From 38d51ddb322ea500b5d850b7274d61d0261f2909 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Andrew Tridgell Date: Thu, 24 Sep 2015 10:08:27 +1000 Subject: [PATCH] Plane: prepare for 3.4.0 release --- ArduPlane/Plane.h | 4 +- ArduPlane/release-notes.txt | 146 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++---- 2 files changed, 134 insertions(+), 16 deletions(-) diff --git a/ArduPlane/Plane.h b/ArduPlane/Plane.h index 839f9b9336..559247ef26 100644 --- a/ArduPlane/Plane.h +++ b/ArduPlane/Plane.h @@ -3,8 +3,8 @@ #ifndef _PLANE_H #define _PLANE_H -#define THISFIRMWARE "ArduPlane V3.4.0beta3" -#define FIRMWARE_VERSION 3,4,0,FIRMWARE_VERSION_TYPE_BETA+2 +#define THISFIRMWARE "ArduPlane V3.4.0" +#define FIRMWARE_VERSION 3,4,0,FIRMWARE_VERSION_TYPE_OFFICIAL /* Lead developer: Andrew Tridgell diff --git a/ArduPlane/release-notes.txt b/ArduPlane/release-notes.txt index 3590213c8c..07aa1130f8 100644 --- a/ArduPlane/release-notes.txt +++ b/ArduPlane/release-notes.txt @@ -1,17 +1,133 @@ -Release 3.4.0beta2, 7th September 2015 --------------------------------------- +Release 3.4.0, 24th September 2015 +---------------------------------- -I have started the beta release cycle for the 3.4.0 release of -plane. This will be the last release that supports the APM1/APM2 boards. +The ArduPilot development team is proud to announce the release of +version 3.4.0 of APM:Plane. This is a major release with a lot of +changes so please read the notes carefully! -This is the also the first release that enables the EKF for attitude -and position estimation by default. This has been a long time coming, -and significantly improves the flight performance. You can still -disable the EKF if you want to using the AHRS_EKF_USE parameter. +First release with EKF by default -There has also been a lot of internal code restructuring in this -release, with the move from .pde files to .cpp files and changes to -the handling of include files. +This is the also the first release that enables the EKF (Extended +Kalman Filter) for attitude and position estimation by default. This +has been in development for a long time, and significantly improves +flight performance. You can still disable the EKF if you want to using +the AHRS_EKF_USE parameter, but it is strongly recommended that you +use the EKF. Note that if an issue is discovered with the EKF in +flight it will automatically be disabled and the older DCM system will +be used instead. That should be very rare. + +In order to use the EKF we need to be a bit more careful about the +setup of the aircraft. That is why in the last release we enabled +arming and pre-arm checks by default. Please don't disable the arming +checks, they are there for very good reasons. + +Last release with APM1/APM2 support + +This will be the last major release that supports the old APM1/APM2 +AVR based boards. We have finally run out of flash space and +memory. In the last few releases we spent quite a bit of time trying +to squeeze more and more into the small flash space of the APM1/APM2, +but it had to end someday if ArduPilot is to continue to develop. I am +open to the idea of someone else volunteering to keep doing +development of APM1/APM2 so if you have the skills and inclination do +please get in touch. Otherwise I will only do small point release +changes for major bugs. + +Even to get this release onto the APM1/APM2 we had to make sacrifices +in terms of functionality. The APM1/APM2 release is missing quite a +few features that are on the Pixhawk and other boards. For example: + + - no rangefinder support for landing + - no terrain following + - no EKF support + - no camera control + - no CLI support + - no advanced failsafe support + - no HIL support (sorry!) + - support for far fewer GPS types + +that is just the most obvious major features that are missing on +APM1/APM2. There are also numerous other smaller things where we need +to take shortcuts on the APM1/APM2. Some of these features were +available on older APM1/APM2 releases but needed to be removed to +allow us to squeeze the new release onto the board. So if you are +happy with a previous release on your APM2 and want a feature that is +in that older release and not in this one then perhaps you shouldn't +upgrade. + +PID Tuning + +While most people are happy with autotune to tune the PIDs for their +planes, it is nice also to be able to do fine tuning by hand. This +release includes new dataflash and mavlink messages to help with that +tuning. You can now see the individual contributions of the P, I and D +components of each PID in the logs, allowing you to get a much better +picture of the performance. + +A simple application of this new tuning is you can easily see if your +trim is off. If the Pitch I term is constantly contributing a +signifcant positive factor then you know that ArduPilot is having to +constantly apply up elevator, which means your plane is nose +heavy. The same goes for roll, and can also be used to help tune your +ground steering. + +Vibration Logging + +This release includes a lot more options for diagnosing vibration +issues. You will notice new VIBRATION messages in MAVLink and VIBE +messages in the dataflash logs. Those give you a good idea of your +(unfiltered) vibration levels. For really detailed analysis you can +setup your LOG_BITMASK to include raw logging, which gives you every +accel and gyro sample on your Pixhawk. You can then do a FFT on the +result and plot the distribution of vibration level with +frequency. That is great for finding the cause of vibration +issues. Note that you need a very fast microSD card for that to work! + +Rudder Disarm + +This is the first release that allows you to disarm using the rudder +if you want to. It isn't enabled by default (due to the slight risk of +accidentially disarming while doing aerobatics). You can enable it +with the ARMING_RUDDER parameter by setting it to 2. It will only +allow you to disarm if the autopilot thinks you are not flying at the +time (thanks to the "is_flying" heuristics from Tom Pittenger). + +More Sensors + +This release includes support for a bunch more sensors. It now supports +3 different interfaces for the LightWare range of Lidars (serial, I2C +and analog), and also supports the very nice Septentrio RTK +dual-frequency GPS (the first dual-frequency GPS we have support +for). It also supports the new "blue label" Lidar from Pulsed Light +(both on I2C and PWM). + +For the uBlox GPS, we now have a lot more configurability of the +driver, with the ability to set the GNSS mode for different +constellations. Also in the uBlox driver we support logging of the raw +carrier phase and pseudo range data, which allows for post-flight RTK +analysis with raw-capable receivers for really accurate photo +missions. + +Better Linux support + +This release includes a lot of improvements to the Linux based +autopilot boards, including the NavIO+, the PXF and ERLE boards and +the BBBMini and the new RasPilot board. If you like the idea of flying +with Linux then please try it out! + +On-board compass calibrator + +We also have a new on-board compass calibrator, which also adds calibration +for soft iron effects, allowing for much more accurate compass +calibration. Support for starting the compass calibration in the +various ground stations is still under development, but it looks like +this will be a big improvement to compass calibration. + +Lots of other changes! + +The above list is just a taste of the changes that have gone into this +release. Thousands of small changes have gone into this release with +dozens of people contributing. Many thanks to everyone who helped! Other key changes include: @@ -72,9 +188,11 @@ Other key changes include: - moved SKIP_GYRO_CAL functionality to INS_GYR_CAL - added detection of bad lidar settings for landing -Please test out the beta and report back on how it goes! There has -been a lot of testing of this release already by core developers so -I'm not expecting a long beta release cycle. +Note that the documentation hasn't yet caught up with all the changes +in this release. We are still working on that, but meanwhile if you +see a feature that interests you and it isn't documented yet then +please ask. + Release 3.3.0, 20th May 2015