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3D Robotics

ArduPilotMega Beta code now live!

Posted by Chris Anderson on October 2, 2010 at 5:30pm

After more than a 1,000 commits and many thousand lines of code, the public beta of the ArduPilotMega code is now out. You can get it here. Note that the new libraries requires a slightly different installation process, so read the manual so you can put the libraries in the right folder. The code won't compile if you don't. Also, you'll need to be using Arduino 19 or higher.


New features include:

  • An awesome command-line interpreter (CLI) running on APM, which allows you to make most common configurations and setup without having to recompile the code.
  • The CLI also allows you to interactively test all your hardware components--no messing with Arduino code or configuration files if you don't want to!
  • Powerful new scripting commands and flight options.
  • New FastSerial code, replacing the standard Arduino serial code, which makes serial communications lightning fast.
  • The entire code has been re-architected to use libraries, which are shared across the ArduPilot projects. That way we can improve everything from GPS parsers to basic DCM routines and all the projects will immediately inherit the improvements. That not only means better code for everyone, but much easier maintenance for the team.

Speaking of the team, special thanks to the core APM dev team that put in so much work and creativity to get us here. These guys have worked tirelessly on this, with daily coding sessions and weekly dev conference calls, all year. This is a huge project, perhaps the most complex Arduino code ever written, and these are the stars who led it:
  • Jason Short
  • Michael Smith
  • Doug Weibel

With help from some ArduCopter team members:
  • Jose Julio
  • Jani Hirvinen

Config utility wizadry from:
  • Michael Oborne
  • Ted Carancho (ArduCopter Configurator)
And all this made possible by Hardware Ninja Jordi Munoz!

As always, please report all bugs and problems in the Issue Tracker. The developers can't respond to bug reports in blog comments and discussion forums.





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Comments

  • Developer
    Jani Hirvinen October 5, 2010 at 2:56am
    Phill, this ArduPilotMega Beta code is only for fixedwings not for ArduCopter. ArduCopter has it's own firmware they just run on same electronics.
  • phill October 5, 2010 at 2:53am
    Can some one help me. I want to configure the beta to my setup. how do i change from + to X copter?
    in the alpha code there was a line i could edit. but in the beta there is nothing about changing from + to X
    what location in the code for this settings?
  • Neel October 4, 2010 at 8:50pm
    Just downloaded and compiled the code over the weekend for the first time..thanks to the entire team for this great effort! your work is much appreciated by everyone..
  • Joseph Schauber October 4, 2010 at 1:32pm
    Doug Weibel, I am running three "Sketches"
    ArduPilot 2.7 - Flying - EZ*
    ArduPilotMega - on bench - input/output done at least to the point of final decisions as to GPS MTK/uBlox,
    powering of servos optcoupler on output/Mega option, Comm link almost there and last but not least
    Aircraft, have well trimed and beautiful flying Rascal 110 5+ years Gas/23 very low vibs softmounted.
    Weather super bad since April and no end in seight till mid November
    Sketchbook - going strong since receiving my Shield/OilPan around 9/11, and before that the Mega board.

    Have not looked at the SVN since an all nighter - now resolved.

    Thanks again

    Joseph Schauber
  • Ritchie October 4, 2010 at 9:37am
    You miss understand my "distress" Chris. I was only checking the functionality was meant to be missing as I am probably not alone in liking the prod and poke controlling like this. Ah, nostaglia.

    Everything looks fantastic.
  • 3D Robotics
    Chris Anderson October 4, 2010 at 8:55am
    Kevin, yes as mentioned in the manual the default APM_Config is a stripped down version designed to supply the options that the average user would want. If you want some of those more exotic options, you can just copy them from the manual's advanced configuration page.

    Please file an issue on the Magnetometer test point (missing "enter to return") and will fix it pronto.
  • 3D Robotics
    Chris Anderson October 4, 2010 at 8:53am
    Ritchie, we've removed the debug system from the manual and may remove it from the code once all that functionality is in the CLI. I really don't see any advantage to the debug process (which requires a code change and recompile) compared to the CLI. You get all the same info with the CLI, faster and easier.
  • Matthias Badaire October 4, 2010 at 5:34am
    I found a big bug :
    ArduPilotMega Version 1.0.3 Public Alpha
    still shows up at the top ArduPilotMega ....8))
    the CLI is amazing and it simplifies everything !!
  • Ritchie October 4, 2010 at 5:34am
    Just to say the debug system is working for what is left in (GPS RAW, control switch position and DIP switches). Is this an issue that the debug parts have disappeared now we have the CLI? I actually really like them

    Also YAY the LEDs are doing what they should, is it odd that I'm actually excited about that :D
  • Kevin M. October 3, 2010 at 10:30pm
    APM_Config is missing some good info available in AdvancedConfig at http://code.google.com/p/ardupilot-mega/wiki/AdvancedConfig . Magnetometer test is missing enter for return. Also had some kind of funky problem where I couldn't get CLI with megnetometer and airpseed plugged in. After reset with them unplugged I could plug back in and everything is working great. Congrats on beta!
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