3D Robotics

Preview of ArduCopter 2.6.1

We're within a day or two of releasing ArduCopter 2.6.1 to the public in the Mission Planner. It's the best performing code we've flown and the waypoint accuracy is really impressive. You can check out Marco Robustini's video above to see an long-distance waypoint flight, some tight loiter at 5:30 (holding in a 1m box!) and a fun demo of autorotation.

A full list of changes is here, but they include:

 

Performance improvements:

  • Better loiter, especially with the new 3DR uBlox GPS. Check out the video from Marco above!
  • Better yaw control
  • Better DCM implementation, resulting in noticeably smoother flight
  • Better camera control, including improved setup in the Mission Planner.
  • Etc

Bugfixes:

  • Fix to dataflash erasing, which should resolve an issue some users were having
  • Fix some MAVLink commands
  • Fix Circle command
  • Fix some units
  • Etc

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Comments

  • Hey Chris, a few quick ones.

    I've downloaded 2.7 RC, which compiles fine and flies fine, but the camera gimbal functions do not work, I've seen the new way to set it up, but the latest MP does not look the same as the one shown in the updated camera tracking page for the setup, no RC function drop downs.. ? Am I missing something? Should I wait for MP release of 2.7 ? Any ETA

    also with the Ublox, which I'm now flying, sometimes it's super solid, others it just flied off into nowhere, it's like it's a hit or miss when I flip to loiter mode and back to stab.  ??

  • 3D Robotics

    Darren: you have a choice of GPS modules with APM 2. The uBlox is recommended for copters. 

  • 3D Robotics

    Gerrit: Yes, it is much improved on all platforms. Best with the uBlox, but should show improved performance with the MTK, too. 

  • Will this new software also allow reasonable loitering with APM 1.4 + MTK GPS? The best I've managed until now is mediocre results in low wind situations. I have never been able to get anything decent with wind.

  • "We're within a day or two of releasing ArduCopter 2.6.1 to the public in the Mission Planner."

    Hi guys... I am actually anxiously waiting on AC 2.6.1 because I have one of the APM2s with the EEPROM erase problem. What is the current ETA? Should I rather go for self compilation?

    Otto
  • Graham, flip isn't actually a mode. It's a channel 7 option. http://code.google.com/p/arducopter/wiki/AC2_SimpleMode It needs to be enabled in the code, by uncommenting in config.h  . The mission planner does actually have it in the CH 7 dropdown box, but I don't think it works unless you edit config.h and compile the code yourself. I imagine that once a few more people have tested it you will be able to use it with the standard .hex that Mission Planner loads onto the copter for you.

  • Moderator

    Clarification of Flip Mode please?

  • U-Centre ? link ? FTDI cable, this the same as the 3DR radios use ?

  • Developer

    No Duran, but I think it's a defective unit or not properly initialized, try to connect the gps with the U-Center with a FTDI cable...

  • great testing marco, a quick question, i today rec3ived my order of 3 x new ublox gps units, one for the quad, hex and octo each, 2 of the 3 work flawlessly but the 3rd seems to not, when powering up the board, it takes alot longer for the apm2 to initialize, like 20sec or so, after wich the blue gps led does not come on at all, gps leds are on and blinking but nothing on apm, replace with different ublox and perfect again.. any ideas??

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