FS_GCS_ENABLE/FS_THR_ENABLE- has anyone actually used it? YES! Read on!

[nuggetz]

Has anyone here actually changed this parameter and flown a Tower mission with RTL disabled? Reason I ask is because according the this parameter's description it makes reference to another setting called RC_OVERRIDE. See below. Anyway, since this parameters default value is 0 it didn't make a whole lot of sense to me because 0 states that RTL is disabled. Well that's not true or else we'd all be screwed if we lost controller communication with the SOLO. Then I read the description a little more and it states that "GCS Failsafe is only active when RC_OVERRIDE is being used to control the vehicle"

Million dollar question is how do you set RC_OVERRIDE? I checked my parameter's list and its not a parameter. So where is it set? Do we need it? What happens if I just set FS_GCS_ENABLE to 2? Will Solo continue its mission when it loses contact with the controller? I really need this functionality and I'm starting to think no one has actually done this on Solo yet. I hope I'm wrong and would love to hear from anyone who has.

Here is the parameter definition webpage:
http://copter.ardupilot.com/wiki/arducopter-parameters/

Here is the description:

Ground Station Failsafe Enable (ArduCopter:FS_GCS_ENABLE)
Controls whether failsafe will be invoked (and what action to take) when connection with Ground station is lost for at least 5 seconds. NB. The GCS Failsafe is only active when RC_OVERRIDE is being used to control the vehicle.

• 
  VALUE MEANING
  0 Disabled
  1 Enabled always RTL
  2 Enabled Continue with Mission in Auto Mode

 

[michaelturner19982002]

well sounds like a test is in order. Fly a small mission with multiple points then turn off your controller if it continues to fly the mission and land you figured it out and will be the hero, but if its doesn't work it will return home and land without finishing the mission. Please let me know if it works.

 

[Raybro]

I believe when you are in auto mode you have invoked RC_OVERRIDE

 

[RichWest]

I'm in for the answer....

 

[nuggetz]

well sounds like a test is in order. Fly a small mission with multiple points then turn off your controller if it continues to fly the mission and land you figured it out and will be the hero, but if its doesn't work it will return home and land without finishing the mission. Please let me know if it works.

Like I suspected no-one has actually done this yet. I guess I'll just have to test it out.

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[RichWest]

That's the spirit, take one for the team....

 

[Acroduster]

Posting to make sure I get this answer. Thanks for testing...

 

[nuggetz]

Well I still haven't worked up the nerve to test this but I did some more research and I think we're looking at the wrong parameter. Here's a snippet from the main 3DR Solo owners thread over at RC groups.




To run a mission where solo could get out of range use the following settings.

FS_GCS_ENABLE = 2 *continue if tower loses connection to Solo
FS_THR_ENABLE = 2 *continue if controller loses connection to Solo

Keep in mind that if you choose continue or land, its possible for solo to land somewhere else if your mission isn't planned efficiently. it's your responsibility to play your waypoints keeping in mind solo's range."


This is starting to look like we might need both parameters set to 2. FS_THR_ENABLE makes sense as that is a controller related parameter whereas GCS or ground control station would be a parameter related to the Tower app or Mission Plamner. I'll keep you guys updated if I find anything else. Please share if you try this.

 

[RichWest]

You could test a close mission and then turn off the controller... If you have any problems then turn the controller back on. That should confirm that the parameter settings are correct.

 

[nuggetz]

Yea I suppose it would be simple enough to test. I could program 3 waypoints with an altitude of 200 feet where the solo would be told to wait 60 seconds before it heads to the next waypoint. That should allow enough time for me to turn off the controller, observe the outcome and then power up again to regain control and bring her down.

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[User Name]

I'm in the process of rebuilding my 250 quad with a mini pixhawk (pixfalcon) specifically to test this kind of thing. I'd rather crash a small, easily repaired quad than the Solo. And I'm new to all this, so I may be wrong, but I believe:

FS_THR_ENABLE is when a connection with a transmitter is lost, there's often a failsafe that drops the throttle value down below the "normal" zero throttle value. The flight controller can read this low value and initiate a failsafe - land, return to launch or continue with mission.

FS_GCS_ENABLE seems like the same basic thing but with a connection to GCS as opposed to an RC transmitter.

Since you can have both an RC transmitter connection AND a GCS connection on the same craft, these two settings can work independently - you could have it continue if the transmitter connection is lost as long as it's still connected to GCS, vice versa, or have it continue even if both are lost.

Again, exactly why I added a pixhawk to my 250. I just got it flying tower missions last night, I'll have to pick up a radio set to connect it to GCS to test this specifically.

 

[Raybro]

I'm in the process of rebuilding my 250 quad with a mini pixhawk (pixfalcon) specifically to test this kind of thing. I'd rather crash a small, easily repaired quad than the Solo. And I'm new to all this, so I may be wrong, but I believe:

FS_THR_ENABLE is when a connection with a transmitter is lost, there's often a failsafe that drops the throttle value down below the "normal" zero throttle value. The flight controller can read this low value and initiate a failsafe - land, return to launch or continue with mission.

FS_GCS_ENABLE seems like the same basic thing but with a connection to GCS as opposed to an RC transmitter.

Since you can have both an RC transmitter connection AND a GCS connection on the same craft, these two settings can work independently - you could have it continue if the transmitter connection is lost as long as it's still connected to GCS, vice versa, or have it continue even if both are lost.

Again, exactly why I added a pixhawk to my 250. I just got it flying tower missions last night, I'll have to pick up a radio set to connect it to GCS to test this specifically.

What is the default value of FS_THR_ENABLE? Is the parameter even valid if you are in automode....ie RC_OVERRIDE

 

[Jubalr]

Well I still haven't worked up the nerve to test this but I did some more research and I think we're looking at the wrong parameter. Here's a snippet from the main 3DR Solo owners thread over at RC groups.




To run a mission where solo could get out of range use the following settings.

FS_GCS_ENABLE = 2 *continue if tower loses connection to Solo
FS_THR_ENABLE = 2 *continue if controller loses connection to Solo

Keep in mind that if you choose continue or land, its possible for solo to land somewhere else if your mission isn't planned efficiently. it's your responsibility to play your waypoints keeping in mind solo's range."


This is starting to look like we might need both parameters set to 2. FS_THR_ENABLE makes sense as that is a controller related parameter whereas GCS or ground control station would be a parameter related to the Tower app or Mission Plamner. I'll keep you guys updated if I find anything else. Please share if you try this.

OK, just went out and tried this. I set a survey mission in Tower. I changed just the GCS parameter to 2. When it was about 1/2 way through the mission, I turned off the Transmitter. Solo began a RTL so I turned the transmitter back on. About the time it was overhead, it re-connected and I put it in manual and landed. I then changed the THR parameter to 2. So now both parameters are set to 2. I then flew the mission again. I turned off the transmitter and never saw a change in Solo's behavior. It continued to fly the mission, and since I had added home as the last WP it began to return after completing the mission. I then re-connected and went to manual again.

So there you have it. Changing both to 2 and it completed the mission on signal loss.

 

[Jubalr]

What is the default value of FS_THR_ENABLE? Is the parameter even valid if you are in automode....ie RC_OVERRIDE

Hey Ray, I believe it was set to 1 when I changed it to 2. Not positive, but believe that's where it was.

 

[nuggetz]

OK, just went out and tried this. I set a survey mission in Tower. I changed just the GCS parameter to 2. When it was about 1/2 way through the mission, I turned off the Transmitter. Solo began a RTL so I turned the transmitter back on. About the time it was overhead, it re-connected and I put it in manual and landed. I then changed the THR parameter to 2. So now both parameters are set to 2. I then flew the mission again. I turned off the transmitter and never saw a change in Solo's behavior. It continued to fly the mission, and since I had added home as the last WP it began to return after completing the mission. I then re-connected and went to manual again.

So there you have it. Changing both to 2 and it completed the mission on signal loss.

And you my friend are the man! Thanks for taking one for the team! Awesome news!


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[Jubalr]

And you my friend are the man! Thanks for taking one for the team! Awesome news!


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No problem Nugget.. It didn't hurt a bit..

 

[Raybro]

So both need to be changed..
I would try today but have a home inspection to do...cha ching. Using Solo this time for the roof inspection since I have the gimbal.

 

[User Name]

OK, just went out and tried this. I set a survey mission in Tower. I changed just the GCS parameter to 2. When it was about 1/2 way through the mission, I turned off the Transmitter. Solo began a RTL so I turned the transmitter back on. About the time it was overhead, it re-connected and I put it in manual and landed. I then changed the THR parameter to 2. So now both parameters are set to 2. I then flew the mission again. I turned off the transmitter and never saw a change in Solo's behavior. It continued to fly the mission, and since I had added home as the last WP it began to return after completing the mission. I then re-connected and went to manual again.

So there you have it. Changing both to 2 and it completed the mission on signal loss.

So does that suggest the Solo controller contains two radios - a "normal" RC transmitter and a second telemetry link (essentially a GCS connection)? If it was just a single GCS connection and the control inputs were just being sent through that, it should have continued with the GCS parameter set to continue, right?

 

[nuggetz]

What is the default value of FS_THR_ENABLE? Is the parameter even valid if you are in automode....ie RC_OVERRIDE

Lookd like auto mode is mentioned specifically. Here are the options:

• “Enabled always RTL” to force the vehicle to always RTL even if flying a mission in AUTO mode
• “Enabled Continue with Mission in AUTO” to allow the vehicle to continue with missions even if it takes the vehicle outside of RC range (not recommended). In all other cases the vehicle will RTL.
• “Enable always LAND” to force the vehicle to Land immediately if it loses RC contact

 

[Jubalr]

So does that suggest the Solo controller contains two radios - a "normal" RC transmitter and a second telemetry link (essentially a GCS connection)? If it was just a single GCS connection and the control inputs were just being sent through that, it should have continued with the GCS parameter set to continue, right?

That's correct. There is a control and a telemetry link in the Solo controller.