Can anybody confirm that these parameters are still valid for initial setup to start from:
http://ardupilot.org/copter/docs/traditional-helicopter-tuning.html
If I adjust accordingly, I need to force the settings (out of the recommended limits)
e.g. ATC_RAT_PIT_I = 0
cheers Pak
On 3.6 for TradHeli please use these parameters as starting point https://github.com/ArduPilot/ardupilot/pull/9213
the files are here:
using QGroundControl
Thanks a lot.
this is far more actual than some of the arducopter online manuals.
I will check that befire proceeding to first flight…
so I finally found some time to continue…
the suggested parameters are for 3.6, actual release candidate is RC12.
So I assume I should go for this release (3.6.0 rc12) rather than using 3.5.7-stable?
if I stick to 3.5.7 stable, a lot of the listed parameters above are not available.
so i would still end up in the question: which starting point for the parameters…
Yes, use the 3.6-rc12 and the new parameters. You will get better results “out of the box” than with 3.5.7
Copter 3.6 is almost to stable release, and it is stable from the heli end. Just some minor things still going in for multicopters and minor fixes for the greater copter code at this point still going into the release candidates before stable release.
There is so much improvements for heli in 3.6 that it’s hard to recommend 3.5.7 anymore.
@LuisVale @ChrisOlson
Thank you guys.
This is a good starting point. I am right before maiden flight 
Get some videos, and post them. It helps others to embrace Helicopters 
Succesfull first flights. for 3rd one I did a video. Sorry for the bad quality but I had no camera support team 
Stabilize, AltitudeHold, Loiter tested.
I still need to tune YAW, and ROLL+Pitch
But overall it is very nice. fells very different but I think it is a good starting point.
Very, very nice (and you managed to be a better solo camera man than me 
)
Congrats, and thanks for sharing.
The tune of Roll+Pitch might be minimal, but @ChrisOlson is much more capable of suggesting more accurately…Yaw seemed pretty good to me.
Please don’t forget to configure your power monitor ;), and are the head servos range really from 1000 to 2000 ?
Regarding the tuning, I need to dig into details.
I read the arducopter hints (http://ardupilot.org/copter/docs/traditional-helicopter-tuning.html)
but most content is obsolete.
yaw behaves delayed. the turn rate is ok (no 3d sport machine anymore - and I did not expect that) but everything feels delayed for yaw. takes some time till it starts and even more till yaw turn ends after stick is back to neutral.
roll / Pitch feels good, for now.
altitude is not so good. I saw descending behavior in flightmode loiter while decelerating.
Regarding servos: there was no hint in the “manual” or videos from @ChrisOlson to change something for the head servos (SERVOX_MIN /MAX values)
but I was wondering why my tail servo was not working, but also got some help here.
I don’t have any collisions with my head setup. everything runs smooth so far…
My original params for 3.6 setup had the yaw a lot “hotter” than it is now. The vote was to detune the yaw a bit to fit more servos “out of the box”, so I detuned them some in the current params. It is the one thing that will usually have to be set to user preference.
The settings to look at are:
ATC_ACCEL_x
ATC_RATE_x
In the above, for roll, pitch and yaw, they are set by default to provide scale-type handling. You can increase these, both acceleration and rate, to 3D type handling if you want.
In the PID library for yaw is:
ATC_RAT_YAW_P, D and VFF.
The VFF is the feedforward and can be increased to improve response, P and D are the damping settings - if you want more damping increase the P and D. If it starts tail-wagging or oscillating the tail servo then the D is too high. I run 'em up to .007-.009 on D and usually around .32 on P and .12 on VFF. That will liven the tail right up. And then you can set the ATC_RATE_Y_MAX from 180 degrees/sec to 720 deg/sec if you want to do 3D type piros.
How do I load these parameters? I am on the github page linked from louisvale but I’m not sure what to do next, thank you!
Well you can simply copy and paste that into a “.param” file. That is a text file.
In qgroundcontrol:
Connect your hardware, goto parameters and on the right side you will find “tools”
There you can load a “param” file.
The good thing is: you can apply just parts of a complete param list.
If you export, you see all parameters…
The other option:
Do a manual edit on each parameter
Here is my status of tuning the 570 goblin.
I did 4 flights for additional tuning.
First item: I still got oscillations on yaw during high speed and stop maneuvers.
I tested in loiter mode, because I could easily accelerate the helicopter to certain speed.
started with
1 1 ATC_RAT_YAW_P 0.270000010728836060 9 1 1 ATC_RAT_YAW_VFF 0.109999999403953552 9
ended with:
1 1 ATC_RAT_YAW_P 0.209999993443489075 9 1 1 ATC_RAT_YAW_VFF 0.150000005960464478 9
Yaw was now good.
But there came an additional issue, when reaching certain speed, helicopter startet to oscillate in pitch.
started with:
1 1 ATC_RAT_PIT_D 0.000799999979790300 9
1 1 ATC_RAT_PIT_P 0.039999999105930328 9
now I am using:
1 1 ATC_RAT_PIT_D 0.001000000047497451 9
1 1 ATC_RAT_PIT_P 0.035000000149011612 9
→ I am very satisfied with the autopilot behavior right now.