Interpreting a log to investigate toilet bowl effect

Had a couple of flights today where I tested loiter mode. I observed some toilet bowl effect.

What can Iearn to check in the log to see how to resolve the problem?

I’ve attached the log.

Thanks for any advice.

Paul
2017-02-26 6pm.bin (605.6 KB)

Toilet bowl happens when the compass direction is off a couple of degrees. The copter makes a correction but that correction is in the wrong direction so it makes another causing a circle pattern.

Based on your flight I would say your compass reading are a little high. If the copter was facing East then you should have a reading of about 90 degrees. Yours showed 120. That is just a guess as I can see what direction your copter was facing.

Easy check is move it to the 4 directions and see what reading you get. You will need to do a compass calibration to correct it or for external compass turn it so that it points in the same direction as the flight controller.

Mike

Mike,

What parameters tell you this - I suppose one of them would be the output of Sensor/Compass/Compass(2)?

What do you compare it against?

Thanks,

Paul

In Mission Planner or any GCS there is a heads up display that should show heading. When you point the copter at due North it should read 0 degrees, Pointing East it should read 90 degrees and so on.

The compass calibration does this. Also if you have your external compass mounted on a mast and it is slightly turned it will cause an offset in the direction that leads to toilet bowl.

Mike

Mike,

Re-calibrated the compass with the power on, checked to make sure that the GPS antenna is aimed forward. I suppose that the Navio’s internal compass is also facing forward. (I’m not using an external compass.)

In any case, the toilet bowl affect is gone.

Thanks,

Paul

I want to make sure:

(1) Is the orientation of the internal compass in the Navio2 forward?

(2) Does the GPS antenna have to be oriented in the same direction (forward) as the compass in the Navio2?

(3) Is the Navio2 GPS antenna solely a GPS antenna? (or does it include a magnetometer?)

(4) Please provide an example of an external magnetometer.

Thanks,

Paul