Stabilize Mode

Stabilize mode allows you to fly your vehicle manually, but self-levels the roll and pitch axis.

Tip

If you’re learning to fly, try Alt Hold or Loiter instead of Stabilize. You’ll have fewer crashes if you don’t need to concentrate on too many controls at once.

Warning

While stabilize mode does not necessarily require GPS, switching to RTL in case of emergency does. Make sure you do have a reliable position estimate prior to arming, most commonly provided by 3D GPS fix with sufficient HDOP.

Overview

  • Pilot’s roll and pitch input control the lean angle of the copter. When the pilot releases the roll and pitch sticks the vehicle automatically levels itself.

  • Pilot will need to regularly input roll and pitch commands to keep the vehicle in place as it is pushed around by the wind.

  • Pilot’s yaw input controls the rate of change of the heading. When the pilot releases the yaw stick the vehicle will maintain its current heading.

  • Pilot’s throttle input controls the average motor speed meaning that constant adjustment of the throttle is required to maintain altitude. If the pilot puts the throttle completely down the motors will go to their minimum rate (MOT_SPIN_ARMED) and if the vehicle is flying it will lose attitude control and tumble. However, this behavior can be changed by enabling AirMode

  • The throttle sent to the motors is automatically adjusted based on the tilt angle of the vehicle (i.e. increased as the vehicle tilts over more) to reduce the compensation the pilot must do as the vehicle’s attitude changes.

Note

Always switch into a manual mode such as stabilize if the autopilot fails to control the vehicle. Maintaining control of your copter is your responsibility.

AirMode

Stabilize mode can be setup to provide full stabilization at idle throttle. See AirMode

Tuning

See Tuning for complete tuning topics.

Using AutoTune may allow you to automatically determine the best Stabilize and Rate PID values. It is highly suggested running AutoTune on your vehicle rather than manually adjusting PIDs. However, see Manual tuning of Roll and Pitch for roll and pitch manual tuning.

Other important parameters

  • ANGLE_MAX controls the maximum lean angle which by default is 4500 (i.e. 45 degrees)

  • ANGLE_RATE_MAX controls the maximum requested rotation rate in the roll and pitch axis which by default is 18000 (180deg/sec).

  • ACRO_Y_RATE controls how quickly copter rotates based on a pilot’s yaw input. The default of 4.5 commands a 200 deg/sec rate of rotation when the yaw stick is held fully left or right. Higher values will make it rotate more quickly.