DIY QUAD Build Manual V.
Contents Thanks for purchasing a DIY Quad! These instructions will show you how to assemble a Quad using the Pixhawk autopilot system and ArduCopter/APM:Copter firmware. If you plan to use other components in your build, please adjust these instructions accordingly. For online instructions, visit 3dr.com/diy-quad-kit.
Frame parts blue arms (2) velcro strips (one pair) black arms (2) velcro straps (3) base plate dual lock zip ties top plate Pixhawk plate power distribution board 15 cm four-wire cable 15 cm six-wire cable accessory plate 15 cm female-female servo cable 30 cm male-female servo cable leg plates (8) threadlocker leg support plates (4) motor plates (8) 30 mm bolts (6) 25 mm bolts (30) 5 mm bolts (32) nylon bolts (4) 30 mm male-female standoffs (4) 19 mm hollow spacers (20) 18 mm female-female standof
Electronics This build uses the Pixhawk autopilot system, including these components: • • • • • Pixhawk autopilot u-blox GPS with Compass Telemetry radios Radio control system ArduCopter/APM:Copter firmware Click here for more information about these components and to view compatible radio control systems.
1 Motor assembly Follow these instructions to assemble one motor. 1 Attach motor to arm Place a motor plate on top of the arm with the short end of the plate facing towards the end of the arm. Place the motor on top of the plate, and align the two small holes in the motor, plate, and arm. Orient the motor with the cables as close as possible to the hole in the side of the arm.
2 Thread motor cables through arm Thread the motor cables through the hole in the side of the arm. 3 Attach bottom plate to arm Place a motor plate against the bottom of the arm with the short end of the plate facing towards the end of the arm. Apply threadlocker to the ends of three 25 mm bolts (less than one drop covering four or five threads at the end of the bolt). Place a 19 mm hollow spacer between each of the pairs of holes in the two motor plates.
2 Power system wiring Follow these instructions to connect the power system. 1 Solder Deans to ESCs Solder a Deans connector to the red and black wires on each electronic speed controller (ESC). Check the Deans connectors for the + and – markings, and solder the + side to the red wire and the – side to the black wire. Don’t forget to add heat shrink tubing to the wires before soldering, and shrink the tubing over the finished connections.
3 Connect ESCs to PDB Connect the Deans connectors (red) on the ESCs to the Deans connectors on the power distribution board (PDB) in any order. Take a look at the PDB and find the pins labelled M1 through M4 (motors 1 through 4), and make a note of which color wire connects to each. Now connect the three-wire cables from each ESC to these pins on the PDB according to the ESC numbers. This is where the order is critical.
3 Body plate assembly Follow these instructions to assemble the body plates. 1 Add velcro straps to base plate Thread the two velcro straps through the slots in the base plate. These straps will hold the battery to the bottom of your copter. The perfectly flat side of the plate (without the protruding nuts) should face down. Your kit includes two velcro strips to attach to the battery and the bottom of the copter.
It may be helpful to secure each arm in place temporarily with a metal nut. 3 Label motors Use tape (or other method) to label the motors by the numbers shown here. 4 Connect ESC and motor cables Connect the motor cables to the corresponding ESC cables according to the labelled numbers (connect motor 1 to ESC 1, motor 2 to ESC 2, etc). The order of the three cables determines which direction the motors will spin and is critical for the copter to fly correctly.
5 Assemble electronics onto base plate The base plate holds the power system: power distribution board (PDB), power module, and four electronic speed controllers (ESCs). Place the assembled power system onto the base plate. Attach the four ESCs to the base plate using zip ties. Orient the ESCs with the labels down into the holes in the plate.
Secure the arms to the plates through the holes in the end of the arms and the holes in the plates shown below. Use 30 mm bolts and thumb nuts to attach the black arms, and use 25 mm bolts and metal nuts to attach the blue arms. Finally, attach the base and top plates together with 25 mm bolts, 19 mm hollow spacers, and metal nuts where marked below.
7 Thread cables through top plate Locate the following three cables, and thread them up through the central space in the top plate: PDB two-wire cable (red and black), PDB four-wire cable (multicolor), and power module six-wire cable (red and black). These cables will connect to Pixhawk.
4 Pixhawk assembly Follow these instructions to assemble the Pixhawk and accessory plates. 1 Mount Pixhawk Separate the four foam pieces provided with the Pixhawk kit, and attach them to the bottom four corners of the board. Mount Pixhawk to the Pixhawk plate with the arrow facing as shown below (towards the less elongated end of the plate). 2 Mount buzzer and switch The switch (button) snaps into the round hole in the accessory plate.
3 Mount GPS Place the base of the GPS mast over the four holes in the accessory plate with the shorter side of the top of the mast facing the left side of the plate (the arrow-shaped holes in the plate face forward). Add a mounting screw to each hole, and secure with nuts. Remove the adhesive backing from the mast and place the GPS module onto the mast with the connectors facing the shorter side and the arrow on the GPS pointing in the same direction as the arrow-shaped holes in the plate.
5 Connect modules to Pixhawk 1 Connect the buzzer, switch, splitter, GPS, power, and telemetry modules to Pixhawk. 5 3 To ensure the most secure cable assembly, thread the cables through the holes in the plates where possible. Where the cables dangle away from the frame, such as along the mast, use zip ties to secure the cables to the frame. Note: Pixhawk’s DF13 connectors can be fragile when disconnected and reconnected multiple times.
6 Connect RC receiver Pixhawk is compatible with PPM RC receivers or PWM receivers with an additional PPM encoder module. Connect the three-wire cable (red, black, and white) from your PPM receiver or PPM encoder to Pixhawk’s RC pins with the white wire connected to the signal (s) pin, the black wire connected to the ground (-) pin, and the red wire connected to the power (+) pin. Click here for more information on using a PPM encoder or Spektrum Satellite receiver.
8 Assemble plates Add a 5 mm nylon bolt to the four holes in the accessory plate marked below, and attach a 30 mm standoff to each one below the plate. Add the Pixhawk plate to the ends of the standoffs and secure with metal nuts.
Place the assembled plates over the exposed bolts in the top plate, with the arrows facing towards the blue arms, and secure with metal nuts. metal nuts Pixhawk plate 9 Mount remaining components top plate Select a location on the copter to mount the I2C splitter, telemetry radio, and RC receiver. Use dual lock or double-sided foam tape to mount the components. Check that all components are connected securely to Pixhawk.
5 Leg assembly leg plates (2) leg support plate 5 mm bolts (6) 18 mm female-to-female threaded standoffs (3) 25 mm bolts (2) metal nuts (2) Follow these instructions to assemble one leg. leg support plate 1 Assemble leg Align the leg plates, and place a standoff between each of the bottom three pairs of holes in the plates. Secure each standoff to the plates with a 5 mm bolt on each end. Insert the support plate into the horizontal slots at the top of the leg.
6 Calibration Your Y6 assembly is almost complete. Now it’s time to go online, download software, and begin calibrating Pixhawk to work with your new frame. Do not proceed to propeller assembly with performing calibration. View the calibration instructions online at 3dr.com/diy-y6-kit. 7 Propeller assembly Follow these instructions to assemble propellers. 1 Assemble propellers Remove the rings from the propeller package.
2 Assemble propeller adapters Select the propeller adapters and the longer screws provided with the adapters. Do not use the x-shaped plate. Apply threadlocker to the three small screws included with the propeller adapters (less than one drop covering four to five threads). Attach an adapter to the top of each motor. 3 Add propellers Your Quad uses SF and SFP propellers. These propellers are labelled on the package and on the propeller itself.
Your Quad build is now complete! Before your first flight, please read all safety information and first flight instructions at copter.ardupilot.com/wiki/tableof-contents/. COMPLETE QUAD For customer support, contact us at help@3dr.com or call our support line at +1 (858) 225-1414 Monday through Friday, from 8 am to 5 pm, PST.