INSPIRE 1

V1.0

2014.12

User Manual
2 © 2014 DJI. All Rights Reserved. 

Using this manual

Legends

Warning Important Hints and Tips Reference

Before Flight

The following tutorials and manuals have been produced to ensure you to make full use of your Inspire 1. 

1.Disclaimer

2.In the Box

3.Inspire 1 Quick Start Guide

4.Safety Guidelines

5.Inspire 1 User Manual

6.Intelligent Flight Battery Safety Guidelines

Watching all the tutorial videos and reading the Disclaimer before fight is recommended. Afterwards, 

prepare for your first flight by using the Inspire 1 Quick Start Guide. Refer to this manual for more 

comprehensive information. 

Watch the video tutorials

Please watch the tutorial video below to learn how to use Inspire 1 correctly and safely:

www.dji.com/product/inspire-1/video

Download the DJI Pilot app 

Download and install the DJI Pilot app before use. Scan the QR code or visit

 “http://m.dji.net/djipilot” to download the app.

For the best experience, use mobile device with Andriod V 4.1.2 or above, iOS version is coming soon.
© 2014 DJI. All Rights Reserved. 3

Contents

Using this manual

Legends 2

Before Flight 2

Watch the video tutorials 2

Download the DJI Pilot app 2

Product Profle

Introduction 6

Feature Highlights 6

Assemble the Aircraft 7

Aircraft Diagram 9

Remote Controller Diagram 9

Aircraft

Flight Controller 12

Flight Mode 12

Flight Status Indicator 12

Return to Home (RTH) 13

Smart RTH 13

Low Battery RTH 14

Failsafe RTH 15

Dynamic Home Point 15

Vision Positioning System 16

Flight Recorder 17

Attaching and Detaching the Propellers 17

DJI Intelligent Flight Battery 18

Remote Controllers

Remote Controller Profle	 24

Remote Controller Operations 24

Dual Remote Controllers Mode 29

Remote Controller Status LED 31

Linking the Remote Controller 32

Remote Controller Compliance Version 33

Gimbal and Camera

Camera Profle	 35

Gimbal 36
4 © 2014 DJI. All Rights Reserved. 

DJI Pilot App 

Camera 40

Map 43

Academy 43

User Center 43

Flight

Flight Environment Requirements 45

Flight Limits and Flight Restriction Area 45

Prefight Checklist	 49

Calibrating the Compass 49

Auto Take-off and Auto Landing 50

Starting/Stopping the Motors 51

Flight Test 51

FAQ

Appendix

Specifcations	 56

Intelligent Orientation Control (IOC) 59

Firmware Updates 60

FCC Compliance 61
© 2014 DJI. All Rights Reserved. 5

Product Profle

This chapter describes the features of 

Inspire 1, instructs you to assemble the 

aircraft and explains the components on 

the aircraft and remote controllers. 
6 © 2014 DJI. All Rights Reserved. 

Product Profile

Product Profle

Introduction

The Inspire 1 is brand new quadcopter capable of capturing 4K video and transmitting an HD video 

signal (up to 2km) to multiple devices straight out of the box. Equipped with retractable landing gear, it 

can capture an unobstructed 360 degree view from its camera. The built-in camera has an integrated 

gimbal to maximize stability and weight efficiency while minimizing space. When no GPS signal is 

available, Vision Positioning technology provides hovering precision. 

Feature Highlights

Camera and Gimbal: Up to 4K video recording and 12 megapixel photo capture. Reserved mounting 

space for ND filters for better exposure control. New quick-release mount allows you to remove the 

camera with ease. 

HD Video Downlink: Low latency, HD downlink powered by an enhanced version of the DJI Lightbridge 

system. It also provides dual controllers mode.

Landing gear: Retractable landing gear that enables an unobstructed panoramic view from the camera. 

DJI Intelligent Flight Battery: 4500 mAh DJI Intelligent Flight Battery employs new battery cells and a 

battery management system. 

Flight Controller: The next generation fight controller system provides a more reliable fight experience. 

A new fight recorder stores the fight data from each fight, and Vision Positioning enhances hovering 

precision when no GPS is available. 
© 2014 DJI. All Rights Reserved. 7

Product Profile

INSPIRE 1 User Manual

Assemble the Aircraft

Unlocking Travel Mode 

The aircraft is in Travel Mode during delivery. Follow these steps to change it to Landing Mode before 

your frst fight:

1. Insert the Intelligent Flight Battery into the battery compartment.

2. Power on the Remote Controller and the Intelligent Flight Battery.

3. Toggle the Transformation Switch up and down at least four times. 

4. Power off the aircraft. 

Battery must be fully charged before using it for the frst time. Refer to "Charging the Intelligent 

Flight Battery" (P21) for more information .

If you have purchased the dual remote controller version, you must use the Master remote 

controller to deactivate Travel Mode. Refer to "Setting Up Dual Remote Controllers Mode" (P30) 

section for more infromation about Master remote controller.

Be sure to remove the gimbal from the aircraft before switch from Landing Mode to Travel Mode.

Installing Gimbal and Camera

1. Remove Gimbal Cover.

2. Rotate the Gimbal Lock to the unlocked position (to the right when facing the nose of the aircraft). 

3. Insert the gimbal by aligning the white mark on the Gimbal.

4. Rotate the Gimbal Lock back into the locked position.

Ensure the Micro-SD card is correctly inserted into the camera.

Travel Mode Toggle×4 Landing Mode

Locked

Gimbal Connector

Mounting Place

Gimbal Lock

Gimbal Cover

2

1

3
8 © 2014 DJI. All Rights Reserved. 

Product Profile

INSPIRE 1 User Manual

Attaching Propellers 

Attach propellers with the black nut onto motors with the black dot and spin counter-clockwise to secure. 

Attach propellers with gray nut onto motors without a black dot and spin clockwise to secure.

Place all propellers onto the correct motor and tighten by hand to ensure security before fight.

Preparing Remote Controller

Tilt the Mobile Device Holder to the desired position then adjust the antenna as shown.

1. Press the button on the side of the Mobile Device Holder to release the clamp, adjust it to ft then attach 

your mobile device. 

2. Connect your mobile device to the remote controller with a USB cable. 

3. Plug one end of the cable into your mobile device, and the other end into the USB port on the back of 

the remote controller.
© 2014 DJI. All Rights Reserved. 9

Product Profile

INSPIRE 1 User Manual

Aircraft Diagram

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10 ]

[11 ]

[12 ]

[13 ]

GPS

Propeller (P17)

Motor

Front LED (P12)

Landing gear 

Gimbal and Camera (P37)

Intelligent Flight Battery (P18)

Aircraft Micro-USB Port 

Rear LED (P12)

Camera Micro-USB Port 

Camera Micro-SD Card (P35)

Vision Positioning Sensors (P16)

Aircraft Status Indicator (P13)

[12]

[13]

Remote Controller Diagram

[1] Antennas (P29)

Relays aircraft control and video signal. 

[2] Mobile Device Holder

Mounting place for your mobile device. 

[3] Control Stick

Controls aircraft orientation.

[4] Return Home (RTH) Button (P13)

Press and hold the button to initiate Return to 

Home (RTH).

[5] Transformation Switch (P27)

Toggle the switch up or down to raise or lower 

the landing gear.

[1]

[2]

[4]

[5]

[6] [7]

[8]

[9]

[3]

[7]

[8]

[11]

[9]

[10]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5] [6]
10 © 2014 DJI. All Rights Reserved. 

Product Profile

INSPIRE 1 User Manual

[6] Battery Level LEDs

Displays the current battery level. 

[7] Status LED

Displays the power status. 

[11]

[12]

[16] [17] [18] [19]

[10]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[8] Power Button

Used to power on or power off the remote controller. 

[9] RTH LED 

Circular LED around the RTH button displays RTH status. 

[10] Camera Settings Dial 

Turn the dial to adjust camera settings. 

Only functions when the remote controller is 

connected to a mobile device running the DJI 

Pilot app. 

[11] Playback Button 

Playback the captured images or videos.

[12] Shutter Button 

Press to take a photo. If in burst mode, the 

set number of photos will be taken with one 

press.

[13] Flight Mode Switch

Used to switch between P, A and F mode.

[14] Video Recording Button

Press to start recording video. Press again to 

stop recording.

[15] Gimbal Dial

Use this dial to control the tilt of the gimbal. 

[16] Micro-USB Port

For connecting the remote controller to your 

computer.

[17] Mini-HDMI Port

Connect an HD compatible monitor to this 

port to get a live HD video preview of what the 

camera sees.

[18] CAN Bus Port

Reserved for future use. 

[19] USB Port

Connect to mobile device to access all of the 

DJI Pilot app controls and features. 

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[20] GPS Module

Used to pinpoint the location of the remote 

controller.

[21] Back Left Button

Customizable button in DJI Pilot app.

[22] Power Port

Connect to a power source to charge the 

remote controller’s internal battery.

[23] Back Right Button

Customizable button in DJI Pilot app.
© 2014 DJI. All Rights Reserved. 11

Aircraft

This chapter describes the features of 

the Flight Controller, Vision Positioning 

System and the Intelligent Flight Battery.
12 © 2014 DJI. All Rights Reserved. 

Aircraft

Flight Status Indicator 

The INSPIRE 1 comes with the Front LED, Rear LED and Aircraft Status Indicator. The positions of these 

LEDs are shown in the fgure below:

The Front and Rear LED show the orientation of the aircraft. The Front LED displays solid red and the 

Rear LED displays solid green. 

Aircraft Status Indicator shows the system status of the fight controller. Refer to the table below for more 

information about the Aircraft Status Indicator: 

Aircraft

Flight Controller 

The Inspire 1’s fight controller is based on DJI fight controller with several enhancements such as new 

fight mode and new safe mode. Three safe modes are available: Failsafe, Return Home and Dynamic 

Home Point. These features ensure the safe return of your aircraft if the control signal is lost. A fight 

recorder stores crucial fight data for each fight. 

Flight Mode

Three fight modes are available. The details of each fight mode are found in the section below: 

P mode (Positioning) : P mode works best when GPS signal is strong. There are three different states of P 

mode, which will be automatically selected by the Inspire 1 depending on GPS signal strength and Vision 

Positioning sensors:

P-GPS: GPS and Vision Positioning both are available, and the aircraft is using GPS for positioning. 

P-OPTI: Vision Positioning is available but the GPS signal is not. Aircraft is using only Vision 

Positioning for hovering 

P-ATTI: Neither GPS or Vision Positioning available, aircraft is using only its barometer for positioning, 

so only altitude is controlled. 

A mode (Attitude): GPS and Vision Positioning System is not used for stabilization. The aircraft only uses 

its barometer to stabilize. The aircraft can automatically return home if Remote Controller signal is lost if 

the Home Point is recorded successfully. 

F mode (Function): Intelligent Orientation Control (IOC) is activated in this mode. For more information 

about IOC, refer to the IOC in Appendix.

Use the Flight Controller mode switch to change the fight mode of the aircraft, refer to the “Flight 

Mode Switch” on P27 for more information. 

Front LED Rear LED

Aircraft Status Indicator
© 2014 DJI. All Rights Reserved. 13

Aircraft

INSPIRE 1 User Manual

Aircraft Status Indicator Description

Normal

 Red, Green and Yellow Flash 

Alternatively Power on and self-check

 Green and Yellow Flash Alternatively Aircraft warming up

 Green Flashes Slowly Safe to Fly (P mode with GPS and Vision Positioning)

X2 Green Flashes Twice Safe to Fly (P mode with Vision Positioning but without GPS)

 Yellow Flashes Slowly Safe to Fly (A mode but No GPS and Vision Positioning)

Warning

 Fast Yellow Flashing Remote Controller Signal Lost

 Slow Red Flashing Low Battery Warning

 Fast Red Flashing Critical Low Battery Warning

 Red Flashing Alternatively IMU Error 

— Solid Red Critical Error 

 Red and Yellow Flash Alternatively Compass Calibration Required

Return to Home (RTH)

The Return to Home (RTH) brings the aircraft back to the last recorded Home Point. There are three cases 

that will trigger RTH procedure; they are Smart RTH, Low Battery RTH and Failsafe RTH.

GPS Description

Home Point

The Home Point is the location at which your aircraft takes off when the 

GPS signal is strong. You can view the GPS signal strength through 

the GPS icon ( ). If you are using the Dynamic Home Point 

setting, the Home Point will be updated to your current position as you 

move around and when the Aircraft Status Indicator blinks green. 

Smart RTH

Using the RTH button on the remote controller (refer to “RTH button” on P28 for more information) or the 

RTH button in the DJI Pilot app when GPS is available to enables smart RTH. The aircraft return to the 

latest recorded Home Point, you may control the aircraft's orientation to avoid collision during the Smart 

RTH. Press the Smart RTH button once to start the process, press the Smart RTH button again to exit 

Smart RTH and regain the control.
14 © 2014 DJI. All Rights Reserved. 

Aircraft

INSPIRE 1 User Manual

Battery Level 

Warning Remark Aircraft Status Indicator DJI Pilot app Flight Instructions

Low battery 

level warning

The battery 

power is low. 

Please land the 

aircraft.

Aircraft status 

indicator blinks 

RED slowly.

Tap “Go-home” to have 

the aircraft return to the 

Home point and land 

automatically, or “Cancel” to 

resume normal fight. If no 

action is taken, the aircraft 

will automatically go home 

and land after 10 seconds. 

Remote controller will sound 

an alarm.

Fly the aircraft 

back and land 

it as soon as 

possible, then 

stop the motors 

and replace the 

battery. 

Critical Low 

battery level 

warning

The aircraft 

must land 

immediately.

Aircraft status 

indicator blinks 

RED quickly.

The DJI Pilot app screen will 

fash red and aircraft starts to 

descend. Remote controller 

will sound an alarm.

The aircraft 

will begin to 

descend and land 

automatically.

Estimated 

remaining 

fight time

Estimated 

remaining fight 

based on current 

battery level.

N/A N/A N/A

Low Battery RTH 

The low battery level failsafe is triggered when the DJI Intelligent Flight Battery is depleted to a point that 

may affect the safe return of the aircraft. Users are advised to return home or land the aircraft immediately 

when these warnings are shown. DJI Pilot app will advise user to return the aircraft to the Home Point 

when low battery warning is triggered. Aircraft will automatically return to the Home Point if no action is 

taken after 10 seconds countdown. User can cancel the RTH by pressing once on the RTH button. The 

thresholds for these warnings are automatically determined based on the current aircraft altitude and its 

distance from the Home Point. 

Aircraft will land automatically if the current battery level can only support the aircraft to land to the ground 

from the current altitude. User can use the remote controller to control the aircraft’s orientation during the 

landing process.

The Battery Level Indicator is displayed in the DJI Pilot app, and is described below

Battery level indicator

Critical Low battery level 

warning(Red)

Low battery 

level warning

Suffcient battery 

level(Green)

Remaining fight time

Power requires 

to return home
© 2014 DJI. All Rights Reserved. 15

Aircraft

INSPIRE 1 User Manual

Aircraft cannot avoid obstruction during the Failsafe RTH, therefore it is important to set an 

reasonable Failsafe altitude before each fight. Launch the DJI Pilot app and enter “Camera” 

view and select “MODE” to set the Failsafe altitude. 

Failsafe RTH

Failsafe RTH is activated automatically if remote controller signal (including video relay signal) is lost for 

more than 3 seconds provided that Home Point has been successfully recorded and compass is working 

normally. Return home process may be interrupted and the operator can regain control over the aircraft if 

a remote controller signal is resumed.

Failsafe Illustration 

 When the critical battery level warning activates and the aircraft is descending to land 

automatically, you may push the throttle upward to hover the aircraft and navigate it to a more 

appropriate location for landing.

 Color zones and markers on the battery level indicator refect estimated remaining fight time 

and are adjusted automatically, according to the aircraft’s current status.

 5 Go Home(20m can be set)

Fast Blinking Yellow

 1 Record Home Point (HP)

 Blinking Green

 3 Remote Controller Signal Lost

Fast Blinking Yellow

 2 Confrm Home Point

Blinking Green

 6 Landing after Hovering 15secs

Fast Blinking Yellow

 4 Signal Lost Lasts 3secs.

Fast Blinking Yellow

Height over HP>20m

Elevate to 20m

Height over HP<=20m

20m

<8m

GPS

Dynamic Home Point

Dynamic home point is useful in situations when you are in motion and require a Home Point that is 

different from the takeoff point. GPS module is located at the position shown in the fgure below:

Ensure the space above the GPS module is not obstructed when using Dynamic Home Point. 
16 © 2014 DJI. All Rights Reserved. 

Aircraft

INSPIRE 1 User Manual

There are two options for Dynamic Home Point.

1. Set the aircraft current coordinate as the new Home Point. 

2. Set the remote controller’s coordinate as the new Home Point. 

Setting Up Dynamic Home Point

Follow the steps below to setup Dynamic Home Point:

1. Connect to the mobile device and launch the DJI Pilot app and go to the “Camera” page.

2. Tap“ ”and select“ ”, to reset the remote controller’s coordinates as the new Home Point.

3. Tap“ ”and select“ ”, to reset the aircraft’s coordinates as the new Home Point.

4. The aircraft status indicator blinks green to show Home Point is set succesfully.

Vision Positioning System

DJI Vision Positioning is a positioning system that uses ultrasonic and image data to help the aircraft 

identify its current position. With the help of Vision Positioning, your Inspire 1 can hover in place more 

precisely and fly indoors or in other environments where there is no GPS signal available. The main 

components of DJI Vision Positioning are located on the bottom of your Inspire 1, including [1]two sonar 

sensors and[2]one monocular camera. 

Using Vision Positioning 

Vision Positioning is activated automatically when the Inspire 1 is powered on. No manual action is 

required. Vision Positioning is typically used in the indoor environment where no GPS is available. By 

using the sensors on the Vision Positioning system, Inspire 1 can perform precision hovering even when 

no GPS is available. 

[1]

[2]
© 2014 DJI. All Rights Reserved. 17

Aircraft

INSPIRE 1 User Manual

Follow the steps below to use Vision Positioning:

1. Toggle the switch to “P” as shown the fgure to the right:

2. Place the Inspire 1 on a fat surface. Notice that the Vision Positioning system 

cannot work properly on surfaces without pattern variations. 

3. Power on the Inspire 1. The aircraft status indicator will fash twice in green light, 

which indicates the Vision Positioning system is ready. Gently push the throttle up 

to lift off, and the Inspire 1 will hover in place.

The performance of your Inspire 1’s Vision Positioning System is subject to the surface you are 

fying over. The ultrasonic waves may not be able to accurately measure the distance over sound 

absorbing materials, and the camera may not function correctly in suboptimal environments. The 

aircraft will switch from “P” mode to “A” mode automatically if both GPS and Vision Positioning 

System are not available. So operate the aircraft cautiously when in any of the following situations: 

Flying over monochrome surfaces (e.g. pure black, pure white, pure red, pure green).

Flying over a highly refective surfaces. 

Flying at high speeds(over 8m/s).

Flying over water or transparent surfaces.

Flying over moving surfaces or objects.

Flying in an area where the lighting changes frequently or drastically. 

Flying over extremely dark (lux < 10) or bright (lux > 100,000) surfaces. 

Flying over surfaces that can absorb sound waves (e.g. thick carpet). 

Flying over surfaces without clear patterns or texture. 

Flying over surfaces with identical repeating patterns or textures (e.g. tiles with same design). 

Flying over inclined surfaces that will defect sound waves away from the aircraft.

Keep the sensors clean at all times. Dirt or other debris may adversely affect the effectiveness 

of the sensors.

The effective hovering altitudes of the aircraft is from 0 to 2.5 meters. 

Vision Positioning system may not function properly when the aircraft is fying over water.

Vision Positioning system may not be able to recognize pattern on the ground in low light 

conditions (less than 100lux).

Do not use other ultrasonic devices with frequency of 40 KHz when Vision Positioning system is 

in operation. 

Vision Positioning system may not be able to stabilize the aircraft when flying close to the 

ground (below 0.5 meters) in fast speed.

Keep the animals away from the aircraft when Vision Positioning system is activated. The sonar 

sensor emits high frequency sound that is only audible to some animals.

Flight Recorder 

Flight data is automatically recorded to the SD card. This includes fight duration, orientation, distance, 

aircraft status information, speed, and other parameters. 

Attaching and Detaching the Propellers 

Use only DJI approved propellers with your Inspire 1. The grey or black nut on the propeller indicates 

the rotation direction of the propeller and where it should be attached. To attach the propellers properly, 

match the nut with the dots on the motors of your Inspire 1:
18 © 2014 DJI. All Rights Reserved. 

Aircraft

INSPIRE 1 User Manual

Ensure propellers are attached to its corresponding motors, otherwise the aircraft cannot take off. 

Handling the propellers with care. 

Manually tightent each of the propellers on the corresponding motors to ensure it is attached frmly.

Detaching the Propellers 

Hold the motor still. Then spin the propeller in the unlock direction indicated on the propeller itself. 

Check that the propellers and motors are installed correctly and frmly before every fight. 

Ensure that all propellers are in good condition before each fight. DO NOT use old, chipped, 

or broken propellers.

To avoid injury, STAND CLEAR of and DO NOT touch propellers or motors when they are spinning.

ONLY use original DJI propellers for a better and safer fight experience. 

DJI Intelligent Flight Battery

The DJI Intelligent Flight Battery has a capacity of 4500mAh, voltage of 22.2V, and smart chargedischarge functionality. It can only be charged with an appropriate DJI approved charger.

Intelligent Flight Battery Charger

Propellers Grey cap(1345) Black cap(1345R)

Figure

Attach On Motors without a black dot Motors with a black dot

Legends Lock : Turn the propellers in the indicated direction to mount and tighten

 Unlock : Turn the propellers in the indicated direction to loosen and remove 

Attaching the Propellers

1. Attach the propellers with a grey nut onto a motor without a black dot and spin the propellers clockwise 

to secure them in place. Attach the propellers with a black nut onto a motor with a black dot and spin 

the propellers counter clockwise to secure its position. Be sure to completely tighten each propeller by 

hand before fight.
© 2014 DJI. All Rights Reserved. 19

Aircraft

INSPIRE 1 User Manual

DJI Intelligent Flight Battery Functions

1. Battery Level Display: LEDs display the current battery level. 

2. Battery Life Display: LEDs display the current battery power cycle. 

3. Auto-discharging Function: The battery automatically discharges to below 65% of total power when it is 

idle for more than 10 days to prevent swelling. It takes around 2 days to discharge the battery to 65%. 

It is normal to feel moderate heat emitting from the battery during the discharge process. Discharge 

thresholds can be set in the DJI Pilot app. 

4. Balanced Charging: Automatically balances the voltage of each battery cell when charging.

5. Over charge Protection: Charging automatically stops when the battery is fully charged. 

6. Temperature Detection: The battery will only charge when the temperature is between 0 °C(32°F) and 

40°C (104°F). 

7. Over Current Protection: Battery stops charging when high amperage (more than 10A) is detected. 

8. Over Discharge Protection: Discharging automatically stops when the battery voltage reaches 18V to 

prevent over-discharge damage

9. Short Circuit Protection: Automatically cuts the power supply when a short circuit is detected.

10. Battery Cell Damages Protection: DJI Pilot app shows warning message when damaged battery cell 

is detected.

11. Battery Error History Browse the battery error history from the DJI Pilot app. 

12. Sleep Mode: Sleep mode is entered after 10 minutes of inactivity to save power. 

13. Communication: Battery voltage, capacity, current, and other relevant information is provided to the 

aircraft’s to the main controller.

Refer to Disclaimer and Intelligent Flight Battery Safety Guidelins before use. Users take full 

responsibility for all operations and usage.

Battery must be fully charged before using it for the frst time. Refer to "Charging the Intelligent 

Flight Battery" P21 for more information .

Using the Battery 

Powering ON/OFF

Powering On: Press the Power Button once, then press again and hold for 2 seconds to power on. The 

Power LED will turn red and the Battery Level Indicators will display the current battery level. 

Powering Off: Press the Power Button once, then press again and hold for 2 seconds to power off.

LED1 LED2 LED3 LED4

Power Button

(Bulit-in LED)