Dead Zone fix - Now the range is full instead of clipped. Should make the Yaw much more smooth.

ArduCopter/radio.pde

@@ -23,10 +23,16 @@ static void init_rc_in()
 	g.rc_4.set_type(RC_CHANNEL_ANGLE_RAW);
 
 	// set rc dead zones
-	g.rc_1.dead_zone = 60;		// 60 = .6 degrees
+	/*g.rc_1.dead_zone = 60;
 	g.rc_2.dead_zone = 60;
 	g.rc_3.dead_zone = 60;
-	g.rc_4.dead_zone = 600;// 0 = hybrid rate approach
+	g.rc_4.dead_zone = 300;
+	*/
+
+	g.rc_1.set_dead_zone(60);
+	g.rc_2.set_dead_zone(60);
+	g.rc_3.set_dead_zone(60);
+	g.rc_4.set_dead_zone(300);
 
 	//set auxiliary ranges
 	g.rc_5.set_range(0,1000);
@@ -117,14 +123,6 @@ static void read_radio()
 		#endif
 
 		//throttle_failsafe(g.rc_3.radio_in);
-
-		/*
-		Serial.printf_P(PSTR("OUT 1: %d\t2: %d\t3: %d\t4: %d \n"),
-					g.rc_1.control_in,
-					g.rc_2.control_in,
-					g.rc_3.control_in,
-					g.rc_4.control_in);
-		*/
 	}
 }
 

ArduPlane/radio.pde

@@ -17,10 +17,15 @@ static void init_rc_in()
 	g.channel_throttle.set_range(0, 100);
 
 	// set rc dead zones
-	g.channel_roll.dead_zone 	= 60;
-	g.channel_pitch.dead_zone 	= 60;
-	g.channel_rudder.dead_zone 	= 60;
-	g.channel_throttle.dead_zone = 6;
+	g.channel_roll.set_dead_zone(60);
+	g.channel_pitch.set_dead_zone(60);
+	g.channel_rudder.set_dead_zone(60);
+	g.channel_throttle.set_dead_zone(6);
+
+	//g.channel_roll.dead_zone 	= 60;
+	//g.channel_pitch.dead_zone 	= 60;
+	//g.channel_rudder.dead_zone 	= 60;
+	//g.channel_throttle.dead_zone = 6;
 
 	//set auxiliary ranges
 	update_aux_servo_function(&g.rc_5, &g.rc_6, &g.rc_7, &g.rc_8);
@@ -112,7 +117,7 @@ static void control_failsafe(uint16_t pwm)
 		} else {
 			ch3_failsafe = false;
 		}
-		
+
 	//Check for failsafe and debounce funky reads
 	} else if (g.throttle_fs_enabled) {
 		if (pwm < (unsigned)g.throttle_fs_value){
@@ -155,7 +160,7 @@ static void trim_control_surfaces()
 		g.channel_pitch.radio_trim = g.channel_pitch.radio_in;
 		g.channel_rudder.radio_trim = g.channel_rudder.radio_in;
 		G_RC_AUX(k_aileron)->radio_trim = g_rc_function[RC_Channel_aux::k_aileron]->radio_in;			// Second aileron channel
-		
+
 	}else{
 		elevon1_trim = ch1_temp;
 		elevon2_trim = ch2_temp;

libraries/RC_Channel/RC_Channel.cpp

@@ -35,6 +35,12 @@ RC_Channel::set_angle(int angle)
 	_high 	= angle;
 }
 
+void
+RC_Channel::set_dead_zone(int dzone)
+{
+	_dead_zone = abs(dzone >>1);
+}
+
 void
 RC_Channel::set_reverse(bool reverse)
 {
@@ -88,18 +94,25 @@ RC_Channel::set_pwm(int pwm)
 	if(_type == RC_CHANNEL_RANGE){
 		//Serial.print("range ");
 		control_in = pwm_to_range();
-		control_in = (control_in < dead_zone) ? 0 : control_in;
-		//if (fabs(scale_output) > 0){
-		//	control_in *= scale_output;
-		//}
+		control_in = (control_in < _dead_zone) ? 0 : control_in;
+
+		if (fabs(scale_output) != 1){
+			control_in *= scale_output;
+		}
+
 	}else{
+
+		//RC_CHANNEL_ANGLE, RC_CHANNEL_ANGLE_RAW
 		control_in = pwm_to_angle();
-		control_in = (abs(control_in) < dead_zone) ? 0 : control_in;
+		// deadzone moved to
+		//control_in = (abs(control_in) < _dead_zone) ? 0 : control_in;
+
+		if (fabs(scale_output) != 1){
+			control_in *= scale_output;
+		}
 
-		//if (fabs(scale_output) > 0){
-		//	control_in *= scale_output;
-		//}
 		/*
+		// coming soon ??
 		if(expo) {
 			long temp = control_in;
 			temp = (temp * temp) / (long)_high;
@@ -133,7 +146,7 @@ RC_Channel::calc_pwm(void)
 		pwm_out 	= (float)servo_out * .1;
 		radio_out 	= (pwm_out * _reverse) + radio_trim;
 
-	}else{
+	}else{ // RC_CHANNEL_ANGLE
 		pwm_out 	= angle_to_pwm();
 		radio_out 	= pwm_out + radio_trim;
 	}
@@ -175,10 +188,15 @@ RC_Channel::update_min_max()
 int16_t
 RC_Channel::pwm_to_angle()
 {
-	if(radio_in > radio_trim)
-		return _reverse * ((long)_high * (long)(radio_in - radio_trim)) / (long)(radio_max  - radio_trim);
-	else
-		return _reverse * ((long)_high * (long)(radio_in - radio_trim)) / (long)(radio_trim - radio_min);
+	int radio_trim_high = radio_trim + _dead_zone;
+	int radio_trim_low  = radio_trim - _dead_zone;
+
+	if(radio_in > radio_trim_high){
+		return _reverse * ((long)_high * (long)(radio_in - radio_trim_high)) / (long)(radio_max  - radio_trim_high);
+	}else if(radio_in < radio_trim_low){
+		return _reverse * ((long)_high * (long)(radio_in - radio_trim_low)) / (long)(radio_trim_low - radio_min);
+	}else
+		return 0;
 }
 
 
@@ -196,14 +214,18 @@ RC_Channel::angle_to_pwm()
 int16_t
 RC_Channel::pwm_to_range()
 {
-	//return (_low + ((_high - _low) * ((float)(radio_in - radio_min) / (float)(radio_max - radio_min))));
-	return (_low + ((long)(_high - _low) * (long)(radio_in - radio_min)) / (long)(radio_max - radio_min));
+	int radio_trim_low  = radio_min + _dead_zone;
+
+	if(radio_in > radio_trim_low)
+		return (_low + ((long)(_high - _low) * (long)(radio_in - radio_trim_low)) / (long)(radio_max - radio_trim_low));
+	else
+		return 0;
 }
 
+
 int16_t
 RC_Channel::range_to_pwm()
 {
-	//return (((float)(servo_out - _low) / (float)(_high - _low)) * (float)(radio_max - radio_min));
 	return ((long)(servo_out - _low) * (long)(radio_max - radio_min)) / (long)(_high - _low);
 }
 

libraries/RC_Channel/RC_Channel.h

@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ class RC_Channel{
 		_high(1),
 		_filter(true),
 		_reverse  (&_group, 3,    1, name ? PSTR("REV") : 0),
-		dead_zone(0),
+		_dead_zone(0),
 		scale_output(1.0)
 	{}
 
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ class RC_Channel{
 	void 		set_angle(int angle);
 	void 		set_reverse(bool reverse);
 	bool		get_reverse(void);
+	void		set_dead_zone(int dzone);
 
 	// read input from APM_RC - create a control_in value
 	void 		set_pwm(int pwm);
@@ -63,7 +64,6 @@ class RC_Channel{
 
 	// value generated from PWM
 	int16_t 	control_in;
-	int16_t 	dead_zone; // used to keep noise down and create a dead zone.
 
 	int			control_mix(float value);
 
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ class RC_Channel{
 	bool		_filter;
 	AP_Int8 	_reverse;
 
+	int16_t 	_dead_zone; // used to keep noise down and create a dead zone.
 	uint8_t 	_type;
 	int16_t 	_high;
 	int16_t 	_low;