Skip to content

flight-controller-setup.md

Latest commit

 

History

History
149 lines (107 loc) · 3.85 KB

flight-controller-setup.md

File metadata and controls

149 lines (107 loc) · 3.85 KB
Raw

Flight Controller Setup

Configuration guide for the Matek F405-Wing V2 running ArduCopter V4.6.3.

Flashing Firmware

  1. Download QGroundControl (Mac/Linux) or Mission Planner (Windows)
  2. Connect the FC via USB
  3. Select board: MatekF405-Wing
  4. Select firmware: ArduCopter V4.6.3 (latest stable)
  5. Flash and wait for reboot
  6. If the FC is not detected, hold the BOOT button while plugging in USB

Parameter Configuration

All parameters can be loaded at once from config/arducopter-params.param, or set individually below.

Frame Type

FRAME_CLASS = 1    (MultiCopter)
FRAME_TYPE  = 1    (Quad X)

ESC Protocol

MOT_PWM_TYPE = 6   (Dshot600)

GPS

GPS_TYPE        = 1     (AUTO detect, or 2 for explicit uBlox)
SERIAL3_PROTOCOL = 5    (GPS)
SERIAL3_BAUD    = 115   (115200 baud)

Compass

COMPASS_ENABLE    = 1
COMPASS_EXTERNAL  = 1   (using GPS-integrated compass)
COMPASS_AUTO_ROT  = 1   (auto-detect compass orientation)

MAVLink (Raspberry Pi on UART2)

SERIAL2_PROTOCOL = 2    (MAVLink2)
SERIAL2_BAUD     = 921  (921600 baud)

If 921600 causes issues, try 57600:

SERIAL2_BAUD = 57       (57600 baud)

Battery Monitoring

BATT_MONITOR    = 4      (Analog Voltage and Current)
BATT_VOLT_PIN   = 10
BATT_CURR_PIN   = 11
BATT_VOLT_MULT  = (check Matek F405-Wing V2 docs for exact value)
BATT_AMP_PERVLT = 66.7   (per Matek F405-Wing V2 spec)
BATT_CAPACITY   = 3000   (mAh)

Failsafes

BATT_LOW_VOLT    = 14.0   (3.5V per cell -- triggers low battery action)
BATT_CRT_VOLT    = 13.2   (3.3V per cell -- triggers critical action)
BATT_FS_LOW_ACT  = 2      (RTL on low battery)
BATT_FS_CRT_ACT  = 1      (Land immediately on critical battery)
FS_THR_ENABLE    = 1      (RC failsafe enabled)

Sensor Health Check

After setting parameters, reboot the FC and verify in the ground station:

  • Accelerometer: Should show "Healthy"
  • Gyroscope: Should show "Healthy"
  • Barometer: Should show "Healthy" with reasonable altitude reading
  • Compass: Should show "Healthy" (may need calibration first)
  • GPS: Will show "No Fix" indoors -- take outside to verify

If any sensor shows unhealthy, check wiring and re-flash firmware.

Arming Checks

ArduCopter will refuse to arm if safety checks fail. Common pre-arm failures:

Error Fix
"Compass not calibrated" Run compass calibration outdoors
"Accelerometer not calibrated" Run 6-position accel calibration
"GPS not detected" Check GPS wiring (TX/RX crossover)
"Battery failsafe" Check battery voltage and BATT parameters
"RC not calibrated" Calibrate RC or disable RC checks if using RPi only

If flying without an RC transmitter (RPi only), you may need to adjust arming checks:

ARMING_CHECK = 1    (all checks enabled -- recommended)

Only disable specific checks if you understand the implications.

PID Tuning

Default PID values usually work for a first flight. If you notice issues:

Symptom Adjustment
Oscillations / wobble Reduce P gain
Slow or sluggish response Increase P gain
Drifts after stopping Increase I gain
Overshoots on fast moves Increase D gain

Start with the defaults and only tune after analyzing flight logs. ArduCopter's autotune mode can also help -- switch to AUTOTUNE mode during a calm flight and let it optimize.

Verifying Motor Output

Before first flight, use the ground station motor test:

  1. Remove all propellers
  2. Connect battery
  3. In ground station, go to Motor Test
  4. Spin each motor individually at 5-10% throttle
  5. Verify:
    • M1 (front right) spins CW
    • M2 (rear left) spins CW
    • M3 (front left) spins CCW
    • M4 (rear right) spins CCW
  6. If wrong direction: swap 2 of the 3 motor phase wires