Communication problems when running multiple Crazyflies
Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2014 6:41 pm
Hello!
(I have read multiple relevant posts on this forum, but haven't been able to solve my problems, so this isn't a repeated post)
I am running 7 Crazyflies at a time, and I am using 7 Crazyradios, so I have 1 radio for each crazyflie.
I developed my own trajectory tracking controller, which (using a motion capture system) accurately flies a Crazyflie in a lissajous pattern.
Note that I have no issue when I run just 1 Crazyflie on its own... the path is accurate!
------------------------------------------------
Problems:
1) I frequently get "Connection lost- too many packets lost" when I'm running multiple crazyflies
This error message shows when the connection to a Crazyflie is lost, and this causes the Crazyflie to just drop out and stop flying.
Note that although this happens almost all the time, there isn't a clear pattern (generally a different Crazyflie each time, sometimes they all work fine, etc...)
2) Assuming I get lucky and the connections are good enough to not drop out, my crazyflies go through a take-off formation routine, and then begin to fly together in a lissajous pattern.
Due to some communication error, there is a problem with the commands (buffering? queue? timing? IDK!) that causes the paths of the crazyflies to not be as accurate as when running solo.
Due to these small deviations from the desired path, the Crazyflies in my pattern collide and crash (accuracy is essential for me, so I need to solve this problem!)
------------------------------------------------
Thing I've done:
1) I spaced out the channels for each crazyflie/crazyradio as much as possible. It works much more consistently than before. Since they're spaced out by 20+ channels, I feel that channel interference isn't an issue.
2) Wifi in the room is turned off, and I don't know of other things in here that would cause interference
3) Tested the controller on a single crazyflie at a time- works well. Tested on 2/3 at a time, and the paths are still accurate.
------------------------------------------------
I have no idea how to go about solving this because I do not understand the root of the problem.
When I run 1 Crazyflie on its own, I have no connection problems.
When I run a few, they work much better than when I run all 7.
What I'm gathering is that I'm having some sort of communication problem when running a lot of Crazyflies all at once.
However, each crazyflie has its own
-nodes (controller, etc.)
-firmware
-crazyradio
-channel (not too close to other crazyflies' channels)
So I do not understand what the communication problems are that I'm having.
Any thoughts?
(I have read multiple relevant posts on this forum, but haven't been able to solve my problems, so this isn't a repeated post)
I am running 7 Crazyflies at a time, and I am using 7 Crazyradios, so I have 1 radio for each crazyflie.
I developed my own trajectory tracking controller, which (using a motion capture system) accurately flies a Crazyflie in a lissajous pattern.
Note that I have no issue when I run just 1 Crazyflie on its own... the path is accurate!
------------------------------------------------
Problems:
1) I frequently get "Connection lost- too many packets lost" when I'm running multiple crazyflies
This error message shows when the connection to a Crazyflie is lost, and this causes the Crazyflie to just drop out and stop flying.
Note that although this happens almost all the time, there isn't a clear pattern (generally a different Crazyflie each time, sometimes they all work fine, etc...)
2) Assuming I get lucky and the connections are good enough to not drop out, my crazyflies go through a take-off formation routine, and then begin to fly together in a lissajous pattern.
Due to some communication error, there is a problem with the commands (buffering? queue? timing? IDK!) that causes the paths of the crazyflies to not be as accurate as when running solo.
Due to these small deviations from the desired path, the Crazyflies in my pattern collide and crash (accuracy is essential for me, so I need to solve this problem!)
------------------------------------------------
Thing I've done:
1) I spaced out the channels for each crazyflie/crazyradio as much as possible. It works much more consistently than before. Since they're spaced out by 20+ channels, I feel that channel interference isn't an issue.
2) Wifi in the room is turned off, and I don't know of other things in here that would cause interference
3) Tested the controller on a single crazyflie at a time- works well. Tested on 2/3 at a time, and the paths are still accurate.
------------------------------------------------
I have no idea how to go about solving this because I do not understand the root of the problem.
When I run 1 Crazyflie on its own, I have no connection problems.
When I run a few, they work much better than when I run all 7.
What I'm gathering is that I'm having some sort of communication problem when running a lot of Crazyflies all at once.
However, each crazyflie has its own
-nodes (controller, etc.)
-firmware
-crazyradio
-channel (not too close to other crazyflies' channels)
So I do not understand what the communication problems are that I'm having.
Any thoughts?