Just uploaded latest firmware 2.33, and APM 1.1.73.
Have an twinstar II with ardupilot mega and oilpan shield, gps, airspeed, magnatometer.
Setup flew last fall perfectly. I added the battery monitor, the attopilot 90 and a power switch. Sadly, I didn't try it prior to adding those items, so I'm not sure if they are causing problems or not. Nothing is different if I don't have the attopilot sensing wires connected or not.
The elevator servo is "frozen" when in stabilize mode. ie, it works in manual mode, but in stabilize mode it always stays put-- even if I tilt the plane.
The roll(ailerons react appropriately)
In the APM status view, I can see the radio inputs for the elevator (channel 2) does change as I move the stick, it just has no effect. It also does not move when I pitch the airplane.
Once back to manual mode it works fine.
I'm at a loss on what to do now.
Thanks for any idea's. Lincoln
Replies
Hi Folks,
We tried to auto-level our UAV but after the process something went wrong. Before that the ailerons and the pitch elevator worked well in Stabilized mode "in the room" but now they operate really slowly. We reseted everything to the factory defaults, cleared the EPROOM and and relaibrated the RC but it didn't solve the problem. Our firmware version is 2.34.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
I saw another thread - http://diydrones.com/forum/topics/erratic-imu-in-apm-2?xg_source=ac... and he was seeing same thing as me. However, seems like his fix was simply factory reset and that is not working for me.
So after doing the CLI mode, reset, reflash, reset, redo setup a few times and getting my usb oscilliscope some workout here is what I think is going on.
1) after reset with apu steady it looks fine.
2) All inertial data is slowed down-- like the filter is super-strong. Thus in stabilize it also is like molasses.
3) within 15-30seconds the IMU goes wacko. Including compass. large random movements with board just sitting there.
- so stabilize mode goes berserk
4) I ordered the new purple board (back on april 6th) -- Nothing like replacing the complete brains, so that should solve this particular problem. Sigh.
Lincoln
The log files, when it went crazy.
2012-04-22 21-25-10.rlog
2012-04-22 21-25-10.tlog
Ok. so I re-loaded the same 2.33 firware. I went through whole setup process. I re-wrote the settings. I restarted, then after GPS lock I hit reset.
NOW, the elevator will work, even in stabilize mode, however, the stabilizing it at a very slow speed and in the opposite direction -- so it is anti-stabilize in both roll and pitch. Resetting again does not fix this.
Then, with plane just sitting on the kitchen table as I'm typing this, it goes berserk -- and the gyro seems all out of wack, the artificial horizon showing it is going straight down and the stabilize trying to correct it.
So that was directly connecting to it with USB. I also have the 900mhz xbee.
Trying with xbee-
it does same thing-- so stabalize is in the wrong direction for roll and pitch and servo's move very slowly. However, now the elevator does work in both stabalize and manual.
I also did not change the orientation of the boards -- the line of where the servo's connect all are towards the tail of the plane. The GPS connection is to the front. (it is connect to the bottom red board). The gps is GTPA010.
Strange that the behavior is changing just by re-flashing same software. Sigh.
Lincoln
I also seem not to be able to get back to manual mode sometimes after being in stabilize.
Here is the order I am doing things:
1) turn on with transmitter on in the "manual" position. (am using channel 7, with the 3 divisions RTL, Stablilize, Manual)
2) wait with plane level until steady "B" light is on.
3) turn transmitter to Stabilize... (note the elevator freezes at this point)
4) turn transmitter to Manual...
Curiously, it still doesn't work, but stabilize is working REALLY SLOWLY, the servo moves in the right direction, just about 10% of the speed, turtle like.
hmm. am going to try an older firmware and see if it works.