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MAKE Terry Kilby Getting Started

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  • Page 2 To use them fully requires at least a passing familiarity with aerodynamics, radio telemetry, electronics, programming, mapreading, motors, video transmission, and 3D modeling.
  • Page 3 Make: Getting Started with Drones Terry Kilby and Belinda Kilby...
  • Page 4 Make:, Maker Shed, and Maker Faire are registered trademarks of Maker Media, Inc. The Maker Media logo is a trademark of Maker Media, Inc. Make: Getting Started with Drones, and related trade dress are trademarks of Maker Media, Inc.

  • Page 5: Table Of Contents

    Contents Preface............vii 1/Introduction.
  • Page 6 Step 2: Complete the Dirty Frame Assembly......25 Step 3: Assemble the Clean Frame....... . 31 Step 4: Attach the Two Subframes Together.
  • Page 7 Battery Monitor........... 95 Step-by-Step Build Instructions.
  • Page 8 Geo Fence........... 152 Basic Tuning.

  • Page 9: Preface

    Preface We are Belinda and Terry Kilby. We are drone enthusiasts, aerial photographers, makers, trainers, and a husband–wife team. By combining lives, we also combined our strengths and passions for technology and art. Since 2010, we have been designing and...
  • Page 10 And don’t worry about failure. Everyone makes mistakes. It’s only important that we continue to try, do, and make. Aerial robotics is a hands-on experience, in which you solve real-world problems through trial and error, and ultimately, hard-won wis- dom.
  • Page 11 Whether you are a seasoned drone pilot or just getting into the hobby, we think that everyone can benefit from the theory por- tions of each chapter. We do recommend that you read each of them. If you are also following along with the example build, feel free to either build as you go or read through all the theory first before finally coming back and starting on the build.
  • Page 12 For more information about Safari Books Online, please visit us online. How to Contact Us Please address comments and questions concerning this book to the publisher: Make: 1160 Battery Street East, Suite 125 San Francisco, CA 94111 877-306-6253 (in the United States or Canada) 707-639-1355 (international or local) We have a web page for this book, where we list errata, exam- ples, and any additional information.

  • Page 13: 1/Introduction

    1/Introduction Some Definitions Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’re probably aware that the word drone is frequently in the news. The many head- lines about drones have used the term to describe a wide range of aircraft—from small remotely piloted toys, to autonomous fly- ing robots, to full-scale weaponized military surveillance mod- els.

  • Page 14: Who Is This Book For

    One site that has been a favorite of Terry’s is Multi- RotorForums.com. People on that forum have been incredibly generous in sharing their experience and insights in building and flying small UAVs. 2 Make: Getting Started with Drones...

  • Page 15: Brief History Of Autonomous Flight

    There may also be an organized group of UAV enthusiasts or a model airplane club local to you, either of which would probably appreciate seeing a fresh face at a meeting. Try searching Meetup.com for drone (there’s that word again!) user groups. Another place to look is the Academy of Model Aeronautics.

  • Page 16: The Advent Of Microchips

    Kilby realized they could also be made into configurations to form a complete circuit. Many electronics we use now would not be possible without Kil- by’s tiny chip. It transformed room-sized computers into the microcomputers sold today. 4 Make: Getting Started with Drones...

  • Page 17: The Technology Of Drones

    The Technology of Drones At a certain point, model aeronautics reached the maximum height that hardware design, radio signals, and electronic pulses could take it. To go beyond would require the implementation of less tangible technologies that would enable intelligent commu- nication and control.

  • Page 18: Internet

    Return to Home, and Follow Me. Many of these features were only avail- able on top-of-the-line models just a few years ago, but that goes to show you how fast this technology is evolving. 6 Make: Getting Started with Drones...

  • Page 19: Principles Of Flight

    Small Autopilot Sensors Needed for Flight Control The following sensors, while not brand new, have finally become small and light enough to allow their use in UAV autopilots: Magnetometer Digital compass Gyroscope Measures rates of rotation Accelerometer Measures gravity Pressure sensor Calculates altitude, by measuring atmospheric pressure Combined, these sensors create an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU).

  • Page 20: Lift

    Drag is also the reason jets retract their landing gear right after takeoff, and it can be a potent force for quadcopters/ drones. 8 Make: Getting Started with Drones...

  • Page 21: Thrust

    Thrust The thrust principle of flight is the mechanical force that moves an aircraft through the air. The motion must be created in some way by engines, propellers, rockets, muscles (in the case of birds that can fly), or whatever propulsion system is employed. If thrust is greater than drag, the aircraft will increase in speed.

  • Page 22: Throttle

    In order for your air- craft to hover above the ground, the throttle must generate enough lift to counter the effects of Weight. During forward flight, the throttle must counter both drag and weight. 10 Make: Getting Started with Drones...

  • Page 23: Yaw/Rudder

    Yaw/Rudder Left-right motion of the left stick is the channel for yaw, which can also be called rudder. Yaw controls rotation across the hori- zontal axis of a helicopter or multirotor. If you are flying a plane, this channel would be called rudder due to its control of the tail flap by the same name.
  • Page 24 Terry spent an entire winter flying with simulator software to build his skills early on. Strong muscle memory of stick commands makes all the difference if you encounter a challenge while piloting. 12 Make: Getting Started with Drones...
  • Page 25 Figure 1-5. Basic quadcopter showing how the stick commands would move the craft. Introduction 13...

  • Page 27: 2/Airframes

    2/Airframes What Is an Airframe? The airframe is the main body of the aircraft. All other compo- nents—propellers, batteries, computer, etc.—are mounted to the airframe. Airframes can vary greatly in size and complexity. Some of the airframes we built when we first got interested in flying were very simple designs sketched on the back of a nap- kin, and cut from pressboard with a jigsaw.

  • Page 28: Aircraft Designs

    Notice the direction that each prop rotates compared to its neighbor. Figure 2-1. Frame types showing the directional rotation of the propellers. 16 Make: Getting Started with Drones...
  • Page 29 Tricopter The tricopter is the only common multirotor that doesn’t have an even number of props. It achieves yaw movement by placing one of the three motor/prop combos (typically the one in the back) on an axle that allows for angled thrust. It features three propellers total.

  • Page 30: Materials

    Little Dipper and is primarily made from G-10 fiberglass (see Figure 2-2). We think this mate- rial is a nice balance of weight, strength, and cost. Figure 2-2. G-10 fiberglass frames being cut on a CNC machine. 18 Make: Getting Started with Drones...

  • Page 31: Keeping It Balanced

    Parts A and B make up the dirty frame (A is bottom, B is top), while C identifies the four booms, which will hold our motors and props. Parts D, E, and F make up the clean frame: D identifies the bottom clean frame plate, while E shows the top clean frame plate.
  • Page 32 During our testing, we found very little difference in performance between the two. As a result, we believe that the aluminum standoffs last longer, and that is ultimately what drove us to including them in the frame kit. 20 Make: Getting Started with Drones...
  • Page 33 Alternative Frame Options Although we are walking you through our example build with the Little Dipper, a few alternative options for airframes are presen- ted in Table 2-1. Table 2-1. Airframe alternatives to the Little Dipper Frame Name Configuration Independent Clean/ Folding Booms...

  • Page 34: Step-By-Step Build Instructions

    • An adjustable wrench, needle-nose pliers or a 7/32 nut driver. Any of these will work, but if you use the nut driver, make sure it is slim enough to fit into the tight spaces around the frame. A full ratcheting socket will not work, because it is too large.
  • Page 35 Figure 2-6. Standoffs—either aluminum for stiffness and longer life, or rubber for increased vibration isolation—are used to sepa- rate the two subframes. Figure 2-7. Pointing out the standoff mounting holes on plate B of the dirty frame. Airframes 23...
  • Page 36 When all four are done, plate B should look like an upside-down table with its legs sticking up in the air, as shown in Figure 2-8. Figure 2-8. All four aluminum standoffs installed on plate B. 24 Make: Getting Started with Drones...

  • Page 37: Step 2: Complete The Dirty Frame Assembly

    Which Way Am I Facing? Figure 2-8, plate B is pointing away from the camera and right side up. That is to say, the front of the drone—and this sin- gle plate—is the end at the top of Figure 2-8. There are two clear indicators that tell us this: first, the short standoffs are pointing up;...
  • Page 38 It is best to do this step one boom at a time. Begin by placing plates A and B on top of each other with the standoffs on plate B pointing up. Make sure that both plates are facing the same direction. You can check this by locating the boom holes (shown...
  • Page 39 You can identify the boom holes in plates A and B pretty easily. Both front and back mounting holes will have a single 3-mm round hole positioned just above an arched 3-mm slot that allows folding of the frame. Figure 2-10. Rear boom mounting holes (notice the anchor hole just above the folding slot).
  • Page 40 Now take your first boom and line the two 3-mm holes on the rectangular end with the boom mounting holes. Take a 12-mm mounting screw (the longs screws that came in the kit) and place a flat black washer over it. Now manually push this screw 28 Make: Getting Started with Drones...
  • Page 41 and washer through one of the boom mounting holes in the top plate, then the boom, and finally the bottom plate. We recom- mend starting with the 3-mm anchor hole first. Once the screw is all the way through the sandwiched set of plates, push another flat black washer on the other side of it before finally placing a 3-mm locking nut on the bottom.
  • Page 42 You should still consider checking the tightness of the mounting screws/nuts during regular aircraft inspections. 30 Make: Getting Started with Drones...

  • Page 43: Step 3: Assemble The Clean Frame

    Blackout Mini Spider Hex If you are building a Blackout Spider Hex frame, your booms will mount to the bottom plate in a very simi- lar fashion. The main difference you will see is that you use four screws instead of two and the booms will not fold into the body.
  • Page 44 Figure 2-14. Pushing the 5-mm screw through the standoff mounting holes on plate D. Figure 2-15. Threading the first 37-mm standoff on the back of our mounting screw. 32 Make: Getting Started with Drones...
  • Page 45 (just as in plate D). Place plate E on top of our assembly and make sure the two long slots are directly over of the two long slots on our bottom plate. It should resemble Figure 2-19.
  • Page 46 Figure 2-17. Tightening the final 37-mm standoffs on plate D. Figure 2-18. Plate D with all the 37-mm standoffs installed and ready for plate E. 34 Make: Getting Started with Drones...
  • Page 47 Figure 2-19. Plate E on top of our assembly prior to adding the mounting screws. Figure 2-20. Threading our first mounting screw through plate E into our 37-mm standoffs. Airframes 35...
  • Page 48 Figure 2-21. Once you have all the screws threaded, make sure they are all nice and tight. Lumenier QAV250 If you went with the QAV250 for your airframe, you will notice that the entire airframe is assembled in a similar fashion to our clean frame. The main differ-...
  • Page 49 Technically speaking, we need to stop our frame build at this point. There are electronics (covered in the next chapter) that need to be installed in both subframes, and that is much easier when they are not attached to each other. That being said, we are going to show you the final step of building out the frame now (it’s a really simple one) and you can refer back to this chapter later in the book when we are...

  • Page 50: Step 4: Attach The Two Subframes Together

    (with 3-mm holes in the center) with the four short standoffs sticking up from the top of the dirty frame. Make sure that both frames are pointing in the same direction. You can...
  • Page 51 Figure 2-23. Attaching our two subframes with a screw through the mounting tab (on the clean frame) into the short standoffs (on the dirty frame). That’s it—you have attached the two subframes. That was easy, wasn’t it? Airframes 39...
  • Page 52 Watch It Being Built You can find a detailed video showing all of these steps as well as the results other readers have had by visiting the companion website. 40 Make: Getting Started with Drones...

  • Page 53: 3/Power Train

    Our quadcopter also has a power train system that helps us to create movement. Let’s have a look at those components now.

  • Page 54: Size And Pitch

    If you are interested in that, a ton of websites have a wealth of knowledge on the topic. 42 Make: Getting Started with Drones...
  • Page 55 Figure 3-1. Slip is the difference between the Geometric Pitch and the Effective Pitch. The higher the pitch, the more air will pass through the propeller with each revolution. Passing more air through the prop results in a higher level of thrust. This is great if you need more lift on your aircraft, but be warned that this results in less efficiency, because the aircraft’s motors need more energy (in the form of battery power) to spin a higher-pitched prop.

  • Page 56: Balancing Props

    When you balance your props, you are making sure that each blade of the prop has an identical weight and will reduce the amount of vibration as it spins at high revolutions per minute (RPM). 44 Make: Getting Started with Drones...
  • Page 57 If the thought of building a prop balancer sounds intimidating, don’t worry. Several companies make balancers of all shapes and sizes. The model that we use, shown in Figure...

  • Page 58: Motors

    With direct drive, each wheel, or prop in this case, is directly attached to its own power source. For our quads, the power source is a brush- less motor. 46 Make: Getting Started with Drones...

  • Page 59: Sizes

    You can now see how this rating is a sliding scale for RPM depending on the battery voltage. A higher voltage battery will make the motor spin faster, but the kV rating is still the same.

  • Page 60: Pairing With The Right Props

    (four for our quad). For the Little Dipper, that works out to be (4 × 539 grams) 2156 grams of lift! 48 Make: Getting Started with Drones...

  • Page 61: Electronic Speed Controllers

    Calculate Your Payload Capacity One spec that every UAV designer has to define is the payload capacity. This is the difference between the aircraft’s total lift and its all up weight (AUW). The AUW is exactly what it sounds like: the weight of the aircraft as it is outfitted for flight, with motors, battery pack, computer, and so on.

  • Page 62: Flight Battery

    The unit of measurement for capacity is the amp-hour (Ah). This describes how long the battery charge will last under cer- tain loads: a 10 Ah battery powering a 1-amp device should last 50 Make: Getting Started with Drones...
  • Page 63 around 10 hours. The same battery with a 5-amp load will last around 2 hours. All of our batteries will come with a milli-amp hour (mAh) rating that determines the capacity of our battery (see Figure 3-6). A battery rated at 2200 mAh has a higher capacity than one with only 1500 mAh.

  • Page 64: Step-By-Step Build Instructions

    • Several inches of 1/8-inch heat shrink • Wire cutters/strippers • Allen wrenches • Small zip ties • Double-sided foam tape • Scissors Figure 3-7. The materials list for this chapter is pretty serious! 52 Make: Getting Started with Drones...

  • Page 65: Step 1: Mount The Power Distribution Board (Pdb)

    Step 1: Mount the Power Distribution Board (PDB) The very first thing we need to do is secure a location in our dirty frame for the PDB. At the time we did our build, we made our own PDB from copper-clad G-10 (see Figures and 3-9), but there are many small inexpensive versions on the market that fit the need.
  • Page 66 If you do use a screw, try using a small nylon screw and nut, which will save on weight and also does not act as a conductor. 54 Make: Getting Started with Drones...
  • Page 67 Figure 3-10. Applying double-sided tape to the back side of the PDB. Figure 3-11. The PDB is pressed firmly into place. Power Train 55...

  • Page 68: Step 2: Solder On The Bullet Connectors

    Step 2: Solder on the Bullet Connectors Th is step is somewhat optional, but it can make the install a lot easier. Bullet connectors allow you to plug and unplug the ESCs and motors into each other rather than soldering them directly.
  • Page 69 Clamp one bullet connector into one of the alligator clips with one of the tinned motor leads in the other. Take your time and make sure that you can position both of these parts in a comfortable way so that you can easily access them with your soldering iron.
  • Page 70 3 motors. When you are done, you should have 4 motors with 12 male bullet connec- tors soldered to all of their motor leads (1 on each lead). 58 Make: Getting Started with Drones...
  • Page 71 Figure 3-14. Our solder is cooling while being held in place with the third hand. Now it’s time to insulate our connection. For that step, we will need our 1/8-inch heat-shrink tubing and a heat gun (or hair dryer if you don’t have one). Cut three 1/2-inch sections of heat shrink and loosely fit them over your newly soldered bullet con- nections.
  • Page 72 Figure 3-17. It only takes a few seconds to shrink the tubing. Once it’s tight around the connector and wire you are good to move on. 60 Make: Getting Started with Drones...
  • Page 73 Figure 3-16. Using our heat gun to shrink our tubing for insula- tion purposes. Figure 3-17. The finished product. We are starting to make some real progress. At this point, you have four motors with bullet connectors firmly soldered onto Power Train 61...
  • Page 74 If you try this technique and it sticks out over the edge after it has shrunk, use a razor blade to carefully cut any parts away that obstruct the male connector from making a solid connection (see Figure 3-20). 62 Make: Getting Started with Drones...
  • Page 75 Figure 3-18. Soldering up our first female bullet connector. Figure 3-19. Be sure to cut the heat shrink to the right length for the female connectors. Power Train 63...
  • Page 76 ESCs with female bullet connectors. If you haven’t done so already, let’s try plugging them into each other and see how they fit (see Figure 3-21). Figure 3-21. Success: everything fits like a glove. 64 Make: Getting Started with Drones...

  • Page 77: Step 3: Mount The Speed Controllers

    Fantastic—you are well on your way to getting your power train installed on your drone. At this point, put down what you are doing and grab your favorite refreshment from the kitchen. You deserve it! Step 3: Mount the Speed Controllers Electronic speed controllers are typically mounted in one of two ways: either on the frame itself, or out on the booms near the spinning propellers in order to get additional cooling from the...
  • Page 78 Figure 3-23. Repeat for all four ESCs. Now that we have the tape applied to the ESCs, let’s position them in our subframe. Take one of the ESCs and make sure the tape is peeled back and ready for mounting. Locate the open space in the dirty frame around where we installed our PDB.
  • Page 79 Figure 3-24. Position the ESC and then press it firmly into place, making sure there is enough space below it for another unit. Figure 3-25. When all of the ESCs are in place, it should look like this. Power Train 67...

  • Page 80: Step 4: Solder Up The Power Supply

    ESC lead onto the PDB at the point where you want to make the connection. Make sure you are on the correct PDB circuit. This is our positive lead, so make sure it’s on the positive circuit. Finally, apply your hot iron to the top of the posi- tive lead, sandwiching it between your iron tip and the PDB.
  • Page 81 Figure 3-26. Tinning our first ESC power lead before attaching it to the PDB. Figure 3-27. Our first lead is soldered and seems to be a solid connection. Power Train 69...
  • Page 82 3-30). Take your time and think about where you will position the wires for all of the ESCs. Don’t make the mistake of cutting one of your wires too short in an attempt to save space. It’s better to leave a little extra length at first.
  • Page 83 Figure 3-29. Our first ESC is all ready to get power from the PDB. Figure 3-30. Example of another build from our fleet with all the ESCs connected to the PDB. Power Train 71...

  • Page 84: Step 5: Mount Brushless Motors

    Once you have them hand-tight, work each opposite screw turn for turn the same way that you would on a car wheel while changing a flat. 72 Make: Getting Started with Drones...
  • Page 85 (see Figure 3-31). Make sure that you have a motor with the cor- rect thread direction for the anticipated motor direction. The Power Train 73...
  • Page 86 Make sure they do not run in any other direction. Figure 3-31. Our motor is sitting squarely on the boom ready to be attached. Now manually feed the first screw through the boom’s motor mounting hole and into the threaded holes on the bottom of the motor.
  • Page 87 Figure 3-32. Feed the screws in the same way you would a set of lug nuts on a car to ensure an even tightness all the way around. Figure 3-33. Tighten the screws turn for turn to ensure that they are all even.

  • Page 88: Step 6: Connect Brushless Motors

    Our ultimate goal is to make the NE and SW motors spin in a counterclockwise direction. But because our build is not com- plete yet, just hook them all up the same and we can test them later in the book to find out what changes we need to make.

  • Page 89: Wrapping Up

    Make sure everything is firmly mounted with little risk of coming loose. Also check all soldering in your power harness/power distribution board to make sure nothing is loose. The connection between your motors and speed controllers should be temporary at this point. We will return to the motor wiring later in the book when all our compo- nents are installed.

  • Page 91: 4/Flight Controller

    If the drone encounters some type of resistance, such as a headwind, the flight controller will attempt to make up the difference needed to still achieve your command without extra input from the pilot. Open Source Versus Closed Source You can break all the flight controllers in the world down into two categories: open source and closed source.

  • Page 92: Sensors

    Sense and Avoid, computer vision, and artificial intelligence (AI). Figure 4-1. This flight controller has a built-in IMU and ports for external sensors. 80 Make: Getting Started with Drones...
  • Page 93 Here is an overview of the APM and all of the inputs/outputs (I/Os): Inputs 1–8 These ports will be connected to our radio receiver. This col- lects our flight instructions from the ground and delivers them to the APM. This port will be connected to our GPS sensor. I2C (inter-integrated circuit, pronounced I-squared-C) This is a standardized serial computer bus that is used for many types of peripherals.

  • Page 94: Flight Characteristics

    If you are following along in the book with the companion kit, download Ardupilot’s Mission Planner software application. If you are on a Mac, try using APM Planner instead. 82 Make: Getting Started with Drones...

  • Page 95: Step-By-Step Build Instructions

    Figure 4-2. The Tower flight controller app from 3D Robotics running on an Android tablet. Step-by-Step Build Instructions For this portion of the build, you will need: • One inch of foam double-sided tape • Scissors • Fine-point paint pen or Sharpie •...
  • Page 96 Make sure that the forward arrow on the APM flight controller is pointing forward on the UAV, and that the flight con- troller is positioned directly in the center of the frame before pushing it into place (see Figure 4-5).
  • Page 97 Figure 4-4. Cut your tape in half and place each portion at one end of the APM, then peel off the backing. Figure 4-5. With the adhesive tape exposed, position the APM in the center—making sure it is pointing in the right direction—and firmly press into place.

  • Page 98: Step 2: Wire Up The Flight Controller Outputs

    Identify the speed controller that handles each motor, and plug the servo lead from that ESC into the appropriate output port. Make sure that all ground (black) wires are at the bottom of the servo lead when plugged in. Repeat this step, adding the NW motor to output 3, and SE motor to output 4.
  • Page 99 Figure 4-6. Each motor has a dedicated output and rotation direction; the APM unit and the APM diagram are both pointing in the same forward direction. To properly route these cables, take a small paint pen or Sharpie and label each ESC plug with its corresponding output number. Once they are clearly labeled, align the tips of all the plugs and place a small zip tie or two along the cable length just below the plugs.
  • Page 100 APMs always start with out- put 1 and count up depending on how many motors your drone uses. A hexacopter always uses outputs 1–6, while an Octocopter always uses outputs 1–8. 88 Make: Getting Started with Drones...

  • Page 101: Step 3: Attach The Two Subframes To Each Other

    Figure 4-8. All of our ESCs are plugged in to the APM outputs (Note: the top clean frame plate was removed so we could get a better photo. It is not required to do this). Step 3: Attach the Two Subframes to Each Other Now that we have our ESCs wired into the APM, we can go ahead and attach the two subframes to each other.

  • Page 102: Wrapping Up

    By now we have our flight controller firmly mounted to the clean frame, and have outputs going to the four motors. Double-check all connections and make sure that the appropriate wires are going into the appropriate ports. Double-checking now can save you headaches later.

  • Page 103: 5/Gps, Compass, And Battery Monitor

    In this chapter, we are going to cover three accessories that we will add to our drone. Each of these components on its own would make a pretty small chapter, so we thought we would cover all three in a single chapter.

  • Page 104: Flight Modes

    RTH. This could happen if your radio batteries die while in flight or if you fly outside of the radio’s broadcasting range. Some people also program a dedicated switch on their radio to engage RTH. 92 Make: Getting Started with Drones...
  • Page 105 RTH Safety While this is a great feature that can surely save your aircraft in a time of need, it should only be used as a failsafe, not a com- mon feature. Never fly your aircraft so far away that you cannot bring it back on your own.

  • Page 106: Compass

    For the duration of this book, the terms compass and magnetometer will be interchangeable. 94 Make: Getting Started with Drones...

  • Page 107: Battery Monitor

    APM 2.5 Versus 2.6 Depending on how you sourced the parts for your build, you are likely to end up with one of two differ- ent versions of the APM flight controller. There are a few subtle differences between the two, but the main thing we are concerned with is the compass.

  • Page 108: Step-By-Step Build Instructions

    Installing the GPS puck is probably one of the simplest steps of this entire build. It is important to know that most GPS pucks also contain a compass, which means they have a dedicated 96 Make: Getting Started with Drones...
  • Page 109 Always make sure that the forward arrow is pointing toward the front of the aircraft. If your GPS component came with a raised mounting bracket, use it (see Figure 5-3). If it didn’t—and you don’t have any way of making one—you can order one from 3D Robotics or the Maker Shed.

  • Page 110: Step 2: Connect Gps And Compass To The Apm

    In our case, we have one cable that has four positions on both ends with four wires that run between. This one is for the compass (magnetometer). Our second cable has a 5-position 98 Make: Getting Started with Drones...
  • Page 111 APM and GPS together from the same store! Figure 5-5. Make sure that you have the right cables for the job. Now that we have identified the proper cables, let’s take a look at the GPS unit itself. There is not much to it; it’s a small black square with two ports on the left side labeled GPS and MAG.
  • Page 112 The 5-to-6-position GPS cable will plug the 6-position end into the GPS port, while the compass cable will take either end of our 4-position cable (see Figure 5-6). Figure 5-6. The two ports on the side of our GPS puck.
  • Page 113 Now that we have one end of our cables plugged into the GPS puck, let’s plug the other ends into the APM. Find the 5-position plug that is connected to the GPS port (on our GPS puck) and plug it into the GPS port on the APM (next to the forward arrow on the top).

  • Page 114: Step 3: Install The Battery Monitor

    The overview of the install is quite simple: first, we plug our main battery lead from the power distribution board (or power har- ness) into our battery monitor, then we plug the 6-position plug 102 Make: Getting Started with Drones...
  • Page 115 into the PM port on the APM. The flight battery will now plug into the battery monitor rather than the main power lead com- ing off the power distribution board. Figure 5-8 shows the bat- tery monitor plugged in on the bench. Figure 5-8.
  • Page 116 Because the leads on our battery monitor are so short, we can attach the monitor itself to the back end of the frame with a zip tie or two leaving the new battery lead exposed and easily accessible to our flight battery (see Figure 5-11). 104 Make: Getting Started with Drones...
  • Page 117 Figure 5-10. Getting our battery monitor into position and ready to be fastened to the frame. Figure 5-11. The new battery lead is accessible to the flight battery. GPS, Compass, and Battery Monitor 105...

  • Page 118: Wrapping Up

    Now there’s only one thing left to do: plug the 6-position cable that comes out of your battery monitor into the PM port as shown earlier in the chapter. Make sure that the red wire within the cable is on the right side (as indicated by the port label).

  • Page 119: 6/Transmitter

    6/Transmitter What Is a Transmitter? So far we’ve talked about a lot of different components of your aircraft but haven’t talked about how the aircraft is controlled. That is where the transmitter comes in (see Figure 6-1). The transmitter is the remote control for your aircraft. You can use the transmitter to send commands to your aircraft by manipu- lating any of its sticks, sliders, buttons, or switches.

  • Page 120: Most Common Frequency Bands

    This places the throttle and rudder on the left stick, with the pitch and roll on the right stick. Mode 1 is used throughout Europe and Japan and reverses the two sticks so that the throt- tle is on the right. 108 Make: Getting Started with Drones...

  • Page 121: Pwm Versus Ppm

    PWM Versus PPM If you have shopped around for RC transmitters before, you have likely seen the terms PWM and PPM associated with them. They stand for pulse-width modulation (PWM) and pulse- position modulation (PPM), respectively. These labels identify different communication protocols between your receiver (see Figure 6-2) and the components on your aircraft.

  • Page 122: Step-By-Step Build Instructions

    That example will be a PWM connec- tion to a Spektrum style receiver (see Figure 6-3). If you are building something different, consult the owner’s manual of both your autopilot and transmitter for the correct connection sequence. 110 Make: Getting Started with Drones...

  • Page 123: Step 2: Mount The Receiver

    Figure 6-3. Our Spektrum receiver is plugged into the APM input on the bench. Which Way Is Front? Be sure that you are mounting these components in the correct spot. You can easily identify the front of the frame, because it has a large cut out for the vibration isolation mount that the camera will sit on.

  • Page 124: Step 3: Plug In The Receiver

    Step 3: Plug in the Receiver Take five short male-to-male servo wires and plug them in according to Figure 6-5. Connect input 1 to your receiver’s roll channel, input 2 to the pitch channel, input 3 to the throttle 112 Make: Getting Started with Drones...
  • Page 125 channel, input 4 to the yaw channel, and finally input 5 to Aux 1. We will use this channel to switch among our different flight modes. Figure 6-5. PWM wiring schematic for APM. Transmitter 113...

  • Page 127: 7/Telemetry Radios

    7/Telemetry Radios Software Monitoring and Control By now, you may have noticed one very important thing about RC transmitters: they only send communications in one direc- tion, from the transmitter to the aircraft. In order to gain access to any of the onboard data from your aircraft, we have to use a special two-way radio that is known as a telemetry link.

  • Page 128: Step-By-Step Build Instructions

    Vel- cro on the back of the tablet or laptop that runs the software. This allows us to remove the radio when we’re not using the ground control software. 116 Make: Getting Started with Drones...

  • Page 129: Step 2: Prep The Aircraft Radio For Mounting

    Figure 7-2. Velcro holds the telemetry radio on the back of our tablet while in use and allows for easy removal when we are not flying. Ground Station Software Because APM is an open source platform, a number of ground station software bundles are available for it.
  • Page 130 Another good reminder is that the booms fold back on the frame, not forward. 118 Make: Getting Started with Drones...

  • Page 131: Step 3: Plug In The Radio

    Figure 7-5). The double-sided tape should hold it securely in place. Make sure that it sticks out from the frame far enough to allow the antenna to swivel freely as needed, but not so far that it will be in the way as you handle it.
  • Page 132 Find those tabs and identify the direction before applying pressure (see Figure 7-6). Figure 7-6. Guide tabs on the side of each plug allow them to only be plugged in correctly. 120 Make: Getting Started with Drones...

  • Page 133: 8/Camera And Fpv Equipment

    8/Camera and FPV Equipment Aerial photography is currently drones’ number one use, so the topic of cameras on drones could be a book all its own. That book could cover a wide spectrum of setups, from large $50,000 Hollywood cinema rigs, all the way down to small action sports cameras, such as those that we will be using on our demo build.

  • Page 134: Micro Four Thirds Cameras

    Prices can range within each category, so do some research to make sure you’re getting the right deal. Expect to pay up to $100 for a small keychain camera, between $100 and $500...
  • Page 135 ble for smaller, more lightweight cameras to be developed. In turn, smaller, more shallow lenses made it possible for light to hit the camera’s sensor in a more perpendicular direction. A direct light path increases the depth of field, which reduces the risk of out-of-focus photos.

  • Page 136: The Mobius Actioncam

    • Live video feed available while shooting video, excellent for hooking up to a video transmitter. Figure 8-2. ActionCams side by side: GoPro Hero 3, Mobius wide angle, Modius standard lens, and 808 keychain cam. 124 Make: Getting Started with Drones...

  • Page 137: Fpv For A Live Stream

    FPV for a Live Stream One fantastic feature to have on your drone is the ability to see what it sees in real time. This is made possible by adding a video transmitter. The transmitter, or vTX (see Figure 8-3), takes the live stream from your camera and broadcasts it over a specific frequency range to a receiver, or rTX, on the ground.

  • Page 138: Step-By-Step Build Instructions

    Our first step will be to fasten the quick-release camera mount to the camera isolation plate. To do so, simply cut two small pieces of double-sided foam tape approximately 1/2-inch long and apply it to the bottom of the quick-release plate. Now peel 126 Make: Getting Started with Drones...
  • Page 139 Double-sided tape can be difficult to pull off of smaller plastic parts, such as our quick-release cam- era mount. Take your time and make sure that you line the camera mount up nice and straight on the vibration isolation plate. If you don’t, it can be a pain...

  • Page 140: Step 2: Attach The Vibration Isolation Plate

    8-6. Repeat this step for all four rubber balls. Are You Facing the Right Direction? Make sure you have the camera mount facing in the correct direction. The mount basically has three sides with one end being open for the camera to slide into.

  • Page 141: Step 3: Place The Camera In The Quick-Release Mount

    (see Figure 8-7). Make sure that the lens of the camera is pointing away from the camera mount, then line up the small groove that runs around the middle of the cam- era with the five tabs that stick out from the sidewalls of the camera mount.
  • Page 142 Figure 8-7. Mobius camera next to the quick-release camera mount. 130 Make: Getting Started with Drones...

  • Page 143: 9/Ardupilot Mega (Apm) Setup

    • A Micro “B” USB 1.1/2.0 cable Step 1: Update Firmware The very first thing we should do is make sure we are running the most current version of the firmware. Depending on when your APM was made, it could have a number of different ver- sions on it.
  • Page 144 After the firmware is uploaded, it needs to be verified (see Figure 9-5). i. After the update is complete, Mission Planner alerts you to any additional steps that may need to take place as a result of the update (see Figure 9-6). 132 Make: Getting Started with Drones...
  • Page 145 Figure 9-2. Confirm that you want to upgrade by clicking YES. Figure 9-3. Mission Planner automatically finds the most recent firmware version supported by your APM. ArduPilot Mega (APM) Setup 133...
  • Page 146 Figure 9-4. Firmware upload has begun. Figure 9-5. Firmware verification in progress. 134 Make: Getting Started with Drones...
  • Page 147 Figure 9-6. We are all done! Click OK to proceed. Stay Connected Do not disconnect the USB cable from your APM until the update is complete. It’s very important that you keep an eye on the progress bar to see when the upgrade is complete and never interrupt the process.

  • Page 148: Step 2: Connect And Complete Mandatory Setup

    Mandatory Hardware and Optional Hardware. Step 2.1: Set frame type Click the Frame type button from the left-hand column under the Mandatory Hardware heading and select the X copter cate- gory (see Figure 9-7). 136 Make: Getting Started with Drones...
  • Page 149 Ignore the Default Settings You will notice that next to your frame selections is a drop-down menu titled Default Settings. You can ignore that during this build. It is used as a shortcut for certain off-the-shelf drones. For example, if you owned a 3D Robotics Iris+ quad, you would find set- tings in this menu geared specifically toward that model.
  • Page 150 Once the process is done, you will see a notification that the calibration either passed or failed. The positions it will ask you to use are: 138 Make: Getting Started with Drones...
  • Page 151 Level Normal position the aircraft would maintain when sitting right side up. Upside down Exactly what it sounds like: flip the aircraft upside down from how it would normally sit. Nose down The front of the drone pointed straight down toward the ground with the tail sticking straight up.
  • Page 152 If, for some odd reason, it fails, don’t worry about it. Just run the calibration again and be sure to move around all axes of the compass. 140 Make: Getting Started with Drones...
  • Page 153 Figure 9-10. Compass setup. Figure 9-11. Compass calibration. ArduPilot Mega (APM) Setup 141...
  • Page 154 After you have completed the calibration, a small pop-up will appear that gives you the min-max values for each channel of the radio (see Figure 9-14). Click OK to get rid of this screen and move on to the next step. 142 Make: Getting Started with Drones...
  • Page 155 Figure 9-12. Prior to starting the Radio Calibration process. Figure 9-13. Notice the red lines that indicate the min-max value for each channel. ArduPilot Mega (APM) Setup 143...
  • Page 156 Planner. You will notice that each position on your switch will light up a different flight mode menu green in the applica- tion. Make note of which switch position lights up which mode menu. b. Use the drop down menu for each flight mode to assign the desired mode to that switch position.
  • Page 157 (see Figure 9-15). Now change to switch position 2 and assign Stabilize with that mode menu (see Figures 9-16 9-17). Figure 9-15. Switch position 1 lighting up flight mode menu 2. Figure 9-16. Switch position 2 lighting up flight mode menu 4. ArduPilot Mega (APM) Setup 145...
  • Page 158 Now we need to set the action to take when our Battery Fail- Safe event takes place. We do this by selecting one from the drop-down menu in the same Battery field (see Figure 9-18). The options are: 146 Make: Getting Started with Drones...
  • Page 159 • Disabled • Land • RTH (return to home) Figure 9-18. Battery FailSafe options. c. In the Radio field just below, select your desired action from the drop-down menu (see Figure 9-19). This will tell the APM what to do any time the radio connection is dropped for a certain amount of time (as decided by APM).

  • Page 160: Step 3: Optional Hardware

    In this particular step, we will cover the two most popular options: telemetry radios and battery monitors. If you have elec- ted not to install these components, feel free to skip over all of Step 3. 148 Make: Getting Started with Drones...
  • Page 161 Follow these steps to check that your radios are communicating with each other as expected: a. Make sure that you are not already connected to Mission Planner over USB. If so, disconnect and unplug the cable. b. Power up your radio transmitter and drone with telemetry radio installed.
  • Page 162 Your options are Disabled, Battery Volts, and Voltage and Current. We recommend using Voltage and Current if you are using the battery monitor (see Figure 9-21). It provides more information, and that is always a good thing. 150 Make: Getting Started with Drones...

  • Page 163: Let's Explore The Rest Of Mission Planner

    Sensor This menu allows you to select the type of battery monitor sensor you are using. If you purchased your kit from the Maker Shed, you want to use the 3DR Power Module option. If you bought your monitor elsewhere, consult the store you purchased it from and find out exactly what type of monitor they sold you, then select that from the list.

  • Page 164: Flight Modes

    If you want to use this feature, simply check the Enable checkbox at the top of the main application window, then set your parameters below as you see fit (see Figure 9-23). Keep 152 Make: Getting Started with Drones...

  • Page 165: Basic Tuning

    in mind that the parameters will be in the metric units, so the numbers indicate meters, not feet. Figure 9-23. Geo Fence screen. Basic Tuning If you spend any time online reading about drones, you are likely to have heard about people tuning their copter to perform one way or another.

  • Page 166: Extended Tuning

    PIDs to obtain peak performance, we do recommend that you do some independent research on the topic. PID tuning can become pretty complex pretty quickly, and as such, falls outside 154 Make: Getting Started with Drones...

  • Page 167: Standard Params

    of the scope of this book. There are also options to Auto-Tune your PID settings with APM, but we have seen mixed results with this process. Even if this is an option for you, it would still be a good idea to learn more about the theory of PID tuning so that you understand what is going on behind the scenes.

  • Page 168: Flight Data

    The space below the artificial horizon is used to display a num- ber of data points that are returned from APM to our ground station. These data points can be very useful during flight 156 Make: Getting Started with Drones...

  • Page 169: Flight Plan

    because they help you gauge things like how fast your aircraft is flying, how far you have flown from your takeoff point, and what your current altitude is. Figure 9-27. Flight Data screen. Flight Plan Finally, we will take a quick look at the Flight Plan screen, which enables you to plan your autonomous flights (see Figure 9-28).
  • Page 170 3DR Android application called Tower. This is the newest version of the long-used Droid Planner application. If you want to learn more about tablet ground stations, check out the details on our website. 158 Make: Getting Started with Drones...

  • Page 171: Preparing For Your Maiden Flight

    Take your time and start off slow. Spin the props up gently and see if you can make the quad just barely come off the ground. Give it some mild stick commands while doing this. Confirm that everything works as it should, such as a Roll Left command actually causing the aircraft to fly to the left.
  • Page 172 4. Take your time and practice! This isn’t a race and there are no prizes for getting in the air immediately. If you take your time now and get the feeling of your aircraft down, you will be much more successful moving forward. 160 Make: Getting Started with Drones...

  • Page 173: 10/Safe And Responsible Flight

    10/Safe and Responsible Flight Above All Is Safety There’s a reason we hear the term safety first so often in our daily lives: doing what you can to protect the well-being of your- self and others is more important than any piece of equipment or task to be completed.

  • Page 174: Resources

    UAV flight. Important Links Important links for the main SUAS resource groups include: • AUVSI • • SUAVC • In addition, check out our list of comprehensive safety procedures. 162 Make: Getting Started with Drones...

  • Page 175: Key Flight Safety Rules

    From our experience, looking at your aircraft in the same direction as the sun can make visibility difficult. Think about the time of day and desired direction where you will be sta- tioned.

  • Page 176: First-Person View

    • Avoid bringing children or pets out to the FPV flying field area because they may unknowingly enter your flight path. • Follow all of the other safety guidelines outlined in the previ- ous section. 164 Make: Getting Started with Drones...

  • Page 177: Where And When To Fly

    Where and When to Fly Planning is a critical step in safe, successful flight. There is a saying: fail to plan; plan to fail. There are many things to con- sider before your maiden flight, and every takeoff thereafter. We use a preflight checklist to be certain that we have gone over all functions necessary for our planned mission.

  • Page 178: Preflight Checklist And Flight Log Information

    • Payload secure—best to start off payload-free. • Camera settings and memory card with available space. • Flight length and observations—did anything irregular occur regarding the equipment or experience? Never fly over crowds or traffic. 166 Make: Getting Started with Drones...
  • Page 179 Try your absolute best to fly away from anyone, but avoiding every person can sometimes be difficult. If any spectators are present during a flight, establish a safe takeoff and landing zone (see Figure 10-1). We keep a minimum of 30 feet between our UAV and any person or thing.

  • Page 180: Aircraft Inspection

    An added benefit of keeping a flight log is that if you are able to show consistent proactive effort on your part to always fly with safety as a priority, you are much better off should your motives while flying ever be questioned. 168 Make: Getting Started with Drones...

  • Page 181: Laws And Regulations

    Record each repair or improvement you make, and when you did it. Answer the ques- tions, “What caused the problem?” and “Why was the repair or replacement necessary?”...
  • Page 182 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) Know Before You Fly Canada Canadian Aviation Administration (CAA) United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Australia Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) Germany Luftfahrt-Bundesamt (LBA), or Federal Aviation Office 170 Make: Getting Started with Drones...

  • Page 183: 11/Real-World Applications

    11/Real-World Applications Beneficial Drones When used safely and responsibly, small UAVs can be flown for a wide range of applications. When we speak to students, they constantly come up with creative new uses for the technology. UAVs can greatly benefit industries, people, and our planet. Many universities now offer majors in unmanned aerial systems.
  • Page 184 Refer back to Chapter 8 for more information on UAV camera equipment. Figure 11-1. Francis Scott Key Monument, Baltimore, MD, taken with Sony NEX-5n. 172 Make: Getting Started with Drones...

  • Page 185: Mapping And Surveying

    Figure 11-2. Firemen’s Carnival, Baltimore, MD, taken with Canon S95. Mapping and Surveying Drones are proving to be an efficient tool that is revolutionizing the field of geographic information systems (GIS). The drone’s payload can collect a range of data using cameras and sensors. These devices, used along with geo-referenced ground markers, produce highly accurate maps with a resolution up to five centi- meters per pixel.

  • Page 186: Precision Agriculture

    Drones are less expensive and more accessible than regular airplanes. UAVs can also complete the tasks previ- ously done with manned aircraft much faster with more precise 174 Make: Getting Started with Drones...

  • Page 187: Search And Rescue

    All of this information is then analyzed and used to make the best crop management decisions. Prescriptions for fertiliz- ers and pesticides can then be selectively applied to individual plants in an improved field plan.

  • Page 188: Infrastructure Inspection

    Safety is another clear advantage. Consider workers who must climb structures or use bucket trucks and cranes to suspend themselves from the sides of massive bridges and skyscrapers. These outdated methods are simply dangerous, 176 Make: Getting Started with Drones...
  • Page 189 Figure 11-4. Air-to-air image of the RC Rotors Inspection Drone with camera point straight upward; the X8 is piloted by Beresford Davis, and the photo is by Terry Kilby. Real-World Applications 177...

  • Page 190: Conservation

    However, the greatest benefit may be the wealth of data from high-resolution images and sen- sors never before seen, much less gathered. It seems drones have given conservationists renewed hope. 178 Make: Getting Started with Drones...

  • Page 191: 12/Expanding Your Drone's Abilities

    This chapter gives you a few suggestions for modifications that you can make now that you’ve mastered the art of building drones. Add a Camera and First-Person View If you built the autonomous kit, it did not come with an FPV package or camera.
  • Page 192 However, if you are interested in the topic and would like to learn more, feel free to check out our online page. Figure 12-1. 5.8 GHz video transmitter with a right-angle adapter and right-handed Skew Planer antenna. 180 Make: Getting Started with Drones...

  • Page 193: Collect More Data With Other Sensors

    Figure 12-2. The Mobius action sports camera—a great option for an aircraft the size of the Little Dipper—is very popular due to its light weight and high performance. Collect More Data with Other Sensors APM is able to incorporate a number of additional sensors. Because this is an open source platform, you can even alter the firmware to react to certain sensor input any way you like.

  • Page 194: Altering Speed: Ready, Set, Race

    Altering Speed: Ready, Set, Race! One of the first mods that we are always asked about when it comes to drones is how to make them faster. As you have already learned in this book, getting the desired performance requires a fine balancing act among all the components and the design.
  • Page 195 Now you are talking about a maximum voltage of 16.8 and an increased motor speed of 9,660 RPM! That can make a huge difference when building a racing quad! Increasing Battery Voltage Increasing the operating voltage can have an effect on your other components.

  • Page 196: Increasing Flight Times

    Helpful and popular online forums include: • DIY Drones is a really great resource if you are using APM components. • MultiRotorForums.com is a fantastic resource filled with experienced pilots and beginners alike. 184 Make: Getting Started with Drones...

  • Page 197: Thank You

    • Maker Media has a phenomenal lineup of instructional pub- lications including Make: magazine and the entire series of Getting Started books. • We also invite you to share photos of your drone builds to our website’s gallery. We would love to see how you took the concepts in this book and ran with them.

  • Page 199: Index

    Index Symbols compass, setting up, connecting to Mission Planner, + (plus) frame type, 3DR radio (see telemetry radio) FailSafe setup, flight data, viewing, flight modes, setting, 144, flight plan, creating, A0-A11 analog pins, frame type, setting, 136-138 Academy of Model Aeronautics Geo Fence, setting, (AMA), 3, 162, radio (transmitter), calibrating,...
  • Page 200 cost of, compass; flight controller; installing, 126-129 power train; receiver; teleme- live stream broadcast from, try radio; transmitter) micro four thirds camera, flight time of, increasing, 122-123 history of development, Mobius ActionCam, maintenance logs for, remote trigger for, materials for, resolution of, real-world applications of, vibration isolation plate for, 127,...
  • Page 201 open source and closed source, IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), infrastructure inspection, 176-178 sensors for, 7, 80-81, 181-182 insurance coverage, software assistant for, inter-integrated circuit (I2C), flight data, Internet, role in drone develop- flight logs, 166-168 ment, flight modes, 92-94, 144, flight plan, flight simulator software, 12, JP1 jumper port,...
  • Page 202 Lumenier QAV250 quadcopter, 21, APM standard and advanced parameters, balancing props video, for this book, FPV (first-person view), MAG port, 99, internal compass, disabling, magnetometer, laws and regulations, maintenance logs, Little Dipper design files, viii mapping and surveying, Mission Planner software, Meetup website, sensors, micro four thirds camera,...
  • Page 203 balancing, 44-46 direction of, 15-16, motors paired with, safety number of, 15-16 aircraft inspection, pitch of, 42-43, best practices, 3, 162-164 size of, 42-43, first-person-view (FPV), proximity sensor, 181-182 importance of, pulse position modulation (PPM) insurance coverage, protocol, laws and regulations, pusher props, 41, Li-Po batteries, PWM (pulse width modulation)
  • Page 204 throttle, user community, 2-3, 184-185 thrust, 9, 43, thrust vectoring, 11, tools, 22, 52, 83, 110, 116, 126, vector thrusting, 11, total lift, vibration isolation plate for camera, Tower software, 117, 127, tractor props, video transmitter and receiver, training and education, 125-126, transmitter (radio, remote control), volts,...
  • Page 205 About the Authors Terry Kilby has worn many different hats over the years. There might not be anything tech-oriented that he hasn’t at least tin- kered with in the past. Photographer, author, product designer, software engineer, entrepreneur—these are all titles he has held at various points during his career.

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Belinda kilby

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