Need help using LIDAR for Tower App

[ricitron]

I'm using the Tower app to do a grid search and I'd like to be capable of using a LIDAR to control the distance from the ground.

I've installed a Lightware SF11 on the 3DR Solo, and followed these instructions (LightWare SF10 Lidar — Copter documentation) on installation. I was able to successfully connect Mission Planner to the Solo and change the settings and confirm that the 3DR Solo has reasonable sonarrange values in mission planner.

However, in a simple test (flying between two waypoints over a dumpster at 12 feet initial height) the 3dr did not change height when using the tower app (i confirmed the Tower app showed the lidar settings on the drone were the same).

Does anyone have experience on getting the solo to use the LIDAR sonarrange value to control its height when using the Tower App or Mission Planner? Are there any logs that output the LIDAR or distance to ground data?

Thanks!

 

[ChrisBird]

I'm using the Tower app to do a grid search and I'd like to be capable of using a LIDAR to control the distance from the ground.

I've installed a Lightware SF11 on the 3DR Solo, and followed these instructions (LightWare SF10 Lidar — Copter documentation) on installation. I was able to successfully connect Mission Planner to the Solo and change the settings and confirm that the 3DR Solo has reasonable sonarrange values in mission planner.

However, in a simple test (flying between two waypoints over a dumpster at 12 feet initial height) the 3dr did not change height when using the tower app (i confirmed the Tower app showed the lidar settings on the drone were the same).

Does anyone have experience on getting the solo to use the LIDAR sonarrange value to control its height when using the Tower App or Mission Planner? Are there any logs that output the LIDAR or distance to ground data?

Thanks!

Can you confirm your RNGFND_MIN_CM and RNGFND_MAX_CM parameters. Tower is only involved in terms of setting the parameters it doesnt do anything in terms of processing the lidar data the Solo's firmware does that. It should be usin the lidars data if its alt reading is between those values.

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[ricitron]

I have the following:
RNGFND_MIN_CM = 5
RNGFND_MAX_CM = 12000
RNGFIND_GAIN = 0.8
RNGFIND_GNDCLEAR = 7

I set groundclear to 7 as it reads 3 to 10 cm as the sonar range when the drone is on the ground.

I am thinking that the RNGFIND_GAIN parameter may be too low to adjust the height when just flying over a dumpster. Would that be correct? What is a good range of values to use in RNGFIND_GAIN?

Below is a simple track of the sonar range flying over the dumpster. We see that the lidar sees an altitude drop as it goes over the dumpster two times (the two dips in the middle track), but we saw no change in elevation in the drone.

 

[franknitty69]

what do have for scaling and type? did you enable ek2 alt source or flow enable? here are the base settings i use.

RNGFND_GNDCLEAR 5
RNGFND_MAX_CM 5000
RNGFND_MIN_CM 5
RNGFND_SCALING 1
RNGFND_TYPE 8
SERIAL2_BAUD 19
SERIAL2_PROTOCOL 9
EK2_ALT_SOURCE 1
EK2_GPS_TYPE 3
EK2_MAG_CAL 2
FLOW_ENABLE 1
FLOW_ORIENT_YAW -9000
AHRS_GPS_USE 0
ARMING_CHECK -14

 

[fpvsteve]

I'm using the Tower app to do a grid search and I'd like to be capable of using a LIDAR to control the distance from the ground.

I've installed a Lightware SF11 on the 3DR Solo, and followed these instructions (LightWare SF10 Lidar — Copter documentation) on installation. I was able to successfully connect Mission Planner to the Solo and change the settings and confirm that the 3DR Solo has reasonable sonarrange values in mission planner.

However, in a simple test (flying between two waypoints over a dumpster at 12 feet initial height) the 3dr did not change height when using the tower app (i confirmed the Tower app showed the lidar settings on the drone were the same).

Does anyone have experience on getting the solo to use the LIDAR sonarrange value to control its height when using the Tower App or Mission Planner? Are there any logs that output the LIDAR or distance to ground data?

Thanks!

Lidar does not work in Guided or Auto mode.
Only in Loiter, AltHold, PosHold I am afraid.

 

[ricitron]

Is that true in both the Tower App and the Mission Planner PC program? And is that changeable by setting any of the parameters franknitty69 mentioned?

 

[ricitron]

EK2_ALT_SOURCE 1
EK2_GPS_TYPE 3
EK2_MAG_CAL 2
FLOW_ENABLE 1
FLOW_ORIENT_YAW -9000
AHRS_GPS_USE 0
ARMING_CHECK -14

These parameters seem to be for optical flow sensors. I only have a LIDAR unit, not an optical flow sensor, so I'm not sure it would work, and I would not want to disable GPS for optical flow without a full optical flow sensor.

I would just like to use the LIDAR instead of the barometer for elevation control only, not for full optical flow.

 

[ricitron]

Lidar does not work in Guided or Auto mode.
Only in Loiter, AltHold, PosHold I am afraid.

I see that in AUTO mode (Auto Mode — Copter documentation), it says that it incorporates altitude control from ALTHOLD mode, and on the AltHold mode page (Altitude Hold Mode — Copter documentation), it says that below 26 feet, sonar will be used if it is installed and enabled. So should auto mode also use the LIDAR (since it is installed in the same option flags as sonar) when it is below 26 feet?

 

[fpvsteve]

Is that true in both the Tower App and the Mission Planner PC program? And is that changeable by setting any of the parameters franknitty69 mentioned?

No. Has nothing to do with MP or Tower. This is how it is currently implemented in Arducopter 3.3/Solo 2.4.
There will be more terrain follow capabilities in AC3.4 upcoming.

 

[fpvsteve]

I see that in AUTO mode (Auto Mode — Copter documentation), it says that it incorporates altitude control from ALTHOLD mode, and on the AltHold mode page (Altitude Hold Mode — Copter documentation), it says that below 26 feet, sonar will be used if it is installed and enabled. So should auto mode also use the LIDAR (since it is installed in the same option flags as sonar) when it is below 26 feet?

I'd buy you a beer if Lidar worked in Auto
AltHold is ok.

 

[ricitron]

So will LIDAR work in Auto mode in AC3.4?

If so, is it possible to beta test? We are going to deploy a drone in the field tomorrow for a survey, and were hoping to test this capability.

 

[fpvsteve]

So will LIDAR work in Auto mode in AC3.4?

If so, is it possible to beta test? We are going to deploy a drone in the field tomorrow for a survey, and were hoping to test this capability.

I have not flown yet 3.4. So I can't tell how it works with Lidar.
You can install 3.4 on Solo, however this not supported by 3DR and certainly not covered under warranty.

I plan to upgrade my DIY Pixhawk drone to 3.4 RC2 when it becomes available within the next weeks.

 

[ChrisBird]

Lidar does not work in Guided or Auto mode.
Only in Loiter, AltHold, PosHold I am afraid.

I missed he was in auto, i assumed fly (so loiter). Yep the up coming terrain follow looks good for auto, was watching the yt vids a few months back.

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