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Table of Contents
PCB Quadrotor (Brushless) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
File Downloads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Step 6: Motors! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
http://www.instructables.com/id/PCB-Quadrotor-Brushless/
http://www.instructables.com/id/PCB-Quadrotor-Brushless/
http://www.instructables.com/id/PCB-Quadrotor-Brushless/
-EAGLE
If you want to modify the printed circuit board, you'll need EAGLE v6.0.0 or later. You can download it here . The free "Light Edition" is sufficient, even though the outline
of the board is larger than 100x80mm limit (see Step 2). You will also need EAGLE to reference the board layout when placing components. (e.g. Type "show R32" in the
board window command line to figure out where to put resistor R32.) There are no designators on the board itself.
-Arduino
The flight controller is written in the Arduino IDE. You can download the latest version from here . Make sure you set the board type to "Arudino Pro Mini (5V/16MHz) w/
ATmega328".
-Visual Basic Express (Optional)
The ground station is programmed in Visual Basic Express. If you want to modify the ground station software, you can download the free edition, Visual Basic Express
2010 from here .
-.NET Framework
The ground station requires the .NET Framework runtime files. (Unfortunately, this makes it Windows-only.) These files come with Visual Basic 2010, so if you plan on
modifying the ground station software, there's no need to download them separately. If you just want to run the ground station executable, you can download the .NET
Framework runtime files from here .
-Processing? (Optional)
Although I haven't done so myself, it is possible to port the ground station software over to Processing , which would make it compatible with other operating systems. To
read from the USB game controller, there is a third-party library called ProCONTROLL . I did some work with this for a XBee-based robot controller, the details of which
are here . This could be a good starting point for making a non-Windows ground station.
Image Notes
1. Prerequisite: Can you solder this IC?
File Downloads
4pcb_DOC.zip (1 MB)
[NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to '4pcb_DOC.zip']
http://www.instructables.com/id/PCB-Quadrotor-Brushless/
1. Create and route the component block to be copied. Do this first, before any non-copied components are placed or routed. This will help auto-numbering not break.
2. Close the schematic. This breaks the back-annotation check so that you can Copy-Paste on the board itself.
3. Select the group and perform a group copy (Ctrl + Right Click). Paste, move, and rotate as desired.
4. Re-open the schematic. Ignore all the errors. Copy-paste the schematic group containing exactly the same components and nets as the board group.
5. The auto-numbering should work, but if it doesn't you may have to clean up some designators manually to make them match the board copy.
6. Repeat.
The process should be much simpler in EAGLE 6.0 or later, and shouldn't require breaking the back-annotation. I haven't gotten around to trying it yet, though.
Image Notes
1. Component block to copy-paste.
Image Notes
1. EAGLE board size limit.
2. Origin is here.
Image Notes
1. Where do I even start?
http://www.instructables.com/id/PCB-Quadrotor-Brushless/
http://www.instructables.com/id/PCB-Quadrotor-Brushless/
Image Notes
1. If you get a chance to use a Weller WD1001 soldering station, do so!
Image Notes
1. One component block done.
2. Three more to go.
Image Notes
1. "show R14" highlight the location of this resistor.
2. "show R14" highlights the location of this resistor.
http://www.instructables.com/id/PCB-Quadrotor-Brushless/
bus works okay, though. (Keep in mind that in a bus, the wires feeding out from the main power input carry the most current.) Be very careful not to reverse any of
these connections, or it will instantly destroy the motor controller on power-up.
Image Notes
1. These are the inputs.
Image Notes
1. I found that making a loop of foam tape worked better than individual layers.
And taping extra mass to the bottom of the IMU helped.
Image Notes
1. Messy power bus. You can do better.
Step 6: Motors!
This PCB quad uses four tiny brushless motors for propulsion. They're the HXM1400-2000 "hexTronik 5gram Brushless Outrunner 2000kv". They're designed for 2S
(7.4V) batteries, and the quad will fly with a 2S battery. However, the minimum voltage rating of the Toshiba TB6588FG driver chip is 7V, which is cutting it a little close
for 2S. I found that a 3S (11.1V) battery, even one that it slightly heavier than the 2S, increased flight time and didn't cause the motors to overheat.
The 10g version and 20g version of this motor fit the same mounting pattern and can swing a much larger propeller, so it might be possible to make a larger version just
by extending the arms. Stiffness would be a concern at that point. The 2g version might also fit the same mount, for an even smaller quad, but its rpm/V is too high to run
effectively on 3S and it's speed might exceed the RPM limit of the Toshiba TB6588FG.
Mounting:
The motors bolt directly to the PCB with short 2-56 machine screws. The wires should be facing inward and the hole directly under the wires may be inaccessible. That's
okay: three screws will do. The two side screws should get 2-56 nuts. The outermost screw will be used to attach the landing gear in a later step, so it doesn't need a nut.
Use threadlocker (Loctite) on all the screws otherwise vibrations will cause them to loosen.
Wiring:
The motor wires are pre-tinned and can be soldered directly to the three output pads of the motor controller component block, which are on the bottom layer of the board.
Sometimes, the wires come long enough to reach around the arms. Other times, they are too short. You can either make wire extensions or drill a hole in the arm for a
more direct line to the pads. (See the third image.)
http://www.instructables.com/id/PCB-Quadrotor-Brushless/
Image Notes
1. 2-56 Machine Screws
2. Wires should face inward.
Image Notes
1. The stock motor wires will reach the pads if you drill a hole in the arm. If not,
they might need extensions.
2. Solder the motor wires directly to the three output pads on each motor controller
block.
http://www.instructables.com/id/PCB-Quadrotor-Brushless/
Image Notes
1. 2-56 standoff landing gear.
2. Heat-shrinking the motors helps prevent the failure mode seen in the next
image.
3. LiPo batteries do not make good landing gear.
Image Notes
1. A motor with a failed rotor press fit.
Image Notes
1. Proper propeller mounting.
http://www.instructables.com/id/PCB-Quadrotor-Brushless/
Image Notes
1. Not fast enough for the 2000rpm/V motors.
http://www.instructables.com/id/PCB-Quadrotor-Brushless/
Image Notes
1. Overclocked TB6588FG.
Image Notes
1. Low-pass RC filter of the speed command PWM.
Image Notes
1. 2S, 460mAh
2. 3S, 370mAh
http://www.instructables.com/id/PCB-Quadrotor-Brushless/
http://www.instructables.com/id/PCB-Quadrotor-Brushless/
http://www.instructables.com/id/PCB-Quadrotor-Brushless/
http://www.instructables.com/id/PCB-Quadrotor-Brushless/
Image Notes
1. Summing only works if the base units match, which is why everything is first converted to degrees [per second].
2. The filter outputs sum to one at all frequencies. This is the "complementary" part.
3. The complementary filter can be viewed as a low-pass and a high-pass filter with the same time constant.
http://www.instructables.com/id/PCB-Quadrotor-Brushless/
http://www.instructables.com/id/PCB-Quadrotor-Brushless/
http://www.instructables.com/id/PCB-Quadrotor-Brushless/
Image Notes
1. XBee.
2. XBee Pro.
3. XBee Explorer.
http://www.instructables.com/id/PCB-Quadrotor-Brushless/
Image Notes
1. Reading the PPM signal off of an RC transmitter's trainer port.
2. Arduino Nano and XBee breakout board.
Image Notes
1. Data logged by the ground station can be useful fro debugging.
Very early flight testing with old IMU and no foam tape.
http://www.instructables.com/id/PCB-Quadrotor-Brushless/
The first big breakthrough, foam-tape mounting the IMU to reduce vibrations.
One of the motors was weak/damaged, so it would only move in one direction. :(
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