Compass issue PH 2.1 AC3.5.0

Hardware Pixhawk 2
1

I could use some guidance on a problem I’m having with compass calibration.

I’m finishing up a new build with a Pixhawk 2.1 and the kit Here GPS/mag. It’s a CineTank Mk II L frame, with the GPS/mag on a 6" mast, well clear of power cables etc. The PH has AC 3.5.0 and I’m running the latest MP beta.

In MP I selected the “Pixhawk/PX4 quick-configure”, then ran onboard calibration (outdoors, far from anything that would interfere). This appeared to complete successfully - I’ve attached a screenshot showing the offsets. I rebooted then went to the HUD display and opened the EKF status window. I did my usual test rotating the craft and watching the compass bar in the EKF window. If I keep the craft exactly horizontal the compass status bar stays in the green, but if I tilt it nose up even a few degrees and rotate it about the vertical axis the status shoots up into the orange then red.

I’ve run the calibration several times with the same result. I’ve tried calibrating in different locations. I tried disabling compass #2. Nothing seems to help - a few degrees of tilt and the EKF compass status is in the red. I’m puzzled by the apparently clean calibration results and the EKF window compass failure while standing in the same location.

I’d appreciate any ideas how to figure out what’s going on - in particular is this a calibration problem or more likely a build problem? Thank you.

compass1.png896×388 12.9 KB

1 Like
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I guess that moving the drone by hand could make the compass ekf going crazy easily, this is happening in my build too; for this now I’m more interested in fly it in stabilize and monitoring the ekf for real motors and esc influence during flight. Do you have the battery and current readings? Making the compass mot give you a good analysis if some bad influence is affecting yours compass in real flight scenario. Apart from this I m also fighting the compass orange and red bar, and Moving the compass away from motors and esc is the only method I’m aware and using, but I hope some expert could give here some more valid suggestion

3

Ignore this - it was a dumb build error. At one point I had moved the GPS from the front to the back of the frame and forgot to rotate it so it was pointing backwards.