After sadly finding that there is a bug on 2.9.1b which is hard to find unless you check your tlog after a flight, hopefully before you crash:
http://diydrones.com/forum/topics/how-to-analyze-a-crash
I got this amazing link from one member of the forum! You gotta check it!
Video:
You can get it here!
Thanks mP1 for the link!
Sorry if this is old news, have been following the blog for a long time and this is the first time a see a finished solution for saving your investment.
Comments
Well, it was your copter (and in my case my copter), as the software is correct for a lot of people. The bug seems to be a problem with corrupt file system on the APM log files, or corrupt upload/version of the 2.9.1b, so it's a software bug related to your specific hardware. There is no real answer yet, but a re-installation fixed the problem.
If I remember correctly, someone even offer you a RMA, which would fix the problem as your unit was maybe corrupted (something hard to find in any other open source hardware). Also, buying a RTF system would help you don't go through all of this (Maybe with an older version of the software, wish is better for newbies and/or non technical people willing to spend in experimentation with flying lawnmowers . Again, this is not a Brookstone toy, there are plenty of those in the market.
As for the warning for the software, you can ready such in the GNU GPL v3 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html) in the download page of ardupilot.
Here the specific part so you don't need to read all of it:
15. Disclaimer of Warranty.
THERE IS NO WARRANTY FOR THE PROGRAM, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW. EXCEPT WHEN OTHERWISE STATED IN WRITING THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND/OR OTHER PARTIES PROVIDE THE PROGRAM “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE PROGRAM IS WITH YOU. SHOULD THE PROGRAM PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR OR CORRECTION.
16. Limitation of Liability.
IN NO EVENT UNLESS REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW OR AGREED TO IN WRITING WILL ANY COPYRIGHT HOLDER, OR ANY OTHER PARTY WHO MODIFIES AND/OR CONVEYS THE PROGRAM AS PERMITTED ABOVE, BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR DAMAGES, INCLUDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE PROGRAM (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF DATA OR DATA BEING RENDERED INACCURATE OR LOSSES SUSTAINED BY YOU OR THIRD PARTIES OR A FAILURE OF THE PROGRAM TO OPERATE WITH ANY OTHER PROGRAMS), EVEN IF SUCH HOLDER OR OTHER PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
So, for a lot of us, is very gratifying to use and help community software. For others, is just better to stay with commercial products. Is up to you in which side you want to be, but if you stay in open source, please take it as it is, have fun, and gratitude to the people that spend time to give us this for free.
I wanted to go for the ardumega and i just think that when a new software is released it should have a warning to say it may be buggy etc rather than letting anyone update and then find their newly built model fall from the sky.
The reason it took me 5 times to defer it was the software is because of everyone saying its my copter, its my issue, the software is fine etc and me changing everything as suggested to only find nope it is the software like i said.
Jared: I read your posts and you were pretty aggressive. This is an open software, I think you should buy an off the shelf system (DJI) or research more on what was the problem... At the end I found the problem in just one crash, not 5 like you.
fruitychutes -> They certainly have some very fancy deploy systems. Just look at the peregrine stuff
http://fruitychutes.com/ has anyone had any experience with them for airplanes?
@mP1,
Yes, it would block the gps. I hadn't thought it through completely but I was vaguely thinking to put the gps out on an arm. Whatever works though of course..!
@Randy
Another option is to use 2.5mm steel wire from multiple arms meeting at the center or off center and holding the pod with the chute.
I use steel wire to make my legs and it works great.
@Randy
Wouldnt placing the chute in the center as in your pic, block the GPS ? Personally im going to try and add it on the side, between two arms, leaving the front free for the camera and the back free for the sonar.
I know i will be changing the COG, but on a X (not+) hex theres not a lot of options if one doesnt want to place it on top.
@Darrel,
Yes, it a was a bit pricey at about $160. I bought the version for 4kg multicopter 'cuz my copters are all in the 2.5kg range. There's a cheaper option here.
@Charlie,
Cool. Clearing up the deployment and then making the extra required bits available is actually probably the biggest hurdle to getting more people to use chutes.
I have to add though that I've heard from someone familiar with these parachutes that they cause as many problems as they solve although he didn't elaborate. Obviously we should still pursue it but I think the way we attach the parachute and how we decide when it should be deployed needs to be done well.
Thanks Randy!! I agree, the parachute should be attach to more than 2 arms to make the landing better. Once I finish rebuilding my Hexa, I will start doing some 3D prints/CNCs to test the concept. :)
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