Project Description
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After all of my parts arrived, I began building the drone according to the step-by-step process below:
1. Attach battery carriage & standoffs to drone 2. Attach flight controller to drone 3. Attach motors to each wing and solder wires to corresponding pads on flight controller 4. Solder receiver to flight controller 5. Solder video transmitter to flight controller and receiver 6. Add capacitor between battery leads 7. Solder camera cables to flight controller 8. Test continuity across flight controller 9. Attach camera to 3D-printed holster 10. Attach camera holster to drone 11. Download firmware onto drone 12. Test motors 13. Adjust motor direction and ranges using drone software 14. Attach antennas to receiver 15. Bind drone to controller-radio 16. Test connection between drone, controller-radio, and headset 17. Attach casing to drone to standoffs with screws and zip-ties 18. Attach propellers to motors 19. Test Flight |
Skills Learned & Improved during Process
Firstly, I greatly improved my soldering abilities. There were a significant number of wires that I needed to solder in such a way to prevent potential electrical shorts. I discuss this more in my "Reflection" section below. Second, I learned about electronic safety and testing equipment. For example, I learned how to test continuity. Third, I learned how to incorporate motors into my drone. I had never worked with motors before, and learning proper motor safety and modification was interesting. Fourth, I learned about signal transmission, which allows my drone, controller, and headset to communicate. Lastly, I learned the software required to program the drone.
Reflection on Project
A large challenge I faced was parts being out of stock. Resulting from the pandemic, many businesses were struggling to get up to deliver their products. Many of the parts I needed were completely out-of-stock and remained out-of-stock for months on end. Eventually, I found the parts I needed at significant mark-ups, so I needed to pay the premium.
Another challenge was soldering so many components to such a small circuit board. My flight controller was only about an inch or so on each side, and each side had about 10 pads that I needed to solder to. It was very easy to accidentally un-solder wires that you had just finished working with. However, I learned several practices to help mitigate these errors. First, I learned that thinner soldering irons are very helpful when soldering on such small pads. Secondly, leaded solder is generally easier to work with. Third, planning which pads should be soldered before others helps prevent later solder problems. Lastly, being patient is key.
Another challenge I encountered was that one of the components I ordered was incompatible with the other components. I learned from the drone-flying community at Georgia Tech that the manufacturer I ordered the part does not allow for compatibility with any other manufacturers in order to gain more profit. To overcome this challenge, I needed to research replacement options for this component.
If someone were to replicate this MakerGrant, I would advocate for further research before ordering components to save both time and cost. I would also advise that they use a thinner soldering iron and leaded solder from the beginning.
Another challenge was soldering so many components to such a small circuit board. My flight controller was only about an inch or so on each side, and each side had about 10 pads that I needed to solder to. It was very easy to accidentally un-solder wires that you had just finished working with. However, I learned several practices to help mitigate these errors. First, I learned that thinner soldering irons are very helpful when soldering on such small pads. Secondly, leaded solder is generally easier to work with. Third, planning which pads should be soldered before others helps prevent later solder problems. Lastly, being patient is key.
Another challenge I encountered was that one of the components I ordered was incompatible with the other components. I learned from the drone-flying community at Georgia Tech that the manufacturer I ordered the part does not allow for compatibility with any other manufacturers in order to gain more profit. To overcome this challenge, I needed to research replacement options for this component.
If someone were to replicate this MakerGrant, I would advocate for further research before ordering components to save both time and cost. I would also advise that they use a thinner soldering iron and leaded solder from the beginning.
Acknowledgement
Funding for this project was provided by the Invention Studio at Georgia Tech student organization, and the project was built in the Flowers Invention Studio space.
