Arducopter 2.9.1 Test Flight With Altitude Hold And Loiter

[Gaza07]

I uploaded and tried the new Arducopter v2.9.1 firmware today every thing is on default and it performs very well, the alt hold can drift a little but not much and not all the time, loiter worked very well to 
The video isnt to good a quality as my old gopro isnt so good in dull light 

http://youtu.be/bJ-51TFbGY8

[lakis21]

I uploaded and tried the new Arducopter v2.9.1 firmware today every thing is on default and it performs very well, the alt hold can drift a little but not much and not all the time, loiter worked very well to 
The video isnt to good a quality as my old gopro isnt so good in dull light 

http://youtu.be/bJ-51TFbGY8

Great video !!!! I am waiting to build mine!!! THANK you Gaza!
Can you share your setup of your quad. :) And maybe few info about your led strips

Thank you once again!!!!

[neagron]

That was really good,I like a lot,Marty. :scotland:

[Gaza07]

Hi Lakis the APM2.5 is all on default settings there has been no setting up done at all 
The frame is about 600mm motor to motor, a size that I find gives great stability
The motors are from rctimer 2208/17 1100kv with cheap 10" props
The Esc';s are 20a Rctimers flashed with the simonK firmware
The LED';s are the 12v sticky back strip type available from hobby king they are just stuck to the copter arms and wired in to the main battery which is a 2200mah 3s lipo they are not connected to the APM at all 

[lakis21]

Hi Lakis the APM2.5 is all on default settings there has been no setting up done at all 
The frame is about 600mm motor to motor, a size that I find gives great stability
The motors are from rctimer 2208/17 1100kv with cheap 10" props
The Esc';s are 20a Rctimers flashed with the simonK firmware
The LED';s are the 12v sticky back strip type available from hobby king they are just stuck to the copter arms and wired in to the main battery which is a 2200mah 3s lipo they are not connected to the APM at all 

Thank you!

[Polleke1949]

Wow, I hardly believe this is default settings. 
What board are you using?

[Gaza07]

I can assure you it is all default settings i havent altered anythinghere are the details of the board http://www.multi-rotor.co.uk/index.php?topic=1091.0 

Wow, I hardly believe this is default settings. 
What board are you using?

[rickp]

Test flew my rc-timer flamewheel clone with an official 2.5 board over the weekend, and I must say I';m very impressed with 2.9.1. Alt-hold is a dream. Loiter wasn';t quite as good, but its better than I remember the previous code (about 7 months since I last managed to get flying!).

I';m running 1000kv motors, on 4S with 8"x4.5 carbon fibre props. Stock params, but I tuned the Rate P down to 0.06 - though I may tune again now I';ve reduced the vibrations. Took a few flights to get vibrations from this:



to this:



I';m now looking forward to 2.9.2 - roll on inertial loiter!

[rickp]

FWIW - vibration reduction - we tried a few things and ended up with the APM in a foam sandwich, wedged between the top and bottom boards. Nothing else holding it in, as the straps were enough to couple the vibration into the APM

Seems solid enough - its not going to come out - and does a really nice job on the vibration reduction. Alt-hold is superb. Loiter wanders a bit following the GPS (which I think inertial nav will reduce). I was able to have a mostly hands-free flight (though very light winds at the moment - need to take it somewhere with more space when its windy to see how it copes).

[Polleke1949]

How do you get these  graphics on you computer screen?
Can I get them in MissionPlanner or ..... and how do you do this?

[rickp]

Use the CLI to turn on the RAW log message. That logs the accelerometer values to the dataflash. You can then download them in the Mission Planner. Go to ';Terminal'; and then ';Log Browse'; and select the downloaded log. Scan through the log until you find a RAW message and select the ';Accel Z'; (or whatever you want) and then ';Graph this data';.

Z is the key one for 2.9.1 altitude-hold. However, in 2.9.2 (or whatever it will be called) the X and Y values will be used to improve the loiter. So whatever you can do to reduce the vibration will improve things. Its worth changing the sample rate from ';Default'; to 20HZ as that';s been found to be sufficient (and will be the new default in the next release).

The limit for Z is between -5 and -15, but I';d try and do better if you can.

[Polleke1949]

First let me thank you for your great answer, however I have some questions.
I';m new at this and don';t want to "burn" my board.
(btw I have a Crius aiop v1.1 board)
Please fill me in on this.
When I turn on the cli, I get the message: "*NOTE* CLI Works only on first connect power, log download only over USB".
But, when I want to see the vibrations of the motors I have to connect my lipo.
Is this oke to put power on the board both with the USB and the lipo?
Next, how do I turn on the log message?

[rickp]

I';m not familiar with the Crius board - but if its the same as the APM - there';s more info at http://code.google.com/p/arducopter/wiki/AC2_Datalogging and http://code.google.com/p/arducopter/wiki/AC2_Logs

But to summarise:

Go into the CLI (without the LIPO attached). Go into logs and ';enable RAW';.

Then disconnect the USB, and go and fly it in stablise mode for a few minutes.

Then hook back up and download the logs and begin the work to reduce your vibrations

[Gaza07]

Hi Polleke1949 is your AIOP a V1 or V1.1 if so there is no data flash on this board so no logs, but if its a AIOP V2 then it does have the data flash chip and you will be able to access the logs 

First let me thank you for your great answer, however I have some questions.
I';m new at this and don';t want to "burn" my board.
(btw I have a Crius aiop v1.1 board)
Please fill me in on this.
When I turn on the cli, I get the message: "*NOTE* CLI Works only on first connect power, log download only over USB".
But, when I want to see the vibrations of the motors I have to connect my lipo.
Is this oke to put power on the board both with the USB and the lipo?
Next, how do I turn on the log message?

[rickp]

Hi Polleke1949 is your AIOP a V1 or V1.1 if so there is no data flash on this board so no logs, but if its a AIOP V2 then it does have the data flash chip and you will be able to access the logs 

Ahh, hadn';t realised that a clone board may have no dataflash. That seems somewhat suboptimal, as how can you get anything useful if you have a crash?

[Polleke1949]

Hi Polleke1949 is your AIOP a V1 or V1.1 if so there is no data flash on this board so no logs, but if its a AIOP V2 then it does have the data flash chip and you will be able to access the logs 

My board is a V1.1 version.
I bought it just a week before the V2 came out.............
But can I do something with the 3DR telemetry set I';m  having on my quad?

[Gaza07]

I know the feeling Polleke1949 the v1.1 came out a week after  bought the v1 although there wasnt so much difference between the two, you shouldnt have any problem using the 3DR telemetry set 

[Gaza07]

Hi Rick the AIOP boards arent actually APM clones they cannot run the arducopter firmware like the Arduflyer can,
They can run multi wii or megapirate which is a port of the arducopter firmware, the AIOP v2 is the first of these types of boards t have the data flash chip 

[Polleke1949]

I know the feeling Polleke1949 the v1.1 came out a week after  bought the v1 although there wasnt so much difference between the two, you shouldnt have any problem using the 3DR telemetry set 

Thanks Gaza07,
Is the procedure the same as Rickp says?
When I turn on the cli with my 3DR, I get a lot of mumbo jumbo, and i can';t get any log to load.
I see them in the log map of MP, but i can';t load.
Paul

[rickp]

Gaza - ah, okay. I guess I was assuming Arducopter based on it being in the 2.9.1 thread! D';oh

[Gaza07]

Well Polleke1949 did post in arducopter section rather than the megapirate one   

Gaza - ah, okay. I guess I was assuming Arducopter based on it being in the 2.9.1 thread! D';oh

[Polleke1949]

Well Polleke1949 did post in arducopter section rather than the megapirate one   

Sorry guys.
I did this because I thought that the two boards were (almost) the same.
And I fell in love with the video Gaza was showing
But I';m very glad that you are willing to help me anyway.
If you want me to redirect it, please say so.
Paul
PS: first gonna read this also:http://code.google.com/p/ardupilot-mega/wiki/Datalogging
Pffffeww. Need a lot to learn on my age (63) 

[rickp]

Yeah, no problems - very willing to help if I can :)

[Gaza07]

No worries Paul was just pointing out the confusion between the boards, your more than welcome to any help you may need   

[Polleke1949]

Thank you all.
I';m still struggling on the part Rick showed us.
I';ve been reading the "datalogging" page and I can';t find anything on how to produce the data on the vibrations.
At least, I can';t find "output accel Z" in this menu.
[attach=1]

[rickp]

Presumably its ';az'; in that list, but if thats over a radio link, then I suspect you won';t get data at a sufficient rate to be useful in determining vibration.

I';m graphing Accel Z (plus X and y) as shown in this image...

[Polleke1949]

Presumably its ';az'; in that list, but if thats over a radio link, then I suspect you won';t get data at a sufficient rate to be useful in determining vibration.

I';m graphing Accel Z (plus X and y) as shown in this image...

I think you';re right.
I';m not getting any response on this value 
Hoping to get everthing as good as possible manualy.
Thanks anyway
Paul

Edit:
Think I found something to "play" with.
The value in the picture varies from -950 to -1072.
Is this the one that is allowed to vary only 5 to 15 points?
[attach=1]