New user - Multiple issues

Hi,

I was very excitied to join the Pixhawk family, but I seem to be in over my head. I’m getting multiple errors. Lets start with the compass. I go through the wizard, doing the ACC. setup and compass calibration and it appear to go OK. The biggest issue being the external compass reads high on the z axis offset (230), and the internal has 2 axis close to 200. I’ve done the calibration at 3 different locations changing the environment completely. The offsets for both mags are always consistent so I believe the large offsets are due to a internal bias in cheap sensors? Possible?

Next — If I point the FC straight toward the road in front of my house the heading on the map is angled over almost 45 degrees, and takes a long time to settle after moving it, with a slow drift always counterclockwise until finally settling. Checking orientation using status valves shows the values change in the right direction, but the raw value for each compass are wildly different? I understand they should be close?

I unplugged the external compass IC2 connection and re calibrated to elimnate the external as the issue.

The internal alone is off even more being off 90 degrees or more, and reporting bad health ( do not get that error with the external connected. WTH? I not heard of a badly oriened internal mag chip? Is that even possible. I’m I missing something?

What is exactly your Auto Pilot ?

The heading use both IMU and compass, while the IMU gives immediate changes the compass is read at a much slower rate so the two informations can be different.

You probably have not set properly the orientation of your compass.

I have a standard 2.4.8 clone. How do I properly set orientation? I don’t know what else to try? Being new, I admit it’s possible I have no Idea what I’m doing as far as FC’s are concerned! But, I’m a quick study…

EDIT - 1. I should add that I have not seen the Compasses inconsistent error message or compass variance.
2. Was was able to change the external orientation setting to Yaw 3 -something and the heading on the map is now correct. Should I disassemble the external to look for a cockeyed chip? And why is the internal mag alone off more than 90 degrees? I never heard of a bad orientation of a internal mag chip?

I’ve ordered another Pixhawk, and compass for troubleshooting comparisons. This is gonna get expensive I’ve bet

can you post a photo of your setup.

There is no setup yet. Just the Pixhawk and GPS unit Velcroed to a small wood board for testing.

Buying clones is not a great idea, you have excellent made in USA Pixhawks from Mrobotics .
I would suggest the X2.1 autopilot, a compact version of original Pixhawk at great price.

Look in the full parameters list, COMPASS_ORIENT , defines the orientation of the compass while AHRS_ORIENTATION defines the orientation of the autopilot board.