Troubleshooting follow_me.py about dronekit-python HOT 17 CLOSED

oh yes - here's some likely theories:

• For safety the default behavior for the code is that guided mode (used for follow me) will not cause the copter to take off. You need to launch the vehicle using either an RC or the rc_overrides to fake lifting the throttle from 0. (The latest master - soon to be released arducopter build makes this protection optional if you you send takeoff waypoints)
• If you are using a px4 you'll also need to press the safety button at least once after boot so the LED stops blinking.
• Have you tried just launching the vehicle (say in LOITER) to confirm all is well? If the vehicle is flying already in any mode, the follow me should work well.

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You were right! Arm and channel override ran it!

Curious enough after attempting to takeoff/goto set GPS location, it quickly entered mode LAND and quit the program. Why is this? Is this a failsafe mode feature?

Also, any updates on changing vehicle mode fix?

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Re: vehicle mode fix
Hmm - I looked at the code and realized (I thought) it was fine.

Re: entering landing mode
Do you have a conventional rc xmitter? If not, I bet the land mode is due
to RC failsafe for loss ofr RC signal - you can turn this off by setting a
param (if you can't find the param, let me know and I'll grep the src when
I get to work)

On Sat, Aug 16, 2014 at 8:19 PM, Eric Smalls [email protected]
wrote:

so it was needing to arm and channel override!

Curious enough after attempting to takeoff/goto set GPS location, it
quickly entered mode LAND and quit the program. Why is this? Is this a
failsafe mode feature?

Also, any updates on changing vehicle mode fix?

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#10 (comment)
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re: mode fix
You are correct! The mavproxy module for mode mapping got messed up on our Pi so we reinstalled everything and now Droneapi examples (1) small demo and (2) follow me both work. It also explains why we got mixed results on Ubuntu. Thank you!

re: rc failsafe
I think we would set it similar to how it's done in the Pi<>Mavlink tutorial for arming using 'param set...' in Mavproxy [1, 2]. For example,

'param set ARMING_CHECK 0'

So I think:

'param set THR_FAILSAFE 0'

Should work for disabling rc failsafe in mavproxy [3].

(Away from drone)

What do you think?

Sources:
[1] http://dev.ardupilot.com/wiki/raspberry-pi-via-mavlink/
[2] http://tridge.github.io/MAVProxy/parameters.html
[3] http://dev.ardupilot.com/wiki/mavlink-parameters/

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re: setting parameters
I'm curious how to set parameters on Droneapi. I think v.parameters('THR_FAILSAFE', 0) would work [1, 2, 3]. Away from drone, thoughts? I'll be able to run tests soon.

Sources
[1] https://github.com/diydrones/droneapi-python/blob/a16181576f521e2b202a963740417a1be2f0fd73/droneapi/module/api.py

[2] https://github.com/diydrones/droneapi-python/blob/7e792e186929429ea5bb3810c72b2136135cb156/example/small_demo.py

[3] https://github.com/diydrones/droneapi-python/blob/a16181576f521e2b202a963740417a1be2f0fd73/droneapi/lib/__init__.py

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re: disabling rc failsafe
I tested 'param set THR_FAILSAFE 0' in mavproxy and there was no parameter found so I ran 'param show' and found 'FS_THR_ENABLE'.

After researching this parameter online, I set 'param set FS_THR_ENABLE 2' and successfully ran small demo.py without automatically going into mode Land [1].

Sources:
[1] https://code.google.com/p/arducopter/wiki/AC2_Failsafe

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re: disabling rc failsafe
So it turns out we weren't successfully starting a mission [1]. After refreshing our memory and starting a mission by (1) loading waypoints, (2) arming, (3) setting mode to AUTO, and (4) throttling rc, we immediately entered mode RTL [2].

This led us to believe, 'param set FS_THR_ENABLE 2' was not disabling rc failsafe. We next tried 'param set FS_THR_ENABLE 0' which successfully kept us in mode AUTO.

It should be noted that a simple google search of FS_THR_ENABLE leads one to '2' not '0' as a correct input [3].

Sources:
[1] http://copter.ardupilot.com/wiki/auto-mode/
[2] https://code.google.com/p/arducopter/wiki/AC2_Failsafe
[3] http://wiki.ardupilot-mega.googlecode.com/git/images/Failsafe/MPFSThrottleParams.png

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After testing a few times it looks like this explains why we have had mixed results with 0 & 2.

We are still having trouble reliably staying in AUTO mode. What are your thoughts?

Sources:
[1] http://copter.ardupilot.com/wiki/arducopter-parameters/#Throttle_Failsafe_Enable_ArduCopterFS_THR_ENABLE

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re: AUTO mode
Issue solved.

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Great! Sorry - I was away a few days, I assume you are all good now?

On Fri, Aug 29, 2014 at 12:12 PM, Eric Smalls [email protected]
wrote:

re: AUTO mode
Issue solved.

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If this isn't yet resolved lets create a new issue to troubleshoot

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Since this may not have gotten rolled back into any documentation, this is what I'm using for some SITL tests:

param set FS_THR_ENABLE 0
param set FS_GCS_ENABLE 0
param set ARMING_CHECK 0

Which seemed to be successful. I can imagine scenarios where a DISARMING MOTORS trigger would still occur, but have nothing that causes that effect so far.

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@tcr3dr Setting ARMING_CHECK 0 is a big no no for real code. Might be worth adding a note in the test code to make it clear that this isn't something to do normally (since some people might copy it).

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@hamishwillee Can confirm. Basically a big warning around the ARMING_CHECK section on SITL will help. http://android.dronekit.io/getting_started.html

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@tcr3dr Thanks. I will add note for Android (dronekit/dronekit-android#199). There is already a note for Python but it could be more prominent (#205).

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Going to close this since it's API references are fairly outdated.

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Good call.

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