APX4 2.7.25

What's new

Multicopter Position Slow mode

What is it?

Position Slow is a new flight mode that acts the same as the traditional Position mode, with the difference that maximum speeds can be significantly reduced.

When configured, this flight mode allows operators to dial in the maximum horizontal and vertical speeds that the vehicle can achieve with RC Knobs.

In case the GCS does not have auxiliary knobs, users can still benefit from this flight mode: when engaged, the maximum horizontal speed of the vehicle will be constrained to 3m/s, which will make it compliant with the "Low-Speed Mode" required by EASA to fly closer to people.

In addition, this flight mode also supports as input a MAVLink message VELOCITY_LIMITS. This message can be used to develop third-party apps on Skynode that will define dynamic velocity limits based on external factors, for example, reducing the velocities based on the camera optical settings.

How to use?

Position Slow is available for selection by default in the Flight Mode Selector available in the latest AMC provided with this release.

Alternatively, it can also be mapped to the flight modes controlled directly by the GCS by leveraging the COM_FLTMODE* parameters.

Other settings such as lower speed limits and default speed can be defined with the parameters that start with POSSLOW_* parameters.

What improved

• Fix VTOL Takeoff to takeoff position when the home position does not coincide with takeoff position.

• When the takeoff position does not match home position for VTOL, move the takeoff position to the home position while arming

• Fixed corner case where a geofence-triggered reposition command was stored for next hold command.

• Prevent altitude acceptance violations triggering loiter-up/down behavior during VTOL landing transition to hover.

• Removed artificial constraint on position uncertainty growth when dead-reckoning.