CxPilot-7.0.0

Release 7.0.0 29th November 2024

This release includes moving all CxPilot changes on top of ardupilot 4.5.

Differences since CxPilot-5.2.5:
Fleetwide Changes

• Prearm check to ensure all LUA scripts are loaded and running
• Improved back transition
• JUMP_TAG mission item support
• Switching to auto takeoff after manual takeoff no longer adds extra altitude
• Wind speed warning reduced to 10m/s (from 12m/s)
• Roll limit no longer confined to 7 degrees during transition
• FBWB/CRUISE fix massive undershoot issue when switching from max descent to max climb
• A whole bunch of bug fixes

Ottano Changes:

• Fixed-wing tune improvements. Altitude should be more stable.
• Battery assignments standardized
  1. VTOL batteries combined (reports lowest voltage)
  2. Avionics battery
  3. Fuel level sensor
• VTOL battery failsafe removed. Until battery failsafes can take more
  intelligent automatic action between fixed-wing and VTOL modes, the failsafe
  is dangerous. This is slated for CxPilot-7.1 (SW-466).

Known Issues:

• Unnecessary alerts from CX_BIT:
  • Before disengaging safety switch, nuisance alerts about missing ESC telemetry
  • Flying twice without rebooting causes an false positive alert about RPM
    drop on the second takeoff. Aircraft should be power cycled between flights.
  • Low-priority message on the messages tab "RPM nil", will be removed in the
    next release and can still be safely ignored unless it comes up on the HUD.

Technical

• Improved support for new camera payloads and gimbals
• GPS raw logging improvements for PPK
• Added support for precision landing of quadplanes
• Added TECS option for rapid descent in fixed wing aircraft
• AHRS_OPTIONS supports disabling fallback to DCM
• Quadplane use of forward throttle in VTOL modes improved
• VTOL angle controller gets feed-forward scaling (see Q_OPTIONS)
• Arming check of compass vs world magnetic model to detect metal in ground (see ARMING_MAGTHRESH)
• FLTMODE_GCSBLOCK blocks GCS from changing vehicle to specified modes
• CAN port can support a second CAN protocol on the same bus (2nd protocol must be 11 bit, see CAN_Dn_PROTOCOL2)
• Ethernet/Networking support for UDP and TCP server and client (see NET_ENABLED) and PPP (see SERIALx_PROTOCOL)
• Firmware flashing from SD card
• Rockblock satellite modem support
• Missions can be stored on SD card (see BRD_SD_MISSION)
• New Notch filter features
• CubeOrangePlus supports IMU high resolution sampling (works with ICM42688, ICM42652, ICM42670, ICM45686 IMUs)
• Bunch of Logging enhancements
• Scripting enhancements
• CI Enhancements
  • Parameter defaults are sanity checked for simple errors like naming or
    invalid values.
• ELF file artifacts now contain debug symbols
• Removed the ability to send kill commands (for testing) to the autopilot
• Added CubeOrangePlus to Carbonix-supported autopilot
• Battery sum monitors can report minimum voltage instead of average
• A7R parameter patch no longer reconfigures GPS to ellipsoid altitude
• Fixed bug which prevented full crash dump from being saved

Known Technical Issues:

• Rare crash dumps still occuring during PIQC (has been happening since CxPilot-4)
• Arming again after disarming does not create a new log file
• Log messages early in boot get dropped

Parameter changes since beta4:

• Ottano fixed-wing tuning improvements
• Ottano set max engine retry parameter to 5

CxPilot-5.2.5

Release 5.2.5 26th November 2024

This release is a safety critical tuning patch for Volanti to address recent
filter lag issues.

• Volanti-specific changes:
  • Changes to filters and tune.
    • Pilots may notice a small visible vibration in the tail in hover flight.
      This is normal and expected.
    • Position hold in gusty conditions should be significantly improved.
  • Aircraft can now achieve its bank limit of 40 degrees. Previously, an
    unnecessary stall prevention feature was silently reducing the bank limit.

Technical:

• Increase timeout for BLHeli telemetry
• Add error counting in BLHeli driver

CxPilot-5.2.4

Release 5.2.4 9th October 2024

This release includes a patch to fix Ottano default param CAN servo bitmask.

• Ottano-specific changes:
  • CAN Servo Bitmask default fix to Servo 6,9,10 and 11.
  • Ottano battery monitors configured to new scheme:
    • 1:Combined VTOL battery monitor
    • 2:Avionics/Crank battery
    • 3:Fuel sensor
    • 4-8: Additional monitors for logging (more info)

Technical

• Ottano Defaults: set CAN servo bit mask correctly
• Ottano Defaults: Battery monitor configuration

CxPilot-5.2.3

Release 5.2.3 2nd October 2024

This release includes a major patch for handling the Ottano engine and the
addition of the cx_vtol_info.lua script.

• Fleetwide changes

  • New Lua Script: cx_vtol_info.lua.
    This script enhances the VTOL system by providing updated information such
    as VTOLState and VTOLTime, and the following pilot awareness messages:
    • "QASSIST" is a Warning shown on HUD in Yellow. Triggered when VTOL motors
      engage to assist fixed-wing operations.
    • "LUA: Internal Error:" is a Error displayed on HUD in RED - Displayed if
      there is an issue loading the cx_vtol_info.lua script.
    • "VTOL Info loaded" is a information displayed on message tab during boot
      when cx_vtol_info.lua is successfully loaded.

• Ottano-specific changes:

  • New Parameter: ICE_STRT_MX_RTRY
    This parameter limits the maximum number of engine cranking retries.
    The cranking counter resets on ARM, DISARM, or when re-enabling cranking.
    The default value is set to 5.
  • AP EFI Hirth Logging Fixes - Improvements made to logging for Hirth engine.

Technical:

• AP_EFI: fix ECYL log message
• AP_EFI: Hirth: remove crankshaft sensor status
• AP_EFI: Adding EFIS log for Hirth
• AP_EFI: Hirth: fix sensor health bitmask
• AP_EFI: Hirth: remove FieldBitmaskEnum logger doc
• AP_ICEngine: add max retrial of cranking
• AP_ICEngine: rate-limit "max retry" error message
• Ottano defaults: added Max retry for cranking
• hwdef: CarbonixCommon: add cx_vtol_info.lua

CxPilot-5.2.2

Release 5.2.2 9th September 2024

This release contains an urgent patch for the notch filter issue that caused the V53 mishap.

The rest of the release Ottano-specific bug-fixes and parameter configs. This is the first functional release of CxPilot-5.2 for Ottano.

• Fleetwide changes:

  • Protect against extremely low-frequency notch filters, which can cause unstable hover and crash.

• Ottano-specific changes:

  • Copied latest tune from O9
  • Changed QLoiter to QHover on the Taranis
  • Fixed logging bug that prevented CHT2 from being logged

Technical:

• AP_UAVCAN: update_rpm pass error_count SW-329
• EFI : correct hirth EFI log messages SW-310
• Common Defaults: FLTMODE4 change to QHover SW-263
• Ottano Defaults: Safety Mask Add Engine (M5) SW-263
• Ottano Defaults: Default Enabling INS Logging SW-263
• Ottano Defaults: Tuning changes defaulted SW-263
• HWDEF : enable APD HVPro Telem for Ottano SW-339
• CarbonixF405: enable battery/fuel monitor SW-344
• Ottano-M5: configure fuel monitor SW-344
• Ottano-M1-M4: add ESC_NUMBER SW-345
• Ottano-M5: remove ESC params SW-345
• Ottano-M5: fix RNGFND_PORT SW-345
• Filter: protect against notch filter frequencies below 2Hz #25352

CxPilot-5.2.1

Release 5.2.1 25th July 2024

• Volanti specific changes
• FFT has been re enabled and Pitch rate D and I gain have been changed to support it.
• Q_WP_SPEED_DN set to be 200 this will increase descent time before it hits land final alt.

CxPilot-5.2.0

Release 5.2.0 21th June 2024
Added a prearm check for a crash dump file. If one is found, arming will be blocked by the prearm.

Added prearm checks for cx_built_in_test script to warn about ESC failure.

On boot the Safety state will be always ON "SAFE".

Terrain frame no longer ignored for Auto.

FENCE should no longer disable itself, and is set to auto enable on arm.

IMU heater value set to vendor specific value (60 degree) default which might take more time to stabilize.

RangeFinder defaulted to support on SF30D on CPN15 (DroneCAN) and limited 158m.

Add new messages for pilot awareness

"Script Version x.y Initialized" - On bootup of cx_built_in_test script .

"Parameter Init Failed" - Fail to Initialized Parameter in script.

"Aircraft Type Check Failed" - Fail to Check Aircraft Type in script.

"ESC x RPM nil" - Script did not receive RPM data.

"ESC x Servo Out nil" - Script did not receive Servo data.

"ESC x Telemetry Lost/Recovered" - Fail/Recover on Lost of ESC telemetry.

"ESC x RPM Drop/Recovered" - Drop/Recover on Lost of RPM during Demand.

"Actuator x Telemetry Error" - Before Arming ESC Telemetry not present.

Servo Numbering updated

Servo No | FC |CAN | Function

Servo 6 | 19 | 56 | Elevator

Servo 10 | 4 | 60 | Aileron

servo 11 | 21 | 61 | Rudder

Flight Modes now default to the correct settings

FLTMODE1,11 # RTL

FLTMODE3,10 # Auto

FLTMODE4,19 # QLoiter

FLTMODE5,7 # Cruise

Volanti specific changes

FFT has been disabled and Pitch rate D and I gain have been changed to compensate for it.

Minimum airspeed value (ARSPD_FBW_MIN) pushed to 20m/s from 19m/s to keep it 20% above stall speed.

Control Loop rate changed to 200Hz from 400Hz reducing Log size and freeing up CPU resources.

Flight Controller will clear logs before flight to make 5GB available.

Compass priority is Left GPS 19 and Right GPS 29.

Auto flight will set throttle to 60% TRIM_THROTTLE to maintain flight (TRIM_ARSPD_CM).

Added "ESCX" extended telemetry log message for logging ErrorStatus, InputPct and OutputPct from ESC.

FW version name format change "CxPilot x.y.x" to "CxPilot-x.y.z".

Flight controller board type changed from CarbonixCubeOrange to CubeOrange-Volanti and CubeOrange-Ottano.

Default configurations build into Cube and CPN for easier drone setup and reduced configuration steps.

All build files will be uploaded to AWS S3 bucket "carbonix-firmware-release-files" and "carbonix-firmware-dev-files" with folder format yyyymmdd_hhmm_CxPilot-x.y.z_commitId

Technical:

cx_built_in_test: debounce audible warning for nil #146 SW-219

AP_Periph: fix missing custom firmware version #147 SW-159

AP_ESC: APD F120 packet modification #138 SW-187

AP_Scripting: fixed float register save/restore in setjmp/longjmp #134 SW-193

LUA : added bindings for extended ESC telem #114 SW-97

Battery Monitor can will report minimum of ESC voltage rather than average - specific support for Ottano split battery. #114 SW-97

hwdef: CarbonixCubeOrange - added cx_built_in_test.lua #122 SW-61

hwdef: Removed CarbonixL496 board support for periph #136 SW-159

hwdef: added CarbonixF405-Non-crystal board for periph #136 SW-159

Fix servo assignments #128 SW-181

workflow: Carbonix_build to push data to AWS S3 bucket #143 SW-199

workflow change buildfile name to firmware name #132 SW-191

workflows: added on branches CxPilot-* #130 SW-130

Params: BATT*_MONITOR corrected in defaults.parm #126 SW-158

Params: Enable terrain following if commanded by mission item for Auto and Guided #136 SW-159

AP_Arming: force user to ack crashdump or get prearm failure #125 SW-148

Tools: Added Python Script to decode and encode Devid #136 SW-159

Fix bug in CPN causing NaN currents for first 5 seconds of boot

Default CPN15 to use legacy ESC telemetry

Fix conflict/repetition between Common and Volanti params

AP_Param: fixed setting of defaults for dynamic param trees

Set OUT_BLH_MASK to 1 on all ESC CPNs to prevent duplicate ESC status packets

Full Changelog: CxPilot-5.1.1...CxPilot-5.2.0

CxPilot-5.1.4

Release 5.1.4 20th June 2024

• Backport Fix servo assignments

CxPilot-5.1.3

Release 5.1.3 29th May 2024

• Volanti-M5 CPN added Range Finder Support
• workflow: Carbonix_build: push data to AWS S3
• workflow: carbonix_build rename artifacts and cleanup

Volanti-4.6.0

Release Volanti Carbopilot V4.6.0 16th May 2024

This Production Release includes

• Fixed a Bug where lua could cause a hardfault in Flight controller.
• AP_Scripting: stash and restore FPU register context in LUAI_TRY
• AP_Scripting: fixed float register save/restore in setjmp/longjmp

Happy Flying!