ANAFI Firmware 1.7.3 and Skycontroler 3 Firmware 1.7.0 ?

[MustangPhil]

I can confirm the following : Do not use the optional software ‘Control+Parrot’ with Pix4Dcapture. It is explained on Pix4D website, I have even installed it from my phone...

@Fred 47 : Can you confirm you have GPS problems only with your iOS device (an iPad Mini 5 if I got it right) and that your iPad Mini 5 version is the LTE version that has the SIM card slot and the GPS chip by default or you use (like me with my iPad Mini 4) an external Bluetooth GPS) ?

 

[Fred 47]

Je peux confirmer ce qui suit: N'utilisez pas le logiciel optionnel 'Control + Parrot' avec Pix4Dcapture. C'est expliqué sur le site Pix4D, je l'ai même installé depuis mon téléphone ...

[USER = 6931] @Fred 47 [/ USER]: pouvez-vous confirmer que vous avez des problèmes de GPS uniquement avec votre appareil iOS (un iPad Mini 5 si j'ai bien compris) et que votre version iPad Mini 5 est la version défaut LTE qui a le emplacement pour carte SIM et puce GPS par ou vous utilisez (comme moi avec mon iPad Mini 4) un GPS Bluetooth externe)?

Bonjour MustangPhil, effectivement sur la version iOS le GPS ne se connecte pas sur FF6 pour le Skycotroller 3, par contre c'est ok pour l'Anafi. Concernant lPad Mini 5 je n'ai pas de carte SIM et c'est le GPS intégré de la tablette, qui en terme de précision me donne un écart de plus de 100 mètre par rapport à la réalité. Sur Android, les deux GPS (SkyController et Anafi) sont opérationnels sur FF6, par contre Pix4 D Capture ne se connecte pas au drone, alors que j'ai réussi à le faire fonctionner avec la version iOS 14.0.1

 

[MustangPhil]

For the tablet GPS error my guess is the following :

- Your iPad 5 Mini is the WiFi ‘standard’ version, not the expensive one with the SIM card capability. That’s why you get a 100m precision only with the position given by the nearest WiFi emitter (an inboard iPad GPS would easily give you less than 10m). So your iPad tablet does NOT have a GPS integrated.
- The SkyController 3 is not equipped with a GPS onboard. To get your position, the SkyController only relies on the GPS that is inside your phone or your tablet.
- Your Android smartphone has a GPS = the SkyController can work properly with a GPS signal.
- Your iOS iPad 5 Mini tablet does not have a GPS = The SkyController cannot work properly.
One solution I found for my iPad 4 Mini is to buy an external Bluetooth GPS (The Garmin GLO), pair it with the iPad ... and the SkyController now has a GPS via the iPad and Bluetooth.

For Pix4Dcapture, can you confirm on your Android device :

1) That you did NOT install the ‘Control+Parrot’ application (some drones need it but not the Anafi, and if you have it on your phone, Pix4Dcapture will no longer work correctly on your phone with the ANAFI)
2) Before you try to connect to your Anafi with Pix4DCapture, you must check that FreeFlight 6 is not running as a background App on your phone, and that when you hook the USB cable on your phone, FF6 is not selected as the default app to start automatically.

 

[Fred 47]

Thank you for your explanations, this is my first iPad, I suspected that the positioning was creating a problem. I will inquire about Garmin GLO. As for Android, I will shut down FF6 on my next try.

 

[Rodrigo del Pedregal]

This is quite confuse the app is still available and no updated info from Pix4d , by the way about crashing the app with new FF6 version , I run a test yesterday and got same issue as Fred so I changed the android device with another one with older version of FF6 and had no issues with Pix4dCapture and the GPS signal especial from the SK3
Clearly something wrong with the version 6.70

 

[MustangPhil]

You must be right, when I browse the Pix4D forum it appears that :

- Before the update, Pix4Dcapture app had problems to connect to iOS devices (I did not remark it because I was using an Android phone and it worked great). The solution given by community managers was to use Pix4Dcapture with an Android phone since the error seemed to be related to the Anafi firmware not compatible with the updated Pix4Dcapture app on iOS. They said ‘a new update of the Anafi should solve it soon’.
- After the update, Pix4Dcapture app finally works with iOS devices (I did not remark it either because my tests where made with an iPad after the update). But lots of people claim it doesn’t work with their Android devices now.
- One guy sent screenshots and error logs to Pix4D from its Android device, and the forum admin said ‘it should work but we remark problems with the GPS in the log’.

This is very summarized and I may be wrong. But it seems that the new Anafi firmware update induced changes in the management of the GPS and causes now troubles to the Android devices running Pix4Dcapture...

I also made tests with my 2 Anafis yesterday afternoon and remarked at one startup it would not get any GPS signal on the Anafi side. Tried both with an iPad and an Android device... no GPS when I’m on the ground (where I usually get at least 12 satellites) ! Happened after battery exchanges and strange blinking lights on battery status leds.
Then I hard rebooted both Anafi (when the Anafi is ‘On’, press 15 seconds until 4 lights of the battery become red then release button)... and after reboot, it got the GPS signal... up to 17 satellites on the ground at the exact same spot.
Will check this morning with Pix4Dcapture and Android and report here...

What seems to be clear now, they changed something with GPS and also battery management...

—- Edit —-

I also tried to browse on the U-Blox M8 chip problems (our Anafi GPS module), and found some infos related to problem that can occur when the GPS module acquires more and more satellites.
There was a firmware update provided by the chip manufacturer to the users in May.
Some also say ´The more we acquire satellites, the longer the CPU chip time cycle to get a fix and a position’.
Some say they get a fix then lose it after less than 30 minutes when using the GPS+Glonass+Egnos (a sub-function on The Galileo system constellation)...and they get the signal back after a reboot...

Not sure it is our problem... just in case it can help someone at Parrot’s that reads our favorite forum...

— Re-edit —-

I can’t use Pix4Dcapture for Android either !

 

[Miguelistan]

Hi guys, I've the same problem, Pix4Dcapture crashes on Android after upgrading Anafi Thermal and Skycontroller 3 to firmware 1.7
Is there any alternative to Pix4Dcapture?
Thank you!

 

[Fred 47]

Bonjour, suite aux conseils de MustangPhil, j'ai acheté un GPS Bluetooth externe (Le Garmin GLO2), il est couplé avec l'iPad, mais toujours pas de GPS sur le SkyController ...

 

[MustangPhil]

Bonjour, suite aux conseils de MustangPhil, j'ai acheté un GPS Bluetooth externe (Le Garmin GLO2), il est couplé avec l'iPad, mais toujours pas de GPS sur le SkyController ...

That’s quite surprising, with my Garmin GLO (not the version 2 but I had a look on the specs and they seem exactly the same), I have an instant Connexion to the GLO and SC3 via my IPad 4 Mini when connected to FF6 !

- Can you confirm that on the iPad, after the Garmin GLO is connected, you can find your position from the Bluetooth GPS in another app (for example in google maps) ? Just to check the connexion between the iPad and the GLO is functional.

- Are the leds from the GLO steady green and Blue like on the picture below ? Steady Green means full charge of GLO battery and satellites OK and Steady Blue means ‘Bluetooth pairing OK)

- When you switch to ‘AirPlane’ mode on the iPad, can you confirm it does not switch off the Bluetooth function of your iPad 5 mini ?

Here are the pictures of the test I just made from my window (and with the Anafi outside less than 2 m from my house... I have the green GPS for the SC3 and already 15 GPS for the Anafi although I’m in the ‘shadow’ of my house and on the ground and did not take off) :

 

[Fred 47]

C'est assez surprenant, avec mon Garmin GLO (pas la version 2 mais j'ai jeté un œil sur les spécifications et elles semblent exactement les mêmes), j'ai une connexion instantanée au GLO et au SC3 via mon IPad 4 Mini lorsqu 'il est connecté à FF6!

- Pouvez-vous confirmer que sur l'iPad, une fois le Garmin GLO connecté, vous pouvez trouver votre position à partir du GPS Bluetooth dans une autre application (par exemple dans google maps)? Juste pour vérifier que la connexion entre l'iPad et le GLO est fonctionnel.

- Les leds du GLO sont-elles vertes et bleues fixes comme sur l'image ci-dessous? Le vert fixe signifie que la batterie GLO et les satellites sont complètement chargés et le bleu fixe signifie que le couplage Bluetooth est OK)

- Lorsque vous passez en mode 'AirPlane' sur l'iPad, pouvez-vous confirmer qu'il ne désactive pas la fonction Bluetooth de votre iPad 5 mini?

Voici les photos du test que je viens de faire depuis ma fenêtre (et avec l'Anafi à l'extérieur à moins de 2 m de chez moi ... j'ai le GPS vert pour le SC3 et déjà 15 GPS pour l ' Anafi bien que je sois dans le `` ombre '' de ma maison et sur le terrain et n'a pas décollé):

Merci MustangPhil pour vos commentaires. Tout allait bien, mais toujours pas de connexion sur le skycontroller, j'ai débranché la tablette et je l'ai rebranché, l'Anafi connecté, et là, le GPS connecté au sc3. Problème a priori résolu.

C'est assez surprenant, avec mon Garmin GLO (pas la version 2 mais j'ai jeté un œil sur les spécifications et elles semblent exactement les mêmes), j'ai une connexion instantanée au GLO et au SC3 via mon IPad 4 Mini lorsqu 'il est connecté à FF6!

- Pouvez-vous confirmer que sur l'iPad, une fois le Garmin GLO connecté, vous pouvez trouver votre position à partir du GPS Bluetooth dans une autre application (par exemple dans google maps)? Juste pour vérifier que la connexion entre l'iPad et le GLO est fonctionnel.

- Les leds du GLO sont-elles vertes et bleues fixes comme sur l'image ci-dessous? Le vert fixe signifie que la batterie GLO et les satellites sont complètement chargés et le bleu fixe signifie que le couplage Bluetooth est OK)

- Lorsque vous passez en mode 'AirPlane' sur l'iPad, pouvez-vous confirmer qu'il ne désactive pas la fonction Bluetooth de votre iPad 5 mini?

Voici les photos du test que je viens de faire depuis ma fenêtre (et avec l'Anafi à l'extérieur à moins de 2 m de chez moi ... j'ai le GPS vert pour le SC3 et déjà 15 GPS pour l ' Anafi bien que je sois dans le `` ombre '' de ma maison et sur le terrain et n'a pas décollé):

 

[MustangPhil]

Glad to see your problem of GPS on iPad 5 mini is solved with the addition of the Garmin GLO !
... now you just need to improve your English communication before big bear kicks our @sses out of this forum ;o)

 

[Jagerbomb52]

Glad to see your problem of GPS on iPad 5 mini is solved with the addition of the Garmin GLO !
... now you just need to improve your English communication before big bear kicks our @sses out of this forum ;o)

As much as I would like to see everyone follow the rules sometimes its much easier to explain a problem in their native language but yes please start using English as it is a English forum.

 

[christophe hentsch]

Hallo all,
After updated to last FW both anafi and RC with FFL 6 6.70 seems the GPS from controller having issues to connect to became all green and anafi GPS worse ,very unstable ,I am doing test in places where I know how is to receive the GPS signal but after updated no chance to fly

anybody else same issues?

Yes. big similar trouble on my side. After the upgrade on 2 anafi, no gps signal as long as I am landed. If I take off 1 m seems happy with 20 satt. seems a big bug

 

[Moskitaba]

Hallo all,
After updated to last FW both anafi and RC with FFL 6 6.70 seems the GPS from controller having issues to connect to became all green and anafi GPS worse ,very unstable ,I am doing test in places where I know how is to receive the GPS signal but after updated no chance to fly

anybody else same issues?

GPS hard de become green on ANAFI: I observed this problem today, when ANAFI on ground. My android phone get GPS about 1 min wait, but not GPS for ANAFI about 2 or 3 min wait.
But taking ANAFI in the hand (1m high from ground) makes GPS become green quickly ! (and back to red when putting again ANAFI on the ground again).
Not sure this is an ANAFI issue...

 

[Rodrigo del Pedregal]

GPS issue remain mainly now on the controller, after a couple Anafi re-calibrations, it takes quite normal to get the GPS but NOT the controller still too long or nothing
Also I reset the SK but no different, this is for me FF6 bug

 

[Jagerbomb52]

GPS issue remain mainly now on the controller, after a couple Anafi re-calibrations, it takes quite normal to get the GPS but NOT the controller still too long or nothing
Also I reset the SK but no different, this is for me FF6 bug

SC3 does not have a GPS. The GPS reading is coming from your phone or tablet.

 

[BRC]

GPS issue remain mainly now on the controller, after a couple Anafi re-calibrations, it takes quite normal to get the GPS but NOT the controller still too long or nothing
Also I reset the SK but no different, this is for me FF6 bug

depending on the device you have you might try to add a third party app to improve GPS lock - for android I use "GPS Status"
seems to help quite a bit for my Samsung 7 phone

 

[Gipsz Jakab]

Now I'm really glad I didn't update: solaris8x96 highlighted the battery issue
Solaris8x86 is offering help and the secret of the Parrot Anafi crash (5/Nov)

According to them, there is about 10 minutes left to fly, which the new firmware cumbersome GPS lock further reduced ...

 

[MazziM]

Hallo all,
After updated to last FW both anafi and RC with FFL 6 6.70 seems the GPS from controller having issues to connect to became all green and anafi GPS worse ,very unstable ,I am doing test in places where I know how is to receive the GPS signal but after updated no chance to fly

anybody else same issues?

Yes. I've called Parrot. A customer service rep named Eve would "escalate the issue". Provided video and photo evidence of GPS instability after upgrade. I was asked the obvious questions of course (did you crash, do you have clear view of sky, did you do a hard reset, etc.). I am 100% that they are aware of this "bug". It doesn't stop me from flying. Once I get some altitude, I would say that I do get a GREEN gps status for most of the flight. Regardless, this should be unacceptable for any commercial drone company. Period. Also, the LED is ON steady, which means you drain the battery needlessly.

Notice also, in this video, how the GPS status changes with just a few steps. Ridiculous, since it's clear sky view. I think PARROT is trying too hard to use all the features of its UBLOX M8 GPS receiver with this new FW.

Notice the pics. My 2 drones. One with old FW, one with NEW....same geographic location !!!!!!!!