MahoWii rev 2.4 was released ;)

[mahowik]

===================================
MahoWii rev 2.4
===================================

https://github.com/mahowik/mahowii

Hi guys!

Here is the latest revision of my favorite hobby project based on Multiwii project.
In two words: it's pretty stable, improved and extended version of Multiwii.

Changes:
- INS (inertial navigation system) integrated with GPS and Baro
- predefined PIDs to fly out of the box for frames 330 and bigger

- completely different althold integrated with INS
- right altitude management by setting desired vario (vertical speed) with throttle stick
- single PID controller for hovering and altitude management
- stable hovering trottle estimator/corrector by I-part of alt PID controller
- smart land detector
- reduced effect of air-cushion to avoid incorrect raw baro values and jumps near the ground accordingly (integrated with INS)
- controllable by desired vario (vertical speed) landing
- new SAFE_ALT_DURING_AH define. It helps to protect descending less than specified in define altitude. Activated when SAFE_ALT box activated in GUI.

- precise, rapid, sensitive to external perturbations (wind, pushes) GPS-INS position hold (INS_PH_NAV_ON define)
- possibility to fly with activated position hold and stop at predicted point on stick release (tunable by Pos-I value at GUI)
- wait for target altitude at RTH and WP navigation
- skip whole RTH cycle if distance less than RTH_RADIUS meters and make a landing
- safe and soft takeoff on RTH and WP Navigation
- for safety prevent arm if RTH or NAV switched on
- new auto config defines for UBLOX and MTK3339 modules

- precised gyro calibration + 3 axis acel calibration + filtered mag calibration to avoid min/max noise values
- frsky telemetry adopted for er9x-frsky TX firmware
- 50hz PID output for althold, gps modes
- cycle time independent final PID controller
- optimized math
- a lot of fixes

For more details please read release_note.txt, see config.h and also here http://forum.rcdesign.ru/blogs/83206/blog22332.html

Tips and tricks:
- for INS it's better to use u-blox modules with revision from 6 to 8 (although 7th was not tested). With MTK modules position hold is less precise but in general it's ok also, where PID parameters has to be ~20% less for its.
- for INS it's good to have calibrated accel in 3 axises with +/-512 for each axis with error +/-(1-3)
- for configuration the best tool is https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... o.multiwii
- for this release arduino 1.6.7 was used https://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/OldSoftwareReleases
- before 1st upload clean eeprom http://forum.rcdesign.ru/f123/thread283 ... ost4263236

This firmware was optimized for AIOP (ALL IN ONE PRO Flight Controller), or other with Atmega1280/2560 + mpu6050 + ms5611 + hmc5883 (but take care about pinout). But you can try to play with other sensors also.

Videos from my friend's youtube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/artnesterof/videos

Blogs:
- https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthr ... ?t=2787668
- http://forum.rcdesign.ru/blogs/83206/

Enjoy!

[Leo]

Very nice. I will certainly give it a try over the winter.

[RCvertt]

I see the recommended GUI uses Android phones. Can I use a laptop? I don't own an Android phone.

[mahowik]

Yes, you can use usual MultiWii GUI 2.4 for main functions/modes excluding navigation way points.

[ezio]

===================================
MahoWii rev 2.4
===================================

https://github.com/mahowik/mahowii

Hi guys!

Here is the latest revision of my favorite hobby project based on Multiwii project.
In two words: it's pretty stable, improved and extended version of Multiwii.

Changes:
- INS (inertial navigation system) integrated with GPS and Baro
- predefined PIDs to fly out of the box for frames 330 and bigger

- completely different althold integrated with INS
- right altitude management by setting desired vario (vertical speed) with throttle stick
- single PID controller for hovering and altitude management
- stable hovering trottle estimator/corrector by I-part of alt PID controller
- smart land detector
- reduced effect of air-cushion to avoid incorrect raw baro values and jumps near the ground accordingly (integrated with INS)
- controllable by desired vario (vertical speed) landing
- new SAFE_ALT_DURING_AH define. It helps to protect descending less than specified in define altitude. Activated when SAFE_ALT box activated in GUI.

- precise, rapid, sensitive to external perturbations (wind, pushes) GPS-INS position hold (INS_PH_NAV_ON define)
- possibility to fly with activated position hold and stop at predicted point on stick release (tunable by Pos-I value at GUI)
- wait for target altitude at RTH and WP navigation
- skip whole RTH cycle if distance less than RTH_RADIUS meters and make a landing
- safe and soft takeoff on RTH and WP Navigation
- for safety prevent arm if RTH or NAV switched on
- new auto config defines for UBLOX and MTK3339 modules

- precised gyro calibration + 3 axis acel calibration + filtered mag calibration to avoid min/max noise values
- frsky telemetry adopted for er9x-frsky TX firmware
- 50hz PID output for althold, gps modes
- cycle time independent final PID controller
- optimized math
- a lot of fixes

For more details please read release_note.txt, see config.h and also here http://forum.rcdesign.ru/blogs/83206/blog22332.html

Tips and tricks:
- for INS it's better to use u-blox modules with revision from 6 to 8 (although 7th was not tested). With MTK modules position hold is less precise but in general it's ok also, where PID parameters has to be ~20% less for its.
- for INS it's good to have calibrated accel in 3 axises with +/-512 for each axis with error +/-(1-3)
- for configuration the best tool is https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... o.multiwii
- for this release arduino 1.6.7 was used https://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/OldSoftwareReleases
- before 1st upload clean eeprom http://forum.rcdesign.ru/f123/thread283 ... ost4263236

This firmware was optimized for AIOP (ALL IN ONE PRO Flight Controller), or other with Atmega1280/2560 + mpu6050 + ms5611 + hmc5883 (but take care about pinout). But you can try to play with other sensors also.

Videos from my friend's youtube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/artnesterof/videos

Blogs:
- https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthr ... ?t=2787668
- http://forum.rcdesign.ru/blogs/83206/

Enjoy!

Wow Multiwii is still alive!

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

[Zviki]

Great. I just found this thread and because I own an old MultiWii pro board I will try this. With original 2.4 firmware , there was a problem with drift.
Is this version usable for airplanes?

Sent from my SM-N910C using Tapatalk

[synersignart]

would it till work on the WinGUI 2.3b with navi by EOSBandi otherwise that will need to be rewrite

[QuadBow]

Hi Mahowik,

after a long winter recess, I tried out your firmware. I must say: it is a great advantage over the original software.
Good job!

The only thing that concerns me, is that my FLD-02 implementation went somehow lost. So, in my view there is room for improvement of all the telemetry related stuff. I would suggest to seperate via definitions the kind of telemetry display (FLD-02, OpenTx, Er9x, Sport.X etc.) and to provide all data which can be diplayed to taht device.

Do you need some help on this very item?

Kindest regards
QuadBow

[Leo]

Hi Mahowik,

I finally was able to try your version and I have to say I like it. Well done.

I'll be doing more testing with the firmware and I'm looking forward to it.

Right now the only problem I'm having is getting GPS Hold to work properly. The copter starts to fly bigger and bigger circles. My first tries with PID changes didn't help.

Question:

In config.h you have both GPS modules active. Is this done on purpose or am I misunderstanding something?

//#define NMEA
#define UBLOX
//#define MTK_BINARY16
//#define MTK_BINARY19
#define INIT_MTK_GPS // initialize MTK GPS for using selected speed, 5Hz update rate and GGA & RMC sentence or binary settings
//#define VENUS8

[marcdornan]

Leo,

So I have some Crius AIOP boards that I want to put in a 450 quad for old time's sake. They were my first purchase and MW 2.2 was the first thing I flew. Have you figured out the GPS hold? Can I fly waypoints with EZGUI? I assume this has EOSBANDI's navigation code incorporated?

[Leo]

Leo,

So I have some Crius AIOP boards that I want to put in a 450 quad for old time's sake. They were my first purchase and MW 2.2 was the first thing I flew. Have you figured out the GPS hold? Can I fly waypoints with EZGUI? I assume this has EOSBANDI's navigation code incorporated?

I'm still working on it and I won't give up. I haven't done waypoints yet because I want to get all my "emergency" functions working properly (=100%) before I do so.
I do like the changes made. Autoland e.g. works real nice. However all my PID's need to be recalibrated which, because I haven't that for so long, is a bit of a pain.

[marcdornan]

Ok. Well I will give it a shot and see how I get on.

[Leo]

Ok. Well I will give it a shot and see how I get on.

Please do so. Then we could exchange experiences.

[Leo]

Unfortunately I could not get MahoWii GPS Hold to work properly.

So today I reverted back to MutiWii 2.4, set my settings accordingly and tried GPS Hold.
Even in the wind we are having it functioned as it is suppose to. Therefore I will be staying with MultiWii 2.4 unless someone can figure out what's going on with MahoWii's GPS Hold.

[Metori]

I'm also having triubles with GPS Hold. The same problems that happened to Leo.

[mahowik]

Right now the only problem I'm having is getting GPS Hold to work properly. The copter starts to fly bigger and bigger circles. My first tries with PID changes didn't help.

Usually increasing circles is a problem of not properly calibrated magnetometer. Ideally compass error should not be more that 5 degree for each south/north/west/east direction at any (also max) throttle level.

If magnetometer properly calibrated try to play with PIDs: Try to decrease Pos-P (from 1.0) and PosR-P (from 7.0) step by step of 10%

In config.h you have both GPS modules active. Is this done on purpose or am I misunderstanding something?

//#define NMEA
#define UBLOX
//#define MTK_BINARY16
//#define MTK_BINARY19
#define INIT_MTK_GPS // initialize MTK GPS for using selected speed, 5Hz update rate and GGA & RMC sentence or binary settings
//#define VENUS8

INIT_MTK_GPS is taken into account only if NMEA (or MTK_BINARY16 or MTK_BINARY19) activated.

p.s. also try to make 3 axis (6 point) accel calibration. This is very important for the INS modes and pos hold especially.

p.s.2. Don't forget to setup right MAG_DECLINATION:
1) in GUI at any time
2) or in config.h BUT with clean of EEPROM

[Leo]

Thanks for your answers. It is much appreciated as is your work but nothing you answered is going to help in my case.
I've been using MultiWii for many years and I know my way around
When I say I reinstalled MultiWii 2.4 and everything works as it is suppose too, then that would mean everything you suggested had to be done within MultiWii as well... right
In my case E.g. with MultiWii 2.4 the Quad stays within 2-3 meters radius in GPS Hold and Alt Hold 1 meter delta. With MahoWii it was impossible to even come close. I played for hours with the PID's with no success.

I might give MahoWii one more try at some time.....

[mahowik]

No problem with algorithms there!
It was checked tons of times by logs and hundreds of tests. Try to see my friend's channel how it should work approximately https://www.youtube.com/user/artnesterof/videos
My friend used ublox 6 and I used ublox 8 and had with even more precised PH...

What gps module you are using?

[Leo]

I'm using Ublox 6 as well....

Edit: I edited the last sentence in my last post and changed it to something more diplomatic

[mahowik]

if you are pretty sure that compass + declination are correct and it doesn't depends on the throttle level, be sure that vibrations are also acceptable, because INS is based on double integration of accel measurements.

My 450 frame hasn't any special foam under the flight controller and slightly calibrated props... that's it

[Leo]

If I do try MahoWii again some time in the future I will report here

[Metori]

Hi guys. I tried my 450 quadcopter with external compass and problem with "toilet bowl" effect has gone. I recalibrated compass after switching to external magnetometer, of course.

[Leo]

Nice one Metori.

I already have an external GPS/MAG mounted. But at some time I'll try MahoWii again.

[jjf_kira]

Hi, anyone still around? I tried calibrating my Mag already but my POS Hold doesn't work also. I'm having the toilet bowl effect. After playing a bit on PIDS, It circles around a certain radius of half a meter, but on strong winds it is being blown away. I already tried the 6 point accel calibration, mag calibration, gyro calibration, PID tuning, but all of which only resulted to smaller toilet bowling effect. I am hesitant to use it for navigation with the messy position hold.

Any tips on making GPS Hold stable?
Do I need to enable "Enable GPS Forward Prediction Filter"?

I recorded my flight and make it that it activates GPS Hold, upon observation it circles around a certain radius. But checking on the Data Logs (I am using EZ GUI and the Log Converter by Ezio) the GPS data is too noisy I guess? the GPS looks as if hovered over nearby houses but in reality it only hovered in the middle of the street. I am getting 18 satellites outside my house by the way. This is what the GPS log looks like: (Please see attached file)

[synersignart]

looks like the multi-pathing of GPS signal in your area. but I could be wrong can you try it again in an open area w/o buildings.
I have my prediction filter on too