IMU calibration. How level is level?

[xgeek]

Hi Guys,

I understand when you do an IMU calibration you need to do it on a level surface. But how level is level? :lol: I was going to use my kitchen table and that is level as far as I can tell, but do you guys get a spirit level out and shim up the platform until 100% level?

 

[GMANNZ]

Hi Guys,

I understand when you do an IMU calibration you need to do it on a level surface. But how level is level? :lol: I was going to use my kitchen table and that is level as far as I can tell, but do you guys get a spirit level out and shim up the platform until 100% level?

yep as good as you can do it is best ..... I do mine on a dead level marble benchtop and still check levels between the motors with spirit level as well, before starting calibrations ..... just to make sure all 4 arms are actually level above the level surface your based on.

 

[Big Ben]

Nahh... Only if after such a calibration your bird doesn't fly straight or doesn't hover properly I'd consider using a level before calibrating. I just set mine on the floor when calibrating.

 

[GMANNZ]

Nahh... Only if after such a calibration your bird doesn't fly straight or doesn't hover properly I'd consider using a level before calibrating. I just set mine on the floor when calibrating.

Yeah used to do the same, but just on main lounge table, then one day was doing some other work and noticed how out the table was when I put level on it , realised probably why phantom didnt fly straight at the time ... have only done calib once since, after changing out a motor ..... a level makes things level

 

[MILLER4PRESIDENT2020]

interesting, could this be the reason that my phantom never seems to fly straight and has a slight drift to the right when moving forward? Perhaps I am not calibrating it on perfectly level surface?

 

[ElGuano]

interesting, could this be the reason that my phantom never seems to fly straight and has a slight drift to the right when moving forward? Perhaps I am not calibrating it on perfectly level surface?

That could be declination. It's a bit of a black box, but I can rotate my compass on its carbon fiber and definitely have noticed a difference when twisting it a few degrees to account for right/left drift.

I do the IMU calibration infrequently enough where I take care to make sure it is 1) as perfectly level as I can get it within a minute, using a spirit level, and 2) not sitting on a surface with metal supports/rails underneath.