ArduCopter has three nested PID loops per axis: rate, attitude, and position. For an indoor 5-inch quad like ours, the default gains are a reasonable starting point but typically need adjustment for the specific motor/prop combo.
Current status: placeholder. Hardware tuning happens when the physical drone exists (see H2 2026 roadmap). Today we use stock defaults in SITL.
The standard tuning approach
- Hover the drone in STABILIZE mode and observe oscillations.
- Use ArduPilot’s AutoTune mode for an initial pass.
- Manually trim
ATC_RAT_PIT_P,ATC_RAT_RLL_Pfrom there.
Typical 5-inch indoor values: ATC_RAT_PIT_P ~ 0.135, ATC_RAT_RLL_P ~ 0.135.
Where to go next
- Drone flip on takeoff — what aggressive tuning looks like when it goes wrong
- Flight controller hub