ArduCopter SHOW parameters

The custom ArduCopter firmware we provide with Skybrush Live has a new SHOW flight mode and a corresponding new parameter group (SHOW_*), containing parameters that change drone behaviour related to the SHOW flight mode. Details of SHOW parameters are provided below.

SHOW_CTRL_MODE: Flags to configure the show position control algorithm

This parameter is for advanced users

Controls various aspects of the position control algorithm built into the firmware

Bit Meaning

0

VelCtrl

Value Meaning

0

Position control only

1

Position and velocity control

SHOW_CTRL_RATE: Target update rate

This parameter is for advanced users

Update rate of the target position and velocity during the show

Range Increment Units

1–50

1

Hz

SHOW_GROUP: Show group index

Index of the group that this drone belongs to

Range Increment

0–7

1

This parameter is for advanced users

PWM channel to use for the LED output (1-based) if the LED type is "NeoPixel" or "ProfiLED", or the MAVLink channel to use if the LED type is "MAVLink"

SHOW_LED0_COUNT: Number of individual LEDs on a LED channel

This parameter is for advanced users

Specifies how many LEDs there are on a NeoPixel or ProfiLED LED strip

SHOW_LED0_TYPE: Assignment of LED channel 0 to a LED output type

This parameter is for advanced users

Specifies where the output of the main LED light track of the show should be sent

Value Meaning

0

Off

1

MAVLink

2

NeoPixel

3

ProfiLED

4

Debug

5

SITL

6

Servo

SHOW_MAX_XY_ERR: Maximum placement error in XY direction

Maximum placement error that we tolerate before takeoff, in meters. Zero to turn off XY placement accuracy checks.

Range Increment Units

0–20

0.1

m

SHOW_MODE_BOOT: Conditions for entering show mode

Bitfield that specifies when the drone should switch to show mode automatically

Bit Meaning

0

At boot

1

When authorized

Value Meaning

0

Never

1

At boot

2

When authorized

3

At boot and when authorized

SHOW_ORIENTATION: Show orientation

Orientation of the X axis of the show coordinate system in CW direction relative to North, -1 if unset

Range Increment Units

-1–360

1

degrees

SHOW_ORIGIN_AMSL: Show origin (altitude)

AMSL altitude of the origin of the drone show coordinate system, -10000000 or smaller if unset

Range Increment Units

-10000000–10000000

1

mm

SHOW_ORIGIN_LAT: Show origin (latitude)

Latitude of the origin of the drone show coordinate system, zero if unset

Range Increment Units

-900000000–900000000

1

1e-7 degrees

SHOW_ORIGIN_LNG: Show origin (longitude)

Longitude of the origin of the drone show coordinate system, zero if unset

Range Increment Units

-1800000000–1800000000

1

1e-7 degrees

Controls the brightness of light signals on the drone that are used to report status information when the drone is on the ground

Range Increment

0–3

1

SHOW_START_AUTH: Authorization to start

Whether the drone is authorized to start the show

This parameter is volatile; it is reset to its default after every boot
Range Increment

0–1

1

SHOW_START_TIME: Start time

Start time of drone show as a GPS time of week timestamp (sec), negative if unset

This parameter is volatile; it is reset to its default after every boot
Range Increment Units

-1–604799

1

sec

SHOW_SYNC_MODE: Time synchronization mode

This parameter is for advanced users

Time synchronization mode to use when starting the show

Changing this parameter requires reboot
Value Meaning

0

Countdown

1

GPS time

SHOW_TAKEOFF_ALT: Takeoff altitude

This parameter is for advanced users

Altitude above current position to take off to when starting the show

Changing this parameter requires reboot
Range Increment Units

0–5

0.1

m

SHOW_VEL_FF_GAIN: Velocity feed-forward gain

This parameter is for advanced users

Multiplier used when mixing the desired velocity of the drone into the velocity target of the position controller

Range Increment

0–1

0.1