Polaris RM3100 Quickstart Guide

Setting Up with ArduPilot Firmware

Connection

1. Connect the 4-pin CAN cable from the Polaris RM3100 to the CAN1 or CAN2 port on the flight controller.
2. Mount the module as far as possible from motors, ESCs, and power cables for optimal magnetic readings.

Power and Configuration

1. Power the flight controller and connect it to Mission Planner
2. Navigate to Config/Tuning > Full Parameter List
3. Set the following parameters:
   • CAN_D1_PROTOCOL: Set to 1 to configure CAN1 as DroneCAN
   • CAN_D2_PROTOCOL: Set to 1 to configure CAN2 as DroneCAN
   • CAN_P1_DRIVER: Set to 1 to enable the CAN1 bus
   • CAN_P2_DRIVER: Set to 1 to enable the CAN2 bus
   • COMPASS_TYPEMASK: Ensure the DroneCAN compass is not masked out
   • BARO_PROBE_EXT: Set to 1 to enable external DroneCAN barometer discovery

Completing Setup

1. Click Write Params in Mission Planner after modifying the parameters
2. Reboot the flight controller to activate the CAN functions
3. Navigate to Setup > Mandatory Hardware > Compass and verify the Polaris RM3100 appears as an external compass
4. Run a compass calibration and confirm the RM3100 is selected as the primary or secondary compass as required for your configuration

Tip: For redundancy-critical builds, set the Polaris RM3100 as the primary compass (COMPASS_PRIMARY) and disable the internal flight controller compass (COMPASS_USE2 or COMPASS_USE3) to avoid interference from onboard electronics.

Setting Up with PX4 Firmware

Note: PX4 firmware version 1.12.3 and above is supported for automatic node ID allocation. Older versions may require manual configuration.

Connection

1. Connect the 4-pin CAN cable from the Polaris RM3100 to the CAN1 or CAN2 port on the flight controller.
2. Mount the module as far as possible from motors, ESCs, and power cables for optimal magnetic readings.

Configuration

1. Connect the flight controller to QGroundControl
2. Navigate to Vehicle Setup > Parameters
3. Set the following parameters:
   • UAVCAN_ENABLE: Set to 2 for sensor automatic config with dynamic node allocation
   • UAVCAN_SUB_MAG: Set to 1 to enable DroneCAN magnetometer subscription
   • UAVCAN_SUB_BARO: Set to 1 to enable DroneCAN barometer subscription

Completing Setup

1. Save parameters and reboot the flight controller
2. In QGroundControl, navigate to Vehicle Setup > Sensors and verify the external compass is detected
3. Run a compass calibration to complete the setup
4. Confirm barometer data is visible under Analyze > MAVLink Inspector by checking the SCALED_PRESSURE message

Tip: If running dual barometers, PX4 will automatically use both for redundancy. No additional configuration is needed beyond enabling UAVCAN_SUB_BARO.