I fly a CS8 with a 2 axis gimbal primarily for still aerial photos. I find myself needing to fly in moderate winds on a regular basis and would like to see what others have done for adjusting the CS8 to perform better in the wind. When onsite, I fly in manual to get to the general position I intend to photograph from at which point I turn on AH and PH while i get the shot properly composed. While "parked" there I will generally make small changes to the position (and sometimes larger ones) as well as adjusting the height for different perspectives. Once I feel I have the shots I return to manual mode and fly back. My issue is the way the copter sits while in AH and PH. It seems to wander around, rock in various directions, etc. From time to time it makes me nervous to the point of flipping back to manual flight and returning home. My system is still set up the way it came RTF from QC last fall - I have attached a screen shots of the gyro settings. My first thought was to re-balance everything - which I did last night. Today, in very light wind, it did not want to hold very steady or in the same spot. Any ideas on changing MK settings, GPS settings, props, etc. CS8 2 Axis Gimbal APC 14x4.7 props Canon 6D and 20mm lens The GPX file is from a test flight tonight just basically sitting parked and watching the movements. Thanks, Michael
Try lowering you GPS gain to maybe 85%. If you have a good gps sat count and no storms going on I found that 85 works well for me.
OK, I'll give it a try. What exactly does the GPS Gain do - or is there somewhere you can point me to that details each setting a little more?
Michael: http://www.mikrokopter.de/ucwiki/en/MK-Parameter/Navi-Ctrl -- really doesn't say too much, but it's the influence that the GPS has on Position Hold. Another factor is how well the compass is calibrated. Do you have a microSD card that will be recording flight log data. If so, you might want to download and install MK_GPXTOOL and check the compass calibration on the summary pages of a few flights. Andy.
Gary: I tried setting the GPS Gain to 85 like you suggested - thanks for the idea. Still ran pretty much the same as yesterday. I am in winds of about 10-12mph. I have read and heard that drifting up to 20 feet any direction can be expected, but is there anything we can do to keep it a little tighter to where I would like it to stay? It does seem to find its way back for the most part if I let it sit there without giving any other stick input - but sometime it drifts a little more from the point it drifted to. Andy: I had put a GPX file in the original post, and here are the compass values I think you are referring to: Magnet Field 101, 104, 111 Magnet Inclination 54, 56, 61 Also, here was another MK resource I had either found elsewhere on this forum or maybe by Google: www.mkmanual.com It looks like I could alter the GPS P,I,and D settings and possibly the GPS Acc setting but since I have not had any experience with these adjustments I would like to hear from someone else who might be a little more familiar with them. Thanks! Michael
Apologies, Michael. I overlooked the GPX file. Those compass values look just fine. Yeah, www.mkmanual.com is a great resource. Did you also see this: http://www.technotragic.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=19&Itemid=71&limitstart=4 Andy.
Andy, I had not seen that one. Thank you. I am going to hold off making any adjustments until I am able to talk to someone who has played around with some of these settings. I may give QC a call tomorrow as well. I'm sure they would have some thoughts on it as well. Of course after tomorrow the answer just might be to buy the new FF Flight Controller with its "unprecedented positional accuracy". I bet it has an easy to understand GUI as well!
Just as heads up, I suspect several folks from QC are the National Association of Broadcasters this week, so those who are still in the office might be working extra hard. If it's helpful, I did Google searches for: mikrokopter gyro pid mikrokopter gyro p i d mikrokopter gyro parameters There's a fair amount of information out there. Also, I'm flying with the default values for Parameter Set 3 and, given a good GPS fix, the C8 essentially parks in the sky -- sure, there is some drift, but I would guess less than a meter. Andy.
You're right...I'll wait until after next week to reach out to QC (when they are all busy with new orders) Does yours stay parked in much wind? Mine stays fine on calm days - hardly moves at all. I am trying to get something closer to that behavior in 10-15mph winds. Thats when I see it drifting. It seems slow to react to having its position altered and essentially wanders within 5-10 meters of where it is supposed to be. I double checked its balance and even did a re-leveling of the ACC. What I have not looked at yet is if a motor is slightly out of plumb or if a prop is not tracking straight. I suppose those could cause a little drift while the copter was sitting level couldn't it - or would it just yaw in position? Also, would you please send me the default values you are using (unless you can point me to somewhere you already have them posted)? I recall QC saying they deliver RTFs with minor changes (if any) to the default values but I would certainly like to double check them.
Michael there is a link here on the forum to a pretty thorough google docs list of various folks MK settings that you might want to check.
Hi Michael: GPS gain 100 GPS Stick Threshold 8 Min. Sat. 6 GPS-P 90 Limit 75 GPS-I 90 Limit 85 GPS-D 90 Limit 75 GPS Acc 0 Andy.
hey Dave i dont know if you have read this one it was in the microkopter forums a long time ago by. worth a read though > Setting up your gyro for smooth reactions such as for Aerial Video applications. (by MK-Flyer-SA) > > Some settings are for when you input movements with your stick and want a certain reaction, other settings are for what happens either after you have let go the sticks or are doing nothing.. > > Noted below as follows: S = Stick input R = Return input > > Gyro-D = R = under 10, makes copter sluggish (softer) to return from a user input. Above 15 very quick return from user input (harder) probably good for 3D but bad for aerial video. Lower values useful for larger copters and or aerial video. The copter has a natural dampening effect after a user input to return to neutral position. This setting has nothing to do with actual speed of user input i.e. exponential curves. If for instance it takes 2ms to reach a certain pitch, it might take 3ms to return to neutral with lower values. Whereas with higher values the stick input and return input might be the same, making the craft more agile. > > Acc /Gyro - Comp = R = 32 standard. Higher values makes copter more resistant or less susceptible to wind changes and more planted. Lower values allow copter to be influenced by small wind gusts. Alternatively, lower values causes copter to over compensate and wobble, whereas higher values resist the urge to try and compensate for small wind changes therefore keeping copter more 'stable' which is good for aerial video. At a setting of 60, my copter was a bit 'loose' at 50 it was perfect, at 32 it was susceptible to wind influence. > > Gyro Stability = S = below 4 copter sways and cannot get back to neutral easily. Use with caution. Above 8, copter jiggles and over compensates almost as if it is on springs and takes some time to stabilize after user input. > > Gyro P and Gyro I = I have had both of these values on a poti and cranked them up and down with no visual difference to the flying characteristic of the craft and cannot explain these or what they do. For most cases leave them as standard settings. Please note the following when adjusting your gyros: Smaller motors with their smaller props (10") react differently (faster?) to the same board suddenly fitted with bigger motors and heavier props. Changing motors and props from a known configuration to heavier and stronger motors will not necessarily mean it flies the same. Each copter is different regarding final build, arm length, load and general construction, so each must be set up separately. > > In summary: > > Gyro-D lower numbers dampens stabilization, Higher numbers quicken stabilization > > Acc /Gyro - Comp Lower values makes copter try and stabilize more quickly in gusts of wind > > Gyro Stability Lower values makes copter very sluggish to find neutral. Higher values might cause wobbling > Disclaimer: These are my experiences only and not the outright rule. I only post my findings in order to try and clear up settings for new users or users struggling to find a happy setting.. more on Gyro Stability. his parameter can reduce the "hardness" of the attitude controller. In the beta test was noticed that there may be advantages to reduce the hardness. Low value: the MK reacts slower High value: the MK reacts more agressive normal hardness: GyroStability = 8 usually slightly reduced hardness: GyroStability = 6 (Standard) increased hardness: > 8 (for excample 12) Since FlightControl Version 0.82 this value can be set larger than eight
Thanks i never seen this link before. I read the ziggy thread. The google site has a lot of good info.