Can Smart RTL capture the bread crumbs from an automated mission?

Will smart RTL collect the bread crumbs and altitudes flown by an automated mission?

If the mission ends with RTL command, will it use the data just collected and perform a smart RTL?

Or, do I have to establish the RTL path and altitudes from flying a course manually?

Thanks,

Paul

I think Smart RTL would have to be a Mission Command for that to work. Interestingly I recalled a “set flight mode” command in the QGC Mission Planner but when attempting to upload a mission with a command to Smart RTL mode the FC refused it.

Thanks Dave. I’ll wait until I understand it better before trying it.

Paul

I installed a pixracer with Arducopter 3.6.7 on a small quad to test Smart RTL.

Mission Planner 1.3.63 still does not have any flight mode selection for SRTL.

However, I configured the RTL parameters:

FS_GCS_ENABLE = 4
FS_THR_ENABLE = 4

Do you think that is enough for anything to happen? I hope by setting the FSs to 4 (instead of 1) they still work in case SRTL is not supported yet.

Weather horrible here in NJ so I can’t just try it and report.

Paul

Smart RTL is supported and has been for awhile. The attached is form a PIxRacer running AC3.6.7 with Mission planner latest. Not sure why you are not seeing it.

Dave,

The only I can figure is that your are using a later version of Mission Planner. Here is my flight mode screen from the latest download:

Looks like you have “Build” 1.3.7xxxxxx. Where did you get that?

Thanks,

Paul

Beta probably. I update to beta frequently. Go to the Help screen and select the button for “Check for Batea Updates”.

Got the update through MP’s beta update button and the selection is there.

Thanks Dave,

Paul

Ok, had a few test flights and SRTL is cool.

Back to my original question: Can SRTL use an automated mission to gets its data? I suppose that there is currently no Smart RTL selection among the automated commands yet.

Performed several manual flights which came home by way of SRTL and it performed really well.

To try and simulate the SRTL flight path, I programmed an automated mission having the same headings and altitudes as my manual SRTL flights earlier. However, in several test flights the regular RTL did not accurately maintain the return heading and final altitude. I suppose I could add more waypoints to give it more positions with which to work. SRTL uses one every 2 meters!

Smart RTL seems to handle the final altitudes and headings better - if I only I could invoke SRTL from the automated mission commands.

Great job Arducopter and thanks.

Paul

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you might be interested in the following parameters to customize srtl:

SRTL_ACCURACY
SRTL_POINTS

The data is collected during a mission but the only way to trigger SRTL is manually or thru failsafe action. As I mentioned there is no mission command to activate it in a mission. You can easily replicate this in the Simulator. Run a mission and anywhere in the mission change modes to SRTL.

I ran across this discussion somewhat accidentally. I’ve created an enhancement request to add SmartRTL as a mission command. It’s not particularly difficult but I have a lot on my plate at the moment so I can’t guarantee when it will be done. It’s possible another developer may pick this up though, it’s not that difficult actually although it requires a small modification to MAVLink to define a number used for the new mission command.

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