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# Session: 2026-04-26 — Baseline Revert + Parked-Controlsd Mode
## Context
This session was driven by a regression: the steering wheel "feels like
it pulls right" during normal driving, with no clear smoking gun. The
suspicion was that one of the variable-FPS / standstill-throttling
changes (added to reduce parked-state fan noise and CPU load) bled into
on-road driving behavior in a hard-to-isolate way.
Strategy: revert all driving-relevant logic to a known-good baseline
captured in `/projects/openpilot/archive/clearpilot` (HEAD `980f0aa` ,
July 2024), keep all of the ClearPilot UI/dashcam/telemetry/bench-mode
infrastructure intact on top, then attack the parked-fan-noise problem
fresh from a different angle that doesn't touch driving logic at all.
Three commits landed in this order on branch `clearpilot` :
| SHA | Title |
|---|---|
| `47321e3` | restore driving logic to pre-variable-fps baseline |
| `f7e602c` | controlsd: re-wire UI hooks on top of restored baseline |
| `887b9c9` | parked-controlsd mode: shut down heavy stack while ignition+park |
Pre-revert tip was `62a403d` . The on-device agent should treat
* * `62a403d` as "the broken version"** when looking at history.
---
## Commit 1: `47321e3` — Baseline restore
Reverted the following files wholesale to their `980f0aa` archive copy:
- `selfdrive/controls/controlsd.py`
- `selfdrive/controls/lib/events.py`
- `selfdrive/controls/lib/longitudinal_planner.py`
- `selfdrive/modeld/modeld.py`
- `selfdrive/modeld/dmonitoringmodeld.py`
- `selfdrive/locationd/calibrationd.py`
- `selfdrive/locationd/paramsd.py`
- `selfdrive/locationd/torqued.py`
- `selfdrive/car/interfaces.py`
- `selfdrive/car/hyundai/carstate.py` (CAN-FD telemetry preserved as a
commented block at the bottom of `update_canfd` — re-enable by
uncommenting; the `tlog` import is also commented out).
- `selfdrive/monitoring/dmonitoringd.py`
- `selfdrive/frogpilot/controls/frogpilot_planner.py`
- `common/realtime.py`
### Intentionally NOT restored (kept as the post-`62a403d` version)
- `selfdrive/thermald/*` — fan/power tuning kept as-is.
- `selfdrive/car/hyundai/carcontroller.py` and `hyundaicanfd.py` —
reviewed; the only delta vs baseline is hoisting the
`no_lat_lane_change` Params read out of the 100Hz hot path
(~5% carcontroller CPU) by passing the bit as an argument. This is
a perf-only change with no behavioral effect outside lane changes.
- `cereal/services.py` , `cereal/custom.capnp` — additive only.
`custom.capnp` adds `latRequested @3` and `noLatLaneChange @4` fields
to `FrogPilotCarControl` ; capnp tag numbers are append-only so this is
safe to leave in even though baseline code doesn't write to them.
- `selfdrive/manager/*` , `common/params.cc` — heavy ClearPilot
infrastructure (bench mode, log dir, dashcamd, gpsd, ClearPilot params).
- All `selfdrive/ui/` , `selfdrive/clearpilot/` , `system/clearpilot/` .
### Things removed by the restore (no longer in the tree)
- Standstill frame skipping in modeld (was: skip GPU inference 19/20
frames at standstill, report 0 dropped frames to fool controlsd).
- Standstill frame skipping in dmonitoringmodeld.
- Model standby logic + `ModelStandby` /`ModelStandbyTs` reads in
controlsd's comm-issue suppression path.
- Parked-cycle skip in `state_control()` (10Hz vs 100Hz when in Park).
- Calibrationd validity decoupling from `sm.all_checks()` .
- Post-engage 2s commIssue/location/params suppression window.
- Per-cycle carstate write-gating for `CarSpeedLimit` /`CarIsMetric` in
carstate.py.
- The diff-based carstate telemetry calls (preserved commented out).
These were the candidates for the steering-pull regression. The on-device
agent should **not re-introduce any of these ** without a deliberate plan
and a test session. The user's intent is to get baseline driving feel
confirmed first, then re-introduce optimizations one at a time and drive
each.
---
## Commit 2: `f7e602c` — UI hooks on top of baseline
Baseline `controlsd.py` doesn't have the UI plumbing the ClearPilot UI
expects. This commit re-adds only the things needed for the existing UI
to keep working — pure params-write plumbing, no actuator effect.
### Changes (all in `selfdrive/controls/controlsd.py`)
1. **Import `SpeedState` ** from `openpilot.selfdrive.clearpilot.speed_logic` .
2. * * `Controls.__init__` **:
- `params_memory.put_bool("ScreenDisplayMode", 0)` →
`params_memory.put_int("ScreenDisplayMode", 0)` (UI reads it as int).
- Added `self.speed_state = SpeedState()` , `self.speed_state_frame = 0` ,
`self.was_driving_gear = False` .
3. **SubMaster ** — added `gpsLocation` to the subscriber list, with
`ignore_alive` / `ignore_avg_freq` / `ignore_valid` so missing GPS
doesn't trigger commIssue.
4. * * `clearpilot_state_control(...)` ** rewritten from a simple 3-state
cycle into the documented 5-state ScreenDisplayMode machine:
- Auto-wake on park→drive edge if currently in screen-off (state 3).
- LFA button transitions in drive: `0→4, 1→2, 2→3, 3→4, 4→2` .
- LFA button transitions outside drive: any except 3 → 3, state 3 → 0.
- Speed/cruise-warning overlay tick at ~2Hz (`speed_state.update(...)` )
reading `gpsLocation` , `CarSpeedLimit` param, `self.is_metric` ,
`CS.cruiseState` . This is what writes
`ClearpilotSpeedDisplay` /`ClearpilotSpeedLimitDisplay` /
`ClearpilotCruiseWarning` for the UI overlay.
5. **Lane-change suppression sync ** — at the existing baseline
`clearpilot_disable_lat_on_lane_change` block (around line 687), in
addition to the existing `params_memory.put_bool("no_lat_lane_change", ...)` ,
also set `self.frogpilot_variables.no_lat_lane_change = True/False` .
This is required because the kept (post-`62a403d` ) carcontroller
reads off `frogpilot_variables` , not Params.
### What does NOT change
No edits to lateral or longitudinal control paths. No new actuator-side
behavior. The UI features (nightrider/screen-off/auto day-night, speed
overlay, cruise warning chime) get wired back up purely through param
writes.
---
## Commit 3: `887b9c9` — Parked-controlsd mode
Architectural fix for the original problem this whole session was
chasing: while ignition is on but the car is in Park, the entire onroad
stack (modeld, planner, control, locationd, calibrationd, paramsd,
torqued, dmonitoring*, soundd, loggerd) is running and burning CPU/fan
even though none of it is needed.
Solution: redefine "onroad" as **ignition AND not parked ** instead of
just **ignition ** . Reuse the existing `started` -based process gating in
manager. Add a tiny second controlsd variant that runs while parked,
just to keep CAN flowing so thermald can see when gear leaves Park.
### Files
#### NEW: `selfdrive/controls/controlsd_parked.py`
Minimal entry point. Roughly:
``` python
def main ( ) :
config_realtime_process ( 4 , Priority . CTRL_HIGH )
card = CarD ( ) # blocks until first CAN, fingerprints car
card . initialize ( )
fv = _make_default_frogpilot_variables ( ) # safe False/0 SimpleNamespace
while True :
card . state_update ( fv ) # publishes carState/carOutput/carParams
```
`CarD.state_update` blocks via `drain_sock_raw(wait_for_one=True)` , so
the loop is paced by CAN traffic — no extra sleep, no CPU spin.
The default `frogpilot_variables` sets these to safe values so
`CarInterfaceBase.update` doesn't `AttributeError` :
`conditional_experimental_mode` , `experimental_mode_via_distance` ,
`traffic_mode` , `sport_plus` , `long_pitch` , `no_lat_lane_change` — all
False.
#### `selfdrive/thermald/thermald.py`
- `onroad_conditions` now also has `"not_parked"` . Initialized to
`False` (assume parked at boot) so the heavy stack waits for carState
to confirm gear has left Park before spinning up.
- New module-level loop variables: `is_parked = True` ,
`parked_since: float | None = None` , `PARKED_HYSTERESIS_S = 1.5` ,
`ignition_param_prev: bool | None = None` .
- New block right after the panda-disconnect check (around line 258 in
current state) reads `sm['carState'].gearShifter` :
- Gear == Park: latch `parked_since` , flip `is_parked = True` after
1.5s of continuous Park (hysteresis).
- Gear != Park: clear `parked_since` , `is_parked = False` immediately
(no hysteresis going out).
- Reverse is treated as **not parked ** — driver is moving.
- `onroad_conditions["not_parked"] = not is_parked` every tick.
- New `IgnitionOn` Params write, edge-driven (only on change of
`onroad_conditions["ignition"]` ) so we don't hammer the persistent
filesystem 2x/sec.
#### `selfdrive/manager/process_config.py`
- New predicate:
```python
def parked_only(started, params, CP):
return params.get_bool("IgnitionOn") and not started
` ``
- New process entry directly after the existing ` controlsd` entry:
` ``python
PythonProcess("controlsd_parked", "selfdrive.controls.controlsd_parked", parked_only),
` ``
- ` controlsd` is unchanged (still ` only_onroad`). Mutually exclusive
with ` parked_only` because ` started` is the negation of the relevant
condition.
#### ` selfdrive/manager/manager.py`
- Single line in ` manager_init()` seeding ` IgnitionOn=False` so the
predicate evaluates correctly before thermald's first tick.
#### ` common/params.cc`
- New entry in the alphabetical I-block:
` ``cpp
{"IgnitionOn", CLEAR_ON_MANAGER_START},
` ``
- Manager predicates can only see persistent Params (not pandaStates
or ` /dev/shm/params`), which is why thermald has to expose ignition
this way.
### State machine summary
| Ignition | Gear | Predicates true | What runs |
|----------|-------------|-----------------------------|-------------------------------|
| off | any | none | always_run only (ui, thermald, pandad, deleter, …) |
| on | Park (>1.5s)| parked_only | always_run + controlsd_parked |
| on | not Park | only_onroad (=> all ` started`) | full onroad stack |
The transition between rows 2 and 3 is purely manager process
swapping driven by predicate flips — no IPC handshake, no
self-termination. Thermald sees gear change, flips ` not_parked`,
` should_start = all(onroad_conditions.values())` flips, manager kills
the wrong variant and spawns the right one on its next tick.
---
## What the on-device agent needs to know / debug
### Build prerequisites
A new param key was added (` IgnitionOn`), so the C++ params whitelist
needs a fresh build. Per ` CLAUDE.md` "Adding New Params":
` ``bash
chown -R comma:comma /data/openpilot
rm -f /data/openpilot/prebuilt /data/openpilot/common/params.o /data/openpilot/common/libcommon.a
su - comma -c "bash /data/openpilot/build_only.sh"
` ``
` build_only.sh` already deletes ` prebuilt` but **does not** delete
` params.o` / ` libcommon.a` — verify those are gone before building or
the new key won't be picked up and ` Params().put_bool("IgnitionOn", …)`
will throw ` UnknownKeyName` in manager_init or thermald.
### How to verify the swap is working
` ``bash
# 1. Watch which controlsd variant is running
watch -n 1 'ps -ef | grep -E "controlsd(_parked)?" | grep -v grep'
# 2. Watch the gating signals
watch -n 1 'echo "IgnitionOn:"; cat /data/params/d/IgnitionOn 2>/dev/null; \
echo; echo "deviceState.started:" ; \
python3 -c "import cereal.messaging as m; \
s=m.sub_sock(\"deviceState\", timeout=1000); \
print(m.recv_one(s).deviceState.started)"'
# 3. Watch gear via carState
python3 -c "
import cereal.messaging as m
s = m.sub_sock('carState', timeout=2000)
while True:
msg = m.recv_one(s)
if msg: print(msg.carState.gearShifter)
"
` ``
Expected behavior:
- Ignition off: neither variant in ` ps`. ` IgnitionOn` is ` 0`/missing.
- Ignition on, in Park: ` controlsd_parked` in ` ps`, ` controlsd` is not.
` started` is False. After ~1.5s of confirmed Park, modeld and friends
should have stopped.
- Shift to Drive: ` controlsd_parked` disappears within ~500ms, full
` controlsd` appears, all the onroad processes spin up. There will be
a brief carState gap during the swap (~0.5–
### What to suspect first if something breaks
1. **Manager crash on startup** with ` UnknownKeyName: IgnitionOn`. Means
` params.o`/` libcommon.a` weren't rebuilt. Delete them and rebuild.
2. **` controlsd_parked` keeps respawning / dying.** Check
` /data/log2/current/controlsd_parked.log`. Most likely either:
- ` CarD.__init__` is hanging on ` get_one_can` because pandad isn't
up yet — should only matter on the very first boot.
- A ` frogpilot_variables` attribute we missed defaulting; add it to
` _make_default_frogpilot_variables` in ` controlsd_parked.py`.
3. **Full controlsd never spawns after shift to Drive.** Check
` IgnitionOn` (should be ` 1`), check carState.gearShifter (should not
be ` park`/` unknown`), check thermald.log for ` should_start` logic.
Also check that ` carState` is actually being published by
` controlsd_parked`.
4. **Steering still pulls right.** The whole point of commit 1 is to
rule out the variable-FPS work as the cause. If the symptom persists
on baseline-restored driving logic, the suspect list shifts to:
- Anything still on the kept side (carcontroller's
` no_lat_lane_change` plumbing, thermald-related changes,
custom.capnp additions).
- Hardware: a calibration that drifted, an alignment issue, panda
CAN bus issue, or torque tuning that was modified outside of these
files.
- The custom driving model selected (` Params("Model")`). Confirm
which ` .thneed`/` .onnx` is loaded — none of the model files
themselves were changed in this session.
5. **Panda safety alerts during park transition.** If panda logs a
"lost heartbeat" or drops to NOOUTPUT mode in the swap window, we
need controlsd_parked to issue a no-op carcontrol heartbeat to keep
panda happy. Not implemented in this session — flag for follow-up.
### Open follow-up items (NOT done in this session)
- **Cold-start latency on shift-from-Park.** Modeld load + calibration
warmup may produce a noticeable gap before lateral/long are ready.
Anticipatory wake on ` CS.brakePressed && in_park` is the planned
mitigation if needed.
- **Methodically reintroduce optimizations.** Once baseline driving
feels right, the standstill optimizations (modeld 1fps, fan clamps,
etc.) can come back one at a time, each with a drive test.
- **The CAN-FD telemetry block in ` selfdrive/car/hyundai/carstate.py`**
is preserved as a commented block at the bottom of ` update_canfd()`.
Re-enabling requires uncommenting + restoring the ` tlog` import at
the top of the file.
---
## Key file index for fast navigation
` ``
selfdrive/controls/controlsd.py # full controlsd, restored to baseline + UI hooks re-added
selfdrive/controls/controlsd_parked.py # NEW: parked-only CAN listener
selfdrive/controls/clearpilot_state_control # in controlsd.py, ~line 1255 — 5-state ScreenDisplayMode + speed_state tick
selfdrive/thermald/thermald.py # gear-aware not_parked + IgnitionOn writer (~line 258)
selfdrive/manager/process_config.py # parked_only predicate + new entry
selfdrive/manager/manager.py # IgnitionOn seed in manager_init
common/params.cc # IgnitionOn registered (CLEAR_ON_MANAGER_START)
selfdrive/car/card.py # CarD class — used by both controlsd variants, unchanged
selfdrive/clearpilot/speed_logic.py # SpeedState class — unchanged, called from controlsd.clearpilot_state_control
selfdrive/car/hyundai/carstate.py # restored baseline + commented telemetry block at end of update_canfd
` ``
## Reproducing the diff per commit
` ``bash
git show 47321e3 # baseline restore
git show f7e602c # UI hooks
git show 887b9c9 # parked mode
git diff 62a403d..887b9c9 # full session delta
` ``
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