Software version to use motor controls

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Software version to use motor controls

Postby TheBoD » Wed Nov 21, 2012 3:49 am

Tom, I have made several successful flights using the Circle relative commands and I have a few questions :

(1) When I launch the plane and give it an altitude target - is the value relative to the altitude at the launch site or the actual altitude showing on the GPS at the ground level at the launch. E.g The field I fly in is about 100 ft above sea level.

(2) The non-GPS altitude reading is negative until the around 50 ft above the ground - is there a setting I need to adjust somewhere ?

(2) What is the earliest version of the Gluonpilt software that supports the FLARE command so I can control the motor and automate the landings ? I am using quite an old version of the software that does not seem to have this command in the navigation.c file.

Many thanks
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Re: Software version to use motor controls

Postby Tom » Wed Nov 21, 2012 7:36 am

(1) In the configuration tab page "control" you can edit how altitude is used. GPS or barometric, absolute or relative.
(2) Which reading are you refering to?
(2 bis ;-) ) I would propose to upgrade to v0.8 so you can use all the latest features.
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Re: Software version to use motor controls

Postby TheBoD » Thu Nov 22, 2012 5:28 pm

Tom,

I am looking for some help with the upgrade to Ver 0.8 . I downloaded anc compiled the Gluonpilot code OK and loaded it onto the Gluonpilot pilot. I checked the config and reloaded the config I had on the previous version of Gluonpilot (Ver 0.5). When I load the new version the there is constant chatter on the servos and they drive hard to their limits. There is also a consistent error message poping up about incompatibility on the firmware. When I run the Read command using the FTDI connection it is not able to read the Config details back. The GPS signals are coming through OK and I
can see the RC transmitter signals responding on the RCinput tab but with very intermittent response on the servos themselves. I tried re-entering the config details manally, writing, burning and rebooting but with no improvement. I am using the latest version of the ground station.

I even tried changing the code in Control.C to make all control options as MANUAL but with no improvement so I restored the code and downloaded it again .

After some fiddling around and making no progress I reloaded the version 0.5 onto the Gluonpilot and everything wnet back to working exactly as before so as far as I can see there is no hardware issue.

The Gluonpilot code was compiled in MPLAB X IDE ver 1.41 with a clean compile and no error messages.

Would appreciate your thoughts on what the problem might be.

This is the start-up log on the Gluonpilot when I installed the more recent version.
Configuration burned to flash
[10:49:09.97] Reboot command received...
[10:49:11.00] Gluonpilot v0.8 BETA 4 [Nov 22 2012 10:45:15, config: 280B, logline: 36B, navigation: 1008B, double: 4B]
[10:49:11.09] A RESET instruction has been executed
[10:49:11.16] Found hardware version v0.1j or earlier
[10:49:11.21] 2 MB flash found
[10:49:11.21] Loading configuration...done
[10:49:11.27] Waiting for pwm..done
[10:49:11.33] Control task initializing...done
[10:49:11.38] Sensors task initializing...Gps & Navigation task initializing...
[10:49:11.44] Console input task initializing...done
[10:49:11.44] Datalogger task initializing...done
[10:49:11.44] done
[10:49:11.44] Telemetry task initializing...done
[10:49:11.45] OSD task initializing...
[10:49:11.45] no OSD found!
[10:49:12.72] Gps & Navigation task initialized
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Re: Software version to use motor controls

Postby Tom » Thu Nov 22, 2012 6:33 pm

It is important to notice that the firmware and software versions should be identical.

After a firmware upgrade, you should always reload factory settings and reconfigure.
Does this solve the problem?
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Re: Software version to use motor controls

Postby TheBoD » Thu Nov 22, 2012 9:02 pm

Tom, thanks for the suggestion. I will try this - just to check, should the steps be as follows

1) Compile and install Ver 0.8 code on Gluonpilot

2) Reload factory settings

3) Reconfigure using previously saved config files

Thanks.
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Re: Software version to use motor controls

Postby TheBoD » Fri Nov 23, 2012 12:35 am

Tom, just to let you know I did as you recommended and everything now works properly again on Ver 0.8. Need to make a few adjustments and then I will be ready to do some test flying. Thanks for your help :D
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Response in case of loss of Transmitter signal

Postby TheBoD » Sun Nov 25, 2012 10:05 pm

Tom, flying OK on ver 0.8 - thanks for your help.

One more question... what does the Gluonpilot do if it loses the ground RC transmitter signal - either because it is out of range or if the transmitter is switched off accidently ?

Thanks.
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Re: Software version to use motor controls

Postby lukasz » Sun Nov 25, 2012 10:14 pm

All depends what your Rx outputs when it loses link.
Does it have failsafe?
If yes than you need to set AP channel to switch GP to AP.

Let us know what Rx you use and how it's connected.
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Re: Software version to use motor controls

Postby Tom » Sun Nov 25, 2012 10:18 pm

lukasz wrote:All depends what your Rx outputs when it loses link.
Does it have failsafe?
If yes than you need to set AP channel to switch GP to AP.

Let us know what Rx you use and how it's connected.



Depends on how your RX functions. It will recognize "invalid" signals, but most modern receivers never output invalid signals.
This means you should program the failsafe settings of you Rx:
- Turn autopilot on when out of range
- When the throttle PWM pulse is below 900us, gluonpilot will interprete is as the failsafe setting
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Re: Software version to use motor controls

Postby TheBoD » Tue Nov 27, 2012 2:31 am

Tom, thanks for your note.

The receiver is a Spektrum AR500 paired with a Spektrum DX 5E transmitter. The receiver is connected using the PWM feeds to the Gluonpilot and I do not know if it has a programmable function on what to do if there is no Tx signal. When I turn off the transmitter the RC input on the config tabe stays showing the last values read. Where do I set the Gluonpilot action for what to do when the Tx signal is lost ?

Thanks.
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