Litchi not sending pause mission command to Mavic Mini

[Crouching Leopard]

Has anyone else experienced this?

Today tried to do an orbit around a park. once everything was programmed in, I set the drone off to do the orbit. After ascending to the required height and moving north, I saw that the drone was getting closer to some trees than intended (about 100 metres away). My orbit was set to about 20 metres diameter about 50 metres away 21 metres height. No problem I thought and moved both controller sticks down and to centre to pause the flight. I also tried ascending and flying in reverse. Nothing happened and the drone continued to move towards the trees looking for its start point. More frantic control stick pushing had no effect. After a few more seconds, crash, bang wallop and the drone ploughed through the very top canopy of a few leaves on a tree that was about 30cm higher than my flight level.

The video was still streaming and I saw lots of tumbling and finally static leaves. I started walking towards the spot and a dog walking lady advised me she had seen the drone crash to the ground very close to where find my drone had it located. Long story short, brand new replacement drone with 13 minutes on the clock has a broken gimbal.

I know where I went wrong with the orbit planning (my start point was not accurate enough), but I believe the control sticks should have paused the mission and they didn't. Analysis of the flight on google earth shows the drone doing what was planned, but no change to the flight on control stick movement when I realised what was happening (a point about 50-60 metres from the trees). Just to clarify, I had a clear line of sight between me and the drone and could see the disaster unfolding before my eyes. Also, I realise that the Litchi mini app is a Beta phase app but I have had a similar crash a few months ago when Litchi did something unexpected.

On yet another occasion, I narrowly avoided hitting the side of a building during a spiral orbit when the drones spiral orbit grew larger and larger at a very impressive speed until it was about 60 metres in diameter and out of control. On that occasion pressing the RTH stopped the flight. This time, that did not work.

Anyone experienced problems with pausing any type of autopilot manoeuvres or missions in Litchi.

I like litchi and am on the Beta test programme, but sense that it can do things that throw curved balls at you at the most dangerous moments.

 

[EyesWideShut]

The Mavic Mini test program is no longer in Beta. Check that you have the latest version.

With Litchi, the sticks do not stop the Orbit. In flight you use the sticks to change all the parameters of the Orbit - altitude, radius, camera direction etc.

To stop the session, press the Red Stop Button in the left button toolbar.

With Litchi the Flight Controller's RTH Button is called C1 and in SETTINGS can be changed from RTH to operate about 25 different functions. Not all 25 are available for the mini and only the C1 button can be set up, no C2.. Your FC C1 button might not be for RTH and may be now set for another function.

Here's a link to the Litchi User Guide with all the above info. It's a very comprehensive Guide with explanations on all the functions and worth multiple reads. The only function not yet available for the mini is waypoints.

Hope this helps explain what might have been happening in your two circumstances.

 

[DanMan32]

You do NOT use CSC to pause flights. CSC is to start and stop the motors. Fortunately for you, response to CSC default is in emergency only or else the motors would stop mid air and AC tumble down.

The RTH button on the RC is also the pause button. Press to pause, press and hold to RTH. But pausing with the button will only lock out controls for a few seconds. Litchi is probably resuming stick control if the flight mode you used is working by virtual stick.

 

[Crouching Leopard]

The Mavic Mini test program is no longer in Beta. Check that you have the latest version.

With Litchi, the sticks do not stop the Orbit. In flight you use the sticks to change all the parameters of the Orbit - altitude, radius, camera direction etc.

To stop the session, press the Red Stop Button in the left button toolbar.

With Litchi the Flight Controller's RTH Button is called C1 and in SETTINGS can be changed from RTH to operate about 25 different functions. Not all 25 are available for the mini and only the C1 button can be set up, no C2.. Your FC C1 button might not be for RTH and may be now set for another function.

Here's a link to the Litchi User Guide with all the above info. It's a very comprehensive Guide with explanations on all the functions and worth multiple reads. The only function not yet available for the mini is waypoints.

Hope this helps explain what might have been happening in your two circumstances.

Thanks for your replies.

I am using the version oh Litchi I downloaded yesterday.

I think I found the point of confusion. Yesterday was the first time I have used the app on iOS (new iPad mini). Previously I have only used android as I am not normally an Apple fan but wanted a decent sized screen.

On re-reading, I found this in the user manual:

• Go Home (Android only): Tap to initiate Return to Home at any time. Return to Home can also be triggered using the remote controller.
• 
  My new iPad is wifi only so did not have an accurate updated map of the location ( my android is cellular) later, when I tied the iPad to the phone, the map updated slightly, shifting my start location by about 50 metres closer to the trees. Another lesson, get wifi iPad or tie iPad to phone every time.
• 
  Everything happened so quickly (about 13 seconds)I think I reverted to autonomous actions on the sticks thinking it would increase in height or change direction. Every other time, when necessary I have pressed the controller RTH button, but I have been using android. Guess the lesson is if you change os, reread the manuals.

The c1 button was not set to RTH. My mistake

It might have been a blessing if the drone had just dropped out of the sky on CsC’s as I busted the gimbal anywhay and I wouldn’t have gone through that “not another $$$$$ tree feeling “ before a passer bye told me where the drone was. I was dreading spending hours or days looking through the tree canopy.
Another crash = another lesson.

MY pressing CsC’s was only part of a flurry of autonomous stick movements.

The irony is that the trees behind me were about 10 metres high so I deliberately set the orbit height to 21 metres to clear them.

 

[Repaid1]

Thanks. I am using the version oh Litchi I downloaded yesterday.

I think I found the point of confusion. Yesterday was the first time I have used the app on iOS (new iPad mini). Previously I have used android.

I found this in the user manual. Everything happened so quickly I think I reverted to autonomous actions on the sticks thinking it would increase in height or change direction. Every other time, when necessary I have pressed the controller RTH button, but I have been using android. Guess the lesson is if you change os, reread the manuals.

1. Go Home (Android only): Tap to initiate Return to Home at any time. Return to Home can also be triggered using the remote controller.

You should also be able to cancel any flight to a hover by moving your mode switch to any other position? That is the cancel, not pause command.

 

[DanMan32]

Pressing RTH once to pause, or switching modes would work with Fly app, but it is not certain if it works with Litchi. It should, but if Litchi is using virtual sticks to perform its magic, then that could override the RC enacted pause.

MM1 doesn't have a physical mode switch on the RC. Switching modes is enacted by the Fly app as a soft switch.

 

[GerdS]

The RTH button still initiates RTH, even if it is assigned to annother function within Litchi, e.g. switching flight modes.
You just need to press it for long enough. A short press triggers the C1 function within Litchi.

 

[Crouching Leopard]

This is why I love this forum. Assistance is always available. Thanks.

 

[maelstrom]

My new iPad is wifi only so did not have an accurate updated map of the location ( my android is cellular) later, when I tied the iPad to the phone, the map updated slightly, shifting my start location by about 50 metres closer to the trees.

I’m not sure if I’m just misunderstanding you here, but the start location is stored in the drone not your iPad. As such, even if you have no map on your iPad, the drone will still return to its stored start position.

 

[Crouching Leopard]

Hi. The issue seems to be that the start location I initially set seems to have been out by about 50 metres south of where I thought it was which means that I was physically roughly 50 metres closer to the trees in my orbit centre settings than I wanted to be. Tying my phone to the iPad after the event (should have updated my location before flying) marginally moved my location and therefore the orbit centre location slightly north, which was where the drone was heading.

Hope that makes sense.

Went out today and upgraded the iPad to the Cellular + Wifi Version so no longer have to rely on tying to the phone.

 

[DanMan32]

Like it was said, HP is updated as soon as you get a GPS lock and on takeoff. The GPS on the AC is used and it can deviate as much as 5 ft.

The HP can be manually updated based on device GPS (WiFi only iPads don't have one) or you can move it on the map. Hotspotting doesn't affect updating HP.

You don't need internet to fly, but you do need it initially if you want detailed maps. I would have saved the money having to have a separate data plan for the tablet and just hotspot for the short time to update the map. At least you have GPS from the tablet.

 

[Crouching Leopard]

Thanks. Basically as far as I can see the problem was that the starting point I set for the maneuver was about 50 meters north of where it showed on the map, because I had incorrectly set the start point for the maneuver on the maps screen, as the map screen seemed to be about 50 metres out. As soon as I tied in the phone, the map screen moved roughly that distance. By this time the drone was in my bag.

Anyway, another crash and another lesson. Going to upgrade to something with OA.

 

[DanMan32]

Still don't get it. By "start position" do you mean home point?
By default that's set on takeoff using AC GPS. You can move it in the map view but it will reset on next takeoff. I suspect the connection to the phone was coincidence.

 

[Crouching Leopard]

By start position i mean the position that the drone moves to before it starts its orbit, not its hone position. For this maneuvre, the start position i set was about 50 metres north of its home position. It seems that perhaps Because of the map innacuracy, it flew further north than that. When i tied the ipad to the phone after the crash, the map repositioned about 50 metres north..

I can only assume this is what happened as this is what i saw the map do on tying. I now have a cellular ipad but no drone to carry out tests.

When i get the drone back, i will re run the orbit and see what happens, with my finger on the stop icon!

 

[hawkinsuk]

By start position i mean the position that the drone moves to before it starts its orbit, not its hone position. For this maneuvre, the start position i set was about 50 metres north of its home position. It seems that perhaps Because of the map innacuracy, it flew further north than that. When i tied the ipad to the phone after the crash, the map repositioned about 50 metres north..

I can only assume this is what happened as this is what i saw the map do on tying. I now have a cellular ipad but no drone to carry out tests.

When i get the drone back, i will re run the orbit and see what happens, with my finger on the stop icon!

It's worth pursuing as I reckon Orbit is the best and most reliable feature of Litchi with the Mini. Good luck