce it a bit (for example for max D is about 0.8, so I finally use D = 0.5). D term is very important because it´s the "stability" term... if you see the code D value it´s the same as the P value of the acrobatic mode (it´s proportional to the gyro rate). When you increase D, you loose manual control (the quad is more lazy), so more D needs more P. Now it´s time to increase P, again too much P makes the quad unstable, so put in a safe value."
Thank you all for your help,,,,, :)
This is CCW
This is CW
radio yaw left
radio yaw right
PID yaw Acro mode
For the Turnigy Plush 30A, they are:
Brake Settings: Disabled
Battery Type: Li-xx
Cutoff Mode: Reduce the output power gradually
Cutoff Threshold: Medium
Startup Mode: Normal
Timing: Low
Now, I don't know if these settings are ideal, but I have gotten my ArduCopter in the air with them. Hopefully someone with a little more experience with these ESCs will comment.
I have been using the acrobatic mode myself for the moment because it is actually more stable for my quad than stable mode.
I know my PID settings have to be changed, but for my first flights, I just left them at the Default settings which are initialized when you click the EEPROM button in the configurator, but they can each be changed individually.
If you have someone hold the quad over their head, you can fine-tune the PID values. BUT BE VERY CAREFUL DOING THIS. Have them tilt the quadcopter and feel it trying to stabilize itself. Keep increasing the P value until it is very stiff and difficult to tilt. If it starts to oscillate, lower the P value. Do the same for all the axis-Roll, Pitch, and Yaw. The PID values will differ based upon weight, motor distance, and other factors.
Acrobatic Mode PIDs:
Stable Mode PIDs:
*The pictures will be enlarged if clicked on*
Scott, you've probably heard all of this about tuning PIDs before, but for others who are looking into the ArduCopter project and see this thread, it might be useful. I hope you get yours flying!