PS4 controller + cfclient + osx == runaway drone

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32bits
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Joined: Sun Aug 13, 2017 9:26 pm

PS4 controller + cfclient + osx == runaway drone

Post by 32bits »

I just tried to fly my Crazyflie for the first time using OSX sierra + ps4 controller (wired in via USB) + CrazyRadio + cfclient.

The drone was on the ground and connected.
I pushed "up" on the throttle and the throttle jumped up to 70% and stuck there.
I lost all input control.
The drone flew up until out of range and then plummeted into a tree.
I was able to recover it by pure luck but then, while testing this sequence (except holding onto the drone), the same thing happened again.

It appears there is a critical bug somewhere using the PS4 controller with cfclient on OSX. I would recommend you tell people to not use this controller until/unless you can reproduce and fix.
arnaud
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Joined: Tue Feb 06, 2007 12:36 pm

Re: PS4 controller + cfclient + osx == runaway drone

Post by arnaud »

Hi,

There is a known problem with PS gamepad: they will report max thrust until you press the PS button. To protect against that, the Crazyflie has a thrust lock that waits for at least one 0 thrust to unlock the thrust. Unfortunately in what you described you first got 0 thrust and then max, the thrust lock is then not helping, we have not seen this behavior before.

Did the gamepad worked before flying?

I just tested with a ps4 gamepad and a mac and could not reproduct the problem. What I could do though is verify that the thrust is locked to max if the gamepad gets disconnected. I know by experience that the PS4 gamepad cable connection is glitchy (I am now using the wireless addapter instead), so maybe this is what is happening to you, the gamepad gets disconnected. If so we should be able to detect it. Could you try to verify if it is the case?
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