Build a Simple Drone
With a set of parts and easy to follow instructions, building a simple drone can be done in the span of a few hours.
Contents
Steps
- Familiarize yourself with the orientation of the frame
- Know the types of standoffs that you'll be using
- Screw motors to each of the four ends of the frame
- The motors that are reverse threads will go on ends 2 and 4
- The motors that are forward threads will go on ends 1 and 3
- Screw standoffs on the four screws that are placed in the center of your frame
- Place ESC on the four standoffs
- The positive wire and ground-wire should be directed towards the side which has ends 1 and 4
- This makes it easy for you to connect wires 1 and 2 to their respective motors
- Shorten the wires to appropriate length
- Solder the ends of each wire of motor 1 to the respective end on the ESC
- Left wire to left wire, middle wire to middle wire, and right side wire to right side wire
- Solder the ends of each wire of motor 2 to the respective end on the ESC
- Left wire to left wire, middle wire to right wire, and right side wire to middle side wire
- Solder the ends of each wire of motor 3 to the respective end of motor 4's end on the ESC
- Left wire to left wire, middle wire to middle wire, and right side wire to right side wire
- Solder the ends of each wire of motor 4 to the respective end of motor 3's end on the ESC
- Left wire to left wire, middle wire to right wire, and right side wire to middle side wire
- Heat-shrink each of the wires
- prevents shorting
- Use electrical tape to prevent wires from moving around
- Align the positive and negative terminals of the XT60 socket onto the PDB
- Solder the positive and negative ends of the XT60 onto the respective ends of the PDB
- Add solder metal onto the ends of the positive and negative terminals
- Screw standoffs on the four screws that go through the holes on top of the ESC
- Place PDB on the four standoffs
- Solder the black wire to the negative terminal and the red wire to the positive terminal on the XT60 socket respectively
- Tip: Strip positive and ground wires to desired length
- Strip the ends of each of the motor wires coming from the ESC
- Add solder material on the backside of the board to pads 1 through 4 of the 1st column from the left.
- Solder appropriate ends(motor 1 wire to pad 1, and so on and so forth)
- Add solder material to columns 2 and 3 on row 6
- Strip both ends of two wires which will be used to power the FC
- Solder wire 1(just named it wire 1 for practical purposes) to column 3 row 6
- Solder wire 2 to column 2 row 6
- Add solder material to the 5V and the GND pads on the PDB
- Solder the other end of wire 1 to the 5V pad on the PDB
- Solder the other end of wire 2 to the Ground(GND) pad on the PDB
- Strip the wire ends of the receiver
- Solder the ends to the wires to the FC
- Ground end to the pin labeled (-), positive wire to the pin labeled (+), and the signal wire to the pin labeled (RX)
- Screw standoffs on the four holes that are placed on top of the PDB
- Place FC on the four standoffs
- Fit the Lipo battery wire on the XT60 socket
- Add standoffs to the holes just outside of the edges of the middle.
- Screw the carbon top above the standoffs
- Glue Battery above the carbon top
- Mount propellers on top of each motors
- Propellers 2 and 4 will be in the opposite direction compared to propellers 1 and 3
- Tighten each of the propellers
Tips
- Use glue on soldered wires to help prevent them from coming off
Warnings
- Be careful when handling the soldering iron. Temperatures can exceed 220 degrees Celsius or 428 degrees Fahrenheit.
Things You'll Need
- Tools
- Soldiering tools
- Wire Cutters
- Special Adhesive
- Parts
- Frame
- ESC(Electronic Speed Control)
- Motors
- PDB(Power Distribution
- F3 Board(Flight Control Board)
- Propellers
- Quadcopter Lipo Battery*optional*(1300-1800mAh 95C)
