Control Tower Error

Post here to get support
arnaud
Bitcraze
Posts: 2538
Joined: Tue Feb 06, 2007 12:36 pm

Re: Control Tower Error

Post by arnaud »

Since you did not yet plot the position graph in the client, I assume you did not go through the last part of the getting started which is the one that describes the space orientation and startup position: https://wiki.bitcraze.io/doc:lighthouse ... p_position.

From your description it seems that you are not starting the Crazyflies facing X all the time. If you do not start the Crazyflies with the right orientation, they will fly away at first because they will start with a wrong orientation. This is something that will be fixed in the future but right now you need to start your Crazyflies facing X.

As for your questions:
1. It should be on the floor when you calibrate the orientation with the quick calibration in steamVR settings. Otherwise it does not matter when running get_bs_position.py.

2. Make is enough. You only need to make clean if you change the Makefile or config.mk.

3. It is good to have them rotated 30 degrees down in order to have a good coverage: the basestation have a field of view of +/- 60 degree so if you have them flat you limit the usable flight space. Though it will work without.
cevo
Beginner
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Jun 27, 2019 5:51 pm

Re: Control Tower Error

Post by cevo »

There are several error I found from my macbook environment
I am not sure if I would be the cause of problem or not.

1. VR pop out of error message randomly. Some time not
2. I can't plot the graph even I can connect to the cfclient properly.
Attachments
Screen Shot 2562-07-01 at 19.00.13.png
Screen Shot 2562-07-01 at 19.00.07.png
Screen Shot 2562-07-01 at 19.00.04.png
Screen Shot 2562-07-01 at 19.00.00.png
Screen Shot 2562-07-01 at 18.43.55.png
arnaud
Bitcraze
Posts: 2538
Joined: Tue Feb 06, 2007 12:36 pm

Re: Control Tower Error

Post by arnaud »

1. The message you get from steamVR is caused by the lighthouse base station not seeing each-other reliably. You should make sure your base station have good line of sight to each-other or use the sync cable and set the base station in mode A and B. Any other failure should not matter for Crazyflie, and you do not need to keep steamVR running to fly Crazyflie.

2. You need to add a log block as documented there: https://wiki.bitcraze.io/doc:crazyflie: ... ex#logging. Once you have added the log block with the variables stateEstimate.x/y/z. Once the log block is created, it will appead in the list of log blocks and in the plotter list: https://wiki.bitcraze.io/doc:crazyflie: ... ex#plotter.
cevo
Beginner
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Jun 27, 2019 5:51 pm

Re: Control Tower Error

Post by cevo »

Right now I using HMD placed at the center of test area.
Once I have successfully compile the firmware do I need need to keep HMD on the middle of floor?

Anyway, currently my basestation height is 170 cm , do I need to increase the height?
Last edited by cevo on Mon Jul 01, 2019 1:15 pm, edited 2 times in total.
arnaud
Bitcraze
Posts: 2538
Joined: Tue Feb 06, 2007 12:36 pm

Re: Control Tower Error

Post by arnaud »

No you do not need to keep the HMD on the floor and as I wrote in my last message you do not need to keep SteamVR running.
cevo
Beginner
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Jun 27, 2019 5:51 pm

Re: Control Tower Error

Post by cevo »

Now seems like it can fly properly once I adjust to proper X axis. but it suddenly fallen once it reach certain level.
It may related to the height of base station I think.

Do we need to keep both base station on the same heigh?
cevo
Beginner
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Jun 27, 2019 5:51 pm

Re: Control Tower Error

Post by cevo »

After change the height of the basestation everything look fine now.
I flew 2 drones one seems to fly properly, but once (that crashed a lot ) fly really odd and suddenly crash do you know to check the health of drone if it still functional properly or not.
arnaud
Bitcraze
Posts: 2538
Joined: Tue Feb 06, 2007 12:36 pm

Re: Control Tower Error

Post by arnaud »

It is important that the base-station are well above the crazyflies (at least 40cm above the max flight height) and that they are stable: if the base-station moves even a little bit they switch off until they are stable again, this causes the tracking to stop and it can results in Crash.

If you see consistent crash problems on one Crazyflie, check that the propeller and motors are in good health. One way to do that is to put the Crazyflie on a stable surface and run the propeller test from the console tab of the client. You should also fly in position hold mode from the client and look at the thrust for each motors in the flight-tab of the client: if there is one motor that is much higher than the other, try to change the propeller and/or the motor. If one motor is too close to 100% it will cause the Crazyflie to crash when flying fast maneuver like take-off.
Post Reply