Autopilot Firmware Upgrade from 1.3.1 to 1.5.3

superduke2007 · Feb 25, 2017

Even though 3DR stopped support for Solo, Drotek has aded RTK injections functions on a latest firmware release for the drone. The firmware is available on our Github :

Jhulz™ · Feb 25, 2017

@Pedals2Paddles did you revert your MOT_THST_MAX parameters to the old value of 0.940000 from 1.3.1
or did you stick with new value of 0.965000?

fpvsteve · Feb 25, 2017

superduke2007 said:
Even though 3DR stopped support for Solo, Drotek has aded RTK injections functions on a latest firmware release for the drone. The firmware is available on our Github :

Yes. I ordered a month ago with still no delivery date in sight. Apparently there is a chip supply shortage for the m8p by ublox.

Pedals2Paddles · Feb 25, 2017

I am at .94. but TBH I haven't researched much into that vs .965

Pedals2Paddles · Feb 25, 2017

I was looking a little more at this today while eating thin mints and watching reruns of Star Trek. I've been watching the PWM output at various MOT_THST_MAX parameter settings to see where it takes us. We know the ESC saturation problem occurs at and above 1870. So we don't want to exceed that, either on purpose or by accident.

With MOT_THST_MAX set for 1, the motor output PWM goes to the throttle stick's corresponding maximum of 1897. Clearly higher than the 1870 point at which Wesley Crusher is finally killed off in an accident in engineering.
With MOT_THST_MAX set for .94, which is the "old" lowered cautious maximum, the motor output PWM stops at 1850. This is well below the core breach point. This is where the Solo's normal firmware stops.
With MOT_THST_MAX set for .965, which is the "new" default on 1.5.2 and 1.5.3, the motor output PWM stops at 1869. While on the razor's edge, that's still below the failure point. I have to assume this is not a random coincidence. It is intentional and still below the danger level.

In the commit on github, it says "ROMFS: Allow use of full ESC output. Testing with Solo ESC's shows that saturation occurs at a PWM value of 1870." So it looks like they've done just that... allowed it to use the full safe range from 1000 to 1869 since the prior cut off at 1850 was unnecessarily low.

This leads me to two conclusions:

The new higher default of .965 remains safe and there's nothing to worry about.
The Site Scan solos, at least some of them, still have same ESCs as the rest of us.

Jubalr · Feb 25, 2017

Pedals2Paddles said:
I was looking a little more at this today while eating thin mints and watching reruns of Star Trek. I've been watching the PWM output at various MOT_THST_MAX parameter settings to see where it takes us. We know the ESC saturation problem occurs at and above 1870. So we don't want to exceed that, either on purpose or by accident.

With MOT_THST_MAX set for 1, the motor output PWM goes to the throttle stick's corresponding maximum of 1897. Clearly higher than the 1870 point at which Wesley Crusher is finally killed off in an accident in engineering.

With MOT_THST_MAX set for .94, which is the "old" lowered cautious maximum, the motor output PWM stops at 1850. This is well below the core breach point. This is where the Solo's normal firmware stops.

With MOT_THST_MAX set for .965, which is the "new" default on 1.5.2 and 1.5.3, the motor output PWM stops at 1869. While on the razor's edge, that's still below the failure point. I have to assume this is not a random coincidence. It is intentional and still below the danger level.

In the commit on github, it says "ROMFS: Allow use of full ESC output. Testing with Solo ESC's shows that saturation occurs at a PWM value of 1870." So it looks like they've done just that... allowed it to use the full safe range from 1000 to 1869 since the prior cut off at 1850 was unnecessarily low.

This leads me to two conclusions:

The new higher default of .965 remains safe and there's nothing to worry about.

The Site Scan solos, at least some of them, still have same ESCs as the rest of us.

Nicely done Matt. Makes sense too. I'll leave mine where it is until the next time I have to change something. I was going to ask you Kirk or Picard, but you answered that..

Pedals2Paddles · Feb 25, 2017

lol. TOS never kept my interest. I like TNG and Voyager.

Jhulz™ · Feb 25, 2017

So is it pressumably safe to set MOT_THST_MAX to 0.965?
I revert mine back to 0.94 but reading above comments, it leads me back to use the default figure of 1.5.3

speatuk · Feb 26, 2017

Pedals2Paddles said:
I was looking a little more at this today while eating thin mints and watching reruns of Star Trek. I've been watching the PWM output at various MOT_THST_MAX parameter settings to see where it takes us. We know the ESC saturation problem occurs at and above 1870. So we don't want to exceed that, either on purpose or by accident.

With MOT_THST_MAX set for 1, the motor output PWM goes to the throttle stick's corresponding maximum of 1897. Clearly higher than the 1870 point at which Wesley Crusher is finally killed off in an accident in engineering.

With MOT_THST_MAX set for .94, which is the "old" lowered cautious maximum, the motor output PWM stops at 1850. This is well below the core breach point. This is where the Solo's normal firmware stops.

With MOT_THST_MAX set for .965, which is the "new" default on 1.5.2 and 1.5.3, the motor output PWM stops at 1869. While on the razor's edge, that's still below the failure point. I have to assume this is not a random coincidence. It is intentional and still below the danger level.

In the commit on github, it says "ROMFS: Allow use of full ESC output. Testing with Solo ESC's shows that saturation occurs at a PWM value of 1870." So it looks like they've done just that... allowed it to use the full safe range from 1000 to 1869 since the prior cut off at 1850 was unnecessarily low.

This leads me to two conclusions:

The new higher default of .965 remains safe and there's nothing to worry about.

The Site Scan solos, at least some of them, still have same ESCs as the rest of us.

I just knew, if I waited patently someone would get to the bottom of it.

Well done P2P.

As my son would say;

"Your a ledge"

That does actually make perfect sense.

1869, yes it's very close to the bone, but its not 1870.

You get my vote of confidence mate.

Pedals2Paddles · Feb 26, 2017

It is indeed presumably safe. That said, the difference in thrust between 1850 and 1869 is very small. So if you've already changed it to .94, I also don't think you need to drop everything and go change it immediately to restore some long lost flight capability. I put mine back to .965 so I have maximum power, and because I eat my own dog food here.

Jhulz™ · Feb 26, 2017

Pedals2Paddles said:
It is indeed presumably safe. That said, the difference in thrust between 1850 and 1869 is very small. So if you've already changed it to .94, I also don't think you need to drop everything and go change it immediately to restore some long lost flight capability. I put mine back to .965 so I have maximum power, and because I eat my own dog food here.

Great advise, Thanks

fpvsteve · Feb 26, 2017

Thanks for putting substance to this topic Matt.
I flew several packs with the 0.965 settings by now and everything is fine.

I don't believe that the Sitescan Solos come with different ESCs. Otherwise we would have seen evidence in the forums in the meantime. ;-)

So no reason for me to go back to the "consumer version "

pyrate · Feb 26, 2017

LOL there would be no TNG or Voyager without TOS
I'm actually very impressed with the new Kirk, they cast it very well

Pedals2Paddles · Feb 26, 2017

And I'm eternally grateful for the oldies

Joe Horn · Feb 27, 2017

"You've controlled my drone's every move. You've told it what to eat, think and say. Then, when it shows a glimmer of independent thought, you strap it down, inject it with firmware, and you call it an upgrade! You BET I'm agitated!!!" -- Riker, paraphrased (ST:TNG "Frame of Mind")

n8lbv · Feb 28, 2017

Thank goodness for ST reruns!!!
And also thank you Matt!

pater · Mar 7, 2017

Randy put video showing new feature drone following drone where Solo runs with ArduCopter 3.4.

DDUB806 · Mar 8, 2017

carpy said:
A few of us have upgraded and tested the latest release of the Autopilot firmware. Follow these steps to manually upgrade your firmware on the Solo from a computer running Windows with WiFi:

1. Download the firmware, ArduCopter-v2.px4. Use firmware tagged 'Latest release'.
2. Download and install FileZilla or WinSCP.
3. Turn on Solo and Controller.
4. Connect to Solo's WiFi network from your computer (similar to how you would connect your phone to it via the app).
5. Launch FileZilla or WinSCP and connect to Solo using it's IP address '10.1.1.10' for the Host and 'root' for the Username and 'TjSDBkAu' for the Password. Use port 22.
6. Copy/transfer the firmware to /firmware on Solo.
7. Reboot Solo.
8. After reboot the LED's on Solo should change colors (party mode).
9. Accomplish a Level Calibration.

Enjoy!

Sorry but I'm having trouble doing update and hope I didn't install any harsh files by accident, please can someone post a video showing how to complete update, I hate computers with a passion! Please and thank you.

carpy · Mar 8, 2017

DDUB806 said:
Sorry but I'm having trouble doing update and hope I didn't install any harsh files by accident, please can someone post a video showing how to complete update, I hate computers with a passion! Please and thank you.

See this video by @MaYHeM.vapes

Greg Parker · Mar 9, 2017

BigTulsa said:
Interesting...this is a parameter that's not included in master at all. I just got out and flew my hex for the first time in weeks and updated to Copter 3.4.5 and this parameter exists nowhere.

80000 is in pascals.

This site indicates altitudes for those readings. 80000 looks to be somewhere in between 6000 and 7000 feet. 50000 (the lower limit) is about 16,000 feet. Unless you're going to fly on mountains like that, I'd doubt you'd need to tamper too much with this setting.

I think 7000 feet might be the upper limit of what this bird can be flown at. Air might be too thin for it. I don't have any data to back that up, but atmospheric density in fractions at that altitude is about 3/4 of what it is at sea level.

Mine flew fine last fall above 12,000' ASL