AutoQuad has a number of products in prototype: a new ESC32, the v3, a power distribution board the PDB although that is a understatement of the capabilities and the AutoQuad 7. The latter is a study and unsure of it will go in production given the new M4 is already a very spectacular flightcontroler.
Anyway, i wanted to build a light X8 with the new products to be used as a showcase and simply fun to build.
As a frame some simple GFK plates are used, cut with a dremel powertool and painted in AutoQuad red.
Between the centerplates the AutoQuad PDB is placed.
- Frame plates 1
- Frame plates 2
The white wire is the CAN bus connection to the AutoQuad FC
The AutoQuad PDB
This is a new beauty Bill designed: The PDB.
A motherboard with 150A+ power distribution, 16 CAN ports, 14 PWM ports, high power LED ports, OSD, 150A current sensor, 3 serial ports, 2 video switches, audio out, 2 x I2C and all connected via dual CAN ports to the AutoQuad FC’s.
Basically you attached everything you have to the PDB and only the CAN wire / power goes to the FC, very very clean.
It also makes swapping between FC's very easy if needed, connect a AQ6 with CAN, or connect the M4, 1S power from the PDB and CAN thats it.
The PDB can use up to 40V input and has an Xbee mount on the bottom.
I placed a XBee bluetooth module on it and made a virtual comport redirection from the FC to the Xbee so telemetry / mavlink is available though the FC-CAN-PDB virtual comport channel.
- Xbee
- Xbee 2
- ESC32v3
AutoQuad ESC32 v3
The next version of the ESC32 is simply called v3. It brings up to 40V input and has a switching regulator for the logics so it can be powered from the mains without loss or heat.
As with the v2, the logics can also be powered from an 5V channel, as I have done using the CAN connector on the PDB that carries GND/5V/CAN-l/CAN-H.
It has an microUSB port, CAN, I2C, PWM and a powerful STM32F307 mcu.
Freewheeling / regenerative breaking, voice output through the motor wiring (how cool is that). etc etc.
it is unbelievable fast in response, the change in RPM response is very noticeable compared to the v2.
Wiring of the PDB, bottom layer with the first 4 ESC32's.
- PDB-Bottom_1
- PDB-Bottom_2
An X8 is basically a dual QUAD in coax mode. Rotors on top and bottom. It will provide basic redundancy so a part of the thrust may be lost. ie an motor, prop etc but not two on the same arm.
Most X8 configurations can loose one propulsion but more will require intervention from the flightcontroller.
The flightcontroller will need to know which of the arms is losing thrust so it can adapt. AutoQuad using ESC32 will now the status of the ESC/motor/prop 400 times per second and the Quatos adaptive controller algoritms can adapt to it. Well, that is the idea anyway.
All esc32′s are connected on the CAN bus through the PDB. Both the PDB and Flightcontroller will have the telemetry information from the ESC32′s.
AutoQuad 7
The X8 is intended to use the nano size M4 but that is currently occupied in another frame so I installed the AutoQuad 7 FC that is still in development study. I dont use all of its new features because a lot of it is done by the PDB. The only connection between the PDB and the AutoQuad 7 is done with the CAN bus. The AutoQuad 7 fc is only using power, can bus and the direct connection from the (Graupner HoTT) receiver. The HoTT Telemetry is also run on the PDB.
- AutoQuad 7_1
Not a lot of connections:) power, radio and CAN bus only.
- AutoQuad 7_2
HoTT telemetry
I ported the HoTT telemetry to the PDB fw, not all because I still need to develop a efficient method of retrieving/pushing the params and waypoints through CAN but all other data is available. The OSD was already pulling some telemetry and that was extended to all that HoTT needs.
The PDB features an 150A current sensor, that is now used instead of the external sensor.
- HoTT
HoTT telemetry, ESC32 v3 detected
The PDB firmware is enhanced to accept CAN messages for the signaling, the ESC32′s telemetry and pwm signal passthrough. That is needed so the flight controller can use the CAN bus to control LEDS and the gimbal tilt/pitch/roll.
The Quatos adaptive controller is using the custom profile from this X8 so it nows its inertia momentum and geometric configuration. A lot of tuning wend into it but after that is is only an 4 param dial instead of the numerous possibilities of an PID controller.
For the motormounts I made a PCB with Leds. The LEDS are connected via the PDB to the CAN bus. The AutoQuad signaling code is now controlling them via CAN commands.
- Motormount
Building it all up
- finished_1
- finished_2
All upweight as pictures 2342gram, so just within the hobby limits of the 2.5kg Quatos license
- finished_3
Before changing the gimbal to a larger gimbal for compact cams I wanted to test the redundancy and the firmware was temporary changed to allow shutdown motors in flight.
As gimbal a RCTimer gimbal was bought in a flashsale, couldn't resist the $80. It turned out a very nice gimbal indeed.
The basecame controller was already for the GoPro and OlliW had a new project, the STorM32. That looked very nice and very very cheap ($35). Ordered and received.
- Gimbal_1
I needed to see how the vibrations would turn out, using the new gimbal and a compacts cam with a slightly zoomed in lens to avoid the props. So a small wood adapter plate was needed
It was clear that needed to be improved, a new plate was made from GFK where the gimbal is now applying pressure on the anti vibration balls.
- Gimbal_2
- Gimbal_3
With larger gimbal and compact cam All weight up flying 2774 gram / 14min flighttime
