Arducopter failsafe

[6705russell]

Hi all
Just completing one of my builds (Trooper 850) and for some reason I cannot get the failsafe to work on Ardupilot, does the failsafe need to be set on the transmitter beforehand?  I thought not as the software did it instead?

Any help appreciated..

[hoverfly]

The failsafes are set in the software, both battery and  throttle (loss of radio contact).. It also depends on your receiver, you need one that reverts to the settings that were present when it is bound.
After you have done radio calibration in mission planner  note  the low throttle level then  re trim below this level and rebind the receiver, after which return low throttle to where it was when you did radio calibration.
Insure the failsafe setting in mission planner is just above the second low setting.

http://ardupilot.org/copter/docs/radio-failsafe.html

[6705russell]

Thanks, I am sure I have done this many times? I need to try again, must be missing something simple...
My lowest throttle point is 1000, my failsafe pwm is 975 but when I switch transmitter off nothing happens.

[hoverfly]

Try taking the pwm below 975,  the pwm in the mission planner must be just above this .Remember to save the setting..

[6705russell]

How do you mean, save the setting? I thought it self saved as such?  Is this where my mistake is perhaps?

Thanks again for the assistance..

[hoverfly]

On some windows the settings will be saved automatically, others you have to hit the button.
Keep at it,.  One thing to check is if your receiver allows  failsafe some don't..

[6705russell]

Ok sorted it thanks, needed to adjust my end point to 110% and then set the failsafe...

There is just one more thing I need to verify before the maiden flight, when calibrating the compass via mission planner how do you know it is fully calibrated? I have rotated the quad in all directions as described but I was expecting some kind of acknowledgment to say it was calibrated?

[hoverfly]

When calibrating the compass you will see a sphere on the mission planner ,this will have white dots on it as the a/c is rotated they will be deleted as it goes past that position, when the all or most have gone it should be good. There is an auto accept button on that screen  that will stop calibration when enough points have been recorded. I always turned it off so as together a better register.
If you have the 3d radio units is easier to do the  rotation as there is no USB lead to get tangled.
Don't forget to set a short flight radius and low ceiling for maiden flight, just in case..

[6705russell]

Thanks Hoverfly, yes I have done this but I was sort of asking if there was a part of the set up that confirms compass calibration every time you connect, just in case it has lost its calibration somehow?

[hoverfly]

In mission planner  you can select preflight checks, G.P.S. sat number minimum, (mine are set for six) compass, battery level,   when the checks are complete and sat lock is ok you get a solid blue light and the a/c can be armed.

If you can check with a mag compass that the mission planner compass is pointing in the same direction.
The calibration should be good as long as you don't move the G.P.S puck.

[6705russell]

Thanks

Found the checklist,
Verify gps is greater than 3
sat count is 8 (inside the house)
Telemetry signal is 100%
Battery voltage is 0v?  Battery is showing 15.4v on my meter but showing 0v on the checklist on mission planner, any ideas?

Blue led is lit though....

[hoverfly]

Battery  fail safe is set via mission planner , as I remember on same screen as radio . You must be using power brick /board to monitor voltage.
With some power supplies the voltage wiil not be accurate in the m/planner and there is a box to adjust the ratio of measured to display.

http://ardupilot.org/copter/docs/failsafe-landing-page.html