6.1 Setting up the Flight Controller

The flight controller (FC) implements several low-level behaviors, e.g., stabilizing the Duckiedrone around roll, pitch, and yaw through three different PID controllers. Correctly configuring the FC is critical for flying safely.

Installing Cleanflight Configurator (CFC)

Cleanflight configurator is an app that allows the base station to connect directly to the FC and access its configuration interface.

Steps:

• Install Google Chrome

• Install the Cleanflight Configurator for Chrome

• Start CFC on your base station. You should see the below interface.

Connecting to the Flight Controller (FC)

1. Unplug the battery from your drone

   1. IMPORTANT double-check the battery is unplugged

2. Disconnect the Raspberry Pi from the FC

3. Connect the mini USB cable from your FC to your base station

4. In CFC (see last section), on the top right corner

   

   1. select the correct connection port

      • NOTE Details might vary depending on available connections on your base station. The correct port should start with: /dev/tty.usbserial* /dev/cu.usbserial* or /dev/ttyUSB*

   2. Leave the baud rate (number) at the DEFAULT value of 115200

5. Press the “Connect” button and a “Setup” page should greet you with a rendering of your drone (see figure below). Before configuring anything, please read the next section and check the firmware version first.

Updating the FC firmware (Flashing the FC)

FCs might have different versions of firmware (i.e., the software that runs on the FC’s micro-controller) out of the factory. Normally, this only needs to be done once initially. Follow this procedure to update your firmware.

• NOTE There are currently 2 types of FC hardware. Use the steps corresponding to your hardware. (more details below)

• FACT Our current target firmware is: BTFL 3.3.3 (Download the .hex file below to your base station)

Checking the existing firmware version

On the top left of the CFC interface, please check for the Firmware version. For example, in the figure below, the firmware version of the FC is BTFL 3.3.3.

IMPORTANT Regardless of the firmware version, if it is the first time setting up the FC, we recommend performing the below flashing procedure once anyways in order to start from a clean state.

Flash an FC of the ACRO version

This is what an ACRO version FC looks like. Some key features to notice now are:

• There is a micro USB port soldered on the board

• (In the figure blow, on the bottom right of the board ) There is a “BOOT” button.

The steps to flash the ACRO version FC is shown in the video below. A short summary is provided here:

1. When connected to the base station, the FC goes in Normal mode

   • CHECK there is a red blinking LED

2. Holding the “BOOT” button while connecting the FC to base station makes it go in Bootloader mode.

   • CHECK there is no red blinking LED. On the ACRO version, there is a solid blue LED

TODO document procedure to flash OSD version to BTFL 3.3.3

• Short the boot pins;

• TEMP Follow instructions in video.
  

TODO Jason Hu please write step-by-step instructions as done in video.

FC(external microUSB) flash firmware.mp4

• SP Racing F3 Acro:

• SP Racing F3 OSD:

(Update to BTFL 3.3.3 - although successful flight tests have been conducted with 2.4.0 and 3.0.1)

This page can be used to do a quick test of the onboard IMU: move the drone and verify that the rendering of the drone moves. Don’t expect it to be perfect as we still need to calibrate everything.

We will return to this page later while performing calibrations (https://ethidsc.atlassian.net/l/cp/WNont9ZB).

You are now connected to the FC and able to configure it.