ArduIMU V3 code is out of date -- team up to improve it?

Hi,

I've seen huge improvements in terms of sensor fusion algorithms implementations into the APM 2.5, but none of those changes have been made to the ArduIMU v3. As a result the arduIMU is EXTREMELY sensitive to vibration and drift. I have taken a look at the APM sensor fusion code(in an attempt in port it over) and I noticed every thing is pretty much in a custom library.

This makes the code especially hard for someone like me(who doesn't know how to use the libraries) to port over, but it should be fairly easy for someone who knows how to use the libraries to port over.

I don't really know any developers on diydrones but I would love to team up with some of them and improve the arduIMU code. I mean it hasn't been updated since August 2012. I have made improvements myself which improve its speed and ease of interfacibility......I just don't know where to post them?

The arduIMU is the only affordable sensor board on the market which comes with sensor fusion software already installed. The software just isn't very good. Why do I feel like this project has been abandon. It wasn't even transferred to the new downloads page.

Any suggestions?

Using the libraries is object oriented. It simplifies some things, but I only recognize that something might be a class or something. dothis.withthat(the thing) etc. I love that little board and have tried a lot of different .things as a way to learn with it and have only had airborn success using it with the original Ardupilot where it works great. I tried porting tricopter code to it from V2 and motors would sputter and surge. I tried forcing it to run multiwii but I couldnt get it to read PPM on D8 eventhough I could force multiwii to read the sensors. I tried running FreeIMU and it worked, but the output was choppy and uncalibrated in the GUI.

I'd like to see someone do something unique with it.

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Comments

Daniel Nugent August 10, 2013 at 12:22pm

That's perfect! Exactly what I was looking for. The last piece of the puzzle. I'll test it out and incorporate it into my ArduIMU code.
Daniel Nugent July 3, 2013 at 7:31am

You nailed it. I have looked through the forums. I have at least made it operational, putting out the right outputs. But magnetometer is useless with no offsets. I have done as much as I can as a programmer to make it better but my skills are limited. That is why I am reaching out to the community.
Art July 3, 2013 at 5:20am

Out of date? That's to put it mildly. The code is not operational to begin with. It outputs wrong values for the unit orientation out of the box. So, the unit is not functional with the "sample" code. The issue has been discussed in detail on the IMU forum. The magnetometer is not being used in the code as well. No bug reports have been addressed either. If you want to take charge, go through the IMU forum, incorporate all the fixes described there, solve reported bugs, include magnetic compass into the algorithm and code do resolve magnetic deviation and you will have a usable unit.
Harry June 29, 2013 at 1:48am

If you look at 3DR's development history, you'll see the IMUV2 was designed for the Ardupilot so it shouldnt be a surprise that V3 also works as advertised with the Ardupilot.

Good Luck
Daniel Nugent June 28, 2013 at 10:51pm

I'm trying to use it for a custom made auto pilot. I am surprised it worked so well with the ardupilot! I am getting terrible readings in flight. It also drifts at least 20 degrees after 5 min of flight. I've tried everything from rolling averages to tuning the PI controller.
@pbreed it does have an optional gps. The software itself does not take any of that info into account. It may take velocity but still suffers from some centrifugal forces.
Pbreed June 28, 2013 at 9:39pm

The sensors require GPS input to really work well and arduimu has not GPS....

(This helps zero out the bias errors and the GPS velocity changes give you good pitch/roll corrections even during accelerated flight.)
Harry June 28, 2013 at 9:10pm

Using the libraries is object oriented. It simplifies some things, but I only recognize that something might be a class or something. dothis.withthat(the thing) etc. I love that little board and have tried a lot of different .things as a way to learn with it and have only had airborn success using it with the original Ardupilot where it works great. I tried porting tricopter code to it from V2 and motors would sputter and surge. I tried forcing it to run multiwii but I couldnt get it to read PPM on D8 eventhough I could force multiwii to read the sensors. I tried running FreeIMU and it worked, but the output was choppy and uncalibrated in the GUI.

I'd like to see someone do something unique with it.

This reply was deleted.