Quadcopter electronic components diagram. Do-it-yourself quadcopter (drone) from modules

It is laid down at the design stage of the device, developed taking into account the flight environment, terrain, requirements and tasks facing the drone. For professional quadcopters the circuit will have one configuration, for amateur ones it will be simpler. The requirements for assembly accuracy and part dimensions are very high. Small miscalculations can significantly complicate the control of equipment and reduce the tactical and technical flight characteristics. ARMAIR specialists will tell you in this article what you need to pay attention to when designing this promising type of equipment.

Where should you start developing a diagram?

• Determine the goals and objectives facing the apparatus.
• Calculate payloads and copter configuration.
• Set preliminary parameters for speed, altitude, flight range.
• Take into account the environments in which the quadcopter will fly (in conditions of rain, sub-zero temperatures, high temperatures, strong gusts of wind, etc.).

What design parts should you pay attention to when assembling a quadcopter?

• Copter body. Its dimensions, material, impact-resistant characteristics. Carbon fiber is used to produce the hulls. Miscalculations in the design of the device's body, even by 1-3 millimeters, can lead to the fact that the copter may collapse in flight, receive a constant roll, and lose balance.
• Copter control circuit, or more precisely, drone microcircuits. When designing and creating lightweight simple copters, the well-known Arduino platform is used. When developing professional copters, boards, microcircuits and controllers from manufacturers are used. The parameters and characteristics of microelectronics are often a trade secret.
• You also need to choose the right engine systems, speed control systems, and connectors. The size of the blades also plays an important role. If there is a powerful motor, but the size of the blades is small, then the engine will idle 30% or more, wasting its power in vain.
• Radio control systems, receiving GPS signals from satellites. As a rule, these systems are already installed on the boards; they only need to be configured through the copter operating system. Almost all boards work with GPS and Glonas.
• The battery pack typically uses lithium batteries of varying power and capacity. For large copters, it is possible to install gas packs and gasoline engines.
• Motors.
• Accelerometers (gyros), there are various boards for this, one of them is the MPU-6050.

Still have questions? Would you like to learn more about unmanned vehicles? Do you want to see more quadcopter models on our website? Visit the sections of the main menu or leave a request (request) for specific models.
I'm interested in quadcopters. I decided to place an order, the choice fell on the Habsan x4 with a 0.3MP camera.
I waited and received it. I flew it quite a lot (there were crashes, long waits for spare parts and repairs). The idea came to my mind to build a large quadcopter, I plunged into this topic, and re-read many articles. Whenever possible, I answered questions from people in the Rc modelers group: regarding the selection of parts, assembling the quadcopter. From all this the idea to write this article arose.
Flight principle


So, If you decide to build your own quadcopter, then you need to decide on a budget. The size depends on the amount you are willing to spend on this Miracle. The most common sizes (in mm) are 250,330,450,550 and more.
*250 size: small, light, most often used only for FPV flights.
*330 and 450 the golden mean for a budget quadcopter. Acceptable weight and assembly price.
*550 and more can be classified as professional copters or multirotors. Such machines will turn out to be heavy and expensive. These aircraft will have powerful engines and they can carry a decent amount of weight, up to kilogram DSLRs.
I will continue my story based on a 450 scale copter.
A special place in this category is occupied by the DJI 330 and 450 and TBS Discovery frames.


Their price is appropriate...high.
There are many clones, and I chose this one.

It's time to find out what is it quadcopter and what it consists of.
1. Frame
2. Receiver/Transmitter
3. Flight controller:
a) AIOP
b) NAZA
c) MuliWii
d) HKPilot
e) AMP
f) And others

4. Power plant
a) Motor
b) Speed ​​controller
c) Propellers
5. Battery
6. Add. Equipment:
a) FPV system (first person view in real time)
Heading camera
Transmitter
OSD
b) Gimbal for on-board camera
c) Backlight

Now we can look at everything in detail.
1) With frame have already decided. 450 scale, TBS clone.


2) Receiver/Transmitter. Its choice is very important. You need to understand for yourself: how far you want to fly.
The most popular options:
 1.5-2 km will provide 2.4 GHz
 433 MHz will provide about 5-10 km (it all depends on the power, you can fly 20 km)
For myself I chose 2.4 GHz FlySky Th9x 9 channels



Not expensive and easy to set up equipment.
A quadcopter requires at least 5 channels.
The choice of this equipment is due to its popularity, how long it has been on the market. There are many clones. There is a lot of debate about which company was the first, this is the same Turgiga 9, Avionix and others... There are a lot of settings on the Internet.
3) Flight controller
At the moment there are a lot of flight controllers for quadcopters. I made my choice. This Naza Lite with GPS

Not very expensive and angry. Naza requires minimal setup and is very easy to do.
With AIOP, Crius and MultiWii controllers it will be many times more difficult, especially for a beginner.
Why did I take a controller with GPS?
This function is necessary for hovering at a point and returning home.
I see this as a very convenient functionality.
4) Power plant
Raises many questions among the uninitiated.
BC motors are used. They are three phase (3 wires), their efficiency is about 90%.
To control the rotation speed of such a motor, a speed controller (regulator) is used, which receives commands from the flight controller.

Let's consider frames 330.450mm. Depending on your needs, you need to estimate the weight of the quadcopter. On average it turns out from 1k to 1.5kg. It is desirable that the thrust of the motors be 2-2.5 times greater than the total mass. This suggests that the thrust should be 2-3 kg. We divide this by 4 and get the thrust of one motor: approximately 500-750 g.
The question arises: which engine to choose? We look at the characteristics of the frame: we are interested in what engines can be installed in it. The first 2 digits should be of interest: 22 or 28 in most cases.
Let's start choosing an engine. You will see a certain value next to the engine name, for example: 1100kv. This value indicates the number of revolutions per 1 volt. Motors with high kv values ​​have fewer turns of the stator winding than lower speed motors. It follows that the maximum current will be higher in motors with lower kv, which have more torque and this allows the use of larger propellers.
Can be compared to a car's gearbox. 380kv and 1400kv are like the first and third gears of a car.
380kv for measured slow and long flights with a large load capacity
1400kv for fast and manoeuvrable running.
On the Internet or in the description of this engine you can see its technical characteristics and test results. You need to find out the maximum current (A) that the engine can draw and, based on this data, select a speed controller (ESC). Let's say max A for a 20A motor. Then, we take ESC 20-25% more powerful, 25-30A.
Now let's look at the test results.
For example we see: 11x4.7 –3S-12A – 830g
It means
11x4.7 - propeller characteristics (11-inch, 4.7 pitch)
3S - number of LiPo battery cans
12A - current strength in the circuit at a given load
830g – engine thrust under given conditions
Thus, the maximum thrust is 830x4 = 3300 g, the maximum current in the circuit is 12x4 = 48A
The maximum current strength is needed to select the Battery and Wiring.

For starters, don't buy carbon props. Overpayment. Learn to fly cheap ones.
The propeller mounting depends on the engine itself. Most propellers have an adapter for the engine axis. Possible mounting on collets or threads. DJI has excellent self-tightening options; with this option, your propeller will never come loose during flight.
For simpler options, I advise you to additionally secure it with thread sealant.

Paying attention : You can compare motors with different kv under conditions of the same standard size. For example, EMAX XA 2212 exists in different configurations:
820
980
1400
They can be compared.
The efficiency of a motor with 1400kv will be maximum when using an 8040 propeller,
And a motor with 820kv - with a propeller of 1147.
A motor with 820kv will have maximum torque, so it is advisable to use large propellers. And a motor with 1400kv will love high speeds at lower loads.
The difference between the presented motors is in the winding.
It makes sense to use them like this:
1400kv on a 330 frame and 8040 propellers
980kv on a 450 frame and 1045 propellers
820kv on a 500-550 frame and 1147 propellers
I chose
And propellers
Wonderful set.
Connection diagram
For simplicity: Signal - black, Power (+\-) - red


5) Battery
When choosing a battery, you need to select the current output. This is the number C. (25С,35С)
Don’t forget that, according to our data, the system consumes 48A.
Let's say there is a 3300mAh 3S 35C Lipo Pack battery
3300 mAh - battery capacity
3S – number of cans (one can 3.7v)
35C – current output. Those. Battery capacity 3.3Ah (3300 mAh) x 35C = 115A
Which sufficiently covers our energy consumption. Even too much. The higher the C, the heavier and more expensive the battery.
Let's see whether a battery of the same capacity, but with a current output of 25C can cope with our tasks or not: 3.3Ah (3300 mAh) x 25C = 82A
Answer: Yes.
Such a battery will be lighter and cheaper.
To monitor the battery condition, you can buy such a thing.

Imax B6 is very popular for charging batteries, be careful, there are a lot of fakes.

And don't forget to handle LiPo very carefully.
My advice: take at least a couple of batteries.
6) Add. Equipment.
When you have decided on the flight range and selected the control system, you can begin choosing an FPV system:
FPV - literally: first-person view in real time.
 2.4GHz is compatible with 5.8GHz
 433MHz compatible with 1.2GHz
Otherwise, joint interference will be created.
For my 2.4 GHz I selected 5.8 GHz 200mw

The FPV system consists of:
1) Course camera
2) Transmitter on a quadric
3) Receiving station on the ground.
To increase the communication range, you can replace standard antennas with “clovers”

Most transmitters are powered within 9-12v, a small 3S battery can power the transmitter and camera, which is selected for a given voltage.
What does 200mw mean?
This is the transmitter power. It directly affects the communication range. In open areas with non-standard antennas, the signal can be received at a distance of up to 1 km.
Considering that my control system is not capable of controlling a distance of more than 1.5-2 km, this is ideal
option for my needs.
Now everything is clear with the choice of receiver and transmitter, but how to choose a camera, there are a huge number of them?
The choice of camera initially comes down to money.
There are cameras that have the function of streaming data and simultaneous recording. The cost of such cameras is much higher. The mobius camera is very popular.

Its competitor has appeared, which also has an AV output

You can use the cheapest directional camera, without a housing. The cost of which ranges from 600 to 1000 rubles, and is recorded using a good action camera on a gimbal.
For an FPV camera we will see the TVL number. What it is? This is the number of scan lines. For an FPV camera, 500-700TVL will be enough. The level of minimum illumination is important; this parameter is measured in lux. 0.01 lux is enough for flights even in the evening. The viewing angle is equally important. 100-120 degrees is ideal. It would be nice to have automatic highlight and auto correction. white balance.
The picture can be displayed on such a monitor

You can buy a 2- or 3-axis gimbal for the camera. This thing allows you to rotate the camera and have a more stable picture, without jerking or jerking.
The thing is quite expensive.
I have this one:
Naturally the on-board camera itself
You can install LED backlight, beeper, GPS tracker

As you understand, to assemble such a UAV requires quite a lot of investment.
The price is approximately 400-500 dollars.

This review is intended for beginners and contains theory; there will be a continuation soon. With assembly and configuration.
I have planned a series of articles and will slowly implement them.
I will be glad to criticize Thank you per view.
I'll show you the cards: the end result


How to assemble such a thing and lift it into the sky?
Instructions will be in the next part)

Here is a short video from the first flights with a gimbal.

P.S. Everything was purchased with personal funds. I'm planning to buy +99 Add to favorites I liked the review +62 +150

A quadcopter can hang in one place and take photos and videos, which is why many photographers keep up with progress and buy quadcopters for video shooting.

Quadcopters burst into our lives along with technological progress. Today, ordering electronics for a quadcopter from China is very cheap. Assembling a quadcopter frame with your own hands from scrap materials is not at all difficult. You can learn to fly with the help of flight simulators. So the main thing is to have the desire to make a quadcopter with your own hands.

It is best to buy ready-made electronics for a quadcopter.

Details of a homemade quadcopter

Motors for quadcopter, 4 pcs - D2822/14 1450kv

Of course, the additional purchase of a small quadcopter is a little expensive, but by flying one you will learn how to control it and will be able to fly a large quadcopter with a camera without falling! And you can always give a small toy to a child.

And finally, a short video of a quadcopter flight, recorded from a camera.

In this article, we looked at the basic principles of making homemade quadcopters. If you want to know more, see the section

iskra comments:

how to make a quadcopter so that it flies within a radius of 500 meters with a real-time camera that displays the image on the screen

chelovek comments:

Guys, help!
I want to build a quadrick on the Arduino Mega platform using these components:

After reading articles on homemade quadcopters on Habré and after I saw a video shot with AR.Drone, I had an idea for the future to make a homemade FPV quadcopter. more expensive), because the range is small, unstable outdoors, and the fact that it is not open source and I cannot influence the algorithm of its operation.

About a year has passed since then, during which time I practically did nothing related to Arduino and other electronics, although I gradually bought various interesting electronic things.

And just recently it turned out that one of my friends decided to assemble a quadcopter, and I decided that it was time for me too.

Requirements for a quadcopter: FPV (first person view), that is, control from the ground without looking at the model, but looking only at the screen, fail safe - in case of loss of signal from the remote control, you need it not to fall lumpy, but calmly landed, or flew to the take-off point. GPS - it’s quite interesting to program some mission for it and watch its implementation. Flight time on one charge > 10 minutes. The range is approximately a kilometer.

List of necessary items

GoPro Hero3

I already had a GoPro (used it as a camera) so I didn’t have to spend any money.
PRICE: 300$
Buy GoPro Hero3

Turnigy 9X

This legendary radio control equipment (for its cheapness, good quality and functionality for the money) was also purchased from me in advance, but I had not used it yet, it was lying gathering dust.
It comes with or without a receiver and transmitter, I have them, but our quadcopter will need others (with fail safe), so you can buy a stripped-down version, although I don’t regret buying the full version, because... It’s not difficult to insert another receiver here, and the price differs by only $4.
It is powered by 12V, which can be provided by 8 AA batteries, but it is better to use a LiPo battery. I made a little mistake with the dimensions, and my battery has to be secured with double-sided tape, but below I give a link to a battery that will fit perfectly into the battery compartment. You need to pay attention to the polarity (minus on the left, plus in the center) because You can stick it in the wrong place and burn the appa.
By default, it comes without a screen backlight, so it’s better to immediately buy an additional backlight for $5.
And the firmware with which it comes leaves much to be desired (I don’t know myself, but many people are flashing with the ER9x firmware, which is easier to understand and more functional), I will also flash it without even using the standard firmware, and for this I need a programmer. Price: 54+5(backlight)+10(LiPo)+4(programmer)+24(delivery)=97$
Buy Turnigy 9X
Buy Turnigy 9X (without receiver and transmitter)
Buy backlight
Buy LiPo
Buy a programmer

FrSky DJT 2.4Ghz Combo Pack for JR w/ Telemetry Module & V8FR-II RX

Receiver and transmitter for Turnigy 9x with fail safe (I haven’t bought it yet, but I will need it in order to fly confidently and not be afraid of signal loss)
PRICE: 40+6(delivery)=$46
Buy FrSky DJT 2.4Ghz Combo Pack for JR w/ Telemetry Module & V8FR-II RX

LiPo 2200mAh 3S 25C

Battery that will be in the quadcopter (I haven’t bought it yet, I’ll order it with FrSky)
PRICE: $10.68 + shipping
Buy LiPo 2200mAh 3S

Frame RCT Spider FPV Quadcopter Frame W/ Landing gear

Of course, you can make the frame yourself, but... They are not very expensive, and they look very good in appearance, so I decided to buy them. The choice fell on this one because There seems to be enough space in it for everything that is planned, and there will still be left for future improvements, it is convenient to attach a GoPro to it, and in my opinion the rays and blades will not fall into the frame, or will be minimal.
PRICE: $29
Buy frame

Propellers 12 Pairs Carbon Reinforced 10x4.5" Counter Rotating Propellers

The propellers I bought were simply cheap and suitable in size (in the frame info it says 9~12" propeller), and there are also adapters for different motors.
PRICE: 27$
Buy propellers

Motors 2830/11 1000KV Outrunner Brushless Motor

I don’t know much about motors, I looked to see if they fit the frame (in the info on the frame it says 28, 35 series motor), a friend of mine bought the same motors. They had different powers from 750KV to 1300KV, I decided to take the middle. PRICE: 11x4=$44
Buy motors

Motor controllers SK-30A SimonK Firmware Multicopter Speed ​​Controller ESC 30A

A friend of mine bought these controllers and I also chose them, so that if something happened, the two of us could figure out the problems. Yes, and on the hub someone praised them.
PRICE: 12.5x4=50$
Buy motor controllers

Motor Controller Cable JST to 4 X 2mm Bullet Multistar ESC Quadcopter Power Breakout Cable

Just to avoid soldering and to look nice.
PRICE: 2$
Buy cable for motor controllers

Wires 18AWG Silicon Wire Red (1Meter), 18AWG Silicon Wire Black (1Meter)

I don’t know where in Belarus you can buy normal wires, so just in case I ordered red and black, 2 meters each.
PRICE: 1*2+1*2=4$
Buy red wire
Buy black wire

200pcs 10cm 2.54mm 1pin Male to Female jumper

Can be useful for connecting sensors and a radio signal receiver
PRICE: 10$
Buy Male to Female jumper

20 Pairs 2 mm Bullet Banana Plug Connector

To connect the battery and motors may be useful
PRICE: $3.5
Buy 2mm Bullet Banana Plug Connector

AIOP V2.0 ALL IN ONE PRO Flight Controller

I bought the same flight controller as a friend, because... The price and functionality are fine. And it will be easier to solve problems together.
It is planned to install MultiWii on it
PRICE: 49$
Buy AIOP V2.0

AIOPIO Board (Input / Output module)

I don’t know what it is specifically, but... the price is not high and maybe this thing will be useful to me, I decided to take it. I suspect that there are additional pins on which you can attach more sensors and so on. And it seems that telemetry can be transferred to the remote control thanks to it and FrSky.
PRICE: 4$
Buy AIOPIO Board

u-Blox CN-06 GPS Receiver V3.0

GPS receiver supported by MultiWii
PRICE: 30$
Buy u-Blox CN-06

Gyro / Flight Controller Mounting Pad (10pcs/bag)

Something like double-sided tape that smoothes out the vibration a little more.
PRICE: 1$
Buy Flight Controller Mounting Pad

7A UBEC

Because for AIOP we need 5v and our motors are 12 volt, we need to lower the voltage from the 3s battery to 5 volts (the one I bought returns 5.25) because