0 - TUTORIAL - You can build a drone with less than 40 components
Video: https://youtu.be/fQhsgUEnV2w
#Robotics #Drones #Arduino #HardwareFull code and manual on GitHub
Quadcopter frame PCB on OSHW lab
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Table of Contents:
0) Introduction - Subsystems for a Quadcopter
This part will give you an overview of all the components necessary to build your own quadcopter.
The major components required for a quadcopter are divided them into:
- the radio control system,
- the flight control system,
- the powertrain,
- and the quadcopter frame that holds all the components together.
Now we will go into more detail.
This quadcopter consists of 38 unique components,
and to test everything, you will need 7 additional components.
1) Frame components
Let's start with the nine components necessary for the frame.
Note: Remember that all components are commercially available online on Amazon, AliExpress, or Banggood, except for the lower and upper quadcopter frames.
1.1) Lower and Upper frames - PCBs
Both frames are tailor-made for this project and are actually just printed circuit boards.
Printed circuit board material is a perfect match for small quadcopter drones as it is light and sufficiently flexible, meaning it will bend but not break if you crash your drone.
The upper frame holds the majority of the electronic components,
while the lower frame holds the powertrain components.
In Part 10, we will explore the full electronic schematic for the quadcopter.
This schematic will be converted into the printed circuit board of the frame.
The white, red, and blue lines,
are the power distribution traces, which distribute the energy from the battery to the four electronic speed controllers.
The smaller traces link the electronic components to each other, enabling the transfer of data.
This is done with EasyEDA,
a free online electronic design automation software,
that also allows you to manufacture your design.
The three-dimensional viewer allows you to see how your design would look.
Something similar can be done with the lower quadcopter frame. The number of traces on this frame is significantly fewer because you only need to link the electronic speed controller wires with the motor wires.
Once again, the three-dimensional representation gives you an idea of how your PCB will look in real life.
The PCB that I designed for this project can accommodate motors with 3 to 4-inch propellers,
giving you some freedom to experiment with different motors and propellers.
1.2) How to order the Lower and Upper frame PCBs
Both the electronic schematics and the actual frame designs are open-source and can be accessed on the Open Source Hardware Lab through this link.
You can select between the upper and lower quadcopter frame for both the schematic and the design. Click on "Open in Editor"
to start the EasyEDA browser software tool.
After some loading time, the frame will appear, and you can either add anything you want or order the PCB itself.
To order, go to File and click on "Generate PCB Fabrication File."
If you didn’t change anything, you can click on "Generate Gerber,"
then click on "Order".
and wait a few minutes until the Gerber files are finished loading...
The PCB will be ordered from JLCPCB, a company with very competitive pricing for prototype PCBs. Five lower quadcopter frames will only cost you $14.
Note: You will need to take shipping costs into account as well, which depend on where you live.
2) Flight Controller components
Now let's continue with the electronics necessary for the flight controller. All parts are off-the-shelf components that are available in various online shops.
The most important component here is, of course, the Teensy 4.0 microcontroller,
and the MPU6050 orientation sensor.
You will also include a barometer and some screws and nuts to fasten both sensors.
A green and red LED is necessary, along with a couple of resistors.
A number of additional electronic components are also important.
The rarest component on this list is the Infineon BTS power switch, which you will have to buy from a dedicated electronic online shop such as Mouser. Two different power switches from Infineon can be used: the BTS580 or the BTS555.
If you cannot find this component, you can simply bypass it, as explained in the final minutes of Part 9.
3) Powertrain components - Motors, Speed Controllers and Propellers
The powertrain consists of the motors, electronic speed controllers, and propellers.
You will need to use motors that can generate more than 150 grams of thrust each,
Note: If you choose to use GEPRC motors, the fastening screws are included in the package.
and electronic speed controllers with a load limit that matches the maximum current drawn by the motors.
As already explained, propellers with a diameter of up to 4 inches can fit on the quadcopter frame.
3.1) How to match the Motors and Speed Controllers with the Propeller Diameter
In the table displayed on the screen, options for two GEPRC motors, two electronic speed controllers, and four different propellers are highlighted.
When you choose too large a propeller for a motor or ESC, the current drawn by the motor will be too high, and both the motor and ESC will overheat.
This is evident for the 1105 motor—a 4-inch blade will cause the motor to draw a current of 9 amps or more, whereas the ESC is only designed for 6 amps.
However, the larger 1206 motor paired with a 12-amp electronic speed controller can withstand the necessary current generated by a larger propeller.
In conclusion, you will need to pair the 1105 motor and 6-amp ESC with a two-blade 3-inch propeller,
while the larger 1206 motor and 12-amp ESC can be paired with a 4-inch propeller.
4) Battery components
The final parts are the battery and the battery charger,
Note: You can choose a different two-cell battery than the one recommneded if you want, but make sure you check the dimensions. The battery bay on the lower quadcopter frame can only hold batteries with dimensions of 2.5 by 3.4 by 8 centimeters.
5) Radio Control components
and we also need a radio transmitter and receiver.
And that’s it—with these off-the-shelf components, you can build, adapt, and even design your own personal quadcopter.
6) Online Shop List
TO DO
7) GitHub repo
The GitHub page I referred to earlier is now up and running as well.
You will find links to all videos and the code we discussed on GitHub.
Just click on the part you want to see, and you will enter the repository where you can open the link to the YouTube videos by clicking on the image and copy the full Arduino code by clicking on "Arduino Codes."
In the next video, we will look into a different type of flight controller where you stabilize the quadcopter based on its angles instead of its rotation rates. I’ll see you next time.
Learn more about Drones:
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Z) 🗃️ Glossary
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