Ardu Copter

ArduCopter - 01-27-2015
Multirotor UAV - http://copter.ardupilot.tridgell.net
ArduCopter
Multirotor UAV
PDF generated January 27, 2015 by Kalin's PDF Creation Station WordPress plugin
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Table Of Contents
3DR Kits and Best Practices ............................................... 3
AC2_FIRST .......................................................... 5
AC2_Mag ........................................................... 10
AC2_Magnetos ....................................................... 12
AC2_QGCParameterWidget ............................................. 16
AC2_QGCWaypointWidget .............................................. 18
AC_MeasuringVibration ................................................ 20
AC_RollPitchTuning ................................................... 22
AC_ThrottleMid ...................................................... 24
AC_TipsForNewPilots .................................................. 26
Acro Mode .......................................................... 29
Advanced Configuration ................................................ 32
Adding an OSD board (MinimOSD) for FPV .................................. 34
Advanced MultiCopter Design ............................................ 35
Advanced Parameter List ................................................ 53
Advanced Pixhawk Quadcopter Wiring Chart ................................. 88
Advanced Vibration Control ............................................. 90
AdvancedCompassSetup ................................................ 95
Altitude Hold ....................................................... 100
APM1Wireless ...................................................... 104
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3DR Kits and Best Practices

by randy - Thursday, September 11, 2014
http://copter.ardupilot.tridgell.net/wiki/3dr-kits-and-best-practices/
Content
3DR Kits & Best Practices
3DR Kits
Best Practices
Table of Contents
Contents
1 3DR Kits & Best Practices
2 3DR Kits
3 Best Practices
3DR Kits & Best Practices

3DR Kits
The 3DRobotics store offers 2 DIY Kits (quad and Y6) . Select a model below to jump to the detailed
assembly instructions.
Best Practices
When assembling your copter, we recommend using threadlocker on all motor mount screws. For more
information on using and applying threadlocker, check out this video. When securing wiring, keep
positive and negative wires close together, use zip ties to secure wiring to frame, and use cable mesh
where possible. Use a vibration dampening strategy as described in the Vibration Dampening and
Isolation page.
Questions about this page? Comments? Suggestions? Post to APM Forum! Use the platform specific to
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your query, and make sure to include the name of the page you are referring to.
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AC2_FIRST
by alex - Saturday, May 04, 2013
http://copter.ardupilot.tridgell.net/wiki/ac2_first/
Content
First-time Setup
Setup steps
Table of Contents
Contents
1 First-time Setup
2 Setup steps
First-time Setup
For the APM 2 this setup can be performed without connecting a battery. (Generally the USB port will
provide sufficient power for both the APM 2 board and the receiver.)
The APM 1 does require an external battery to be connected (via the BEC output of one (or more) of your
ESCs. You can use both the USB connection and have the battery hooked up at the same time without
problem. This permits motor response checks.
1) Open the Mission Planner and Click on the Firmware tab.
If the Port setting in the upper right corner of the screen does not match the Com port setting from when
you first set up your USB use the arrow and select the correct Com Port. (The port listed is often incorrect
on the first use after initial set up). Also ensure that the baud rate is set to 115200.
2) Click on Connect in the top right corner.
The Mission Planner will now attempt to connect via MAVLink.
(If this is the first time youre using APM, the code will format your dataflash memory on startup, which
can interfere with the MAVLink connection and report a connection failure. If this is the case, let it sit for
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a minute and try again.)

If you have trouble with this step, check the Troubleshooting Guide (Here!)
3) Now you can click on the setup button circled in red below:
This will open up a dialog box that will walk you through the basic setup process, described below.
Note: with APM 1 you MUST have a !LiPo plugged in to your power distribution board to power your
RC receiver. USB power does not power the RC receiver. If you do not separately power the RC system,
APM will be unable to read any signals on its RC inputs and may freeze. With APM 2 this is not
necessary.
CAUTION: The motors and props can spin up unexpectedly when connecting to USB, please
disconnect the Power Distribution Board or take precautions against injury or damage from any
spinning prop!
Setup steps
Caution: This section assumes you have set up and programmed your RC transmitter and receiver
correctly. This might be a good time to review the manual that came with your RC controller system. Pay
special attention to the sections on:
Channel reversing and mixing
expo modes which change the responsiveness of your controls according to a curve
failsafe modes for signal loss. An RX that remembers the last throttle setting if it loses signal,
will cause a plane to coast, but will cause a heli or multi-rotor to *continue climbing forever*,
rapidly so if you lost signal during an aggressive ascent. (this is known as not good).
1) Calibrate your RC input
Your transmitter must be on. If it has airplane and heli modes, make sure you are in airplane mode.
*!ArduCopter will not work if your RC gear is in any heli mode.* Channel assignments are as shown
above ( = Mode 2, Mode 1 has the throttle on the right and pitch on the left).
When you move the RC sticks, the relevant bars will move. (If you dont see any bars, click on the
Calibrate Radio button and they should show up.) If you havent already done so, click on Calibrate
Radio to set the radio limits. Red bars will appear and you should move them to their limits for each
channel you have connected. When you are done center the right stick, move the throttle to the bottom
center and move your 3 position mode switch to the center and Press Save.
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Here is how the outputs should be setup for each channel:

CH 1: Roll Left = low PWM Roll Right = High PWM
CH 2: Pitch Forward = low PWM Pitch Back = High PWM
CH 3: Low Throttle = low PWM High Throttle = High PWM
CH 4: Yaw Left = low PWM Yaw Right = High PWM
CH 5: Flight Mode
CH 6: up to you
CH 7: not engaged = low PWM engaged = High PWM
Note: If the Mission Planner isnt reading your RC input (bars arent moving), see the
[http://code.google.com/p/arducopter/wiki/AC2_Troubleshooting Troubleshooting Guide]. Some radios,
such as Spektrums, have an unusual binding process that requires a slightly different setup process
described there.
If a channel is reversed, you should reverse it at your RC transmitter side. Please see your RC instruction
manual for how to do that.
2) Set your flight modes

You can choose different flight modes in the air with your RC transmitters toggle switch, which you
should have connected to APM input 5. Full details on the available modes are
[http://code.google.com/p/arducopter/wiki/AC2_ModeSwitch here]. When you move the toggle switch,
you will see the green highlight change to a different line. You can use the drop-down menu on each line
to assign that mode to a function.
3) Configure your hardware

In this tab, you can tell APM what optional sensors you have connected. (Remember that if youre flying
with a GPS, you MUST use a magnetometer, too). Just click the check box for any sensor youre using.
For the magnetometer (compass), you have a choice of calibration options once you enable the sensor:
A) Recommended: Do nothing (auto-calibration), and the code will try to figure out all the offsets and
declination by comparing the compass readings with the GPS and IMU readings over time in flight. Pro:
No user effort. Con: It takes a few minutes of flying to get right, so the compass is a bit inaccurate at first
launch.
B) Just for mag zealots: Manual calibration in the Mission Planner (above). You can enter your
Declination as instructed below and then press the Live Calibration button and move and rotate your
copter around for 30 seconds while it records the data and does some math to calibrate the sensor. Pro: It
works very well. Con: its a little awkward, especially for big frames. Also it doesnt reflect the magnetic
interference that can occur when the motors are going in flight.
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If you choose this option, here are some tips:

Heres a video showing an example of the process:
<wiki:video url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_mjfPlHL9o&list=UUrwM2fudONrvUwukdNbBBw&index=1&feature=plcp/>
Do it outside, away from metal
Ideally, do it while connected via wireless telemetry (3DR radios or Xbees). If you dont have that, you
can do it while connected via USB, but youll have to reverse direction with every step of the calibration
dance or youll get all wound up in your cable!
C) Experimental: Replay a flight log. This is a very cool option, shown above as Log Calibration,
where you can just replay a previously recorded flight log (.tlog) and the code will compare the GPS and
IMU readings with the compass reading and make the necessary corrections. Pro: Works great. Con: You
must have already flown, if you load a .tlog file where you didnt actually fly youll mess up your
calibration and will have to do it again or risk poor flight performance.
To manually enter a declination for your geographic location, you can find the correct value by clicking
on the link to open a web browser. Enter your location and it will give you a declination, as circled below:
In this case, I would enter 14.13 into the magnetometer line (the Mission Planner software converts that
degrees.minutes notation to the proper decimal values internally).
4) Set your frame orientation
Choose whether you frame is set up for flying in + or x mode.
5) Calibrate the accelerometer
(Special Note for PX4 users for the moment you must level by following a separate
procedure).
If you are connected, disconnect by selecting the (Connect) icon.
Click on the Terminal icon.
After the screen stops changing type setup and return.
Then, with your PX4 system sitting perfectly level type level and hit the return key.
Wait for it to complete its leveling procedure.
Skip the rest of these instructions
For APM Users, do the following.

Place your copter a level surface and press the Calibrate Accel button to begin the accelerometer
calibration procedure
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([https://vimeo.com/56224615 video demo here]).

Follow the short instructions which appear just below the button which ask you to place the copter in 6
different orientations. Please be sure the copter does not move as you click the button during each step.
Once you see the text Done on the button it is finished (dont press the Done button).
Note1: the final accelerometer offsets and scaling are stored in the INS_ACOFFS_X, Y, Z and
INS_ACCSCAL_X, Y, Z parameters. The values are board specific so you can complete this procedure
before placing APM on the frame.
Note2: Except for the first step of the calibration process, it is not critical that the APM is held at exactly
the angle requested. In fact, with the exception of the first position (level) even the order is not important,
the calibration procedure just needs 6 points and it works best if they are as different as possible (thus the
6 positions all at 90degrees from each other). Keeping the board completely still at each step is important
however.
6) Dont try spinning the props yet. Instead, go to the next section ([AC2_ESC here]), where youll
calibrate the ESCs and next set the prop direction then learn how to arm the ESCs by holding the rudder
stick all the way to the right for 4 seconds with the throttle down.
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AC2_Mag
by german - Thursday, December 20, 2012
http://copter.ardupilot.tridgell.net/wiki/ac2_mag/
Content
Enabling the magnetometer
Setting Declination
Calibrating the magnetometer
Testing the magnetometer
Contents
1 Enabling the magnetometer
2 Setting Declination
2.1 Calibrating the magnetometer
2.2 Testing the magnetometer
Enabling the magnetometer

You can enable the APM:Copter code to use the magnetometer through the Mission Planner or CLI.
Setting Declination
Declination
To help the GPS hold functionality work more accurately, you can correct for the difference between
magnetic north and true north (aka
declination
) in your local area.
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Another great website to look your declination is

magnetic-declination.com
If you are going through the Mission Planner setup process, you will get to this dialog box:
When you hit OK, it will open this web page:
If you are in the US, you can just enter your ZIP code. Elsewhere, enter your home latitude and longitude.
Click on Compute Declination and it will open this window:
Enter the numbers that in the area circle in red above. The Mission Planner will convert from degrees and
minutes automatically, so if you enter 14.6 (14 degrees, six minutes) it will be converted internally to
14.05 decimal degrees.
Calibrating the magnetometer

The magnetometer is calibrated in flight to account for the electric fields generated by the motors. New
offset values are saved when disarming the copter. Disabling the compass or loading major firmware
update will clear the offset values. Just fly for a few minutes to generate new offsets.
Once calibrated, the copters yaw performance will increase dramatically.
Testing the magnetometer

You will be able to test the magnetometer in the Configurator, which well get to in the next few steps.
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AC2_Magnetos
http://copter.ardupilot.tridgell.net/wiki/ac2_magnetos/
Content
Using a magnetometer
Connecting the DIYDrones magnetometer
Method One: Mounted on the board (recommended)
Method Two: Using a cable
Ensuring that the magnetometers are set up for the right voltage
AC2_Magnetos
Contents
1 Using a magnetometer
2 Connecting the DIYDrones magnetometer
2.1 Method One: Mounted on the board (recommended)
2.2 Method Two: Using a cable
2.2.1 Ensuring that the magnetometers are set up for the right voltage
Using a magnetometer
If youre flying multicopters or helis, which are often hovering in one position, the GPS (which can only
calculate a directional vector when its in forward motion) will not be able to correct the drift in the yaw
gyro. So you must use a magnetometer to do this and otherwise maintain correct yaw.
Important
: If you are flying with a GPS module, you
must
use a magnetometer. Otherwise, the only heading information will come from the GPS module, and that
will only work in forward flight. If you dont have a magnetometer, you must disconnect your GPS and
you will only be able to fly in RC mode (no waypoints or other autonomy)
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Connecting the DIYDrones magnetometer

Method One: Mounted on the board (recommended)
The easiest way to mount the magnetometer is right on the IMU. This is what most people do and is the
default configuration, but does mean that you cant use the I2C port for anything else. If you do want to
use multiple I2C devices, see the alternative mounting option below. Again, check that the voltage solder
jumper is in the 5V position, as discussed above.
You can use a 4 pin breakaway header as a standoff. Take care to align the magnetometer and shield
edges. Precision here will reduce the amount of trimming you have to do later.
First, snap off the mounting area of the magnetometer:
Now, solder in the four pin header (example of the header shown on the table next to the board). Its best
to solder the header with the long pins down, going through the board.
Finally, solder on the magnetometer

component side down
, as shown here:
Method Two: Using a cable

_
Note
: If you are using this method, you will have to tell the ArduCopter firmware what orientation you end up
putting your magnetometer sensor in. This means you will not be able to use the standard firmware
configuration and will not be able to use the Mission Planner to upload the code._
_Instead, you will have to add this code (modify it to choose the orientation youve chosen) to the
APM_Config.h file in the ArduCopter code and use Arduino to compile and upload your code:_
#define MAG_ORIENTATION AP_COMPASS_COMPONENTS_DOWN_PINS_FORWARD
//
If you have soldered the magenetometer to IMU shield as shown in the
Wiki. This is the default
//#define MAG_ORIENTATION AP_COMPASS_COMPONENTS_UP_PINS_FORWARD
// Alternative orientation for ArduCopter
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//#define MAG_ORIENTATION AP_COMPASS_COMPONENTS_UP_PINS_BACK

/ Alternative orientation for ArduCopter
You can attach the

HMC5843 magnetometer
to the APM IMU shields I2C sensor port, which looks like a GPS connector but says No GPS. One
reason to do this is you intend to daisy-chain other I2C sensors to your board.
One way to do this is to modify a
GPS cable
, cutting off the connector on one side and soldering the wires to the right pads on the magnetometer
board. Youll only be using four of the six wires; the other two can be cut off. Plug the connector into the
shield and look at the bottom of the shield where you should see SCL, SDA, +5V, GND
written, corresponding to the four wires. These should be matched up to the same pins on the
magnetometer, as shown below:
Heres a picture of how it should look (we recommend threading the wires through the hole before
soldering for strain relief):
Plug it in here:
Ensuring that the magnetometers are set up for the right voltage
Note: the DIY Drones magnetometer can support either 3.3v or 5v systems. It comes from the factory
setup for APM, which is a 5v system. If for any reason yours has been changed, ensure its back to 5v
before connecting it to APM. This is regardless of whether it is connected via a cable or soldered directly
to the IMU.
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AC2_QGCParameterWidget
http://copter.ardupilot.tridgell.net/wiki/ac2_qgcparameterwidget/
Content
Introduction
Details
Table of Contents
Contents
1 AC2_QGCParameterWidget
2 Introduction
3 Details
Calibration and OnBoard Parameters Widget
Introduction
Using the QGroundControl Calibration and OnBoard Parameters Widget The contents of this page are
current as of 2/5/2011.
Details
The QGroundControl Calibration and OnBoard Parameters Widget can be used to:
View and change a variety on on-board APM parameters like PID gains, trim settings, throttle or
airspeed settings, etc.
Change the frequency that various Data Streams are sent from APM to QGroundControl
Run certain calibration wizards
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Here is an expanded view of the widget:
The OnBoard Parameters list will initially be empty. When the Refresh button is clicked APM will
send down a current list of its changeable parameters and values.
The list will be in an expandable format. Just click the + and to the left of each level to show or hide
parameters. Note that the parameter list in the graphic above is NOT from APM.
APMs parameter list will look different. Parameters are shown with a name and value. The names
cannot be changed. To change a value double-click on it. Once you have changed any values you wish
click on the Transmit button to send the new values to APM. Functionality for APM associated with
the Read (ROM) and Write (ROM) buttons is still under development. The Load File and Save
File buttons will allow you to save or load a parameter list to the ground station hard drive (Untested for
APM). The Data Stream Rates section allows you to configure APM to send certain telemetry streams
to QGroundControl on a periodic basis. APM can send data streams at rates of approximately 50Hz,
10Hz, or 3.3 Hz. On startup APM has all streams turned off, and only sends a heartbeat message to
QGroundControl. To turn on a particular stream put a frequency value (in Hertz) in the appropriate field.
Recommended frequency values are 3, 10, and 50. Be careful about turning on too many high frequency
streams as APM performance could be affected. QGroundControl uses the data received in these streams
to drive its Main Window and Widgets. For example if you have the Main Window set to a map and have
the button clicked to keep the map centered on the UAV, then the lat/lng info received in the position data
stream is used to know the UAVs position and center the map. General contents of the Data Streams are:
Raw Sensor the raw gyro and accelerometer data
Extended the current mode, battery voltage
Position the UAVs current lat/lng and altitude
Controller the autopilots current servo outputs
RC Values the current radio input values
Extra 1 the current gps status
Extra 2 the current waypoint
Extra 3 the current roll, pitch and yaw
Calibration Wizards information coming soon.
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AC2_QGCWaypointWidget
http://copter.ardupilot.tridgell.net/wiki/ac2_qgcwaypointwidget/
Content
Introduction
Details
Table of Contents
Contents
1 AC2_QGCWaypointWidget
2 Introduction
3 Details
Instructions for using the QGroundControl Waypoint List widget
Introduction
Instructions for using the QGroundControl Waypoint List widget.
The contents of this page are current as of 2/5/2011.
Both
APM
and QGroundControl are under development, so expect frequent changes.
Details
The QGroundControl Waypoint List widget can be used to view the current mission loaded to APM,
change waypoints/commands in the mission, and upload mission changes to APM
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The widget looks like this (may vary with QGroundControl revision and setup)
Clicking the Read button (lower right) will cause the current mission command list to be downloaded
from
APM
The Waypoint labelled 0 is the home location

The first field in each Waypoint(Command)is the Command Type. This field is a dropdown box which
will let you pick from available commands. Additional fields will vary with the command type. Please
note that all fields are not relevant to, or used by, APM. In particular fields which specify if a waypoint
location is Global (absolute) or Local (relative) are not used at this time. The checkbox on the right
indicating the UAV should automatically continue after the waypoint is also not.
The three buttons on the right side of the waypoint line allow the waypoint to be moved up, moved down,
or deleted from the mission.
Changes made to the mission in the Waypoint List widget have no effect on
APM
till they are uploaded. Use the Write button (lower right) to send the changed mission to APM.
The remaining five buttons on the bottom of the widget allow for mission files to be saved to or retrieved
from the ground stations local hard drive, setting the UAVs current location as a waypoint, adding a
waypoint, or deleting all of the commands in the mission.
IMORTANT THINGS TO UNDERSTAND
When you upload waypoints/command changes to the current command while
APM
is in AUTO mode, those changes will not take effect. APM loads the command parameters from
EEPROM when the command becomes active and does not use the values stored in EEPROM for
ongoing calculations. If you want APM to react to a changed current waypoint you have uploaded you
need to switch out of, and then back in to AUTO mode.
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AC_MeasuringVibration
by randy - Wednesday, July 24, 2013
http://copter.ardupilot.tridgell.net/wiki/ac_measuringvibration/
Content
Measuring Vibration
Table of Contents
Measuring Vibration
For good altitude hold and loiter performance it is important that your vibration levels are low. The
instructions below will shows you how to measure the vibration levels. If you find they are out-oftolerance you should follow the advice found on the First Time Set-up sections Vibration Damping page.
Please follow these steps to ensure your vibration levels are within tolerance:
Connect your APM/PX4 to the mission planner
Go to the CONFIG/TUNING > Standard Params screen and set the Log bitmask to Default+IMU.
This will enable the capture of the accelerometer data to the dataflash logs.
Press the Write Params button
Fly your copter in Stabilize mode and try to maintain a level hover (it doesnt need to be perfectly
stable or level)
Disconnect the Lipo, reconnect your APM/PX4 to the mission planner
Download the latest dataflash log using the Terminal screen (more detailed explanation of
working with dataflash logs is here)
After the download has completed, close the Log window and push the Log Browse button
and open the latest file in the log directory (its last digit will be the Log number you downloaded
so in the example above we downloaded Log #1 so the filename will end in 1.log)
When the Log Browser appears, scroll down until you find any IMU message. Click on the rows
AccX and push Graph this data Left button. Repeat for the AccY and AccZ columns to
produce a graph like below.
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Check the scale on the left and ensure that your vibration levels for the AccX and AccY are
between -3 and +3. For AccZ the acceptable range is -15 to -5. If it is very close or over these
limits you should refer back to the Vibration Dampening page for possible solutions.
After all the above is complete, go to the Mission Planners standard parameters page (you may
need to press the Connect button again) and set the Log Bitmask back to Default. This is
important because especially on the APM logging requires significant CPU resources and its a
waste to log these if theyre not really needed.
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AC_RollPitchTuning
http://copter.ardupilot.tridgell.net/wiki/ac_rollpitchtuning/
Content
Rate Roll and Pitch P tuning
In-flight tuning
Video of in-flight tuning
Table of Contents
Rate Roll and Pitch P tuning

Contents
1 Rate Roll and Pitch P tuning
2 In-flight tuning
3 Video of in-flight tuning
Although there are many gains that can be tuned in APM:Copter to get optimal performance, the most
critical is the Rate Roll and Pitch P values which convert the desired rotation rate into a motor output.
This alone will likely get it flying reasonably well at least in Stabilize mode.
Some general advice on how to tune this parameter:
Too high and the copter will oscillate quickly in roll and/or pitch
Too low and the copter will become sluggish
High powered copter should use a lower gain, under powered copters are a higher gain
In-flight tuning
Rate Roll P and Rate Pitch P can be tuned in flight using your transmitters channel 6 tuning knob by
following these instructions:
1. Connect your APM/Pixhawk/PX4 to the Mission Planner
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2. On the mission planner, select Config/Tuning >> APM:Copter Pids

3. Set the CH6 Opt to Rate Roll/Pitch kP
4. Set Min to 0.08, Max to 0.20 (most copters ideal gain is within this range although from a small
number of copter the Max can be as high as 0.25)
5. Push the Write Params button
6. Turn your transmitters CH6 tuning knob to the minimum position, press the Refresh Params
button and ensure that the Rate Roll P and Rate Pitch P values become 0.08 (or something very
close)
7. Turn the CH6 knob to its maximum position, press Refresh Params and ensure the Rate Roll P
moves to 0.20
8. Move the CH6 knob back to the middle
9. Arm and fly your copter in Stabilize mode adjusting the ch6 knob until you get a copter that is
responsive but not wobbly
10. After the flight, disconnect your lipo battery and reconnect the APM to the mission planner
11. With the CH6 knob in the position that gave the best performance, return to the ArduCopter Pids
screen and push the Refresh Params button
12. In the Rate Roll P and Rate Pitch P fields re-type the value that you see but just slightly modified
so that the mission planner recongises that its changed and resends to the APM/PX4 (Note: if
you re-type exactly the same number as what appears in Rate Roll P it wont be updated). So for
example if the Rate Roll P appears as 0.1213 make it 0.1200
13. Set Ch6 Opt back to None and push Write Params
14. Push the Disconnect button on the top right, and the Connect
15. Ensure that the Rate Roll P value is the value that you retyped in step #12
Note: while you are moving the tuning knob the values update at 3 times per second. The need to press
the Refresh button in the mission planner in steps #6 and #7 above is just because the APM:Copter is not
sending the updates to the mission planner in real-time.
Video of in-flight tuning

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AC_ThrottleMid
http://copter.ardupilot.tridgell.net/wiki/ac_throttlemid/
Content
Setting Throttle Mid
Table of Contents
Setting Throttle Mid

If you have a slightly overpowered or underpowered copter the throttle required to keep the vehicle in a
stable hover may be under 40% or over 60%. Although this is fine while flying purely stabilize mode it
can lead to a rough transition to autopilot modes (Alt Hold, Loiter) where having the throttle outside of
the 40% ~ 60% deadzone will be interpreted as meaning you want the copter to climb or descend.
For this reason it is a good idea to adjust the Throttle Mid parameter (also known as THR_MID) so that
your mid throttle while in stabilize mode is closer to 50%.
Please follow these instructions to adjust your manual throttle to so that your copter hovers at 50%
throttle:
Fly your copter in stabilize mode in a stable hover for at least 30 seconds
Disconnect your lipo battery and connect your APM/PX4 to the Mission Planner
Go to the Terminal screen and download your latest dataflash log file (more details on working
with dataflash logs can be found here)
After the download has completed, close the Log window and push the Log Browse button
and open the latest file in the log directory (its last digit will be the Log number you downloaded
so in the example above we downloaded Log #1 so the filename will end in 1.log)
When the Log Browser appears, scroll down until you find any CTUN message. Click on the
rows ThrOut column and push Graph this data Left button.
While referring to the scale on the left of the graph, estimate approximately what the throttle level
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was during the hover. In the example above (which was an unnecessarily long flight) the mid
throttle appears to be about 550.
Note: if the average throttle is below 300 (i.e. 30%) then you have a
very overpowered copter and it would be best to add a some extra
weight (i.e. a bigger battery perhaps) or reduce the power in some
other way (smaller motors, move from a 4S to a 3S battery, etc)
If the average throttle is above 700 (i.e. 70%) then you have a very
underpowered copter. You should consider increasing the power of
the motors and ESCs or use a higher voltage battery (i.e. switch
from a 3S to a 4S battery).
Open the Mission Planners Software > Standard Params screen and update the Throttle Mid
Position (THR_MID) to the value estimated above (youll find it near the bottom of the list)
Push the Write Params button
On your next flight you should find the throttle is closer to mid while flying in stabilize mode
_______________________________________________
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AC_TipsForNewPilots
http://copter.ardupilot.tridgell.net/wiki/ac_tipsfornewpilots/
Content
Getting Off the Ground Tips for New Operators
First flight
Tips for your first flights
Warning about low batteries
Table of Contents
Getting Off the Ground Tips for New Operators

This page gives some advice on initial flying strategies for those with limited or no previous experience
flying RC aircraft or multicopters.
Contents
1 Getting Off the Ground Tips for New Operators
2 First flight
3 Tips for your first flights
4 Warning about low batteries
First flight
Hold the copter still and level after connecting the battery while the gyroscopes initialize. Ensure that
your RC mode toggle switch is in Stabilize mode. Slowly raise the throttle until the copter just lifts off the
ground.
If it seems like its going to flip or otherwise isnt lifting relatively straight up, drop the throttle and land
it. Hold the copter firmly in your hand and level in the air and with the props clear of your body,
advance the throttle a bit to get a feel for whats going on. When you move the stick forward, back, right
and left, does the copter tilt that way? (If not, youve set the wrong +/x orientation, hooked up your
motors in the wrong order or have the prop direction or pusher/puller order wrong).
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If any of the controls are reversed (pitch or roll are backwards, meaning the copter moves in the opposite
direction as your stick), youll need to reverse the affected channel at your RC transmitter side. Please see
your RC transmitters manual if youre not familiar with the process. Its a good idea to re-do your RC
calibration in the Mission Planner after youve reversed a channel.
If it lifts off smoothly, you may see a little yaw. That shouldnt be more than about 30 degrees and will
correct itself with more flying time. There should be no pronounced wobble (if there is, you may have an
unbalanced prop or out-of-true motor).
The copter should also tend to stay in place, and you shouldnt have to fight strong tendencies to move
left or right or forward or back. If you do see that behavior, do NOT use your RC trims to correct (this
just throws off the calibration). Instead, it probably means that the copter may not have been completely
flat during calibration or the airframe is out of true (one motor tilted). Land and correct that.
If youre having trouble and the copter is not hovering smoothly, run through the troubleshooting guide
(Here!)
Assuming that all is fine so far, youre ready for more advanced modes, such as Alt Hold and Loiter.
Tips for your first flights

Make sure you are in a wind free environment. (Wind will play against you on in air auto trim.)
Make sure you have no trim on your Radio. (The APM is what we want to trim, the radio should
never get trimmed.)
Hold the copter still and level after connecting the battery to allow the gyroscopes to initialize.
Get above ground effect, around 3-4 feet is enough on most models.
Make sure to practice a lot before you actually try the auto trim to find the sweet spot on the Radio
right stick to have the copter super stable and not moving. (This is where wind affect your inputs.)
We recommend not starting in Simple mode. Begin your flying in the basic Stabilize mode.
APM:Copter establishes its home position at the time of arming, so arm your copter in the
location you wish to designate as the home position.
Warning about low batteries

When flying APM:Copter, you need to keep in mind that it flies much differently than a winged
airplane. In an airplane, lift is generated by the wing and you still have control surfaces for maneuvering
if the motor were to stop. Multicopters generate lift solely from the thrust of the motors, so if your battery
is excessively depleted, you have no lift and no control over your APM:Copter, and it may flip over and
crash without a gradual warning. During first flights, fly only short durations until you know your battery
consumption and use one of the following batteries monitoring methods to ensure that you always have
enough power remaining to safely land your copter (and not ruin the battery).
The APM 2.5 power module and PX4 have Battery voltage monitoring built in. For more
information, visit the 3DR Power Module for Measuring Voltage and Current page.
You may also program your ESCs to use a slow or no cutoff at low voltages.
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For APM 2 or 2.5 without power module it is HIGHLY recommended you install a Battery
Voltage Monitor: (Here!)
For 3S LiPo batteries, the two wires can be soldered to the P-PCB directly, or you can
connect to the balancing plug of your battery.
The battery voltage monitor linked above has a buzzer and LEDs that function as follows:
Voltage
LED
Buzzer
> 11.0v
10.0v 11.0v
9.8v 10.0v
< 9.8v
Solid Blue
Flashing Blue
Solid Red
Flashing Red
Off
Off
Off
On
Note: If you are using a battery monitor, always connect the main LiPo battery wire before
connecting the balancing port wire to the APM.
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Acro Mode
http://copter.ardupilot.tridgell.net/wiki/acro-mode/
Content
Acro Mode
Overview
Acro Trainer
Tuning Parameters
Advanced Tuning Parameters
User Videos
Table of Contents
Acro Mode
Contents
1 Acro Mode
2 Overview
3 Acro Trainer
4 Tuning Parameters
5 Advanced Tuning Parameters
6 User Videos
Overview
Acro mode (Rate mode) uses the RC sticks to control the angular velocity of the copter. Release the sticks
and the vehicle will maintain its current attitude and will not return to level. Acro mode is useful for
aerobatics such as flips or rolls, or FPV when smooth and fast control is desired.
The throttle is completely manual with no compensation for tilt angle of the vehicle. If the pilot
puts the throttle completely down the motors will go to their minimum rate.
AC3.1 and higher include an Acro Trainer functionality that can be turned on/off to make learning
to fly Acro easier.
Stick inputs are interpreted in the body frame (as opposed to Sport mode in which they are
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earth frame). The difference between body frame and earth frame is most obvious when
the vehicle is leaned over. For example when pitched forward at 45degrees, when left yaw is
applied if using an earth frame controller (i.e. Sport mode) the copter will maintain its pitch and
roll angles as its heading changes. With a body frame controller like Acro it will rotate about the
vehicles vertical axis meaning the pitch angle will become the roll angle and the roll angle will
become the pitch angle.
Warning: Acro is the most difficult flight mode to master and you can look forward to crashing multiple
times before you get the hang of it.
The above video was filmed with a Pixhawk running AC3.2 in ACRO mode using FPV goggles.
Acro Trainer
The ACRO_TRAINER parameter can be set to:
0 = disabled. This means the pilot operates in full Rate control with no
automatic leveling nor angle-limiting performed by the autopilot.
1 = automatic leveling. The vehicle will automatically return to the level
when the pilot releases the sticks. The aggressiveness with which it returns
to level can be controlled with the ACRO_BAL_ROLL and
ACRO_BAL_PITCH parameters. The default of 1.0 will cause it to return
to level at up to 30deg/sec. Higher values will make it return more quickly.
2 (Default) = automatic leveling and lean angle limited. Includes the
automatic levelling as option #1 but in addition the vehicle will not lean
more than 45 degrees (this angle can be configured with the ANGLE_MAX
parameter).
The trainer can be enabled/disabled using the Ch7/Ch8 switches. With a 3 position switch the off
position (i.e. PWM < 1200) will disable the trainer, middle position will enable option #1 (automatic
leveling) and the top position (i.e. PWM > 1800) will enable option #2 (leveling and lean angle limited).
With a 2 position switch only options #0 (disabled) and option #2 (leveling & limited) are possible.
Tuning Parameters
ACRO_RP_P controls the rotation rate for the roll and pitch axis. The default, 4.5, will command
a 200deg/sec rotation rate. Higher values lead to higher rotation rates, lower to slower rotation
rates.
ACRO_YAW_P controls the rotation rate for the yaw axis. The default, 4.5, like roll and pitch,
will command a 200deg/sec rotation rate.
ACRO_EXPO is an amount of Exponential to apply to the pilots stick inputs that only applies to
ACRO mode. By default, ACRO mode is much more responsive, even in the center-sticks
positions, than the other modes, so this parameter allows the pilot to fine-tune stick response in the
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control to match what they feel when they are in other modes such as Stabilize, AltHold, PosHold,
etc. The default value of 0 applies 30% expo to Roll and Pitch demands from the pilot.
Advanced Tuning Parameters

After you have become very confident with flying in ACRO mode, you may want to go deeper in to
tuning it based on your vehicles performance characteristics. These parameters should be adjusted by
advanced users only with the intent of removing bounce after very fast roll or flip maneuvers on a
vehicle that you are confident is very well tuned. Note that these parameters are global parameters that
apply to all flight modes, not just ACRO.
ATC_RATE_RP_MAX maximum rotation rate in roll/pitch axis.
ATC_RATE_Y_MAX maximum rotation rate in yaw axis
ATC_ACCEL_RP_MAX: Maximum acceleration in roll/pitch axis measured in Centidegres/sec/sec. Lets say you have a highly nimble quadcopter and you have your ACRO_RP_P
parameter set to 9, which translates to a roll request of ~400deg/sec. The copter is not physically
capable of going from 0deg/sec to 400deg/sec without a brief moment of acceleration. During that
time, error is building up in the controller in order to get you to 400deg/sec. When you let off the
sticks, that error can still be present, resulting in an overshoot of desired attitude, followed by a
bounce-back. This parameter can be tuned to help remove that error during the maneuver and
soften if not remove the bounce-back. Note that this is completely different from tuning the Rate D
terms for Pitch and Roll, and should come only after those terms are properly tuned.
ATC_ACCEL_Y_MAX: Maximum acceleration in Yaw axis measured in Centi-degress/sec/sec.
Same principle as ATC_ACCEL_RP_MAX but on the YAW axis based on the ACRO_YAW_P
parameter value (likely a much lower, more attainable value.)
User Videos
_______________________________________________
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Advanced Configuration
by levinemax - Sunday, January 01, 2012
http://copter.ardupilot.tridgell.net/wiki/configuration/
Content
Advanced Configuration & Tuning
Table of Contents
Advanced Configuration & Tuning

This section will take you through the more advanced configuration and tuning options for APM:Copter
Compass Set-up (Advanced) all the compass set-up procedures explained
Failsafes protection for loss of radio contact, low battery, loss of GPS lock, loss of contact with the
ground station
Fence protection against fly-aways
PPM Encoder information
General information on the PPM Encoder
Updating your APMs PPM Encoder firmware important if you purchase your APM before Mar
2013
Updating your APMs PPM Encoder firmware (2) same information as above
Using the stand-alone PPM Encoder
Ch7 & Ch8 Auxiliary Functions features that can be invoked from the Ch7 and Ch8 switches
Tuning main tuning guide for APM:Copter
Attitude Tuning (i.e. more details on Roll and Pitch Tuning)
Altitude Hold Tuning
Loiter and Navigation Tuning
APM: Copter parameters:
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Full parameter list

Standard parameter list
Command Line Interface (CLI) for those who dont like graphical user interfaces
CLI for radio and flight mode setup, test overview
CLI for testing radio input
CLI for dumping contents of eeprom
Testing your APMs accelerometer and gyro sensors
Done all the above? Then youre ready for Mission Planning and Analysis!
_______________________________________________
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Adding an OSD board (MinimOSD) for FPV

by mohammedK - Monday, May 20, 2013
http://copter.ardupilot.tridgell.net/wiki/optional-additions/adding-an-osd-board-minimosd-for-fpv/
_______________________________________________
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Advanced MultiCopter Design

by alex - Wednesday, February 12, 2014
http://copter.ardupilot.tridgell.net/wiki/advanced-multicopter-design/
Content
There are several popular frame layouts for MultiCopters
Motors, propellers and ESCs
Professional Grade Power System for large Quadcopters (28? Propellers)
Professional Grade Power System for Medium Quadcopters (16? Propellers)
A Hyper Efficient Medium Small Professional Grade Motor For Long Endurance
Professional Grade Power System for Small Quadcopters (10? 14? Propellers)
Consumer Grade Power System for Medium Quadcopters (15? 16? Propellers)
Consumer Grade Power System for Small Quadcopters (8? 12? Propellers)
The MultiCopter Frame
The Carbon Fiber or Fiberglass Tube and Plate Frame
Using manufactured Plastic and Fiberglass Components in Your Own Frames.
Homemade waterproof frame using a hinged electrical box
Vacuum Formed Frames and Components.
Specific Building Examples and Techinques
A Small Quadcopter Optimised to Use High Efficiency Lithium Batteries
Links To Specific MultiCopter Builds
A Commercial MultiCopter Exhibiting Advanced Design Concepts
Conclusion and Additional Design Considerations.
Table of Contents

Contents
1 Advanced MultiCopter Design
2 There are several popular frame layouts for MultiCopters
3 Motors, propellers and ESCs
3.1 Professional Grade Power System for large Quadcopters (28? Propellers)
3.2 Professional Grade Power System for Medium Quadcopters (16? Propellers)
3.3 A Hyper Efficient Medium Small Professional Grade Motor For Long Endurance
3.4 Professional Grade Power System for Small Quadcopters (10? 14? Propellers)
3.5 Consumer Grade Power System for Medium Quadcopters (15? 16? Propellers)
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3.6 Consumer Grade Power System for Small Quadcopters (8? 12? Propellers)
4 The MultiCopter Frame
4.1 The Carbon Fiber or Fiberglass Tube and Plate Frame
4.2 Using manufactured Plastic and Fiberglass Components in Your Own Frames.
4.3 Homemade waterproof frame using a hinged electrical box
4.4 Vacuum Formed Frames and Components.
5 Specific Building Examples and Techinques
5.1 A Small Quadcopter Optimised to Use High Efficiency Lithium Batteries
6 Links To Specific MultiCopter Builds
7 A Commercial MultiCopter Exhibiting Advanced Design Concepts
8 Conclusion and Additional Design Considerations.
Please Note! this wiki section is for those interested in constructing and possibly even
designing their own Multicopter.
For information on understanding how a multicopter works please go Here
For information on how to build your own simple Quadcopter using kits or frames go
Here
For information on building or setting up a copter for first Person View (FPV) go
Here
There are several popular frame layouts for MultiCopters

The Tricopter uses 3 motor / propeller propulsion units with a servo to rotate one of them to
compensate for adverse yaw.
Tricopters were popular early on when the brushless motor / propeller units were new and
scarce.
They suffer from less than stellar performance and do not scale well to larger sizes.
But they still have some popularity for small, light hobby use applications.
Because this is primarily an outdated design we will not expand further on it in this article.
The very popular Quadcopter has 4 motor/propeller units and is available in any size.
A Quadcopter is an elegantly simple design and is hands down the most popular layout for
a whole lot of reasons.
Quadcopters are symmetrical and embody the simplest principle of operation for
controlling roll, pitch, yaw and motion.
Simply varying the speed of each of the motors provides full 3D motion and rotation and
hover capability.
They are relatively inexpensive to produce and they scale well to production
manufacturing techniques.
In various sizes and layouts they are capable of actually performing useful tasks beyond
simply flying around.
Their primary drawback is that a single motor failure generally results in an abrupt descent
to the ground (crash).
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A very wide variety of materials and techniques can be employed to produce a useful
Quadcopter.
There are several popular configurations for QuadCopters:
X with and X frame arm layout and the front and back of the copter between 2
propellers.
+ with with the same kind of X frame layout as above but with the front and back
of the copter in line with one of the propellers.
Dead Cat a variation on X which in which the frame arms are further apart in the
front and the back than they are side to side.
Name actually comes from Bart Jansen a Dutch artist who stuffed his
expired cat and made a Quadcopter out of it.
H which has frame side arms running between the motors on each side and
connected with one or more frame arms in the middle.
Square which has frame arms connecting between motors (and usually intermediate
frame arms supporting a central frame.)
And variations including ones with the motors laid out on a circle.
Most of them primarily operate the same as the X frame (provides better camera
exposure between motors among other things).
I recommend the standard X frame design because it is strong and simple and its
natural symmetry balances flying forces better.
A humming bird sized Estes Proto X is shown below.
A well made and very practical and versatile 3DR Iris Quadcopter capable of taking video
and photos with the popular GoPro camera.
Excellent design and high quality components like the high strength Zytel frame
arms and high impact shell ensure a long useful life.
A fifteen thousand dollar SteadyDrone Q4D-X Quadcopter with 28? propellers, 8KG
lifting capability and claimed 60 minute flight times.
For professional use, HexaCopters and OctoCopters with 6 and 8 Motor/propeller

propulsion units are popular.
Hexacopters, Octocopters, Hex Ys and Octo Xs can provide stable heavy lift platforms
good for photography and other uses.
Hex and Octocopters may have the benefit of potentially being able to continue to fly with
a single motor failure.
However the increased complexity versus a Quadcopter makes them more failure prone.
The reduction in prop size and increase in prop speed result in a smoother flight than an
equivalent large blade Quadcopter.
However it also results in some reduction in flight efficiency and endurance all other
things being equal.
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Hex Y6 and Octo X8 designs with pairs of coaxial motor/propeller units mounted back to
back are also becoming popular.
The coaxial push pull motor/prop units of the Hex Y and Octo X provide the most lift in
the smallest area but at the cost of efficiency.
These Y Hex and X Octo designs are simple and compact with good lifting capability and
single motor failure tolerance.
Singlecopters and Coax copters are very new designs and have some advantages in specific
applications.
Since they tend to a single ducted body for either the one or two motor/propeller units they
tend to be self protected indoors.
The coax copter which relies on variable thrust on each of its 2 props for rotation is
functionally simpler than the single copter.
The side profile of the ducted body makes these copters more susceptible to winds
outdoors requiring more effort to compensate.
While generally good at hovering and fine positioning, they are more speed and
performance limited than other multicopter designs.
The Singlecopter in particular is reasonably adaptable to gasoline engines for much greater
endurance.
The possibility of using a single large propeller implies that good efficiencies could be
realized even with an electric versions.
The Singlecopter features a single motor/propeller unit with 4 servo controlled vanes to
direct roll, pitch and yaw.
The Coaxcopter has dual motor/propeller units for thrust and yaw control and 2 servo
controlled vanes for roll and pitch.
There are also variable pitch Multicopters for incredible acrobatic performance.
Variable pitch multicopters have some interesting potential uses as well like the Curtis
Youngblood Stingray 500 shown below.
Servo control of the props (rotors) produces roll, pitch and yaw so they are often powered
by a single motor with shaft or belt drive.
If you use a single motor it is feasible to use a gasoline engine giving you the potential for
considerable endurance and range.
These are very high performance and can even fly inverted, they are also mechanically
more complex but can be built robustly.
And copters with more than 8 motor/propeller units may be useful for specialized, extreme
(or insane) applications.
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Motors, propellers and ESCs

For multicopters, motors, propellers and ESCs (speed controllers) are critical and have been failure
prone in the past.
This ECalc based Xcopter: motor propeller battery ESC calculator will help you pick the best
components for your copter.
Quadcopter design will be used for illustration as they are the most wide spread and the
most versatile.
But the information applies equally to Hex and Octo designs, either conventional or
coaxial Y and X types.
The brushless out-runner motors have to support the full weight of the copter continuously
while turning at high speed.
Hobby grade motors have often used inadequate Conrad type unsealed bearings which are
good axially but not in thrust.
And the motors are usually open frame to permit the greatest cooling but providing
little or no protection
This has meant an unnecessarily high failure rate and very poor survival in wet or
dusty conditions.
The cheapest possible Chinese motor is never a good choice for something that
literally hangs in the air by its motor.
Some of the best motors have 2 or better 3 easily replaceable ABEC-7 bearings, RCTigerMotor Pro series and KDE for instance.
The best motors are well ventilated, made with high temperature components and
coated and sealed for environmental protection.
The best motors like TMotor and KDE have performance comparison charts, these
should be reviewed when designing a copter
You are best off selecting motor prop battery cell combinations that will
provide 10% or higher G/W efficiency at 50% throttle.
You should also target you copter design weight so that it hovers at approximately
50% throttle for optimum efficiency and flight time.
Top motors can cost considerably more, but reliability, performance and efficiency
can be much better and worth it in the long run.
Low KV motors running on lower voltage (fewer cells) with large propellers are
the most efficient and provide the longest flight times.
Selecting the best motor, propeller, battery set will enable you to build a copter with a
usable 30 minute flight time including a camera.
You can get 30 minutes from 330 copters with 8? props to 700 size copters with
18? props depending on camera / gimbal weight.
It is very hard to get much more than 30 minutes of usable flight time from any
useful multicopter regardless of size.
For hobby grade components, 20 minute maximum flight times would be a more
realistic goal.
ESCs are also very important.
High quality ESCs are more reliable than cheap ones.
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And ESCs need to be properly sized to ensure they can provide the maximum current that
is necessary.
Generally use the right size not over sized because they are more efficient if
operated in the appropriate range (and lighter).
Sufficient cooling is also very important especially for Heavy Lift copters, and the ESCs
may need to be placed in the air stream.
For small to medium QuadCopters there are four in one ESCs in the 20 30 Amp size
range with several advantages.
They eliminate the need for a power distribution plate or block and all the attendant
wiring.
The considerable reduction in DC wiring results in less magnetometer (compass)
interfering DC EMF radiation.
They can often be conveniently installed tidily in the center of the copter frame.
The 20 and 25 amp ones work with 3 or 4 cell LiPo batteries and the 30 amp one
works with 3 to 6 cell batteries.
They have a built in aluminum heat sink plate on one side (which you can augment
with a finned heat sink if necessary).
You can use a thin layer of Fujik silicone thermal glue to attach a finned heat sink
if one is needed.
They generally have higher reliability than individual ESCs and are reasonably
priced.
Larger diameter slower turning propellers are normally a lot more efficient than smaller,
faster ones.
But there are limits and drawbacks:
Trying to turn too large a prop for a given motor can cause it to overheat so motors
usually have a maximum prop size.
Also, really large, slow props can reduce the responsiveness of the multicopter and
even cause it to oscillate in the air or vibrate.
Unless taken to extremes these difficulties are not usually significant and can be
compensated for by various means.
And you can always drop the diameter an inch if the handling characteristics or
motor stress are not what you want.
There are also different designs of propellers and for larger ones turning at slower speeds
design is especially critical.
Carbon fiber designs with cupped blades that are wider at the hub and narrower at
the tip are best for larger sizes 14? and over.
Smaller ones in the 14? and under category can be of more conventional design
with a wider than normal blade and of plastic or CF.
Often motors are charted with specific propellers and these are certainly the best
starting point for optimum performance.
TMotor is considered a premium prop, but good results have been obtained with
RC-Timer and Tarot in the large tapered props.
APC, DJI, GemFan, RC Drones and Graupner all produce good props in the 14?
and under category.
Professional Grade Power System for large Quadcopters (28? Propellers)
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The Tigermotor U8 Pro Series motor is currently top of the line for a commercially available
(large) copter motor.
It features Environmentally protected, closed construction and easily replaceable bearings.
They have very high quality two piece 27, 28 and 29? carbon fiber propellers for them as
well
And a top quality 70 AMP ESC (speed controller) to go with it.
U8 Pro T-Motor $300.00, 28? CF Props $370.00 a pair, 70 Amp Pro ESC $110.00 @ four
each = $2380.00.
These are used in the large Steadidrone Quadcopter shown above, clearly a top quality
professional and expensive product.
This is a very heavy lift and long endurance copter and is completely excessive and
hazardous for most uses and needs.
This combination will work well for a Quadcopter with a total weight of up to 24 pounds
and can achieve 40 minute flight times.
This is a copter designed for very serious uses that demand its heavy lift and long
endurance capabilities and is not for amateurs.
Disaster relief, search and rescue, fire spotting, surveillance, ecological and geographical
survey and mapping are appropriate uses.
Professional Grade Power System for Medium Quadcopters (16? Propellers)
Clearly, applying similar quality to a more reasonably sized (and cost) copter is normally
going to be a lot more practical.
A 380KV T-Motor 4008 is $85.00, 165 CF Prop $90.00 a pair and 30 Amp Pro ESC
$50.00 @ four each = $720.00.
This setup will work well for a copter up to 10 pounds or so and provide exceptional
durability, efficiency and endurance.
This is a very practical setup for a professional Quadcopter for photo or video use with full
sized cameras and a brushless gimbal.
It can be set up to let you choose 4S 14.8 volt, 5S 18.8 volt or 6S 22.2 volt batteries and
14? to 17? props according to your total weight.
With a proper setup you could reasonably expect to achieve practical 30 minute plus flight
times with full camera equipment.
This is a very superior ($120.00) KDE 4014XF-380KV Motor with 3 large replaceable ABEC
bearings rated at about 200 hours.
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This motor is capable of using 13? to 18? propellers and operating very efficiently with a
wide range of batteries from 3 cell to 6 cell.
This KDE Motor has a phenomenal range of operation and can be used on a 7 pound to a
20 pound Quadcopter.
Every component and manufacturing technique was clearly optimized to produce the best
possible motor without compromise.
This motor has a finned heat-sink case and a self ventilated design with high temperature
encapsulated components.
In fact it is designed to run, if necessary, continuously at temperatures that would instantly
destroy most other motors.
It is reasonable to expect that various configurations could provide well over an hour of
useful operating time with cameras.
It is feasible to produce a QuadCopter that will approach the performance of the
$15,000.00 Steadidrone at a fraction of the cost.
A similar practical lifting capability and nearly 40 minute useful flight times should be
achievable even with 18? Propellers.
And given the extreme over design and ruggedness of the motors, similar reliability and
longevity could also be expected.
This is the motor I will be using in my next Quadcopter and I will allow for up to 18?
propellers.
A Hyper Efficient Medium Small Professional Grade Motor For Long Endurance
The $70.00 T-Motor MN3508 380KV Navigator series motor is ideal for long flight time
applications.
This is the only motor in this size that can get G/W efficiencies over 17 at 50 percent throttle.
If you want to build a 4-8 pound copter for maximum endurance this is the motor to use with a 4
cell LiPo.
Because of its extremely high efficiency in its hover range it is also a candidate for high
efficiency lithium batteries.
Panasonic or LGs high power Lithium batteries have about twice the energy density of the LiPos
we normally use.
But maximum discharge is only 2C so low current draw is required, the high efficiency of these
motors can provide that.
Carbon fiber 14? to 16? propellers will be required.
Professional Grade Power System for Small Quadcopters (10? 14? Propellers)
The largest market segment is for Quadcopters in frame sizes that use 10 to 14 inch
propellers and weigh 3 to 7 pounds.
The 650 KV T-Motor MT3506 at $65.00 is a high quality small but powerful pancake that
can turn props from 11? to 14? diameter.
With a 3 cell LiPo battery and T-Motor 14? prop at $73.00 a pair it can lift up to 7 pounds
and achieve very good endurance.
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Add 4 T-Motor 18 Amp ESCs at $27.00 @ four each = $514.00 for top quality motors,
props and ESCs.
This small pancake motor can achieve good efficiency with 3S 11.1 volt or 4S 14.8 volt
LiPo batteries and an appropriate sized prop.
The frame should be sized to accept up to 14? propellers and various battery
configurations.
It should be configurable to achieve 20+ minute flight times with a GoPro size camera and
brushless gimbal plus FPV or telemetry.
This would still be a very capable and rugged Quadcopter capable of professional results
and reliability.
The above Motor / Propeller / ESC setups are all as close to professional quality as we can
currently make them.
Consumer Grade Power System for Medium Quadcopters (15? 16? Propellers)
It is also possible to build a reasonably reliable and efficient Quadcopter using less expensive
components.
The $45.00 SunnySky 390KV X4112S motor or the really low cost $18.00 RCTimer
5010-14 360KV motors.
Which will work well with an easy to install and low EMF $40.00 Hobbywing four in one
ESC.
And they both work well with RCTimer 155.5? (4 for $28.00) or 165.5? (4 for $35.00) CF
propellers.
The Sunnysky Combo will cost about $260.00 and work very efficiently for copters up to
about ten pounds.
The RCTimer Combo will cost about $150.00 and will provide extended flight time for
copters up to about 6 pounds.
These motors will both actually support up to 17? propellers and work with 3 to 6 cell
LiPo batteries.
You could still design a copter that would get 30 minute flight times while carrying a
GoPro and gimbal if desired.
The frame for either of these motors should be designed to support at least 16? prop
diameter and 17? would be better.
These will not last as long nor be as reliable as the previous T-Motor configurations but
will still deliver lots of solid use.
Consumer Grade Power System for Small Quadcopters (8? 12? Propellers)
Here is a durable and low cost alternative for powering smaller hobby or even semi-pro sub
5 pound Quadcopters.
43 / 111
The DJI 2212 Motors provided with their low cost ARF Flamewheel Quadcopters are
unusually durable and cost $24.00 each.
And DJIs specially hubbed 10? plastic props at $8.00 a pair are well balanced, efficient
and rugged.
And this easy to use $40.00 four in one ESC eliminates a power distribution board,
reduces EMF and provides good reliability.
For $150.00 you can actually get quite a useful and durable power system for a smaller
sub five pound quadcopter.
The $40.00 SunnySky X4108S pancake motor is also capable of being used on Quadcopters
lifting up to 10 pounds.
It is well regarded, efficient and durable and is suitable for use with 14? or 15? propellers
and 4 cell to 6 cell LiPo batteries.
Clearly these are not the only alternatives.

If you want to use your copter for constant, professional use you will want something like
the first 3 configurations.
For occasional, hobby or non-critical use for flying, FPV and / or personal video or
photography the others should be OK.
The KDE and Pro T-Motors bearings will last longer and are more weather proof and
reliable than the less expensive alternatives.
And the more expensive Carbon Fiber props are more efficient, better balanced and more
durable than cheaper alternatives.
But properly installed on an appropriate copter the less expensive alternatives listed can
provide many reliable hours of flying.
I have favored slow speed pancake motors because efficiency and flight time benefit from
the larger propellers they can use.
The above illustrates just some of the possibilities in identifying an appropriate power
system for your project.
The MultiCopter Frame

There are many types of frames and it is most important to put together a frame that is appropriate
for your use.
There are a lot of Multicopter frame types and many are available as bare frame kits or Almost
Ready To Fly or Ready To Fly copters.
Most professional grade Multicopters are made from fiberglass and carbon fiber cut tubing
and plate.
Carbon fiber is very strong, but is also brittle and can shatter on impact, it is also
hard to machine and to glue to.
Fiberglass weighs a bit more for equivalent strength but is more shatter resistant
and easier to machine and glue to.
44 / 111
Fiberglass or carbon fiber tube and sheet construction are very suitable to use for
making your own copters.
Many consumer grade Multicopters are made with injection molded plastic parts and
aluminum tubing.
Some injection molded parts can be very durable (the Iriss Zytel frame arms for
instance), but others are cheap and break easily.
Square aluminum tubing frame arms are common, but they tend to bend or break
with annoying frequency in normal mishaps.
Except in specialized welded H or box frames aluminum tubing frame arms are sub
optimal and will not be covered in depth here.
Some of the newer, smaller, commercially made Quadcopters have monolithic injection
molded plastic shells.
On smaller copters these shells can be quite durable but they would be too fragile
on larger ones even if mold costs were justified.
A few Quadcopters have monolithic shells made from vacuum formed laminated Kydex or
other plastic sheet
Vacuum formed shells of laminated Kydex have proven very durable on small
copters and are very good for waterproof uses.
At least one vacuum formed copter has been made with built in blade guards the
Safe Flight 4410 (unfortunately out of business).
Hand laid fiberglass or carbon fiber is also popular on high end quadcopters.
There are some very attractive, hard to get and not inexpensive hand laid fiberglass
and carbon fiber shells made by DeX.
There are also a variety of fiberglass shells for civilian, commercial and military
use including an amphibious one.
Fiberglass shells tend to be expensive and may get damaged in use and can be
difficult to repair.
Each type of construction has advantages and disadvantages and it is very important to
figure out what is important for your needs.
Prop to prop and prop to frame clearance limit the max diameter of your propeller blades.
Allowing for various prop diameters will let you tune the copter for its current
weight, batteries and function..
Generally allow an additional half inch of clearance from prop tip to tip or to center
frame to avoid asymmetrical prop wash vibration.
A major design criteria is to size the frame appropriately for the largest propellers
you might ever want to use.
Generally bigger propeller diameter equals better efficiency and an X frame layout
normally permits the largest possible props.
Of course the motor speed and power and frame strength have to be matched to the
propeller diameter and to total lifting capacity.
Pancake Low KV, Low RPM motors can turn bigger propellers efficiently.
It is possible to overlap prop tips if you have one above the other, but it does affect
efficiency and induces asymmetric vibration.
Big slow props can have adverse vibration, instability, gust compensation and
response rate issues also so that is a downside.
The additional motors of Hex and Octocopters can permit single motor out recovery and
45 / 111
provide for smoother flight for photo uses.

But they need to use smaller propellers because of motor to motor clearance which
is less efficient resulting in shorter flight times.
There is also additional cost and weight of the frames and extra motors and
propellers.
And, the overall increase in complexity also reduces reliability.
High quality extended service larger pancake motors and props are just starting to
become available.
So we are likely to see a shift to large Quadcopters from Hexacopters and
Octocopters even for professional and commercial uses.
The Carbon Fiber or Fiberglass Tube and Plate Frame
The carbon fiber or fiberglass tube and plate frame is popular because it is strong and light and
easily manufactured.
The Tarot 650 is a typical layout medium sized carbon fiber Quadcopter frame that can
work with up to 17? propellers.
It features folding arms and landing gear.
Its ability to support pancake motors and 17? props means it can provide long flight
times.
Some people have said the quality of construction is not as good as it could be but for
$125.00 it is an amazing bargain.
Fabrication requirements and techniques for fiberglass and carbon fiber tube and plate
copters.
On the copters shown above the method of attachment is by clamping carbon fiber tube frame
arms with aluminum brackets.
This is because of the difficulties in attaching carbon fiber parts as well as the stress that
can result from drilling the tubing.
Fiberglass is not quite as strong or light as carbon fiber but it is more flexible and easier to
join and machine.
If what you need is available in a commercial frame kit you are normally better off buying it as
you will spend more making your own.
It will also take a lot of time and effort to design the copter, to obtain the components and
to, cut, drill, machine and fabricate them.
There is also a strong possibility that design and fabrication mistakes and misperceptions
will require that some things get redone.
If you have sufficient reason to make your own frame, tube and plate construction is generally the
most practical for home production.
It is reasonable to mix materials, commonly carbon fiber frame tubes and fiberglass central and
motor mounting plates.
Carbon fiber and fiberglass tubing and plate can be cut with a hacksaw or power jig or
band saw (with metal or fiberglass blades).
It can also be drilled and milled with HSS or TC coated drills and mills, but all
46 / 111
tooling wears out very quickly cutting these materials.

Carbon fiber in particular is tricky to cut, drill and machine, it can tear, shatter or delaminate if not done smoothly and slowly.
A drill press is mandatory for carbon fiber, you cant center punch a pilot drill hole,
so it needs to be held precisely in place.
Avoid milling of carbon fiber if at all possible, it is very difficult to accomplish
satisfactory results.
You will see carbon fiber plates that have milled slots on consumer copters but
these have generally been cut with a water jet.
With carbon fiber you will generally get better results drilling precision placed
holes rather than attempting to mill slots in it.
You can carefully and slowly cut a carbon fiber plates exterior edges with a power
saw and smooth them with a Dremel tool.
If you must put in slots consider drilling a hole at each end and using a small
circular saw on a Dremel or flex shaft to connect them.
It will be necessary to provide appropriate brackets to clamp the motor mounts and central hub to
the frame arm tubes.
Tubing needs to be clamped but must not be crushed, silicone or rubber gasket can
provide protection and vibration isolation.
Hardware should be aluminum or stainless steel machine screws and you can use Nylok
nuts or Blue Loctite on regular nuts.
Plate separation and mounting can be provided with Nylon or aluminum standoffs.
(Note: It would be really nice if somebody made an X internal slip-glue fit ferrule for the
center of the frame tubes but they dont yet!)
There are a wide variety of Carbon fiber and epoxy fiberglass components to choose from.
Carbon fiber products are available from RockWest Composites and Carbon Fiber
Tube Shop and Dragon Plate
A really good article on cutting and gluing carbon fiber products from Carbon
Fiber Tube Shop
Fiberglass and Carbon Fiber products are available from: CST Sales and ACP
Sales
A datasheet for 3M 2216 Epoxy Glue and a source for it Amazon
A datasheet for Loctite 9430 Glue and a source for Loctite 9340 Amazon
Using manufactured Plastic and Fiberglass Components in Your Own Frames.
Although often not reasonable to make yourself some parts can be used effectively in your
own designs.
There are retrofit kits like the Team Blacksheep FPV subframe for a DJI Flamewheel quadcopter
that reuse its plastic frame arms.
And there are many cases where components from various frames can be used to good effect in
our own designs.
Clearly it is necessary to research your individual design to assure that the component pieces are
actually available from the distributors.
Research can provide an excellent source of very desireable components:
Like this effective $15.00 Steadidrones Q4D vibration isolated motor mount for 20mm
47 / 111
carbon fiber tubes.
Or the $14.00 CNC milled ultra tough fiberglass frame arms used in the Hoverthings
Quadcopters:
DJI injection molded frame arms from their Flamewheel copters are used in the TBS
Discovery FPV frame.
And although this injection molded 3DR Iris arm isnt cheap at $27.00 it is made of ultra
strong and resilient Zytel.
Clearly using manufactured parts will require research as to suitability and size for your project as
well as actual availability.
But if you can accommodate them they can make your project simpler and better.
Homemade waterproof frame using a hinged electrical box
An absolutely excellent, very clean, rugged and waterproof design using carbon fiber arms and plastic
electrical and plumbing parts.
Here is a link to Alec Shorts construction article in Makezine

I really like the use of the central 4 way hub for stabilizing the tubes and the slip fit adjustable
tension Ts for motor mounts are also great.
The mounting of an APM or Pixhawk would really require the separate GPS / Magnetometer
module in order to work correctly.
There are a wide variety of latch type weatherproof electrical boxes which could be used for this.
The main requirement is to get CF tube with an outer diameter appropriate to the plumbing /
electrical fittings you want to use.
Ill definitely be visiting the electrical and plumbing section the next time Im in Home Depot.
Vacuum Formed Frames and Components.
Although this is specialized and requires a vacuum forming press it may be justified for
some applications.
A vacuum molding press can be made relatively inexpensively that can make whole small
shell type frames or for components.
Copters made this way can be made weather tight and even water proof and they can be
incredibly tough.
Kydex is a laminated plastic sheet that produces a quite strong monocoque shell when
molded properly.
The no longer in production Safe Flight Copters SFC4410-1 vacuum formed propeller
48 / 111
protected H Quad Frame.
And the inexpensive ($120.00) and extra tough, water proof Aquacopter frame
A fully functional vacuum forming system can actually be constructed with a shop vacuum
and an electric grill.
Vacuum forming can also be used to make central shells for copters with tube, plastic or
fiber glass frame arms.
This may be over specialized for most uses, but if you want to make tough, light central
frame shells or covers.
Or, if you want to build multiple small to medium Quadcopters that are tough and
waterproof this could be just the ticket.
(Or you could just buy an Aquacopter frame!!!)
Specific Building Examples and Techinques

Some design considerations for a medium large, high efficiency, heavy lift Quadcopter build.
A simple, rugged and very versatile X Quadcopter with a frame sized large enough to
accept 18? diameter propellers might include:
High quality 20mm carbon fiber tube frame arms with SteadiDrone motor mounts and
central frame tube clamps from EBay or China.
Cut and drilled carbon fiber or fiberglass top and bottom central frame plates mounted to
the tube clamps and standoffs.
A custom or commercial off the shelf landing gear system.
An optimal Pro configuration might include the top rated $120.00 KDE 4014XF-380KF
motors and a 30 amp 3 6 cell four in one ESC.
The motors and ESC would cost about $540.00 and you would get a copter
tuneable to lift up to 20+ pounds in total weight.
It is reasonable to get this configuration to achieve usable 60 minute flight times
even with photo or video equipment aboard.
A more conservative hobby configuration might include the $40.00 SunnySky X4108S
380KV motors and a 25 amp four in one ESC.
The motors and ESC would cost about $200.00 and you would get a copter
tuneable to lift up to 10+ pounds in total weight.
Even with this setup you could achieve usable flight times in excess of 30 minutes
with small to medium consumer size cameras.
Some additional features that need to be considered are:
A third frame plate under the two frame tube sandwiching plates can accommodate the
batteries, ESCs and Receiver.
A vacuum formed, fabricated or adapted top and bottom shell can weatherproof the copter
and increase its resistance to mishaps.
This frame is less than 27? from corner to corner, but props can be removed for transport
49 / 111
or folding arms could be incorporated.

This frame will be very light and strong and it will allow lots of latitude in how it is set up
and it will be easy to upgrade.
Its ability to accept larger props even with an inexpensive power system will provide
much better than average flight times.
The copters capabilities will be according to the power system selected, the battery
combination used and the total weight.
You can include a camera gimbal under the center plate, make sure the landing gear does
not interfere with the cameras view.
The landing gear should minimize interference with prop wash and provide strong,
resilient and stable support.
If you really are determined to build your own frame, this is a really good place to start.
The above design is a very capable pro-grade Quadcopter with an exceptionally wide
performance and endurance envelope.
A Small Quadcopter Optimised to Use High Efficiency Lithium Batteries
Modern ultra efficient Lithium batteries can have nearly twice the energy per unit weight of the
LiPo batteries we normally use.
3300 mah 3.7volt Panasonic NCR18650B batteries weigh 47 grams versus a normal LiPo
equivalent of about 100 grams per cell.
Their disadvantage is that their maximum discharge rate is only 2C so 6.6 Amps.
They will also last for many times the number of charge discharge cycles of our normal LiPos.
Used properly a copter using these batteries can get nearly twice the flight time of one with the
same weight of LiPo batteries.
The most important factor in designing a copter to use these batteries is to keep the weight low
enough that their is sufficient current.
This quadcopter design uses carefully selected T-Motor MT2206 1200 KV 30 gram motors and
10? props with a light carbon fiber frame.
It includes a 2S 2P 6600mah lithium battery, flight controller, receiver and even an FPV camera
and transmitter.
It weighs about a pound and since the battery is 2 parallel it can provide 13.2 amps of current
(max current is less than 10 amps.)
Xcalc computations show that a hover time of 60 minutes might be possible with a realistic fly
around time of about 30 minutes.
This is an easy to build example of a practical and rugged design with exceptional capabilities and double
the normal flight time.
Links To Specific MultiCopter Builds

Here is a link to Forrest Franzs build of a very simple, very light weight, very strong carbon
fiber Quadcopter frame
50 / 111
And some links to some of Forrests extremely ambitious copter building techniques and concepts.
building-copters-with-round-tubes-stronger-lighter-easier
build-your-own-copter-part-ii
build-your-own-copter-part-iii
build-your-own-copter-part-iv
And here is a link to Luke Cooks very serious, very well thought out and meticulously
executed OctoCopter Build
A link to Stuart Dodins really nice X8 heavy lifter Octocopter
A Commercial MultiCopter Exhibiting Advanced Design Concepts

Here is an example of an excellent QuadCopter design: the Aeryon SkyRanger for high end UAV
applications.
This copter has a lot of things right and is really a study in good design and quality construction.
1. The rotating ball full enclosure camera Gimbal provides good weather protection and improved
performance.
2. The motors are on the bottom under the arms.
1. More aerodynamically efficient with no prop wash interference and very little intake
interference.
2. Noticeably increased flight times, greater lift capability and quieter as well.
3. High torque, low KV pancake style motors and slow turning, large diameter, high efficiency
props.
1. This is much more efficient than faster motors with smaller diameter conventional design
props.
2. This also increases flight times and load capacity and reduces the sound footprint.
4. Tapered carbon fiber frame arms are more aerodynamically efficient and are light and very strong.
5. The fully enclosed weather tight framework with snap latch type access makes maintaining the
copter easy.
6. A simple spring loaded landing gear provides for uneven landing sites and minimal interference
with the prop wash.
This QuadCopter incorporates several excellent design concepts and shows what can be done
without budget constraints.
The Skyranger has features we can use in our own designs but it is important to understand all
designs are compromises.
51 / 111
The 3DRobotics Iris is one of the best designed QuadCopters that you can actually get and it is a
real bargain.
Conclusion and Additional Design Considerations.

I have not covered either 3D printing or CNC machining.
These are both perfectly valid techniques for either whole frames or for parts or
accessories.
But most people do not have the equipment or capability which is why they are not
covered here.
Clearly if you have either of these capabilities they can greatly enhance your copter
projects.
I have also not covered in depth hand laid fiberglass or carbon fiber or vacuum bagging.
You can make Dynamite frames or shells this way but this too requires serious individual
skill and capability (especially carbon fiber).
I have also not gone into detail about the engineering criteria for multicopters:
A. I dont know.
B. From what Ive seen very few people do.
C. One who does is Paul Pounds PHD and here is his Paper on the subject: Quadrotors
If you stick to a simple design and try to keep frame arm to a simple single small tube under
the prop wash it will work fine.
Round tubing has about half the flat plate area (prop wash interference) as the same sized
square tubing.
You can improve efficiency by putting the motor prop under the frame arm but then there
are frame design and clearance issues.
Try to keep the weight centralized as much as possible and keep the flight controller near
the horizontal center if possible.
So that the copter tends to roll and pitch as though pivoting around the center of mass and
around the flight controller.
However it is not as critical as some people have made it out to be because the stabilizing
throttles will automatically compensate.
You can do a lot with a rudimentary understanding of the forces involved, if you need more
it is a career, not a hobby.
_______________________________________________
52 / 111
Advanced Parameter List

by alex - Saturday, May 25, 2013
http://copter.ardupilot.tridgell.net/wiki/5819-2/
Content
Reference Manual Table of Contents

This Advanced Parameter List shows only the first few possible Options due to space limitations.
All Options can be seen in Mission Planner in the Advanced Parameters List by clicking on the
Options item.
Command
Value
ACRO_BAL_PITC 200
H
Units
Options
0 300
ACRO_BAL_ROLL 200
0 300
ACRO_P
1 10
4.5
ACRO_TRAINER 1
0:Disabled,
1:Enabled
AHRS_COMP_BET 0.1
A
0.001 0.5
Description
rate at which pitch
angle returns to level
in acro mode
rate at which roll
angle returns to level
in acro mode
Used to convert pilot
roll, pitch and yaw
input into a dssired
rate of rotation in
ACRO mode.
Higher values mean
faster rate of
rotation.
Set to 1 (Enabled) to
make roll return to
within 45 degrees of
level automatically
This controls the
time constant for the
cross-over frequency
used to fuse AHRS
(airspeed and
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AHRS_GPS_GAIN 1
0.0 1.0
AHRS_GPS_MINS 6
ATS
0 10
AHRS_GPS_USE
0:Disabled,
1:Enabled
heading) and GPS

data to estimate
ground velocity.
Time constant is
0.1/beta. A larger
time constant will
use GPS data less
and a small time
constant will use air
data less.
This controls how
how much to use the
GPS to correct the
attitude. This should
never be set to zero
for a plane as it
would result in the
plane losing control
in turns. For a plane
please use the
default value of 1.0.
Minimum number of
satellites visible to
use GPS for velocity
based corrections
attitude correction.
This defaults to 6,
which is about the
point at which the
velocity numbers
from a GPS become
too unreliable for
accurate correction
of the
accelerometers.
This controls
whether to use deadreckoning or GPS
based navigation. If
set to 0 then the GPS
wont be used for
navigation, and only
dead reckoning will
be used. A value of
zero should never be
used for normal
54 / 111
AHRS_ORIENTATI8
ON
0:None, 1:Yaw45
AHRS_RP_P
0.1
0.1 0.4
AHRS_TRIM_X
-0.175
Radians
-10 10
AHRS_TRIM_Y
-0.175
Radians
-10 10
Radians
m/s
-10 10
0 127
AHRS_TRIM_Z
0
AHRS_WIND_MA 0
X
AHRS_YAW_P
0.1
0.1 0.4
flight.
Overall board
orientation relative
to the standard
orientation for the
board type. This
rotates the IMU and
compass readings to
allow the board to be
oriented in your
vehicle at any 90 or
45 degree angle.
This option takes
affect on next boot.
After changing you
will need to re-level
your vehicle.
This controls how
fast the
accelerometers
correct the attitude
Compensates for the
roll angle difference
between the control
board and the frame
Compensates for the
pitch angle
difference between
the control board
and the frame
Not Used
This sets the
maximum allowable
difference between
ground speed and
airspeed. This allows
the plane to cope
with a failing
airspeed sensor. A
value of zero means
to use the airspeed as
is.
This controls the
weight the compass
or GPS has on the
heading. A higher
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AMP_PER_VOLT 27.32
ARMING_CHECK 1
0:Disabled,
1:Enabled
AXIS_ENABLE
0:Disabled,
1:Enabled
BATT_CAPACITY 1760
mAh
BATT_CURR_PIN -1
-1:Disabled, 1:A1
BATT_MONITOR 0
0:Disabled, 3:Volt
Only
BATT_VOLT_PIN -1
-1:Disabled, 0:A0
value means the

heading will track
the yaw source (GPS
or compass) more
rapidly.
Used to convert the
voltage on the
current sensing pin (
BATT_CURR_PIN)
to the actual current
being consumed in
amps (curr pin
voltage * INPUT_V
OLTS/1024 *
AMP_PER_VOLT )
Allows enabling or
disabling of prearming checks of
receiver,
accelerometer,
barometer and
compass
Used to control
whether acro mode
actively maintains
the current angle
when control sticks
are released
(Enabled =
maintains current
angle)
Battery capacity in
milliamp-hours
(mAh)
Setting this to 0 ~ 13
will enable battery
current sensing on
pins A0 ~ A13.
Controls enabling
monitoring of the
batterys voltage
and current
Setting this to 0 ~ 13
will enable battery
current sensing on
pins A0 ~ A13.
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CAM_DURATION 10
0 50
CAM_SERVO_OFF 1100
CAM_SERVO_ON 1300
CAM_TRIGG_TYP 0
E
CH7_OPT
CH8_OPT
CIRCLE_RADIUS 10
Meters
CIRCLE_RATE
Degrees / second
COMPASS_AUTO 0
DEC
COMPASS_DEC
0.25
COMPASS_LEARN0
Radians
How long the shutter

will be held open in
10ths of a second
(i.e. enter 10 for
1second, 50 for
5seconds)
1000 2000
PWM value to move
servo to when
shutter is deactivated
1000 2000
PWM value to move
servo to when
shutter is activated
0:Servo, 1:Relay
how to trigger the
camera to take a
picture
0:Do Nothing, 2:FlipSelect which
function if
performed when
CH7 is above 1800
pwm
0:Do Nothing, 2:FlipSelect which
function if
performed when
CH8 is above 1800
pwm
1 127
Defines the radius of
the circle the vehicle
will fly when in
Circle flight mode
-90 90
Circle modes turn
rate in degrees /
second. Positive to
turn clockwise,
negative for counter
clockwise
0:Disabled,
Enable or disable the
1:Enabled
automatic
calculation of the
declination based on
gps location
-3.142 3.142
An angle to
compensate between
the true north and
magnetic north
0:Disabled,
1:Enabled
automatic learning
57 / 111
COMPASS_MOT_ 0
X
COMPASS_MOT_ 0
Y
COMPASS_MOT_Z0
COMPASS_MOTC 0
T
COMPASS_OFS_X 0
COMPASS_OFS_Y 0
COMPASS_OFS_Z 0
COMPASS_ORIEN 0
T
of compass offsets
Multiplied by the
current throttle and
added to the
compasss x-axis
values to
compensate for
motor interference
Offset per Amp or at -1000 1000
Multiplied by the
Full Throttle
added to the
compasss y-axis
values to
compensate for
motor interference
Multiplied by the
Full Throttle
added to the
compasss z-axis
values to
compensate for
motor interference
0:Disabled, 1:Use Set motor
Throttle, 2:Current interference
compensation type
to disabled, throttle
or current. Do not
change manually.
-400 400
Offset to be added to
the compass x-axis
values to
compensate for
metal in the frame
-400 400
the compass y-axis
values to
compensate for
metal in the frame
-400 400
the compass z-axis
values to
compensate for
metal in the frame
0:None, 1:Yaw45 The orientation of
the compass relative
to the autopilot
Full Throttle
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COMPASS_USE
0:Disabled,
1:Enabled
ESC
0:Normal Startup
FENCE_ACTION
0:Report Only
FENCE_ALT_MAX100
FENCE_ENABLE 0
Meters
10 1000
0:Disabled,
board. This will

default to the right
value for each board
type, but can be
changed if you have
an external compass.
See the
documentation for
your external
compass for the right
value. The correct
orientation should
give the X axis
forward, the Y axis
to the right and the Z
axis down. So if
your aircraft is
pointing west it
should show a
position value for
the Y axis, and a
value close to zero
for the X axis.
NOTE: This
orientation is
combined with any
AHRS_ORIENTATI
ON setting.
use of the compass
(instead of the GPS)
for determining
heading
Controls whether
ArduCopter will
enter ESC
calibration on the
next restart. Do not
adjust this parameter
manually.
What to do on fence
breach
Maximum altitude
allowed before
geofence triggers
Allows you to
59 / 111
1:Enabled
FENCE_RADIUS
150
FENCE_TYPE
FLOW_ENABLE
FLTMODE1
FLTMODE2
FLTMODE3
FLTMODE4
FLTMODE5
FLTMODE6
FRAME
FS_BATT_ENABL 0
E
FS_GCS_ENABLE 0
Meters
enable (1) or disable

(0) the fence
functionality
0 10000
Circle fence radius
which when
breached will cause
an RTL
0:None, 1:Altitude Enabled fence types
held as bitmask
0:Disabled,
Setting this to
1:Enabled
Enabled(1) will
enable optical flow.
Setting this to
Disabled(0) will
disable optical flow
0:Stabilize, 1:Acro Flight mode when
Channel 5 pwm is
<= 1230
Channel 5 pwm is
>1230, <= 1360
Channel 5 pwm is
>1360, <= 1490
Channel 5 pwm is
>1490, <= 1620
Channel 5 pwm is
>1620, <= 1749
Channel 5 pwm is
>=1750
0:Plus, 1:X, 2:V, 3:HControls motor
mixing for
multicopters. Not
used for Tri or
Traditional
Helicopters.
0:Disabled,
Controls whether
1:Enabled
failsafe will be
invoked when
battery voltage or
current runs low
0:Disabled,
Controls whether
1:Enabled RTL
failsafe will be
60 / 111
FS_GPS_ENABLE 0
0:Disabled,
1:Enabled
FS_THR_ENABLE 0
0:Disabled,
1:Enabled RTL
FS_THR_VALUE
975
GND_ABS_PRESS 100340.3
GND_TEMP
HLD_LAT_I
24.198
0
HLD_LAT_IMAX 3000
HLD_LAT_P
0.000 0.100
cm/s
0 3000
0.100 0.300
invoked (and what

action to take) when
connection with
Ground station is
lost for at least 5
seconds
Controls whether
failsafe will be
invoked when gps
signal is lost
The throttle failsafe
allows you to
configure a software
failsafe activated by
a setting on the
throttle input
channel
The PWM level on
channel 3 below
which throttle
sailsafe triggers
calibrated ground
pressure
Loiter latitude
position controller I
gain. Corrects for
longer-term distance
(in latitude) to the
target location
Loiter latitude
gain maximum.
Constrains the
maximum desired
speed that the I term
will generate
Loiter latitude
position controller P
gain. Converts the
distance (in the
latitude direction) to
the target location
into a desired speed
which is then passed
to the loiter latitude
61 / 111
HLD_LON_I
HLD_LON_IMAX 3000
0.000 0.100
cm/s
0 3000
HLD_LON_P
0.100 0.300
INAV_TC_XY
2.5
0 10
INAV_TC_Z
0 10
INS_ACCOFFS_X -0.079
m/s/s
-300 300
INS_ACCOFFS_Y -0.409
m/s/s
-300 300
rate controller
Loiter longitude
gain. Corrects for
longer-term distance
(in longitude
direction) to the
target location
Loiter
longitudeposition
controller I gain
maximum.
Constrains the
maximum desired
speed that the I term
will generate
Loiter longitude
position controller P
gain. Converts the
distance (in the
longitude direction)
to the target location
into a desired speed
which is then passed
to the loiter
longitude rate
controller
Time constant for
GPS and accel
mixing. Higher TC
decreases GPS
impact on position
estimate
Time constant for
baro and accel
mixing. Higher TC
decreases
barometers impact
on altitude estimate
Accelerometer
offsets of X axis.
This is setup using
the acceleration
calibration or level
operations
Accelerometer
62 / 111
INS_ACCOFFS_Z -0.332
m/s/s
-300 300
INS_ACCSCAL_X 0.998
0.8 1.2
INS_ACCSCAL_Y 0.995
0.8 1.2
INS_ACCSCAL_Z 0.98
0.8 1.2
INS_GYROFFS_X -0.002
rad/s
INS_GYROFFS_Y -0.038
rad/s
INS_GYROFFS_Z 0.003
rad/s
INS_MPU6K_FILT 0
ER
Hz
0:Default, 5:5Hz
offsets of Y axis.
This is setup using
the acceleration
operations
Accelerometer
offsets of Z axis.
This is setup using
the acceleration
operations
Accelerometer
scaling of X axis.
Calculated during
acceleration
calibration routine
Accelerometer
scaling of Y axis
Calculated during
acceleration
calibration routine
Accelerometer
scaling of Z axis
Calculated during
acceleration
calibration routine
Gyro sensor offsets
of X axis. This is
setup on each boot
during gyro
calibrations
Gyro sensor offsets
of Y axis. This is
setup on each boot
during gyro
calibrations
Gyro sensor offsets
of Z axis. This is
setup on each boot
during gyro
calibrations
Filter frequency to
ask the MPU6000 to
apply to samples.
This can be set to a
lower value to try to
63 / 111
INS_PRODUCT_ID 4
LAND_SPEED
50
LED_MODE
LOG_BITMASK
1022
LOITER_LAT_D
LOITER_LAT_I
0.5
LOITER_LAT_IMA 400
X
LOITER_LAT_P
cope with very high

vibration levels in
aircraft. The default
value on ArduPlane,
APMrover2 and
ArduCopter is 20Hz.
This option takes
effect on the next
reboot or gyro
initialisation
Which type of IMU
is installed (readonly)
Centimeters /Second 20 200
The descent speed
for the final stage of
landing in cm/s
0:Disabled, 1:Enable bitmap to control the
copter led mode
0:Disabled,
2 byte bitmap of log
830:Deflt
types to enable
0.200 0.600
Loiter latitude rate
controller D gain.
Compensates for
short-term change in
desired speed vs
actual speed
0.020 0.060
controller I gain.
Corrects long-term
difference in desired
speed and actual
speed in the latitude
direction
Centi-Degrees
0 4500
Loiter rate controller
I gain maximum.
Constrains the lean
angle that the I gain
will output
2.000 6.000
controller P gain.
Converts the
difference between
desired speed and
actual speed into a
lean angle in the
latitude direction
64 / 111
LOITER_LON_D
0.200 0.600
LOITER_LON_I
0.5
0.020 0.060
LOITER_LON_IM 400
AX
Centi-Degrees
0 4500
LOITER_LON_P
2.000 6.000
LOW_VOLT
10.5
0 20
MAG_ENABLE
0:Disabled,
1:Enabled
MNT_ANGMAX_P 4500
AN
Centi-Degrees
-18000 17999
MNT_ANGMAX_R 4500
OL
Centi-Degrees
-18000 17999
MNT_ANGMAX_T 4500
IL
Centi-Degrees
-18000 17999
Loiter longitude rate

controller D gain.
Compensates for
desired speed vs
actual speed
controller I gain.
Corrects long-term
speed and actual
speed in the
longitude direction
controller I gain
maximum.
Constrains the lean
angle that the I gain
will output
controller P gain.
Converts the
difference between
desired speed and
actual speed into a
lean angle in the
longitude direction
Set this to the
voltage you want to
represent low
voltage
Setting this to
Enabled(1) will
enable the compass.
Setting this to
Disabled(0) will
disable the compass
Maximum physical
pan (yaw) angular
position of the
mount
Maximum physical
roll angular position
of the mount
Maximum physical
tilt (pitch) angular
65 / 111
MNT_ANGMIN_P -4500
AN
Centi-Degrees
-18000 17999
MNT_ANGMIN_R -4500
OL
Centi-Degrees
-18000 17999
MNT_ANGMIN_TI -4500
L
Centi-Degrees
-18000 17999
MNT_CONTROL_ 0
X
Centi-Degrees
-18000 17999
MNT_CONTROL_ 0
Y
Centi-Degrees
-18000 17999
MNT_CONTROL_ 0
Z
Centi-Degrees
-18000 17999
MNT_JSTICK_SPD 0
0 100
MNT_MODE
0:retract, 1:neutral
MNT_NEUTRAL_ 0
X
Centi-Degrees
-18000 17999
MNT_NEUTRAL_ 0
Y
Centi-Degrees
-18000 17999
MNT_NEUTRAL_Z0
Centi-Degrees
-18000 17999
position of the
mount
Minimum physical
pan (yaw) angular
position of mount.
Minimum physical
roll angular position
of mount.
Minimum physical
tilt (pitch) angular
position of mount.
Mount roll angle
when in MavLink or
RC control operation
mode
Mount tilt/pitch
angle when in
MavLink or RC
control operation
mode
Mount pan/yaw
angle when in
MavLink or RC
control operation
mode
0 for position
control, small for
low speeds, 100 for
max speed. A good
general value is 10
which gives a
movement speed of
3 degrees per
second.
Camera or antenna
mount operation
mode
Mount roll angle
when in neutral
position
Mount tilt/pitch
angle when in
neutral position
Mount pan/yaw
angle when in
neutral position
66 / 111
MNT_RC_IN_PAN 0
0:Disabled, 5:RC5
MNT_RC_IN_ROL 0
L
MNT_RC_IN_TILT 0
MNT_RETRACT_X0
Centi-Degrees
MNT_RETRACT_Y0
Centi-Degrees
MNT_RETRACT_Z 0
Centi-Degrees
MNT_STAB_PAN 0
MNT_STAB_ROLL 0
MNT_STAB_TILT 0
MOT_TCRV_ENA 1
BLE
MOT_TCRV_MAX 93
PCT
0 for none, any other

for the RC channel
to be used to control
pan (yaw)
movements
0:Disabled, 5:RC5 0 for none, any other
for the RC channel
roll movements
0:Disabled, 5:RC5 0 for none, any other
for the RC channel
tilt (pitch)
movements
-18000 17999
Mount roll angle
when in retracted
position
-18000 17999
Mount tilt/pitch
angle when in
retracted position
-18000 17999
Mount yaw/pan
angle when in
retracted position
0:Disabled,
enable pan/yaw
1:Enabled
stabilisation relative
to Earth
0:Disabled,
enable roll
1:Enabled
to Earth
0:Disabled,
enable tilt/pitch
1:Enabled
to Earth
0:Disabled, 1:Enable Controls whether a
curve is used to
linearize the thrust
produced by the
motors
20 80
Set to the lowest
pwm position that
produces the
maximum thrust of
the motors. Most
motors produce
maximum thrust
below the maximum
pwm value that they
67 / 111
MOT_TCRV_MIDP 52
CT
20 80
OF_PIT_D
0.12
0.100 0.140
OF_PIT_I
0.5
0.250 0.750
OF_PIT_IMAX
100
OF_PIT_P
2.5
2.000 3.000
OF_RLL_D
0.12
0.100 0.140
OF_RLL_I
0.5
0.250 0.750
Centi-Degrees
0 4500
accept.
Set the pwm position
that produces half
the maximum thrust
of the motors
Optical Flow based
loiter controller pitch
axis D gain.
Compensates for
speed in the pitch
direction
Optical Flow based
axis I gain. Corrects
long-term position
error by more
persistently pitching
left or right
Optical Flow based
axis I gain
maximum.
Constrains the
maximum pitch
angle that the I term
will generate
Optical Flow based
axis P gain. Converts
the position error
from the target point
to a pitch angle
Optical Flow based
loiter controller roll
axis D gain.
Compensates for
speed in the roll
direction
Optical Flow based
axis I gain. Corrects
long-term position
error by more
persistently rolling
68 / 111
OF_RLL_IMAX
100
OF_RLL_P
2.5
PILOT_VELZ_MA 250
X
Centi-Degrees
0 4500
2.000 3.000
Centimeters /Second 10 500
RATE_PIT_D
0.004
0.001 0.008
RATE_PIT_I
0.05
0.01 0.5
RATE_PIT_IMAX 500
RATE_PIT_P
0.08
PWM
0 500
0.08 0.20
left or right
Optical Flow based
axis I gain
maximum.
Constrains the
maximum roll angle
that the I term will
generate
Optical Flow based
axis P gain. Converts
the position error
from the target point
to a roll angle
The maximum
vertical velocity the
pilot may request in
cm/s
Pitch axis rate
controller D gain.
Compensates for
desired pitch rate vs
actual pitch rate
Pitch axis rate
controller I gain.
Corrects long-term
pitch rate vs actual
pitch rate
Pitch axis rate
controller I gain
maximum.
Constrains the
maximum motor
output that the I gain
will output
Pitch axis rate
controller P gain.
Converts the
difference between
desired pitch rate
and actual pitch rate
into a motor speed
output
69 / 111
RATE_RLL_D
0.004
0.001 0.008
RATE_RLL_I
0.05
0.01 0.5
RATE_RLL_IMAX 500
PWM
0 500
RATE_RLL_P
0.08
0.08 0.20
RATE_YAW_D
0.000 0.001
RATE_YAW_I
0.015
0.010 0.020
RATE_YAW_IMA 800
X
RATE_YAW_P
0.2
PWM
0 500
0.150 0.250
Roll axis rate

controller D gain.
Compensates for
desired roll rate vs
actual roll rate
Roll axis rate
controller I gain.
Corrects long-term
roll rate vs actual
roll rate
Roll axis rate
controller I gain
maximum.
Constrains the
maximum motor
will output
Roll axis rate
controller P gain.
Converts the
difference between
desired roll rate and
actual roll rate into a
motor speed output
Yaw axis rate
controller D gain.
Compensates for
desired yaw rate vs
actual yaw rate
Yaw axis rate
controller I gain.
Corrects long-term
yaw rate vs actual
yaw rate
Yaw axis rate
controller I gain
maximum.
Constrains the
maximum motor
will output
Yaw axis rate
70 / 111
RC_SPEED
490
Hz
50 490
RC1_DZ
30
RC1_MAX
1922
ms
800 2200
RC1_MIN
1121
ms
800 2200
RC1_REV
RC1_TRIM
1515
RC10_DZ
-1:Reversed,
1:Normal
ms
RC10_FUNCTION 0
RC10_MAX
1900
800 2200
0:Disabled
ms
800 2200
controller P gain.
Converts the
difference between
desired yaw rate and
actual yaw rate into
a motor speed output
This is the speed in
Hertz that your
ESCs will receive
updates
dead zone around
trim.
RC maximum PWM
pulse width.
Typically 1000 is
lower limit, 1500 is
neutral and 2000 is
upper limit.
RC minimum PWM
pulse width.
Typically 1000 is
neutral and 2000 is
upper limit.
Reverse servo
operation. Ignored
on APM1 unless dipswitches are
disabled.
RC trim (neutral)
PWM pulse width.
Typically 1000 is
neutral and 2000 is
upper limit.
dead zone around
trim.
Setting this to
Disabled(0) will
disable this output,
any other value will
enable the
corresponding
function
RC maximum PWM
pulse width.
71 / 111
RC10_MIN
1100
RC10_REV
RC10_TRIM
1500
RC11_DZ
ms
800 2200
-1:Reversed,
1:Normal
ms
RC11_FUNCTION 0
800 2200
0:Disabled
RC11_MAX
1900
ms
800 2200
RC11_MIN
1100
ms
800 2200
RC11_REV
-1:Reversed,
1:Normal
Typically 1000 is
neutral and 2000 is
upper limit.
RC minimum PWM
pulse width.
Typically 1000 is
neutral and 2000 is
upper limit.
Reverse servo
operation. Ignored
disabled.
RC trim (neutral)
PWM pulse width.
Typically 1000 is
neutral and 2000 is
upper limit.
dead zone around
trim.
Setting this to
Disabled(0) will
enable the
corresponding
function
RC maximum PWM
pulse width.
Typically 1000 is
neutral and 2000 is
upper limit.
RC minimum PWM
pulse width.
Typically 1000 is
neutral and 2000 is
upper limit.
Reverse servo
operation. Ignored
72 / 111
RC11_TRIM
1500
RC12_DZ
ms
RC12_FUNCTION 0
800 2200
0:Disabled
RC12_MAX
1900
ms
800 2200
RC12_MIN
1100
ms
800 2200
RC12_REV
RC12_TRIM
1500
RC2_DZ
30
RC2_MAX
1921
-1:Reversed,
1:Normal
ms
800 2200
ms
800 2200
disabled.
RC trim (neutral)
PWM pulse width.
Typically 1000 is
neutral and 2000 is
upper limit.
dead zone around
trim.
Setting this to
Disabled(0) will
enable the
corresponding
function
RC maximum PWM
pulse width.
Typically 1000 is
neutral and 2000 is
upper limit.
RC minimum PWM
pulse width.
Typically 1000 is
neutral and 2000 is
upper limit.
Reverse servo
operation. Ignored
disabled.
RC trim (neutral)
PWM pulse width.
Typically 1000 is
neutral and 2000 is
upper limit.
dead zone around
trim.
RC maximum PWM
pulse width.
Typically 1000 is
neutral and 2000 is
73 / 111
RC2_MIN
1122
RC2_REV
RC2_TRIM
1513
RC3_DZ
30
RC3_MAX
ms
800 2200
-1:Reversed,
1:Normal
ms
800 2200
1920
ms
800 2200
RC3_MIN
1119
ms
800 2200
RC3_REV
RC3_TRIM
1122
RC4_DZ
40
RC4_MAX
1920
-1:Reversed,
1:Normal
ms
800 2200
ms
800 2200
upper limit.
RC minimum PWM
pulse width.
Typically 1000 is
neutral and 2000 is
upper limit.
Reverse servo
operation. Ignored
disabled.
RC trim (neutral)
PWM pulse width.
Typically 1000 is
neutral and 2000 is
upper limit.
dead zone around
trim.
RC maximum PWM
pulse width.
Typically 1000 is
neutral and 2000 is
upper limit.
RC minimum PWM
pulse width.
Typically 1000 is
neutral and 2000 is
upper limit.
Reverse servo
operation. Ignored
disabled.
RC trim (neutral)
PWM pulse width.
Typically 1000 is
neutral and 2000 is
upper limit.
dead zone around
trim.
RC maximum PWM
74 / 111
RC4_MIN
1118
ms
800 2200
RC4_REV
RC4_TRIM
1519
RC5_DZ
RC5_FUNCTION
RC5_MAX
1916
ms
800 2200
RC5_MIN
1115
ms
800 2200
RC5_REV
-1:Reversed,
1:Normal
ms
800 2200
0:Disabled
-1:Reversed,
1:Normal
pulse width.
Typically 1000 is
neutral and 2000 is
upper limit.
RC minimum PWM
pulse width.
Typically 1000 is
neutral and 2000 is
upper limit.
Reverse servo
operation. Ignored
disabled.
RC trim (neutral)
PWM pulse width.
Typically 1000 is
neutral and 2000 is
upper limit.
dead zone around
trim.
Setting this to
Disabled(0) will
enable the
corresponding
function
RC maximum PWM
pulse width.
Typically 1000 is
neutral and 2000 is
upper limit.
RC minimum PWM
pulse width.
Typically 1000 is
neutral and 2000 is
upper limit.
Reverse servo
operation. Ignored
on APM1 unless dip-
75 / 111
RC5_TRIM
1515
ms
800 2200
RC6_DZ
RC6_FUNCTION
RC6_MAX
1001
ms
800 2200
RC6_MIN
1000
ms
800 2200
RC6_REV
RC6_TRIM
1001
RC7_DZ
RC7_FUNCTION
0:Disabled
-1:Reversed,
1:Normal
ms
800 2200
0:Disabled
switches are
disabled.
RC trim (neutral)
PWM pulse width.
Typically 1000 is
neutral and 2000 is
upper limit.
dead zone around
trim.
Setting this to
Disabled(0) will
enable the
corresponding
function
RC maximum PWM
pulse width.
Typically 1000 is
neutral and 2000 is
upper limit.
RC minimum PWM
pulse width.
Typically 1000 is
neutral and 2000 is
upper limit.
Reverse servo
operation. Ignored
disabled.
RC trim (neutral)
PWM pulse width.
Typically 1000 is
neutral and 2000 is
upper limit.
dead zone around
trim.
Setting this to
Disabled(0) will
76 / 111
RC7_MAX
1001
ms
800 2200
RC7_MIN
1000
ms
800 2200
RC7_REV
RC7_TRIM
1001
RC8_DZ
RC8_FUNCTION
RC8_MAX
1001
ms
800 2200
RC8_MIN
1000
ms
800 2200
-1:Reversed
,1:Normal
ms
800 2200
0:Disabled
enable the
corresponding
function
RC maximum PWM
pulse width.
Typically 1000 is
neutral and 2000 is
upper limit.
RC minimum PWM
pulse width.
Typically 1000 is
neutral and 2000 is
upper limit.
Reverse servo
operation. Ignored
disabled.
RC trim (neutral)
PWM pulse width.
Typically 1000 is
neutral and 2000 is
upper limit.
dead zone around
trim.
Setting this to
Disabled(0) will
enable the
corresponding
function
RC maximum PWM
pulse width.
Typically 1000 is
neutral and 2000 is
upper limit.
RC minimum PWM
pulse width.
Typically 1000 is
neutral and 2000 is
77 / 111
RC8_REV
-1:Reversed,
1:Normal
RC8_TRIM
1001
RC9_DZ
RC9_FUNCTION
RC9_MAX
1900
ms
800 2200
RC9_MIN
1100
ms
800 2200
RC9_REV
RC9_TRIM
1500
RSSI_PIN
-1
ms
800 2200
0:Disabled
-1:Reversed,
1:Normal
ms
800 2200
-1:Disabled, 0:A0
upper limit.
Reverse servo
operation. Ignored
disabled.
RC trim (neutral)
PWM pulse width.
Typically 1000 is
neutral and 2000 is
upper limit.
dead zone around
trim.
Setting this to
Disabled(0) will
enable the
corresponding
function
RC maximum PWM
pulse width.
Typically 1000 is
neutral and 2000 is
upper limit.
RC minimum PWM
pulse width.
Typically 1000 is
neutral and 2000 is
upper limit.
Reverse servo
operation. Ignored
disabled.
RC trim (neutral)
PWM pulse width.
Typically 1000 is
neutral and 2000 is
upper limit.
This selects an
analog pin for the
78 / 111
RTL_ALT
1500
Centimeters
0 8000
RTL_ALT_FINAL 200
Centimeters
-1 1000
RTL_LOIT_TIME 5000
ms
0 60000
SCHED_DEBUG
0:Disabled
SERIAL3_BAUD
57
1:1200,2:2400
SIMPLE
SONAR_ENABLE 0
0:Disabled,
1:Enabled
SONAR_GAIN
0.01 0.5
0.2
receiver RSSI
voltage. It assumes
the voltage is 5V for
max rssi, 0V for
minimum
The minimum
altitude the model
will move to before
Returning to
Launch. Set to zero
to return at current
altitude.
This is the altitude
the vehicle will
move to as the final
stage of Returning to
Launch or after
completing a
mission. Set to zero
to land.
Time (in
milliseconds) to
loiter above home
before begining final
descent
Set to non-zero to
enable scheduler
debug messages
The baud rate used
on the telemetry port
Bitmask which holds
which flight modes
use simple heading
mode (eg bit 0 = 1
means Flight Mode
0 uses simple mode)
Setting this to
Enabled(1) will
enable the sonar.
Setting this to
Disabled(0) will
disable the sonar
Used to adjust the
speed with which the
target altitude is
changed when
79 / 111
SONAR_TYPE
0:XL-EZ0
SR0_EXT_STAT
Hz
0 10
SR0_EXTRA1
Hz
0 10
SR0_EXTRA2
Hz
0 10
SR0_EXTRA3
Hz
0 10
SR0_PARAMS
50
Hz
0 10
SR0_POSITION
Hz
0 10
SR0_RAW_CTRL 0
Hz
0 10
SR0_RAW_SENS
Hz
0 10
SR0_RC_CHAN
Hz
0 10
SR3_EXT_STAT
Hz
0 10
SR3_EXTRA1
Hz
0 10
SR3_EXTRA2
Hz
0 10
SR3_EXTRA3
Hz
0 10
objects are sensed

below the copter
Used to adjust
scaling to match the
sonar used (only
Maxbotix sonars are
supported at this
time)
Extended status
stream rate to
ground station
Extra data type 1
stream rate to
ground station
Extra data type 2
stream rate to
ground station
Extra data type 3
stream rate to
ground station
Parameter stream
rate to ground
station
Position stream rate
to ground station
Raw Control stream
rate to ground
station
Raw sensor stream
rate to ground
station
RC Channel stream
rate to ground
station
Extended status
stream rate to
ground station
Extra data type 1
stream rate to
ground station
Extra data type 2
stream rate to
ground station
Extra data type 3
stream rate to
ground station
80 / 111
SR3_PARAMS
Hz
0 10
SR3_POSITION
Hz
0 10
SR3_RAW_CTRL 0
Hz
0 10
SR3_RAW_SENS
Hz
0 10
SR3_RC_CHAN
Hz
0 10
STB_PIT_I
STB_PIT_IMAX
800
STB_PIT_P
4.5
3.000 6.000
STB_RLL_I
0.000 0.100
STB_RLL_IMAX
800
0.000 0.100
Centi-Degrees /Sec 0 4500
Parameter stream
rate to ground
station
Position stream rate
to ground station
Raw Control stream
rate to ground
station
Raw sensor stream
rate to ground
station
RC Channel stream
rate to ground
station
Pitch axis stabilize
(i.e. angle) controller
I gain. Corrects for
longer-term
pitch angle and
actual angle
I gain maximum.
Constrains the
maximum pitch rate
generate
P gain. Converts the
error between the
desired pitch angle
and actual angle to a
desired pitch rate
Roll axis stabilize
longer-term
roll angle and actual
angle
Roll axis stabilize
I gain maximum.
Constrains the
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STB_RLL_P
4.5
3.000 6.000
STB_YAW_I
0.000 0.100
STB_YAW_IMAX 800
STB_YAW_P
4.5
3.000 6.000
SUPER_SIMPLE
0:Disabled,
1:Enabled
SYSID_MYGCS
255
SYSID_SW_MREV 120
maximum roll rate

generate
Roll axis stabilize
error between the
desired roll angle
desired roll rate
Yaw axis stabilize
longer-term
yaw angle and actual
angle
Yaw axis stabilize
I gain maximum.
Constrains the
maximum yaw rate
generate
Yaw axis stabilize
error between the
desired yaw angle
desired yaw rate
Setting this to
Enabled(1) will
enable Super Simple
Mode. Setting this to
Disabled(0) will
disable Super Simple
Mode
Allows restricting
radio overrides to
only come from my
ground station
This value is
incremented when
changes are made to
the eeprom format
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SYSID_SW_TYPE 10
SYSID_THISMAV 1
TELEM_DELAY
seconds
0 10
THR_ACC_ENABL 1
E
0:Disabled,
1:Enabled
THR_ACCEL_D
0.000 0.400
THR_ACCEL_I
1.5
0.000 3.000
THR_ACCEL_IMA 500
X
THR_ACCEL_P
0.75
PWM
0 500
0.500 1.500
This is used by the

ground station to
recognise the
software type (eg
ArduPlane vs
ArduCopter)
Allows reconising
the mavlink version
The amount of time
(in seconds) to delay
radio telemetry to
prevent an Xbee
bricking on power
up
This allows enabling
and disabling the
accelerometer based
throttle controller. If
disabled a velocity
based controller is
used.
Throttle acceleration
controller D gain.
Compensates for
desired vertical
acceleration vs
actual acceleration
controller I gain.
Corrects long-term
vertical acceleration
and actual
acceleration
controller I gain
maximum.
Constrains the
maximum pwm that
the I term will
generate
controller P gain.
Converts the
difference between
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THR_ALT_I
THR_ALT_IMAX 300
THR_ALT_P
THR_MAX
1000
THR_MID
500
THR_MIN
130
THR_RATE_D
0.000 0.100
cm/s
0 500
1.000 3.000
ms
0 1000
300 700
ms
0 1000
0.000 0.400
desired vertical
acceleration and
actual acceleration
into a motor output
Altitude controller I
gain. Corrects for
longer-term
altitude and actual
altitude
Altitude controller I
gain maximum.
Constrains the
maximum climb rate
rate that the I term
will generate
Altitude controller P
gain. Converts the
difference between
the desired altitude
and actual altitude
into a climb or
descent rate which is
passed to the throttle
rate controller
The maximum
throttle that will be
sent to the motors
The throttle output
(0 ~ 1000) when
throttle stick is in
mid position. Used
to scale the manual
throttle so that the
mid throttle stick
position is close to
the throttle required
to hover
The minimum
throttle that will be
sent to the motors to
keep them spinning
Throttle rate
controller D gain.
Compensates for
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THR_RATE_I
THR_RATE_IMAX 300
0.000 0.100
cm/s/s
0 500
THR_RATE_P
1.000 8.000
TOY_RATE
1 10
TRIM_THROTTLE 450
TUNE
PWM
0 1000
0:CH6_NONE
desired vertical
speed vs actual
speed
Throttle rate
controller I gain.
Corrects long-term
vertical speed and
actual speed
Throttle rate
controller I gain
maximum.
Constrains the
desired acceleration
that the I gain will
generate
Throttle rate
controller P gain.
Converts the
difference between
desired vertical
speed and actual
speed into a desired
acceleration that is
passed to the throttle
acceleration
controller
Controls yaw rate in
Toy mode. Higher
values will cause a
slower yaw rate. Do
not set to zero!
The autopilots
estimate of the
throttle required to
maintain a level
hover. Calculated
automatically from
the pilots throttle
input while in
stabilize mode
Controls which
parameters
(normally PID gains)
are being tuned with
transmitters
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TUNE_HIGH
1000
TUNE_LOW
VOLT_DIVIDER
3.56
WP_INDEX
WP_TOTAL
WP_YAW_BEHAV 2
IOR
WPNAV_LOIT_SP 750
EED
channel 6 knob
The maximum value
that will be applied
to the parameter
currently being
tuned with the
transmitters
channel 6 knob
0 32767
The minimum value
that will be applied
to the parameter
currently being
tuned with the
transmitters
channel 6 knob
Used to convert the
voltage of the
voltage sensing pin (
BATT_VOLT_PIN)
to the actual
batterys voltage
(pin voltage * INPU
T_VOLTS/1024 *
VOLT_DIVIDER)
The index number of
the command that is
currently being
executed. Do not
update this
parameter directly!
Total number of
commands in the
mission stored in the
eeprom. Do not
update this
parameter directly!
0:Never change yaw Determines how the
autopilot controls the
yaw during missions
and RTL
Centimeters/ Second 0 2000
Defines the
maximum speed in
cm/s which the
aircraft will travel
horizontally while in
loiter mode
0 32767
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WPNAV_RADIUS 200
Centimeters
100 1000
WPNAV_SPEED
500
WPNAV_SPEED_D 150
N
WPNAV_SPEED_U 250
P
Defines the distance

from a waypoint,
that when crossed
indicates the wp has
been hit.
Defines the speed in
cm/s which the
aircraft will attempt
to maintain
horizontally during a
WP mission
cm/s which the
to maintain while
descending during a
WP mission
cm/s which the
to maintain while
climbing during a
WP mission
_______________________________________________
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Advanced Pixhawk Quadcopter Wiring Chart

by alex - Thursday, February 06, 2014
http://copter.ardupilot.tridgell.net/wiki/advanced-pixhawk-quadcopter-wiring-chart/
Content
This chart Illustrates a quadcopter with a variety of options.
Table of Contents

Contents
1 Advanced Pixhawk Quadcopter Wiring Chart
2 This chart Illustrates a quadcopter with a variety of options.
Jethro Hazelhurst produced this magnificent Pixhawk wiring chart for a Quadcopter for us.
(Control Scroll wheel will let you zoom in on the image below!)
This chart Illustrates a quadcopter with a variety of options.

A 4 in 1 ESC is used instead of individual ESCs reducing EMF and allowing a neater installation
and no power distribution board.
Actual Motor number to Quadcopter frame location is shown below and will require appropriate
signal and motor wire routing.
A 3DR PPM-Sum encoder with conventional receiver is illustrated, A PPM-Sum receiver could
be used instead.
Generally a 3S or 4S LiPo battery is appropriate for a Quadcopter and the XT60 connectors shown
are a reliable choice.
An optional battery warning indicator can provide quick battery status and provide an audible
warning when nearby.
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Optional 3DR telemetry radios may be connected to your Pixhawk and tablet or laptop to permit
real time monitoring and operation.
A (GCS (Ground Control Station) program like Mission Planner, AndroPilot or
DroidPlanner provides in flight information and control.
An optional GoPro camera and brushless gimbal are illustrated and can provide very high quality
photo and video results.
It is quite reasonable to use a GoPro camera and brushless gimbal on 400 and larger
Quadcopters.
Brushless camera gimbals perform more smoothly and adequately than the older servo
type gimbals.
The brushless gimbal illustrated above has an anti-vibration mount which is important for
good photo results.
For cameras larger than GoPro or Sport types, a larger QuadCopter, HexaCopter or
OctoCopter should be used.
You could also install an optional FPV (First Person View) video system but it is not shown in the
illustration above.
An FPV system consists of a tiny video camera and transmitter on the copter plus a
receiver and video goggles or an LCD screen.
Almost any size Quadcopter can support a First Person View system.
An optional OSD (On Screen Display) can add a video heads up display of current in flight
conditions to your FPV flight display.
The telemetry, camera, gimbal, FPV and OSD options mentioned above can be combined as you
wish for your copter but start simple.
_______________________________________________
89 / 111
Advanced Vibration Control

by alex - Tuesday, August 06, 2013
http://copter.ardupilot.tridgell.net/wiki/advanced-vibration-control/
Content
Why Vibration damping is important:
Measuring your vibration levels:
Additional Vibration Reduction Considerations
Vibration Damping and Isolation for MultiCopters
Even More Considerations Relating to Vibration Control
Table of Contents

Contents
1 Advanced Vibration Control
2 Why Vibration damping is important:
3 Measuring your vibration levels:
4 Additional Vibration Reduction Considerations
5 Vibration Damping and Isolation for MultiCopters
6 Even More Considerations Relating to Vibration Control
Why Vibration damping is important:

The APM and PX4 Flight Control boards have accelerometers built into the board that are sensitive to
vibrations. APM:Copter (the firmware) combines the data from these accelerometers with barometer and
GPS data to calculate an estimate of its position. This position estimate is critical when in AltHold,
Loiter, RTL, Guided, Position and AUTO flight modes. With excessive vibrations, the estimate can be
thrown off and lead to very bad performance in these modes (i.e. the copter becomes jumpy or flies off).
Measuring your vibration levels:

Vibration needs to be less than 0.3 G in the X and Y axes and less than 0.5 G in the Z axis. Please refer to
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the Measuring Vibration wiki page for details of how to measure whether your copters levels are within
the acceptable range.
Additional Vibration Reduction Considerations

1. Significant gains in vibration isolation can also be realized by using a high flex wire and strain
relief approach to all wires connected to the Flight control board (and using the minimum number
of wires necessary as well.)
2. Isolation and damping can be improved somewhat by sandwiching the flight control board /
enclosure between damping pads on both sides in about twenty percent compression. 30
durometer Sorbothane is actually specified at 15 to 20 percent compression for optimal damping.
3. Although 30 durometer Sorbothane seems an excellent candidate, personal experience indicates
that it becomes permanently compressed and is not as effective at vibration reduction as the Gel
solutions.
4. A link to a Blog about the first APM anti-vibration mounting system to achieve 0.05 G damping
(2/20/2013 improved to 0.02 G), a dual zone isolation system, combining Oring suspension and
silicone pad is (Here!)
5. Propeller balancing is always a good idea and can considerably reduce the vibration transmitted to
the airframe in the first place.
6. Propeller balancing is not covered in detail here because there are literally hundreds of references
to it on line and it is fundamental to RC modeling. Google RC Propeller Balancing.
7. Motor balancing can also reduce vibration and especially so for cheaper or larger motors.
8. A quick and clever way to achieve satisfactory motor balancing:
9. Tightly fasten a small tie wrap around a motor (WITH NO PROP), trim off the extended tab and
spin it up.
10. Try multiple times, each time turning the tie wrap on the motor housing a bit until the vibration
reduces or goes away.
11. A small piece of Scotch tape can be re-positioned instead of the tie wrap if desired or for smaller
motors.
12. When you locate the spot where there is the least vibration (and you should be able to hear it),
mark the spot directly under the clasp of the tie-wrap with a felt pen.
13. Add a small dot of hot glue gun glue where the Tie-Wrap clasp was and increase the glue a bit at a
time till the vibration is minimized.
14. If you put too much glue on it can be removed with an X-acto knife. Simple but effective.
15. Vibration Damping added at the motor mounts can significantly reduce vibration at the airframe,
but the vibration damping method and hardware must be matched to the size and performance of
your multicopter.
16. Link to a really good vibration damping motor mount: (Here!)
17. SteadiDrone has a unique split O-Ring motor mount damping solution and their $375.00 Quad
airframe is high quality: (Here!) or (Here! in the US)
18. Camera Mounts also need to be effectively isolated and damped from vibration, but they already
have a number of soft mounting solutions.
19. The camera servos need to be vibration isolated as well, either in the isolated camera mount itself
or with their own vibration reduction solution.
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20. You should use high quality ball joints on your camera servo arms and adequate bearings or
bushings in the mount itself with zero free play to prevent inertial slop.
21. Quality servos without free play are also a must for precision camera work.
22. Some copters can have intrinsically lower than normal vibration characteristics
1. Frame stiffness / flex and isolated centralized mass can greatly influence motor/prop
vibration transfer to the central fight controller.
2. Thoughtful top down design has produced some copters with significantly reduced
intrinsic vibration levels.
Since most of our flying takes place well inside the + and one G range and we are
attempting to the movement of our airframe to determine location and level you can see that
any vibration greatly interferes with this process.
The APM or PX4s internal firmware filtering can extract sufficient data for inertial
navigation from vibration excursions of less than 1/2 G (5 on our scale).
However, reducing the vibration amplitude of each axis even lower, possibly even below one
tenth G is a worthy pursuit and will be rewarded with very stable horizontal and vertical
position maintenance and smooth control.
Vibration Damping and Isolation for MultiCopters

1. Initial improvements can be made by balancing the props and motors.
2. At this point in time it seems that the more rigid the frame the better because frame flex introduces
undesirable mechanical delay (hysteresis) in translating motor induced actions to the centrally
located flight control board. (Do NOT shock mount the motor Arms).
3. It is reasonable to somewhat vibration damp the motor mounts themselves because they are on
one end of the mechanism.
4. However, the most significant vibration damping gains will be made by properly isolating and or
damping the flight control board itself.
5. Until now vibration abatement has been simply by trial and error sticking on of Foam or Gel pads
or using O-ring suspension of the board to outboard standoffs and yielding highly variable results.
6. The acceptability of the outcome has been verified by flight performance and by checking the
RAW ACCEL values in the APM flight log.
7. This trial and error approach has achieved acceptable to good results, but is by no means
optimum.
8. The crucial fact that we have not properly addressed is that the amount and type of damping
medium needs to be carefully matched to the weight (mass) of the item we are trying to isolate as
well as the frequency and amplitude of the vibrations we are seeking to damp.
9. In fact we are trying to isolate a flight control board that weighs less than 2 ounces and this is a
very small mass.
10. Our current seat of the pants solutions are often designed for much larger masses and are not
nearly as effective for the light mass of our flight control board as they ought to be.
11. Virtually all off the shelf solutions (either pad or stud type) are designed for an isolated mass that
would weigh at least 5 to 10 times what an APM or PX4 / IO board weighs for optimal
effectiveness.
92 / 111
12. This includes all pre-made Sorbothane, Alpha gel, EAR, memory foam or other silicone or
urethane gel or foam mounts as well as Lord Micro mounts.
Gelmec Silicone Grommets Link: (Here!)
Gelmec Silicone Pads Link: (Here!)
Sorbothane Company Link: (Here!)
Sorbothane 30 durometer 3/16? x 12? x 12? sheet Link: (Here!)
Great link for Antivibration grommets (use the .3lb ones): (Here!)
Excellent Link for Alpha Gel, Silicone and Sorbothane: (Here!)
EAR 3M Company damping material: (Here!)
Lord Micro Mounts: (Here!)
Even More Considerations Relating to Vibration Control

1. Eventually it would be very nice to have a solution actually engineered for exactly the
conditions of our flight control boards.
2. Although the Quick Fixes listed above do provide useful remedies they are not optimal.
3. A threaded stud or sleeve type mount gel mount properly designed for the mass of our flight
control board or electronics module undergoing the stresss of normal flight would be a much
better long term solution.
4. And a system that could actually sandwich the flight control board / enclosure between two layers
of appropriate damping material of appropriate size could be even better.
5. It is probably a good idea to mount the flight control board as well as the receiver and possibly a
clear cover on a separate (vibration damped) mounting plate.
6. This would have the advantage of increasing the mass of the item we need to provide vibration
reduction for to the point where more conventional and commercially available solutions such as
threaded stud or sleeve isolators could be employed effectively.
7. It would also reduce the amount of transition wiring necessary by placing the receiver to flight
controller wiring entirely within the damped mass.
8. It could also make the electronics system more modular and easier to work on.
9. For now we can adapt the engineering specifications of the chosen materials to provide the
Vibration damping and Isolation we need.
A Summary of the particular vibration characteristics we need to damp:
1. The vibration frequency and amplitude we primarily need to reduce is a characteristic of the motor
/ prop units turning at flight speed.
2. That is, it is a fairly high frequency with fairly low amplitude.
3. This requires that we provide a short coupled damping and isolation range.
4. The board itself does not need to have nor benefit from a range of motion that exceeds the
amplitude of the vibration.
5. Because the board does not apply any force to the airframe, the only thing we need to be
concerned with Damping / Isolating is the weight (mass) of the board itself plus the forces applied
to it by airframes normal flight maneuvering.
6. Since excellent broad frequency range, high damping materials are available our biggest concern
93 / 111
will be to use the proper amount of them to optimally damp our flight control board. (Too much is
just as bad as too little.)
7. Combining the Flight control board and receiver onto a separate vibration damped electronics
module plate or enclosure can increase the mass of the module making it easier to damp
effectively as well as reducing the interconnecting wiring and making the whole system more
modular.
I have used the concept of vibration isolation and damping somewhat interchangeably in this
section.
1. Isolation is simple undamped (spring or rubber band support) which allows the movement of the
isolated object largely separate from the containing object (Automobile spring for instance).
2. Damping is the conversion of vibration into heat energy by a shock absorbing medium
(Automobile shock absorber for instance.)
3. Our ultimate goal here is to provide the most high and medium frequency reduction while still
allowing low frequency actual board movement to take place in concert with the airframe with a
minimum of delay.
4. So realistically our methods embody both Damping and Isolation.
I have covered a lot of ground here, but this is at least a good start for designing some real world
vibration solutions .
Here is a link to an excellent RC Groups page on Vibration Effects relating to a camera mount but
germane for us too: (Here!)
Here is a link to the DIYDrones Discussion and the responses relating to Vibration Control:
(Here!)
And here is the link to the DIYDrones BLOG about this Wiki Section on Vibration Control:
(Here!)
You can enter any comments and pictures / illustrations on this BLOG if you wish.
I will include the most relevant of them in the Wiki:
_______________________________________________
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AdvancedCompassSetup
http://copter.ardupilot.tridgell.net/wiki/ac_compasssetupupadvanced/
Content
Advanced Compass Setup
Set the Orientation
Live Calibration of offsets
CompassMot compensation for interference from the power wires, ESCs and motors
Manual Declination
Tuning Declination in-flight
Table of Contents
Advanced Compass Setup

Contents
1 Advanced Compass Setup
2 Set the Orientation
3 Live Calibration of offsets
4 CompassMot compensation for interference from the power wires, ESCs and motors
5 Manual Declination
6 Tuning Declination in-flight
This page covers how to setup and calibrate the compass. Most users will only need to select the
Orientation and perform the Live Calibration but details are also given on the lesser used CompassMot
and Manual Declination. All this configuration can be performed from the Mission Planners Initial
Setup >> Mandatory Hardware >> Compass screen. Other ground stations likely have similar features.
Accurately setting up the compass is critical because it is the primary source of heading information.
Without an accurate heading the vehicle will not move in the correct direction in autopilot modes (i.e.
Loiter, PosHold, RTL, Auto, etc). This can lead to circling (aka toiletbowling) or fly-aways.
Set the Orientation
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From the Mission Planners Initial Setup >> Mandatory Hardware >> Compass screens Orientation area
select the flight controller you are using (i.e. Pixhawk or APM) which will set the compass
orientation to the default for that board:
Pixhawk/PX4 : select this if you are using a Pixhawk or PX4 board. Internal and External compasses
will be detected. If an external compass is detected it will be assumed to be a 3DR GPS/Compass module
(or compatible) placed so its white arrow points forward on the vehicle frame. If you are not using a
3DR GPS/Compass module you may need to set the orientation manually (see below).
APM with OnBoard Compass: select this if you are using an APM with only an onboard compass (i.e.
APM2.5 or earlier)
APM with External Compass : select this if you are using an APM with no internal compass (i.e.
APM2.6) with a 3DR GPS/Compass module placed so that its white arrow points forward on the frame.
If you are not using a 3DR GPS/Compass module you may need to set the orientation manuall (see
below)
Manual : if using a non-standard external compass or if using a 3DR GPS/Compass module in a nonstandard orientation. all orientations in 45 degree increments and even upside down can be
accommodated. Use a hand-held compass and the following procedure to determine the correct setting.
Set the vehicle on a flat surface and compare the heading the Flight Data screens HUD to the known
heading
From the drop-down select one of the first 8 option (i.e. ROTATION_NONE to
ROTATION_YAW_315?) that leads to the vehicles heading (shown in the HUD) agreeing with the
actual heading.
Now turn your air frame right or left and if the heading in the HUD correctly follows you are done.
If the heading turned in the opposite direction from the vehicle set the Manual rotation to include
_ROLL_180_. I.e. ROTATION_YAW_45 would become ROTATION_ROLL_180_YAW_45.
Live Calibration of offsets

Calculates offsets to compensate for hard iron distortions by chasing the white dots.
Push the Live Calibration button to start the calibration.

A window will appear that shows a sphere (or two if your flight controller has two compasses)
with a red dot showing where the compass is pointing. As you rotate the vehicle you will notice
the red dot moves and (perhaps confusingly) the sphere itself also rotates. A colored trail is left
behind wherever the compass has already been.
On the sphere are six targets shown as white dots.
Rotate the vehicle so that the red dot reaches each white dot and causes it to disappear.
When all white dots are gone you can push Done to complete the calibration and save the offsets.
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The final offsets will be displayed (3 numbers for each compass), if all these numbers are below
250 then you can assume they are good. If you missed the numbers they can be seen as
COMPASS_OFS_X, Y and Z in the Advanced Parmaeters list. If the numbers are very high it
may indicate there is some metal near the compasses.
One strategy for capturing all the white dots is to rotate the vehicle slowly so that each side (front, back,
left, right, top and bottom) points down toward the ground for a few seconds (Note: the image below
shows only 4 of the 6 recommended positions)
The video below is from earlier versions of the calibration routine but may still produce good offsets.
Some members of the development team recommend performing the calibration outdoors away from
metal objects using wireless telemetry (primarily so you dont get tangled in the cable) although no tests
have been performed to confirm this is necessary.
CompassMot compensation for interference from the power wires, ESCs and
motors
This is recommended for vehicles that have only an internal compass and on vehicles where there is
significant interference on the compass from the motors, power wires, etc. CompassMot only works well
if you have a battery current monitor because the magnetic interference is linear with current drawn. It is
technically possible to set-up CompassMot using throttle but this is not recommended.
Please follow these instructions:
Enable the current monitor (aka Power Module)
Disconnect your props, flip them over and rotate them one position around the frame. In this
configuration they should push the copter down into the ground when the throttle is raised
Secure the copter (perhaps with tape) so that it does not move
Turn on your transmitter and keep throttle at zero
Connect your vehicles Lipo battery
Connect your flight controller to your computer with the usb cable
If using AC3.2:
Open the Initial Setup >> Optional Hardware >> Compass/Motor Calib screen
Press the Start button
If using AC3.1.5:
open the Terminal screen, press the Connect APM or Connect PX4? button
At the prompt type setup and then compassmot.
If the PowerModule/Current monitor is enabled you should see measuring compass vs
CURRENT
97 / 111
You should hear your ESCs arming beep

Raise the throttle slowly to between 50% ~ 75% (the props will spin!) for 5 ~ 10 seconds
Quickly bring the throttle back down to zero
Press the Finish button (AC3.2) or Press enter (AC3.1.5) to complete the calibration
Check the % of interference displayed. If it is less than 30% then your compass interference is
acceptable and you should see good Loiter, RTL and AUTO performance. If it is 31% ~ 60%
then the interference is in the grey zone where it may be ok (some users are fine, some are not).
If it is higher than 60% you should try moving your APM/PX further up and away from the
sources of interference or consider purchasing an external compass or GPS+compass module.
Here is a video of the procedure based on AC3.1.5:
Manual Declination
By default the declination is looked up in a compressed table when the vehicle first achieves GPS lock.
This method is accurate to within 1 degree (which should be sufficient) but if you wish to use the
uncompressed declination:
Open the Declination Website.

It should automatically figure out your location based on you IP address or you can enter your
location
Uncheck the Auto Dec checkbox and manually enter the declination (highlighted in red in the
image above) into the mission planners declination field. In this example, we would enter 14
Degrees and 13 Minutes.
As soon as your cursor exits the field (i.e by pressing Tab) the value will be converted to decimal
radians and saved to the COMPASS_DEC parameter.
Tuning Declination in-flight

Although we do not believe this is ever necessary, you can manually tune the declination in flight using
the Channel 6 tuning knob on your transmitter by following these steps:
1. Connect your APM/PX4 to the Mission Planner
2. Go to the Software > ArduCopter Pids screen
3. Set the Ch6 Opt to Declination, Min to 0.0 and Max to 3.0. This will give a tunable range
of -30 to +30 degrees. Set Max to 2.0 to tune from -20 to +20 degrees, etc.
Check the declination is updating correctly when turning the channel 6 tuning knob to its
maximum position, go to Config/Tuning >> Standard Params screen, press the Refresh
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Params button and ensuring that COMPASS_DEC is 0.523 (this is 30 degrees expressed in
radians)
Fly your copter in Loiter mode in at least two directions and ensure that after a fast forward flight
you do not see any circling (also known as toilet bowling).
If you find its impossible to tune away the circling then its likely your compass interference is
will require an external compass or GPS+compass module.
_______________________________________________
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Altitude Hold
by levinemax - Thursday, December 20, 2012
http://copter.ardupilot.tridgell.net/wiki/altholdmode/
Content
Overview
Controls
Tuning
Verifying AltHold performance with dataflash logs
Common Problems
Adequate Power
In altitude hold mode, the copter maintains a consistent altitude while allowing roll, pitch, and yaw to be
controlled normally. This page contains important information about using and tuning alt hold.
Contents
1 Overview
2 Controls
3 Tuning
4 Verifying AltHold performance with dataflash logs
5 Common Problems
6 Adequate Power
Overview
When altitude hold mode (aka AltHold) is selected, the throttle is automatically controlled to maintain the
current altitude. Roll, Pitch and yaw operate the same as in Stabilize mode meaning that the pilot directly
controls the roll and pitch lean angles and the heading.
Automatic altitude hold is a feature of many other flight modes (Loiter, Sport, etc) so the information
here pertains to those modes as well.
Note: The flight controller uses a barometer which measures air pressure as the primary means for
determining altitude (Pressure Altitude) and if the air pressure is changing in your flight area due to
extreme weather, the copter will follow the air pressure change rather than actual altitude (unless you are
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within 20 feet of the ground and have SONAR installed and enabled). Below 26 feet, SONAR (if
enabled) will automatically provide even more accurate altitude maintenance.
Controls
The pilot can control the climb or descent rate of the vehicle with the throttle stick.
If the throttle stick is in the middle (40% ~ 60%) the vehicle will maintain the current
altitude.
Outside of the mid-throttle deadzone (i.e. below 40% or above 60%) the vehicle will
descend or climb depending upon the deflection of the stick. When the stick is completely
down the copter will descend at 2.5m/s and if at the very top it will climb by 2.5m/s. These
speeds can be adjusted with the PILOT_VELZ_MAX parameter.
The size of the deadband can be adjusted with the THR_DZ parameter (AC3.2 and higher
only). This params value should be between 0 and 400 with 0 meaning no
deadband. 100 would produce a deadband 10% above and below mid throttle (i.e.
deadband extends from 40% to 60% throttle stick position).
AC3.1 and later allow arming and disarming in altitude hold mode. When disarming, the copter may need
to rest in the landing position for a few seconds to allow the landing checker to verify that the copter
has landed before you are able to disarm.
Tuning
The Altitude Hold P is used to convert the altitude error (the difference between the desired altitude and
the actual altitude) to a desired climb or descent rate. A higher rate will make it more aggressively
attempt to maintain its altitude but if set too high leads to a jerky throttle response.
The Throttle Rate (which normally requires no tuning) converts the desired climb or descent rate into a
desired acceleration up or down.
The Throttle Accel PID gains convert the acceleration error (i.e the difference between the desired
acceleration and the actual acceleration) into a motor output. The 1:2 ratio of P to I (i.e. I is twice the size
of P) should be maintained if you modify these parameters. These values should never be increased but
for very powerful copters you may get better response by reducing both by 50% (i.e P to 0.5, I to 1.0).
Verifying AltHold performance with dataflash logs

Viewing the altitude hold performance is best done by downloading a dataflash log from your flight, then
open it with the mission planner and graph the barometer altitude, desired altitude and inertial navigation
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based altitude estimate. This data is found in slight different columns depending upon the version and
board.
APM running AC3.1: graph CTUNs BarAlt (baro alt), WPAlt (desired altitude) and the GPS messages
RelAlt (inertial nav alt estimate)
APM running AC3.2 or Pixhawk running AC3.1 or AC3.2: CTUNs BarAlt (baro alt), DAlt (desired alt)
and Alt (inertial nav alt estimate)
The three should track well as shown below.
Common Problems
1. High vibrations can lead to the copter rapidly climbing as soon as altitude hold is engaged. Check
the Measuring Vibration and Vibration Dampening wiki pages for details on how to measure and
reduce vibrations.
2. Copter slowly descends or climbs until the pilot retakes control in stabilize. Normally this is
caused by not having the throttle stick in the mid position. This commonly happens when the
pilot is switching into AltHold from a manual flight mode (like Stabilize) on a copter that does not
hover at mid throttle. See the wiki page related to setting the mid throttle position.
3. The motors seem to stop for a moment just as AltHold is engaged but then it soon recovers. This
normally occurs when the pilot enters AltHold while climbing rapidly. The target altitude is set at
the moment the pilot switches into alt hold but because the vehicle is rising quickly it flies above
the target. The aggressive altitude hold controller then responds by momentarily reducing the
motors to near minimum until the copter begins falling back to the target altitude. The
workaround is to enter AltHold while the copter is flying at a stable altitude.
4. Air pressure changes cause the vehicle to drift up or down by a couple of meters over longer
period of time or for the altitude shown on the GCS to be inaccurate by a couple of meters
including occasional negative altitudes (meaning altitudes below the home altitude).
5. Momentary altitude loss of 1m ~ 2m when the copter levels out after a high speed forward flight.
This is caused by an aerodynamic effect which leads to a momentary low pressure bubble forming
on the top of the copter where the flight controller is mounted which leads the altitude hold
controller to believe it is climbing so it responds by descending. There is no cure for this
behaviour at the moment although increasing the INAV_TC_Z parameter to 7 (default is 5)
reduces the effect but increases the change of Common Problem #1 listed above.
6. Altitude hold becomes erratic when the vehicle is close to the ground or during landing. This can
be caused by the barometer being affected by pressure changes created by prop-wash. The
solution is to move the flight controller out of the prop wash effect or shield it within an
appropriately ventilated enclosure.
7. Sudden altitude changes caused by light striking the barometer. APM2.x sold after mid 2013
come with black tape on the inside of the case to protect against this.
Adequate Power
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It is very important that the vehicle has enough power available. Without this the AltHold and attitude
controllers can require more power than is available from one or more motors and will be forced to
sacrifice some control which could lead to a loss of attitude or altitude.
Ideally the vehicle should be able to hover at about 50% throttle (mid stick) and anything higher than
70% is dangerous.
Warning: If you incorporate expo on your transmitter, that directly increases the size of the Alt
Hold throttle dead band.
_______________________________________________
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APM1Wireless
http://copter.ardupilot.tridgell.net/wiki/apm1wireless/
Content
APM1Wireless
Using Xbee radios for telemetry with APM 1
Hooking up your Xbee wireless modules
Wiring it up
On the ground side
(Optional) Rolling your own Xbee telemetry setup
Setting up the Xbee modules
For Non-PC users
Testing the connection
Test code
Unbricking an Xbee
Reference Manual Table of Contents

Contents
0.1 APM1Wireless
1 Using Xbee radios for telemetry with APM 1
2 Hooking up your Xbee wireless modules
3 Wiring it up
4 On the ground side
4.1 (Optional) Rolling your own Xbee telemetry setup
5 Setting up the Xbee modules
6 For Non-PC users
7 Testing the connection
8 Test code
9 Unbricking an Xbee
APM1Wireless
Using Xbee radios for telemetry with APM 1
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Hooking up your Xbee wireless modules

Adding wireless telemetry is not difficult and can extend the capabilities of your UAV immensely. We
recommend
900Mhz Xbees
. If you are in Europe, where 900Mhz is not allowed, you can use a 2.4Ghz Xbee kit instead. Instructions
for that are
here
.
Wiring it up
Shown with
3DR four-wire Xbee cable
:
Connect the XtremeBee adapter (with the Xbee plugged in) to APM 1 as shown above. Your adapter
should be in Master mode. (Master and Slave just reverse the TX and RX pins).
We recommend the
3DR four-wire Xbee cable
, which comes with the official Wireless Telemetry kit shown above. It is designed to connect the
XtreamBee adapter to APM, as it will provide the neatest and safest connection.
On the ground side

If youre using a USB adapter, simply connect it via a USB cable as shown:
If youre using an XtreamBee adapter on the ground side, connect it to a FTDI cable as shown below and
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plug that into your USB port. The adapter should also be in Master mode.
Now youre done! Remember to select the right Xbee port (you can see which one has been assigned to
the Xbee in the Windows Control Panel device manager) and a baud rate of 57k in the Mission Planner or
other GCS when youre connecting.
(Optional) Rolling your own Xbee telemetry setup

You can make your own telemetry kit if youd like. The first thing to keep in mind is that you should use
Xbee modules in a different frequency range than your RC equipment.
In general, we recommend 900Mhz Xbee modules, but in some countries 900Mhz is not approved. In
those cases you can use 2.4Ghz Xbee modules. In that configuration, we use these
Xbee Pro wireless modules
. Setup can be a little tricky, so please see the comments below in this manual to see how other people
have done it. In particular, we do not recommend the DIY Drones XtreamBee adapter for those modules.
Instead, try the
Adafruit
or
Sparkfun
adapters. Please note that the DIY Drones team will only support the recommended 900Mhz Xbee
modules, so if you use something else please turn the community for help, not the DIY Drones
developers.
Here
is more discussion on how to pick the best frequencies for your setup.
All Xbee modules need adapters to work with APM. You have two choices:
A DIY Drones
XtreamBee adapters
on the aircraft side, and a
USB adapter board
on the ground/laptop side with a USB cable.
If you already have an
FTDI cable
, get two DIY Drones
XtreamBee adapters
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Setting up the Xbee modules

If you have the DIY Drones Telemetry Kit, your Xbee modules are already set up and ready to go. But if
youre setting up your own, here are some instructions:
The Xbee modules ship with a default of 9600bps, which you must change to match the APMs serial
speed of 57600 bps; set your Xbee modules to match this speed. (If you want to use a different speed, you
can change that by entering the line
#define SERIAL3_BAUD [whatever baud rate you want]
in the APM_Config.h file.)
Connect each one of the them to the USB adapter board, plug the USB cable into your PC, and use
Digis X-CTU utility
(Mac/Linux users see section below on an alternative utility from motosenso) to select the right serial port
and communicate with them. Remember to initially set the utility to 9600bps to contact the new Xbee
modules, and than after youve changed the speed, change the utilitys serial speed accordingly. You
should also give the modules unique Network IDs (VIDs) so they will be paired. Just use any 3-digit
number, and just make sure you have set it the same on both modules. (Note: If you will be flying near
other UAV planes make sure to verify the Network IDs are unique and not used by others in your
vicinity.)
This is what the setting should look like when you click Read in Modem Configuration tab of X-CTU
(were using 999 as the VID here as an example, and Ive highlighted the correct baud rate):
Note: If you bought your Xbee modules from Sparkfun, rather than the official DIY Drones kit, please
note that they sometimes ship with the wrong firmware. X-CTU may try to download new code, which
will probably fail (cancel it). If your Xbee module is reporting that its an XBP09-DM (rather than the
correct XBP09-DP), do the following:
1. If you have the XBP09-DP modules, you must download XBP09-DP firmware. If you have
downloaded XBP09-DM firmware, it will kind-of work, but will fail at the PID-config screen.
2. X-CTU will report the module as XBP09-DM. Ignore that. Go to the Modem Configuration tab
and do the following:
1. Select Modem as XBP09-DP, Function Set XBEE-PRO 900, Version 1002. It is important
that you select 1002. Version 1061 does not work at first.
2. Click the Show Defaults button under the Parameter View.
3. Click the Write button under Modem Parameters and Firmware.
4. Go back to PC Settings, change Baud to 9600. Click Query. It will show XBP09-DM.
Ignore that.
5. Go back to Modem Configuration. Click Read. It should show XBP09-DP as the modem.
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Version 1002.
6. Now select Version 1061.
7. Click Show Defaults
8. Click on the DD parameter and set it to 0. This step is important, otherwise the 1161
firmware download will fail.
9. Click Write. Now your firmware is XBP09-DP Version 1161.
3. Now change the baud rate and Modem VID, redownload and you should be good to go.
It will still show XBP09-DM in the PC Settings Query. Dont worry about that.
For Non-PC users

MacOS, Linux or Windows users there is a free cross-platform alternative to X-CTU, called moltosenso
Network Manager. Download the software
here
. The moltosenso Team collaborated with us writing a
special tutorial
on the setup of Xbee radios for APM:PILOT and APM:COPTER Temetry using their software. Enjoy!
Testing the connection

If you open up a terminal program on your laptop (you can use the Arduino IDEs serial monitor for this,
too), select the correct serial port, and set the baud rate to whatever you set the Xbee modules to above
(the default is 57600). Once you do this, you should see APM telemetry coming in. Anytime there is a
Serial3.println in the code, that data will be sent through the Xbees to the ground. You can record any
data you want, and even datalog from the ground! You can also open the Ground Station software, setting
the right port and baud speed) and it should begin to show APM data.
Additionally, if you want to test the range of your Xbee link, connect the plane-side Xbee modules RX
and TX pins together to create a loopback circuit and use the X-CTU utilitys range test function. For the
modules we are using you should get around a mile.
Note: If youve got an Xbee attached to your APM, the USB cable will probably not provide enough
power by itself to drive them both. Please also have an ESC and LiPo connected to the RC pins to provide
additional power. (You can tell that youve got a low power (brownout) condition if you just have the
red C LED blinking dimly, or the APM board is otherwise intermittent.)
Test code
APM has four serial ports so all the usual Arduino serial commands now take a specifier to say which
port you want to read from or write to. For example: Serial1.print(), Serial2.print(). The port connected to
the USB/FDTI connector is Serial0. The port connected to the Telecom pins is Serial3.
Heres
a quick demo that will print to all four ports so you can check to see that your Xbee connection is
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working. Here are the instructions on how to use it:

1)
Plug your Xbee into one USB port and your APM into another. Use Arduino to load the demo code, and
then in the Arduino IDE set the serial port to the one assigned to your APM board. Then open the serial
monitor, setting the baud rate to 115200. You should see Port 0? repeated as follows, showing the output
from the APMs USB port:
2)
Now switch the serial port to the one your Xbee is assigned to and reopen the serial monitor, setting the
baud rate to 57600 (which is the speed your Xbees should already be programmed for). You should now
see Port 3? repeated, showing the output from APMs Xbee port:
Unbricking an Xbee
IMPORTANT NOTE: Sometimes Xbee modules get corrupted due to spurious signals. If youre finding
that yours stops working (green LED on Adafruit adapter doesnt come on), instructions to reload the
firmware follow:
Using the USB adapter board:
1. Take the module out of the interface board.
2. Connect the interface board to the computer.
3. Open X-CTU make sure Baud Rate is set to 9600
4. Go to Modem Configuration
5. Put a check in the Always update firmware box
6. Select proper modem from drop down menu (for the 900Mhz ones recommended above select
XBP09-DP; for 2.4GHZ Xeebee Pro 2 select XBP24-B)
7. Click on the Write button. After a few seconds of trying to read the modem, you will get an Info
box that says Action Needed. At this point, CAREFULLY insert the module into the interface
board. After a few seconds, this should trigger a reloading of the firmware.
8. You may get the info box again a short while after; if so just repeat the previous step a few times
and it should work.
9. This will put the module back to 9600 baud. Set your X-CTU PC settings to that and test it. It
should report back that its recognized.
10. Once youve confirmed that its working again, make you sure you reset its baud rate (typically
57k for APM) and VID number to match your other module.
_(Thanks to Doug Barnett for these tips)_
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_______________________________________________
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ArduCopter
Multirotor UAV
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Multirotor UAV - http://copter.ardupilot.tridgell.net

3DR Kits and Best Practices

3DR Kits & Best Practices

a minute and try again.)

1) Calibrate your RC input

Here is how the outputs should be setup for each channel:

2) Set your flight modes

3) Configure your hardware

If you choose this option, here are some tips:

For APM Users, do the following.

([https://vimeo.com/56224615 video demo here]).

Enabling the magnetometer

Another great website to look your declination is

When you hit OK, it will open this web page:

Calibrating the magnetometer

Testing the magnetometer

Connecting the DIYDrones magnetometer

Finally, solder on the magnetometer

Method Two: Using a cable

//#define MAG_ORIENTATION AP_COMPASS_COMPONENTS_UP_PINS_BACK

You can attach the

Calibration and OnBoard Parameters Widget

Here is an expanded view of the widget:

Instructions for using the QGroundControl Waypoint List widget

The Waypoint labelled 0 is the home location

Rate Roll and Pitch P tuning

1. Connect your APM/Pixhawk/PX4 to the Mission Planner

2. On the mission planner, select Config/Tuning >> APM:Copter Pids

Video of in-flight tuning

Setting Throttle Mid

Getting Off the Ground Tips for New Operators

Tips for your first flights

Warning about low batteries

Advanced Tuning Parameters

Advanced Configuration & Tuning

Full parameter list

Adding an OSD board (MinimOSD) for FPV

Advanced MultiCopter Design

Advanced MultiCopter Design

There are several popular frame layouts for MultiCopters

For professional use, HexaCopters and OctoCopters with 6 and 8 Motor/propeller

Motors, propellers and ESCs

And a top quality 70 AMP ESC (speed controller) to go with it.

Clearly these are not the only alternatives.

The MultiCopter Frame

provide for smoother flight for photo uses.

tooling wears out very quickly cutting these materials.

carbon fiber tubes.

Here is a link to Alec Shorts construction article in Makezine

protected H Quad Frame.

Specific Building Examples and Techinques

or folding arms could be incorporated.

Links To Specific MultiCopter Builds

A link to Stuart Dodins really nice X8 heavy lifter Octocopter

A Commercial MultiCopter Exhibiting Advanced Design Concepts

Conclusion and Additional Design Considerations.

Advanced Parameter List