stop modifying solo GPS !

[korakora]

hi guys, apologies i'm new member but i've been followed this forum 6 months ago but just a silent reader

introduce my background story
begining from my 3dr solo flyaway and crash long time ago, so i decide to using my solo for experiment
1st i flash solo with apm copter newest firmware, and Artoo cannot link anymore but i dont care i won't using digital rc anyway
so i put my old solo with ppm rx, and flying with analog rc since with zero problem and i enjoy it

3 weeks ago i realize solo reducing price alot, so i give solo a 2nd changes with buy it again
with my last bad history with solo i decide to replace gps on my new solo with m8n refering what i read on this forum

let say
"A" my brand new solo (gps rev A with latest solo firmware)
"B" my old solo (gps rev A with latest apm copter v3.4rc7)

weird comes up

"A" = long gps lock
"B" = fast gps lock
"A" replacing gps with m8n = not significantly changes
"B" replacing gps with m8n = almost instantly gps lock
"B" using stock gps on "A" = same fast
"A" using gps = long GPS lock

my "B" have stable GPS, gps count never up and down like solo firmware, i can say never lost gps either

so my assume are
"there is nothing wrong with solo h/w guys! is just firmware issue, it can be fix with 3dr if they want to, but why they not realize"

can anyone tell 3dr from base of my experiment, so they can fix solo firmware and we can fly without fear about flyaway anymore

*i'm so sorry about my poor english, english is not my mother language

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oke guys like i promised before, i making a looong looooong video duration about this
cauntion!! please drink two bottles of coffee before you watch this video
if you sleep during watching this video is totally your fault

the actor was suck have terrible speach even my little daughter can speach more fasters then he was but he is very handsome! at least his wife said so when he bought neckless and give it to her

actually i'm a funny guy please don't to hard on me guys

i'm out of here guys *so many mistake i've done with create this thread* my bad please accept my apologies and forget i ever create this thread

but before i leave this forum please take a note
1. i'm not telling anyone to update they solo with arducopter firmware, i dont wont too either but in my case i have too (i explain it on video) it because i burn entire esc on solo when it crash and motor doesn't stop until battery died (1 hour until i can find solo) so i've to replace entire esc with littlebee 30Amp and replace firmware to arducopter due to change esc, if you do that without purpose yes you are foolish
2. i'm just comparing both solo with same h/w but with different firmware, in my experience why the result is different
3. i never said m8n is suck, yes there is a lot of improvement comparing m7 but not that good as when m8n plug on my old solo (instantly got 10 satelite on 1st boot, unbelieveable)
4. i'm take it back my personal assumtion about this, please assume it with your own.

good luck guys

 

[Don H.]

Interesting research Korakora,

I've been curious about the m8n but haven't bought one due to my Solo is still under warranty.

The other peeps on here that have posted their results seem to be having success with more satellites seen and low hdop numbers.
In my experience I upgraded the shield and am running an "A" rev GPS. After replacing the shield I too saw more satellites and lower hdop numbers. I've never had more than about a 3 minute sat acquisition time. Even after moving it over 400 miles from home.
I too had a an attempted flyaway on my first Solo. The log files showed it wasn't my doing and 3DR replaced it. I think there is a quality control issue that is causing problems. Things like sticky buttons, connectors that aren't seated correctly etc. Some of the solder points I've seen look pretty poor.

Where I think the m8n might excel is when flying under heavy foliage, trees and tall buildings.

Thanks for the research.

Don.

 

[hackbard23]

"A" replacing gps with m8n = not significantly changes

i think a lot of members here can not verify this finding




assuming that the ublox is making it´s calculations and sending the resulting coordinates via NMEA Protocol over the serial bus to Pixhawk, there is nothing the solo firmware could do, because the math is done in the ublox m8n

 

[korakora]

Interesting research Korakora,

I've been curious about the m8n but haven't bought one due to my Solo is still under warranty.

The other peeps on here that have posted their results seem to be having success with more satellites seen and low hdop numbers.
In my experience I upgraded the shield and am running an "A" rev GPS. After replacing the shield I too saw more satellites and lower hdop numbers. I've never had more than about a 3 minute sat acquisition time. Even after moving it over 400 miles from home.
I too had a an attempted flyaway on my first Solo. The log files showed it wasn't my doing and 3DR replaced it. I think there is a quality control issue that is causing problems. Things like sticky buttons, connectors that aren't seated correctly etc. Some of the solder points I've seen look pretty poor.

Where I think the m8n might excel is when flying under heavy foliage, trees and tall buildings.

Thanks for the research.

Don.

hi "D" thanks for your comment
i'm sorry i've to clarified i'm not experimen/research but just coincidence because i've another solo with different firmware, so i can compare both

honestly i'm disappointed with my result about this, 1st i thought it will resolve just with a simple replace solo gps with m8n, but the result not what i expected once again i assume there is nothing wrong with the h/w but the firmware issue

my old solo with gps stock and latest apm copter firmware almost zero accident, 4 months i've been flew it nothing worried

so i decide i'm not satisfied, still dont have any guts to bring my new solo to fly, 3 weeks still on the desk (fine with me i'm never bored see it every day)

"i understand if you guys say i'm so paranoia but i hope you all will understand my trauma according from my last worse experience with old solo"

 

[korakora]

"A" replacing gps with m8n = not significantly changes

i think a lot of members here can not verify this finding

i'm not saying no improvement at all, but not sigficantly, gps count still up and down not stable comparing with my old solo even just using solo stock gps rev A,
*maybe i've to making video to prove it

 

[Marich]

Interesting research Korakora,

I've been curious about the m8n but haven't bought one due to my Solo is still under warranty.

The other peeps on here that have posted their results seem to be having success with more satellites seen and low hdop numbers.
In my experience I upgraded the shield and am running an "A" rev GPS. After replacing the shield I too saw more satellites and lower hdop numbers. I've never had more than about a 3 minute sat acquisition time. Even after moving it over 400 miles from home.
I too had a an attempted flyaway on my first Solo. The log files showed it wasn't my doing and 3DR replaced it. I think there is a quality control issue that is causing problems. Things like sticky buttons, connectors that aren't seated correctly etc. Some of the solder points I've seen look pretty poor.

Where I think the m8n might excel is when flying under heavy foliage, trees and tall buildings.

Thanks for the research.

Don.

I can confirm improved performance underneath heavy branches and the like.
I doubt the unbelievable performance increase gained by installing the new GPS is simply software related and could be fixed by a simple update.
Still, I'm not an expert in this field, so what do I know?

 

[Dogman1973]

I can confirm improved performance underneath heavy branches and the like.
I doubt the unbelievable performance increase gained by installing the new GPS is simply software related and could be fixed by a simple update.

Agreed, whilst there might be some pixhawk updates that improve 'noise' generated, and possibly support higher sampling rates... the raw differences between M7 and M8 are significant.
M7 is a low cost device... mid range sensitivity, and designed predominately just for one GPS system (eg US satellites only).
M8 has better sensitivity, and simultaneous support for multiple systems (eg GPS + GLONASS + Chinese)
Not saying the M7 is terrible... M8 is better... more birds to choose from, better the fix will be... simple mathematics.
I kinda equate this to car tyres... cheap ones will work, but when the conditions get tricky, you'll appreciate better ones.

Given the output is simply NMEA data, I cant really see anything else that can be done in the pixhawk firmware to 'improve' gps. It's a simple serial stream of lat/lon (and some other bit's).

The empirical evidence is interesting, but there's other variables to consider... eg vibration in the gps module will have an impact during flight (but not on the ground), as will ESC noise. I care way more about that, than a few seconds extra lock time before launch.

@korakora, I'd be interested to see your observations over a longer period of time? Would also be interested to hear about any other observed improvements from pixhawk updates!

Oh and welcome... I'm new here too

 

[Pedals2Paddles]

In don't think any of what you posted is evidence of anything that anyone could or should use as advice. You posted an anecdotal test and admitted you know nothing about the hardware. And you blindly flashed non solo firmware that isn't designed to be compatible. Sorry, this thread is not something people should use for good advice.

 

[korakora]

thank's guys for all response, i'm not expected my thread will be go to wrong directions
1st i admire 3dr solo, i love it that's why i'm buy it again can you all get that sign?
i've many drone from other brand, but i love this AC the most coz this AC can "DIY"able
yes maybe i'm to paranoia, but please understand i had trauma with solo before, so i have to make sure everything is fine including gps which is the issue for my last crash

my bad i just start thread for my experience without making video for evidence so i'm no hurt feeling when other member i'm just making a joke i'm fully understand, oke maybe i will, please be patience i'm working on it

 

[pyrate]

I prefer to listen to the engineers on this one.
Nothing they have said in the end turned out to be untrue.
The solo Rev A and copper shielding was a poor set up.
Why some people had better luck than others more than likely had to do with interfernce leaking from gopro and other electronics
some leaked more than others and so some users had horrible time with the rev a than others.

If you want antectodatl evidence.
I fly rev a, rev b and the new M8 from Jordi
Both Rev a and rev B will perform about the same with the new sheild
Neither will perfrom as good as the new M8

regardless of software

 

[SARDG]

In don't think any of what you posted is evidence of anything that anyone could or should use as advice. You posted an anecdotal test and admitted you know nothing about the hardware. And you blindly flashed non solo firmware that isn't designed to be compatible. Sorry, this thread is not something people should use for good advice.

The problem is, some folks - newbs and even others who should know better - read posts and thread titles like the OP's and immediately believe the content, even going so far as to preach it as gospel somewhere down the line. Honestly, I think some folks may have the Brooklyn Bridge in their possession!

 

[Pedals2Paddles]

He thinks the GPS hardware will be fixed by putting unrelated an incompatible firmware on another piece of hardware, which makes that other hardware not work properly. Yes, definitely brilliant.

 

[User Name]

It's hard to draw specific conclusions when there are so many things contributing to an outcome.

There were changes to the Solo firmware that did improve GPS acquisition time. These changes might be standard in the general Arducopter firmware. As a somewhat related example, standard Arducopter has a parameter to set GPS modes to enable other constellations (GLONASS, Galileo, etc), where the Solo firmware doesn't have this parameter at all.

So, even with the same GPS (Rev A, for example), you will see differences between versions of the Solo firmware, and not surprisingly, between Solo firmware and standard Arducopter.

As far as not seeing a difference between the stock Rev A GPS and the mRo M8N, that's something which very few have experienced. There was one person who wasn't seeing much difference until the Solo was flown a few times, then it showed the drastic improvement the rest of us have seen. The M8N is picking up 2 to 3 constellations vs. the Rev A unit's single constellation.

And I don't want to jump on you, but as others have mentioned, there's a lot of bad advice in here - from loading on standard Arducopter, to telling people to stop messing with the GPS when your conclusion is based on very non-standard configurations and a lot of subjective evidence.

Bottom line, the latest *Solo* firmware makes the most of the stock GPS without going to the totally unsupported and UNrecommended standard Arducopter, but if someone wants better performance, the mRo M8N is the unit to buy and which has given virtually everyone significant improvements.

 

[Maddog]

Hi Korakora-welcome to the forum.

Your information is interesting. I'm not familiar with all the technical stuff, so could you explain what you mean by "ppm rx"? I don't understand how you are controlling Solo if not with Artoo.

About how long is a "long" acquisition time?

Everybody who has posted here has gotten better performance with the M8N, so your experience is unusual.

You mention satellite numbers going up and down. If you mean during the course of a flight, I have not experienced that. I don't remember reading about it either. During a flight, my Solo normally acquires more satellites as the flight progresses, but I have never noticed a loss in the number of them.

Can you, or anybody, explain the differences between the Solo and APM firmware?

 

[Quinn]

I've had success changing the stock Rev. A with M8N, Rev A. took about 3-4 min to acquire 7-10 satellites. M8N about 2.5-3 min to acquire 18-23 satellites. While I didn't have any trouble with the stock unit, I'm glad I changed it the M8N. More satellites, the better.

QM

 

[pyrate]

not necessarily, but yes the M8 esp the one by Jordi = good

 

[death star]

It should be obvious that solo has virus software/FIRMWARE installed from the get go.

 

[Marich]

Um, ok...

 

[SARDG]

Um, ok...

Dang Marich, you deleted the first long part of this post that you addressed to the OP - which I thought was the best part.

Great minds I suppose...

 

[hackbard23]

It's hard to draw specific conclusions when there are so many things contributing to an outcome.

There were changes to the Solo firmware that did improve GPS acquisition time. These changes might be standard in the general Arducopter firmware. As a somewhat related example, standard Arducopter has a parameter to set GPS modes to enable other constellations (GLONASS, Galileo, etc), where the Solo firmware doesn't have this parameter at all.

The Solo´s firmware doesn´t have the parameter to enable more GNSS, because it is designed to fly with the Hardware given and this is with just one GPS constellation.
But if you change the Hardware to a device which can receive concurrent GNSS´s Solo Software will receive more sats - that means you don´t need the Parameter to enable more constellations.
This is a parameter inside the M8, you can receive 3 concurrent GNSS´s at a time, it will triangulate the right coordinates and send them via NMEA to the Software (be it Arducopter or Solo)
If you have Arducopter on your Pixhawk, you could change that Parameter and Arducopter will send a command via NMEA to the M8 and it will change it´s constellation.