Quadcopter frame material. The general scheme of assembling a quadrocopter with your own hands. Quadcopter size selection

To assemble a quadcopter with your own hands at home, you must first understand the basic components of a quadcopter.

Parts for assembling a quadcopter

1. Diatone Q450 Quad 450 V3 PCB Quadcopter Frame Kit 450mm It is the body of the aircraft, which will be used for mounting all other equipment and electronic stuffing. Consists of 4 beams and printed circuit board. Weight 295 grams.

   banggood.com

   Price 922 rubles.

2. Motor DYS D2822-14 1450KV Brushless Motor. 4 pieces.

   Sold in the online store Banggood.com

   Price 571 rubles / piece

   

3. DYS 30A 2-4S Brushless Speed ​​Controller ESC Simonk Firmware for RPM control and speed control. 4 pieces.

   Sold in the online store Banggood.com

   Price 438 rubles / piece

   

4. Propellers DYS E-Prop 8x6 8060 SF ABS Slow Fly Propeller Blade For RC Airplane, 4 pieces. Two right-hand rotation propellers and two left-hand rotation propellers.

   Sold in the online store Banggood.com

   Price 125 rubles / piece

   

5. Quadcopter control module KK2.1.5 kk21evo. 1 PC.

   Sold in the online store Banggood.com

   Price 1680 rubles

   

6. Turnigy nano-tech 2200mah 4S ~90C Lipo Pack lithium-polymer battery, you need to cook at least two pieces, and four is better, because they sit down quickly. 1 PC.

   Sold in the online store Parkflyer.ru

   Price 1268 rub/piece

   

7. Hobby King Variable6S 50W 5A battery charger. 1 PC.

   Sold in the online store Hobbyco.ru

   Price 900 rub

   

8. Battery Connector XT60 Male Plug 12AWG 10cm With Wire. 1 PC.

   Sold in the online store Banggood.com

   Price 144 rubles

   

9. Clamps for fixing wires on the body of the quadrocopter. 1000pcs 2.0x100mm Black/ White Nylon Cable Ties Zip Ties. 1 package.

   Sold in the online store Banggood.com

   Price 316 rubles

   

10. Connectors 20 Pairs 3.5mm Bullet Connector Banana Plug For RC Battery / Motor. For regulator wires. 1 package.

    Sold in the online store Banggood.com

    Price 256 rubles

    

11. Velcro tape for attaching the battery to the body of the quadcopter. 1 PC.

    Sold in the online store Banggood.com

    Price 79 rub

    

12. 50pcs Motor Fixing Screws Set for DJI F450 F550 HJ450 550 Quadcopter Multicopter. 1 package.

    Price 217 rubles

    

13. Remote control quadrocopter Spektrum DX6 V2 with AR610 Receiver. The transmitter and receiver are included in one set. 1 PC.

    Price 9700 rub

    

The total set of equipment for assembly will cost 20018 rubles.

Features when choosing components

Basic characteristics of the transmitter:

• Modes Mode1 or Mode2. In the first mode, the throttle stick is on the right, in the second mode, the throttle stick is on the left.
• The transmitter frequency is 2.4GHz.
• Number of channels. The minimum number of channels required to control the aircraft is four. Control equipment from Spektrum DX6 V2 with AR610 Receiver contains 6 channels.

DIY step-by-step instructions for assembling a quadrocopter

1. Reduce the length of the wires on the regulators. When connecting the regulator to the motors, the length of the wires will significantly exceed the length of the beam on which this entire structure will be attached.

   

2. We solder the connectors to the ends of the wires on the regulator so that in the future you can connect the regulator to the motors.

   





3. We make installation of engines - we screw on 1 engine for each beam.

   

   

4. We assemble the frame. We screw the rays to the board.

   

   



5. We connect the wires of the regulators to the engines. The controller and motor cables are connected randomly. In the future, it may be necessary to change the connection order in the final configuration of the drone. When using dedicated regulators for each motor, the positive and negative poles must be connected to the controller, coming from only one regulator.

   

6. We fix the control module on the case with double-sided tape. It is best placed in the central part of the platform.

   



7. We fix the receiver on the case with double-sided tape and connect it to the control module. The receiver should be located as close to the module as possible.

   

   Channel assignment is described in the receiver manual. Usually their sequence is as follows:

   1. Ailerons - a channel responsible for left and right turns;
   2. Elevator - a channel that controls forward and backward directions;
   3. Gas is a channel that controls gas. Supervises takeoff and landing, as well as altitude changes;
   4. Yaw - the channel makes it possible to rotate the quadrocopter around its axis.

   

8. We power the device. We connect the battery to the connector.

   

This operation completes the assembly process of the quadcopter.

Adjustment

1. We start engines. Activation of the motors requires the execution of the process of starting the motors - arming. The user manual explains in detail how to achieve this. Deactivation of engines requires a disarming procedure.
2. We turn on a weak gas and make sure that the motors rotate. The nature of rotation must be the same as indicated in the diagram in the manual for the controller. If the motor rotates incorrectly, you just need to swap the poles of the wires going from the motor to the controller.

   

3. We screw the second platform to the body of the quadrocopter.

   

4. We connect a tape with Velcro to the case for attaching the battery.

   

   Do-it-yourself quadcopter assembly on arduino

   Conclusion

   Self-assembly of a quadrocopter can only be done by those who like the solution difficult problems. These should be people who enjoy the progress of various calculations and the process of assembling the device.

   The advantage of a copter assembled with my own hands in that at any time you can upgrade it by adding new equipment.

Probably, it’s not worth talking about how popular quadrocopters are now. And you most likely know how much they cost, and have already given up thinking about it. In our article, you will learn how make your own quadcopter at home. We immediately warn you that this is a responsible and difficult task, but in the end you will have invaluable experience and a treasured device at a ridiculous price.

There are several ways to assemble a quadrocopter on your own:

How to assemble a quadrocopter with your own hands

We warn that the instruction is generalized and that there may be differences in a couple of points. We will tell you the basics about the assembly and selection of parts.

What details are needed

• Frame and its components. The main thing in the copter is the bearing part. If the frame is lighter, then less power will go away. But keep in mind - lightweight frames are more expensive. Durability isn't that important unless you plan on putting a heavier camera on the quad. There are three types of frames: four-beam, six-beam and eight-beam (one motor for each beam).

Features of the choice of components

• Motors. Chinese online stores are usually cunning and overestimate the specifications. Therefore, for reliability, it is worth buying more powerful motors. It will also make it possible to lift a heavier camera. Also exists two types of quadcopter motors- these are collector and brushless
  
• Propellers. Their price depends on the purpose of your copter. If your plans do not include more complex "flights" - plastic propellers will be enough. If you are planning aerial photography, you will have to take composite materials. The more expensive the propellers, the stronger they are and the less time it takes to balance.
  
• Remote control, signal receiver. The remote control should be taken together with the receiver. In this case, the receiver will receive the signal sent from the remote control. Normal remotes, again, cost from a thousand rubles and more - they have a higher range. The remotes themselves may have a bunch of unnecessary switches that will confuse you - it is better not to take such instances.
  
• Regulators and batteries. We advise you to immediately take a set of engines with controllers. You can do without it, but then you will have to adjust the power yourself. The battery should be bought with a more powerful one, especially if you want to put a heavier camera.
  
• Controller. Controllers are of two types. Universal is convenient because it works on drones of any assembly, sensors and multifunctionality contribute to this. The disadvantage is the price of the controller - from 17 thousand rubles. It will also have to be configured through special software written for a specific model. A specialized controller already has the necessary settings for a specific type of copter.
• Camera. Choosing a camera for a quadcopter is not an easy task. We advise you to install a camera like GoPro or analogues from Chinese companies - their quality does not differ much. The main role is played by weight and viewing angle, the latter will be discussed below. The more massive the camera, the more difficult it will be to center it. You can calculate the camera position using the formula L \u003d 2 * tg (A / 2) x D, (L is the field of view, A is the angle, D is the distance to the propellers).

GoPro Camera Analogs

Xiaomi Yi Action Camera

Price on AliExpress: US $49.99 - 109.99

Specifications:

• Sensor: CMOS 1/2.3″ 16 megapixels;
• Lens: f/2.8, FOV 155 degrees;
• Video: 1920×1080, 60fps;
• Photo: 4608×3456;
• Weight: 72 grams;
• Time Lapse: Yes
• Built-in screen: no;
• Memory: microSD card.

SJCAM SJ5000X 2K

Price on AliExpress: $126.58

Specifications:

• Sensor: CMOS 12 megapixels;
• Lens: f/2.8, FOV 170 degrees;
• Video: 2560×1440, 30fps;
• Photo: 4032×3024;
• Weight: 74 grams;
• Time Lapse: Yes
• Built-in screen: yes;
• Memory: microSD card.

About parts from China

Of course, do not underestimate Chinese manufacturers, but do not praise either. Overcharging their products is a common thing. You can take, but not cheap parts, otherwise you have to do everything all over again.

Assembly instructions

Surely, you have read this article and took a frame with a distribution board. But if you have not done this, it does not matter, just connect the wires to the control module.

Take, for example, a copter assembled from the following components:

• Base (frame) - Diatone Q450 Quad 450 V3 PCB Quadcopter Frame Kit 450
• 4 motors DYS D2822-14 1450KV Brushless Motor.
• speed controller DYS 30A 2-4S Brushless Speed ​​Controller ESC Simonk Firmware
• Propellers DYS E-Prop 8×6 8060 SF ABS Slow Fly Propeller Blade For RC Airplane
• control module 1.5kk21evo
• Battery, type: lithium polymer — Turnigy nano-tech 2200mah 4S ~90C Lipo Pack
• Charger Hobby King Variable6S 50W 5A
• Battery connector XT60 Male Plug 12AWG 10cm With Wire
• Connectors 20 Pairs 3.5mm Bullet Connector Banana Plug For RC Battery / Motor
• Remote Control Spektrum DX6 V2 with AR610 Receiver (with receiver and transmitter)

All this will cost about 20 thousand rubles.

Quadcopter assembly steps

We lay out all this goodness on the table and proceed.

1. Approximately estimate the desired length of the controller wires, add a small margin just in case, and cut them to the required length.
2. We solder the connectors to the outputs of the regulators to simplify the connection of the motors.
3. Solder the speed controllers to the wiring board.
4. Solder the battery connector to the wiring board as well.
5. Carefully screw the motors onto the drone arms. When installing, take care of the thread.
6. We solder the motor connectors, if they are not.
7. We fasten the beams with motors to the board.
8. We attach the regulators to the rays of the copter. It is most convenient to do this with plastic clamps.
9. We turn on the wires of the regulators to the engines in random order. If necessary, then change the order.
10. We fix the control module on the case (after photographing the back side, then you will understand why). We fix it even on chewing gum, but I recommend using a soft double-sided adhesive tape to begin with.
11. We connect the speed controllers to the controller. In the ports marked with signs "plus" - "minus" - "empty", as a rule, we connect a white wire to the screen.
12. With the remaining adhesive tape, we fix the receiver closer to the control unit, and connect the necessary channels to the corresponding ports. We use the documentation of this receiver and a snapshot of the outer edge of the board in order to understand which stack of wires is responsible for what.
13. We connect the power supply of the device from the battery, through the connector.
14. You are well done! You have assembled your first drone.

Installing and configuring equipment

Now you just need to set it up so that it does not crash on the first day of the flight.

1. We start the motors (it happens in every way, study the documentation)
2. We add gas and look in which direction the propellers are spinning. They must rotate as written in the diagram that is attached to the controller. Otherwise, the control will be inverted. In case something went wrong, we turn over the connector that combines the engine and controller.
3. If everything turns right - fasten upper part frames. Don't try to push it into place. If she got up tight - something goes wrong. We loosen the lower screws, then tighten everything gradually.
4. We fix the block with batteries.
5. We mount adapters for propellers on engines.
6. We put the propellers, taking into account the direction of rotation of the motors. The raised element of the blade must look in the direction of rotation.
7. There is! Your quadcopter is ready for the first flight.

We have reviewed a simple example of assembling a quadcopter, which does not require large costs and efforts in terms of assembly. Accordingly, if you decide to lift something heavier on the drone (navigator, heavier shooting equipment, etc.), the design will have to be finalized and strengthened. However, you have already gained the first experience of assembling such structures. Further, it will be easier for you to understand the principle of the copter and know how to refine it in the future.

I completely described the assembly and configuration process and, and below there will be a slightly modified version containing more information from my previous articles.

I will leave out the question of entering this hobby and go directly to the quadcopter.

Quadcopter size selection

A year ago, size 250 quadcopters were the most popular. But now pilots prefer to build smaller devices, which is quite reasonable: the weight is less, but the power is the same. I chose size 180 not for any practical reasons, but as a kind of assembly challenge.

In fact, this approach to the choice is not entirely correct. It is much more reasonable to choose the size of the propellers first, and already under them - the smallest frame where the selected propellers will fit. And with this approach, the 180th format is generally rejected. Judge for yourself: the 210 format allows you to install the same 5-inch props as the 250, while the quad itself is lighter, and 4-inch props fit into the 160 frames. It turns out that the 180th size is such an intermediate format that is "neither ours nor yours." It can also be considered a weighted 160. But, nevertheless, I chose it. Perhaps because this is the minimum size that can more or less comfortably carry a GoPro or Runcam camera.

Accessories

Let's start with motors. The "intermediateness" of the 180th size, as well as the richness of their assortment, complicates the choice. On the one hand, you can take what goes to the 160s, on the other hand, what is installed on the 210s or even 250s. It is necessary to proceed from the propellers and the battery (the number of cans). I see no reason to use a 3S battery, but on propellers general rules are:

• you need maximum static thrust - increase the diameter of the propeller and decrease the pitch (within reasonable limits)
• you need high speed - reduce the diameter and increase the step (within reasonable limits)
• you need high thrust with a small diameter - add the number of blades (again, within reasonable limits, since if the difference between two- and three-blade propellers is noticeable, then between three- and four-blade propellers is not so big)

In my case, I have a prop size limit of 4 inches, but no motor limit. So the 3-bladed 4045 bullnose propellers are the smartest thing to do. They are difficult to balance, but with them the control is more responsive and predictable, and the sound is quieter. On the other hand, with two-blade propellers, the speed of a quadrocopter is higher, but I definitely don’t need this. "In the people" on the 180 frames, the following setups prevail:

• lightweight with 1306-3100KV motors, regular 4045 propellers and 850mAh battery
• heavy and powerful for 3-blade bullnose propellers and action camera with 2205-2600KV motors and 1300mAh battery

In fact, the frame allows you to install motors from 1306-4000KV to 22XX-2700KV. By the way, I don’t know why, but 1806-2300KV motors are now in disgrace and are little used.

For my quadric motors I took - RCX H2205 2633KV. Firstly, I wanted to have a power reserve (although with my modest piloting skills, it is not clear why). Secondly, my setups have never turned out to be ultra-light, in addition, I also plan to carry an action camera. Specifically, RCX motors are a compromise option. They are cheap, but there are many complaints about the quality. At the time of purchasing the components, these were one of the few 2205-2600KV motors on the market. Now (at the time of this writing) the range is much larger and it is better to choose something else.
With the rest of the components, he acted on the principle of "more challenge":

Flight controller selection

You may have noticed that there is no flight controller in the list. I want to describe his choice in more detail. Inexpensive build kits often include a CC3D controller, so this is probably the cheapest PC right now. Today there is absolutely no point in buying CC3D. It is outdated and does not have such necessary things as battery control and "beeper". Its successor CC3D Revolution is a completely different product with rich features, but at a price of over 40€.
Modern flight controllers have already switched from F1 to F3 processors, which made the Naze32 a past generation PC and significantly reduced its price. Now this is a truly popular controller that has almost everything that the soul desires at a price of 12€.
Of the new generation PCs, Seriously Pro Racing F3 is the most popular, and first of all, due to the availability of inexpensive clones. The controller itself is in no way inferior to Naze32, in addition it has a fast F3 processor, a large number of memory, three UART ports, built-in inverter for S.Bus. It was SPRacingF3 Acro that I chose. The rest of modern PCs were not considered because of the price, or some specific features (closed firmware, layout, etc.)
Separately, I note the now fashionable trend to combine several boards into one. Most often PC and OSD or PC and PDB I do not support this idea with a couple of exceptions. I don't want to change the entire flight controller because of a burnt OSD. In addition, as practice shows, sometimes such a combination brings problems.

wiring diagram

It is clear that all components that need 5V or 12V power will receive it from the BECs of the power distribution board. The camera could theoretically be powered directly from a 4S battery, since the input voltage allows this, but in no case should this be done. First, all cameras are very susceptible to noise in the circuit from the regulators, which will be reflected in the noise in the picture. Secondly, regulators with active braking (such as my LittleBee), when this braking is activated, give a very serious impulse to the on-board network, which can burn the camera. Moreover, the presence of a pulse directly depends on the wear of the battery. The new ones do not have it, but the old ones do. Here is an educational video on the topic of interference from regulators and how to filter them. So it is better to power the camera either from the BEC or from the video transmitter.
Also, in order to improve the quality of the picture, it is recommended to run not only the signal wire, but also the “ground” from the camera to the OSD. If you twist these wires into a "pigtail", then the "ground" acts as a shield for the signal wire. True, in this case, I did not.
If we are already talking about "ground", then they often argue about whether it is necessary to connect the "ground" from the regulators to the PC or whether one signal wire is enough. On an ordinary racing quadcopter, you definitely need to connect it. Its absence can lead to synchronization failures ( the confirmation).
The final wiring diagram turned out to be simple and concise, but with a couple of nuances:

• flight controller power supply (5V) from PDB via ESC outputs
• radio receiver power supply (5V) from PC via OI_1 connector
• video transmitter power supply (12V) from PDB
• camera power supply (5V) from the video transmitter
• OSD connected to UART2. Many people use UART1 for this, but like on Naze32, here this connector is in parallel with USB.
• Vbat is connected to the PC, not the OSD. In theory, the battery voltage reading (vbat) can be read on both the OSD and the PC by connecting the battery to either one or the other. What is the difference? In the first case, the readings will be present only on the screen of the monitor or glasses, and the PC will not know anything about them. In the second case, the PC can monitor the battery voltage, inform the pilot about it (for example, with a “beep”), and also transmit this data to the OSD, to the “black box” and via telemetry to the console. Adjusting the accuracy of readings is also easier through a PC. That is, connecting vbat to the flight controller is much more preferable.

Assembly

To start, a few general advice for assembly:

• Carbon conducts current. So everything must be well insulated so that nothing closes to the frame anywhere.
• Anything that sticks out of the frame is more likely to be broken or torn off in a crash. In this case, we are talking, first of all, about connectors. Wires can also be cut with a screw, so they must be hidden.
• It is highly desirable to cover all boards with PLASTIK 71 insulating varnish after soldering, and in several layers. From my own experience I can say that applying a liquid varnish with a brush is much more convenient than covering with a spray.
• It will not be superfluous to drop a little hot glue on the places where the wires are soldered to the boards. This will protect the solder from vibrations.
• For all threaded connections, it is desirable to use "Loctite" medium fixation (blue).

The assembly I prefer to start with motors and regulators. good video on assembling a small quadcopter, from which I adopted the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe arrangement of motor wires.

Separately, I would like to say about the fastening of regulators: where and with what? They can be fixed on the beam and under it. I chose the first option, because it seems to me that in this position the regulator is more secure (these are my conjectures, not confirmed by practice). In addition, when mounted on a beam, the regulator is perfectly cooled by air from the propeller. Now about how to fix the regulator. There are many ways, the most popular is double-sided tape + one or two ties. "Cheap and cheerful", besides, dismantling will not cause difficulties. Worse, with such a mount, you can damage the regulator board (if you put a coupler on it) or wires (if you mount it on them). So I decided to attach the regulators with heat shrink tubing (25mm) and soldered them together with the beams. There is one caveat: the regulator itself must also be in heat shrink (mine were sold in it), so as not to come into contact with the carbon beam, otherwise - a short circuit.

It also makes sense to stick a piece of double-sided tape on the bottom of each beam at the motor mount. Firstly, it will protect the motor bearing from dust. Secondly, if for some reason one of the bolts is unscrewed, it will not fall out during the flight and will not be lost.
When assembling the frame, I did not use a single bolt from the kit, since they are all indecently short. Instead, I bought a little longer and with a head for a Phillips screwdriver (there is such a personal preference).

The camera did not fit in width between the side plates of the frame. I slightly processed the edges of her board with a needle file (rather, I grinded off the roughness) and she got up without any problems. But the difficulties didn't end there. I really liked the quality of the camera holder from Diatone, but the camera with it did not fit in the frame in height (about 8-10mm). At first I attached the holder to the outer (upper) side of the plate through a neoprene damper, but the design turned out to be unreliable. Later came the idea of ​​​​the most simple and reliable fastening. I took only the clamp from Diatone's mount and put it on a piece of rod with an M3 thread. To prevent the camera from moving sideways, I fixed the collar with nylon sleeves.

I really liked that from the connectors on the PC I had to solder only the connectors for the regulators. Full-fledged three-pin connectors did not fit in my height, I had to go for a trick and use two-pin ones. For the first five channels (4 for regulators + 1 "for every fireman"), I soldered the connectors to the signal pad and the "ground", for the remaining three - to the "plus" and "ground", so that I could power the PC itself and already from it - backlight. Considering that Chinese clones of flight controllers sin with unreliable fixation of the USB connector, I soldered it too. Another point characteristic of the SPRacingF3 clone is the tweeter connector. As in the case with vbat, on the top side of the board there is a two-pin JST-XH connector, and on the bottom it is duplicated with contact pads. The catch is that the clone has a constant ground on the connector and when using it, the tweeter will always be activated. The normal working ground for the "tweeter" is brought out only to the contact pad. This is easily checked by the tester: the "plus" of the connector is ringing with the "plus" on the contact pad, and the "minus" is not ringing. Therefore, it is necessary to solder the wires for the "tweeter" to the underside of the PC.

The three-pin connectors of the regulators also had to be replaced. It was possible to use four two-pin plugs, but instead, I took two four-pin plugs and inserted all the regulators into one “ground”, and the signal wire into the second (observing the order of connecting the motors).

The illuminated plate is wider than the frame and protrudes on the sides. The only place where the propellers won't knock it down is under the frame. I had to farm: I took long bolts, put on them nylon couplings with pre-cut slots (so that the ties that fasten the backlight could be fixed) and screwed them through the bottom plate into the frame racks. I pulled a plate with LEDs to the resulting legs with screeds (the holes in the plate fit perfectly) and filled the screeds with hot glue. Soldered the connectors on the back side of the plate.
After assembly, at the setup stage, it turned out that something was wrong with the squeaker. Immediately after connecting the battery, it began to beep monotonously, and if you activate it from the remote control, then this monotonous squeak was also superimposed by a rhythmic one. At first I sinned on the PC, but after measuring the voltage with a multimeter, it became clear exactly where the problem was. In fact, it was possible from the very beginning to connect an ordinary LED to the wires of the tweeter. As a result, I ordered several tweeters at once, listened to them and installed the loudest one.

Often the PDB and controller are attached to the frame with nylon bolts, but I do not trust their strength. So I used 20mm metal bolts and nylon sleeves. After installing the PDB, I soldered the power supply to the regulators (the rest of the wires were soldered in advance) and filled the solder points with hot glue. I fastened the main power wire to the battery with a tie to the frame so that it would not be torn out in the event of an accident.

I removed all connectors from the receiver with wire cutters, except for the necessary three, and soldered the jumper between the third and fourth channels directly on the board. As I wrote above, it would be wiser to take the receiver without connectors. I also deployed his antennas and melted into heat shrink. On the frame, the receiver fits nicely between the PBD and the C-pillar. With this arrangement, its indicators are clearly visible and there is access to the bind button.

I fastened the video transmitter with ties and hot glue to the top plate of the frame so that through the slot there was access to the channel switch button and LED indicators.

There is a special hole in the frame for attaching the video transmitter antenna. But do not connect it to the transmitter directly. It turns out a kind of lever, where the antenna serves as one shoulder, the transmitter itself with all the wires serves as the other, and the connector attachment point will be the fulcrum, which will have the maximum load. Thus, in the event of an accident, with almost 100% probability, the connector on the transmitter board will break off. Therefore, it is necessary to mount the antenna through some kind of adapter or extension cord.

I decided to solder connectors to MinimOSD, not wires directly. They write on the forums that this board often burns out, therefore it is reasonable to immediately prepare for a possible replacement. I took a bar with connectors in two rows, soldered the lower ones to the contact pads with holes, and brought vIn and vOut to the upper ones. After that, I filled the soldering points with hot glue and packed the entire board in heat shrink.

The final touch is a sticker with a phone number. It will give at least a little hope in case of loss of the quadrocopter.

This build has come to an end. It turned out compactly and at the same time access to all necessary controls is preserved. More photos can be viewed. The weight of the quadcopter without battery is 330g, with battery - 470g. And this is without an action camera and a mount for it. In the next article, I will talk about the firmware and configuration of the resulting quadcopter.

First, having chosen the size of the square, I started sketching the drawing on a piece of wallpaper.

By the way, I chose size 45 - universal, since this is my first drone, and in which direction I will develop I don’t know yet.

Having collected all the fiberglass at home, I started cutting out two identical bases, between which the rays will be clamped.


The material for the manufacture of beams was an aluminum square profile 10 * 10mm

Preview version...
I fixed the beams between the bases with screws and nuts, I didn’t think of anything else)

Let's go further...
Legs, the chassis was also made of fiberglass. Having drawn a sketch, I started cutting blanks

Then he began to torture the screwdriver

Despite everything, the drone still got on its feet)

And now - weighing. The weight of the frame, without any equipment, was 263 grams. I think that this is a fairly acceptable weight, but what do you think?

Now that the frame is assembled, you can proceed to install the components.
I chose these motors and regulators:
EMAX XA2212 820KV 980KV 1400KV Motor With Simonk 20A ESC
Product http://www.site/ru/product/1669970/ Brain known to all cc3d
CC3D Flight Controller
Product http://www.site/ru/product/1531419/ Battery:
Battery lithium-polymer ZIPPY Flightmax 3000mAh 3S1P 20C
Product http://www.site/ru/product/8851/
I attached motors with standard crosses to the beams on bolts and nuts



The motors are installed. I tied the regulators to electrical tape, with radiators to the rays.



Then I placed the power distribution board between the fiberglass plates

Soldered all the necessary wires (regulators, parking lights).
Perfectionists do not watch)))

Checked the functionality...

Having installed the power distribution board, I started mounting the brains. Trite stuck them on 2-sided tape.

Also arrived with the receiver

Battery fastening is carried out thanks to Velcro on the bottom base of the quadra.

That's all! The flight weight of the quadrocopter is 993 grams. Having flashed the flight controller, I went outside for the first tests.

Watch the flight video from 2.50 minutes

The quadcopter was built at the end of the summer of 2016, now it is the beginning of 2017. During this period, the quadrocopter has been in the sky for a sufficient amount of time. At the moment, the copter is intact, there was not a single crash, I upgraded it a little to install a camera on its board. In the future, I want to learn how to fly fpv on it. Now I am slowly starting to assemble an Fpv system, a video transmitter, a receiver have already been ordered))

Thanks to everyone who read the above, if you have questions, advice, wishes - write in the comments. Below are photos taken by the camera installed on the quadcopter, and of the copter itself.

With Uv. Alexei

Due to the development of technological progress, photographers, videographers and bloggers are increasingly using quadrocopters in their arsenal. At the same time, prices for a normal model start at 30,000 rubles. In addition, users often want to install their own camera on it, and not all gimbals. popular models allow it. Therefore, the question remains how to design a quadrocopter with your own hands. This is not difficult to do if you have at least basic knowledge in electrics, but you need to know certain nuances and subtleties. step by step instructions on assembling a quadrocopter with your own hands, read further in the article.

Quadcopter on Arduino

Microcontroller Arduino Uno

Today, the word Arduino is often found among modellers. What does this mean, and what does it have to do with a do-it-yourself quadrocopter? The Arduino Uno microcontroller is an electronic device small size, which controls the accelerometer, gyroscope and other sensors, transmits and receives information, etc. It consists of a system of devices responsible for a specific function. The "brain" of an Arduino is a microcontroller. It has memory and is able to perform simple tasks. You can compare it with a single-chip minicomputer. The next component is the electrical leads, which are located around the perimeter of the board. They act as arms for the adruino. Finally, there are analog or digital outputs required for control.

So, you need to make a quadcopter with your own hands and provide it with a base that will allow the copter to take off into the air and perform the necessary tasks. It becomes the Arduino Uno controller for the quadrocopter, which will provide stability and controllability in flight. By assembling a quadrocopter with your own hands, you will save up to 15,000 rubles, while creating a fully functional drone.

Choice of sensors.

Scheme of connecting MPU 6030 to Arduino Uno. Click to view full size

To control the quadcopter, you need an accelerometer and a gyroscope. This will be sufficient if you are looking for a device with a simple design for short distance flights. To build a complex device with many modules, functions, GPS support, you will have to install additional sensors. For the first model, we recommend choosing the MPU-6050 board - it contains all the necessary sensors.

Accessories

Parts for assembling a quadrocopter with your own hands can be ordered on Aliexpress, or you can print some of them on a 3D printer. Main components:

1. Frame.
2. screws.
3. flight controller.
4. Lithium batteries (2x 3.7V)
5. Remote Control.
6. A set of sensors.
7. Transistor
8. Bolts, connecting wires.
9. Charger.
10. Screw motors.
11. Tools for work.

If there are 4 identical fans (coolers) left from the old computer, then the motors from them are suitable for assembling a copter. At the first experience, it is better to refuse to assemble a quadrocopter with a camera with your own hands. First, deal with the controls, and only then attach the camera so that when you fall, you don’t lose both the quadcopter and the camera at the same time. When assembling, it is recommended to make a wide base between the arms of the drone. Then you can hang the camera without too much work. A simple option is also a do-it-yourself quadrocopter on a 3d printer. To do this, you just need to print it by downloading the necessary details.

Choose the type and size of the quadcopter

When assembling the quadcopter, select suitable size device. There are such:

• A mini quadcopter is a small model with a short range. Fits in the palm of your hand, suitable for indoor flying.
• A tricopter is a drone that has only three propellers. This makes it lighter and more maneuverable, but torque is lost. Instead, a rear rotor tilt mechanism is used. Difficult to do by hand.
• A regular quadcopter is a simple and inexpensive drone. The diagonal size is on average 35 cm (without propellers). It consists of a minimum set of parts in order to reduce the weight of the device. It is characterized by high speed of movement and maneuverability.
• A folding quadrocopter is taken on trips, trips, when the size and weight of the device is important. The folding frame makes it easy to transport the device. AT self-manufacturing complicated.
• A large quadcopter is the most expensive and heaviest type of drone. Able to fly long distances, equipped with a capacious battery, carries sophisticated photo and video equipment. Do it yourself only if you already have the skills to make such devices.

wiring diagram

Wiring diagram. Click to enlarge

A self-assembled quadrocopter model requires proper wiring, otherwise the device is unlikely to take off into the air. First make a parallel connection of four power wires. You will need detachable connections at the place where the battery is connected to the wires. In all other places it is necessary to make soldering. Parts will need to be tightened with heat shrink, otherwise they will come off later due to vibration during flight.
Next, take care of the control board, connect the driver wires. From now on, proceed to check the flight controller to eliminate possible problems.

Assembly

First of all, we prepare and connect the beams and the frame. If it is not possible to print the frame on a 3D printer, then use plain plywood instead. Install the power board at the junction of the frame parts. It should be fixed at the bottom in the central part. Fasten it to the body on both sides with plastic straps, in which the length is adjustable. At the same time, the board can move, move, but, nevertheless, it will fulfill its purpose, and you should not worry about it falling off.

Next, install the flight controller from above. It is very important that it be placed exactly in the center, so it is best to measure the place where it will be located. Fasten this part with self-tapping screws of the right size. Then fix the receiver and transmitter with superglue. Also prepare pads at the ends of the beams. They are needed to install engines and propellers. You can connect the motors with three power wires. The direction of rotation of the screws depends on their location.

The next step is to install the battery. Use two 3700 mAh Zippy Compact batteries. They must be attached diagonally to two beams at once. Use a wide plastic strap and tape for this. The crosspiece in the central part is also suitable for installing batteries. There is a space between the crosspiece and the control panel, insert the strap for attaching the batteries there. Put the batteries on top of each other, put a sponge on top, used to transport breakable objects. Secure them with a strap, and stick tape on top so that the batteries do not slip.

At the end, we assemble and install the screws at the ends of the beams on special platforms. It remains only to connect the wires and you can start the first flights. It is best to start by timing the flight in order to have time to do soft landing. This is especially important if the do-it-yourself drone did not have a landing gear attached.

Learning to fly

Homemade quadcopters need firmware setup. Download and install the program. Next, you need to follow the instructions for correct setting programs. Now start flying. For beginners, flying a drone is not as easy as it seems at first glance. However, with the desire and patience, you will quickly learn. Install the quadcopter at a distance of 10-12 meters from you. To take off, tilt the throttle stick down and to the right. Your drone will take off. Next is the matter of technique and training.