Unofficial BUILDING Instructions TBS Discovery Starter Set 5.8GHz Video / 2.4GHz Remote Control Link (Full TBS kit: plates V1.3 with Core, set bought on 08/2013)
Draft V1 December 2013 V.2 December 2013
Olivier A
UNOFFICIAL tbs discovery Build Manual
Unofficial BUILDING Instructions TBS Discovery Starter Set 5.8GHz Video / 2.4GHz Remote Control Link (Full TBS kit: plates V1.3 with Core, set bought on 08/2013)
Before reading this, please consider the followings: -
I have no relation whatsoever with the Team Black Sheep company.
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This manual is not an official document. It only shows how I built my TBS Discovery so please take the information in this document very carefully, it is only intended to help beginners through my learning process.
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Do not rely exclusively on this manual. Consult official user manuals from TBS, DJI, Fat Shark and Graupner. Be smart and double check !
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Unless said otherwise by TBS, feel free to transfer and duplicate this document. All information enclosed in this guide are public and I’m not claiming any rights to it. I’m just asking not to change or alter this document.
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Contents
DISCLAIMER
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1. Version and Kit Description
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1.1 Version and Parts used in this manual 1.2 List of parts included in the Disco Starter Set Top & Bottom Plates with TBS CORE installed Arms (DJI) Motors (TBS 900Kv V.2) Propellers (Graupner E-Prop 9’’X5’’) Motors and Propellers configurations Electronic Speed Controllers (TBS Bulletproof ESC) Pilot Camera (TBS 59) Flight Controller (DJI NAZA Lite & GPS) Video Transmitter (5.8GHz TBS Rookie 200mW) Video Receiver (5.8 GHz TBS Dominator) Video Antenna (TBS Patch 5.8 GHz) Video Antenna (Spironet 5.8 GHz) Remote Control Transmitter (2.4 GHz Graupner Mx-12 HoTT) Remote Control Receiver (2.4 GHz Graupner GR-12) M2 & M3 screws (TBS screws, Hex/Allen heads) Spacers, Battery Straps, TBS Loveseat and Thin Shield Miscellaneous cables and Pins Video Goggles (Fat Shark Dominator) Battery (TBS 4S battery) Battery Charger (B6AC 80W) 1.3 Additional Parts (not included in the Set) GoPro HD camera Dampening Foam Rubber bands Flamewheel VTx Mount M5 Locknut / Nylock Nut
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Contents
2. Required Tools
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3. Recommended tools and parts
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4. Required Knowledge & Tutorials
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5. Tips and External Resources
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6. General Architecture
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2.1 Solder Iron (50 to 100W recommended) 2.2 Solder (63/37, 60/40, 62/36/2) & Flux 2.3 Hex (Allen) Driver (1.5 mm & 2 mm) 2.4 Wrench (8 mm) 2.5 Zip ties 2.6 Super Glue
3.1 Solder Wick 3.2 Thread Lock (Medium Strength/Blue) 3.3 Needle-Nose Pliers 3.4 Small fan and Safety Glasses 3.5 Soldering training kit
4.1 Basic Electricity 4.2 Basic soldering
5.1 Tips 5.2 Build Tutorials and Manuals
6.1 TBS Discovery Architecture
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Contents
7. Building Steps
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8. Flying the TBS Discovery
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9. Definitions and Acronyms
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A. Soldering B. Main Assembly C. Power On / Smoke Test D. Center of Gravity Check & Closing E. Mounting the Video Tx and GPS Rx F. Programing the RC Transmitter (Mx-12 HoTT) G. Installing NAZA Assistant Software and Driver H. Configuring the NAZA Software (Naza M Lite) I. Checking Motors Rotation J. Installing the Propellers K. Calibrating the NAZA Compass L. Calibrating the TBS Bulletproof ESCs
8.1 Training with a Micro Quadcopter 8.2 Flight Modes (GPS/Attitude/Manual) 8.3 NAZA LED description (Naza M Lite) 8.4 First Flight
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1. Version and Kit Description
1.1 Version and Parts used in this manual I bought the TBS Discovery Starter Set (5.8GHz Video & 2.4GHz Control) late August 2013. This set contains all the parts needed to build the Discovery. The plate Is version 1.3 and the Core was already soldered to the bottom plate
TBS Discovery Bottom plate Version 1.3 This manual shows the TBS Discovery Starter Set with the following parts and accessories: -
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Motors: TBS 900Kv V2 Video Transmitter (Vtx): TBS Rookie 200mW Flight Controller: DJI NAZA Lite with GPS Pilot Camera: TBS 59 Remote Control (radio): Graupner Mx-12 HoTT and GR12 receiver Battery: TBS 4S, 4.5A
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1.2 List of parts included in the Disco Starter Set All the photos of the parts included in the kit can be seen here. • Top & Bottom Plates with TBS CORE installed
Bottom Plate
Pre-Installed TBS CORE
Top Plate
These plates and the Core are 100% designed and by Team Black Sheep. The TBS Discovery Starter Set comes with the TBS Core already installed and soldered on the bottom plate.
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• Arms (DJI)
The Disco arms are not specific from TBS. They come from DJI and can be easily bought anywhere worldwide. These arms are designed to break upon crash to absorb energy and avoid further damage to the valuable Discovery body. TBS only sells the black arms but I personally choose to buy two additional whites arms to equip my disco. Having different arms colors make the flying much easier because it helps to recognized between the front and the back of the disco (the shape of the TBS Discovery is very symmetric and past 20 meters it’s hard to tell what is the head and tail).
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• Motors (TBS 900Kv V.2)
The TBS Disco Starter Set normally comes with the 750Kv motors but I choose to upgrade to the 900Kv motors because they are more powerful and allow more agile flight characteristics. However it also reduce the flight time by draining more power out of the battery. - TBS 750Kv motors: more endurance, less lock in type of flight, less agile. Flight time up to 18 minutes. - TBS 900Kv motors: less endurance, better for video work, better for high altitude flight and/heavy disco. Faster and more agile type of flight. Flight time up to 12 minutes (usually 10 minutes in my experience).
This part and screws are included in the Motor box but they have no use for the TBS Discovery (it might be for other aircraft or wings).
Prop Adaptor
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Washer
M5 (lock) nut
Bell Screw (Prop Cone)
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• Propellers (Graupner E-Prop 9’’X5’’)
These Graupner propellers are the brand of choice for all TBS Discovery, they are very effective, rigid and come well balanced allowing less vibrations and cleaner video footage. Due to the order and delivery time I suggest that you buy extra propellers with your order since they are most likely going to be the first item to change in case of crash or hard landing… Propellers play an important role in the video quality. They should be balanced in order to eliminate potential unwanted vibrations (jello effect). TBS installs the Graupner E-Prop 9x5 on its Discovery. According to many users, these props are the state of the art in FPV and allow smooth flight, perfect for video application. 9 inches diameter props are a good size for the TBS Discovery. Some users also use the 10 inches props for longer flight time but note that the 10 inches may appears on your video footage due to the greater diameter (you can solve this issue by changing the field of view on the Gopro settings: Wide, Medium, Narrow) The quad must be equipped with 2 clockwise rotation props, and 2 counterclockwise props to balance the aircraft and avoid spinning.
Props marked with L must be mounted on motors 2 and 4. I’ll go over that again later in this manual.
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• Motors and Propellers configurations
The lifting power of a copter comes from the Motor/Props duo so the choice of motor and propellers will impact the following: -
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Flight time: if you are after endurance flights, the best combination is the 750kV motors with 10x5 inch propellers Responsiveness, agility and power reserve: acrobatic and “stunts” flights will benefit having the 900kV motors with 9x5 propellers. Note that you may have to switch to manual mode for the wildest flight performances since some flight controllers (e.g. NAZA) limit the available power even at full throttle in assisted flight mode (atti, etc.) Vibrations: it seems that the TBS 900kV motors and 9x5 or 8x5 is the best match to reduce the vibrations. However, balancing the motors and the propellers is the best way to get rids of vibrations. Note that bad signal from your pilot camera may come from bad isolation of your video transmitters and antenna. You should isolate it from the aircraft vibrations. Field of view (FOV): GoPro camera have an adjustable Field of view (focal). Depending of the video resolution (720, 1080, etc.) you can select 3 levels of FOV; narrow, medium and wide. 10x5 inch props will appears in your video footages when shooting a wide FOV. Note that some FOV settings are not available depending of the chosen resolution (e.g. 720 at 120fps is only available at wide settings on some GoPro). For more information about GoPro, FOV and best Prop settings for video (see Chapter: Movie Camera & Video Editing for more info)
The TBS 750kV and 900kV motors have a 5mm prop shaft compatible with Graupner 9x5inch propellers. For Graupner 10x5-inch propellers you will need aluminum 8mm-to-5mm reduction spacers available separately.
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• Electronic Speed Controllers (TBS Bulletproof ESC)
Electronic Speed Controllers or ESC is an electronic circuit with the purpose to vary an electric motor's speed. Basically it’s the throttle of your quad and ensure some basic electronic safety functions. The kit comes with 4 TBS ESCs, one for each motor. They may have to be recalibrated before use.
Connectors to be plugged on the NAZA MC Motor slots
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Power Supply cables
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• Pilot Camera (TBS 59)
As its name suggest, the TBS59 has a 590 TLV resolution. It runs on 5 to 12 volts (but 12 volts is recommended). This is a standard kit camera but it can be upgraded to the TBS69 camera which has a resolution of 690TVL. Solder the 12 Volts CAM pads on the TBS Core when using this camera.
TBS 59 Pilot Camera
Control Board with buttons to roam through the menu and settings during the assembly. Must be unplugged afterward.
Holding plate to attached the camera to the Discovery’s frame.
Additional cable, not used on my build.
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• Flight Controller (DJI NAZA Lite & GPS)
DJI NAZA Lite Flight Controller + GPS pack. The brain of the discovery, helps to control the aircraft thanks to the its gyroscopes, compass, barometer and GPS receiver.
GPS Antenna GPS Mast to mount the GPS antenna. Comes with base and self adhesives pads
USB cable to connect the NAZA Main Controller to a computer
NAZA Servo Cables
NAZA VU (Versatile Unit). Must be plugged to the NAZA MC. Has a USB port to connect the Disco to a computer and perform settings adjustment with the NAZA software.
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NAZA MC (Main Controller) also called FC (flight controller). Comes with self adhesive pad to stick it to the plate.
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• Video Transmitter (5.8GHz TBS Rookie 200mW)
The TBS 5.8GHz Vtx (Video Transmitter) works between 3.3 to 5 Volts. The 5 volts VTX pads must be soldered on the TBS Core when using this Vtx.
Plug to connect the Molex Video cable to the bottom plate
Channels Switch. I switch that, it worked right out the box on my Disco.
SMA Male connector to connect the video antenna.
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• Video Receiver (5.8 GHz TBS Dominator)
5.8 GHz video receiver to be inserted and plugged in the dedicated bay of the Fat Shark video goggles. BOSCAM compatible (Band A,B,E) and Airwave (quality won’t be optimal with Airwave). A TBS Patch antenna is included with this video receiver.
RP-SMA connector for the antenna
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Button to change bands (BOSCAM A,B,E & Airwave) Connectors to the goggles
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• Video Antenna (TBS Patch 5.8 GHz)
The TBS Patch antenna must be directly plugged on the TBS Dominator video receiver located on the Fat Shark goggles. This 5.8 GHz Circular Polarized directional antenna is the best portable solution for long range flight with 5.8 GHz frequency. This directional antenna has a 110 degrees reception beam.
• Video Antenna (Spironet 5.8 GHz) This set contain 2 circular polarized omnidirectional antennas. One goes on the Discovery video transmitter and the other can be plugged on the Vrx of the the Fat Shark goggles. The small one should be plugged to the aircraft while the tall one is plugged on the goggles but it also works good the other way around (actually I put the tall one my disco because of the taller mast).
Receiver antenna (RX) for the Goggles
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Transmitter antenna (TX) for the Disco
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• Remote Control Transmitter (2.4 GHz Graupner Mx-12 HoTT)
The Disco Starter Set comes with the Graupner Mx-12 HoTT 6 channels 2.4 GHz radio. The GR12 receiver, battery and charger are included in the radio box. It’s and FHSS radio. Frequency hoping or FHSS consists of a regular change or “hop” of frequency in order to reduce interference and get better signal. As a result, bandwidth can be utilized more efficiently. Frequency hoping is automatic when integrated to your RC system. 2Go micro SD Card for settings back up. Contains files to change the menu language
Charger (Europlug Type C)
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Radio or Remote Control Transmitter (RC Tx)
GR-12 Receiver (RC Rx)
Various Cables for updates (USB, etc.)
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• Remote Control Receiver (2.4 GHz Graupner GR-12)
6 channels remote control receiver (Rx) that receive the control orders sent by the Graupner Radio (Mx-12 HoTT or other Graupner radio transmitters). Graupner indicates a range of about 2000 meters (6000 feet) but I lost control after 1200 meters on my Disco. This receiver is included in the Graupner MX-12 HoTT radio box.
2.4 GHz receiver antenna
Servo Slots to plugged up to 6 channels/servos
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2.4 GHz Receiver. Approx range = 2000 meters (6000 feet)
LED light to identify the Rx state (reception status, etc.). SET button used for setting options (reset, binding, etc.)
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• M2 & M3 screws (TBS screws, Hex/Allen heads)
The Starter set comes with a assortment of M3 and M2.5 Hex/Allen screws to build the discovery but TBS has struggled to find a descent provider. Some user are experiencing issues with the TBS screws. The screws are too soft and/or don’t have a good head size. Some screws can be easily stripped and therefore being stuck in the Discovery. I personally encounter this issue with some of those screws and I bought the DJI M screws which are way better in my opinion My advice: give a shot to the TBS Screws, I heard that the new one are much better but screw them on slowly and DO NOT USE THREAD-LOCK . See how it goes for you. If you have any issue get rid of them and spend a few bucks online to by the DJI screws. DJI screws can be easily found online, here is what I got: - DJI M3x8 SOCKET SCREWS - DJI M2.5x5 SOCKET SCREWS - M3 Screws: 32xM3 screws are required for the disco. The M3 are for the arms to motors and plates to spacers - M2.5 Screws: 24xM2.5 screws are required for the disco. The M2.5 are for the plates to arms. Use a metric 2mm hex driver (allen) to screw on the M3 and M2.5 screws.
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• Spacers, Battery Straps, TBS Loveseat and Thin Shield
Spacers: 8 spacers are needed between the top and bottom plate to build the Disco. Only sold by TBS and TBS Dealers.
Battery Straps: 2 velcro battery straps to attach the battery on the disco.
TBS LoveSeat: custom made foam dampening pad to attach the GoPro HD camera on the Discovery in order to reduce vibration and jello effect.
Thin Shield: use to cover the TBS Core and avoid RF interference (isolate the Core). Especially needed for long range flights with lower frequency (UHF 433MHz). Must be soldered around the Core.
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• Miscellaneous cables and Pins
4x Pins to be soldered on the plates and plug the Servo cables (I only used the 2 larger pins for the Starter Set)
1x VTx cable for the Vtx to the dedicated bottom plate slot. 1x CAM cable for the Pilot Cam to the dedicated bottom plate slot.
1x XT60 Pigtail power cable - 12 AWG
8x Servo cables for the RC Rx (RC Rx = Graupner GR-12 with the starter set)
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• Video Goggles (Fat Shark Dominator)
The Fat Shark goggles can be used for short range (5.8GHz) and long range (2.4GHz, etc.) systems. The Disco Starter Set is a 5.8GHz so the video receiver (TBS Rookie or TBS Greenhorn) can be plug directly to the Vrx bay. These goggles also have a bay for a head tracking module. Goggles inside the case
2S LiPo Battery
Charger US plug
TBS Starter Set Fat Shark kit. Contains charger, battery and cables
Video receiver bay, here with the TBS Rookie 200mW Vrx
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• Battery (TBS 4S battery)
The Disco works with 4S battery and the Starter set comes with a TBS 4S 3.3A. I’ve upgraded to 4.5A (4500 mAh)
JST-XH Balance connector. Only used to charge the battery.
XT60 Power connector. To be plugged on the Disco. That’s basically the ON/OFF button !
• Battery Charger (B6AC 80W) Type F plug
XT60 plug Do not charge the battery over 4A or this charger may overheat and get damaged. Very basic and lightweight charger. 110/220 volts 50/60Hz compatible. European Type F power plug.
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1.3 Additional Parts (not included in the Set) • GoPro HD camera
Not required to fly the discovery but it’s the only way to capture HD video. Note that the GoPro also allows the discovery to be balanced around its center of gravity. You may need to attach a weight in front of the Discovery if you decide not to fly with the GoPro in order to balance the disco and maintain good flight characteristics otherwise the Disco might be Tail heavy, especially with large capacity batteries such as the TBS 4S 4.5A. Any GoPro can be attached to the Discovery (1,2,3, 3+). Note that the TBS Loveseat only fits GoPro 3 and higher models.
• Dampening Foam
Needed to attach the Video Transmitter (Vtx) to the Disco and isolate it from the vibrations. Vibrations may cause bad video signal transmission and result in a poor video quality on the goggles. Dampening Foam can also be used to fight the jello effect on the video. Sorbothane pads or memory foam (eg. from memory foam made pillows) can be used to isolate the GoPro and other vibration sensitive equipment onboard the Discovery.
• Rubber bands Rubber are needed to attached the GoPro to the front end of the discovery. The edge of the plate can sometime cut the rubber band so use at least two rubber bands to secure your GoPro or implement another safety system (cable to hold the disco, etc). Jello Effect and Ruber band: more rubber bands can be used to tighten the GoPro in place. This may have and effect on the Jello Effect. Some user experience more or less jello depending of the number of rubber band attached to the GoPro. There is no general rules since every Disco is different. Make some test and figure out what works best on your Disco. Personally I found that 3 rubbers bands is the best to get rid of jello.
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• Flamewheel VTx Mount
There are many different ways to attached the video transmitter but the cleanest is to have this TBS custom made Vtx mount. This part is not included in the Disco Starter Set.
Note the white dampening pad placed between the Vtx mount and the video transmitter to reduced vibrations and get better video signal.
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• M5 Locknut / Nylock Nut
The TBS Discovery uses M5 nuts to attach the propellers on the motors shaft. These nuts get loose after few flights and some users have experienced crashes due to unlocked propellers. It’s always a good idea to check the locknuts and tight them up them once in while (I do every 10 flights). Another solution is to use the Nylock nuts that includes a nylon collar insert slightly smaller that the diameter of the screw ensuring a better lock against the prop shaft. However it does not prevent the user to check the nuts and propellers attachment. This is only an additional safety. M5 Nylock nut. Note the blue plastic ring that grip the prop shaft preventing the nut to get loose.
Standard M5 nut included in the TBS motor kit
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2. Required Tools
2.1 Solder Iron (50 to 100W recommended) Unless you are a solder expert you will need to get a good solder iron to complete the Disco assembly. An adjustable temperature iron is the best solution to solder the small parts of the disco (servo pins) all the way to the large wires (especially the 12 AWG XT60 Pigtail ). According to Raphael Pirker, head of TBS: “the key is getting an iron with serious wattage (70120W) and running it at a temp of about 350 (celsius)”.
Typical low wattage and non adjustable temperature solder iron. For solder expert only.
The one I bought: Hakko FX888 (70W), great solder iron with adjustable temperature. Excellent for tiny and heavy duty soldering (eg. Solder the large XT60 Pigtail cable).
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2.2 Solder (63/37, 60/40, 62/36/2) & Flux Solder for the TBS Discovery: - 63/37: contains 63% of tin (Sn) and 37% of Lead (Pb). Perfect for electronics. Has the lowest melting point (183 °C or 361.4 °F) of all the tin/lead alloys. - 63/40: contains 60% of tin (Sn) and 40% of Lead (Pb). Good for electrical and electronic works. Melts at 188 °C or 370 °F. - 62/36/2: contains 62% of tin (Sn), 36% of Lead (Pb) and 2% of Silver (Ag). Higher melting point but still ok for soldering. In some country it can be easier to find than the 63/37 and 60/40 solder. Multicore or Resin core: most of the electrical and electronic solder contain a rosin core which facilitate the bonding process. Do NOT use plumbing solder, they are not designed for electronic work and they contain acid core that will damage electronic boards ! (eg. 20/80, 50/50, etc.)
The one I used: Kester 44 Rosin Core Solder 63/37. Top choice and price… but I didn’t want to save a few bucks on my solder. I can’t afford to crash my top $$$ Disco because of a bad solder joint.
Flux: Flux is a liquid or oily type of product that can be added on the surface to solder. I will help to get rid of impurities and make the solder work much more easier. Things will bond more naturally. Flux Pen. Cheap and easy to apply
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2.3 Hex (Allen) Driver (1.5 mm & 2 mm) Hex (Allen) drivers required: - 2mm hex driver for the M3 and M2.5 screws - 1.5 mm hex driver for the propeller adaptor screws (motors) Which one to buy ? Get only top brands made in Germany or Japan. These M screws are very tiny and it’s easy to get them stripped in your $$$ parts. Cheap hex driver will fucked up your build only to save a few bucks.
My choice: Top quality EDS Hex Driver with a long reach, perfect for screwing on M screws in “crowded space” (eg. Prop adaptors, motors to arms) Get a long hex driver. Short one don’t fit in tight space (motors, etc.) and screwing on the M screws in diagonal will eventually make them stripped and very hard to remove…
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2.4 Wrench (8 mm)
8 mm wrench to screw on the M5 nuts on the motor shaft.
2.5 Zip ties Zip ties are needed to attach various parts on the aircraft such as the ESCs and video transmitter. No need to install wide zip ties, the tiny one are strong enough to hold the parts. Make sure you buy long zip ties (you can cut them afterward).
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2.6 Super Glue
Any regular Super Glue to put together the GPS Mast
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3. Recommended tools and parts
3.1 Solder Wick Solder wick is a finely braided copper wire coated with rosin flux usually supplied on a roll. The end of a length of braid is placed over the soldered connections of a component being removed. The connections are heated with a soldering iron until the solder melts and is wicked into the braid by capillary action. This is your solder sponge to remove solder, a must have for any solder newbie.
Apply the wick over the joint and heat to remove the solder
3.2 Thread Lock (Medium Strength/Blue) Thread-locking fluid (threadlocker) is a thin, single-component adhesive, applied to the threads of fasteners such as screws and bolts to prevent loosening, leakage, and corrosion. Basically it will prevent the M screws on the disco to get loose under the effect of the motors vibration. This not a must have, the Disco can fly without and the screws can be checked once in a while. Only apply thread lock during final assembly. There are 3 main Thread Lock grades: - Purple: low strength - Blue: medium strength (recommended by TBS) - Red: high strength (do not use on the Disco, it’s too strong)
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3.3 Needle-Nose Pliers Needle-Nose pliers can be useful to hold wires while soldering, cut zip ties and put or remove servo cables.
Standard needle-nose pliers
Nose bent pliers. Good to hold wires while soldering
Add a rubber band to the nose bent plier and you get a nice tool to hold your wire tight when soldering without having one hand busy with the plier.
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3.4 Small fan and Safety Glasses
The rosin core inside the solder gives off toxic fumes. Nothing too bad but having a fan will blow away the smoke while soldering parts.
Sometime when heated the solder and enclosed rosin core can behave strangely and emit a lot of tiny molten particles. Actually I burned myself many times. No big deal on my hands but I would not like to have these tiny molten solder particles to jump in my eyes.
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3.5 Soldering training kit These soldering training kits are great and can be found for less than $10 on internet. A comprehensive manual is provided explaining the basics of soldering. The kit contains many parts and the board has “training area” to solder tiny things on and off. A battery can be plugged at the end of the build to valid the assembly (LEDs and buzzer will turn on).
ELENCO solder practice kit SP-3B and SP1
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4. Required Knowledge & Tutorials
4.1 Basic Electricity The Discovery assembly does not require extensive electrical knowledge, just to understand the basics such as: -
Polarity (Positive, negative, ground) and reverse polarity issue (short circuit) Difference between AC and DC circuits Understand the difference between voltage (volts) and current (ampere) Understand wattage and its relation with voltage and current (Watts = Volts X Amps )
4.2 Basic soldering Here are some very good resources and tutorials to learn soldering. Watch the following video: - Good soldering Introduction - Soldering Tutorial Part 1 - Tools - Soldering Tutorial Part 2 - Soldering Technique - Soldering Tutorial Part 3 - Surface Mount - Solder Removal Using Wick If you are a newbie you should buy some soldering training kit to practice with before starting on your the Discovery assembly. Get familiar and make mistakes on a cheap boards. See the previous page for more information about the soldering practice kit (ELENCO solder practice kit SP-3B and SP1).
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5. Tips and External Resources
5.1 Tips • DO NOT use thread lock right away: I found myself to re-open the disco and unscrew stuff many times during my build because I made mistakes. Putting thread lock from the beginning will make it hard to re-open the disco and if you use low quality M screw it will be even harder to remove them. Only apply thread lock at the end of your build after having flown your disco several times and made all the modifications you like. The Disco flies perfectly without thread lock, I have 200+ flights on mine and I just check my screws once in a while.
• RF Thin Shield: the RF thin shield is mostly recommended for long range Discovery using UHF and low frequency video link. The Discovery Starter Set is a short range Disco using 5.8GHz video and 2.4GHz RC signal. The Thin Shield is not mandatory on that Disco. I’ve chosen not to put the thin shield on, it’s useless on the Starter Set in my opinion and will only cause problems in the in the future when I’ll want to access the TBS Core and make some changes.
• Think ahead about potential upgrades: chances are that your Discovery will evolve and improve with time. You may want to upgrade your disco to long range flights etc. Think about that before making final changes on your disco, gluing or cutting some parts etc. Asses the impact of those changes in the future. At our newbie level, don’t put yourself in a corner. The best modification is the one that can be undone easily.
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5.2 Build Tutorials and Manuals TBS Official Manual: - TBS Discovery manual - PDF - TBS Discovery Pro manual - PDF - TBS Core manual – PDF -
TBS Discovery - How to - VIDEO TBS Discovery Pro - How to - VIDEO TBS Core Install - VIDEO How to program the position switch and failsafe on the Graupner MX-12 HoTT radio - VIDEO ESC Calibration Instructions - VIDEO
Official manuals from NAZA, GRAUPNER and FAT SHARK - NAZA Flight Controller Manuals and Tutorials: NAZA Lite, NAZA-M, NAZA-M V2 - PDF & VIDEOS - Graupner Radio MX-12 HoTT Manual – PDF - Fat Shark Dominator video goggles manual - PDF
External resources: -
Dr.Hanke's Build and Tuning Videos (extensive!) – VIDEOS TBS Discovery - Time Lapse Build Log - VIDEO DJI Naza-M GPS Mounting, Setup & Calibration – VIDEO NAZA Lite and NAZA V1 GPS Mounting, Configuration, Calibration - VIDEO Very good Soldering tutorials here and there – VIDEOS Soldering removal trick - VIDEOS
- TBS Wiki - The WIKIPEDIA of TBS Disco -
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My first experience in RC and FPV Drone building / flying – BLOG Juz' OpenPilot Build-Log - FORUM Meme's Build Log - FORUM Acuralegendz build log on RCGroups – FORUM
UNOFFICIAL tbs discovery Build Manual
6. General Architecture
6.1 TBS Discovery Architecture The TBS Discovery frame consist of two plates, the top and bottom plates which are attached together by the arms and spacers. The arms are standard and easy to find DJI arms that are designed to break upon crash in order to absorb the kinetic energy and protect the valuable body and enclosed electronics of the Discovery from impact. By implementing the wiring into the frame the aircraft is easy to build and this design reduces the potential points of failure and interferences. At the center of this design seats the TBS Core which carry out many different functions (OSD, power supply, etc) for additional safety and easiness of use.
(Naza) (ESC)
(Cam) (Vtx) (GoPro)
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Top Plate
Bottom Plate
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7. Building Steps
A. Soldering • -
Before starting watch these videos about soldering the Discovery: TBS Discovery - How To Solder the Disco – TBS OFFICIAL TBS Discovery build EP6 TBS ESC soldering TBS Discovery build EP12 TBS Naza mounting and soldering
• Things needed in this section:
Solder Iron
Solder for electrical work (63/37, 60/40, 62/36/2)
Flux or Flux Pen
• Strongly recommended items:
Wick (desoldering sponge)
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Safety glasses to protect your eyes against molten solder projections
Small fan to blow toxic fumes away.
UNOFFICIAL tbs discovery Build Manual
Needle Noise Pliers and bent nose pliers
A. Soldering GOAL : Solder the Video transmitter (VTX), Pilot cam (CAM) and OSD pads on the TBS Core
Solder the middle and right pads for 5V CAM or middle and left pads if you have a 12V CAM
Solder the middle and right pads for 5V VTX or middle and left pads if you have a 12V VTX
Solder the 2 pads together to enable the TBS Core built in OSD. Do not solder if using an external OSD.
A.1 Clean and apply flux on the pads A.2
For the TBS Discovery Starter Set, solder like that: - VTX: The TBS Rookie and TBS Greenhorn are 5V - CAM: The ChipChip , TBS59, TBS69 and are 12V - OSD: solder the 2 pads together only if you want to enable the Core built-in OSD
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A. Soldering GOAL : Solder the 4 ESCs on the bottom plate
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A. Soldering GOAL : Solder the 4 ESCs on the bottom plate
Solder the ESCs here
A.3 Clean and apply flux on the pads
This large pad is for the XT60 PigTail battery cable. DO NOT solder the ESC there.
A.4 Presolder the pads and solder the red cable on the + pad and the black cable on the - pad. Don’t mixed up the ESC – and Battery – pads.
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A. Soldering GOAL : Solder XT60 Pigtail battery cable to the bottom plate battery pads
XT60 Pigtail Cable
A.5 Clean and apply flux on the + and – pads. The – pad is on the other side of the bottom plate. A.6 Presolder the pads and solder the red cable on the + pad and the black cable on the – pad.
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A. Soldering GOAL : Solder NAZA Versatile Unit (VU) on the bottom plate
NAZU VU
Solder on these pads near the GND and RSSI marks A.7 Clean and apply flux on the pads A.8 Solder the red cable on the + pad and the black cable on the - pad.
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A. Soldering GOAL : Solder the Flight Controller servo Pin under the top plate
View underneath the Top Plate
Final Result (view from above the top plate) A.9 Clean and apply flux on the pad and pin legs A.10 Put the pin in place underneath the Top plate and tape it A.11 Above the top plate (where you see the large TBS DISCOVERY mark), solder the 2 opposite side pins (see photo), remove the tape and solder the rest of the pins. Pins CAN NOT TOUCH one another or it will create a short circuit. There must be separation between the pins. If two pins legs are soldered together, remove the solder joint with wick and redo it.
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A. Soldering GOAL : Solder the Remote Control Receiver Servo Pin above the top plate
Above the Top Plate
Underneath the Top Plate
This pin will be used to plug the receiver (photo here with the receiver servo plugged in)
A.12 Clean and apply flux on the pad and pin legs A.13 Put the pin in place above the Top plate and tape it A.14 Underneath the top plate (side with no marks/inscriptions), solder the 2 opposite side pins, remove the tape and solder the rest of the pins. Solder joints CAN NOT TOUCH one another or it will create a short circuit. There must be separation between the pins. If two pins legs are soldered together, remove the solder with wick and redo the solder joint.
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A. Soldering GOAL : Check the solder joints of the pins for short circuits (OPTIONAL)
OPTIONAL Bad solder joints may cause short circuits and erratic flight characteristics of the aircraft such as mixed controls, reversed control, impossibility to calibrate the flight controller, etc. Check this video for more information: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZejnI_Y0zE&feature=youtu.be&t=14m39s
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B. Main Assembly • Things needed in this section:
One 2 mm Hex (Allen) driver to screw on the M2.5 and M3 screws
One 1.5 mm Hex (Allen) driver to screw on the prop adaptor on the motors
Zip Ties to attached the ESCs, VU and other things
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B. Main Assembly GOAL : Connect the 2 NAZA Versatile Unit (VU) cables to the NAZA main controller (MC)
NAZA VU
NAZA MC (Lite version here)
X3 Cable
LED Cable
B.1 Plug the 4 wires cable on the LED port on the Naza MC B.2 Plug the 3 wires cable on the X3 port on the Naza MC
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B. Main Assembly GOAL : Connect the 4 ESC cables on M1,M2,M3,M4 ports on the NAZA MC
M3
M2
M4
M1
B.3
Plug the 4 ESCs cables on the M1, M2, M3 and M4 ports of the NAZA MC. They CAN’T be plugged randomly, follow the M numbers (see photo above).
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B. Main Assembly GOAL : Screw the 8 spacers down on the bottom plate using the M3 screws Spacers
Bottom Plate
Center Spacers
Middle spacers: Good for 4S 3300-3700mAh battery
Forward spacers: Good for 4S 4000-4500mAh battery
B.4 Screw the 8 spacers down on the bottom plate with the M3 screws. The spacers must stand up on the same side of the plate where the core is located. Screw the middle or forward spacers depending of your battery capacity. NOTE: the center spacers will mark the limit of the battery compartment when it will be slide inside the disco. Depending of your setup, accessories and battery weight, these middle spacers may have to be move up or down in order to maintain the aircraft correctly balanced around its center of gravity. We’ll check that later.
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B. Main Assembly GOAL : Install the 4 DJI Arms with the M2.5 screws on the bottom plate
DJI Arms (can be any color)
M2.5 screws
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B. Main Assembly GOAL : Install the 4 DJI Arms with the M2.5 screws on the bottom plate
M2.5 Screws
NAZA VU
XT60 Pigtail
B.5 Attach the arms on the bottom plate using the M2.5 screws. Make sure all the cables go between the arms and the plate before screwing them on: - ESCs Power cables (red and black cable coming from the ESCs) - ESC Control cable (white, red, black cable coming from the ESCs) - XT60 Pigtail battery cable - NAZA VU cables. The VU should go on the rear left arm (the one on the opposite side of the arm with the XT60 Pigtail cable)
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B. Main Assembly GOAL : Screw the 4 motors down on the arms using the M3 screws
M3 Screws
B.6 - Screw the 4 motors on the arms with the M3 screws. - Insert the motors cables through the arms.
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B. Main Assembly GOAL : Plug the motors cables to the ESCs and attach them under the arms with Zip Ties
Zip Tie
B.7 Plug the motors cables in the ESCs. There is no connection order at this point, any of the 3 black cables coming from a motor can be plugged anywhere on the 3 receivers of an ESC. B.8 Attach the ESCs under the arms using Zip Ties. On the rear left arm, tie the NAZA VU along with the ESC. Tighten the Zip Tie and cut extra length.
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B. Main Assembly GOAL : Screw on the 4 propeller adaptors on the 4 motors
Prop Adaptor
Hex Screw (use a 1.5mm hex driver)
B.9 Screw the prop adaptors down on each motor using the hex screws included with the motors. Use the 1.5 mm hex driver NOTE: do not install the propellers at this time. The propellers will be mounted at the end of the build. Installing the propellers now can be hazardous.
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B. Main Assembly GOAL : Insert the Servo cables (x5) and the GPS cable (x1) in the NAZA Lite Flight Controller
NAZA GPS Receiver
NAZA Servo Cables
NAZA Flight Controller (FC) / Main Controller (MC)
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B. Main Assembly GOAL : Insert the Servo cables (x5) and the GPS cable (x1) in the NAZA Lite Flight Controller
B.10 Plug the GPS connector into the EXP slot of the NAZA Lite B.11 Using the NAZA servo cables (brown, red, oragne wires), plug 5 servo cables in the A, E, T, R & U slots of the NAZA Lite. A stands for Aileron, this channel controls the roll axis (bank right and left) E stands for Elevator, this channel controls the pitch of the aircraft (nose up and down) T stands for Throttle to commands the power (accelerator) R stands for Rudder to controls the yaw (flat turn, right and left) U controls the position switch to toggle between different flight modes: GPS, Attitude, Manual NOTE: This is the procedure for the Naza Lite Flight/Main Controller. Other flight Controller such as NAZA-M and NAZA V2 can be different. Check NAZA support webpage for more information.
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B. Main Assembly GOAL : Plug the Pilot Camera (TBS59 here) using the CAN 12V cable Remote Control Board Cable
TBS59 Pilot Cam
CAM 12V cable
B.12 Plug the CAM 12V molex cable into the CAM connector on the bottom plate near the TBS Core. Then plug the other end of the CAM 12V cable to the slot on the Pilot Cam (TBS59 here) NOTE: the CAM 12V cable can also be soldered directly on the pads next to the CAM connector on the bottom plate. Check this TBS Video for more information.
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B. Main Assembly GOAL : Install the Pilot Camera (TBS59 here)
Bottom Plate
Camera Plate The large connector from the remote control board must be UP
B.13 Insert the Camera in the Plate and attach them together using rubber band or a small zip tie. Camera orientation: in order to get the correct video orientation, the TBS59 Pilot Cam must be installed with the CAM 12V cable near the bottom plate side otherwise the video will be “upside down”. For now the pilot camera is still loose, it’s normal, at the end of the build the Bottom and Top Plates will hold the camera plate in place but for now we still have some stuff to do before closing the Discovery. NOTE: there is not specific procedure to attach the Camera, note that other Pilot Cameras such as the TBS69 may have different plate and attachment procedure (screws, etc.)
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B. Main Assembly GOAL : Plug the Video Transmitter (TBS Rookie 200mW here) using the VTx 5V cable
Bottom Plate
B.14
VTx 5V Cable
Plug the video transmitter (TBS Rookie here) and the VTX connector on the bottom plate with the VTx 5V cable. We are not going to mount the Vtx yet, It will come at the end of the build. NOTE: I used the Flamewheel VTx Mount (not included in the TBS Discovery Starter Set) to attach the video transmitter (Vtx) by passing the cable through the arm (see photo) but there are many ways to mount the video transmitter (directly on the arm, on the top plate, etc.). 66
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B. Main Assembly GOAL : Plug the Remote Control Receiver (Graupner GR-12 here) using the servo cables (x6)
Servo Cables Graupner GR-12 RC receiver Plug to the rear pin of the top plate
Plug 6 servo cables by matching the numbers on the GR-12 with the numbers on the top plate
B.15
Make sure to respect the polarity when plugging the servo cables: - Black goes on – - Red goes on + - White goes on ⎍
- Plug 6 servo cables into the GR-12 RC receiver (servo 6 won’t be used but plug it anyway). - Match the servo numbers: #1 on the GR-12 goes on #1 on the top plate pins, 2 to 2, etc. - Respect the polarity (see warning sign above)
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B. Main Assembly GOAL : Install the Remote Control Receiver (Graupner GR-12 here) and tape the edge
Antenna
Foam Pad
Zip Tie
Black Tape
B.16 Secure the GR-12 Remote Control Receiver on the rear end of the top plate. You can either stick it with a self adhesive pad (not included in the TBS Discovery Starter set) or attach it with a zip tie and foam pad. Make sure it’s tight enough. Do not use super glue because it will be difficult to remove the receiver afterward. OPTIONAL During flight the little receiver antenna is pushed against the edge of the top plate by the air downwash of the propellers. You may want to apply a little bit of electrical tape on the rear edge to protect that wire antenna from the sharp edge of the plate.
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B. Main Assembly GOAL : Plug the NAZA Servo cables (x5) in the servo pins under the top plate
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B. Main Assembly GOAL : Plug the NAZA Servo cables (x5) in the servo pins under the top plate
Pin under the top plate
POLARITY TRICK: Plug the Servo cables with the brown wire toward the edge
Make sure to respect the polarity when plugging the servo cables:
Brown goes on – Red goes on + Orange goes on ⎍
B.17 - In a previous step, five servo cables have been plugged into the NAZA MC slots (A, E, T, R, U). Grab the other end of these cables and connect them to the Top Plate bottom’s pin. Start with A in pin #1, E in #2, T in #3, R in #4 and U in #5. - Make sure to respect the correct polarity (see warning sign above)
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B. Main Assembly GOAL : Install the 2 velcro battery straps
TBS velcro battery straps
B.18 Insert the two battery straps in the dedicated slots (arrow on the photos above) on the rear of the bottom plate and close the straps using the velcro grip.
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C. Power On / Smoke Test GOAL : Check the critical points before doing the first power on test
ESCs
NAZA VU
XT60 battery cable
Rear Pin (to RC receiver)
Servo cables
Middle Pin (to NAZA)
C.1 At this point, the Disco is still messy with many loose parts and so on but the purpose of this first power on test is to check that everything is built correctly before going any further. Check the following critical points: - The XT60 battery pigtail cable is soldered correctly with red wire on + and black on – pads. Make sure it’s soldered on the battery pads and not on the ESC pads… - The 4 ESC cables are soldered correctly with red wire on + and black on – pads - The NAZA VU cables are soldered correctly with red wire on + and black on – pads - The 2 servos pins look clean without solder joint touching one another - The servo cables from the NAZA MC to the pin are plugged with the correct polarity - The servo cables from the RC receiver to the pin are plugged with the correct polarity
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C. Power On / Smoke Test GOAL : Prepare the Disco before power on
Make sure the antenna is plugged in the video transmitter. As a general rule, all radio transmitters must have their antenna attached before powering them on or it will damage the transmitter. C.2 Screw the small Spironet antenna on the video transmitter (TBS Rookie or TBS Greenhorn) C.3 Check the following points: - Propellers are NOT mounted - The motors and ESCs are connected together - All servo cables are plugged in the NAZA MC, the pins and the RC Receiver (GR-12) - GPS and NAZA VU are plugged in the NAZA MC - The 4 ESCs cables are plugged in the Motor slots of the NAZA MC - The pilot camera and video transmitter (Vtx) are plugged in - The video antenna (small Spironet) is screwed on the video transmitter
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C. Power On / Smoke Test GOAL : Power on the disco / Smoke test…
The 4S balance connector is only used when charging the battery
Plug
C.4 Plug a charged 4S battery to the Disco battery cable. The following thing should happen: - A loud spark sound will happen when the battery connector is plugged in - 4 tone sounds coming from he Naza - The VU Led will flash continuously - The core LEDs will light up - The motor may slightly move for half a second but they are not supposed to spin If smoke comes out of the Disco, the motors start spinning or any other crazy stuff, turn off the Disco by unplugging the battery cable…
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C. Power On / Smoke Test GOAL : Install the video receiver and antenna in the Fat Shark Dominator goggles
TBS 5.8GHz Dominator Rx 5.8GHz Spironet RX antenna
C.5 -
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Make sure the goggles are off (the battery in not plugged) Open the video receiver bay and insert the 5.8GHz video receiver (TBS Dominator Rx here) Close the receiver bay with the receiver hatch Screw on the big Spironet antenna
UNOFFICIAL tbs discovery Build Manual
C. Power On / Smoke Test GOAL : Power on the Fat Shark Dominator goggles and select the correct settings
C.6 - Plug the charged 2S battery in the power supply connector - Turn on the receiver with the ON/OFF switch button under the goggles - Switch between channels until reaching the best video link. Actually you may receive the video signal on several channels but there is only one channel with optimal quality.
Fat Shark 2S LiPo battery
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C. Power On / Smoke Test GOAL : Check the Pilot Cam orientation and set the camera with the remote control board
Remote control board to navigate through the camera menu. Must not be onboard the Discovery.
Unplug this cables at the end of the camera adjustment
UP
DOWN TBS59 camera inside its plate
Remote control board with buttons
C.7 -
Remove the pilot camera lens cap Power on the Discovery and the Fat Shark goggles. Select the right channel on the goggles If the video appears upside down in the goggles, flip the camera over and note the correct orientation of the pilot cam (what is up and what is down) - Use the remote control board to navigate through the menu and adjust the settings - Unplug the remote control board from the camera once you are done
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D. Center of Gravity Check & Closing • Before starting watch this videos about checking the Center of Gravity (CG): http://youtu.be/JZZE1G_bsIc
• Things needed in this section:
One 2 mm Hex (Allen) driver to screw on the M2.5 and M3 screws
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D. Center of Gravity Check & Closing GOAL : Understanding the Weight & Balance and Center of Gravity
The CG is a critical notion in aeronautic for all aircraft, from the TBS Disco to the Boeing 747. Each aircraft as a weight limit which is the maximum weight/payload that can be safely loaded in the aircraft allowing that one to take off and fly normally under various conditions. The other notion closely related to weight is the balance. The weight cannot be randomly distributed anywhere in the aircraft. For instance if the disco has a maximum payload capacity of 700 grams (battery + GoPro), those 700 grams must be distributed evenly between the front and the back of the quadcopter. If all the weight is loaded on the back, the Disco will be tail heavy and won’t be able to fly correctly. It would crash or flip over right after take off. Some may say that an unbalanced Disco can still fly. Yes it does but note that having your quad correctly balanced is very important and has an impact on the: - Flight performance: a well balance disco will fly better and be more responsive. - Endurance: when the weight is correctly balanced on the quadcopter, the flight controlled does not have to apply more power on one or two motors to compensate for bad weight distribution. In a well balanced disco, the lifting effort is evenly distributed between the motors saving power thus allowing longer flight time. - Vibration and Jello: for the same reason as mentioned before, the motors of a well balanced Discovery will work at nominal speed reducing the vibration and jello effect. So what’s next ? How do we balance the Discovery ? Actually it’s pretty simple. The discovery must be stable around it’s center of gravity. The CG must be found and the payload distributed evenly between the front and the back until the Discovery stays balanced. There is not many ways to distribute the weight on the Disco, the battery location plays a major role in this. Since the center spacers delimits the position of the battery, we can shift the weight distribution by moving the center spacers toward the front or the rear of the Disco. The HD video camera also contributes to the balance, a GoPro 2 is heavier than a GoPro 3.
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D. Center of Gravity Check & Closing GOAL : Locate the CG spot, 15 mm forward of the Center of Thrust Mark
Bottom Plate
Center of Thrust Mark
15mm
Center of Gravity location. This is not marked on the Disco. The CG spot is located 15 mm in front of the Center of Thrust mark
D.1 Locate the CG spot, 15 mm forward of the Center of Thrust Mark located under the bottom plate.
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D. Center of Gravity Check & Closing GOAL : Find the right spacers depending of your battery size
Spacers Position
Middle spacers: Good for 4S 3300-3700mAh battery
Battery D.2
NAZA MC
Forward spacers: Good for 4S 4000-4500mAh battery
Potential issue here with the large GPS connector
Install the middle spacers depending of your battery pack (see above) and the space left by the NAZA MC and its large GPS connector. When using a large battery (4000-4500mAh) the problem here is that these heavy batteries must be slide in as deep as possible in the disco or it will be tail heavy but the large GPS connector coming out from the NAZA MC is blocking the battery… I personally use the middle spacers despite my heavy 4S battery so I have put more weight in front of the Disco (GoPro HD2 + housing) to compensate. Actually I could have moved the NAZA MC a little bit further toward the front and use the forward spacers.
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D. Center of Gravity Check & Closing GOAL : Load the Disco with all the accessories/parts and close it with the top plate
D.3 Now that you have located the CG and adjusted the spacers, the idea here is to load the Disco in its final flight configuration, close it with the top plate and to check the center of gravity (CG): - Place the NAZA MC and between the white lines behind the Core. - Place the video Tx with the antenna on top of the Disco or where you want to attach it - Install the Pilot camera - Put the GPS Antenna on top of the Disco - Install the HD video camera (GoPro) with the TBS Loveseat in front of the Disco next to the pilot camera and secure it with rubber band. - Insert the battery all the way in and secure it with the velcro straps - Close the Discovery with the top plate, screw some spacers and arms using the M3 (spacers) and M2.5 (arms) screws. You don’t have to screw everything on for now because it will be reopen soon. Just a few points to secure the top plate while checking the CG. D.4 Lift the disco and put your finger or a pen right under the CG point of the quadcopter and check its balance. It should stable, more or less. If not, re-open the Disco, adjust the Spacers and Naza MC position and recheck again until you find the best balance. Watch this video: http://youtu.be/JZZE1G_bsIc
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D. Center of Gravity Check & Closing GOAL : Stick the NAZA Main Controller to the bottom plate using the self adhesive pad
Self adhesive Pad included in the NAZA bundle
Stick the Naza MC between the white lines and parallel to them
The arrow must point forward (toward the camera and core)
D.4 Using the self adhesive pad included in the NAZA box, stick the Naza MC on the bottom plate between the white lines. The little arrow must point forward, this is very important. Unplug some cables from the Naza MC if necessary and plug them all back after the operation.
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D. Center of Gravity Check & Closing GOAL : Check the Naza MC connections
D.5 Make sure all the cables are plugged in the Naza MC: - 5x Servo (A,E,T,R,U) - 2x VU (LED and X3) - 1x GPS (EPX.) - 4x Motors (M1,M2,M3,M4)
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D. Center of Gravity Check & Closing GOAL : Close the Disco with the Top Plate
D.6 - Unplug the video transmitter if needed to pass the cable through the arms - Insert the pilot camera plate in its slots on the bottom and top plate - Close the Disco with the top plate and screw all the arms and spacers down with the M2.5 (arms) and M3 (spacers) screws.
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E. Mounting the Video Tx and GPS Rx
• Things needed in this section:
Zip Tie
Super Glue
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One 2 mm Hex (Allen) driver to screw on the M2.5 and M3 screws
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E. Mounting the Video Tx and GPS Rx GOAL : Attach the Video Tansmitter (Vtx)
Piece of foam to reduce vibrations
Zip Tie
5V VTX cable plugged on the Vtx
E.1
TBS Rookie Video Tx mounted on the Flamewheel VTx Mount (this mount is not included in the Starter Set)
The photo above shows the TBS Rookie Vtx mounted on the Flamewheel VTx Mount. This mount is not included in the Discovery Starter Set but can be purchased on TBS website. Otherwise the Vtx can be mounted on the arm near the plates but make sure to let enough room for the propellers. - Place a piece of foam or any other dampening material between the video Tx and the mounting support. Isolating the video Tx from vibrations is very important because it helps to get a clean video signal output. - Use a zip tie to attach the Vtx and plug the 5V VTX cable. - Plug the video antenna (the small Spironet Antenna) on the video Tx. Never power on the Discovery without the antenna attached on the Vtx or it could damage the Vtx. 87
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E. Mounting the Video Tx and GPS Rx GOAL : Put together the GPS Mast Top / UP This side is for the GPS antenna Top Plate
Mast Self adhesive pads
Base or bottom plate BOTTOM / DOWN This side goes on the Discovery
E.2 - Apply a little bit of super glue on both ends of the mast and insert the mast in its top and bottom plates. - Let it dry 30 to 60 minutes
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E. Mounting the Video Tx and GPS Rx GOAL : Find out where to install the GPS Mast
Possible locations to screw the base of the GPS Mast on the Discovery E.3 - Find out where you want to install the GPS Mast. The base of the GPS mast can be screwed over the center spacers or one of the four arms. Only 2 screws are needed to mounted the GPS Mast. - Once you know where to install the GPS Mast, unscrew two of the M2.5 (arms) or M3 (spacers) screws, place the GPS base and screw everything back along with the arm or spacers. You can also stick the base on the Discovery by using one of the self adhesive pad included in the NAZA bundle. I used the center spacers location to screw the GPS mast but it all depends of your setup and other equipment location (eg. position of the VTx and video antenna, etc.). 89
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E. Mounting the Video Tx and GPS Rx GOAL : Stick the GPS antenna on the mast with the self adhesive pad
Apply the self adhesive pad on top of the GPS mast.
1
3
Stick the GPS antenna
2
Make sure the arrow and the GPS cable points forward
E.4 - Once the mast if firmly mounted on the discovery, apply the self adhesive pad on the top plate of the mast - Stick the GPS antenna with the little arrow and GPS cable FACING FORWARD. This is critical to ensure correct flight performance.
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F. Programing the RC Transmitter (Mx-12 HoTT) GOAL : Insert the micro SD card in the battery compartment of the radio
F.1 The SD card contains the languages files and is also used to save the settings of the radio. - Open the battery compartment - Remove the battery and insert the micro SD card which is included in the radio bundle - Place the battery back in and close the battery compartment
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F. Programing the RC Transmitter (Mx-12 HoTT) GOAL : Change the menu language on the Graupner Mx-12 HoTT radio
2 Hold the AND the to enter into the hidden menu
button
F.2 Unless you speak German, you will want to change the menu language. This procedure is explained at page 26 to 28 of the Graupner Mx-12 HoTT english manual. Very important: recharge the battery before starting because a power failure during the update procedure could fucked up the radio software. 1 Here are the steps to follow: 1. Turn on the radio and select RF OFF 2. Press and hold the left and right 3 to enter into the hidden menu 3. Select Firmware update 4. Select your language and wait until Firmware Upgrade Success shows up, then the radio will self-restart. 4
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F. Programing the RC Transmitter (Mx-12 HoTT) GOAL : Introduction to model setting and binding
Main Menu F.3 The Graupner RC transmitter is an advanced radio that can store many different settings and models (aircrafts). The RC transmitter comes with the GR-12 receiver and they are already bound together by default (factory settings) Binding means that the RC transmitter (the radio) and the RC receiver (the GR-12) on the model aircraft have been instructed to work and “talk” together. This is not very important at this point but I could be significant later on when: - The user wants to control different model aircrafts with the same radio. It will be necessary to bind and program each receiver/radio couple. For instance if you have one Discovery, one helicopter and an airplane. Each model has different flight characteristics and must be programmed differently. This radio can handle that and save many models in its memory - The other reason of binding is to avoid interference with other transmitters. The binding procedure allows the receiver to know what is the correct radio, or said otherwise who is the right master who talk to her. As I said earlier, the Mx-12 HoTT transmitter/receiver combo comes pre-bound by default so we are just going to go through the model settings and select the correct options for the Discovery. However, if you have deleted the default model by mistake or want to create another one, check the instructions at the end of this section or the “RX bind” procedure at page 82 of the transmitter’s English manual.
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F. Programing the RC Transmitter (Mx-12 HoTT) GOAL : Check the model mode (must be in Fixed-wing mode) 1
2
3
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F.4
First screen when the radio is turned on. It shows that model #1 is selected along with the type of model (Fixed-wing in this case but it could be helicopter)
1. Select “mod.mem” on the main menu 2. Select “Select model” 3. By default, there should be only one model in the memory. The number 01 with the little airplane and R06. Make sure the little airplane icon is here and not a little helicopter otherwise we would have to create another model, select airplane mode (fixed wing) and go through the binding procedure before beginning to adjust the model’s settings. 4. If you have the little airplane , everything is fine. Don’t do anything and exit to the main menu. This little icon can also be seen on the first screen next to the model number. If you have deleted the default model by mistake or want to create another one, check the instruction at the end of this section or the “RX bind” procedure at page 82 of the transmitter’s English manual.
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F. Programing the RC Transmitter (Mx-12 HoTT) GOAL : Select the correct settings for the TBS Discovery in the model menu (base sett.)
Main Menu
Model Menu (base sett.) This menu continues. Scroll down to select the options.
F.5 We are going to select the right settings in the model menu (base sett.) for the TBS Discovery. Many settings are correct by default so I’m just going to talk about the one that must be changed or checked: - Select “base sett.” from the main menu to enter into the model menu - Select “mod name” and enter the name of your model (TBS Disco for instance) - Stick mode: this setting changes the stick combination, keep 1 for now - Motor at C1: NO - Tail type: Normal - Aile/flap: 1aile - Rx bind: this one should be on R06. It means that the transmitter and receiver are bound together. If there is --- instead of R06, the binding is not active. You must bind the receiver (check a few pages below and page 82 of the transmitter’s English manual)
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F. Programing the RC Transmitter (Mx-12 HoTT) GOAL : Select and program a position switch for the flight modes 2
1
CTRL10 switch
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4
F.6 The purpose of the position switch is to toggle between the 3 flight modes of the Discovery (GPS, Attitude, Manual). 1. Enter into the main menu and select “contr set.” 2. Select I5 and press the SET button 3. Move the CTRL 10 switch if you want to select this one or the CTRL9 switch on the other side of the remote control transmitter. Note that it must be one of these two CTRL switch. It can not be SW1 or SW3. 4. The CTRL10 is now selected. You can exit the menu. 96
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F. Programing the RC Transmitter (Mx-12 HoTT) OPTIONAL GOAL : Bind the Transmitter and the Receiver (GR-12) 3
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OPTIONAL This procedure shows how to bind the transmitter and the receiver together. It can be necessary if: - You have deleted the default model - The default model is not in Fixed-Wing mode but in Helicopter mode - You want to add another model and receiver to your transmitter Important: to complete binding the transmitter and receiver must be 1 meter (3 feet) apart. Follow these steps: 1. Power on the Discovery (plug the battery) 2. Enter into the main menu and select “base sett.” 3. Scroll down to “rx bind” 4. Press AND hold the set button on the GR-12 receiver which should be plugged in your Discovery by now 5. While you are still holding the set button on the receiver, press the set button on the transmitter 6. If the receiver LED glows a constant green within about ten seconds, then the binding process has been completed successfully; you can now release the receiver’s SET button. R06 should now appears on the rx bind line in your model settings This procedure if described more in depth in the “RX bind” section at page 82 of the transmitter’s English manual.
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G. Installing NAZA Assistant Software and Driver GOAL : Install the NAZA software on a windows computer (not Apple compatible)
G.1 The NAZA software are only compatible with windows computers. • Watch this video: http://youtu.be/CNVL_l82b-I To sum up you will need to install the assistant software and the driver.
• -
Here are the links to download the software NAZA M Lite NAZA M NAZA M V2
• Make sure you have to correct firmware version and update the firmware if necessary before going any further.
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H. Configuring the NAZA Software (Naza M Lite) GOAL : Connect the Discovery to the computer and launch the Naza assistant software
USB port on the NAZA VU
Pop-up windows that shows up on the Graupner Mx-12 HoTT RC Transmitter when turned on. Select ON to activate the radio transmission. H.1 1. Turn on the RC transmitter and select RF ON to activate the radio transmission. Make sure that model #01 with the correct settings is selected on your RC transmitter. 2. Power on the Discovery (plug the battery) 3. Connect the Discovery to the computer using the Naza USB cable. The cable goes into the Naza VU which should be attached on the arm of the Discovery. 4. Launch the Naza assistant software on your computer At this point, the propellers should not be mounted on the motors. This is a critical safety issue. Props will be installed at the end of the build.
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H. Configuring the NAZA Software (Naza M Lite) GOAL : Enter the position of the GPS
Instructions H.2 In a previous step, you must have attached your GPS somewhere on the Discovery. The idea here is to tell the software where the GPS is located in relation to the center of gravity. Remember that the center of gravity is located 15 mm in front of the center of thrust mark below the discovery. Take the measurement from the center of gravity to the GPS antenna. Watch these videos (it’s not a Disco but the principle is exactly the same): • http://youtu.be/9WgEcoDRL3o • http://youtu.be/kXv34H5LV2c (don’t do the calibration dance for now) • Click WRITE at the end of each changes to make sure it’s saved 100
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H. Configuring the NAZA Software (Naza M Lite) GOAL : Select the type of motor mixer
H.3 - Select Quad-rotor X - Click WRITE to save
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H. Configuring the NAZA Software (Naza M Lite) GOAL : Select the receiver and cut off type
H.4 - Receiver Type: Tradition - Cut Off Type: Intelligent - Click WRITE to save
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H. Configuring the NAZA Software (Naza M Lite) GOAL : Configure and calibrate the command sticks
H.5 We are going to assign the correct command to each axis of the RC transmitter. Making sure that Throttle commands Throttle, aileron commands aileron, etc. At this point, if not done already, the Disco must be powered on, connected to the computer and the RC transmitter must be turned on as well with the RF ON (pop up window at the beginning). Make sure that the model #01 is selected on the radio (the model which as been configured earlier in this manual).
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H. Configuring the NAZA Software (Naza M Lite) GOAL : Configure and calibrate the command sticks
RUDDER (R)
AILERON (A)
THROTTLE (T)
ELEVATOR (E)
H.6 Here is a possible stick command combination. This is not mandatory but this configuration seems to be common among FPV pilots and it’s the one I use. The next steps will be based on this stick configuration.
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H. Configuring the NAZA Software (Naza M Lite) GOAL : Configure and calibrate the command sticks
H.7 - Move the sticks in all directions and see whether or not the sticks control the correct command based on the configuration seen on the previous page. - You can run a Calibration by clicking on the START button. Watch this video: http://youtu.be/4i_QaBQm-IA?t=5m47s - Note that the instructions are written on the right panel
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H. Configuring the NAZA Software (Naza M Lite) GOAL : Configure and calibrate the command sticks
RUDDER (R)
AILERON (A)
THROTTLE (T)
ELEVATOR (E)
What do we do if the sticks do not command the right axis ? For instance if the Throttle (T) controls the Elevator (E) or the Aileron (A) controls the Rudder (R). There are two ways to correct this situation: 1. By changing the servo assignments on the RC transmitter radio (software solution) 2. By swapping the servo cables until you find the right combination (physical solution)
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H. Configuring the NAZA Software (Naza M Lite) GOAL : Configure and calibrate the command sticks 2
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Use the Naza software to check in real time the result of the channel reassignment.
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4
H.8 OPTION 1: Changing the servo assignments on the RC transmitter radio 1. On the main menu, go on “base sett.” 2. Change the “stick mode” combination, try the 4 combinations and check in real time which one works best for you in the Naza assistant software. 3. If necessary scroll down on the “base sett.” menu and select “receiv out” 4. Here you can re-assign each servo channel. For instance make servo 4 controls servo 2, etc.
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H. Configuring the NAZA Software (Naza M Lite) GOAL : Configure and calibrate the command sticks
H.9 OPTION 2: Swapping the Servo Cables Swap the servo cables until you find the right combination. The best location to do that is on the inside pin of the Discovery but it can also be done on the RC Receiver (GR-12). In the previous section (B. Main assembly) the servo cables should have been plugged as follow between the NAZA MC slots, the middle pin (photo above) and all the way to the RC receiver: - A in pin #1 - E in pin #2 - T in pin #3 - R in pin #4 - U in pin #5 So let’s say the Throttle (T) controls the Aileron (A). You just need to swap these two servo cables and since you know that Throttle is pin #3 and Aileron is pin #1 , you just need to swap the servo cables on pin #3 and #1, etc.
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H. Configuring the NAZA Software (Naza M Lite) GOAL : Configure and calibrate the command sticks
H.10 Once the channels have been correctly assigned and match the sticks input on the RC transmitter there are two more things to do: - Make sure the channels are moving in the right direction (are not reversed). Look at the right panel called “Slide Moving Definition” to check the correct slide direction. If you identify a reversed channel click on the NORM button next to the channel in the Naza software. The button will turn REV and the channel will be reversed to the correct position. - When all channels are correct, do a final calibration by pressing the START button, moving all the sticks on your RC tx and press FINISH in the Naza software. • Everything is explained in this video: http://youtu.be/4i_QaBQm-IA
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H. Configuring the NAZA Software (Naza M Lite) GOAL : Configure the 3 position switch (GPS, Attitude, Manual)
H.11 In a previous section (F. Programing the RC Transmitter) we have programmed the 3 position switch on the RC transmitter. It was the CTRL 10 switch on the upper right corner of the radio. The target here is to finely tune the end points of this switch in order to be able to toggle between the different flight modes (GPS, Attitude, Manual) We are going change the end point values on the RC transmitter and control the result in real time on the Naza assistant software. • Check these videos: http://youtu.be/YGCasrSvRtY https://vimeo.com/68952957
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H. Configuring the NAZA Software (Naza M Lite) GOAL : Configure the 3 position switch (GPS, Attitude, Manual) 1
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H.12 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
In a previous step we have set the CTRL10 position switch on I5 Select “servo set.” on the main menu. Scroll down to the S5 line. Make sure the CTRL10 switch is in the middle position. Press SET and adjust the value until the cursor hit the in the Naza software. Find the middle point (eg. If the is blue between +3 and + 9, select +6). Press SET to exit. 6. Move to the right to select the two 100% 7. Move the CTRL10 switch on the forward position (toward you). Moving the switch from the middle position toward you will select only one 100% on the radio menu. 8. Press SET and adjust the value until the cursor hit .Find the middle point and press SET to exit. 9. Move the CTRL10 switch on the rear position. Moving the switch from the forward position to the rear position will select the last 100% on the radio menu. 10. Press SET and adjust the value until the cursor hit .Find the middle point and press SET to exit.
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H. Configuring the NAZA Software (Naza M Lite) GOAL : Configure Failsafe/RTH on the RC Transmitter (Graupner Mx-12 HoTT) 1
2
2
3
4
5
6
H.13 1. Put the CTRL10 switch in the middle position (Attitude) and go to the “servo sett.” menu. 2. Scroll down to line S5 and select the first value that has been adjusted in the previous page. Write down this value somewhere (on a paper or something). Press SET and change the value until the cursor reach in the Naza software. Find the middle point (eg. If the is blue between -20 and -40 , select -30). Press SET to exit. 3. Come back to the main menu and select “fail-safe” 4. Adjust servo 1 to 5 on the upper position (POS). Channel 6 which is not used stays on hold 5. Go to the bottom right corner icon STO and store the new settings (press SET) 6. Come back to the “servo sett” menu (step 1). Go to line S5 (step 2) and re-enter the original value (the one which has been saved on step 2).
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H. Configuring the NAZA Software (Naza M Lite) GOAL : Check the 3 positions switch and failsafe with the Naza assistant software
CTRL10 in forward position: GPS
CTRL10 in middle position: ATTITUDE
CTRL10 in rear position: MANUAL
Turn off the radio: FAIL-SAFE
None of the control channel should slide when moving the position switch H.14 Check the 3 positions switch and fail-safe in the Naza assistant software. Important: the position switch must be set in that order GPS/Attitude/Manual or it will be impossible to access the calibration mode later on.
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H. Configuring the NAZA Software (Naza M Lite) GOAL : Select the Failsafe/RTH method in the Naza Assistant Software
H.15
Consult the NAZA user manual for more information about fail-safe/RTH
You can select two types of Fail-Safe methods in the Naza Software: • 1. Landing: when the RC signal is lost the Discovery will hover for 6 seconds and land at its current position (you better not be above the water or the highway...) • 2. Go home and landing: when the RC signal is lost the Discovery will fly back to the take off position. To do so, you will have to wait to have a good satellite lock before take off (at least one green and one red light) or the Discovery Naza MC won’t be able to record the take off position. Note that the go home and landing will occurs differently if the Discovery is below or above 20 meters (60 feet) from its take off altitude when the RC signal is lost: - Below 20 meters from the recorded take off altitude: the Disco will climb to 20 meters come back at this altitude and land at the take off position - Above 20 meters: the disco will stay at the current altitude (eg.150 meters), come back and land 114
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H. Configuring the NAZA Software (Naza M Lite) GOAL : Enter the gain values
TBS default gain for the Disco starter Set with 900Kv motors and 9x5 props: 166/135/131/179 and 188/176
H.16 Gain values must be adjusted depending of the weight, type of engines and props, etc but here are some indications: Trappy's DJI NASA 900KV 9x5 4S3300mAh settings - 166/135/131/179 and 188/176 Trappy's DJI NAZA MT4006-13 740KV 10x5 settings - 150/155/120/100 and 125/125 Trappy's DJI NASA 750KV 10x5 4S3300mAh settings - 134/109/93/198 and 183/143 mechnan's DJI NAZA fine tuned settings - 117/101/200/180 and 110/110 rcschim's DJI NAZA settings - 125/125/125/125 and 110/110 MidwestRob's MT2216 900KV DJI ESC settings - 150/135/125/125 and 140/125 WiseDuck's NAZA DJI motors and ESC - 150/150/150/100 with 40% expo on pitch, roll, throttle DesJardins´s DJI NAZA 900KV 9x5 141/141/120/120 and 91/91 Bluebird1500´s DJI NAZA 900KV 9x5 4S4000 30A - 155/125/120/165 and 145/135 Hover´s DJI NAZA 900KV 9x5 HK 30A SK 130/125/130/160 and 150/145 115
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H. Configuring the NAZA Software (Naza M Lite) GOAL : Select gimbal OFF in the Naza assistant software
H.17 There is no gimbal on the regular Discovery. Select OFF.
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H. Configuring the NAZA Software (Naza M Lite) GOAL : Select the voltage protection method in the Naza assistant software
H.18 I do not use this function because it seems to be potentially problematic. I prefer to have a dead battery than a lost aircraft so I turned this option OFF but feel free to read the NAZA manual and turn it back on.
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I. Checking Motors Rotation GOAL : Start the motors
Combination Stick Commands (CSC)
I.1 IMPORTANT: make sure the propellers are not attached on the motors !!! Unplug the Discovery from the computer and turn it off (unplug the battery) Turn on the RC Transmitter and select RF ON Power on the Discovery (Plug the battery, make sure it’s charged) Execute one of the Combination Stick Commands (CSC) to start the motors: move the left and right stick in one of the combination shown above. - Repeat one of the CSC to turn off the motors. Note that holding the throttle all the way down for a few seconds also turns the motors off when the Cut-off type is programmed in “Intelligent Mode” in the Naza Software. -
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I. Checking Motors Rotation GOAL : Check and adjust the motor rotation
I.2 The motors must spin in the right direction. Look at the correct rotation (black arrows) on the picture above: Motor 1 (M1) and Motor 3 (M3) must rotate counterclockwise while M2 and M4 must be clockwise. Turn off the Disco and swap the ESC cables if the rotation is not correct. You can try different combinations until finding the right rotation (start by swapping the 2 outer cables). There is not risk of short circuit. Watch this video: http://youtu.be/lqS1Ggl1Wok 119
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I. Checking Motors Rotation OPTIONAL GOAL : Balancing the motors
Electrical Tape
OPTIONAL This step is not mandatory but it can help to reduce the vibrations and get a video footage free of jello. Everything is explained in this video: http://youtu.be/LnZQ8aPqPsk - Vibrations apps on Iphone (iSeismometer, Vibration, Vibrometer) - Vibrations apps on Android (Seismograph, Vibration Meter, Seismometer, Max Vibrometer)
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J. Installing the Propellers OPTIONAL GOAL : Balancing the propellers
A Graupner propeller installed on the TBS prop balancer OPTIONAL This step is not mandatory but it can help to reduce the vibrations and get a video footage free of jello. A propeller balancer is needed to balance the props. Check these links: • • • • •
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Link 1 and Link 2 Video 1, Video 2, Video 3 TBS Prop Balancer Du Bro Tru Spin balancer, and here Balacing with Du Bro Tru Spin, Video 1 and Video 2
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J. Installing the Propellers GOAL : Mount the propellers on the motors
Props marked with L must be mounted on motors 2 and 4
J.1 - Put the clockwise propellers (the one with L) on motors M2 and M4 - Put the other propellers on M1 and M4
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J. Installing the Propellers GOAL : Screw on the propellers on the motors
Washer
M5 (lock) nut
Bell Screw (Prop Cone)
J.2 1. Insert the washer above the propeller 2. Screw on the M5(lock) nut 3. Screw on the bell screw (Prop Cone). This prop cone is optional and it can be removed (actually getting rid of it may even help to reduce vibrations and jello)
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K. Calibrating the NAZA Compass GOAL : Do the calibration dance !
The 3 positions switch or control mode switch
K.1 1. Go outside to an area far from any magnetic disturbance (car, building and any kind of metallic structure) 2. Do not carry cell phone, keys or any metallic objects during the calibration procedure 3. Turn on the RC tx, select RF ON and turn on the Discovery 4. Quickly switch the position switch from Manual Mode to GPS Mode and back to Manual Mode for 6 to 10 times, The LED indicator (on the NAZA VU) will turn to constantly yellow. 5. Rotate your aircraft around the horizontal axis (about 360 degrees) until the LED changes to constant green and then go to the next step. 6. Hold your aircraft vertically and rotate it (its nose is downward) around the vertical axis (about 360 degrees) until the LED turns off, meaning the calibration is finished. 7. The LED indicator will show whether the calibration was successful or not. - If the calibration was successful, calibration mode will exit automatically. - If the LED keeps flashing quickly Red, the calibration has failed. Switch the control mode switch one time to cancel the calibration, and then re-start from step 4. Watch these videos: • http://youtu.be/9WgEcoDRL3o?t=2m39s • http://youtu.be/d0MnEBc4R3c • http://youtu.be/kXv34H5LV2c?t=3m16s Check the NAZA manual for more information: NAZA Lite, NAZA-M, NAZA-M V2
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L. Calibrating the TBS Bulletproof ESCs OPTIONAL GOAL : Calibrate the ECS
OPTIONAL If the Discovery encounters unsynchronized start of motors or is unstable during flights you may need to re-calibrate the ESCs. Watch this official TBS video: https://vimeo.com/62973278
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8. Flying the TBS Discovery
8.1 Training with a Micro Quadcopter For $40 you can train with the Hubsan X4 micro quadcopter. Everything is included in the box (4 channels RC Transmitter, rechargeable battery, charger, spare props, etc.). This little baby comes ready to fly, the control stick and axis are the same as of the real discovery. It is extremely light which makes it very crash resistant. Actually I found this micro quad harder to fly than the Disco. If you can master the Hubsan X4 you will have no problem to pilot the Discovery.
Hubsan X4 Micro quad compared to the TBS Discovery
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8.2 Flight Modes (GPS/Attitude/Manual) The purpose of configuring the three positions switch (or control switch) is to toggle between the three flight modes of the Naza flight controller. Basically the GPS and Attitude mode assist you during the flight. It’s like driving a car full of driving assistance and protective systems (ABS, ESP, etc.) or flying a modern fly by wire airplane such as the Airbus A320. In GPS and attitude mode the Naza MC will assist you and stabilize the Discovery automatically. On the other hand the Manual mode is a non assisted flight mode that allows to do crazy stuff but without the benefit of flight assistance. For advanced pilots only. • GPS mode: this is the most assisted flight mode. The Discovery will maintain its exact position and altitude if the pilot don’t give any order. You can literally put your hands off the radio and the disco will hover at the current position and altitude. Of course the GPS mode only works when you have a good GPS satellite reception. Check the Naza VU Led status to know about the current satellite lock (see next page). If the satellite reception is lost the Naza Mc will revert to attitude mode. • Attitude mode: same as GPS except that there is no position hold. For instance on a windy day the Discovery will be stable and hover automatically but it will drift because of the wind. • Manual mode: the most demanding mode in term of pilot skills. This unassisted mode allows to push the Discovery further into acrobatic flights and wild performances. Note that you can fly and switch in real time between these modes. I recommend to begin to fly in GPS and then gradually switch to attitude and manual while gaining experience.
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8.3 NAZA LED description (Naza M Lite)
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8.4 First Flight - Find an wide open location free from people, obstacles, threes, power lines, dust and distractions (e.g., garden or park.). The flight conditions should be calm with only a light breeze. - Perform a quick check list and check that everything is in places: all servos cables, camera cable, video transmitter cable, the video antenna, the connection between the ESCs and the motors, the propellers are firmly attached and the battery is all the way in and secured. - Turn on your RC Transmitter first and select RF ON - Power on the Discovery (plug the battery) - Put the position switch in GPS mode (don’t do Manual mode, it’s to hard at the beginning) - Wait for the Naza VU LED light to be completely green meaning that the GPS has full satellite lock. You can also try to fly in attitude mode. - With all the essentials checked, stand about 5 meters (15 feet) behind the quadcopter with the camera facing away from you. - Execute one of the Combination Stick Commands (CSC) to start the motors
Combination Stick Commands (CSC) to start and turn off the motors
- Slowly raise the throttle stick and when the propellers start to spin, make sure they rotate in the right direction and the propeller type is correct (right-hand or left-hand turn.) - Raise the throttle to about 50% where the quadcopter should start to lift-off and hover. Control the hover by primarily using the aileron and elevator sticks. - Remember, only small stick movements. If the stick works in the opposite direction than expected, invert the channel in Naza software or RC Tx. - After the quadcopter has been tweaked to stay still in a hover and fly true, turn on the FPV equipment and do a range test to verify that the video link is reliable. Visual inspect the area to pick out noteworthy landmarks and use these to orient yourself once your are in the air. Get a friend or assistant to be your spotter during the entire session. - While still flying line of sight (LOS), takeoff and hover the quadcopter as normal, attain reasonable altitude, and with the video goggles ready on your head, put them on (or turn to the display) to engage in FPV flight. If the picture gradually weakens (noise blends in) or video suddenly drops, increase altitude and return to home, as this normally indicates that you fly at the edge of the video range or behind obstacles, respectively.
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9. Definitions and Acronyms
ESC: Electronic Speed Controller, RSSI: Relative Signal Strength Indicator, OSD: On Screen Display, RF: Radio Frequency EMI: ElectroMagnetic Interference Disco: TBS Discovery quadcopter LC filter: or low pass filter Flight controller: usually NAZA, GPS: Ground Positioning System FPV: First Person View, RC device with direct onboard view UHF: Ultra High Frequency, a radio band between 300 MHz - 3 GHz. In FPV, UHF means that you are using the UHF 433 MHz frequency for your remote flight control link Jello Effect: unstable video footage due to onboard vibrations Stock and Tuned: Stock is said from an original product, Tuned is for improved product LiPo: Lithium-Polymer battery, 2S, 3S, 4S: LiPo Battery category NAZA: see flight controller IMU: Inertial Measurement Unit, instrument used for automated stabilization and control. Contains various gyroscopes and accelerometers Gyros: Gyroscopes, measure change of motion on various axis (usually 3) Accelerometer: measure the acceleration Baro: Barometer, measure the change of atmospheric pressure, used to indicate the altitude DIY: Do It Yourself, Atti: Attitude mode is a semi-manual mode where the pilot is assisted by the flight controller as opposed to the manual mode. COT: Center of Thrust CG: Center of Gravity CM: Center of Mass MTOW: Maximum Take-Off Weight W&B or Weight and Balance: each aircraft has a MTOW but the mass but be evenly distributed onboard the aircraft. If your plane can carry up to 100 grams of payload it probably can’t have it all in the back or in the front. The weight must be distributed to keep the aircraft balanced around its center of gravity.
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PSU: Power Supply Unit, PMU: Power Management Unit (PMU) is a microcontroller that governs power functions of digital platforms. BEC: Battery Eliminator Circuit LVC: Low-Voltage-Cutoff VU: Variable Unit Servo : is an actuator used to move parts of the aircraft (e.g. ailerons, flaps, etc.) LOS or VLOS: Line Of Sight or Visual LOS is used to described the needs of having an unobstructed link between the radio transmitter and receivers. The high frequency like the light and 2.4 , 5.8 GHz do not penetrate well the objects. Make sure that nothings comes between your Rx and Tx or you’ll lost the signal. dBi: antenna gain, measure the directivity of an antenna in relation to an isotropic radiator (antenna) dBd: antenna gain, measure the directivity of an antenna in relation to a diploe antenna. You can convert dBi and dBd by adding or subtracting 2.14dB (dBd = dBi 2.14dB or dBi = dBd + 2.14dB) dBiC: dB(isotropic Circular), the forward gain of an antenna compared to a circularly polarized isotropic antenna. There is no fixed conversion rule between dBiC and dBi, as it depends on the receiving antenna and the field polarization. Omni or Omnidirectional: term to define an antenna which is capable of sending and receiving signal in all directions as opposed to directional antennas that must be aimed at the aircraft. Directional: see Omni above, direction antenna usually have a great range but must be aimed at the aircraft manually or automatically (antenna tracker) Patch antenna: flat directional antenna Yagi: or Yagi-Uda is a type of directional antenna SPW: Skew-Planar Wheel, type of circular polarized antenna, has 4 lobs Cloverleaf: type of circular polarized antenna, has 3 lobs CP: Circular Polarization RHCP: Right-Hand Circular Polarization, see multipath, LHCP: Left-Hand Circular Polarization, see multipath Multipath: bad radio signal propagation, see here SMA: type of antenna connectors, can be male or female (see RP-SMA) AGL: Above Ground Level, altitude indicated in relation to the ground level MSL or ASL: Mean Sea Level or Above Sea Level altitude; altitude indicated in relation to the sea level . If you are standing on top of a 5000 feet high mountain, you are 5000 feet MSL/ASL and 0 feet AGL !
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Rx: Receiver, device that receive a signal (e.g. video goggles) Tx: Transmitter, device that transmit a signal (e.g remote control radio) Vtx: Video transmitter Vrx: Video receiver Rtx: Remote control transmitter Rrx: Remote control receiver RC Tx: Remote Control Transmitter (the radio) RTF: Ready To Fly, combo package that includes everything (e.g. Disco Starter Set) ARF: Almost Ready to FLY, does not contain everything, you will need additional equipment (e.g. RC Transmitters, battery, etc.) HoTT: Hopping Telemetry Transmission, a proprietary FHSS technology developed and implemented by Graunpner on its RC Transmitter and receiver FASST: Futaba Advanced Spread Spectrum Technology, a proprietary FHSS technology developed and implemented by Futaba on its RC Transmitter and receiver Diversity: a system made to connect and get the best signal out of 2 or more antennas PID: Proportional Integral Derivative is a way to implement a control loop, in this case keeping the multirotor stable while external forces (gravity, wind) acts on the system. To get to the point, PID gains are what you configure in the NAZA Assistant under the Autopilot section, the manual has a table with suggested gains for the DISCO. With correctly tuned gains you will get an agile but still smooth flying copter. More info about PID here. ISM: The industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) radio bands are radio bands (portions of the radio spectrum) reserved internationally for the use of radio frequency (RF) energy for industrial, scientific and medical purposes other than telecommunications. Examples of applications in these bands include radio-frequency process heating, microwave ovens, and medical diathermy machines. CSC: Combination Stick Commands. Stick movements on the radio that starts the motors
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