Mikrokopter firmware update .84

[RTRyder]

Today MK released version .84 firmware for the flight controller, most notably it has the ability to do Points of Interest while flying GPS waypoints. Now you can set waypoints and have the yaw orientation and camera angle preset for each waypoint to keep the lens focused on whatever it is that you want to capture. Some other interesting updates like auto landing and a new method to calibrate the compass, read about it here... http://www.mikrokopter.de/ucwiki/en/Firmware-0.84

I may load this up on my new/old Hexa since I just got the Navi and GPS installed and working last night. Will also require updating the code on the Navi board as well as a new version of MKtool.

Ken

 

[FlyEYE]

The point of interest is great, autolanding that might be a little too freaky.

 

[Droider]

Go for it ken.. a step by step instruction would be nice for a newbie to firmware upgrading.. New done it to any of the components.

 

[FlyEYE]

I did a step by step here

http://www.multirotorforums.com/showthread.php?167-Upgrading-the-Mikrokopter-Firmware

 

[Droider]

Flyeye, did you upgrade everything? this may be a daft question but I dont know what needs to be done. Ill go have a read of the link

Dave

 

[Crash]

Flyeye, did you upgrade everything? this may be a daft question but I dont know what needs to be done. Ill go have a read of the link

Dave

Typically, the BL-Ctrl code will remain the same unless they find a bug. It's a real PITA to upgrade anyway. The Compass firmware won't change much either.

The majority of the code for the new features resides on the Navi board and the FC board has to get minimal changes to accommodate the new features. Then MKTool is also changed to accommodate new features.

That's a long answer to say: Update Navi, FC, and MKTool for update .84.

I always take screen shots of my settings and redo them manually after an upgrade.

I also keep all the recent versions of MKTools extracted side by side to make it easier to downgrade or check birds with older firmware.

 

[Droider]

Have you upgraded Crash? Any issues? or was it painless like Flyeyes

Is there a specific order to doing it..?

I know Flyeye has posted his order so if I take the plunge I will follow his lead

Dave

Dave

 

[Crash]

Have you upgraded Crash? Any issues? or was it painless like Flyeyes

Is there a specific order to doing it..?

I know Flyeye has posted his order so if I take the plunge I will follow his lead

Dave

Dave

I've never had a problem upgrading. I will say this though: I don't particularly like being the first to test new features.

The order I used was:
Take screen grabs of old settings
Unzip MKTool to it's own directory and change to proper com port
screw around for 10 minutes figuring out why my USB port is not recognizing anything
reboot computer so USB starts working
flash FC firmware
ignore no communication with FC error
flash Navi firmware
reinit eeprom to clear out all old settings
Fix settings and try not to forget to change mixer

 

[Droider]

Sounds like a lot of mither for now.. think Ill just keep flying until I need advanced way point stuff, although I would love the follow me thingymabob. Anyone done it... I have seen the video but wondered if the new software made it more sensitive so it could as an example follow a runner or a cyclist. mmm ponder, ponder

 

[RTRyder]

Friday night I did the update to .84 on the stock MK Hexa, took about 10 minutes total and that included going to the German site and downloading the necessary files.

Very straight forward procedure, updated the Navi code, exited terminal then switched to the F/C board, updated that code, exited MKtool and then opened the new version of the tool. Verified that the boards were talking to each other, all my settings were still there, and the correct versions of firmware were being displayed, done.

Since the update I've flown 6 full battery packs and see no difference between pre and post upgrade so it appears all is working normally. I've been using P/H and A/H, tried out carefree and come home, no issues with any of them. Only thing I haven't done yet is try any of the new features of the code, it was so windy yesterday and today I had my hands full just flying normally, I'll wait for a calmer day to try POI and autolanding.

This afternoon I put the finishing touches on the stock Hexa setting up two strips of green LED's connected to the output port on the F/C and set to blink in the same pattern. Now that its dark and the wind has died down I just went out back and put it about 150 feet in the air in P/H and A/H for about 2 minutes then brought it straight down and shut it off. It will be interesting to see how many of the neighbors are talking about seeing a UFO with blinking lights in the next couple days...

Ken

 

[Droider]

Every one makes it sound so easy.. I need to get a usb connection as I am on blue tooth so I may order one up this week and by the time it gets here I may have built up the courage to give it a go. Let us know if you get the POI's tested and if you figure out how to follow the dog.

Dave

PS I think your neighbours may know where the weird lights are coming from by now ken

 

[FlyEYE]

The MK seems to handle the same after the update.
As for the new features, I haven't gotten the POI heading working.
I've attached my waypoint settings. Perhaps you can see something I'm missing. It didn't try pointing in any directions (I should have also used WP2 instead of 2 for pointing towards waypoint 2, 2 should have caused it to point west)

As for the altitude settings for waypoints, seems to work however I didn't read the WIKI closely enough and when I tried going to a high altitude after a couple low altitude tests, I ended up having to dig mud out of my motors. The climb rate is in .1m/s and not as I assumed 1m/s. It appeared to take too long to get to my target high of 50 meters but seemed like it was getting there so I didn't stop it and lost track of time. Eventually it started to descend, faster and faster, the battery was almost dead. Looks like it ended up free falling about 50feet into a muddy farmers field (can this be considered another version of auto landing). So entirely my fault, fortunately, my only damage as far as I can tell is 3 props.

 

[RTRyder]

The MK seems to handle the same after the update.
As for the new features, I haven't gotten the POI heading working.
I've attached my waypoint settings. Perhaps you can see something I'm missing. It didn't try pointing in any directions (I should have also used WP2 instead of 2 for pointing towards waypoint 2, 2 should have caused it to point west)

As for the altitude settings for waypoints, seems to work however I didn't read the WIKI closely enough and when I tried going to a high altitude after a couple low altitude tests, I ended up having to dig mud out of my motors. The climb rate is in .1m/s and not as I assumed 1m/s. It appeared to take too long to get to my target high of 50 meters but seemed like it was getting there so I didn't stop it and lost track of time. Eventually it started to descend, faster and faster, the battery was almost dead. Looks like it ended up free falling about 50feet into a muddy farmers field (can this be considered another version of auto landing). So entirely my fault, fortunately, my only damage as far as I can tell is 3 props.

The setup looks OK, did you use Carefree mode while flying the waypoints? Carefree has to be working and turned on for POI to work.

Ken

 

[Droider]

Flyeye.. well dont for jumping in with both feet first.. I am sure there are lots of peeps hovering with there fingers ready to give the new features a whirl but just waitin for someone one else to take the lead.. (MEEEEE) $5 for goodness sake is all it costs to have your head reminded that these things dont run on Startrek stuff.(cant remember the name of the stuff scotty shoved in to foofoovalve to get Enterprise to fly)
I have seen them on U.S sites but just get yourself one of these and save you bird. PLEASE.

I hate seing or hearing about busted birds cost of low batteries

http://www.brchobbies.co.uk/?page=shop&action=additem&item=183

Dave

 

[FlyEYE]

Already on order, Droider.
RTRyder, yup that's likely the issue, carefree.
I'm just waiting on 1 replacement prop which should be in my mailbox today and should be able to retest by the weekend.

 

[Buzzed]

Since we are on the topic of new firmware there was a rumor at the 'other' site that there were a few nasty bugs in the Navi code. Maybe contributing to a fly-away or two. Anyone care to discuss the problems/symptoms and tell us what we should look out for. Here we are free to discuss it out in the open.

 

[RTRyder]

I've done a half dozen or so flights using the new code on the stock Hexa and no problems so far though I haven't tried to use any of the new "features" like POI yet. I have used position hold, altitude hold and come home as well as carefree and haven't seen any glitches there yet, I expect if there's going to be problems it will be with waypoints, POI, follow me, and possibly autolanding (auto crashing?).

That doesn't mean I have 100% confidence that the code is bug free, far from it, it is after all Holgers MK code with a lot of new things tacked on. I only updated the stock Hexa so I could test the code thoroughly before I risk loading it on the Droidworx AD-6, I'll probably wait for the B rev before I trust it in the big ship.

In any case, time will tell. Usually if there's any nastys in the first release there's an update available very shortly after the initial release (remember .80?), so keep an eye on the download section for bug fixes.

Ken

 

[Crash]

This should be a new thread.

If this bug exists, it has been around since the .80 version at least.

 

[FlyEYE]

I tried out the new features of .84 again and it didn't quite work as expected.

In the GPX analyzer graph, the 2 peaks circled in the ground speed graph represents going to the 1st 2 way points. The MK did point in the correct direction for waypoint 1 and 2 (bizarre seeing it spin around on it's own) but at 2 it just kept on rising slowly. At the vertical red line I switched it back to PH and took over since it wasn't going through the waypoints correctly. It was suppose to go to 15m at waypoint 7 but started to at way point 2.

Any ideas why?
On another note, I hate flying with carefree mode, my mind refusing to ignore the "front".
View attachment 223View attachment 222

 

[RTRyder]

I think I might have just had my first confirmed MK firmware "incident". My stock Hexa has the .84 code loaded and so far has flown perfectly for 8 flights but just a few minutes ago I went out front to give it a short test flight with Xoar props and, well, it certainly was a short flight...

I was on the right side of the driveway and everything seemed normal, I decided to move over to the left side where there's a bit more room and I was going to turn on P/H and A/H and see how well it held. As soon as it got to the far side of the driveway it leaned to the left a bit and started heading in that direction, I quickly discovered I had no response to the controls at all. I was a bit worried about what would happen next, it obviously was in fly away mode but wasn't high enough to clear the fence at the corner of the yard so it wouldn't get too far regardless. Didn't have to wait too long, it got about 10 feet and then flipped to the right well before hitting the fence, falling about 6 feet to the ground. When I got to it I had enough control to be able to shutdown the motors as it was laying there on its side. Only damage I can see with a quick inspection is the HiSight mount is busted up, everything else appers to be Ok at first glance, I'll look closer in a bit, right now I've got the Micro SD card out of the Navi board so I can see what the heck went on...

Ken