RTH not working when Solo App connected

[allen_993]

So my first new post...tried searching with no luck. Just got a new Solo and am not using a camera or gimbal at this point...I even removed the camera frame. I updated to Autopilot 1.5.3. At this point, I fly using the controller only...and only connect iphone w/ Solo App in order to change settings. Everything is great except that RTH does not function when the phone/app WiFi is connected to the Solo. When disconnected, RTH works great, when connected...nothing. Ideas?

 

[Pedals2Paddles]

What do you mean nothing? What happens when you hit the home button?

 

[allen_993]

What do you mean nothing? What happens when you hit the home button?

When I hit the home button...the Solo has no response...it continues hovering in place as if the home button was never pressed. A little more detail:

I'm learning RTH by testing. I place Solo on ground, wait to get GPS and "ready to fly" notification, start motors, auto take-off, get altitude of about 50' and distance of about 50'...then press RTH.

When phone & Solo are NOT connected via WiFi, controller vibrates and enters RTH mode. Solo climbs to 85', travels to overhead position, slowly lowers and lands at take-off point...perfect.

When phone & Solo ARE connected via WiFi, controller shows no response to RTH button being pressed, Solo remains at current position...shows no response to the RTH button being pressed.

 

[XevetS]

try to fly out further before invoking the RTL also check the solo app make sure you have the RTL set to "Return to launch" also set the altitude for RTL and make sure rewind is not checked or is "greyed out".

 

[EZL]

When I hit the home button...the Solo has no response...it continues hovering in place as if the home button was never pressed. A little more detail:

I'm learning RTH by testing. I place Solo on ground, wait to get GPS and "ready to fly" notification, start motors, auto take-off, get altitude of about 50' and distance of about 50'...then press RTH.

When phone & Solo are NOT connected via WiFi, controller vibrates and enters RTH mode. Solo climbs to 85', travels to overhead position, slowly lowers and lands at take-off point...perfect.

When phone & Solo ARE connected via WiFi, controller shows no response to RTH button being pressed, Solo remains at current position...shows no response to the RTH button being pressed.

You want to be careful initiating a RTH that close I've seen horror stories from the X380 crowd which caused the X380 crashes when RTH was
sent to the quad when it was close. I have a X380 and never had any problems with it as long as it was flying a good distance away from the
controller. I suspect that the Solo is not in the signal cone for reception for GPS and controller even though it is getting signal to fly manually.
The Solo manual covers information concerning this.

 

[allen_993]

I checked the RTH settings in the app...rewind is set to OFF. As far as the location of Solo when RTH is initiated. At a particular location...if it works properly with the app WiFi disconnected, then it should also work from that location when the app WiFi is connected...ie...the Solo distance/altitude is not the problem.

One correction...when the app WiFi is connected, and the RTH button is pressed, the lights on Solo DO start flashing...like they do when it actually DOES start returning to home...but Solo does not move at all...just hovers.

 

[allen_993]

Problem Solved. So I connect my phone to the Solo WiFi. Then launch the Solo app on my phone. The main screen of the app shows "settings", "flight school", "support"...and "Fly Solo". All those buttons worked fine except the "Fly Solo" button...for some reason, it simply would not launch to the screen with the different fly modes and allow a left swipe to bring up the map...no clue why it wouldn't work. So stopped trying to use the "Fly Solo" from the app, and just used the app to adjust settings, etc.

Well, after re-booting my phone, the "Fly Solo" button started working...which is the critical piece of this puzzle. It turns out that if the app/phone is connected to the Solo WiFi, you must activate the "Fly Solo" function in order for Solo to respond to the RTH function. A newbie mistake I know, but I am trying to learn how to fly with as few "tools" as possible , and then add in features/functions as I get better. I haven't even used any of the flight modes yet, but I'm getting close to trying them! Anyway, thanks to all for the help and I'm sure I'll be back soon with more questions and/or issues.

 

[XevetS]

Problem Solved. So I connect my phone to the Solo WiFi. Then launch the Solo app on my phone. The main screen of the app shows "settings", "flight school", "support"...and "Fly Solo". All those buttons worked fine except the "Fly Solo" button...for some reason, it simply would not launch to the screen with the different fly modes and allow a left swipe to bring up the map...no clue why it wouldn't work. So stopped trying to use the "Fly Solo" from the app, and just used the app to adjust settings, etc.

Well, after re-booting my phone, the "Fly Solo" button started working...which is the critical piece of this puzzle. It turns out that if the app/phone is connected to the Solo WiFi, you must activate the "Fly Solo" function in order for Solo to respond to the RTH function. A newbie mistake I know, but I am trying to learn how to fly with as few "tools" as possible , and then add in features/functions as I get better. I haven't even used any of the flight modes yet, but I'm getting close to trying them! Anyway, thanks to all for the help and I'm sure I'll be back soon with more questions and/or issues.

Oh yeah don't forget to hit the fly solo button, lol just messing with you, good that you got it sorted now have fun!

 

[allen_993]

...yeah...as always, you tend to learn a lot in the process of trying to figure what turns out to be a "simple" problem.

 

[Pedals2Paddles]

That is not correct. You do not need to have the app in the flight screen for the RTH function to work. You are experiencing a coincidence.

 

[allen_993]

I'll do further testing to try a nail down the specific cause.

 

[allen_993]

So I did a bit more testing and found my earlier finding still true. Here's what I did: Connected to Solo WiFi, launched Solo app, went to Fly screen with map, flew Solo to alt. 300' and distance 300', pressed RTH button...Solo started returning home. I stopped RTH by pressing Fly button...I didn't want to waste 5 minutes waiting for Solo to get home. I then flew Solo back to alt. 300' and distance 300'. With Solo WiFi still connected, Solo app still running, I exited the Fly screen on the app and returned to the 'home' screen (screen with Fly, Settings, Flight School, Support). I then pressed RTH button. When pressing the RTH button, I can see "return to home" pop up on the controller screen for 1/8 second, then go away. RTH never activates, Solo just hovers. I then opened the Fly screen, slid to the map screen, and pressed the RTH button...Solo started returning home. So I'm not sure what is happening, but I'm not too concerned, because I now always launch the Fly screen, and RTH works fine as long as I'm on the Fly screen. I am however, still open to any ideas as to what is going on.

 

[XevetS]

I'll let paddles chime in on this one, I'm just curious what version/firmware are you running on solo?

Edit I see you are running 1.5.3 any reason you don't want to try opensolo? Do you have solex or are you not using android?

Edit again: I see you are using an Iphone, sorry I need to read the post's more carefully

 

[Pedals2Paddles]

Well I concede that you're not experiencing a coincidence. But I can tell you that is absolutely NOT supposed to happen. There is nothing onboard the Solo or controller that would programmatically cause this to happen. And I just went through and checked the workflow on the controller and the companion computer to make sure.

On a stock solo, if you hit the home button, it requests a mode change to ArduCopter RTL mode. A few seconds later, the companion computer detects that ArduCopter is in RTL mode, and takes over with the "Return Home" smart shot in guided mode. Then when over the home location, the companion computer switches ArduCopter into land mode. There is nothing in there that even looks at or cares about the state of an application or mobile device.

In Open Solo, I eliminated all that convoluted stuff. The home button triggers ArduCopter RTL mode, period, no further complication. None of those multiple layers of smart shots and changing modes left and right. Much simpler and safer. And there is also nothing in there that would look at or care what an app is doing.

Which leads me to conclude there is a major bug in the iOS 3DR Solo app. It sounds like it is picking up the mode change callback, and responding by putting it immediately back into fly. I don't know how that bug could come to be by accident as it seems totally ludicrous.

Can anyone else test this on iOS and Android 3DR apps?

 

[allen_993]

It sounds like it is picking up the mode change callback, and responding by putting it immediately back into fly.

While I am a complete newbie to Solo/quads, I am an Engineer with lots of programming experience, and what you describe here is consistent with what I see happening...the controller tries to respond to RTH button, but immediately gets put back into FLY. Thanks to all for the help...I'm learning from every response.

Oh...and what is Open Solo? Is that a alternative app to the Solo app?

 

[Pedals2Paddles]

3DR open sourced the code behind the Solo and controller recently, and we decided to call it Open Solo. It's since been modified and upgraded significantly. See the link in my signature.

 

[allen_993]

I just installed Open Solo...but waiting for propellers to arrive before I can actually try it. Installation went smooth...nice job on the instructions. The SidePilot app looks good so far, a lot more settings, things to change, etc...but I like the look of it so far. I'm gonna be interested in how to modify the parameters...ie, for the hover time after RTL, etc.