For those interested in controlling ArduCopter from an external companion computer, the velocity controller is working again in master. This is the controller that wasI used for the AVC red balloon finder and which will probably be used for precision landing. Getting it working involved switching to use the MAV_CMD_NAV_GUIDED_ENABLE and SET_POSITION_TARGET_LOCAL_NED messages (see: https://pixhawk.ethz.ch/mavlink/#SET_POSITION_TARGET_LOCAL_NED).
I’ve also updated the red-balloon-finder code to send the new message in case that’s useful as a reference:
https://github.com/rmackay9/ardupilot-balloon-finder/commit/6917cd0d5ed95ad667858924a125c9b6e4872f11
Of course, controlling ArduCopter via velocity requests is only for high speed CPU boards like the Pixhawk.
-Randy
I don't gave the code in front of me now, but I seem to remember seeing some references to velocity set point controllers in both modes.
Regards,
Kristian
This is only in master so it will go out with AC3.3.
For AC3.2 we’re in the final stages of testing and so only really critical fixes are going into it.
-Randy
Al,
Yes, Guided mode (and the velocity controller in particular) still requires GPS or optical flow before arming. It would be possible to allow Guided mode’s attitude controller (where the companion computer/GCS gives lean angle requests) to work without a GPS. That would be a little bit of work to create a new GUIDED_NOGPS flight mode.
-Randy
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Al,
No, I’m afraid those range finders can’t be used with the EKF to cancel out the drift caused by the accels. It’s theoretically possible that they could be used if pointed out horizontally and if we assumed that there was always some obstruction within the range of the sensors and that nothing moved within the environment. Those are really big assumptions that don’t apply in a normal environment so it’s probably not a good approach I’d say.
-Randy
From: drones-...@googlegroups.com [mailto:drones-...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Al B
Sent: 11-Feb-16 4:53 PM
To: drones-discuss
Subject: Re: [Bulk] Re: [Bulk] [drones-discuss] AC velocity controller working again
Randy,
How about if I use a LightWare Lidar or TeraRanger One instead of an Optical Flow? Will those sensors allow me to arm in Guided mode too?
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