Posted by Jason Short on January 14, 2010 at 5:00pm
This is a quick note to let everyone know that Ardupilot 2.5 is feature complete and can be downloaded via SVN. If you're on Windows, use TourtiseSVN and if you're on a OS X like me, try Versions. The code is located here.Once the Beta feedback is in I'll post a zip file of the final version. Information about using SVN can be found on the web. Please post any issues in this blog post, and I'll fix them immediately and re-upload.I'm also building a wiki manual to help with the configuration, but it's an early work in progress. I'll write a lot more this week, but there should be enough content up there to get you going.Use the Airframe tester to configure your new 2.5 header file and familiarize yourself with the startup sequence. Don't use the old 2.4 file, except to copy over your old gain settings. I've tried to keep as many of the values the same, but many values are new as well.By Default the control switch settings are 1 - manual, 2 - Autopilot, 3 - Stabilize. Feel free to change them to whatever you like.Good luck,Jasonp.s. Who thinks Ardupilot needs a logo?
And the page seems to have been updated fairly recently with the addition of 'If you're upgrading to 2.5 or above from a previous version of the code".
I'm flying tomorrow with final candidate for 2.5.
Here it is along with the test suite. I've squashed a lot of bugs, so thanks for all the feedback! Ardupilot_25.zip
Hi Graham,
sounds good. There is some code in the sensors.pde file to output the IR sensors as 0 for testing if you continued to have issues. But it sounds like you are doing fine.
I'm making updates based on all the feedback and will be flying this weekend. Hopefully it all goes great.
I haven't checked yet which one (or both) it uses for trims but will do so, the trims in the Config Tool (under More > Options) if I remember were written in the EEPROM, I think because space on the old 168 board was limited.
I flew Sunday and yes the control sticks override the AP controls just fine when in STABILIZE or FLY_BY_WIRE modes.
My IR sensor is flat with the bottom surface of the wing (measured), the plane is trimmed to fly level at 1/2 throttle with trim values (>on my 9CAP Tx) of R+24 and E+60 so when I switch over from manual to STABILIZE mode on the ground/plane level/IR's not obscured) then I expected (and am now getting btw) no change to the surfaces so AFAIC it's working 100%.
Nice too to have the wiggle back after uploading or reset, now I know when the upload is done without having to watch the laptop's screen :))
Hi Graham,
I admit it, I've never seen that dialog hiding in the config tool. Ha. Just use PITCH_TRIM and ROLL_TRIM in your header file to compensate IR placement.
You are most likely using Autopilot with mixing enabled? That's the default. You should be able to override the plane with your control sticks and take over just by moving them. I have not flown this yet but it works on the bench. In mixing mode, trim is only used to tell how much you've moved your sticks. The more you move, the more control you have in the mix. If you've used it, how does it work for you?
Once you've trimmed your plane in Manual mode, land it and restart Ardupilot from the ground with the remove before fly pin inserted. Then fly it in FLY_BY_WIRE and you should be able to judge pretty quickly the PITCH_TRIM and ROLL_TRIM needed for compensating your IR.
Jason
it's looking good, although I don't get a serial indication of what the trims are it does seem that they are being read from the Tx and used by the AP.
A another thing (sorry)..., after plugging in my GPS (still using the old shield so have to unplug the GPS first before uploading) almost instantly there is the blue GPS lock LED however in the serial output it shows: !!!LAT:0,LON:0,SPD:0,CRT:0,ALT:-22,....
I only get a genuine GPS lock if I do a 'ground' start first, then the GPS LED flashes rapidly until a lock is obtained which then shows up in the serial output.
If I reset again, the LAT and LON go back to 0,0 and it never seems to actually get a lock despite the blue LED being lit continually.
EDIT: eventually the coordinates showed up so maybe not a prob after all, but the blue LED was lit the entire time when the coordinates were 0,0.
The throttle is a range of 0 to 125. This has to do with how the timer for the PWM works.
125 = 100%
THROTTLE_CRUISE is how fast you want to go.
THROTTLE_MAX is the maximum the system will set the throttle to overcome wind or to increase altitude.
Your right about the OFFSET_MAX being unnecessarily exposed. There was a time when it was needed. I will simplify it and post an update tonight.
As I understand it the min position of the throttle is read at start up as CH3_TRIM.
I am at a loss, however, as to how the maximum throttle value is entered (or read). I assume that it has something to do with the values in section 9 'Attitude: Throttle Gains' of the header file.
Can somebody please explain how the terms THROTTLE_CRUISE, OFFSET_MAX and MAX are used by ardupilot? THROTTLE_CRUISE appears to be able to have a percentage or integer value.
Great, thank you, I was wondering as I still have to set the trims in the config tool otherwise the plane is way out of trim in AP flight, this is despite the xy sensor being level and the plane trimmed for level flight normally, will check it out...
Comments
http://code.google.com/p/ardupilot/wiki/Hardware
is different than...
http://code.google.com/p/ardupilot/wiki/HardWare
And the page seems to have been updated fairly recently with the addition of 'If you're upgrading to 2.5 or above from a previous version of the code".
Here it is along with the test suite. I've squashed a lot of bugs, so thanks for all the feedback!
Ardupilot_25.zip
sounds good. There is some code in the sensors.pde file to output the IR sensors as 0 for testing if you continued to have issues. But it sounds like you are doing fine.
I'm making updates based on all the feedback and will be flying this weekend. Hopefully it all goes great.
I haven't checked yet which one (or both) it uses for trims but will do so, the trims in the Config Tool (under More > Options) if I remember were written in the EEPROM, I think because space on the old 168 board was limited.
I flew Sunday and yes the control sticks override the AP controls just fine when in STABILIZE or FLY_BY_WIRE modes.
My IR sensor is flat with the bottom surface of the wing (measured), the plane is trimmed to fly level at 1/2 throttle with trim values (>on my 9CAP Tx) of R+24 and E+60 so when I switch over from manual to STABILIZE mode on the ground/plane level/IR's not obscured) then I expected (and am now getting btw) no change to the surfaces so AFAIC it's working 100%.
Nice too to have the wiggle back after uploading or reset, now I know when the upload is done without having to watch the laptop's screen :))
I admit it, I've never seen that dialog hiding in the config tool. Ha. Just use PITCH_TRIM and ROLL_TRIM in your header file to compensate IR placement.
You are most likely using Autopilot with mixing enabled? That's the default. You should be able to override the plane with your control sticks and take over just by moving them. I have not flown this yet but it works on the bench. In mixing mode, trim is only used to tell how much you've moved your sticks. The more you move, the more control you have in the mix. If you've used it, how does it work for you?
Once you've trimmed your plane in Manual mode, land it and restart Ardupilot from the ground with the remove before fly pin inserted. Then fly it in FLY_BY_WIRE and you should be able to judge pretty quickly the PITCH_TRIM and ROLL_TRIM needed for compensating your IR.
Jason
Thanks for the comments. Are you using the 406 or uBlox?
Jason
A another thing (sorry)..., after plugging in my GPS (still using the old shield so have to unplug the GPS first before uploading) almost instantly there is the blue GPS lock LED however in the serial output it shows:
!!!LAT:0,LON:0,SPD:0,CRT:0,ALT:-22,....
I only get a genuine GPS lock if I do a 'ground' start first, then the GPS LED flashes rapidly until a lock is obtained which then shows up in the serial output.
If I reset again, the LAT and LON go back to 0,0 and it never seems to actually get a lock despite the blue LED being lit continually.
EDIT: eventually the coordinates showed up so maybe not a prob after all, but the blue LED was lit the entire time when the coordinates were 0,0.
125 = 100%
THROTTLE_CRUISE is how fast you want to go.
THROTTLE_MAX is the maximum the system will set the throttle to overcome wind or to increase altitude.
Your right about the OFFSET_MAX being unnecessarily exposed. There was a time when it was needed. I will simplify it and post an update tonight.
Jason
I am at a loss, however, as to how the maximum throttle value is entered (or read). I assume that it has something to do with the values in section 9 'Attitude: Throttle Gains' of the header file.
Can somebody please explain how the terms THROTTLE_CRUISE, OFFSET_MAX and MAX are used by ardupilot? THROTTLE_CRUISE appears to be able to have a percentage or integer value.
Thanks
Richard
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