Speed Firmware v0.3.0 Release Information

Mar 27

What is This Post About?

Vertiq has created a new speed firmware release, v0.3.0, for our G2 production modules. This firmware introduces several new features, and is now available for customer evaluation. We realize that choosing when to update your module’s firmware can be difficult as it may not be clear what the benefits of the upgrade are and if it will have any effect on existing functionality you depend on. This post aims to describe, in detail, what has changed with this latest firmware update so you can understand what new functionality is available and what existing functionality has been modified.

The firmware is available on the Vertiq website immediately, but will not ship as the firmware on newly ordered modules for several months to allow time for customers to provide feedback. See below for more information on when this firmware will enter production and information on the transition.

What Modules Are Impacted?

40-06 370Kv, 770Kv | (M34.1, M34.2, M34.3, M34.4, M34.5, M41.1, M41.2, M41.3)
40-14 400Kv | (M35.1, M35.2, M35.3, M35.4)
60-08 150Kv, 300Kv, 660Kv | (M47.1, M47.2, M40.2, M40.4, M40.5, M48.0, M48.1, M48.2, M48.3)
81-08 G2 85Kv, 140Kv, 240Kv | (M16.2, M16.3, M28.2, M28.3, M39.2, M39.3)
81-17 G2 110Kv | (M42.0, M42.1, M42.2)

Overview of Important Changes

This is a brief list of important changes in this release, and should be used as a general overview of new or altered features. Details on these changes can be found later in this post.

DroneCAN Updates
- New parameters configurable over DroneCAN GetSet
  - Timeout behavior
  - Timeout song playback option
  - Telemetry style
  - Play arming song on arm
  - Warning status enable bitmask
  - Error status enable bitmask
  - Critical status enable bitmask
  - Error count meaning
  - RGB LED strobe enable
  - RGB LED strobe period
  - RGB LED strobe pattern
  - White LED strobe enable
  - White LED strobe period
  - White LED strobe pattern
  - DroneCAN bypass arming
- Configurable DroneCAN ESC Status error count meanings
- Configurable DroneCAN health monitoring criteria
- Expanded use of the DroneCAN vendor status bits to report the active throttle source
Introduces new stopping behaviors for communication timeout and disarming
Update to Multi Turn Angle Control to expose the trajectory queue length over IQUART
Introduces throttle source reporting used to indicate what protocol is actively driving the module when leveraging redundant throttle sources
Updates to supply current limiter minimum/maximum allowed settings to allow for more aggressive limiting
Update to stop the module’s RX line from pulling down at startup when using the Hobby Disabled Communication option
Bug fixes
- Fixes an issue where the LEDs would not begin strobing properly when switching from strobe disable to strobe enable
- Fixes an issue where the module could spin further than expected on the first position/stow command after startup when commanded from standstill
- Fixes to avoid intermittent DroneCAN RawCommand message loss and command hold issues when sending RawCommands for 7 or more motors at high frequency

Can I Continue Using My Current Firmware?

We understand that you may not want to immediately upgrade to the latest firmware for various reasons. To facilitate this, the previous firmware versions will still be available on our website on your module’s page.

When Will This New Firmware Ship By Default on Production Modules?

To allow time for feedback, customer qualification, and transitioning our manufacturing process, it will be several months until this firmware version begins shipping as the default firmware version on new modules. Specifically, this firmware is planned to ship on all G2 production modules by default in October 2026. If you want to have new modules shipped with the new firmware before that date or you would like your modules to continue to use an older firmware after that date, please contact the Vertiq sales team. The new firmware is available at vertiq.co for customers to upgrade to on their own prior to this date for those who wish to use it immediately.

Will the Control Center Also Be Updated?

The Control Center will also be updated to expose support for these new features as part of version 1.10.2. Additional parameters will be visible in the Control Center to support the new features in this update.

New Features

This section details new features that have been added as part of this firmware update.

Expanded DroneCAN Configuration Parameters

This update exposes several new parameters over DroneCAN. These parameters, as well as links to additional information, are listed below:

Configurable DroneCAN ESC Status Error Count Meanings

For all previous speed firmware versions, the Error Count reported in the uavcan.equipment.esc.Status telemetry message always represented the number of TX errors. This is the value of the module’s CAN bus’s TEC register. Version 0.3.0 introduces the ability to change what the reported error represents. The new options include:

Active CAN TX errors (the value of TEC)
Active CAN RX errors (the value of REC)
Maximum of TEC and REC
A logical OR combination of TEC | REC. Combined, the value is a 32-bit number whose top 16 bits represent TEC, and the bottom 16 REC
The cumulative number of both TEC and REC errors since module power on

You can read more about the error count options here.

Configurable DroneCAN Health Monitoring Criteria

Vertiq’s DroneCAN nodes report their health via the uavcan.protocol.NodeStatus message. By default, all health checks are active, and will cause a health state transition if any of the specified cases are met. The specific criteria to change health status are discussed in the link above.

Version 0.3.0 introduces the ability to enable/disable each of the health checks individually through 3 different bitmasks representing the enabled critical, error, and warning checks.
For more information, please refer to Warning Status Enable Bitmask, Error Status Enable Bitmask, and Critical Status Enable Bitmask.

Updated DroneCAN Vendor Status Bits

Speed firmware v0.3.0 introduces expanded use of the uavcan.equipment.esc.StatusExtended message’s vendor specific status bits in order to report your module’s current active throttle source. Bits [8:7] are now filled in to indicate which throttle source is currently driving your module. For more information, please refer to our uavcan.equipment.esc.StatusExtended documentation.

New Stopping Behaviors for Communication Timeout and Disarming

This firmware update provides your module with additional options for both your timeout and disarming behaviors to now include:

Coast to stow
Coast to brake
0V to stow

Please refer to the Timeout Behavior and Disarming Behavior sections for more information about all available behaviors.

Update to Multi Turn Angle Control to Expose the Trajectory Queue Length

This firmware update adds a new entry to the Multi Turn Angle Control client that can be used to monitor the number of trajectories currently queued for execution.

Throttle Source Type Reporting

Adds a new entry to the Throttle Source Manager client that allows users to get the currently active throttle source. This is especially useful when leveraging redundant throttle sources in order to determine the currently active throttle source.

Updates to Supply Current Limiter Minimum/Maximum Settings

Updates the minimum settable motoring supply current limit and the maximum settable regeneration supply current used by the Closed Loop Supply Current Limiter, allowing the modules to limit more aggressively if needed.

Remove RX Line Pulldown when Hobby Disabled

This update stops the module’s RX line from pulling down when in Hobby Disabled mode. Now, when configured for Hobby Disabled, the module will skip its autodetection phase, and will immediately configure itself for IQUART communication only.

Bug Fixes

Static to Strobing LED Transition Fix

This update fixes an issue where upon switching your LED from statically on to strobing, the LED would flicker rapidly before settling into its correct strobing pattern and period. Transitions between static and strobing have been fixed.

Initial Position Fix

This update fixes an issue where, if you trigger the module’s first position command or stow since start up from a standstill, the module may perform a full revolution before reaching its target stow position.

Avoiding Losses and Command Holds When Receiving Long DroneCAN RawCommand Messages

This update makes improvements to the reception of high speed multi-frame DroneCAN messages which affected all previous firmware versions. This affected receiving uavcan.equipment.esc.RawCommand messages containing commands for 7 or more motors. Previously, when sending modules RawCommand messages with 7 or more commands at high frequencies, there could be periods where consecutive RawCommands were lost by the module. This led the module to hold at the last command it received temporarily instead of responding immediately to each new incoming RawCommand throttle message. The module would then catch up and resume successfully receiving new commands. Because the module was missing some of the incoming commands and holding at an old command, the module’s response to commands from the flight controller could vary. This inconsistent response from the modules could make it more difficult to consistently tune vehicles and generally lead to “jerkier” and undesirable performance when this occurred.

Due to the nature of multi-frame messages in DroneCAN and how RawCommand messages are constructed, this should only affect instances where 7 or more motor commands were being sent in RawCommand messages. This means that vehicles commanding less than 7 motors over DroneCAN, such as quadcopters or hexacopters, should not be impacted if their RawCommand messages contain less than 7 commands.

Questions

If you have questions about these changes, you can contact support@vertiq.co for more information.

Frederick Kummer