Non-Volatile Parameters
Introduction
The flight controller exposes user tunable non-volatile parameters to change settings in the flight controller. Settings changed here will not be reset in between power cycles. These parameters can be changed via a .JSON file on the Vertex mass storage.
How to Change Non-volatile Parameters
- Open the mass storage mode
- Open the file 'tunable_parameters.json'
- Change the value of the required parameter
- Save the file and restart Vertex One
Make sure to keep the structure of the .JSON file intact (qoutes, parenthesis, commas etc.) and do not change parameter names. In case any of this happens by accident, the behavior is as follows:
-
If the file can not be parsed, e.g. due to changes in the file structure, the flight controller will not start
-
If a parameter name is changed, the flight controller will add the missing parameter to the file and assign default value to it
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If a parameter value is set outside of the minimum or maximum bound, the flight controller will not start, resulting in the LED indicators showing the 'idle' state
Available Parameters
An overview of the available settings is shown in the table below. A description per parameter is provided in the subsections of this page. Any parameters not presented in this list should not be changed.
| Parameter | Unit | Default value | Min value | Max value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| horizontal_max_acc | m/s2 | 3.5 | 1 | 3.5 |
| horizontal_max_acc_trajectory | m/s2 | 2 | 1 | 3.5 |
| horizontal_max_velocity | m/s | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| horizontal_max_velocity_trajectory | m/s | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| vertical_max_acc | m/s2 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 3 |
| vertical_max_acc_trajectory | m/s2 | 1 | 0.5 | 3 |
| vertical_max_velocity | m/s | 1 | 0.5 | 3 |
| vertical_max_velocity_trajectory | m/s | 1 | 0.5 | 3 |
| yaw_rate_trajectory | deg/s | 60 | 10 | 60 |
| take_off_height | m | 0.6 | 0.6 | 2 |
| waypoint_geofence_altitude | m | 120 | 0 | 120 |
| waypoint_geofence_radius | m | 500 | 0 | 1000 |
| magnetic_declination | degree | 2.58 | -50 | 50 |
| control_mode | 5 | 1 | 5 | |
| heading_mode | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| anchor_mode | true | false | true |
The following parameters have specific bounds based on which Vertex One version is used:
| Parameter | Unit | Version | Default value | Min value | Max value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| center_of_gravity | m | Vertex One Gen3 CL | [-0.0065, 0, 0.03] | [-0.05, -0.05, -0.05] | [0.05, 0.05, 0.05] |
| Vertex One Gen3 FL | [-0.035, 0, 0.03] | [-0.05, -0.05, -0.05] | [0.05, 0.05, 0.05] | ||
| Vertex One Gen4 | [-0.035, 0, 0.03] | [-0.05, -0.05, -0.05] | [0.05, 0.05, 0.05] | ||
| mass | kg | Vertex One Gen3 CL | 2.8 | 2.8 | 4.0 |
| Vertex One Gen3 FL | 2.9 | 2.9 | 4.0 | ||
| Vertex One Gen4 | 3.0 | 2.95 | 4.0 |
Parameter Descriptions
horizontal max acceleration
Maximum horizontal acceleration in manual position mode. Note that decreasing the acceleration level results in a longer stopping distance.
horizontal max acceleration trajectory
Maximum acceleration while following waypoints in automatic position mode. Limiting the acceleration results in slower velocity changes and thus lower angular rates. This is useful when smoother flights are required with a custom payload (e.g. a camera).
vertical max velocity
Maximum vertical velocity in manual position mode and manual attitude mode.
vertical max velocity trajectory
Maximum vertical velocity while following waypoints in automatic position mode.
yaw_rate_trajectory
Set the yaw rate used to go from the current heading to the desired heading in auto position mode.
take-off height
The altitude the Vertex will climb to when triggering a take-off in all modes of operation.
waypoint geofence altitude
This geofence feature is only used to reject waypoints outside of this range. This can be used during automatic flights to prevent accidental fly aways with waypoints too far away.
waypoint geofence radius
This geofence feature is only used to reject waypoints outside of this radius, relative to the point where GNSS is initialized. This is always limited to the max tested range of the standard remote controller.
magnetic declination
Magnetic declination is the difference in degrees between the actual north and the magnetic north. For accurate GNSS positioning this difference must be known. If not set correctly it can result in a so called 'toilet bowling' effect of the Vertex rotating in increasingly larger circles around the desired position. Use the latest World Magnetic Model or a website using this model (External Link) for the local value.
center of gravity
Setting the correct center of gravity prevents drift and improves overall performance when adding custom payloads.
mass
Define the mass of the Vertex One correctly when adding custom payloads. This improves the overall stability and performance of the Vertex. Make sure that the center of gravity is still correct after adding or removing mass.
control_mode
The control mode sets the default external control mode at startup. Setting this default prevents having to request the wanted control mode from the API every time after boot. Accepted values are: - 1: position mode - 2: velocity mode - 3: acceleration mode - 5: waypoint mode
heading_mode
The heading mode used in auto mode. Only 'angle' mode is supported at the moment. - 1: angle mode
anchor_mode
Only used in auto mode with the velocity control mode enabled. Anchor mode enables position control on a references axis when providing a zero velocity and acceleration reference. This for example enables a stable position hold when sending zero velocities.