# Ardupilot Copter Abbreviated Operators Manual

Preface: Operation instructions for the Ardupilot family of autopilot control systems are available in the form of on

- line documents. The particular homepage relevant to the aircraft discussed in the exem ption request can be found at: http://copter.ardupilot.com/

. 

# For brevity purposes t he following d ocument contains excerpts fro m this on

- line manual. It features relevant selections sufficient to support the exemption request , however, n ot all sections have be en included on this particular document due to the extensive amount of material available . The instruction document s can be viewed in their entirety at:

http://copter.ardupilot.com/Copter > common
- Table of Contents 

# Table of Contents

APM:Copter

 TOC

 Introducing Copter

 How Multicopters Work

 What You’ll Need

 MultiCopter Safety

 Choosing a MultiCopt er Frame

 Choosing a Flight Controller

 Choosing a Ground Station

 Use

- Case Overview

 First Time Setup

 Install Mission Planner

 Assembly

 Mounting the Flight Controller

 Pixhawk Wiring QuickStart

 Powering the Pixhawk

 Compatible RC Tx/Rx Systems (Pixhawk and PX4)

 Advanced Pixhawk Quadcopter Wiring Chart

 Erle

- Brain2 Wiring Quick Start

 Compatible RC Transmitter and Receiver Systems (Erle

- Brain 2)

 Connect ESCs and Motors

 Installing GPS+Compass Module

 Detailed Vehicle Builds

 DJI F330 FlameWheel QuadCopter

 Hoverthi ngs Flip Sport Quadcopter

 3DR Kits and Best Practices

 Build Your Own Multicopter

 Advanced MultiCopter Design

 Improving the Capabilities of Your Multicopter

 Loading Firmware

 Connect Mission Planner to AutoPilot

 Configuring Hardware

 Frame Type Configuration

 Compass Calibrati on

 Radio Control Calibration

 Accelerometer Calibration

 RC Transmitter Mode Setup

 ESC Calibration

 First Flight

 Flight Modes

 Acro Mode

 Altitude Hold Mode Auto Mode

 Brake Mode

 Circle Mode

 Drift Mode

 Follow Me Mode (GSC Enabled)

 Guided Mode

 Land Mode

 Loiter Mode

 PosHold Mode

 Position Mode

 RTL Mode

 Simple and Super Simple Modes

 Sport Mode

 Stabilize Mode

 Pre

- arm Safety Check

 Arming and Disarming

 Getting Off the Ground

– Tips for New Operators

 Basic Tuning

 Measuring Vibration

 Setting Throttle Mid

 Save Trim & Auto Trim

 Failsafe Mechanisms

 Radio Failsafe

 Battery Failsafe

 GCS Failsafe

 EKF / DCM failsafe

 GPS Failsafe and Glitch Protection

 S imple GeoFence

 Pre

- Flight Checklist

 Advanced Configuration

 Tuning

 AutoTune

 Roll and Pitch Tuning

 EKF Overview/Tuning

 Motor Thrust Scaling

 Advanced Tuning

 Compass Setup (Advanced)

 UBlox GPS Configuration

 Parameter Reset

 Auxiliary Function Switches

 Vibration Damping

 Current Limiting and Voltage Scaling

 RCMAP

 Sensor Testing

 Telemetry Port Setup

 Magnetic Interference

 Full Parameter L ist

 Mission Planning Planning a Mission with Waypoints and Events

 Copter Mission Command List

 Mission Command List

 Camera Control and Auto Missions in Mission Planner

 Rally Points

 Terrain Following

 Geotagging Images

 Mission Analysis

 Diagnosing problems using Logs

 Dataflash Logs

 Telemetry Logs

 Recording and Playing Back Missions

 Optional Hardware

 Telemetry

 RFD900

 SiK Radio v2

 Telemetry Radio Regional Regulations

 Configuring a Telemetry Radio

 Bluetooth

 FrSky telemetry

 XBee

 SiK Radio

— Advanced Configuration

 3DR Radio v1

 Power Modules

 Smart Battery

 AttoPilot Current Sensor

 Mauch Power Modules

 AirbotPower Power Module

 3DR Power Module

 Power Module Configuration

 Rangefinders

 Maxbotic Analog Sonar (AC3.2)

 Maxbotix I2C Sonar

 LIDAR

- Lite

 Lightware SF02 Lidar

 LightWare SF10 Lidar

 TeraRanger One Rangefinder

 Analog Sonar (AC3.1)

 Optical Flow Sensor

 ADNS3080 Mouse Sensor

 PX4

- FLOW

 Cameras and Gimbals

 Tarot Brushless Gimbal

 SToRM32 Gimbal

 Gimbal with Servos

 Camera Shu tter Configuration

 Camera Trigger using CHDK

 Camera Shutter Tri gger Boards for Purchase Seagull #MAP (Sony MultiPort)

 SkySight MONO (Sony MultiPort)

 Stratosnapper (IR)

 CHDK Camera Control

 OSD for FPV

 Min im OSD

 Servo

 GPS/Compass

 3DR UBlox GPS + Compass

 Zubax GNSS: GPS, Compass, Barometer

 GPS

– How it Works

 Relay Switch

 UAVCAN ESCs

 EPM Gripper (EPM688)

 PPM Encoder

 PPM Encoder Programming Guide

 Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI)

 Parachute

 Joystick or Gamepad

 External LEDs

 Buzzer

 Landing Gear

 Precision Landing (IRLock)

 ADS

- B Reciever

 Companion Computers

 Traditional Helicopters

 Sugge sted Parts List

 Mounting the APM/Pixhawk

 Connecting APM

 Connecting your TX/RX, servos and motors

 Configuration through the MP

 Tuning

 Pre

- Flight Testing

 Loading the Firmware

 Using a Magnetometer

 Tricopter

 SingleCopter and CoaxCopter

 AutoPilot Hardware Options

 Pixhawk

 LEDs

 Safety Switch

 Sounds

 Pixracer

 NAVIO+

 Erle

- Brain Linux Autopilot

 Qualcomm Snapdragon Flight Kit

 Parrot Bebop Autopilot

 Use

- Cases and Applications 3D Mapping

 Web Applications

 First Person View (F PV)

 Indoor Flying Guidelines

 Multi

- Vehicle Flying

 Antenna Tracking

 Mission Planner Antenna Tracking

 Antenna Design Overview

 Simulation

 Appendix

 Glossary

 Wiki Editing Guide

 PDF Guides

 Troubleshooting

 Commercial Support

 UAS Training Centers

 Development Team

 Copter Project News

 Archived Topics

 APM 2.x

 Archived:APM2.x Wiring QuickStart

 Powering the APM2

 Connecting the Radio Receiver (APM2)

 LEDs

 PPM Encoder

 PX4FMU

 Archived:PX4 Wiring QuickStart

 PX4IO Overvie w

 Open Camera Control Board

 GPS Module (External)

 External Compass Module

 Disabling the Built In GPS on APM2

 VR Gimbal

 Using Xbee radios for telemetry with APM

 Quick Start for RTFs

 HIL Quad Simulator

 Traditional Helicopter Simulator

– TradHeliHIL

 Archi ved: Installing the PX4FMU on a QuadCopter

 GPS Failsafe

 Documentation Tests

 Full Table of ContentsCopter > Intr oducing Copter 

# Introducing Copter

Contents [ hide ]

 

### 1 Overview

 

### 2 Key features

 

### 3 Getting started

 

### 4 The development team

 

### 5 Learn more about Copter



# Overview

Copter is a n advanced open

- source autopilot system for mu lticopters, helico pters, and other rotor vehicles offering both enhanced remote control flight (via a number of intelligent flight modes) and execution of fully autonomous missions.
As part of the DroneCode Software Platform it works seamlessly with Ground Control Station software that can monitor vehicle telemetry and perform powerful mission planning activities. It also benefits from other parts of the DroneCode platform, including si mulators, log analysis tools, and higher level APIs for vehicle management and control.
Copter is on the cutting edge of aerial robotics and intended for those people who want to try advanced technology, leading edge techniques and new flight styles. It is already a preferred platform for numerous commercially available ready

- to

- fly vehicles, and can easily be added to enhance your own DIY multirotor craft.

# Key features

Key features include:

 High quality auto

- level and auto

- altitude control : Fly level and straight or use the awesome “simple flight” mode, which makes Copter one of the easiest multicopters to fly. Don’t worry about keeping an eye on your multicopter’s orientation

– just push the stick the way you want to go, and the autopilot figures out wha t that means for whatever orientation the copter is in, using its onboard compass. “Front”, “back” ... who cares!

 Automatic takeoff and landing : Flick a switch and watch Copter execute its mission completely autonomously, returning home and landing by itself when it’s done.

 “Loiter” mode. : Copter will hold its position using its GPS and altitude sensors.

 Return to launch : Flip a switch to have Copter fly back to the launch location automatically.

 Fail safety: Automatically detect when the vehicle loses transm itter contact (or is outside a defined geofence) and return to the launch point. Will also attempt to land safely if hardware failures are detected.

 No programming required : Use the desktop Mission Planner software to load the autopilot (with just one cli ck) and set up Copter. The Mission Planner (and other compatible ground stations) delivervisual displays for vehicle state, settings and telemetry, including a point

- and

- click mission planning

interface.

 Missions with hundreds of GPS waypoints : Just point and click waypoints in a Mission Planner, and Copter will fly itself to them. You cautomate entire missions, including camera control! The only distance limits are those of your vehicle power supply.

 Mission planning while in flight : Using a two

- way wirel ess connection, waypoints, mode changing, even changing the gains of every control parameter can be done from your laptop or mobile device

– even while Copter is in the air! 

# Getting started

If you’re using Copter on a ready

- to

- fly vehicle then it is likely that it will be already setup, configured and tuned, ready for your first flight. We recommend you read your manufacturer’s instructions , particularly those related to safely, before flying.
Once you’re familiar with your vehicle’s default setup you may want to configure your RC transmitter/vehicle to use more challenging flight modes , or choose a ground station and start flying automated missions.

Tip: Whether using an RTF or DIY vehicle, autonomous vehicles are potentially dangerous! Always follow best safet y practices and pay close attention to all safety warnings. 

### If you’re working on a DIY project, this wiki has everything you need! You should start by reading this section in order to understand what a multicopter can do, and how to select a frame, flight controller board, and other essential components. You can then proceed to First Time Setup to learn how to assemble your Copter and then First Flight to learn how to configure and tune it. 

# The development team

Copter is developed and maintained by a dedicated group of volunteers from the open source community. Follow their continuing efforts and read ab out new project developments at DIYDrones.com

. All of us involved with this project care a great deal about the privacy and safety of those whom we share this planet with. Please be a good steward of this t echnology. It is the product of many evenings and weekends, we make it available for benevolent use. 

# Learn more about Copter

### To find out more about Copter and your main configuration decisions, please see the topics

below:

 How Multicopters Work

 What You'll Need

 MultiCopter Safety

 Choosing a MultiCopter Frame

 Choosing a Fli ght Controller

 Choosing a Ground Station

 Use

- Case Overview

Copter > common

- APM 2.5 and 2.6 Overview 

# APM 2.5 and 2.6 Overview

Contents [ hide ]

 

### 1 APM 2.5

 

### 2 APM 2.6

 

### 3 Using the APM 2.5/2.6 Enclosu re

 

### 4 Not using the APM Enclosure

 

### 5 Powerin g the APM2

 

### 6 Explanation of solder jumper options on the bottom of the board

 

### 6.1 Changing your telemetry to use UART2 (aka Serial3)

 

### 6.2 APM 2.5 Board Features

 

### 6.3 APM 2.5 Board Assembly Options

 

### 7 Analog input pins

 

### 8 Digital output pins



# APM 2.5

The APM 2.5 board requires no assembly, and is ready for firmware. You h ave a choice of side or top entry pin configuration, in order to accommodate a variety of installations. You’ll see this option when you order.
***Click and drag the image above to spin it!
This page gives you a look under the hood, and goes into more deta il about the design of this board.

### The APM 2.5 has some improvements over the APM 2.0, but they both have a very similar

layout and function.



# APM 2.6

 

### APM 2.6 is a revision of the APM that makes use of an external compass.

 

### The APM 2.6 has no on board compas s, and is optimized for vehicles where the compass should be placed as far from power and motor sources as possible to avoid magnetic interference.

 

### APM 2.6 is designed to be used with the 3DR GPS uBlox LEA

- 6 with Compass module.

 

### The GPS/Compass module may be mounted further from noise sources than the APM itself.

 

### APM 2.6 requires a GPS unit with an on board compass for full autonomy.

 

### For information on installing a 3DR GPS uBlox LEA

- 6 with Compass, visit

.

# Using the APM 2.5/2.6 Enclosure

The APM 2.5/2. 6 board is shipped in an enclosure with foam protecting the barometric pressure sensor, as shown here.



# Not using the APM Enclosure

If you aren’t using the enclosure, make sure to cover the barometric sensor with some open cell foam, cotton padding or tis sue to protect it from prop wash, wind and turbulence. Also, the barometric sensor is sensitive to light and readings can change by several meters from direct sunlight to shade. Some type of light shield (on top of the foam) will minimize the effects of li ght changes.

# Powering the APM 2

The most common way to power the APM2 is to use the 3DR Power Module

. Detailed information on powering the APM and pro viding power to Servos is provided in Powering the APM2

. 

# Explanation of solder jumper options on the bottom of the board

# Changing your telemetry to use UART2 (aka Serial3)

By default an Xbee connected to the APM2 will use UART0 (aka “Serial” in Arduino) which is shared with the USB as mentioned above. If you wish to instead use UART2 (aka “Serial3”) for telemetry you can change the “AutoMUX UART0” jumper on the bottom of the APM2.
Although difficult to see, by default there are two small jumpers between the upper pads that must be cut with an X

- Acto blade. Then a new solder bridge must be made to join the bottom pads.

# APM 2.5 Board Features

APM 2.5 Bo ard Assembly Options 

### Quadzimodo has produced a really nice editable 3D model of the APM 2.5 board in SketchUp

8: APM 2.5 Google Sketchup File

# Analog input pins

Pin 0 to 8: The APM2 has a row of analog input pins down one side, labelled A0 to A8 on the underside of the board. These are available as pin numbers 0 to 8 inclusive in PIN variables.
All these pins can take up to 5V and may be used for any general analog input. They are commonly used for airspeed and sonar inputs.
Pin 12: power management connector current pin, accepts up to 5V, usually attached to 3DR power brick with 17:1 scaling
Pin 13: power management connector voltage pin, accepts up to 5V, usually attached to 3DR power brick with 10.1:1 scaling



# Digital output pins

The APM2 uses the same set of 9 analog input pins as digital output pins. They are configured as digital output pins automatically when you start to use them as digital outputs.
Pin 54 to 62: You need to add 54 to the pin number to convert from an analog pin number to a digital pin number. So pin 54 is digital output pin on the A0 connector. Pin 58 is A4 etc

. These pins are usually used with the RELAY_PIN to RELAY_PIN4 parameters, allowing you to control things like camera shutter, bottle drop etc. They are also used as sonar “stop” pins allowing you to have multiple sonars and not have them interfere with ea ch other.

### Questions, issues, and suggestions about this page can be raised on the APM Forum . Issues and

suggestions may be posted on the forums or the Github Issue Tracker

.

APM2.x Wiring QuickStart 

# APM 2 .x Wiring QuickStart

This article explains how to write up Plane ’s essential components when using the APM2.x Flight Controller . The instructions for adding other hardware are covered in Optional Hardware

.

Contents [ hide ]

 

### 1 Overview

 

### 2 Example Wiring Diagram

 

### 3 Inputs

 

### 4 Reassigning your RC transmitter stick channels:

 

### 5 Outputs

 

### 6 Powering the plane

 

### 6.1 Power Input

 

### 7 Installing it in your plane

 

### 8 Connecting GPS Module

 

### 8.1 3DR GPS uBlox with Onboard Compass

 

### 8.2 3DR GPS uBlox without Onboard Compass

 

### 8.3 Tips on mounting the GPS module



# Overview

Turning a RC plane into a UAV is essentially just a matter of putting an autopilot b etween the RC receiver and the aircraft’s servos, so the autopilot can take over control.
The way we do that is to plug female

- to

- female cables from the RC receiver into APM2’s inputs, and plug the servos (and motor controller for electric aircraft) into A PM2’s outputs.
What you’ll need:

 At least a 5

- channel RC unit. 7 channels or more is highly recommended

 Female

- to female cables for each channel you’ll be using. These are fine. For APM2.0 you will need a power source. For electric aircraft, this is usually the ESC. For gas/nitro

powered planes, your radio will need its own battery/BEC. ArduPilot Mega normally gets its power from the RC system.

 For APM2.5 you can use th e supplied APM Power Module for the power source.

Warning:
You still need an ESC or BEC to power the servos

Note: You can also power APM 2 from the USB cable. However, this will not power the RC output pins, so if you want to see servos move while testi ng APM 2 on the bench, you’ll need to connect a battery (through an ESC) to one of the output channels. It’s fine to have both an ESC and the USB cable connected at the same time. 

# Example Wiring Diagram

Example Wiring Diagram for a Bixler plane with APM

E xample Wiring Diagram for a Bixler plane with APM

# Inputs

Connect your RC receiver to APM2’s Inputs with female

- to

- female cables in the order shown above. Each channel that you want APM to control should be connected to an Input on the APM board. Typicall y, the Mode Switch (APM Input 8 for !Plane) is connected to any RC receiver channel that you have assigned to a three

- position toggle switch on your RC transmitter (for most people, that’s channel 5).

Note: These instructions are for Plane. Copter’s mode s witch goes to APM input 5, not input 8


### The ground (black) side of each connector should be on the outside, closest to the edge of the board, as shown here with either straight or right

- angle connectors:

### See also Connecting the Radio Receiver

.

Note:Elevons (combined ailerons/elevator, as used in flying wings) are also supported’ just connect them to

the first two channels as you would to you r RC receiver. You’ll tell APM to do elevon mixing in the Mission Planner setup process. 

### If you’re flying a V

- tail, please see the VTAIL_OUTPUT option in the servo setup documentation

. 

# Reassigning your RC transmitter stick channels:

 Although the default normal transmitter stick configuration is generally the best, Plane does allow you to reconfigure them.

 To reassign the RC transmitter sticks to other than the default channels:

 Connect your APM’s USB port to your computer and start Mission Planner and Select the “Connect” button on the upper right..

 Select the “Configuration” tab then select “Advanced Params” and the Adv Parameter List”.

 Scrol l down to the “RCMAP_ROLL, RCMAP_PITCH, RCMAP_THROTTLE and RCMAP_YAW” parameters.

 These allow you to directly assign which radio channel (1

- 8) is assigned to each of the major flight functions.

 This is useful when you have a flight transmitter with unusual channel assignments.

 Or which does not allow easy channel reassignment at the transmitter

 Additional information on these parameters may be found (Here!) 

# Outputs

Plug your servos and other devices you want APM to control into the matching Output connectors as shown below.

### Four channel setup:

1. Aileron 2. Elevator 3. Throttle 4. Rudder



### Elevon setup. At this stage its not critical which channel is plugged into which elevo n. They can be swapped around later if needs be:

1. Starboard (right) elevon2. Port (left) elevon

3. Throttle 

# Powering the plane

The easiest way to power the APM2.x is using a 3DR Power Module with a LiPo battery.
The Power Module will not power servos and other peripherals. For more information/alternatives see Powering the APM2

. 

# Power Input

Single Supply

Power Options Nominal Abs MAX JP1 status

Power on Output PWM connector 5.37V +

- 0.5 6V JP1 connected



### Dual Supply

Power Options Nominal Abs MAX JP1 status

Power on Output PWM connector 5.00V +

- 0.5 6V JP1 open

Power on Inp ut PWM connector 5.00V +

- 0.25 5.5V JP1 open

Note: If JP1 open, separate power is required on both Input PWM and Output PWM. Warning: Do not exceed Abs MAX input voltages when connecting power supply or you will damage your board. Warning:Connecting USB w hen you have input voltages at the high end of the range (near Abs Max) can damage

the board. Disconnect battery before connecting USB or test input voltages so they are within the normal specified range. 

# Installing it in your plane

When you place APM in y our aircraft, it is very important that it face the right way. The GPS connector should face forward, and the servo cables face back. The board must also be right side up, with the IMU shield at the top. Like this (note: there’s a little arrow on the botto m of the shield that point to the front, too, in case you need a reminder at the field):

When putting APM in your plane, it’s important to ensure that it’s solidly mounted and doesn’t move around in flight. It should also be as close as possible to level when the plane is in its flying orientation. Ideally, you’ll want to have it as close to the center of gravity as you can (that’s where vibration is the least) and mounted on foam tape onto a solid platform. 

# Connecting GPS Module

A GPS module provides enh anced positioning for autonomous flight. Connecting your GPS to your autopilot by following these steps.

# 3DR GPS uBlox with Onboard Compass

3DR GPS uBlox with Onboard Compass is intended for use with APM 2.5 (for external compass). It provides enhanced com pass performance because of the freedom to situate the GPS unit in an optimal position independent of the location of the APM. Place your GPS on the outside of your plane with a clear view of the sky, as far as possible from the motor and ESC, with the arr ow facing forward.

Connect the GPS module to the APM 2.6 using the two cables included with the GPS as shown below.

### 3DR GPS uBlox with Onboard Compass includes two connector cables: one 4

- position cable and

one 5

- position

- to

- 6

- position cable. To connec t the GPS module to APM 2.6, connect the GPS to the APM GPS port using the 5

- position

- to

- 6

- position cable; connect the GPS to the APM I2C port using the 4

- position cable.



# 3DR GPS uBlox without Onboard Compass

3DR GPS uBlox without Onboard Compass is intend ed for use with APM 2.5. To install your GPS module without compass, mount to the outside of your plane with a clear view of the sky and connect to the APM 2.5 GPS port using the 5

- position

- to

- 6

- position connector cable.



# Tips on mounting the GPS module

 I t doesn’t matter which way the GPS module is oriented, as long as the square antenna side is facing up

 It’s best to mount the GPS as far away from radio transmission equipment (like your telemetry or video transmitters) as possible.

 Ideally, the GPS module will have a clear view of the sky. On top of your plane is a good choice. 

### Here’s an example of one way to mount APM (and the GPS module) in an EasyStar using the 3D Robotics Electronics Chassis for the HobbyKing Bixler

.
Chassis:

### With equipment mounted:

## Connecting everything for Arducopter

6/3/2012 8 Comments

Before you can configure your Arducopter, you will need to first connect everything together. This guide will show you all the cables and parts that you will need to connect to your arducopter.



## Typical Quadcopter Layout

Please note the illustration Below highlights a (TYPICAL) installation. It contains optional equipment including a Camera Gimbal and a Battery Monitor and it utilizes an ESC wired "Y" power connection rather than the power distribution board common to many MultiCopters.



## 1. Connecting your motors an d RC gearOverview of connections on the Ardupilot Mega v2 board Note: the instructions below are for regular RC receivers with PWM output (one cable per channel). If you're using a "PPM" receiver (one cable carries all channels), follow the
instructions here

.

Before you can configure your Arducopter, you will need to
first connect everything together. This is quite easy. You need to connect your RC receiver to the Input side of the
boa rd. You can use the cables included with your Arducopter Kit, or if you are using another frame, you can use jumper cables, or female to female servo cables

Connections between RC receiver and Ardupilot Mega v2 board
If you are using female to female servo cables , the ground (black) side of each connector must be on the outside for the board, the signal (white/orange) needs to be on the inside as shown
below.

Connecting with straight connectors If you are using a multi

- pin connector that was included with your Arducopter Kit, connect them as shown below

Connecting with right angle connectorsInput Side for RC receiver Output side to PDB

Please note, that your ESC, connecto rs should be plugge d in the output side, it is suggested that you only use power from one of your ESC's. This can be dune by cutting the red wire on all but one of the ESC's, or by using a special adaptor

. 

## 2. Connecting ArduCopter motors

Once again if you are using an Arducopter Kit, with the PDB, then you dont need to worry about this if you soldered everything correctly as the motors are assigned to the cor rect pins with the cables you plugged connected in the previous step. However you will neet to make sure your motors are spinning
in the correct direction. The images below show the possible arducopter configurations with correct
motor orientation Qui ck Tip: If your motor is not spinning in the correct direction, simply switch the position of any two of the

ESC

- motor wires.Arducopter Quad Arducopter Tri

Arducopter Hexa, Octa, and Y6 Arducopter OCTA QUAD (X8)Connecting a Roll

- Tilt Camera mount



## 3. Connecting Optional Sensors

Sonar

- Ultrasonic RangefinderAC2 supports the MaxSonar line of sonars for low level altitude hold and in the

future collision avoidance. Below 10 meters sonar is primarily used for altitude
hold. Above 10 mete rs, the barometric sensor is used. GPS is not required for
altitude hold.
The sonar sensors are quite sensitive to noise, adding something like a ferrite
choke to your cable could help. The most important is to mount your sonar away from other electr onics like ESC, or wireless telemetry modules.

Possible Causes of sonar Interferance

 Electrical noise caused by ESCs, Servos, or switching BEC's on the
same circuit as the Sonar

 EMF radiation from motors, motor wires, ESC's or Xbee.

 Acoustic noise from pr opellers

Vibration from motors, props, etc.

Connect your Ultrasonic Sensor to the A0 port of your Ardupilot Mega v2 boardOptical Flow Sensor

The optical flow sensor is used to improve
the position hold accuracy of your arducopter. This

sen sor is supported from Arducopter 2.6 and above.

Connecting the optical flow sensor to APMv2

 Power, GND, NCS pins should be attached to
A3

 MISO, MOSI and SCLK pins should be directly soldered to the pins shown above

 Default mounting is lens pointing down , pins forward Its a good idea to secure the wires with some cable ties so they dont break off over timeHow to connect the optical flow sensor to your ardupilot mega board. Make sure the pins are facing forwardCopter > common
- 3DR Power Module 

# 3 DR Power Module

This page explains how to set up the 3DR Power Module (PM) to measure battery voltage and current consumption. The information will also be useful for setting up other types of Power Module.

Contents [ hide ]

 

### 1 Overview

 

### 2 Connecting the PM to a flight controller board

 

### 3 Setup through Mission Planner



# Overview

The Pixhawk and APM 2.x have a dedicated connector for attaching the 3DR Power Module (PM). This is useful because it:

 Provides a stable 5.37V and 2.25Amp power supply which reduces the chances of a brown

- out

 Allows monitoring of the battery’s voltage and current and t riggering a return

- to

- launch when the voltage becomes low or the total power consumed during the flight approaches the battery’s capacity

 Allows the autopilot firmware to more accurately compensate for the interference on the compass from other components 

### The PM accepts a maximum input voltage of 18V (up to 4S Lipo battery) and maximum current of 90Amps. When used with an APM the full 90Amp current sensing range can be used, with the PX4/Pixhawks up to 60Amps can be measured.
There is more general informati on on powering in Powering the Pixhawk and Powering the AP M2

.
Warning: The Power Module’s maximum input voltage is 18V. This is the maximum allowed by the on

- board regulator. (4 cell LiPo max). Warning: The Power Module does not have sufficient power for servos or high current devices such as FPV transmitters. T he power module does provide sufficient power for the Pixhawk/APM, your receiver and a small

electronic module such as a PPM encoder or 3DR telemetry radio.

 You may “control” servos from signal pins, but the servos must be powered by a separate ESC.



# Connec ting the PM to a flight controller board

The 6

- pos cable plugs into the 6

- pos connector on both the Power Module and Pixhawk/APM.

Pixhawk Power Port

### APM2.x Power Port

Your battery connects to the Power Module’s male connector, and its female connector plugs into your ESC or Power Distribution Board.

Note:
APM 2.x Power Module Notes:

 You should normally remove the APM’s JP1 jumper when using the Power Module so that only your APM board and your receiver are powered from the Power Module’ s on
- board regulator and not from your ESCs.

 Removing the jumper allows you to use the APM’s servo output rail to distribute power from your ESC’s BEC or separate UBEC to any servos or external equipment.

 If you are using servos, plug an ESC BEC or stand alone UBEC power wire and ground wire into two of the power and ground pins on the APM’s servo output rail to provide a common power and ground bus for servo power.

 You can leave the jumper present if you are using ESCs that have no BECs or if all the ESC BECs power wires are cut and you are not powering any servos from the servo out rail.

 You can also individually power each servo from each individual ESC

- BEC.

 Simply run the power and ground from each ESC

- BEC individually and directly to each servo (very handy for multicopters). 

# Setup through Mission Planner

Power Module Configuration in Mission Planner explains how to configure a P ower Module and get low battery alerts from Mission Planner.

Questions, issues, and suggestions about this page can be raised on the APM Forum . Issues and suggestions may be posted on the forums or the Github Issue Tracker

.Copter > common
- Powering the APM2 

# Powering the APM 2

This article demonstrates the options for powering the APM2.x board along with information about the requirements for co nnecting the power rail.

Contents [ hide ]

 

### 1 Overview

 

### 2 APM power circuit

 

### 3 Alternative ways to power your board

 

### 4 Non

- technical description of the power supply requirements

 

### 5 Power supply rails connected requirements (JP1 Installed)

 

### 5.1 No Power Module and no servos and power provided by BEC from ESC

 

### 5.2 No Power Module but using servos a nd a high power External BEC

 

### 5.3 No Power Module but using servos and multiple BECs from ES C’s (A BEC for each servo)

 

### 6 Power supply rails not connected requirements (JP1 Not Installed)

 

### 6.1 Power Module and no servos

 

### 6 .2 Power Module and using servos with external BEC power

 

### 6.3 Power Module and using servos with BEC power from one ESC

 

### 6.4 No Power Module and using Servos with BEC power from two ESCs

 

### 7 APM Power Wiring Example



# Overview

Like any computer, the APM needs a power supply with a steady clean voltage and sufficient current.
3DR provides an 3DR Power Module that supplies 2.25A at 5.37V. The module is designed to convert power from the main flight battery (18 Volt maximum). That module will supply sufficient power for your APM, and low powe r radios including your RC receiver (without servos). Your RC receiver can be powered from any APM Input (+5V and ground). This is normally done by connecting a 2 or 3 wire cable between an APM Input and one of the output channels on the RC radio.
If you a re using any servos such as are required with a traditional helicopter or a camera gimbal, you will need to provide an additional dedicated power supply for the servos. The APM is intended to control servos, not power them.

### The following sections describe the APM power circuit (you will need to understand this in order

to design a power supply for your APM, or provide additional power), and your options for powering the APM and connected components. 

# APM power circuit

There are two “sides” to the positive circuit in the board. Each side has positive

- rails available for inputing power or distributing it to peripheral devices. The center row of pins in the three groups of pins (Outputs, Inputs, Analog) labeled “+” are referred to as a “positive

- rail”. This
me ans that the base of all the + pins are connected so they represent a single electrical path. The positive

- rails of the Input and Analog group are connected together. So we have two separate positive circuits, one in the Outputs and the other made up of th e Input/Analog.
All of the components on the board take power from various points on these rails, so it is necessary for both “sides” to be receiving +5V (within the specs below) for the board to function.
These positive

- rails can be joined together by pla cing JP1 in it’s position on the board. This connects all the positive

- rails ands provides power to both sides of the board, so that low

- level power can be distributed to peripheral sensors and devices: 3DR Radios, sonar, RC Rx, etc. via the power

- rails.

W hen using the power module, the circuit path is as follows:

### From the power module connection the negative wire is connected to a negative

- rail shared by

the entire board regardless of JP1.
Positive voltage comes in to a T

- junction. to the left is a path th rough the JP1 to the positive

- rail of the Outputs. To the right it flows through an over

- voltage, over

- current, reverse

- polarity protection(500mA fuse and 6V Zener diode). A side effect of passing through the Zener diode is a .37V loss, therefore input vol tage should be bumped up by .37V to account for this. From here the positive voltage runs to the positive

- rails of the Inputs and Analog. Inputs should not be used to power anything except your RC receiver.
Higher current loads such as servos should be pow ered from the power

- rails (positive

- negative) of the Output side. You must use an adequate voltage

- regulator to provide power directly to the Output power

- rails, all servo power leads will attach to these same rails (the signal wires can connect on the Ana log “S” pins in the case of a camera gimbal). Since JP1 is removed in this scenario, the other “side” of the board will need power provided to it’s power

- rails directly. 

# Alternative ways to power your board

If you are using the 3DR Power Module please find instructions here: Using the 3DR Power Module

Warning: Under no circumstances should you ever attempt to draw servo power from the analog input connector.

W arning: You may “control” servos from A9, A10 and A11 from the A0

– A11 I/O connector, but you must run servo power separately.

 The A0

– A11 I/O connector cannot supply sufficient power for servos.

 A9, A10 and A11 of the I/O connector come pre

- wired to cor rect digital out for use as servo control lines.

 For servo use, it is imperative that they have not been reassigned to analog use with the pads on the back of the APM board.



# Non

- technical description of the power supply requirements

The description below s imply supplements and provides an alternate view of the information above.1. The APM 2.5/2.6 board has two separate power circuits which make it very easy to power by a

variety of methods. 1. A fused power circuit provides primary board and general I/O power: (It cannot provide power for servos). 2. The Other power circuit is for the OUTPUT connector power rail: (it can provide power for servos). 2. The jumper JP 1 determines whether the two power circuits are connected or separate. 1. If JP1 is removed, the power rail on the OUTPUT connector “Floats” and may be used to distribute power. 2. Although if JP1 is removed the OUTPUT connector cannot be used to supply power to the APM board. 3. It is possible to power the APM board from the Power Module connector or the OUTPUT or I NPUT connectors. 4. Normally the APM 2.5/2.6 “Power Module” is used to provide primary APM 2.5 board and general I/O power. 5. Alternatively primary board power can be supplied by a BEC either from one of the ESCs or from an external BEC. 6. If servos are used, sup plementary power is required. 1. Generally one power supply is provided for the board and one or more additional power supplies for the servos. 2. But if a sufficiently large external BEC is used it can supply power for both via the OUTPUT connector. 7. Only the O UTPUT connector can provide power for servos as the other circuit is fused. 1. The address connector is sometimes used provide servo signals, but the servos power must come from elsewhere. 8. How you are powering your APM board and or servos determines whether JP1 is installed or not. 1. (Whether the two power circuits are separated or connected). 2. All possible configurations are detailed Below. 9. The type of use will determine which options are available. 1. Copter can power the APM from a power module or a UBEC or a BEC from one of the ESCs and can power servos from a UBEC or from the other ESC’s BECs. 2. Plane can power the APM from the power module, the BEC from the flight motors ESC or
a separate UBEC and can power servos from a separate UBEC or the flight motors B EC if it is large enough. 3. Rover can power the APM from the power module, the BEC from the drive motor’s ESC or
a separate UBEC and can power the steering servo from a separate UBEC or the drive motors BEC if it is large enough. 

# Power supply rails connec ted requirements (JP 1 Installed)

Warning: Do not exceed Abs MAX input voltages when connecting the power supply or you will damage your board.Warning:

Connecting USB when you have input voltages at the high end of the range (near Abs Max) can damage the board. Disconnect battery before connecting USB or test input voltages so they are within the specified range.

Power Options Nominal Abs MAX JP1 status

Power on Output PWM connector 5.37V +

- 0.5 6V JP1 connected

Power on Input PWM connector 5.00V +

- 0.25 5 .5V JP1 connected



# No Power Module and no servos and power provided by BEC from ESC

 If you do not have a power module and you are not using servos.

 Ensure JP1 is installed and provide the necessary power via the BEC from one of your ESC’s.

 Connect one ESC’ s BEC power and ground wires to one pair of the APM OUTPUT connectors power and ground pins.

 Clip the BEC power leads on the remaining 3 wire connectors.

 Ensure that the ESC’s signal wires are connected to the appropriate APM OUTPUT connector signal pins.

 You must ensure that your ESC’s BEC has a sufficient power capability (at least 2 amps).

 Most 20 amp or higher ESCs have 2 amp BECs.


# No Power Module but using servos and a high power External BEC

 If you do not have a power module and are using servos you can use a high power external BEC.

 Ensure JP1 is installed and provide the necessary power via a high power external BEC (5 to 10 amps or more).

 The BEC power must be provided to one pair of the APM OUTPUT connector pins.

 Warning:
Clip all power leads on t he ESC’s BECs (they would conflict with the external BEC).

 Your servos will determine the size of the BEC required. You should allow at least 2 or 3 amps extra to power the APM, receiver and to prevent (brown outs).

 All of the positive power for driving ea ch servo must come from the OUTPUT connector.

 This is true even if the servo(s) signal wires are connected to the ADDRESS connector.

 This option requires you to take responsibility for providing sufficient power to prevent brownout.



# No Power Module but us ing servos and multiple BECs from ESC’s (A BEC for each servo)

 If you do not have a power module and are using servos you can use multiple BECs from your ESC’s.

 Ensure JP1 is installed and plug one of your ESC’s signal cables with power leads into the OUTP UT connector.

 Remove the power and ground leads from the remaining ESCs signal cable connectors.

 Plug the signal wire connector from each ESC onto the appropriate pin on the OUTPUT connector.

 You can heat shrink these or plug them into a multi

- wire connec tor appropriate for your copter.

 Connect one pair of each of the remaining BEC power and ground lines to the power and ground of each individual servo.

 Clip or heat shrink any remaining excess BEC power and ground leads.

 The BEC power from one ESC must be provided to one pair of the APM output connector pins.

 Plug only the signal input wire from your servos into the appropriate OUTPUT or ADDRESS connector pin.

 Your ESC’s BECs should be at least 2 amps.

 The ESC’s BEC grounds are in common with battery and in ternal signal ground so grounding the servos this way is OK. 

# Power supply rails not connected requirements (JP 1 Not Installed)

Warning: Do not exceed Abs MAX input voltages when connecting the power supply or you will damage your board. Warning: Connecting USB when you have input voltages at the high end of the range (near Abs Max) can damage the board. Disconnect battery before connecting USB or test input voltages so they are within the specified range.

Power Options Nominal Abs MAX JP1 status

Power on O utput PWM connector 5.00V +

- 0.5 6V JP1 openPower on Input PWM connector 5.00V +

- 0.25 5.5V JP1 open



# Power Module and no servos

 If you have a power module and you are not using servos.

 Ensure JP1 is not installed.

 Provide the necessary power via the power module connected to the APM’s power module connector.

 When connecting your ESCs to the OUTPUT connector clip the BEC power leads on each ESC’s 3 wire connector.

 Or connect only the ESC’s signal wires to the OUTPUT connector. 

# Power Module and using servos with external BEC power

 If you have a power module and an external BEC and you are using servos.

 Ensure JP1 is Not installed

 Provide APM board and receiver power via the power module connected to the power module connector.

 Connect an external BEC with su fficient power for your servos to one pair of the OUTPUT connector power pins.

 When connecting your ESCs to the OUTPUT connector clip the BEC power leads on each ESC’s 3 wire connector.

 Or connect only the ESC signal wires to the OUTPUT connector.



# Power M odule and using servos with BEC power from one ESC

 If you have a power module and you are using servos Remove JP1.

 Provide APM and receiver power via the power module connected to the APM’s power module connector.

 The BEC of a single ESC must provide suffi cient power for all your servos.

 When connecting your ESCs to the OUTPUT connector clip the BEC power leads on all but one of the ESC’s connectors.

 Or connect only the ESC signal wires to the OUTPUT connector for all except one ESC.

 And on that ESC connec t all 3 wires to the OUTPUT connector. 

# No Power Module and using Servos with BEC power from two ESCs If you do not have a power module and you are using servos remove JP1.

 Provide APM and receiver power via 1 pair of ESC

- BEC power wires connected to the AP M INPUT connector power pins.

 Also connect another of the ESCs power wire pair to the OUTPUT connector.

 The BEC of a single ESC must provide sufficient power for all your servos.

 Clip the signal power leads on your remaining ESC’s.

 Connect all ESC signal w ires to the appropriate OUTPUT connector pins. 

# APM Power Wiring Example

Warning: Do not exceed Abs MAX input voltages when connecting power supply or you will damage your board.

Warning: Connecting USB when you have input voltages at the high end of the r ange (near Abs Max) can damage the board. Disconnect battery before connecting USB or test input voltages so they are within the specified range. 

### On the bench, you’ll probably be powering the board via your USB cable while you set it up and test it. But in your aircraft, you’ll need to power it with your on board power system, which is usually your LiPo battery going through an ESC or the Power Module. In the case of a multicopter, this can come through your Power Distribution Board (PDB), which will break out the 5V output from the one of the electronic speed controls (ESCs) or the Power module which is wored directly to the battery.
In the picture below, the red and black wires are the 5b m hV power cable coming from a PDB. You can plug them into any tw o pins along the 5V and Ground (middle and outer) rows of pins on APM 2.5’s Output side. The other cable, which in this case is a four

- wire cable with orange and white wires for a quadcopter, is the signal cable to the PDB, which are the wires that APM 2.5 will use to command each of the ESCs.
The picture below is of APM 2; but the concept is applicable to APM 2.5.

### It’s also possible to power APM 2.5 from two separate sources, one powering the RC system on

the input side, and the other powering the output side (servos or ESCs). This is determined by a jumper on the JP1 pins (see below). If the jumper is on, which is the factory default, the board is powered from the OUTPUT rail or the USB. If the jumper is off, the board is powered from the INPUT rail, but the OUTPUT rail will need its own power source. This configuration is used if you want to have two separate power sources in your aircraft, one powering the servos and the other powering the electronics. The ideal input voltage is 5.37v +/

- 0.0v and may no t be provided by a typical ESC.

Warning: Do not exceed Abs MAX input voltages when connecting power supply or you will damage your board.


### In some cases it may be a good idea to set the input voltage slightly above the median (but below the maximum) to acco unt for possible voltage drops during momentary high current events.
The APM2.5 by itself draws relatively little current (200ma range) and a power source capable of providing 300

– 500ma will provide plenty of margin. However, if servos or other power

### con suming devices are being driven by the same power source you must consider the power

requirements for those devices as well and provide plenty of margin to prevent disastrous “brown

- outs”. For instance, a single digital servo can easily draw 1

- 5 amps depen ding on it’s size and performance. (Note: ESCs do not consume power from the APM) If you experience spurious resets or other odd behavior it is most likely due to noisy or insufficient power to the APM. As with all logic boards, electrical noise from the m otors, servos, or other high current devices on the power source can cause unpredictable behavior.

It is recommend that a power filter be used in such conditions.

Too short or lon g power wires, bad or old connectors, or insufficient current capability of the APM power source can result in a “brown

- out” situation resulting in unpredictable operation. This is particularly true in traditional helicopters where the collective servos ca n draw 3

- 20 amps in short bursts. The power source must be able to accommodate this without voltage droop or voltage spikes. A quality switching type BEC (e.g one of these or one of these ) can be a solution depending on overall current requirements. Many of these type of regulators are programmable so remember to program them with in the safe operating range of the APM2. Linear volta ge regulators are not recommended as they are inefficient and prone to overheating and heat induced failures. APM2 should never be connected directly to a battery of any type.
Power source problems are common and can be insidious and frustrating. Be meticu lous. Any autopilot or flight controller is useless and potentially dangerous without good clean power
source.
The picture below is of APM 2; but the concept is applicable to APM 2.5/2.6.Co pter > common
- Installing Mission Planner 

# Installing Mission Planner

Mission Planner is free, open source software available for Windows. These instructions will

guide you through installing Miss ion Planner on your ground station computer.

Contents [ hide ]

 

### 1 Download the most recent Mission Planner installer file

 

### 2 Run the installation utility

 

### 3 Open Mission Planner

 

### 4 Updating Mission Planner



# Download the most recent Mission Planner installer file

Go to the Mission Planner download page and click on the Download button to get the most recent Misson Planner installation file.



# Run the installation util ity

### Open the Microsoft installer file (.msi) and select Run to run the installation utility.

Follow the instructions to complete the setup process. The installation utility will automatically install any necessary software drivers. If you receive a Dire ctX installation error, please update your DirectX plug

- in from the DirectX Download Center

. If you receive the warning pictured here, select Install this driver softwar e anyway to continue.

### Mission Planner is normally installed in the C: \ Program Files (x86) \ APM Planner folder or

the C: \ Program Files \ APM Planner folder. That is where your log files folder is located.
An icon to open the Mission Planner is created acco rding to your instructions during the installation. 

# Open Mission Planner

Once installation is complete, open Mission Planner by clicking on its system icon.
Then you can either:

 Connect Mission Planner to AutoPilot in order to receive telemetry and control the vehicle, or

 L oad Firmware 

# Updating Mission Planner

Mission Planner automatically notifies you about available updates (when it is connected to the Internet).
Please always run the most current version of Mission Planner.Copter > common
- Loading Firmware onto Pixhawk/APM2.x/PX4 

# Loading Firmware onto Pixhawk/APM2 .x/PX 4

These instructions will show you how to download the latest firmware onto the Pixhawk, APM 2.x or PX4 controller.

Contents [ hide ]

 

### 1 Connect controller to computer

 

### 2 Connect to Mission Planner

 

### 3 Instal l firmware

 

### 4 Testing 

# Connect controller to computer

Once you’ve installed the Mission Planner onto your computer, connect the autopilot board to your computer using the micro USB cable as shown below. Use a direct USB port on your computer (not a USB hub).

### Pixhawk USB Connection

APM USB Conne ction

PX4 USB Connection
Windows should automatically detect and install the correct driver software.



# Connect to Mission Planner

Open the Mission Planner and select the COM port drop

- down on the upper

- right corner of the screen (near the Connect button). Select AUTO or the specific port for your board ( PX4 FMU
or Arduino Mega 2560 ). Set the Baud rate to 115200 as shown. Don’t hit Connect just yet.

# Install firmware

On the Mission Planner’s Initial Setup | Install Firmware screen select the appropriate icon that matches your frame (i.e. Quad, Hexa). Answer Yes when it asks you “Are you sure?”.

Mission Planner: Install Firmware Screen


### After the Mission Planner detects which board you are using (i.e. Pixhawk) it will ask you to unplug the board, plug it back in and then press OK within a few seconds (during this brief period the bootloader accepts requests to upload new firmware).Mission Planner: Install Firmware Prompt



### If all goes well you will see some status appear on the bottom right including the w ords, “erase...”, “program...”, “verify..” and “Upload Done”. The firmware has been succesfully uploaded to the board. 

# Testing

You can test the firmware is basically working by switching to the Mission Planner Flight Data screen and pressing the Connect butto n. The HUD should update as you tilt the board.

Connect Mission Planner to AutoPilot has more information on connecting to Miss ion Planner.Copter > common
- Connect Mis sion Planner to AutoPilot 

# Connect Mission Planner to AutoPilot

This article explains how to connect Mission Planner to an autopilot in order to receive telemetry and control the vehicle.

Note: There are separate instructions for connecting in order to Load Firmware

. 

### Contents [ hide ]

 

### 1 Setting up the connection

 

### 2 Trouble shooting

 

### 3 Related topics 

# Setting up the connection

To establish a connection you must first choose the communication method/channel you want to use, and then set up the physical hardware and Windows device drivers. You can connect the PC and autopilot using USB cables, Telemetry Rad ios , Bluetooth , IP connections etc.

Note: The driver for your connection hardware must be present on Windows as this makes your connection’s COM port and default data rate available to Mission Planner

.

Pixhawk USB Connection Connection using SiK Radio from 3DR

### On Mission Planner , the connection and data rate are set up usin g the drop down boxes in the

upper right portion of the screen.

Once you’ve attached the USB or Telemetry Radio, Windows will automatically assign your autopilot a COM port number, and that will show in the drop

- down menu (the actual number does not ma tter). The appropriate data rate for the connection is also set (typically the USB connection data rate is 11520 and the radio connection rate is 57600).
Select the desired port and data rate and then press the Connect button to connect to the autopilot. A fter connecting Mission Planner will download parameters from the autopilot and the button will change to Disconnect as shown:

Tip: The “select port” dropdown also contains TCP or UDP port options that can be used to connect to an autopilot over a networ k. 

# Troubleshooting

If Mission planner is unable to connect:

 Check that the correct baud rate is used for the selected method (115200 on USB or 57600 on Radio/Telemetry)

 If using a COM port on Windows, check that the connection’s COM port exists in the Wind ows Device Manager’s list of serial ports.

 If using a USB port, try a different physical USB port

 if using a UDP or TCP connection, check that your firewall is not blocking the IP traffic. 

### You should also ensure that the autopilot controller board has app ropriate ArduPilot firwmare installed and has booted correctly (on Pixhawk/PX4 there are useful LEDs and Sounds which can tell you the state of the autopilot).

# Related topics

Mission Planner Bluetooth Connectivity

Copter > Frame Type Configuration in Mission Planner 

# Frame Type Configuration in Mission Planner

On the Mission Planner ‘s Initial Setup screen select Mandatory Hardware | Frame Type

. Select the frame for yo ur copter. The default configuration is X . If you want one of the arms to serve as the exclusive front

- facing direction, select the Plus configuration. For Tricopters, Traditional Helis and Y6s, the frame type is ignored.

Mission Planner: Select Frame Typ e
Note:

For an H

- Frame quadcopter use the option to set the frame type to ‘3’ in the Advanced Parameter Tab. To apply the H

- frame configuration, swap the left rear and right rear props and reverse the motordirection for each of those motors (by swapping a ny two motor wires). Repeat the same process for the

front two motors.

Copter > common
- Compass Calibration in Mission Planner 

# Compass Calibration in Mission Planner

This article explains how to perform basic compass calibration.

Note: This article assumes that you’re t he most common configuration

— a Pixhawk, PX4 or APM2.6 board with the compass mounted with the the arrow facing toward the front of the vehicle and in the same direction as the arrow on the autopilot. If you’re using a different configuration see Advanced Compass Setup

. 

### Contents [ hide ]

 

### 1 Calibration steps

 

### 2 Additional information

 

### 3 Video demonstration 

# Calibration steps

1. Under Initial Setup | Mandatory Hardware select Compass

. 2. Select yo ur autopilot configuration to automatically enter the most important configuration information for your board:

 For Pixhawk and PX4, select the button Pixhawk/PX4

.
 For APM 2.6, select APM with External Compass

.Mission Planner: Compass Calibration



### You sh ouldn’t need to do any more configuration, but you might want to confirm that the Enable compasses , Obtain declination automatically and Automatically learn offsets check boxes are checked.

3. Click the Live Calibration button. 

### A window should pop

- up showing you the state of the live calibration.

### Mission Planner: Live Compass Calibration

4. Hold the vehicle in the air and rotate it slowly so that each side (front, back, left, right, top and bottom) points down towards the earth for a few seconds in turn.

Compa ss Calibration Positions (shown for Copter, but true for all vehicles) 5. The calibration will automatically complete when it has data for all the positions. At this point, another window will pop up telling you that it is saving the newly calculated offsets. These are displayed on the main screen below each associated compass.

Note:

In Copter

- 3.2.1 and later offsets are considered acceptable provided their combined “length” is less than 600 (i.e. sqrt(offset_x^2+offset_y^2+offset_Z^2) < 600 ). Prior to Copter 3.2.1 the recommendation was that the absolute value of each offset be less than 150 (i.e.

- 150 < offset < 150 ).



# Additional information

More information about compass configuration can be found in Advanced Compass Setup . This includes instructions for how to set up additional compasses, non

- standard compass alignments, compassmot , etc.

### General discussion on magnetic interference and ways to reduce it can be found in Magnetic

Interference

Copter > common
- Radio Control Calibration in Mission Planner 

# Radio Control Calibration in Mission Planner

This article shows h ow to perform radio control calibration using Mission Planner

.

Contents [ hide ]

 

### 1 Overview

 

### 1.1 Transmitter configuration

 

### 1.2 Channel mappings

 

### 2 Preconditions

 

### 2.1 Safet y first

 

### 2.2 Centre trims

 

### 2.3 Connect autopilot and turn on receiver

 

### 3 Calibration steps



# Overview

RC transmitters are used to control vehicle movement and orientation. Copter and Plane minimally control throttle, pitch, roll and yaw, while on Rover we just control throttle and roll. Each of these control signals are mapped to transmitter stick/switch(s) and in turn to autopilot channels from the connected receiver.
Calibrating eac h of the transmitter controls/channels is a straightforward process

– simply move each of the enabled sticks/switches through their full range and record the maximum and minimum positions.


# Transmitter configuration

There are two main transmitter configurat ions: Mode 1 : left stick controls pitch and yaw, the right stick will control throttle and roll.

 Mode 2 : left stick controls throttle and yaw; the right stick will control pitch and roll.

Transmitter (Mode 1): Recommended Channels Transmitter (Mode 2): R ecommended Channels



# Channel mappings

Copter:

Copter default channel mappings are:

 Channel 1 : Roll

 Channel 2 : Pitch

 Channel 3 : Throttle

 Channel 4 : Yaw

 Channel 5 : Flight modes

 Channel 6 : (Optional) Inflight tuning or camera mount (mapped to transmitter tun ing knob) 

### Unused channels can be mapped to control additional peripherals.

Note:

 The default channel mappings can be changed using the instructions in RCMAP In put Channel Mapping

. Once you’ve calibrated the flight mode you can use the instructions in RC Transmitter Flight Mode

Config uration to specify which vehicle modes are enabled by each switch position.



# Preconditions

Safety first

For safety reasons you should disconnect the battery and/or remove propellers before preforming radio calibration.



# Centre trims

Centre trims in manual R C mode before preforming RC calibration. If trims are not centred you may need to do the RC calibration again after you have used the vehicle (this is easy to do at the field).

Note: Trims are centred when a moving vehicle does not change direction/speed/o rientation when travelling hands

- off with all controls/sticks in neutral positions. If there is any deviation in direction, speed or orientation, adjust the associated servo to compensate.


# Connect autopilot and turn on receiver

Connect the autopilot via U SB and turn on your RC transmitter. Verify that the transmitter is bound to the receiver (the receiver displays a solid green light) and that it is set to use the correct model for your vehicle.
Open Mission Planner’s INITIAL SETUP | Mandatory Hardware | R adio Calibration screen. If your RC receiver (Rx) and transmitter (Tx) are bound, you should see the green bars move when you move the transmitter sticks.Mission Planner: Radio Calibration Screen (Copter)

Tip: If the bars are not moving then check what LED lights the receiver is displaying:

 no lights

– may indicate that it is incorrectly wired to the autopilot (look for connectors that may have been inserted upside down).

 red or a flashing green light

– may indicate that your RC transmitter/receiver need be bound (see the manual that came with your RC equipment for instructions).

 a solid green light

– recheck the autopilot is connected to the Mission Planner and if the bars are still not moving, try clicking on the Calibrate Radio button. 

# Calibration step s

1. Open Mission Planner’s INITIAL SETUP | Mandatory Hardware | Radio Calibration screen. 2. Click on the green Calibrate Radio button in the lower right of the window. Mission Planner will display a prompt to check radio control equipment is on, battery is not connected, and propellers are not attached. Select OK

.Mission Planner: Select Calibrate Radio and OK to begin calibrating.

3. Move the control sticks and toggle switches on your transmitter to their limits of travel and observe the results on the radio cal ibration bars. Red lines will appear across the calibration bars to indicate maximum and minimum values:

Mission Planner: Input range marked with red lines

Tip:
The green bars should move in the same direction as the transmitter sticks (except for Pitch w here the bars move opposite to stick movements

– low values are forward, high values are back). If the green bars move in the wrong direction, reverse them using your RC transmitter’s channel

- reverse function (see your RC gear’s manual for guidance).

### You should also calibrate the channel you have selected for controlling vehicle mode, and any

other channels you have connected to the autopilot.

4. Select Click when Done when all required channels are set at the minimum and maximum positions.



### Mission Planner will show a summary of the calibration data. Normal values are around 1100 for minimums and 1900 for maximums.

Mission Planner: Radio Calibration Results

5. Turn off your transmitter and disconnect the battery if it was connected.Copter > common
- Accelerometer Calibration in Mission Planner 

# Acc elerometer Calibration in Mission Planner

This article shows how to perform basic accelerometer calibration (using Mission Planner ).

Note:
Accel erometer calibration is mandatory if you’re using EKF to estimate vehicle position

. 

### Contents

 

### 1 Calibration steps

 

### 2 Video demonstration (Copter)



# Calibration steps

1. Under Initial Setup | Mandatory Hardware , select Accel Calibration from the left

- side menu.

Mission Planner: Calibrate Acceleration 2. Click Calibrate Accel to start the calibration.



### Mission Planner will prompt you to place the vehicle each calibrati on position. Press any key to indicate that the autopilot is in position and then proceed to the next orientation.

### The calibration positions are: level, on right side, left side, nose down, nose up and on its

back.

Accelerometer Calibration Positions (Cop ter)

Tip:

 It is important that the vehicle is kept still immediately after pressing the key for each step.

 You may need to calibrate the board before it is mounted if the size/shape of the vehicle makes this difficult.

 The level position is the most import ant to get right as this will be the attitude that your controller considers level while flying. 3. Proceed through the required positions (it is not necessary to use the Click When Done button).

Mission Planner: Accel Calibration

– press any key 4. When you’ve completed the calibration process, Mission Planner will display “Calibration Successful!” as shown below.Mission Planner: Calibration Successful

Warning: Do not perform the press the Calibrate Level button. This function will overwrite your calibration values.Copter > com mon
- RC Transmitter Flight Mode Configuration 

# RC Transmitter Flight Mode Configuration

This article shows how you can enable up to 6 autopilot control/flight modes to be set from your RC transmitter.

Contents [ hide ]

 

### 1 Flight modes configuration

 

### 2 Setting the flight mode channel

 

### 3 Transmitter configuration

 

### 3.1 Test tra nsmitter switch settings

 

### 3.2 Tutorials for specific RC hardware

 

### 3.3 Spektrum DX8 (alternate method) 

# Flight modes configuration

The mapping between switch position and flight mode is set in the Mission Planner Flight Mode
screen.

Copter:

Mi ssion Planner: Flight Mode Screen (Copter).You can set up the flight modes available on the transmitter by doing the following:

 Turn on your RC transmitter

 Connect the Pixhawk (or other flight controller) to the Mission Planner

 Go to the Initial Setup | Mandatory Hardware | Flight Modes screen

Note:
As you move your transmitter’s flight mode switch the green highlight bar will move to a different position.

 Use the drop

- down on each line to select the flight mode for that switch position.

 (Copter) Ensure that at least one switch position is left assigned to STABILISE.

 (Copter) Optionally check the Simple Mode check

- box for that switch position. If using AC3.1 or higher you can optionally set Super Simple mode . If both Simple mode and Super Simple mod e checkboxes are checked Super Simple will be used.

 When finished press the Save Modes button.



### (Copter) Some modes can also be invoked from the auxiliary switches (a.k.a. ch7, ch8 option switches). For example, to set a dedicated switch for RTL. 

# Setting the flight mode channel

The flight mode channel is the input radio channel that ArduPilot monitors for mode changes.
On Copter this is always channel 5. 

# Transmitter configuratio n

### The transmitter must emit PWM signals in the correct range to allow us to map a mode to a

switch position.

Note: The correct PWM ranges for selectable modes are shown alongside each mode selection dropdown in the Mission Planner Flight Mode screen (see screenshot above ).


### If you want to just support three modes (using a three position switch) then you would configure the transm itter to produce PWM pulse widths of 1165, 1425, and 1815 microseconds for the respective switch positions.
If you want to support 6 modes then the transmitter will need to emit PWM widths of around 1165, 1295, 1425, 1555, 1685, and 1815 milliseconds. Typi cally this is achieved by configuring the transmitter to mix a two position switch and a three position switch (giving 6 modes in total). You can also do this with an analog dial if one is available, but it’s hard to reliably turn a dial to just the right position for six distinct settings.
The sections below provide links showing how to configure transmitters from different manufactures, and how to test (in Mission Planner) that each switch setting is emitting the appropriate PWM signal.



# Test transmitter s witch settings

You can use the Mission Planner Radio Calibration screen to test the PWM pulse widths for each mode setting.
Simply toggle through the modes on your transmitter and confirm that the PWM for the selected channel matches the required PWM value s. The screenshot below assumes that the flight mode channel is set to Radio 5.

# Tutorials for specific RC hardware

Here are some user

- contributed tutorials for doing this (or adding more modes to RC units with just a two

- position toggle) with various RC systems:

 JR XG8 DMSS

 JR9303

 JR X2720

 Futaba T8FG

 Futaba T8J

 Futaba T7CP

 Futaba T6EX

 Futaba 12fg

 Futaba 9ZAP/ZHP

 Futaba T10CAG

 Futaba T14

 Futaba 9C Super

 Graupner MX

- 16

 Turnigy 9x (or an even easier way) (Here!)

 Turnigy 9x with ER9x firmware

 Turnigy 9XR

 Hitech Aurora 9

 Spektrum DX8 (alternate method below)

 Spektrum DX7

 Spektrum DX7s Spektrum DX7 Version 6



### Or build your own six

- position switch!


# Spektrum DX8 (alternate method)

This section describes an alternative way to set 6 modes with the Spektrum DX8. This method uses the Gear switch and the Flight mode switch. All the other switches can be assigned as preferred. This method also allows each mode to be set in the middle of each mode’s pulse width range so small changes will not change modes. Use Mi ssion Planner Flight Modes setup to monitor the Current PWM for these adjustments.

1. Setup the switches (*required for the 6 modes)

 Hold roller bar down, turn on DX8, scroll down to Switch Select, Click roller bar. Set switches as follows:

 * Gear = Gear (C hannel 5)

 * FMode = Inh Not assigned to a channel

– Used to mix with Gear Sw (Channel 5) for 6 modes

 Others anyway you want. One method is as follows:

 Knob to aux1 = channel 6 for camera tilt / tuning

 Mix = aux2 = channel 7 to save Way Point or RTL, auto trim or other settings in APM configuration.

 Flap to aux3 = channel 8 for other uses

 Click BACK until the normal screen appears, or turn off power, then turn power back on. 2. Set up the non

- mixed servo setting for channel 5 (Gear channel controlled by the G ear Switch) This will be the values with no mixing

– F Mode switch in the 0 position and sets the lowest pulse width to 1165 ms (mode 1) and highest to 1815 ms (mode 6)

 Click the roller bar, scroll down to Servo Setup, Select the Gear channel, Select Sub T rim.

 Set sub trim to 0

 Select Travel.

 Set travel (left, position 0) for 1165 ms pulse (~90%).

 Set travel (right, position 1 for 1815 ms pulse (~74%).

 Set up Mix 1 to change the Gear Pulse width when F Mode is in position 1

 Click roller, scroll down to Mi xing, click roller, scroll to first line under Mix (has xxx > xxx, AIL > RUD, or some other mix set),click roller, Select Mix 1, Click roller.

 Set Mix: Gear > Gear. Gear changes Gear depending on Switch F Mode setting

 Set Offset = 0, Trim = Inh.

 Set SW = F M 1

 Set the F Mode switch on the transmitter to position 1.

 Set the Gear switch on the transmitter to position 0.

 Set top Rate for pulse width of 1290 ms for mode 2 (~

- 35%) (change = 400 ms *

- 90% *

- 35% = 126 ms. Result = 1165 ms + 126 ms = 1251 ms = mod e 2)

 Set the Gear switch on the transmitter to position 1.

 Set bottom Rate for pulse width of 1685 ms for mode 5 (~

– 45%) (change = 400 ms * +73% *

- 45% =

- 131 ms. Result = 1815 ms

– 131 ms = 1684 ms = mode 5)

 Set up a mix 2 to change the Gear Pulse width when F Mode is in position 2 Mix: Gear > Gear. Gear changes Gear depending on Switch F Mode setting.

 Set Offset = 0, Trim = Inh

 Set SW = FM2

 Set the F Mode switch on the transmitter to position 2

 Set the Gear switch on the transmitter to position 0.

 Rat e top Rate for pulse width of 1425 ms for mode 3 (~

– 72%) (change = 400 ms *

– 90% *

– 72% = 259 ms. Result = 1165 ms + 259 ms = 1424 ms = mode 3)

 Set the Gear switch on the transmitter to position 1.

 Set bottom Rate for pulse width of 1550 ms for mode 4 (~

– 89%) (change = 400 ms * +73% *

– 89% =

- 262 ms. Result = 1815 ms

– 262 ms = 1553 ms = mode 4)

Copter > Electronic Speed Controller (ESC) Calibration 

# Electronic Speed Controller (ESC) Calibration

Electronic speed controllers are responsible for sp inning the motors at the speed requested by the autopilot. Most ESCs need to be calibrated so that they know the minimum and maximum pwm values that the flight controller will send. This page provides instructions for calibrating ESCs.

Note: Please compl ete radio calibration before performing ESC calibration.


### Contents [ hide ]

 

### 1 About ESC Calibration

 

### 2 All at once calibration

 

### 3 Manual ESC

- by

- ESC Calibration

 

### 3.1 Calibrating ESCs individually (Currently Untested on PX4)

 

### 4 Testing

 

### 5 Notes / Troubleshooting



# About ESC Calibrati on
ESC calibration will vary based on what brand of ESC you are using, so always refer to the documentation for the brand of ESC you are using for specific information (such as tones). “All

### at once” calibration works well for most ESCs, so it is good idea to attempt it first and if that

fails try the “Manual ESC

- by

- ESC” method.

 For 3DR ESCs can use the “All at once” method.

 DJI Opto ESCs do not require and do not support calibration, so skip this page completely

 Some brands of ESC do not allow calibration and will not arm unless you adjust your radio’s throttle end

- points so that the minimum throttle is around 1000 PWM. Note that if you change the end

points on your TX you must re

- do the Radio Calibration

.
 Begin this procedure only after you have completed the radio control calibration and Connect ESCs and motors part of the Assembly Instructions

. Next follow these steps:



# All at once calibrat ion

Warning: Safety Check! Before calibrating ESCs, please ensure that your copter has NO PROPS on it and that the APM is NOT CONNECTED to your computer via USB and the Lipo battery is disconnected.

1. Turn on your transmitter and put the throttle stick at maximum.2. Connect the Lipo battery. The autopilot’s red, blue and yellow LEDs will light up in a cyclical

pattern. This means the it’s ready to go into ESC calibration mode the next time you plug it in.

3. With the transmitter throttle stick still high, disconnect and reconnect the battery.

4. For PX4 or Pixhawk, press and hold the safety button until it displays solid red. 5. The autopilot is now in ESC calibration mode. (On an APM you may notice the red and blue LEDs blinking alternatively on and off like a police car). 6. Wait for your ESCs to emit the musical tone, the regular number of beeps indicating your battery’s cell count (i.e. 3 for 3S, 4 for 4S) and then an additional two beeps to indicate that the maximum throttle has been captured. 7. Pull the transm itter’s throttle stick down to its minimum position.

8. The ESCs should then emit a long tone indicating that the minimum throttle has been captured and the calibration is complete. 9. If the long tone indicating successful calibration was heard, the ESCs are “live” now and if you raise the throttle a bit they should spin. Test that the motors spin by raising the throttle a bit and then lowering it again. 10. Set the throttle to minimum and disconnect the battery to exit ESC

- calibration modeCopter > Flight Modes 

# Flight Modes

This article provides an overview of the available flight modes for Copter and instructions for

how to configure which modes are available through the RC Transmitter.

Contents [ hide ]

 

### 1 Overview

 

### 2 Recommended Flight Modes

 

### 3 GPS Dependency



# Overview

Copter has 14 flight built

- in flight modes, 10 of which are regularly used. There are modes to support different levels/types of flight stabilization, a sophisticated aut opilot, a follow

- me system etc.
Flight modes are controlled through the radio (via a transmitter switch ), via mission commands, or using commands from a grou nd station (GCS) or companion computer. 

# Recommended Flight Modes

In general when first starting to use Copter you should progress through the flight modes in the order listed below, being sure that you are comfortable with each before progressing to the ne xt (click the links for more details):

 Stabilize

 Alt Hold

 Loiter

 RTL (Return

- to

- Launch)

 Auto 

### Additional flight modes:

 Acro

 Sport

 Drift Guided

 Circle

 PosHold

 Land

 Brake

 Follow Me

 Simple and Super Simple 

### Most transmitters provide a 3 position switch but you can find instructions here for setting up a 6

- position flight mode switch

. 

# GPS Dependency

Flight modes that use GPS

- positioning data require an active GPS lock prior to takeoff. To see if your autopilot has acquir ed GPS lock, connect to a ground station or consult your autopilot’s hardware overview page to see the LED indication for GPS lock. Below is a summary of GPS dependency for Copter flight modes.
Requires GPS lock prior to takeoff:

 Loiter

 RTL (Return

- to

- Launch)

 Auto

 Gu ided

 Drift

 PosHold

 Follow Me

 Circle 

### Do not require GPS lock:

 Stabilize

 Alt Hold

 Acro

 Sport

 LandCopter > Pre

- Arm Safety Check 

# Pre

- Arm Safety Check

Copter includes a suite of Pre

- arm Safety Checks which will prevent the vehicle from arming if any of a fa irly large number of issues are discovered before take

- off including missed calibration, configuration or bad sensor data. These checks help prevent crashes and fly

- aways but they can also be disabled if necessary.

Contents [ hide ]

 

### 1 Recognising which Pre

- Arm Check has failed using the GCS

 

### 2 Failure messages

 

### 3 Disabling the Pre

- arm Safety Check 

# Recognising which Pre

- Arm Check has failed using the GCS

The pilot will notice a pre

- arm check failure because he/she will be unable to arm the copter and the LED will be flashing yellow. To determine exactly which check has failed:

1. Connect the Flight Controller to the gro und station using a USB cable or Telemetry

. 2. Ensure the GCS is connected to the vehicle (i.e. on Mission Plannerand push the “Connect” button on the upper righ t). 3. Turn on your radio transmitter and attempt to arm the vehicle (regular procedure using throttle down, yaw right) 4. The first cause of the Pre

- Arm Check failure will be displayed in red on the HUD window 

# Failure messages

RC failures (i.e. transmitter/rece iver failures):

RC not calibrated : the radio calibration has not been performed. RC3_MIN and RC3_MAX must have been changed from their default values (1 100 and 1900) and for channels 1 to 4, the MIN must be less than 1300 and the MAX greater than 1700.

Barometer failures:

Baro not healthy : the barometer sensor is reporting that it is unhealthy which is normally a sign of a hardware failure.

### Alt disparity : the barometer altitude disagrees with the inertial navigation (i.e. Baro +

Accelerometer) altitude estimate by more than 2 meters. This message is normally short

- lived and can occur when the flight controller is first plugged in or if it receives a har d jolt (i.e. dropped suddenly). If it does not clear the accelerometers may need to be calibrated or there may be a barometer hardware issue.
Compass fai lures:
Compass not healthy : the compass sensor is reporting that it is unhealthy which is a sign of a hardware failure.
Compass not calibrated : the compass(es) has not been calibrated

. the COMPASS_OFS_X, Y, Z parameters are zero or the number or type of compasses connected has been changed since the last compass calibration was performed.
Compass offsets too high : the primary compass’s offsets len gth (i.e. sqrt(x^2+y^2+z^2)) are larger than 500. This can be caused by metal objects being placed too close to the compass. If only an internal compass is being used (not recommended), it may simply be the metal in the board that is causing the large of fsets and this may not actually be a problem in which case you may wish to disable the compass check.
Check mag field : the sensed magnetic field in the area is 35% higher or lower than the expected value. The expected length is 530 so it’s > 874 or < 18 5. Magnetic field strength varies around the world but these wide limits mean it’s more likely the compass calibration has not calculated good offs ets and should be repeated.
Compasses inconsistent : the internal and external compasses are pointing in different directions (off by >45 degrees). This is normally caused by the external compasses orientation (i.e. COMPASS_ORIENT parameter) being set inc orrectly.

GPS related failures:

GPS Glitch : the GPS is glitching and the vehicle is in a flight mode that requires GPS (i.e. Loiter, PosHold, etc) and/or the circular fence is enabled.

Need 3D Fix : the GPS does not have a 3D fix and the vehicle is in a flight mode that requires the GPS and/or the circular fence is enabled.
Bad Velocity : the vehicle’s velocity (according to inertial navigation system) is above 50cm/s. Issues that could lead to this include the vehicle actually moving or being dropped , bad accelerometer calibration, GPS updating at below the expected 5hz.

### High GPS HDOP : the GPS’s HDOP value (a measure of the position accuracy) is above 2.0

and the vehicle is in a flight mode that requires GPS and/or the circular fence is enabled. This may be resolved by simply waiting a few minutes, moving to a location with a better view of the sky or checking sources of GPS interference (i.e. FPV equipment) are moved further from the GPS. Alternatively the check can be relaxed by increasing the GPS_HDOP_GOOD parameter to 2.2 or 2.5. Worst case the pilot may disable the fence and take

- off in a mode that does not require the GPS (i.e. Stabilize, AltHold) and swit ch into Loiter after arming but this is not recommended.
Note: the GPS HDOP can be readily viewed through the Mission Planner’s Quick tab as shown below.

INS checks (i.e. Acclerometer and Gyro checks):

INS not calibrated : some or all of the accelerometer ’s offsets are zero. The accelerometers need to be calibrated

. Accels not healthy : one of the accelerometers is reporting it is not healthy which could be a hardware issue. This can also occur immediately after a firmware update before the board has been restarted.

### Accels inconsistent : the accelerometers are reporting accelerations which are different by at

least 1m/s/s. The accelerometers need to be re

- calibrated or there is a hardware issue.
Gyros not healthy : one of the gyroscopes is reporting it is unhealthy which is likely a hardware issue. This ca n also occur immediately after a firmware update before the board has been restarted.
Gyro cal failed : the gyro calibration failed to capture offsets. This is most often caused by the vehicle being moved during the gyro calibration (when red and blue ligh ts are flashing) in which case unplugging the battery and plugging it in again while being careful not to jostle the vehicle will likely resolve the issue. Sensors hardware failures (i.e. spikes) can also cause this failure.
Gyros inconsistent : two gyrosc opes are reporting vehicle rotation rates that differ by more than 20deg/sec. This is likely a hardware failure or caused by a bad gyro calibration.
Board Voltage checks:
Check Board Voltage : the board’s internal voltage is below 4.3 Volts or above 5.8 Vo lts.
If powered through a USB cable (i.e. while on the bench) this can be caused by the desktop computer being unable to provide sufficient current to the flight controller

– try replacing the USB cable.
If powered from a battery this is a serious problem and the power system (i.e. Power Module, battery, etc) should be carefully checked before flying.

Parameter checks:
Ch7&Ch8 Opt cannot be same : Auxiliary Function S witches are set to the same option which is not permitted because it could lead to confusion.

Check FS_THR_VALUE : the radio failsafe pwm value has been set too close to the throttle channels (i.e. ch3) minimum.

Check ANGLE_MAX : the ANGLE_MAX parameter which controls the vehicle’s maximum lean angle has been set below 10 degrees (i.e. 1000) or above 80 degrees (i.e. 8000).

ACRO_BAL_ROLL/PITCH : the ACRO_BAL_ROLL parameter is higher than the Stabilize Roll P and/or ACRO_BAL_PITCH parameter is higher than the Stabilize Pitch P value. This could lead to the pilot being unable to control the lean angle in ACRO mode because the Acro Trainer stabilization would overpower the pilot’s input.

# Disabling the Pre

- arm Safety Check

If you are confident that the pre

- arm check failure is not a real problem you can disable the checks by:

 Conn ecting your Flight Controller to the Mission Planner

 Go to Mission Planner’s Config/Tuning >> Standard Params screen

 set the Arming Check drop

- down to “Disabled” or one of the “Skip” options which more effectively skips the item causing the failure.

 Push t he “Write Params” button 

### Ideally however you should determine the cause of the pre

- arm failure and if it can be resolved, return the Arming Check parameter back to “Enabled”

Copter > Arming the motors 

# Arming the motors

Contents [ hi de ]

 

### 1 Arming the motors

 

### 2 Disarming the motors

# Arming the motors

Befor e arming the motors, make sure all people and objects are clear of the propellers. Then do the following:

1. Turn on your transmitter 2. Plug in your LiPo battery. The red and blue lights should flash for a few seconds as the gyros are calibrated (do not move t he copter) 3. The pre

- arm checks will run automatically and if any problems are found an APM2.x will double blink the red arming light, on a Pixhawk the RGB led will blink yellow. Please refer to this page

. 4. Check that your flight mode switch is set to Stabilize, ACRO, AltHold or Loiter. 5. If using a PX4, press the safety button until the light goes solid. 6. If you are planning on using the autopilot (i.e. Loiter, RTL, Drift, Auto or Guided modes) you should wait for 30 seconds after the GPS has gotten 3d lock. This will give the GPS position time to settle. On APM2 the GPS lock is indicated by the blue LED going solid. On an Pixhawk the RGB LED will blink green. 7. Arm the motors by holding the throttle down, and rudder right for 5 seconds. It takes approximately 5 seconds the first time the copter is armed as it re

- initialises the gyros and barometer. Do not hold the rudder right for too long (>15 seconds) or you will begin the AutoTrim feature. 8. Once armed, the red arming light should go solid and the propellers will begin to spin slowly. The speed they spin can be adjusted with the MOT_SPIN_ARMED parameter. 9. R aise the throttle to take

- off.

Note: You can only arm or disarm in Stabilize, ACRO, AltHold and Loiter mode.

Note: If you leave the throttle at minimum for 15 seconds while in any of the above modes the motors will automatically disarm. 

# Disarming the motor s
To disarm the motors do the following:

1. Check that your flight mode switch is set to Stabilize, ACRO, AltHold or Loiter 2. Hold throttle at minimum and rudder to the left for 2 seconds 3. The red arming light should start flashing on the APM2. On the Pixhawk t he RGB LED will start flashing green. 4. If using a PX4, press the safety button until the led begins flashing 5. Disconnect the Lipo battery 6. Turn off your transmitterCopter > Failsafe 

# Failsafe

Copter has a number of failsafe mechanisms to ease vehicle recovery/prevent wandering in the event that vehicle control is lost. The main failsafe topics are listed below.

 Radio Failsafe

 Battery Failsafe

 GCS Failsafe

 EKF / DCM failsafe

 Simple GeoFence

Copter > Pre

- Flight Checklist (Copter) 

# Pre

- Flight Checklist (Copter)

This page is provides a list of things to check following configuration, and before your first flight.

Contents [ hide ]

 

### 1 Summary Checklist

 

### 2 Configuration

 

### 3 Flying 

# Summary Checklist

# Configuration

 Spin up the propellers on the ground and check they are all moving in the correct orie ntation

.
 Check that your copter knows what level is. With the copter on a flat surface connect to Mission Planner and ensure the artificial horizon display shows level.

 Check all failsafe settings are enabled. Instructions are here for radio , battery , gcs and ekf/gps

. 

# Flying

 Make sure you have a GPS lock before flying if you intend to use any auto modes. Even if you’re only flying in Stabilized mode this is a good idea so you can invoke Return To Launch if you get into trouble.

 Test RTL before sending your copter off on an auto waypoint flight. This is to check that the compass and GPS are working, and that it knows where home is before heading off on a more complex flight.

 Ensure that flight in Stabilize works well before you attempt any more complex flight modes. Ensure loiter works before trying RTL. Ensure RTL works before trying auto.

 Once armed stand 3m

- 6m away from the arming point as when in RTL the copter will be returning to this point.

 When test ing more complex flight modes, be ready to switch back to Stabilize mode at any moment if it does anything strange. Stabilize or Acro are the only modes which can save you from a problem with the software or sensors. RTL is a good mode to save you from hum an error, but relies on the copter being able to locate and fly itself, so this should not be used as an emergency mode if other auto flight modes go wrong.

 Be sure you have a way of knowing when your battery is getting low, and land before you have used

m ore than 80% of your battery capacity.

Copter > common
- Mission Planning 

# Mission Planning

This section contains articles about Mission Planning; creating automated missions that will run when the ArduPilot is set to AUTO mode.

 Planning a Mission with Waypoints and Events

 Copter Mission Command List

 Mission Command List

 Camera Control and Auto Missions in Mission Planner

 Rally Points

 Terrain Following Geotagging Images

Note: The examples demonstrate mission planning using Mission Planner , a fully

- functioned Windows

- based Ground Control Station (GCS) that you can download and install from here

.

Mission Planner: Flight Plan Screen



### T he main concepts will also apply to other Ground Control Stations (although the details of the user interface will differ).