How to assemble the quadrupter with your own hands. Setting up and controlling quadrocopter

Quadrocopter is a flying platform on the radio control with four brushless motors, equipped with propellers. The composition of such devices includes a flying multi-rotor platform. In flight, the quadrocopter occupies a horizontal position relative to the ground surface, is able to hang over the selected place, moves to the sides, up and down. The presence of special additional equipment allows the quadrocopter to carry out practically independent flights.

Quadrocopter with camera

This device is equipped with four rotors, which rotate diagonally in opposite directions. Rotors are controlled by a processor that reports data from three gyroscopes designed to determine and fix the position in space in all three planes. Thanks to the accelerometer it is possible to occupy absolutely horizontal position. Fixation kvadrokoptera at the correct height is due to the equipment of the baro ball. The device is displaced in space due to the fact that the speed of rotation of one or the other two motors is changing. There is a roll of quadrocopter with its further movement.

The first devices

This direction began to develop in 2006. Developers from Germany, Ingo Busker and Holgen Busse created a quadrocopter with their own hands. Around him gathered a huge community of enthusiastic people - RC-modellers, programmers, designers. In mid-2007 quadrocopters began to soar and quite steadily move in the air. Such devices differ from radio-controlled helicopters in a positive way due to the flexibility of design and cheapness. The equipment necessary for a quadrocopter can be purchased, and then there is a huge space for creativity. In addition, in the event of a fall, it is usually much cheaper to repair such a device than a radio-controlled helicopter.

How to assemble a quadrupter with your own hands: instruction

The frame for the device can be done on its own. To do this, not much material is required. Among them a piece of plywood 150 x 150 mm, square aluminum profile 14 x 14 mm. Rays can be screwed by screws on the diagonals of the square. A thin aluminum tape can be used to create a landing skis and a battery holder . Each beam from the center has a length of 300 mm, and each beam - 250 mm. The holes for the motors at the ends of the beams can be made after the assembly, marking everything on the engines.

Radio controlled quadrocopter: list of necessary spare parts

• Equipment Turnigy 9x.
• Control board.
• The battery for the equipment.
• Power battery on the quadrotor itself.
• Propellers.
• Charging device.

Assembling a quadrocopter

First, you need to install a control board, and try to place it as close to the center of the platform as possible. That is, it's better to measure everything in advance, so that later you do not have any problems with balance and other things. The holes are drilled through the previously installed plywood, directly into the ends of the aluminum beams. Long metal screws are used to screw the board directly to the beams. Speaking about how to assemble a quadrupter with your own hands, it should be noted that the rays should not be drilled through, since here the battery is adjacent to them as tightly as possible.

In the immediate vicinity of the board, you need to install a receiver. It can be secured with superglue. If the channel assignment of the receiver is exactly the same as that of the control board, then it is possible to make a simplified connection for them using two three-wire loops.

Engine location

If you think about how to make a quadrupter with your own hands, then you need to mark out the rays and drill the holes for the engine. The distance from the edges to the axis of rotation in all cases should be exactly the same. The hole intended for the tail of the shaft, which protrudes from the bottom of the engine, must be drilled through the entire width of the square, which will make it possible to see if the shaft does not cling to its edges.

Disassembly with wiring

At this stage, it's time to perform the following operations. First, a "spider" of four speed controllers is made, and their power wires must be connected in parallel by means of special adapters. Use detachable connections is only in one place - where the battery is connected to the "spider". All the rest must be soldered, and then tighten in heat shrinkage, since in flight from vibration, different surprises may occur. Now you need to connect the signal wires of the drivers in accordance with the engine numbers on the control board.

When everything is collected, you can proceed to testing and solving emerging problems.

Alternative option

The first thing to say to those who are interested in how to assemble a quadrupter with your own hands: do not save on details. There are a lot of firmware, sensor options, ready-made controllers, but in this article we will describe the use of Arduino Mega, MegaPirate firmware, and also relatively cheap sensors.

Details

First you need 4 motors plus 1 spare. Propellers should also be taken with a reserve, there should be a minimum of 2 standard and 2 - reverse rotation. 4 speed regulators, plus a few spare. As a power source, it is not worth taking one super-high battery, since it will only add weight to the device. It is more appropriate to prefer a few small ones in order to change them in turn. The frame should be as strong and light as possible. The variant described above can be called quite suitable. As the brains and sensors of the device you can use a programmable microcontroller, board - AllInOne, accelerometer, gyroscope, control armature, batteries, charger, and much more. Under the latter should be understood the necessary number of bolts, cogs, wires, screeds. You will also need tools for work, such as a soldering iron and accessories to work with it, a drill, as well as skillful hands.

Assembling of iron and its adjustment

If everything you have described above, you can start drilling, brazing and twisting. The frame can be done in the same way as it was described earlier, but it is possible to show imagination. But only one point is important here: make sure that the distance from the center to the ends of the beams is exactly the same, while propellers should not touch each other and the central part of the plywood during rotation, since all sensors, brains, and camera are placed on it , If you wish. The sensors should be installed on thick tape, rubber or silicone to reduce vibration. In the middle or at the ends of the beams, it is possible to fix the foam plastic, dense foam rubber or rubber beacons, which will take over the chassis functions at the moment of landing.

Sensors and ways to get them

The simplest variant is the purchase of a finished board with four main sensors: a gyroscope designed to measure angular acceleration; Accelerometer for measuring gravity and acceleration; A barometer that determines the height and holds the quadrocopter on it; Magnetometer, which fixes the direction of motion.

At the moment, you can find on the market also such cards, in addition to the four mentioned sensors, there is also a GPS receiver actively used for autonomous flights.

Brain Building

To make the installation process as convenient as possible, it's worth placing everything on a board that performs the functions of a prototype. The pinout depends on the type of firmware that is current at the time of collection, so in each case, everything should be connected in accordance with the instructions.

Setting up the firmware and downloading

Find the necessary firmware at the moment is not difficult, so you should download the appropriate archive and unpack it. After the Arduino firmware has been successfully loaded, you can download the setup program, and then close the A5 pin with GND. When the program is launched, in the Option menu, select the Arduino COM port, and in the Action menu, select AC2 Setup. It is important that the adjustment of the quadrocopter is successful, and for this you need to follow the instructions that appear before you after pressing the huge button. In one window you will need to move the knobs on the remote control to the maximum and minimum values, and in the other window you will be asked to make sure that the device is level to properly calibrate the sensors.

Further work

Quadropter control is adjusted after calibration. After you finish the setting, A5 with GND can be opened, and then in the menu, find the item AC2 Sensor, where you can check if the sensors work correctly, in the Raw Sensor tab. Each turn of the board with the sensors should be worked out as clearly as possible, that is, as turned, so the arrow becomes, if it does not reach or passes the desired value, then you have problems with either the sensor or the coefficients in the code.

It is also necessary to check the operation of the receiver. This is done in the next tab. If the level movement is correct, then when the gas stick is depressed for 2 seconds down to the right, the red LED should be lit. When the same manipulator moves slowly in the left column, there should be approximately the same level deviation.

Result

When all has passed check, it is possible to fasten propellers, and then to try to fly up. To do this, the quadrocopter should be placed further away from itself, tilt the left handle down and to the right, and then add gas slowly. If the device took off, this is very good, and if it shakes, you will have to adjust the PID. This is done in PID Config. This is done in every situation individually, that is, there is no universal solution. Now you know how to build a quadrupter with your own hands.