User Manual
Map Legend

Main Screen

Safety Features

Drag, Drop, Drone

Options Menu

Mission Planner

Map

List

Parameter Editor

Drone Profiles

Register New XRD

Calibrate Airspeed

Set Up XRD Wifi

Set Camera Settings

Log In

Settings

Map

Drone

eXtended Range and Data

Registration

First Launch

First Landing

Emergency Procedures
While using Botlink

• Make sure to read through the entire manual before going out to fly for the first time.

• Never fly within 5 miles of any airport or airstrip.

• Never fly where other planes are operating.

• Never fly over heavily populated areas or busy roadways.

• Keep away from aircraft while in operation.

Map Legend

Before flying make sure to understand what each symbol means and how know how it can

affect your flight.

Your Drone

Pilot

Aircraft

Possible Threat Aircraft

Major Airport

Local/Municipal Airport

Airspace Boundary

Waypoint

Altitude Bar

Sunset Reminder

Settings
More Options

Arm Drone

Take-Off

Land

Play Mission

Return to Home

Link Drone

Un-Link Drone

Main Screen

When first opening Botlink notice the bar on the top of the screen. This holds the notifications

and settings options. Pressing each of these will display information that is needed for safely flying a

drone.

Aircraft Alert

This alert shows any possible threat aircraft while connected to your drone. As long as Botlink

see another possible threat aircraft it will display its tail number, altitude, heading, and total number

threat aircraft.

Airspace Alert

One of the hardest safety measures to stay aware of is what airspace your drone is in. If your

drone goes within controlled airspace this alert will display telling you what type of airspace you are in

along with an option to “Leave Airspace”. If you aren't sure you want to be in that airspace and select

this option, Botlink will plot the fastest and most direct path out of controlled airspace.
Airport Alert

Flying within five nautical miles of a major airport is considered restricted airspace. This acts as

a precursor to the Airspace Alert letting you know exactly how many major airports you should be

concerned with.

Altitude Alert

Botlink stays up to date with the FAA's current guidelines and one of the most important is

altitude. If your drone approaches the maximum allowed altitude this alert will display to let the pilot

know.

Sunset Reminder

Based on your location Botlink will give you a reminder of when sunset is so that you can plan

your flights during the daylight hours.

Link

The chain link icon is how you connect to your drone. Pressing this icon brings up the connect

to drone window. Simply chose your existing drone profile to connect to or create a new profile.

While Linked to Drone

Once connected to your drone a bar on the bottom of the screen will display flight data and

commands. Use these to fly intelligently and safely.

Arm

This starts your drone from standby. As long as all the physical preflight safeties are satisfied

this will be the final arming button. Use this to turn on motors before flight.

Take Off

As long as all preflight checks are good and you have armed your drone, use this to get in the

air!

Note: Arm will deactivate if the Take Off command is not received within ten seconds of receiving

the Arm command

Land
While flying at any time you are able to land your drone. For a multirotor drone it will land at

the location it received the land command at. For a fixed wing drone a landing must be built.

Play/Pause

The play button is used in conjunction with the Mission Planner. Press this button to send your

drone on whatever mission you created and uploaded. Pressing the same button while running a

mission causes it to Pause. Depending on if it is a multirotor or a fixed wing it will either hover or

loiter respectively until Play is pressed again.

Return to Launch

At any time during your flying you want your drone to return to where it took off from you can

press the Return to Launch button. A multirotor will go back to its home waypoint and land. A fixed

wing will loiter above its home waypoint until a landing mission is built.

Drone Details

Another feature that appears once a drone has been connected is the array of drone data

being monitored. Botlink will display the drone's location (in latitude and longitude), current altitude,

heading, airspeed (in knots), flight mode, battery level, and if used the cell signal strength of the XRD.

Safety Features

Botlink's main goal is to help pilots from all levels of experience to fly safer and smarter. The

only way the drone industry will advance and become safe for everyone is to make sure that pilots

can fly responsibly. Botlink has multiple safety features built in including airspace alerts, altitude

alerts, and real-time ADS-B or “Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast”.

Airspace Alerts

One of the most useful features of the Botlink platform is the use of airspace alerts. Based on

the location of your drone Botlink will alert you whenever you enter a potentially hazardous airspace.

A notification will show up on the bottom of the screen with more detailed information on what

airspace your drone is currently in. Also, there is the option to have Botlink route the fastest way out

of the restricted airspace so that way you and your drone stay FAA compliant.

ADS-B Tracking

What this information does is allow us to take all the flight data from other aircraft and

integrate it into the Botlink platform allowing the user to see who else is in the sky with them. Even

before flying and without a drone connected the pilot can check the skies to see what traffic they

might encounter.
Once a drone is connected Botlink will take the drone's position into account and change any

aircraft that might be a possible hazard from gray to red. A notification will show up displaying more

detailed information on however many aircraft may be a hazard. Also, if these aircraft can't be

displayed at that zoom level red triangles will appear along the edges to indicate their direction. You

can double tap these triangles to zoom to that specific aircraft. This allows the pilot to focus on which

aircraft could affect their flight and in turn adjust their flight plan.

Drag, Drop, Drone

One of the most intuitive functions of Botlink is drone control. From takeoff to landing, Botlink

makes flying as easy as Drag, Drop, Drone!

Once you have your drone in the air you can make changes immediately. For a multirotor

drone you need to do is long press the drone symbol, drag it to where you want your drone to go, and

let go. The drone will begin to fly to that point almost immediately! When you are using a fixed wing

you can drag the loiter point so that the drone will circle around that point.

The circular rings around the drone with accompanying numbers gives you the pilot a scale of

distance to work off of. Additionally, if your drone ever flies off of the visible screen a blue triangle will

appear on the edge to indicate the drone's position. Simply double tap the blue triangle to refocus on

your drone.

Note: Be sure to stay below FAA regulated altitude

Options Menu

On the upper right hand of the screen there is the options menu. Opening the menu will

display Mission Planner, Parameter Editor, Drone Profile, Register New XRD, Calibrate Airspeed, Set

Up XRD Wifi, Set Camera Settings, Log In, and Settings. Each of these allows the Botlink platform to

adapt to whatever your flight needs may be.

Mission Planner

If you want to set out your flight plan ahead of time, we have you covered. In the Mission

Planner within Botlink you can create your mission, save it, then upload it to your drone all before you

go flying! We created two modes to view your mission; Map and List.
Map

When you select Mission Planner it will switch to a new screen with just the map and a new

command bar on the bottom left of your screen. On that command bar there are four options to

choose from; Grab, Add Waypoint, Subtract Waypoint, and the Survey Tool.

Grab:

When using this command you can select individual waypoints and move them to wherever

you decide. All you need to do is select Grab, press on an existing waypoint, and drag to wherever

you'd like. Botlink then adjusts the route for the drone to follow based on the changes made.

Add Waypoint:

This will be the first command you need in order to make a mission. Select Add Waypoint, tap

wherever you want your next waypoint, and then Botlink will create a path from the previous

waypoint to the newly created waypoint.

Note that the first waypoint created in a mission will become your “Home” position

Subtract Waypoint:

Whenever you create a mission you will eventually need to delete a waypoint. This command

does exactly that. Select the Subtract Waypoint tool, tap on an existing waypoint, and that's all it

takes. Again, Botlink will automatically adjust the flight path to go from the previous to the next

waypoint.

Survey Tool:

This amazing time saver is a favorite for pilots who need to take photos in a certain area but

don't want to plot tens if not hundreds of waypoints. All you need to do is select the Survey Tool, plot

at least three points, and Botlink will create all the intermediate waypoints for you. Once you have

the outline of your survey area complete you can edit the parameters of the survey area.

Angle:

Defaulted to 90° this changes the flight path from the initial survey point.

Pass Distance:

Adjusting this changes the distance between routed lines of travel. Increasing this may also cut

down on the total number of waypoints used in a survey.

Altitude:
Set to the desired flight altitude needed for the survey. Make sure to double check

surroundings in the field before beginning flight.

Starting Point:

Use to select which waypoint you'd like the survey to begin at.

List

Once you have established a home waypoint along with other intermediate waypoints you can

switch over to List view. This will display all of the waypoints along with their order of travel, distance

to next waypoint, altitude, actions at each waypoint, etc.

Adding a Command Point:

The gray circle with a “+” at the bottom left is the Add Command button. Use this to create a

new command point. If you want your drone to execute a command at that point tap the circle to the

left Latitude. This will bring up a list of possible commands. Make sure to fill out the parameters to

the right in order to achieve the desired action.

Deleting a Command Point:

If you no longer want to include a certain command deleting it is easy. Select the command

you don't want and swipe to the left. Again, Botlink will automatically adjust it's mission to go from

the previous command to the next.

Changing the Order of Command Points:

If you want change the sequence of waypoints traveled or commands executed select the

point you want to move by tapping on the description text next to the blue circle. Long press the

circle and drag it up or down the list to the desired sequence. Botlink will automatically adjust the

flight path to make the new mission. All other parameters (Altitude, Hold Time, Command Type, etc)

will still be tied to that point.

Command:

In order to execute a command at a waypoint you need to edit what type of point that will be.

To select a command first chose a waypoint. Then tap the circle to the left of the altitude setting to

bring up the command list. Choose your new command and the settings that are pertinent to that

command will display.

Options

When using Mission Planner in either Map or List mode there will still be the Link button,

Settings, and More Options on the top right of your screen. The only functionality that changes is the
More Options. While in Mission Planner your options become New Mission, Download from Drone,

Upload to Drone, and Clear on Drone. Each of these are based off of what is currently in Mission

Planner.

New Mission:

Pressing this completely erases all the waypoints and commands that are plotted in Mission

Planner. Use this to completely start over if you want a blank slate to start on.

Download from Drone:

As long as you are paired to your drone this will take the last mission loaded on the drone and

display it in Mission Planner. Use this to make changes and edits to what is already on your drone.

Note: It is a good practice to do this before each flight to make sure your flight plan is still

up-to-date

Upload to Drone:

Once you have finished either creating or editing in Mission Planner use this to send your flight

details to your drone's autopilot.

Clear on Drone:

Use this to delete any stored missions that might be saved to your autopilot. This is

recommended before uploading a new mission to your drone.

Parameter Editor

While connected to a drone you can adjust any of the hundreds of parameters that the

autopilot uses to fly. Simply pair your drone to Botlink, select Parameter Editor, and press the

download button on the bottom of the screen. Once all the parameters are downloaded you can

change their values to how you see fit.

Drone Profiles

By selecting More Options at the top right of the screen you can select Drone Profiles. This is

where you can setup the different connections to multiple drones. Once you get to the Drone Profile

page press the “+” button to add a profile. Each profile needs a name to differentiate between each

other. Most users like to use the model of the drone as the profile name. Next we need to choose

how we connect to the drone.
Connection Type

There are 3 types of connections; USB Serial, TCP, and the XRD. Read through to see which

best fits your setup.

USB Serial:

This is the most common way of connecting to your drone. Usually done using 915MHz radios

that connect your drone and android device. Make sure to use the correct baud rate for your

particular connection.

TCP:

Used mostly for simulation. Enter the IP Address of where the simulator is being run, the Port

Number, and adjust the connection Timeout (in milliseconds).

XRD:

Use this if you are using our XRD in conjunction with Botlink.

Register New XRD

The first time you use the XRD in conjunction with Botlink you need to register that particular

XRD to your account. In order to register the XRD you can either scan the QR code on the XRD itself or

manually enter the XRD ID number found in the packaging. To scan press the “Scan XRD QR Code”

button and align the horizontal red line to the QR code and hold the camera steady. This will

automatically register that XRD to the account that is currently logged into Botlink.

Calibrate Airspeed

If your drone is a fixed wing model then most likely you are using a pitot tube to measure the

drone's speed. We built a calibration feature so that way you can get up in the air as fast as possible

without needing to go through a clunky re-calibration process each flight. With Botlink all you need to

do is go to Airspeed Calibration, press the Calibrate Airspeed Sensor button, cover the pitot tube on

the drone, and waiting for the countdown. Note: We recommend calibrating the airspeed before each

flight.

Set Up XRD Wifi

Using the XRD makes your existing drone even more powerful. One of the ways it does that is

by becoming a link between you and the camera on board your drone. In order to do that we need to

establish a wireless connection to that camera. Selecting this option brings you to the setup screen.

The first time you connect to a camera you need to give it a name, enter the SSID of the camera, and

it's connection password. Press Add Camera and Botlink will attempt to connect to your camera. After
these settings are saved you can quickly connect by pressing the Scan button and selecting your

previously configured camera.

Set Camera Settings

Once you have your camera connected to the XRD you can edit certain parameters. A lot these

options will vary per camera model.

Log In

In order to use anything related to the XRD Botlink requires that the user be logged in to our

servers. This allows the XRD to communicate back and forth and allows the user to gain access to

their data (saved devices, XRD settings, etc). Use this screen to log out as well when you are done

flying.

Settings

This menu allows the user to edit certain options that apply to all parts of Botlink.

Map

• Airport Rings allows you to toggle on and off the five nautical mile ring around

Local/Municipal Airports.

• Map Style lets you change the type of map that Botlink displays. The options are Botlink, Street

Map, Satellite, and Hybrid. Try each of them out and see which works the best for your

application.

• Weather Map Style turns on the custom weather overlay to show weather patterns on top of the

current Map Style.

Drone

• Takeoff Altitude changes the default altitude that the drone climbs to.

• Drone Profile switches between your existing profiles.

eXtended Range and Data

Need a way to fly further than you thought possible? How about a way to see your pictures

taken from your drone in real time? Well we have a solution for you. Introducing the XRD (eXtended

Range and Data). This device allows a pilot to use 4G cellular service instead of the typical 915/433

MHz radio connection to communicate with their drone. This allows Botlink to send command to
your autopilot controlled drone from anywhere that has cellular service. On top of that the pilot can

also integrate a camera with the XRD and be able to process the photos as the drone is still flying.

Beyond line-of-sight communication, photos, videos, and camera controls are all computed

through the cloud and sent to your mobile device in real time using cellular telemetry technology. By

eliminating the time it takes to process your data the XRD will empower you with the ability to Fly

Smarter.

The XRD has multiple ports.

• Micro USB connections to talk to your autopilot and other on-board accessories

• A Micro SD slot allows for more external memory for storing pictures, extra data for the

processor, etc

• Power Connector

XRD Specifications

• Weight – 43g

• Height – 21.11mm

• Width – 64.65mm

• Depth – 51.23mm

The only requirements to use the XRD is that it needs a port to get 5V from and an autopilot

that accepts a USB connection. Note: If using all three micro USB ports the XRD can draw up to 3A of

current. Additionally the XRD uses two antennas to get cellular data. We use a pair of either Taoglas

Maximus antennas (FXUB66.07.0150C) or Apex Hinged antennas (TG.30.8113).

Registration

As you've read in order to use the XRD it needs to be registered to an account. In order to do

so you need to follow these directions to get flying.

1. Go online to https://fly.botlink.net and click on “Register” to create your account.

2. Fill out all the forms and again click “Register”.

3. Log in to the email account you registered with and look for an email from Botlink to

authenticate the registration.

4. Log in to https://fly.botlink.net with your email address and password.

5. Once logged into the website go into the app and log in through the Log In option

6. Use the Register New XRD option to register the XRD to your account and begin configuring

your sensor.
First Launch

So you have a drone and downloaded Botlink. Now what?

Step 1: Open Botlink with an active internet connection and make sure your location services are

turned on (This lets us know where to put "you" on the map).

Step 2: Make sure your 915MHz radios are configured correctly. Power on your drone and follow all

your drone's protocol to get it ready for take off.

Step 3: Press the dots in the upper right corner to access the options menu. Select “Drone Profile” to

begin setting up your connection. On this screen again press the dots in the upper right hand corner

and choose “Create” to add a new connection. Give this connection profile a name which will allow

you to select the correct profile to use later.

“Connection Type” lets you choose how to communicate with your drone. The most common settings

are “Connection Type” set to USB Serial, and “USB Serial Speed” set to 57600 Baud and press OK.

These are the usual settings to connect using a 915 MHz radio pairing. If you are using a different

connection refer to our section on Drone Profiles.

Step 4: Go back to the main screen and press the "Link" button. A blue pop up will display in the

bottom right corner and ask which Drone Profile to link with. Choose the profile you just created and

press “Connect”. If all the settings were configured correctly then your drone should show up on the

map as a blue hexagon with an arrow in it.

Step 5: As long as everything connected correctly you should now be able to turn on your drone with

the power button in Botlink. You'll receive an arming message at the bottom of the screen to let you

know that your drone is now armed. For a multirotor drone simply press the Launch button to get in

the air and start flying.

For a fixed wing drone you still need to create a takeoff mission. Pressing the Launch button

brings up the takeoff mission window with a few parameters.

Takeoff Altitude

This defines the altitude the drone will climb to end the takeoff mission.

Takeoff Pitch

Defines the angle of climb up to the set takeoff altitude.
Loiter Altitude

After reaching Takeoff Altitude define how high to loiter.

Loiter Radius

While loitering what radius do you want the drone to fly.

After building the Takeoff Mission you will be directed to select where the takeoff and loiter

points should be. Once those are positioned press the Upload button, which will send it to the drone,

and press the Launch button again. Now the drone will start making its way to its Loiter point.

Note: The position your drone takes off from is now considered "Home". That means if you press

the house button this is where your drone will fly towards and land at.

First Landing

After getting in the air your drone eventually has to come back down. Follow these directions

to safely land your drone.

For a multirotor drone there are very few steps. At any point in your flight you can press the

Home button to send your drone back to the Home waypoint and have it land. You can also press the

Land button to have it land at its current position.

For a fixed wing drone the Home button sends your drone back to the Home waypoint and

loiters right above that waypoint. In order to get it down you need to create a Land mission. Press the

Land button and a Create Land Mission dialogue will show. Similar to taking off make sure to fill these

parameters out based on your current flight.

Initial Approach Altitude

Make sure to have this altitude be close to your drone's current altitude. This is where the

drone enters its landing sequence and a large disparity between the two altitudes could affect the

landing procedure.

Initial Approach Radius

This sets the radius of the circle the drone flies as it's going from the Initial Approach Altitude

down to the Final Approach Altitude.
Final Approach Altitude

Set this to a reasonable altitude that you would like the beginning of the landing sequence to

have. Make sure there is plenty of room between this, the actual touchdown point, and beyond in the

case of an over shoot.

Touchdown Altitude

Almost always set to zero.

After confirming each waypoint of the landing sequence press Upload to Drone and press the

Land command. This tells the drone to begin the landing.

Note: Always give yourself extra room on the landing corridor in case of a tailwind, changes in

terrain, etc.

Emergency Procedures

Nobody wants anything to go wrong but it pays to make sure you are prepared for it.

Fortunately Botlink has built in failsafes, warnings, and notifications. Your failsafes can be set in your

autopilot’s interface but if you’d like to edit them using Botlink you can do so using the Parameter

Editor. Failsafes that we use pertain to battery level and loss of GCS (Ground Control Station).

In order to set these failsafes use these parameters within the editor and set the variables to

match your situation.

Parameter Name Set for Multirotor Fixed Wing Description

FS_BATT_ENABLE 0 = Disable

1 = Land

2 = Return to Launch

-

Chose what to do

when battery mAh

or voltage is low

FS_BATT_MAH 0 = Disable

Set to low mAh,

Increments of 50 mAh

0 = Disable

Set to low mAh,

Increments of 50 mAh

Set low current

(mAh) threshold

FS_BATT_VOLTAGE 0 = Disable

Set to low voltage,

Increments of 0.1V

0 = Disable

Set to low voltage,

Increments of 0.1V

Set low battery

voltage threshold

FS_GCS_ENABL 0 = Disabled

1 = Return to Launch

2 = Continue Mission in

Auto

0 = Disabled

1 = Return to Launch

Chose what to do

when autopilot loses

Ground Control

connection
FS_LONG_ACTN - 0 = Disabled

1 = Return to Launch

Chose action once

FS_LONG_TIMOUT

has been reached

FS_LONG_TIMEOUT - 1-300 Seconds, Default =

5

How long to wait

before

FS_LONG_ACTN

FS_SHORT_ACTN - 1 = Circle

2 = Fly By Wire A

Chose action once

FS_SHORT_TIMOUT

has been reached

FS_SHORT_TIMEOUT - 1-100 Seconds, Default =

1.5

How long to wait

before

FS_SHORT_ACTN

FS_GPS_ENABLE 0 = Disable

1 = Land

2 = AltHold

- What to do when

GPS is lost

NOTE: If UAV has loss of control switch over to manual control

What if my motor(s) stop working?

● Multirotor craft rely solely on the motors for any movement. If any of the motors stop then

the remaining may be able to help in guiding back down. If any motor problem is detected

IMMEDIATELY press Land to bring your multirotor down in a safe spot.

● For fixed wing most airframes can at least glide to a landing spot without use of its motor.

Switch to manual control, slightly pitch up, and aim for a safe landing area. As it gets a few feet

above ground pitch fully up.

What do I do if Botlink stops working or loses connection?

● If you have your UAV flying a premade mission you can restart Botlink on your device and

reconnect while it is still flying the mission. If you still can’t reconnect either wait for the

mission to finish or take manual control to safely land. Also, you can wait for your GCS Failsafe

to activate and depending on what it is set to it will either continue on it’s mission or return to

launch.

AT ALL TIME MAKE SURE TO HAVE A MANUAL CONTROL BACKUP