ArduCopter

[damightyj]

Since I’m very familiar with ArduPilot, I loaded ArduCopter on to my OmnibusF4Pro for my Tricopter LR. Autotune in ArduCopter isn’t set up for Tricopter (even though it makes an effort) and so I’m reverting to manually tuning. I’ve got it mostly flying ok but still some oscillations.

So, I’m curious.. is anyone else running ArduCopter? Care to share your PIDs for reference, and also FF and any filtering changes you may have made?

[touchthebitum]

Hello !
I plan to use Arducopter on a Kakute F4 V2 too but I don’t think it will use servo feedback.
Maybe oscillations are due to this…
Did you have to remap ?

[damightyj]

ArduCopter does not use the servo feedback. I know it is possible to get a good tune, it just may take a little bit more of a tuning exercise since we need to do it manually.

Good luck on your build!

[Vantasstic]

I installed Arducopter on a HK Talon Trcopter with a Matek F405 CTR FC. Autotune worked great and it flies beautifully. I wanted to use Arducopter on the Tricopter LR for its features and I’m familiar with it. I used a Matek F405 STD board in it and couldn’t get it to hover….bad oscillations no matter what I did with the PIDs. I ran into this same issue with a 650 size quad running Arducopter and a Matek F405 Wing FC.

The Kakute F4 won’t work with Ardcopter as it only has four servo outputs. Arducopter can only use Ch5 and above for a tricopter tail servo. That’s why I selected a Matek FC vs getting the Kakute.

I’ve now installed Triflight and using dRonin. It works, but not as functional (yet) as Arducopter…but it flies. I’ve completed the Autotune flight. Will try the Servo Cal and maiden flights tomorrow…I hope.

P.S. I may try taking the operating Ardcopter and F405 CTR from the Talon Tricopter and transplant that into the Tricopter LR. That’s a later experiment though. I just want to fly this thing!!!!

[damightyj]

I can give you my pids, FF, accel, etc to at least help get you hover if you like. Mine is hovering and flying kind of well now, but there is a slow tail wag happening that suggests I have an integrator issue in my Yaw tune. I’ll stay with it as I think I’m getting close.

The Kakute F4 actually can work with Arducopter just fine (including tricopter) but it takes some doing.. You have to run all PWM instead of DShot since there are only two timers assigned, or you can enable the LED strip as as a third output, which would be SERVO5, and connect the servo there. If you’re interested in testing this and need firmware built, let me know and I am happy to build it for you.

[touchthebitum]

Hello Damightyj
I’m interested in trying Arducopter on my Kakute F4 V2 but I was a bit confused about remapping procedure. I would have some questions about settings.
If I used LED strip as a third output for servo, could I use Dshot or I have to remain on pwm?
Thanks

[damightyj]

Without having tried that actual board, based on what in see in the hwdef you should be able to use the LED pin as a regular servo and leave pins 1-4 as dshot. This requires having the ability though to build arducopter because you have to accept a change in the hwdef and then build based on that hwdef. Do you have the ability to do that? If not, I’m happy to compile “master” for you so you can test

[touchthebitum]

Unfortunately I don’t have these skills.
It will be a pleasure if you build it for me.
Thank you very much

[damightyj]

Ok. I don’t have any way of testing this, but attached is a version of ArduCopter that was based on Master from a week or two ago. I did not compile the bootloader option, so you’ll need to load a bootloader option via BF and then follow up by flashing this firmware from within Mission Planner.

SERVO1-4 should be fine with DShot, and set SERVO5 to the servo associated with the servo. You can physically connect it to the pad named “LED”

If it works, fantastic! If it doesn’t, set SERVO1-4 to be normal PWM and not DShot and then see if it works.

If none of this works at all, remember that you can run all 4 to PWM instead of DShot and that will technically work as well.

Curious to know how you get along.

EDIT: Dang, the max file size is 512KB and the file itself is 540KB. Try this link: https://github.com/JoshWelsh/ardupilot/blob/master/ArduCopter_KakuteF4_nobootloader.apj

[touchthebitum]

Great! I’m waiting for my gps module and then I’ll try it.
So I don’t have to de-solder anything on my Kakute and try it ?
Thanks

[damightyj]

Yes, you’ll need to move the servo to the LED pin. I do strongly suggest just trying it even before your GPS shows up. Test it on the bench to see if the motors all spin up AND the servo moves.

[touchthebitum]

Ok, I’ll try that.
I think I don’t have to desolder anything since the Tricopter LR Triflight setup already uses this map.
Thanks

[touchthebitum]

I tried your custom firmware and I was able to arm all 3 motors in Dshot 150 mode. I don’t understand the servo behaviour. I’m able to move it only to the right and not to the left. I can move the servo with the radio only when the copter is armed.
The copter compensate in the opposite way when I make a yaw movement by hand. I made the zero of the servo and when I arm, servo is in the middle.
Could you tell me where I’m wrong?
Thanks

[damightyj]

Sorry I didn’t reply sooner, was doing some travel and just got really busy.

I’m not sure what you mean with

I made the zero of the servo and when I arm, servo is in the middle.

but you will want the servo to have a trim value (SERVO5_TRIM) close to 1500 when the motor is pointing straight up, and then a range set in accordance with the guide that came with the kit. ArduCopter also has a setting that says what the degrees are when it is at max swing, and it defaults to 30 degrees. I think that guide sets us to 45 degrees so that is what I changed my param to. I think my SERVO5_MIN was around 1130 and SERVO5_MAX was around 1900ish, but I don’t remember for sure.

The copter compensate in the opposite way when I make a yaw movement by hand

With this, just change SERVO5_REVERSED to 1

I wish I had my pids handy for you but you’ll want to cut the default YAW pids in half to start with if memory serves.

Finally, the servo doesn’t really move that much when the copter is not armed, so all your tests need to be while armed, so remove props for that step until you know for sure it is going to behave how you expect with regards to yaw correction. Also, I used the “optional tri-copter setup” prop direction configuration from the ArduPilot wiki, is that what you used as well?

Does this answer your questions?

[touchthebitum]

Hello
Thanks for your reply 😉
What I don’t understand is the normal servo behaviour. I don’t know if it flies …
When I plug the lipo, the servo goes to the right and turns back to center. Then I arm the copter and all 3 motors work. I take the copter in hand and servo compensates well. Then, I don’t understand the yaw stick response. When I yaw to the right , the servo goes to the right but when I yaw to the left, it remains in the center position. I have the motor 1 (cw) motor 2 (ccw) motor 3 (ccw) configuration.
Does seem the stick response correct ?
Thanks
Franck

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