™ User Manual
3DR Support Contact 3DR Support for questions and technical help. online: 3dr.com/support email: support@3dr.com call: +1 (858) 225-1414 (direct) +1 (855) 982-2898 (toll free in the US and Canada) Support line hours: Mon-Fri 8 am to 5 pm PST 3D Robotics (3DR) 1608 4th Street, Suite 410 Berkeley, CA 94710 Tel. +1 (858) 225-1414 3dr.com Solo User Manual V9 © 2015 3D Robotics Inc. Solo is a trademark of 3D Robotics, Inc.
1 Contents 1 Introduction 1 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 System Overview Aircraft Overview Controller Overview Operating Parameters Autopilot Propulsion LED Meanings 1 2 3 4 5 5 5 2 Setup 6 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 In the Box - Solo with The Frame In the Box - Solo with 3-Axis Gimbal Battery Controller Propellers Camera Mobile App 6 6 6 8 9 10 11 3 The Solo Gimbal 16 3.1 3.2 3.3 In the Box Gimbal Installation Gimbal Operation 16 16 22 4 Safety 25 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.
7 Alerts 60 7.1 7.2 Preflight Errors In-Flight Errors 60 61 8 Advanced Settings 65 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 8.8 Advanced Flight Modes Enabling Advanced Flight Modes Accessing Advanced Flight Modes Home Position Safety Performance Adjustment Units Maximum Altitude Adjustment Map Tile Provider (Android only) 65 66 66 66 66 67 67 67 9 Support 68 10 Maintenance 69 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.
1.1 Figures Figure 1.1.3.1: Solo System Context Diagram Figure 1.2.4.1: Solo Overview Figure 1.3.10.1: Controller Overview Figure 1.4.1: Solo Operating Parameters Figure 1.6.1: Solo Motor Order Figure 2.1.1: Solo Parts Figure 2.2.1: Solo with 3-Axis Gimbal Parts Figure 2.3.1.1: Charing the Solo Smart Battery Figure 2.3.2.1: Powering Solo Figure 2.4.1.1: Controller Charging Figure 2.4.2.1: Power On Controller Figure 2.5.1.1: Attach Propellers Figure 2.6.1.1: Attach Camera Figure 2.6.2.
Figure 5.6.4: Controller Right Joystick Controls Figure 5.6.5: Pitch Joystick Controls Figure 5.6.6: Roll Joystick Controls Figure 6.1.1: Solo App Home Screen Figure 6.1.1.1: App - Plan your flight screen Figure 6.1.1.2: App - Planning map zoomed out Figure 6.1.1.3: App - Proscribed area description Figure 6.1.1.4: App - List of proscribed locations Figure 6.1.1.5: App - Filters Figure 6.1.2.1: App - Main Interface Figure 6.1.2.2: Advanced telemetry data Figure 6.1.3.
Figure 9.1: App - Submit Trouble Ticket Figure 10.1.1: Controller Battery Installation Figure 10.2.1.1: App - Compass Calibration Setup Figure 10.2.1.2: App - Compass Calibration Procedure Figure 10.2.2.1: App - Level Calibration Figure 10.3.1: Pair Button Figure 10.3.2: Detected Solo Figure 10.3.3: Solo Paired Figure 10.4.1: Leg Types Figure 10.4.1.1: Standard Leg Replacement Process Figure 10.4.2.1: Detaching the Antenna from the Leg Figure 10.4.2.
1 Introduction We designed Solo to be the perfect aerial-video tool. It’s powerful, simple and reliable with intuitive Smart Shots inspired by our favorite cinema pilots. With Solo, you don’t need a professional camera crew, you can get the perfect shot every time. We’re excited to share our passion with you and help you see your world from a new perspective. Join us in capturing the next evolution of creative videography 1.
1.2 1.2.1 Aircraft Overview Smart Battery The battery connects to Solo’s battery bay. Solo’s power button is located on the battery; Solo can be powered only when the battery is connected. 1.2.2 Motors and Propellers Solo’s arms are labeled 1 through 4 on the ends of the arms. Motors on arms #1 and #2 spin counterclockwise and use clockwise-tightening propellers with silver tops. Motors on arms #3 and #4 spin clockwise and use counterclockwise-tightening propellers with black tops. 1.2.
1.3 1.3.1 Controller Overview Mobile-Device Holder Mount an Android or iOS device to run the Solo App and effortlessly integrate the App into the controller’s operational flow. A user-supplied smartphone or tablet is required to initialize Solo and use Smart Shots. 1.3.2 Joysticks The controller’s left and right joysticks provide direct manual control of Solo and physical control mechanisms for use with Smart Shots. 1.3.
Antennas Mobile-device holder Gimbal controls Joysticks Screen Pause Return home Fly Power Options Figure 1.3.10.1: Controller Overview 1.4 Operating Parameters The following operating parameters apply to Solo. Always operate Solo within these parameters. Solo’s performance and behaviors may vary significantly if flying in that conditions violate the parameters listed below. Estimated flight time up to 25 minutes* Default maximum altitude 150 ft. (46 m) above ground level** Range .5 mile*** (.
1.5 Autopilot Solo uses a Pixhawk 2 autopilot running ArduPilot Copter software. ArduPilot is open-source flight control based on the MAVlink communication protocol. Pixhawk 2 runs an ARM Cortex-M4 STM32F427 processor with 2 MB of flash memory and 256 KB of RAM. Combined with an array of CAN, I2C, SPI, PWM, and UART interfaces, Pixhawk 2 uses a suite of onboard sensors to calculate Solo’s orientation and motion in flight.
2 Setup This section covers everything you need to set up Solo out of the box. 2.1 In the Box - Solo with The Frame The Solo package includes the Solo Vehicle with The Frame (for mounting a GoPro camera), the Solo Controller, propellers (four plus two spares), the Solo Smart Battery, the Solo Smart Battery charger, and a charger for the Solo Controller. Three silver-top props & three black-top props Solo Controller Controller charger Solo charger Figure 2.1.1: Solo Parts 2.
pilot skill, so the actual flight time may vary.) As a lithium polymer battery, the Solo Smart Battery requires specific handling practices to ensure safe operation and prevent accidents. For more information about battery safety, see Section 4.10, Flight Battery, on page 28. 2.3.1 Charging The level of the battery charge is indicated by the lights below the power button. Press the power button once to display the current power level.
2 Hold to power 1 Slide to connect Figure 2.3.2.1: Powering Solo 2.4 Controller The Solo Controller includes a pre-installed rechargeable lithium ion (Li-ion) battery. 2.4.1 Charging Charge the controller using the designated controller charger only; using a different charger can damage the controller or cause a fire. To charge the controller, connect the controller charger to the barrel jack on the side of the controller and to a wall outlet.
2.4.2 Powering To power on the controller, press and hold the controller power button until you see the startup screen. Figure 2.4.2.1: Power On Controller 2.5 Propellers Solo uses two types of self-tightening propellers, indicated by the color of the circle at the center of the propeller. 2.5.1 Attaching Attach the propellers with silver tops to the motors with a silver dot on the top of the motor shaft, and attach the black-top propellers to the motors with black dots.
2.6 Camera The Solo package includes a fixed GoPro® The Frame™ mount for your GoPro® HERO 3, 3+ or 4. Note: If you have Solo with 3-Axis Gimbal or have installed the Gimbal separately, see Section 3.2.5, Camera Installation, on page 19. 2.6.1 Attaching GoPro to The Frame To attach the camera to the GoPro® The Frame™ fixed mount, insert your GoPro® upside down and connect the Solo HDMI cable to the camera. GoPro® The Frame™ Your GoPro HERO 3, 3+ or 4 ® Mount your GoPro® upside down.
2.7 Mobile App The Solo App provides a streaming-video link to a mobile device and a simple graphic interface for using Smart Shots and other advanced Solo features. 2.7.1 Install Visit 3dr.com/soloapp or download “3DR Solo” from the App Store or Google Play Store. 3DR Solo works with iOS 8.0 or later and Android 4.3 or later. For Android, you must also install the “3DR Services” app to your device. 2.7.
Figure 2.7.4.2: App - Wi-Fi Settings 2.7.5 Update Before your first flight, use the App to perform the required first-flight update of Solo and the Controller. The Controller will prompt you for the update with the preflight update alert. Ensure that both the controller and Solo are powered, the Controller has at least 50% battery remaining, and the app is connected to Solo Wi-Fi. The total update process can take up to 10 minutes.
Then follow these instructions to connect to Solo Wi-Fi: Figure 2.7.5.4: App - Instructions List Once connected, return to the App and you will be notified of the current version you are about to update to. To continue, select Download Update. For this step you will need an Internet connection, either cellular data or Wi-Fi. If you opt to use Wi-Fi, you’ll need switch from SoloLink to your Wi-Fi network. Figure 2.7.5.
ARTOO UPDATE SCREEN FEEDBACK V10C Update Requirement ScreenWi-Fi. Because the Controller must restart as part of the update process, your device will lose its connection to Solo When you see the following screen, select Next to continue. ARTOO UPDATE SCREEN FEEDBACK V10C preflight update Update Required before firstRequirement flight! Screen Use 3DR Solo App to update Controller update in progress screen Is displayed after user initiates update in app. Persists until controller update is successful.
2.7.6 View Video After the update is complete, to view video in the app, first make sure Solo, the controller, and the GoPro® are powered on, and that the App is connected to Solo via Wi-Fi. Then, on the App home screen, tap Fly Solo. Before your first flight, verify that you can see video. If the video is inverted, see section 2.6. Figure 2.7.6.
3 The Solo Gimbal The optional Solo Gimbal holds your GoPro® camera and lets you control it remotely. It taps Solo’s intelligence to get perfectly automated shots, plus rock-solid footage, GoPro® control and charging, and long-range HD video feed. With the 3-Axis Solo Gimbal, you get: • Smooth and fluid HD footage every flight. • Start and stop recording (HERO4 models) while you fly so you can pick and choose the shots you want. • Footage stabilized to within 0.
Gently detach the plate. Turn over Solo. Loosen the three screws securing the mount. Free the cable, and remove the mount. Figure 3.2.1.1: Removing The Frame 3.2.2 Connect Gimbal 1. Remove the foam insert holding the gimbal in place and set it to the side (this piece is used to help protect the gimbal during travel). 2. On the bottom of the gimbal plate are two ports: one for the HDMI cable and one for the gimbal cable.
Tuck the Gimbal Cable’s slack into the front of the Solo body Figure 3.2.3.1: Positioning the Gimbal Cable 2. Loop the HDMI cable around and inside the front of the body, pushing any extra slack towards the pocket of Arm #01 as seen below. Tuck the HDMI Cable’s slack into the side of the Solo body Figure 3.2.3.2: Positioning the HDMI Cable 3.2.4 Mount the Gimbal 1.
Have extended feet? (Optional) Install for added clearance. Figure 3.2.4.1: Mounting the Gimbal 3. When the plate is inserted and resting flush with the Solo Shell, tighten each of the three captive screws. If the plate isn’t resting flush with the Solo Shell, the most likely cause is that the screws didn’t catch correctly. If the screws are misaligned, do not try to tighten them. Back out any crooked screws with the screwdriver, then realign them manually before tightening with the screwdriver. 3.2.
Figure 3.2.5.2: Attach GoPro 3. Take the rubber HDMI plug and insert into the exposed side of your GoPro. This simultaneously fastens the GoPro into place and secures the HDMI connection. Your GoPro is now installed! Figure 3.2.5.3: Fasten Camera 3.2.6 Add Balance Weights Out of the box, the Solo Gimbal is perfectly weighted for use with the GoPro HERO4 Black.
3.2.7 Add Sunshade Flying on a sunny day? Use the sunshade to protect your video from glare. Simply press-fit the sunshade onto the GoPro lens to install. Figure 3.2.7.1: Adding the Sunshade 3.2.8 Update Your GoPro The GoPro HERO4 Silver and HERO4 Black are fully optimized to work with the Solo Gimbal. To use functions like Start Recording and Stop Recording, your GoPro HERO4 must be fully up to date.
3.2.9 Recommended GoPro Settings For optimal results, adjust your camera settings to these recommended values. If you’re using the Solo Gimbal with the GoPro Hero3+ Black or either Hero4 model (Silver or Black), you can change settings in flight: For details, see Section 6.1.3, Camera Controls and Settings, on page 40. Resolution 1080P or 2.
3.3.2 LED Signals On the back of the Solo Gimbal is an LED that signals different status modes of the gimbal. Figure 3.3.2.1: LED Gimbal Signal The Gimbal LED displays several different signals: • • • • • 3.3.3 Breathing green: the gimbal is functioning properly and ready for use. Blinking orange: the gimbal is booting up (commonly seen while performing an update). Blinking blue: the gimbal has lost the communication signal. Please contact customer support.
3.3.3.3 The gimbal is not turning on or responding • • • Symptoms: Gimbal appears not to be receiving power. Reason: Possible connectivity issues. Resolution: Check the LED on the gimbal (behind the GoPro) and refer to the color guide in Section 3.3.2. If the LED is off, make sure the gimbal connector is plugged in and seated properly. If none of the preceding steps resolved your gimbal issue, please contact customer support at 3dr.com/support.
4 Safety The following best practices will help ensure safe, successful flights and help reduce the risk of accident and serious injury: • Always fly under adult supervision and with your full attention at all times. • Do not fly under the influence of drugs or alcohol or when your ability to operate Solo safely is impaired. • Use common sense to avoid unsafe situations and always operate Solo responsibly.
4.4 Flight School If you’re new to flying, review the video tutorials in the Flight School area of the App before your first flight (make sure your device is connected to the Internet). Flight School provides useful tips for learning to operate Solo safely and correctly. Figure 4.4.1: App Flight School 400 ft 4.5 400 ft Propellers Spinning propellers can cause serious injury. Never touch moving propellers or place any objects in the way of the propeller arcs while Solo is powered.
4.7 Home Position Solo’s home position is the latitude and longitude coordinates of the launch point and is used by the autopilot as the end point of a return-home command. The autopilot saves the home position location to where the motors are started, assuming GPS lock has been achieved. If Solo has taken off without GPS lock and then achieves GPS lock mid-flight, the home position will be set to wherever GPS lock was acquired.
KILL SWITCH UI - EMERGENCY MOTOR SHUTOFF 12 4.9.5 Kill Switch Feedback If users holds AB + Pause in flight notification is displayed FLY User holds AB + Pause to shut off motors Motor Shutoff Hold + In the event that Solo’s motors do not stop after landing or for an emergency in-flight kill switch, Solo includes to shut off motors an emergency motor shutoff procedure. To shut off the motors at any time, either in flight or on the ground, hold the A, B, and Pause buttons at the same time.
4.12 Antenna Configuration For the strongest connection to Solo, position the antennas down and away from the controller so they are approximately perpendicular to Solo in flight, and tilt each antenna out and away from one another at a 20° angle. 20° Figure 4.12.
5 First Flight This section covers basic Solo flight procedures, including takeoff, landing, and manual control. 5.1 Preflight Checklist Before flying, check the following conditions: 5.1.1 Location »» Your current location and environmental conditions are suitable for flight. (Section 4.1) »» Solo is on a level surface at a clear launch point a sufficient distance from yourself and others. (Section 4.1) 5.1.2 Components »» The propellers are correctly attached. (Section 2.
TAKEOFF PART 2 12 Auto-takeoff Green bar returns to zero progress position on transition. FLY User holds “Fly” to initiate auto-takeoff. 5.2.2 Hold Initiating Takeoff “Fly” button LED blinks on Artoo when motors are on. LED becomes solid white when takeoff begins. to take off FLY Hold Fly again to initiate takeoff. Solo will rise to 10 feet (3 m) and hover until it receives further control inputs.
5.4 Return Home The Return Home function brings your flight to an end by recalling Solo to its launch location and landing. You can initiate Return Home manually by pressing the Return Home button on the Controller. Alternatively, in certain circumstances, Solo initiates Return home autonomously; for details, see Section 7.2, In-Flight Errors, on page 61. Keep in mind that Return Home requires enough battery charge to get back to the launch point.
5.4.2 Obstacle-Free Cone Zone The following examples walk you through the different flight scenarios and how the Cone Zone affects the Return Home behavior in each scenario. Case #1: Above the Return Home Altitude Figure 5.4.2.1: Above Return Home When a call to Return Home is triggered and Solo is flying above the Return Home Altitude (default: 25m), Solo: 1. Climbs 10m 2. Traverses to the Home Position 3. Descends and lands Case #2: Within the Cone Figure 5.4.2.
Case #3: Below the Return Home Altitude and Outside the Cone Figure 5.4.2.3: Below Return Home and Outside the Cone The radius of the Cone Zone expands at a 1:3 ratio of lateral distance to altitude. This means that the Cone radius is directly related to the Return Home altitude. As Solo’s altitude increases, so does the radius of the cone. If Solo’s lateral distance from the Home Position exceeds this ratio, it is then outside the cone. In the occurrence of a call to Return Home, Solo: 1.
5.6 Joystick Control The controller’s two joysticks allow you to navigate Solo in flight. The left stick controls Solo’s altitude and rotation. UP ROTATE LEFT ROTATE Left Stick RIGHT DOWN Figure 5.6.1: Controller Left Joystick To control Solo’s altitude and acceleration, move the left stick vertically. Left Stick To take off and to gain altitude, move the left stick slightly past the center position. Set the left stick to center to maintain the current altitude.
Lower just slightly Hover + Land to hover Lower just slightly to hover Left Stick Left Left To rotate Solo and control orientation, move the left stick horizontally. Left Yaw Left Yaw Right Move the stick to the left to rotate counterclockwise. Right Right Yaw Move the stick to the right to Right Yaw rotate clockwise. Release the stick to stop rotating and maintain the current orientation Deactivate Hold until propellers Deactivate stop spinning Hold until propellers stop spinning Figure 5.6.
To control pitch, move the right stick vertically. Activate Activate Hold until propellers Hold until propellers start spinning. start spinning. Activate Hold until propellers Activate start spinning. Hold until propellers Take-off + Lift start spinning. Take-off Lift Raise just+slightly Raise just for take offslightly for take Take-off off + Lift Move the right stick forward to fly forward. Forward Forward Move the right stick back to fly backward.
6 Using the Solo App 6.1 App Interface Overview The Solo App provides a simplified interface for viewing Solo’s video feed and managing Smart Shots. The first screen in the App is the home screen: Figure 6.1.1: Solo App Home Screen The primary function here is to go to the main screen by tapping Fly Solo on the left side of the screen.
When you tap the overlay, the App opens a map of your current location: Figure 6.1.1.1: App - Plan your flight screen The blue dot in the center shows your position on the map. You can scroll, zoom, and rotate the map with standard touchscreen gestures. Typically, to see areas that are off limits for flying drones, zoom out: Figure 6.1.1.2: App - Planning map zoomed out Proscribed areas are marked with colored circles, as the preceding illustration shows.
Below the map are three icon buttons: • Centers the map on your current location. • Opens a list of locations where flying drones is prohibited, categorized by filter (see following illustration). Tap an item to see its location on the map. • Opens a search dialog. Enter a search term to get a list of matching locations in your area, then tap a result to see its location on the map. Figure 6.1.1.
• Prohibited Airspace • Airports • Restricted Airspace • Controlled Airspace • Heliport • Infrastructure: Includes buildings around which pilots need to exercise caution, including structures such as schools, hospitals, and bridges. • National Parks • NOAA Marine Protection: Includes areas along the U.S. coastline that are sanctuaries for wildlife and should be avoided.
6.1.2 Main Interface This is the screen you’ll use most of the time when flying Solo. It’s available by tapping Fly Solo on the home screen. The main screen provides the live video feed from the GoPro camera, telemetry statistics, access to Smart Shots and the map view, and more. Figure 6.1.2.1: App - Main Interface 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. Live video feed: Shows video from the camera mounted on Solo. Go to home screen: Returns to app start.
6.1.3 Map View To access the small map view, swipe left a short distance from the right edge of the app. To full-screen the map, swipe left again. To hide the small map, swipe to the right. To return from the full-screen map, tap the picture-inpicture video display at the top-left of the map. A live map view is normally available only with GPS lock and on devices with mobile data (cellular Internet).
Important: If you do not see the Download button, you can enable it by going to Solo App home screen > Settings > Map Tile Provider and choosing Map Box. 5. Use standard touch-screen gestures to find the map area to cache (that is, the area you’re planning to fly in), then, to save the map, tap the “Pan and zoom ...” message at the bottom of the screen. During caching, a progress bar appears, and then the message “Map area saved!” appears shortly above the “Disconnected ...” message. 6.
To access the camera settings, tap the sliders icon immediately below the record button: Figure 6.1.4.2: Tap for Camera Settings Tip: You can change camera settings while flying as long as you’re not recording. The two camera-settings areas, available from the buttons on the right side of the screen, are Camera Mode and Camera Settings: Figure 6.1.4.3: In-App Camera Settings • Camera Mode: Determines what happens when you tap the Record button on the main App screen.
• FPS: Frames per second. • FOV: Field of View • Low Light: On or off • Protune: On or off • Photo Resolution: The resolution the camera uses to capture still images in Photo mode. • GoPro Model: Choose the model of GoPro camera you’re using. This setting determines the available parameter values. • Save to Camera Roll: When on and recording video to the camera, the mobile device also records the video received by the app from Solo to its internal memory.
6.2 Smart Shots Solo’s four different Smart Shots automate flying Solo to make it easy to get stunning aerial video. By default, Cable Cam and Orbit are assigned to the controller’s A and B buttons. Use the app to access Selfie or Follow. Smart Shots are available only with the Solo app. Tip: When using Smart Shots without a Solo Gimbal, Solo cannot ensure that the subject is in the frame at all times.
6.3 Selfie In Selfie, Solo flies a smooth up-and-back path to capture a subject in a cinematic establishing shot. Before starting a Selfie shot, always ensure that there is a clear path 200 feet (61 m) behind and above Solo. Once you activate Selfie mode, Solo flies up and away from the subject to a point 164 feet (50 m) from the subject at 82 feet (25 m) altitude. You can change these default distances with Selfie Options. 3 2 1 Figure 6.3.
Figure 6.3.2.1: App - Selfie Control To control Selfie using the controller, use the right stick to move Solo forward and back along the Selfie path. To stop Solo at any time, press Pause. To exit to standard flight, press Fly. Move along flight path Figure 6.3.2.2: Controller - Selfie Control 6.3.3 Settings To access the settings from the in-flight Selfie interface, select Options with the three dots at the bottom-left of the main screen.
6.4 Cable Cam Cable Cam creates a smooth shot by flying Solo automatically along a virtual cable between any number of waypoints that you specify initially. Basically, after starting the shot, you fly Solo to each successive waypoint in turn, press A on the controller, and so on. To save the last waypoint, press B, after which you can start Solo flying along its virtual cable. 6.4.1 Starting Cable Cam To start Cable Cam, press A on the controller, or select Cable Cam from the Shot List in the App.
6.4.2 Cable Cam Operation Before running a Cable Cam shot, always ensure that the entire path is free of potential obstructions. Figure 6.4.2.1: App - Cable Cam Controls After you tap B to finish recording waypoints, the App switches to a screen that resembles the preceding illustration. The timeline near the bottom of the video image shows the number of waypoints and the relative distances between them, as well as the total amount of time it takes to fly the prerecorded route.
6.4.3 Cable Cam Settings To access the settings from the in-flight Cable Cam interface, select Options with the three dots at the bottom-left of the main screen. Figure 6.4.3.1: App - Cable Cam Settings with Time Lapse off The settings consist of the following: • Free Look: When on, you can adjust the direction in which the camera points with the controller left stick. When off, the camera points in the recorded direction. • Time Lapse: When on, greatly increases the maximum Time Of Cable setting.
Figure 6.4.4.1: App - Cable Cam Smart Shots screen To access the Saved Shots interface, tap the Saved Shots label near the bottom edge of the screen. Alternatively, to return to the previous screen, tap the X button at bottom left. The Saved Shots screen looks like this: Figure 6.4.4.2: App - Cable Cam Smart Shots screen The interface consists of options and control buttons at the top, and a scrolling list of saved-shot thumbnails below (4).
6.4.5 Deleting Saved Cable Cam Sequences Figure 6.4.5.1: App - Selecting Saved Shots for Deletion The Select feature allows you to delete multiple saved shots, as follows (refer to preceding illustrations): Tap Select, then tap the thumbnails for all the shots you want to delete. As you do so, a check-mark icon (3) appears on each selected thumbnail, and a message at the top of the screen (1) indicates the number of shots selected.
To use the recorded Cable Cam shot, fly Solo to any location within the blue circle. At this point, or if Solo was already close enough to the saved shot’s starting point, you see a screen like this: Figure 6.4.6.2: App - Prompt to load saved Cable Cam sequence To use the saved shot, tap Load Cable. Alternatively, you can designate the saved shot as a “favorite” by tapping the heart-shaped icon (1) in the upper right, or delete it by tapping the trash-can icon (2).
Figure 6.5.1.1: App - Orbit Setup Solo orbits at a constant altitude relative to its launch point, and does not account for changes in ground level. Be aware of any elevation changes at your location that would affect Solo. Before starting Orbit, always ensure there is a clear path for Solo. 6.5.2 Orbit Operation To fly Solo along the Orbit path, tap the left and right arrows at the bottom of the app screen, labeled Orbit Left and Orbit Right. The default cruise speed for Orbit is 2.2 mph (1 m/s).
6.5.3 Orbit Settings To access the settings from the in-flight Orbit interface, select Options with the three dots at the bottom-left of the main screen. To adjust Cruise Speed, use the slider. Figure 6.5.3.1: App - Orbit Settings 6.6 Follow Follow creates a virtual tether between Solo and your GPS-enabled mobile device, allowing Solo to track you as you move. Follow has two modes: • Look At Me: Solo remains in one place while turning to face the subject.
Figure 6.6.1.1: Follow in Look At Me mode Figure 6.6.1.2: Follow in Follow mode 6.6.2 Follow Mode Operation When Follow mode is active, Solo automatically follows the mobile device wherever the subject carries it. In the App, the subject can orbit Solo around them by pressing the Orbit Left and Orbit Right arrows. On the Controller, adjust the follow distance by moving the right stick vertically, and orbit the subject by moving the right stick horizontally.
To enable Free Look, make sure Follow is set to Follow mode, then tap the Options button (three dots) in the bottom-left corner. The following Settings screen opens: Figure 6.6.3.1: App - Follow Settings To turn on Free Look, tap its toggle switch. At this point, the following screen opens: Figure 6.6.3.2: App - Free Look warning Read this message, then tap OK to continue.
ARMING ALERTS Altitude calibration System self-calibrates altitude after altitude disparity Alert persists until: System self-calibrates (sys then continues sensor check) 7 Alerts Calibration error Timeout: after 1 minute (?) (results in “sensor error” screen) ARMING ALERTS Altitude calibration System self-calibrates altitude after altitude disparity Please restart Solo Alert persists until: The following alerts will appear on the controller in the event of a preflight or in flight error.
User completes calibration using the app (system then continues sensor check) Alert persists until: Alert persists until: User powers off controller, or Solo User complete calibration using the app (sys then continues sensor check) User completes calibration using the app (sys then continues sensor check) Controller auto-shutdown Powers off controller, or Solo Powers off controller, or Solo Note: Artoo will not assume the same error is present on Controller auto-shutdown Controller auto-shutdown restart, an
12 Solo app connected (Banner) System self-calibrates altitude after altitude disparity FLY FLIGHT BATTERY 48 Alert persists until: IN-FLIGHT BANNER ALERTS HOME 324 84 % System self-calibrates (sys then continues sensor check) FT 12 ALTITUDE Timeout: after 1 minute (?) (results in “sensor error” screen) Solo app connected (Banner) System self-calibrates altitude after altitude disparity FLY FT FLIGHT BATTERY 48 324 84 FLIGHT BATTERY IN-FLIGHT BANNER ALERTS FT 3DR Solo app AlertFLIGHT pe
Maximum altitude Preset max altitude reached 84 FT HAPTIC: Double buzz 40-40 millisecond Cable Cam Orbit Crash Detected User can use app to log a support ticket Fullscreen message Times out after 5000 milliseconds Alert persists until: User presses A initiates a non-positioned landing at the current location.
48 % 12 FLIGHT BATTERY ALTITUDE 84 Good controller battery state Stabilize FT HOME 48 324 84 FT % ALTITUDE Controller battery low Cable Cam Orbit Please land soon FT Cable Cam Orbit CONTROLLER BATTERY WARNINGS + PROMPTS (If GPS Lock is present) Fullscreen prompt at 5% Message timeout after 3000 miliseconds. Go to previous In-flight: At 0%, Solo returns to home location screen + minimized prompt (continuous until landing.
8 Advanced Settings This section provides instructions for accessing and using Solo’s advanced features and settings. 8.1 Advanced Flight Modes Are you a quadcopter pro? We designed Solo to be simple and reliable, but also really fun to fly. Solo includes five advanced flight modes: Fly:Manual, Stabilize, Acro, Sport, and Drift. To access these modes, see sections 8.2 and 8.3, following. Advanced flight modes are for experienced operators only.
8.2 Enabling Advanced Flight Modes To unlock Solo’s advanced flight modes using the App, choose Settings from the home screen, then select Advanced Settings. Toggle the Enable Advanced Flight Modes option to gain access to Solo’s advanced modes. Figure 8.2.1: App - Advanced Settings 8.3 Accessing Advanced Flight Modes After you enable advanced flight modes, you can access them only by assigning them to the controller’s A and B buttons using the App.
Figure 8.5.1: App - Performance Sliders Tip: When using the Solo Gimbal, for best results set Performance to Medium. 8.6 Units To change the units in the Solo App between imperial and Metric, go to Settings and then choose Units. Figure 8.6.1: App - Change Units 8.7 Maximum Altitude Adjustment To adjust the altitude limit, go to Settings, choose Solo, and then select Altitude Limits. Scroll the list horizontally to change the upper limit.
Box. If you’re using mobile data, the choice is up to you, but if you’re using a Wi-Fi-only device, we recommend that you use Map Box in order to be able to cache map data. For more information, see section 6.1.2 on page 39. 9 Support 3DR Support is here to help you get the most out of Solo. If you have any questions, send an email to support@3dr. com or give us a call at 1 (855) 982-2898 (toll free in the US and Canada) or direct at +1 (858) 225-1414.
10 Maintenance This section covers basic operational maintenance procedures for Solo. For repairs not covered in this manual, contact 3DR Support or an authorized Solo Service Center. Solo’s exterior components are designed to absorb impact from hard landings and protect the core electronics. If damage is sustained to Solo’s legs or motors, replace them with official 3DR parts from store.3dr.com or an authorized retailer.
Figure 10.2.1.2: App - Compass Calibration Procedure 10.2.2 Level Calibration A level calibration zeroes Solo’s accelerometers to recognize static states. To perform a level calibration, remove the propellers from Solo and connect the app to Solo Wi-Fi. Go to Settings Solo and choose Level Calibration from the list, and follow the prompts to place Solo perfectly still on each side in turn. In each step, wait a few seconds after moving Solo to press Next. Figure 10.2.2.1: App - Level Calibration 10.
Figure 10.3.2: Detected Solo 7. Press A, then B and hold both buttons down. Once the controller vibrates, release the buttons. Within 20 seconds, the Controller displays “Solo Paired.” Figure 10.3.3: Solo Paired 10.4 Legs Solo uses three unique types of legs: two legs with an antenna module (#1 and #2), a leg with no electronic components (leg #3), and a leg with a compass module (leg #4). You can purchase replacements for all types of leg from store.3dr.com or an authorized retailer.
Figure 10.4.1.1: Standard Leg Replacement Process 10.4.2 Legs #1 and #2 with Antennas To replace a leg with an antenna module where the existing antenna is physically intact, you’ll need to remove the antenna from the old leg before replacing it. To detach the antenna, remove the plastic sheet from the leg (1) and detach the antenna from the Velcro by carefully pulling the cable (2). Follow the standard leg replacement procedure to detach the old leg (3). 2 1 3 Figure 10.4.2.
To secure the antenna to the new leg, use the provided Velcro to attach only the yellow-backed Velcro strip to the Velcro on the antenna. Then remove the backing and attach the Velcro and antenna to the inside of the leg, placing the tip of the antenna five mm from the edge of the rubber foot (1) as shown in the following illustration. Fold the ends of a provided plastic sheet at right angles (2), remove the adhesive backing, and stick the plastic sheet to the leg so it secures the antenna in place (3).
Figure 10.4.3.2: Insert New Leg with Compass Secure the new leg in place and replace the battery tray.
10.5 Battery Tray The battery tray holds the battery and GPS in place, and allows you to access the main electronics bay. This section covers how to remove to tray to access the interior of Solo. 10.5.1 GPS Cover The GPS cover is the flat, black end cap in front of the battery tray. To remove the GPS cover, use your fingernails (1) to release the side clips outward. Next, lift slightly while pushing forward (2) to pop the cover off completely. Figure 10.5.1.1: GPS Cover Removal 10.5.
10.6 Motor Mods Replacement motors are available as clockwise and counterclockwise Motor Pods. Use a counterclockwise Motor Pod to replace motors #1 and #2, and use a clockwise Motor Pod to replace motors #3 and #4. Replace motor pods after every 150 hours of flight or when they can no longer turn smoothly. To replace a Motor Pod, first use a small, flat prying tool to remove the LED cover form the underside of the arm. Figure 10.6.
Figure 10.6.3: Motor Pod Disconnection Connect the three cables from the arm to the new motor pod. Tuck the cables inside the arm and set the new pod into place. Figure 10.6.4: Motor Pod Connection Turn over Solo and secure the new motor pod into place using the four provided screws. Do not reuse the screws from the old Motor Pod. Finally, snap the LED cover back into place. 2 1 Figure 10.6.
10.7 Factory Reset Performing a factory reset restores Solo and the controller to their state prior to the first flight update. Use a factory reset if you forget your Solo Wi-Fi password or need to restore Solo’s factory settings. Contact customer support before performing a Factory Reset. This procedure can cause irreparable damage to Solo. Step 1: Reset the Vehicle As part of the reset procedure, Solo is un-paired from the Controller. Start by powering off Solo.
Figure 10.7.3: Controller Reset When the Controller reset is complete, you will see one of these two completion screens: Figure 10.7.4: Controller Update As the vehicle reset nears completion, the lights under the arms change between many different colors, followed by a sequence of beeps. When the lights stop changing color, the reset is complete. Upon completion, the lights freeze on their current colors, so they might all be the same or different colors.
11 Appendix 11.1 Specifications Solo is a quad-rotor aerial vehicle powered by the 3DR Pixhawk 2 autopilot system and APM:Copter flight control software. Solo communicates with the controller and Solo app over the 3DR Link secure Wi-Fi connection. Autopilot: 3DR Pixhawk 2 Flight code: ArduPilot Copter Control: 3DR Solo Controller Wireless communication: 3DR Link 1.0 Frequency: 2.4 GHz Height: 10 in. (25 cm) Motor-to-motor dimension: 18 in.
11.2 Warranty 3D Robotics warrants to the original retail purchaser of Solo (the “Product”) that at the time of purchase that this product is free from material defect in materials and workmanship.
The body’s Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) for the Solo controller is 1.33 watts per kilogram (W/kg) in compliance with the FCC limit of 1.6 W/kg. To reduce exposure to RF energy, hold Solo at least 20 cm away from your body at all times during operation. Do not operate the Solo controller co-located or in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter. This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the condition that this device does not cause harmful interference. 11.3.
83
