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emrp2022:start [2023/03/19 02:23] osama-haiyl-attallah.attallahemrp2022:start [2023/03/19 07:07] (current) osama-haiyl-attallah.attallah
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 Here in this tutorial we are going to build a HexaCopter using PixHawk 2.4.8 flight controller. Here in this tutorial we are going to build a HexaCopter using PixHawk 2.4.8 flight controller.
-We will use the standard frame of hexacopter model X for this tutorial. Our drone will look like drone shown in figure 3.1+We will use the standard frame of hexacopter model X for this tutorial. Our drone will look like drone shown in figure 14
  
 {{:emrp2022:screenshot_2023-03-11_at_7.43.26_pm.png?400|}} {{:emrp2022:screenshot_2023-03-11_at_7.43.26_pm.png?400|}}
  
-Figure 3.1 HexaCopter model Hexa X+Figure 14 HexaCopter model Hexa X
  
 Here in the figure CW means ClockWise and CCW means Counterclockwise. Which denotes the rotational direction of servo motors. Here in the figure CW means ClockWise and CCW means Counterclockwise. Which denotes the rotational direction of servo motors.
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 For assembling the motors to arms we are going to use M3 screws. For mounting other equipment to the frame we are going to use M2.5 screws. Make sure that you have these screws with you before starting assembly. For assembling the motors to arms we are going to use M3 screws. For mounting other equipment to the frame we are going to use M2.5 screws. Make sure that you have these screws with you before starting assembly.
  
-First take the servo motor and the arm of the drone and set the wires of the motors through the arm to the downside of the arm. So the final structure will look as shown in figure 4.1 below.+First take the servo motor and the arm of the drone and set the wires of the motors through the arm to the downside of the arm. So the final structure will look as shown in figure 15 below.
  
 {{:emrp2022:screenshot_2023-03-11_at_11.21.59_am.png?400|}} {{:emrp2022:screenshot_2023-03-11_at_11.21.59_am.png?400|}}
  
-Figure 4.1 Mounting servo motor to arm+Figure 15 Mounting servo motor to arm
  
 Use the M3 screws to fix the motor to the arm using your screwdriver. Use the M3 screws to fix the motor to the arm using your screwdriver.
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 **Step 2) Soldering all the connections on the board** **Step 2) Soldering all the connections on the board**
  
-On the baseboard of DJI F550 you will see different spots of square silver marking. There will be 2- 2 markings on each ending of the arm side And 2 markings you will see in between the arms. You can see them in the below given figure 4.2+On the baseboard of DJI F550 you will see different spots of square silver marking. There will be 2- 2 markings on each ending of the arm side And 2 markings you will see in between the arms. You can see them in the below given figure 16
  
 {{:emrp2022:base_frame.jpeg?400|}} {{:emrp2022:base_frame.jpeg?400|}}
  
-Figure 4.2 Connections with positive and negative symbols on base frame+Figure 16 Connections with positive and negative symbols on base frame
  
 Base frame with markings for connections with positive and negative signs Base frame with markings for connections with positive and negative signs
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 These markings are the inbuilt connection throughout the frame. These markings are the inbuilt connection throughout the frame.
  
-In this step now we have to solder the ESCs to the connection slots shown in figure 4.2 at the end of each arm. Make sure that while soldering Red wire will always go to the positive terminal and Black wire will always go to the negative terminal. Also you will see 2 extra positive and negative terminal points at the base of the frame; these points will be used to attach the main power supply wire which will give power to the motors throughout the frame. After soldering all ESCs to the frame and also the XT60 power supply cable your frame will look similar to the frame shown in figure 4.3 below.+In this step now we have to solder the ESCs to the connection slots shown in figure 16 at the end of each arm. Make sure that while soldering Red wire will always go to the positive terminal and Black wire will always go to the negative terminal. Also you will see 2 extra positive and negative terminal points at the base of the frame; these points will be used to attach the main power supply wire which will give power to the motors throughout the frame. After soldering all ESCs to the frame and also the XT60 power supply cable your frame will look similar to the frame shown in figure 17 below.
  
 {{:emrp2022:dji_preconnection.jpeg?400|}} {{:emrp2022:dji_preconnection.jpeg?400|}}
  
-Figure 4.3 basic skeleton with all ESCs and power supply cable attached+Figure 17 basic skeleton with all ESCs and power supply cable attached
  
 **Step 3) Soldering XT60 plug with wires and then onto main board** **Step 3) Soldering XT60 plug with wires and then onto main board**
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 [[https://youtu.be/DkZAaHBAHe0]] [[https://youtu.be/DkZAaHBAHe0]]
  
-The end result of soldering the wires to connector will look same as shown in figure 4.4+The end result of soldering the wires to connector will look same as shown in figure 18
  
 {{:emrp2022:xt90.jpg?400|}} {{:emrp2022:xt90.jpg?400|}}
  
-Figure 4.4 Soldering wires to XT60 connector+Figure 18 Soldering wires to XT60 connector
  
-After this connection is done you can attach these connectors to the main board where we have extra positive and negative terminals in between the base of the arms as shown in figure 4.3+After this connection is done you can attach these connectors to the main board where we have extra positive and negative terminals in between the base of the arms as shown in figure 17
  
 **Step 4) Mounting arms onto base frame** **Step 4) Mounting arms onto base frame**
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 For the fixing we will use M2.5 screws. For the fixing we will use M2.5 screws.
  
-Here in figure 4.5 you will see in the bottom view part on the left hand side there are 4 holes. From those holes the two holes from the inner side are going to be placed on the board which we will fix with M2.5 screws.+Here in figure 19 you will see in the bottom view part on the left hand side there are 4 holes. From those holes the two holes from the inner side are going to be placed on the board which we will fix with M2.5 screws.
  
 {{:emrp2022:screenshot_2023-03-11_at_1.58.33_pm.png?400|}} {{:emrp2022:screenshot_2023-03-11_at_1.58.33_pm.png?400|}}
  
-Figure 4.5 top and bottom view of the arm+Figure 19 top and bottom view of the arm
  
-If you are not able to figure out attaching the arms to the base you can refer to the figure 4.6 given below to see the arrangement of the base frame and the arms.+If you are not able to figure out attaching the arms to the base you can refer to the figure 20 given below to see the arrangement of the base frame and the arms.
  
 {{:emrp2022:diagram_base.jpeg?400|}} {{:emrp2022:diagram_base.jpeg?400|}}
  
-Figure 4.6 Bottom view for screw attachment to arms+Figure 20 Bottom view for screw attachment to arms
  
 **Step 5) Connecting ESCs to arm** **Step 5) Connecting ESCs to arm**
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 For fixing the position of ESCs to the arm we will use the zip ties and we will fix them to position near to the servo motor wire such that we can easily connect the motors and ESCs. For fixing the position of ESCs to the arm we will use the zip ties and we will fix them to position near to the servo motor wire such that we can easily connect the motors and ESCs.
  
-In figure 5.1 you can see the connection for ESCs to arm using zip ties.+In figure 21 you can see the connection for ESCs to arm using zip ties.
  
 {{:emrp2022:connecting_escs.jpeg?400|}} {{:emrp2022:connecting_escs.jpeg?400|}}
  
-Figure 5.1 using zip ties for mounting ESCs to the arm+Figure 21 using zip ties for mounting ESCs to the arm
  
 **Step 6) Connecting motors to ESCs** **Step 6) Connecting motors to ESCs**
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 Here in this step we will connect the servo motors to ESCs. For that we will connect 3 wires of servo motors to the 3 sockets we have on the ESCs. These three wires are responsible for power supply to motors as well as to send commands from the flight controller about speed. Here in this step we will connect the servo motors to ESCs. For that we will connect 3 wires of servo motors to the 3 sockets we have on the ESCs. These three wires are responsible for power supply to motors as well as to send commands from the flight controller about speed.
  
-Make sure that your connection looks same as the one shown in figure 6.1+Make sure that your connection looks same as the one shown in figure 22
  
 {{:emrp2022:screenshot_2023-03-11_at_2.50.09_pm.png?400|}} {{:emrp2022:screenshot_2023-03-11_at_2.50.09_pm.png?400|}}
  
-Figure 6.1 Upside down view of connecting servo motor wire to ESCs+Figure 22 Upside down view of connecting servo motor wire to ESCs
  
 **Step 7) Connecting ESCs, GPS module, Receiver to flight controller** **Step 7) Connecting ESCs, GPS module, Receiver to flight controller**
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 **part 1) Overview of flight controller connections** **part 1) Overview of flight controller connections**
  
-In this step we will connect all wires of our electronics to the flight controller. We are going to use PixHawk 2.4.8 flight controller in this tutorial. So first we will mount the wires plug to the respective location on the flight controller. Below given figure 7.1 will show you all connection locations in which you have to connect your electronics.+In this step we will connect all wires of our electronics to the flight controller. We are going to use PixHawk 2.4.8 flight controller in this tutorial. So first we will mount the wires plug to the respective location on the flight controller. Below given figure 23 will show you all connection locations in which you have to connect your electronics.
  
 {{:emrp2022:pixhawk_with_legend.jpeg?400|}} {{:emrp2022:pixhawk_with_legend.jpeg?400|}}
  
-Figure 7.1 Diagram of PixHawk 2.4.8+Figure 23 Diagram of PixHawk 2.4.8
  
 ** part 2) Mounting Flight controller to base frame** ** part 2) Mounting Flight controller to base frame**
  
-First thing first, So we will first mount the Flight controller firmly to the base of the frame with 2 sided tape. Make sure that it is exactly in the middle so that the weight of other electronic items can be distributed evenly to the drone body. Here in the figure 7.2 below shows the arrangement of the tape below the flight controller but you can use different space and style to mount the flight controller to the base frame.+First thing first, So we will first mount the Flight controller firmly to the base of the frame with 2 sided tape. Make sure that it is exactly in the middle so that the weight of other electronic items can be distributed evenly to the drone body. Here in the figure 24 below shows the arrangement of the tape below the flight controller but you can use different space and style to mount the flight controller to the base frame.
  
 {{:emrp2022:screenshot_2023-03-11_at_4.44.04_pm.png?400|}} {{:emrp2022:screenshot_2023-03-11_at_4.44.04_pm.png?400|}}
  
-Figure 7.2 Double sided tape below the flight controller+Figure 24 Double sided tape below the flight controller
  
 ** part 3) Adding safety switch and buzzer** ** part 3) Adding safety switch and buzzer**
  
-We will add our Buzzer and safety switch to the flight controller (These are mandatory to add). Figure 7.3 will show you the location for the safety switch and buzzer to attach.+We will add our Buzzer and safety switch to the flight controller (These are mandatory to add). Figure 25 will show you the location for the safety switch and buzzer to attach.
  
 {{:emrp2022:buzzer_and_safety_switch.jpg?400|}} {{:emrp2022:buzzer_and_safety_switch.jpg?400|}}
  
-Figure 7.3 Safety switch and buzzer location and connection+Figure 25 Safety switch and buzzer location and connection
  
 ** part 4) Adding GPS and Compass** ** part 4) Adding GPS and Compass**
  
-Now we will add a GPS module and compass to the flight controller. For this we will use the I2C cable and GPS module (separately bought) which we have. Attach them as shown in figure 7.4 below.+Now we will add a GPS module and compass to the flight controller. For this we will use the I2C cable and GPS module (separately bought) which we have. Attach them as shown in figure 26 below.
  
 {{:emrp2022:screenshot_2023-03-11_at_4.51.44_pm.png?400|}} {{:emrp2022:screenshot_2023-03-11_at_4.51.44_pm.png?400|}}
  
-Figure 7.4 Mounting GPS module and Compass to Flight controller+Figure 26 Mounting GPS module and Compass to Flight controller
  
 ** part 5) Adding Power Supply to Flight controller** ** part 5) Adding Power Supply to Flight controller**
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 __Note: Power module will give power supply to the flight controller only and not power the ESCs and servo motor. For that we have to use the XT60 connector to main frame input which we solder in step 2.__ __Note: Power module will give power supply to the flight controller only and not power the ESCs and servo motor. For that we have to use the XT60 connector to main frame input which we solder in step 2.__
  
-The connection for power module to power supply socket is shown in figure 7.5+The connection for power module to power supply socket is shown in figure 27
  
 {{:emrp2022:screenshot_2023-03-11_at_5.05.37_pm.png?400|}} {{:emrp2022:screenshot_2023-03-11_at_5.05.37_pm.png?400|}}
  
-Figure 7.5 mounting power module in power socket of flight controller+Figure 27 mounting power module in power socket of flight controller
  
 ** part 6) Adding Radio control to the Flight controller** ** part 6) Adding Radio control to the Flight controller**
  
-Here in this section we will add radio control wires to the side of the controller as shown here in figure 7.6.1 and 7.6.2 In this tutorial we are using Graupner HOTT GR-16 2.4GHz.+Here in this section we will add radio control wires to the side of the controller as shown here in figure 28 and 29 In this tutorial we are using Graupner HOTT GR-16 2.4GHz.
  
 {{:emrp2022:screenshot_2023-03-11_at_4.54.59_pm.png?400|}} {{:emrp2022:screenshot_2023-03-11_at_4.54.59_pm.png?400|}}
  
-Figure 7.6.1 Connecting radio control to RC port in flight controller+Figure 28 Connecting radio control to RC port in flight controller
  
 {{:emrp2022:pxl_20230118_133401609.jpg?400|}} {{:emrp2022:pxl_20230118_133401609.jpg?400|}}
  
-Figure 7.6.2 Radio control+Figure 29 Radio control
  
 ** part 7) Adding Telemetry radio to flight controller** ** part 7) Adding Telemetry radio to flight controller**
  
-Telemetry radio will be in pairs. So we have to take one of those radios and connect it to the location shown in figure 7.7. Telemetry radio will help to establish connection between the drone and our laptop program in flight mode. There will be 2 ports named TELEM 1 and TELEM 2. We will use TELEM 1 as it is the default one. There might be a chance that the TELEM 2 port is disabled and we have to manually set that while configuring the telemetry radios.+Telemetry radio will be in pairs. So we have to take one of those radios and connect it to the location shown in figure 30. Telemetry radio will help to establish connection between the drone and our laptop program in flight mode. There will be 2 ports named TELEM 1 and TELEM 2. We will use TELEM 1 as it is the default one. There might be a chance that the TELEM 2 port is disabled and we have to manually set that while configuring the telemetry radios.
  
 {{:emrp2022:screenshot_2023-03-11_at_4.55.26_pm.png?400|}} {{:emrp2022:screenshot_2023-03-11_at_4.55.26_pm.png?400|}}
  
-Figure 7.7 Telemetry radio to flight controller+Figure 30 Telemetry radio to flight controller
  
 ** part 8) Connecting ESCs to flight controller** ** part 8) Connecting ESCs to flight controller**
  
-For connecting ESCs to the flight controller we have to see the top side of the flight controller. There we will see different ports with numbers from 1 to 8 and few other ports. We will use the ports numbered from 1 to 6 outside the bordered ones. We will fix all the wires from our ESCs to the ports as shown in figure 7.8+For connecting ESCs to the flight controller we have to see the top side of the flight controller. There we will see different ports with numbers from 1 to 8 and few other ports. We will use the ports numbered from 1 to 6 outside the bordered ones. We will fix all the wires from our ESCs to the ports as shown in figure 31
  
 {{:emrp2022:pxl_20230118_133422621.jpg?400|}} {{:emrp2022:pxl_20230118_133422621.jpg?400|}}
  
-Figure 7.8 Connecting ESCs to the flight controller+Figure 31 Connecting ESCs to the flight controller
  
 Finally the connection part of all the electronic devices to the flight controller is done. Finally the connection part of all the electronic devices to the flight controller is done.
  
-The final result of the fully connected flight controller will look like figure 7.9.+The final result of the fully connected flight controller will look like figure 32.
  
 Make sure that all the ports and wires are firmly connected and have a strong and proper connection. Make sure that all the ports and wires are firmly connected and have a strong and proper connection.
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 {{:emrp2022:pxl_20230123_093426846.jpg?400|}} {{:emrp2022:pxl_20230123_093426846.jpg?400|}}
  
-Figure 7.9 Final look for the fully connected flight controller.+Figure 32 Final look for the fully connected flight controller.
  
 **Step 8) Mounting drone body landing gear** **Step 8) Mounting drone body landing gear**
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 Generally it is advised to add landing gear in the end because we may apply force to stick all units on the base frame while using double sided tape or zip ties. Generally it is advised to add landing gear in the end because we may apply force to stick all units on the base frame while using double sided tape or zip ties.
  
-Below given figure 8.1 and 8.2 shows an upside down view of how to add the landing gear to the drone base frame. Here also we will use M2.5 screw to fix the legs to the base.+Below given figure 33 and 34 shows an upside down view of how to add the landing gear to the drone base frame. Here also we will use M2.5 screw to fix the legs to the base.
  
 {{:emrp2022:screenshot_2023-03-11_at_1.58.53_pm.png?400|}} {{:emrp2022:screenshot_2023-03-11_at_1.58.53_pm.png?400|}}
  
-Figure 8.1 Adding 4 landing gear to 6 base frame+Figure 33 Adding 4 landing gear to 6 base frame
  
 {{:emrp2022:pxl_20230118_133253868.mp.jpg?400|}} {{:emrp2022:pxl_20230118_133253868.mp.jpg?400|}}
  
-Figure 8.2 Adding 6 landing gear to 6 base frame+Figure 34 Adding 6 landing gear to 6 base frame
  
 **Step 9) Cable management** **Step 9) Cable management**
  
-Cable management is not the specific stage but a continuous process. Have a habit to group a particular set of wires to one side and another to the other side. This will help you to manage and check the connection at the very end when you try to figure out the errors while calibrating. Do not hesitate to use zip ties to group the wires. But make sure that wires don't get stretched too much that they may break. Fixing wire circularly around the flight controller and other electronics is the preferred way. You can see the grouping of wires and making a bundle of it and fixing it in between the radio and the flight controller using zip ties in figure 7.6.+Cable management is not the specific stage but a continuous process. Have a habit to group a particular set of wires to one side and another to the other side. This will help you to manage and check the connection at the very end when you try to figure out the errors while calibrating. Do not hesitate to use zip ties to group the wires. But make sure that wires don't get stretched too much that they may break. Fixing wire circularly around the flight controller and other electronics is the preferred way. You can see the grouping of wires and making a bundle of it and fixing it in between the radio and the flight controller using zip ties in figure 29.
  
 **Step 10) Securing Top board** **Step 10) Securing Top board**
  
-Securing the top board is as important as securing the bottom board as it will hold the structure of the drone. Also it will give support to battery and GPS modules or If we attach any sensor or mini CPU on a drone like Jetson NX. It is preferred to do it at the very end. We will fix the upper frame board to the arms by using 4 M2.5 screws each. We will do it exactly as shown in figure 4.6.+Securing the top board is as important as securing the bottom board as it will hold the structure of the drone. Also it will give support to battery and GPS modules or If we attach any sensor or mini CPU on a drone like Jetson NX. It is preferred to do it at the very end. We will fix the upper frame board to the arms by using 4 M2.5 screws each. We will do it exactly as shown in figure 20.
  
 **Step 11) Mounting GPS module to the upper frame** **Step 11) Mounting GPS module to the upper frame**
  
-We will use double sided tape to fix the base of the gps module to the top part of the frame. Make sure that the direction on the GPS module is exactly the same to the direction shown on the flight controller. Here we are using a 3D printed GPS mount for our drone but you can easily get the drone GPS with or without a stand so that you can fix it directly to the main frame. Mounting of the GPS holder to the top frame is shown in figure 11.1+We will use double sided tape to fix the base of the gps module to the top part of the frame. Make sure that the direction on the GPS module is exactly the same to the direction shown on the flight controller. Here we are using a 3D printed GPS mount for our drone but you can easily get the drone GPS with or without a stand so that you can fix it directly to the main frame. Mounting of the GPS holder to the top frame is shown in figure 35
  
 {{:emrp2022:pxl_20230118_095503398.jpg?400|}} {{:emrp2022:pxl_20230118_095503398.jpg?400|}}
  
-Figure 11.1 Mounting GPS unit on top frame+Figure 35 Mounting GPS unit on top frame
  
 This is the end of the assembly part. This is the end of the assembly part.
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 =====Testing and Calibration===== =====Testing and Calibration=====
  
-After having assembled your drone model, the next step comes to calibrating the flight controller. As mentioned above, Pixhawk 2.4.8 was used.+After having assembled your drone model, the next step comes to calibrating the flight controller and its attached modules. As mentioned above, Pixhawk 2.4.8 was used.
  
 Calibration of sensors, and flight mode configuration can be performed through ground control software such as QGroundControl or Mission Planner. The software autopilot should be compatible with the hardware, there is a standard called Pixhawk that does that. Calibration of sensors, and flight mode configuration can be performed through ground control software such as QGroundControl or Mission Planner. The software autopilot should be compatible with the hardware, there is a standard called Pixhawk that does that.
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 After having installed the ground control software, the appropriate firmware will have to be installed to the flight controller. This can be done by connecting the flight controller directly with a USB cable to the PC. You will be prompted with a connect option in the ground control software after connecting the cable. After connection in the PC is successful, navigate to Vehicle Setup, Firmware and select the Stable release of the firmware. Of course custom firware can be downloaded online and can be fitted through Advanced settings. The vehicle setup screen is shown below After having installed the ground control software, the appropriate firmware will have to be installed to the flight controller. This can be done by connecting the flight controller directly with a USB cable to the PC. You will be prompted with a connect option in the ground control software after connecting the cable. After connection in the PC is successful, navigate to Vehicle Setup, Firmware and select the Stable release of the firmware. Of course custom firware can be downloaded online and can be fitted through Advanced settings. The vehicle setup screen is shown below
  
-{{:emrp2022:screenshot_1375_.png?nolink|}}+{{:emrp2022:screenshot_1375_.png?nolink&600|}}
  
-After firmware uploading is complete, choose the airframe shown in Figure 3.1, Generic Hexarotor x geometrey, then click Apply and Restart.+ 
 +Figure 36: Vehicle Setup in QGroundControl 
 + 
 +A firmware setup video for Mission Planner can be found below 
 + 
 +{{youtube>Uik3_2Gd9Ck?}} 
 + 
 + 
 + 
 +After firmware uploading is complete, navigate to airframe to pick the respective model you based and assembled your drone on. For the hexacopter, choose the airframe shown in Figure 14, Generic Hexarotor x geometrey, then click Apply and Restart.
  
 ==Parameterization of the flight controller== ==Parameterization of the flight controller==
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 4- Yaw: controlling clockwise or anticlockwise orientation (rotation upon Z cartesian coordinate) 4- Yaw: controlling clockwise or anticlockwise orientation (rotation upon Z cartesian coordinate)
  
-{{:emrp2022:quadcopter-control-motor-speeds.png?nolink|}}+{{:emrp2022:quadcopter-control-motor-speeds.png?nolink&600|}} 
 + 
 + 
 +Figure 37: drone controls and their respective movements 
  
 source: https://www.translatorscafe.com/unit-converter/de-DE/calculator/multicopter-lipo-battery/ source: https://www.translatorscafe.com/unit-converter/de-DE/calculator/multicopter-lipo-battery/
  
-Before calibration, it is important to understand how flight control software manage the flight of a drone. An algorithm of PID (Proportional, Integral, Derivative closed loop feedback loop to control process variables, reads a process variable (PV), compares it to a desired set point (SP) value, and uses a continuous feedback loop to adjust the control output)  reads data from sensors and intreprets commands, e.g. from radio to calculate how fast the motors should spin in order to push the aircraft into the desired rotational speed. As such, many parameters are involved for the drone to stabilize itself. They can be viewed in QGroundControl or Mission Planner in their respective sections. +Before calibration, it is important to understand how flight control software manage the flight of a drone. An algorithm of PID (Proportional, Integral, Derivative closed loop feedback loop to control process variables, reads a process variable (PV), compares it to a desired set point (SP) value, and uses a continuous feedback loop to adjust the control output)  reads data from sensors and intreprets commands, e.g. from radio to calculate how fast the motors should spin in order to push the aircraft into the desired rotational speed or direction. As such, many parameters are involved for the drone to stabilize itself. They can be viewed in QGroundControl or Mission Planner in their respective sections. 
  
 (More about PID can be viewed in the supplementary section) (More about PID can be viewed in the supplementary section)
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 The receiver should match the transceiver. To connect the transmitter, the GR-16 HOTT 2.4 GHz 8 channel receiver must be connected to the flight controller and detected in the Graupner transmitter. When the reciever does not detect a transmitter, a red light is shown. Hold the button on the reciever for a couple of seconds, then a notification should appear for transimtter, click on the set button, and the HoTT should appear in the transimtter screen as shown below. Succesful connection to a transmitter is announced by the flight controller via voice. The receiver should match the transceiver. To connect the transmitter, the GR-16 HOTT 2.4 GHz 8 channel receiver must be connected to the flight controller and detected in the Graupner transmitter. When the reciever does not detect a transmitter, a red light is shown. Hold the button on the reciever for a couple of seconds, then a notification should appear for transimtter, click on the set button, and the HoTT should appear in the transimtter screen as shown below. Succesful connection to a transmitter is announced by the flight controller via voice.
  
-{{:emrp2022:whatsapp_image_2023-03-12_at_09.32.04.jpeg?nolink|}}+{{:emrp2022:whatsapp_image_2023-03-12_at_09.32.04.jpeg?nolink&600|}} 
 + 
 + 
 +Figure 38: Graupner transmitter confirming reciever binding
  
 You will then need to calibrate the radio such as below. Click on calibrate, and follow the instructions given on the screen. You will then need to calibrate the radio such as below. Click on calibrate, and follow the instructions given on the screen.
  
-After calibrating the radio, go to Flight Modes 
  
-{{:emrp2022:screenshot_1376_.png?nolink|}}+{{:emrp2022:screenshot_1376_.png?nolink&600|}} 
 + 
 + 
 +Figure 39: Radio calibration in QGroundControl 
 + 
 +A video for radio calibration in Mission Planner can be found below 
 + 
 +{{youtube>cxc1UMAVCd4?}} 
 + 
 + 
 + 
 +After calibrating the radio, go to Flight Modes. Select the transmitter mode channel (e.g. channel 5). Select flight modes that you will operate with.  
 + 
 +The most common and recommended are: 
 + 
 +- Position mode:  Shifting the roll, pitch, throttle sticks will move the drone in corresponding directions. If you center the sticks, the drone will level and hold itself to a fixed altitude and position against wind. 
 + 
 +- Althold mode: The drone holds altitude and automatically levels the roll & pitch, altitude stabilization (centered sticks level vehicle and hold it to fixed altitude). The horizontal position of the vehicle can move due to wind (or pre-existing momentum).  
 + 
 +- Stabilize mode: Centered sticks level the roll and pitch axes 
 + 
 +- Loiter mode: Holds altitude and position, has more parameters than Position mode, and uses GPS for movements 
 + 
 +- Brake mode: Immediately stops the drone 
 + 
 +Try to make a logical and easy-to-configure choice of flight modes, as it will be necessary to remember how you mapped them later during flight. The current set flight mode appears on the main screen of the ground control software. 
 + 
 +Note while configuring the remote to the Qgroundcontrol: while doing subtrim process and setting up flight mode DO NOT SET THE EMERGENCY STOP MODE ON, it will crash the drone. 
 + 
 + 
 +If necessary, the gimbal sticks can be adjusted by accessing the back of the transmitter. Unscrew the back, remove the battery and you can view 5 componenets you can manually change: 
 + 
 +- Pitch tension 
 + 
 +- Yaw tension 
 + 
 +- Roll tension 
 + 
 +- Throttle friction 
 + 
 +- Throttle ratchet  (the clicks felt when shifting the stick) 
 + 
  
 ==calibrate sensors== ==calibrate sensors==
  
-Navigate to the sensors section of the Vehicle Setup. Beginning with the Compass calibration, make sure before starting that all components of the drone are properly attached, if a usb cable is attached that it does not come short, and most importantly the battery is attached by adhesive (you should also properly position the battery so that it does not affect the centre of mass balance of the drone i.e. holding the drone from two opposite legs should not tip it over and cause if to fall, rather balance). Click OK. A visual guide is provided, so follow the pictures shown on the screen, pay attention to the orientation and movement in each step. Subsequently, reboot the vehicle after movement. Following that, calibrate the Accelerometer by also following the instructions on the screen provided, make sure aforementioned precautions are taken.+For connecting drone controls to the PC, another antenna with usb can be used to do without a usb cable. 
 + 
 +Navigate to the sensors section of the Vehicle Setup. Beginning with the Compass calibration, make sure before starting that all components of the drone are properly attached, if a usb cable is attached that it does not come short, and most importantly the battery is attached by adhesive (you should also properly position the battery so that it does not affect the centre of mass balance of the drone i.e. holding the drone from two opposite legs should not tip it over and cause if to fall, rather balance). Click OK. A visual guide is provided, so follow the pictures shown on the screen, pay attention to the orientation and movement in each step. Subsequently, reboot the vehicle after movement.  
 + 
 +A video for compass calibration in Mission Planner can be found  
 + 
 +{{youtube>3_mxkVIwAcw?}} 
 + 
 +Following that, calibrate the Accelerometer by also following the instructions on the screen provided, make sure aforementioned precautions are taken.
  
 Next is the Gyroscope, where you will need to leave the drone still and click OK. After that, go to Level Horizon. You are only required to place the drone in its leveled flight position, not tilted on a surface, rather leveled. Click OK. Orientation does not have to be changed if the flight controller is facing forward with the colored legs of the drone. Next is the Gyroscope, where you will need to leave the drone still and click OK. After that, go to Level Horizon. You are only required to place the drone in its leveled flight position, not tilted on a surface, rather leveled. Click OK. Orientation does not have to be changed if the flight controller is facing forward with the colored legs of the drone.
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 Make sure the GPS module pointer is parallel to or facing the same direction as the flight controller pointer Make sure the GPS module pointer is parallel to or facing the same direction as the flight controller pointer
  
-==Setup power==+==Setup power and ESC calibration== 
 + 
 +Before setting up the power source, some considerations: 
 + 
 + 
 +ESC Output capability: max 17.4 V 
 + 
 +Check the specifications of the battery: 
 + 
 + 
 +{{:emrp2022:img-20221130-wa0002.jpeg?nolink&600|}} 
 + 
 + 
 +Figure 40: 4S LiPo 14.8 V 5 Ah battery 
 + 
 +Considerations:  
 + 
 +1- Battery voltages should not be higher than the maximum voltage that ESC can suffer. 17.4 V > 14.8 V 
 + 
 +2- The power supply will have to deliver the combined current of all the ESCs (as they are connected in parallel). Continuous battery current output should be be bigger than the ESCs. 
 + 
 +3- ESC voltage is decided by battery output, and motor voltage is descided by ESC. Therefore, total battery voltage must be less than maximum motor voltage.  
 + 
 +4- Maximum voltage of ESC should not be higher than what the motor can withstand. Current in ESC is larger than motor. 
 + 
 +5- The discharge current of battery should be bigger than ESC, otherwise ESC will not operate efficiently and heat will dissipiate, possibly raising battery temperature. 
 + 
 +Navigate to the power section of Vehicle Setup. Choose the battery type (in this case LiPo), pick the amount of cells (4), input the voltage for each cell (3.7 V). Press calculate for the voltage divider, measure with a voltmeter from the battery monitor connected to the battery, then click on calculate. You now have the voltage divider set. To confirm, go back to the main screen of QGroundControl, hover over the battery. The battery status should show the tracked voltage similar to the one measured with a voltmeter. Next, calibrate the ESCs with the instructions shown. Do not start unless the propellers are removed. 
 + 
 +{{:emrp2022:screenshot_1378_.png?nolink&600|}} 
 + 
 + 
 +Figure 41: Power setup and ESC calibration in QGroundControl 
 + 
 +Additionally the battery can be charged with the charger as shown in the video: 
 + 
 +https://www.youtube.com/shorts/2ErXlVyMIQc
  
-Navigate to the power section of Vehicle Setup,  
  
 ==Setup Motors== ==Setup Motors==
  
-Make sure before starting motor calibration and testing that properellers are not screwed on to the motors!+Make sure before starting motor calibration and testing that properellers are not screwed on to the motors! Once propellers are removed, flip the switch to allow motor testing. Adjust each individual slider to start the motor spinning. Make sure that motors are spinning in their correct direction. (See Figure 14) Neighbouring motors should spin in opposite directions. If one of the direction is false, you can simply change the 3 phase wiring of the motor. Switching any two wires of the motor will change direction 
  
 ==Safety warnings== ==Safety warnings==
-In the safety section, 
  
 +{{:emrp2022:screenshot_1379_.png?nolink&600|}}
  
-**Imp note while configuring the remote to the Qgroundcontrol is while doing subtrim process and setting up flight mode DO NOT SET THE EMERGENCY STOP MODE ON. That will lead to crash the drone.**+Figure 42: Safety section in QGroundControl
  
-**for connecting drone controols to pc we can you another antena with usb (the large one) so we will not need to use usb cable.**+In the safety section, you have the option to include extra measures, such as ground station failsafe to control drone behavior if it lost RC control or ground statio control, in addition to a GeoFence, where you can assign visual boundaries to a physical locations for the drone to not crossMost importantly, make sure that none of the arming checks are disabled, so that drone the would be fully functional to operate safely
  
-=====Programming and Control=====+Make to check the Tuning section in Vehicle Setup to adjust flight characteristics! This is very important to test the sensitivity and response of the drone to transmitter commands
  
-Drones can be programmed through a software development kit (SDK) or application programming interface (API) in their packages. Most of the drones that are programmable already come with their own firmware. Specialized functions or applications can then be be developed with a programming language like Python, or the SDK if already provided. Dronekit is an API that can be used to interface the drone by sending MAVlink commands to the drone. Dronekit comes readily equipped with intelligent flight path planning and other autonomous functions All complex tasks must be done from the source of a different framework, such as MAVSDK or ROS (robot operating system), which is a group of modular frameworks, wherein sensors publish data to subscribers. MavROS is a direct connection interface that pushes all the info from MAVlink into a ROS format. ROS and ROS 2 are different systems with the same concept.+{{:emrp2022:screenshot_1380_.png?nolink&600|}}
  
 +Figure 43: Tuning options 
  
-For image processing, you can't directly connect the camera to the flight controller, for that you need a companion computer. Offboard mode needs to be enabled when you link to a raspberry pie or jetson. 
  
 +After the setup procedure has been completed, your drone should be ready to fly.
  
-=====Conclusion=====+Head to the main screen, arm the drone and take off. Make sure the test flight is carried out in a field, be aware of the altitude limit in the area
  
 +{{youtube>MIeKfTu-_V0?}}
 +
 +{{youtube>tCXYo-r2UPo?}}
 +
 +=====Programming, Control and Drone Applications=====
 +
 +Drones can be programmed through a software development kit (SDK) or application programming interface (API) in their packages. Most of the drones that are programmable already come with their own firmware. Specialized functions or applications can then be be developed with a programming language like Python, or the SDK if already provided. 
 +
 +Dronekit is an API that can be used to interface the drone by sending MAVlink commands to the drone. Dronekit comes readily equipped with intelligent flight path planning and other autonomous functions All complex tasks must be done from the source of a different framework, such as MAVSDK or ROS (robot operating system), which is a group of modular frameworks, wherein sensors publish data to subscribers. There is also ROS 2, but ROS and ROS 2 are different systems with the same concept. MavROS is a direct connection interface that pushes all the info from MAVlink into a ROS format. Drones have a the vast potential in remote sensing because of aerial photographic and surveillance capabilites, with algorithms from deep learning like classification, localization, object recognition etc. 
 +
 +However, there are some limitations that can hinder drones. First is the restriction on the weight and area available on the drone surface necessary to compute alogrithms with few hardware resources. If adequate processing power is needed, at most a battery with more cells i.e. bigger voltage and weight are also required. Additionally, for image processing, you cannot directly connect the camera to the flight controller, for that you need a companion computer. In addition, offboard mode needs to be enabled when you link to a raspberry pie or jetson, which limits drone movement and control.
 +
 +A prominent example of object classification applications is the identification and distinction between dogs and wolves, this can be useful in, for example farms or ranches where cattle lives, where the operating drone spots an invading wolf and would enact a mission program to chase and scare it away. Another instance is the rescue of lost pets, or identification of drowning or endangered animals, to help rescue them. By programming in Python and applying convolutional neural networks, this can be setup with the following:
 +
 +
 +Data/Photos selection: a dataset of different dog and wolf breeds is assembled
 +
 +Data augmentation: setting images to a certain resolution, generating tensor images
 +
 +Preparing and testing the model: training convolutional models
 +
 +Using Data with convolutional neural networks
 +
 +Evaluation of results: based on classiication accuracy
 +
 +For more details: https://www.kaggle.com/code/mohamedadel7774/cnn-for-dogs-and-wolves-with-accuracy-85#Import-Labraries
 +
 +
 +Another capability is the appliation of drones in agriculture and environmental monitoring, where drones equipped with cameras can enhance precision agriculture performance, using RGB sensing and vegetation indices interpretation to produce soil analysis figures, assisst in fertiliser and pesticide spraying and crop health monitoring. 
 +
 +source: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/remotesensing/special_issues/dronesagri
 +
 +
 +=====Conclusion=====
 +Going through this tutorial, you should have gained enough knowledge about certain components of drones, the step-by-step assembly of a DJI F550 Flamewheel hexacopter, ground control software, calibration of different parts of the drone, some safety precautions to stick to when working with drones, got to know briefly about the programming of drones and their promising potential in remote sensing applications such as for domestic animals, wildlife diffentiation, agricultural benefits and environmental monitoring
  
 =====Supplementary===== =====Supplementary=====
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 {{ :emrp2022:679iph1pgmm41.jpg?600&nolink }}                                  {{ :emrp2022:679iph1pgmm41.jpg?600&nolink }}                                 
 <imgcaption image1>https://engineeringmedia.com/map-of-control</imgcaption> <imgcaption image1>https://engineeringmedia.com/map-of-control</imgcaption>
- + 
 + Figure 44: Map of control theory 
 === Inverted Pendulum with PID === === Inverted Pendulum with PID ===
  
emrp2022/start.1679189020.txt.gz · Last modified: 2023/03/19 02:23 by osama-haiyl-attallah.attallah