ArduCopter 3.2.1 released

Warning: there was a period of about 12 hours after this blog was first posted where an older version (AC3.1.2) replaced AC3.2.1 for APM2. If you think you may have downloaded for the APM2 during these initial period, please check the version on your board by looking at the title bar of the Mission Planner (see the 5th comment from me below for a screenshot)

ArduCopter 3.2.1 has completed beta testing and has been released as the official version available through the mission planner and other ground stations. If upgrading from AC3.2 there should be no need to re-do any configuration.

Changes from AC3.2 are listed below and in the ReleaseNotes:
1) Enhancements:
    a) reduced twitch when passing Spline waypoints
    b) Faster disarm after landing in Auto, Land, RTL
    c) Pixhawk LED turns green before arming only after GPS HDOP falls below 2.3 (only in flight modes requiring GPS)
2) Safety Features:
    a) Add desired descent rate check to reduce chance of false-positive on landing check
    b) improved MPU6k health monitoring and re-configuration in case of in-flight failure
    c) Rally point distance check reduced to 300m (reduces chance of RTL to far away forgotten Rally point)
    d) auto-disarm if vehicle is landed for 15seconds even in Auto, Guided, RTL, Circle
    e) fence breach while vehicle is landed causes vehicle to disarm (previously did RTL)
3) Bug Fixes:
    a) Check flight mode even when arming from GCS (previously it was possible to arm in RTL mode if arming was initiated from GCS)
    b) Send vehicle target destination in RTL, Guided (allows GCS to show where vehicle is flying to in these modes)
    c) PosHold wind compensation fix
    d) prevent infinite loop with do-jump commands pointing at each other
    e) pixhawk memory corruption fix when connecting via USB
    f) vehicle stops at fence's alt limit in Loiter, AltHold, PosHold (as it did in AC3.1.5)
    g) protect against multiple arming messages from GCS causing gyro calibratoin failure

Thanks very much to Marco and our beta testers who put their copters at risk over the past several weeks to help us iron out these issues. Also Thanks to Raph for the video (this is actually a video from AC3.2).

Here is a scenario with 3.2.1 that can be surprising:

1.) Disable Radio Failsafe (FS_THR_ENABLE=0) so that a ground station can ARM the copter without the radio

1.) Turn on radio and increase throttle to half way with the copter turned on

2.) Turn off the radio

3.) Arm the copter with the ground station (Mission Planner or whatever you'd like) in stabilize mode

4.) The copter's motors will be at half throttle (or whatever the throttle position was used before the R/C was turned off.)

I had my copter anchored to the ground for testing purposes so nothing bad happened. If I override the throttle using RC OVERRIDE on channel 3, the behavior is normal. But, if I release the override with the R/C turned off, the throttle will revert back to the last used R/C radio throttle setting.

I would think the RC override would reset the default value.

If I could detect whether the R/C was on using MAVLINK messages, I could go ahead and leave the RC OVERRIDE for throttle at least turned on, but I haven't seen a message that provides a reliable way to do that. The RSSI values for the RC related messages are all 0 and the PWM values for the RC channels are all set to the values corresponding to the last time the R/C was turned on. Is there a reliable way via MAVLINK to detect whether the R/C is turned on?

I know this is an edge condition, but it can be very surprising behavior if you're not ready for it.

(I saw some similar behavior in the motor test functions as well where the throttle got pegged for a given motor even though I had specified a low throttle value.)

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Comments

Distributor

Felix Meissner April 30, 2015 at 12:49am

I am trying to use a LidarLite sensor from PulsedLight, but don't manage to set it up.

Maybe somebody can help?

Here is my issue: http://diydrones.com/forum/topics/lidarlite-working-correctly?xg_so...
titeuf007 April 3, 2015 at 4:24pm

woo it will be a big release
Rob Ratcliff March 24, 2015 at 10:50pm

Here is a scenario with 3.2.1 that can be surprising:

1.) Disable Radio Failsafe (FS_THR_ENABLE=0) so that a ground station can ARM the copter without the radio

1.) Turn on radio and increase throttle to half way with the copter turned on

2.) Turn off the radio

3.) Arm the copter with the ground station (Mission Planner or whatever you'd like) in stabilize mode

4.) The copter's motors will be at half throttle (or whatever the throttle position was used before the R/C was turned off.)

I had my copter anchored to the ground for testing purposes so nothing bad happened. If I override the throttle using RC OVERRIDE on channel 3, the behavior is normal. But, if I release the override with the R/C turned off, the throttle will revert back to the last used R/C radio throttle setting.

I would think the RC override would reset the default value.

If I could detect whether the R/C was on using MAVLINK messages, I could go ahead and leave the RC OVERRIDE for throttle at least turned on, but I haven't seen a message that provides a reliable way to do that. The RSSI values for the RC related messages are all 0 and the PWM values for the RC channels are all set to the values corresponding to the last time the R/C was turned on. Is there a reliable way via MAVLINK to detect whether the R/C is turned on?

I know this is an edge condition, but it can be very surprising behavior if you're not ready for it.

(I saw some similar behavior in the motor test functions as well where the throttle got pegged for a given motor even though I had specified a low throttle value.)
SteveC March 3, 2015 at 10:17am

It looks like the choice for primary compass "Compass External" changed from 0 (internal) to 1(external) somehow.
snowest March 3, 2015 at 12:20am

I get twice the same ID on Compass_dev_id and Compass_dev_id2. so AC 3.2.1 see that there are two of them but gives the same ID and so I get a prearm compass not kalibrated.
Two days ago everything was fine an I could perfectly fly in Loiter.
I didn't touched the copter since then, pluged the usb to my AUAV-X2 and then compass error (preArm Compass not Calibrated)

My compass is the one frome drotek the XL M8N - HMC5983.

Values before having problems

Compass_autodetec: 1
Compass_dev_id: 73225
Compass_dev_id2: 131594
Compass_external: 1
Compass_mottc: 1
Compass_ofs_x:-22
Compass_ofs_y:-32
Compass_ofs_z: 38
Compass_ofs2_x: 76
Compass_ofs2_y: -200
Compass_ofs2_z: -66
Compass_use: 1

One day after only with usb connected to mission planner

Compass_autodetec: 1
Compass_dev_id: 131594
Compass_dev_id2: 131594

Compass_external: 0

Compass_mottc: 1
Compass_ofs_x:-22
Compass_ofs_y:-32
Compass_ofs_z: 38
Compass_ofs2_x: 76
Compass_ofs2_y: -200
Compass_ofs2_z: -66
Compass_use: 1

Please tel me where is the bug.
Thanks
CARLOS EDUARDO BOLOGNESE February 25, 2015 at 6:05am

sorry do not know how to post here in the post but here.

Download link

http://we.tl/UqmTsnAsG3
Cala February 25, 2015 at 5:53am

I don't know why but in this post I don't have upload files, I don't know if others can do it.
Rainer K. February 25, 2015 at 5:40am

hello Carlos
the video does not work.
please upload the logs.
CARLOS EDUARDO BOLOGNESE February 25, 2015 at 4:56am

From already thank you all, I am new to the forum but already I read some time,
sorry the English translated by google.

Come agradescer the creators of ARDUCOPTER because he saved my TAROT X6-SUNNYSKY-PIXHAWK yesterday, I believe that the transport desconetei wire ESC that this model uses plugs, near the arms, and the drone at a height of 40m stalled the engine right, in less than 1s to PIXHAWK returned to hover with the engine failing, and I could usually land apnas with a start see the video.

http://youtu.be/-GdzIduT9hU

Thank you all for the effort.
TheMightyThor February 17, 2015 at 6:49am

and by that i mean i will making a video about setting landing gear up properly, it seems a bit misleading on sites where landing skids are sold, they make it out to be , just connect it to your open channel and BOOM done.

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