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Name：[GAGANYAN AEROSPACE]
Phone：[+91 9491348690]
Email: [gaganyanaerospace@gmail.com]
Address：[Vishnu Institute Of
Technology, Kovvada, Bhimavaram
534202]
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HOW TO BUILD A QUADCOPTER WITH

PIXHAWK?
REQUIRED COMPONENTS:

 Frame
 Motors
 ESC’S (Electronic speed controller)
 Propellers
 Flight controller
 Transmitter& Receiver
 Battery

STEP 1: CHOOSE A FRAME:

The first step in building a quad copter drone is to choose a frame. The frame is the skeleton
of the drone, and it holds all the other components together. Frames come in various shapes
and sizes, some popular frame materials include carbon fibre, aluminium, and plastic. In-built
power distribution board. For example, here we are going to consider 450*450MM

SPECIFICATIONS:

Arm mounting holes: 3 mm

Allen key size: 2.5mm

Screw size: 2.5mm

Model Q450
Material Glass Fiber + Poly amide Nylon
Wheelbase (mm) 450
Height (mm) 50
Weight (gm) 330
Arm Size (mm) 220 x 40 (LxW)
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CONNECTION OF ESC’S WITH PCB & FITTING OF FRAME:

 First, we should have to take 4 Esc’s. That should be attach to Power distribution
Board

 The arms of the frame are coloured as 2 red and 2 white which can guide you to fly
in the right direction

Reference link: https://youtu.be/4OSoGjUoMGg

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STEP 2: SELECT THE MOTORS AND PROPELLERS:

 The next step is to select the motors and propellers.

 These components are responsible for lifting the drone off the ground and keeping
it in the air.

SPECIFICATIONS:
Arm mounting holes: 3 mm

Allen key size: 2.5mm

FITTING OF MOTORS TO THE FRAME:

 You'll need four motors and propellers, one for each corner of the frame.
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 The size of the motors and propellers will depend on the weight of your drone. so
it's important to choose ones that are suitable for the frame you've chosen.
 EMAX 935kv motors are suitable with 1045 propellers
 The thicker leading-edge travel in the direction of rotation.
 The fitting of the motors and propellers to the frames.

Step 3: CONNECTING THE MOTORS WITH THE ESC’S:

 Each esc having three wires and motors also having three wires.
 For rotating motors in clock direction plug the three motors wires with esc wires in
order manner. (1with 1,2 with 2 ,3 with 3).
 As shown in the diagram.

 For rotating motors in anti-clock wise direction reverse the any one of the wire in
motors and plug with esc(1with 2,2 with 1,3 with 3`).
 The direction of motors as shown in diagrammatic manner.

 Be careful while arming the motors and you must remove the propellers.

Reference Link: https://youtu.be/654Eu8ZaDt4

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STEP 4: SELECT THE FC (PIXHAWK 2.4.8):

 What is Pix-hawk
The PX4 autopilot is an open-source system designed for affordable autonomous aircraft.
Pix-hawk 2.4.8 is a 32-bit autopilot flight controller that uses a circuit board and sensors to
detect movement and user commands. It uses this data to control the speed of the motors to
make the craft move as instructed. Pix-hawk 2.4.8 supports 8 RC channels with 4 serial ports.

SPECIFICATIONS:
 Processor
 32-bit ARM Cortex M4 core with FPU
 168 MHz/256 KB RAM/2 MB Flash
 32-bit fail safe co-processor
 Sensors
 MPU6000 as main accel and gyro
 ST Micro 16-bit gyroscope
 ST Micro 14-bit accelerometer/compass (magnetometer)
 MEAS barometer
 Power
 Ideal diode controller with automatic fail over
 Servo rail high-power (7 V) and high-current ready
 All peripheral outputs over-current protected, all inputs ESD protected
 Interfaces
 5x UART serial ports, 1 high-power capable, 2 with HW flow control
 Spectrum DSM/DSM2/DSM-X Satellite input
 Futaba S.BUS input (output not yet implemented)
 PPM sum signal
 RSSI (PWM or voltage) input
 I2C, SPI, 2x CAN, USB
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 3.3V and 6.6V ADC inputs

 Dimensions
 Weight 38 g (1.3 oz)
 Width 50 mm (2.0”)
 Height 15.5 mm (.6”)
 Length 81.5 mm (3.2”)

PIXHAWK CONNECTOR ASSIGNMENTS:

1. Spectrum DSM receiver

2. Telemetry (on -screen display)
3. Telemetry (radio telemetry)
4. USB
5. SPI (serial peripheral interface)
6. Power module
7. Safety Switch button
8. Buzzer
9. Serial
10. GPS module
11. CAN (controller area network)
12. I2C Sp-litter or compass module
13. Analog to digital converter 6.6v
14. Analog to digital converter 3.3v
15. LED indicator

1. Input/output rest button

2. SD card
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3. Flight management and reset button

4. Micro-USB Port

1. Radio control receiver output

2. S Bus outputs
3. Main outputs
4. Auxiliary outputs

CONNECTION OF ESC’S WITH FLIGHT CONTROLER:

 Each esc having three wires namely Ground, 5v, signal.

 Pix-hawk 2.4.8 having ports for inserting esc wires with a Pins.
 Insert the esc output pins to the Pix-hawk main out ports, as per the motor
numbering as shown in below diagram.

Reference link: https://youtu.be/qgnxlbguyeE

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STEP 5: CONNECTING GPS TO THE PIXHAWK 2.4.8:

 Take the M8N GPS and connect to Pix-hawk.
 From the GPS there are two pins one pin is connected to GPS and another pin is
connected to I2C (Sp-litter or compass module) to the Pix-hawk 2.4.8.
 And giving a power supply to the pix-hawk from the power module as shown in below
reference link

CONNECTION OF BUZZER AND SAFETY SWITCH TO THE

PIXHAWK 2.4.8:
 Take the safety switch and buzzer and connect it to the Pix-hawk 2.4.8 as per the
Diagram shown below

Reference link: https://youtu.be/w9c-2b7ggno

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STEP6: CONNECTION OF TRANSMITTER(TX)

&RECEIVER(RX):

TRANSMITTER (TX):
1. Racing drones typically use radio transmitters that operate in 2.4 GHz frequency
range.
2. These transmitters are often lightweight and offer features like frequency hopping
spread spectrum technology to minimize interference and provide reliable control
over the drone. Which is crucial for racing where split-second responsiveness is
essential.
3. Popular brands include Fr Sky, TBS crossfire, Fly sky.

Fly sky FS-i6 2.4 GHz 6CH TX:

1. Channels: 6
2. RF range: 2.4-2.48 GHz
3. Bandwidth: 500KHZ
4. Band: 192
5. RF power: less than 20 dBm
6. output: PPM
7. ANT length: 26mm*2 (dual antenna)
8. TX weight: 392 g
9. TX size: 174×89×190mm
10. Power: 6V 1.5AA*4
11. control Range: 500 m

RECEIVER (RX):
i. The receiver in racing drones is responsible for receiving signals from transmitter and
relaying them to flight controller, which then interprets these signals to control the
drone’s movements.
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ii. They come in various form factors and communication protocols such as PWM, PPM,
SBUS, depending on the compatibility with the flight controller. Most commonly used
receiver is Fly sky FS-iA6B

FS-iA6B Receiver:

 Channel: 6
 Freq Range: 2.4-2.475 GHz
 Bandwidth Number: 140
 Transmitting power: <20dBm
 RIF Receiver sensitivity: 105 dbm
 Encoding: GFSK
 Antenna length: 26mm * 2 (dual antenna)
 Input power: 4 - 6.5V DC
 i-Bus Interface: Yes

How to Bind Transmitter (TX) & Receiver (RX):

i. Now plug in the battery to the drone through XT60, which in results supply power
to receiver required in binding it with the transmitter.
ii. Take out the binding key and insert it to bottom last column of the receiver.
iii. Before turning ON the Transmitter, hold the Bind key at the left bottom of
transmitter and then turn ON the transmitter.
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iv. Then the transmitter displays as it is in the below figure, which determines that
both transmitter and receiver are successfully binded to each other.

Reference link : https://youtu.be/9N5IErS0SVY

Accel Calibration:
Click here for the video demo

1. Calibrate Sensors:
- After updating the firmware, navigate to the "Initial Setup" menu again.
- Click on "Mandatory Hardware" and then select "Calibrate Accelerometer."

2.Follow On-Screen Instructions:

- Follow the on-screen instructions provided by Mission Planner to perform the accelerometer
calibration.
- This usually involves placing your Pix-hawk in different orientations to allow the sensors to
calibrate properly.

3. Orientation Changes
- Place your Pix-hawk on a stable surface and follow the prompts to rotate it or place it in
specific orientations as instructed by Mission Planner.

4. Wait for Calibration to Complete:

- Allow the calibration process to complete. This may take a few minutes.
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5. Verify Calibration:
- After the calibration is successful, Mission Planner will confirm and display a message
indicating that the accelerometer calibration is complete.

6. Save and Reboot:

- Save the calibration parameters and reboot your Pix-hawk for the changes to take effect.

7. Verify Results:
- After rebooting, reconnect your Pix-hawk to Mission Planner and check the sensor readings
to ensure they are stable and accurate.

That's it! You've successfully calibrated the accelerometer on your Pix-hawk using Mission
Planner. Keep in mind that the steps might slightly vary based on the Mission Planner version,
but the general process remains the same. Always refer to the Mission Planner documentation
for the most up-to-date and accurate instructions.
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Compass Calibration:

Certainly! Compass calibration is crucial for accurate navigation and heading information on
your Pix-hawk. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to perform compass calibration using
Mission Planner:

à Click on "Mandatory Hardware" and then select "Compass."

1.Start Compass Calibration:

- Click on the "Live Calibration" button to start the compass calibration process.

2.Follow On-Screen Instructions:

- Follow the on-screen instructions provided by Mission Planner to perform the compass
calibration.

- Typically, this involves physically rotating and tilting the Pix-hawk in various directions to
allow the compass to capture data.

3.Rotate the Vehicle:

- Rotate the vehicle around all three axes (pitch, roll, and yaw) while holding it level.

4.Tilt the Vehicle:

- Tilt the vehicle forward and backward to ensure the calibration captures data in different
orientations.

5.Complete Calibration:

- Once the calibration process is complete, Mission Planner will display a message indicating
the success of the compass calibration.

6.Save and Reboot:

- Save the calibration parameters and reboot your Pix-hawk for the changes to take effect.

7.Verify Results:
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- After rebooting, reconnect your Pix-hawk to Mission Planner and check the compass
readings to ensure they are stable and accurate.

That's it! You've successfully calibrated the compass on your Pix-hawk using Mission Planner.
Always refer to the Mission Planner documentation for the most up-to-date and accurate
instructions, as the software may be updated over time.

Click here for Video Demo

ESC’S Calibration:
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Certainly! ESC (Electronic Speed Controller) calibration is essential to ensure that the Pix-hawk
and the connected motors operate correctly and respond accurately to throttle inputs. Here's
a step-by-step guide on how to perform ESC calibration using Mission Planner:

1. Choose"MandatoryHardware":

- Select "Mandatory Hardware" from the list of options under "Initial Setup."

2.Calibrate ESCs:

- Click on "Calibrate ESC" to enter the ESC calibration wizard.

3.Disconnect Battery:

- Disconnect the battery from the power distribution board to ensure safety during
calibration.

4.Connect Battery:

- Reconnect the battery while holding down the safety switch on your Pix-hawk.

5.Wait for Tones:

- You'll hear a series of tones from the motors indicating that the ESCs are in calibration
mode. After a few seconds, you may hear a different set of tones.

6.Throttle Up:

- Move the throttle stick on your RC transmitter to the maximum position (full throttle).

7.Throttle Down:

- Move the throttle stick to the minimum position (full brake).

8.Tones Indicating Calibration:

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- After performing the throttle up and throttle down steps, you'll hear confirmation tones
from the motors.

9.Disconnect Battery:

- Disconnect the battery again.

10.Reconnect Battery:

- Reconnect the battery without holding down the safety switch.

11.Check Motor Movement:

- Confirm that the motors make a startup tone and that they respond appropriately to
throttle inputs on your RC transmitter.

12.Save and Reboot:

- Save the calibration parameters and reboot your Pix-hawk for the changes to take effect.

13.Verify Calibration:

- After rebooting, reconnect your Pix-hawk to Mission Planner and check the motor
response to ensure the ESC calibration was successful.

That's it! You've successfully calibrated the ESCs on your Pix-hawk using Mission Planner.
Always follow safety precautions during calibration, and refer to the Mission Planner
documentation for any software version-specific instructions.

Click here for Video Demo

Radio Calibration:

Certainly! Radio calibration is an important step to ensure that your RC transmitter is

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properly configured with the Pix-hawk, allowing accurate control of your vehicle. Here's a
step-by-step guide on how to perform radio calibration using Mission Planner:

1.Choose "Mandatory Hardware":

- Select "Mandatory Hardware" from the list of options under "Initial Setup."

2.Calibrate Radio:

- Click on "Calibrate Radio" to enter the radio calibration wizard.

3. Follow On-Screen Instructions:

- Follow the on-screen instructions provided by Mission Planner to perform the radio
calibration.

- Typically, this involves moving the control sticks and switches on your RC transmitter to
their full extents.

4. Move Controls through Full Range:

- Move each control stick and switch on your RC transmitter through its full range of motion.
This ensures that Mission Planner captures the minimum and maximum values.

5. Check Calibration Values:

- Once you've moved all the controls through their full range, you should see the calibration
values update in Mission Planner. Ensure that the values correspond to the movements of your
RC transmitter controls.

6. Verify Channel Movement:

- Check the movement of the on-screen bars corresponding to each channel in Mission
Planner. They should move smoothly and cover the entire range.

7.Save Calibration:

- Click on the "Done" or "Save" button to save the radio calibration settings.

8. Check Throttle Safety:

- Verify that the throttle safety switch on your RC transmitter is working correctly. This is
important for preventing accidental motor starts.

9.Save and Reboot

- Save the calibration parameters and reboot your Pix-hawk for the changes to take effect.

10. Verify Calibration:

- After rebooting, reconnect your Pix-hawk to Mission Planner and check the radio
calibration values to ensure they are accurate.

That's it! You've successfully calibrated the radio on your Pix-hawk using Mission Planner.
Always follow safety precautions during calibration, and refer to the Mission Planner
documentation for any software version-specific instructions.

Click here for Video Demo

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