Hardware Implementation OF QUADCOPTER

• Share This Post
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Digg
• StumbleUpon
• Delicious
• Reddit
• Feed RSS

After successful implementation of various stages we reached the last and final stage it is//
hardware implementation. It is further divided in two categories.
1.  Mechanical work
2.  Electronic work

Mechanical work OF QUADCOPTER

After the airframe was designed and the components were purchased, we needed to place 

the  components  appropriately  on  the  airframe.  First  of  all,  the  circuit  board,  which 

consists of the microcontroller and other circuit elements, was placed on top at the center 

of  the  circular  cage  like  structure.  The  battery  pack  was  placed  underneath  the  circuit 

board  inside  the  circular  cage  like  structure.  Each  of  the  4  Electronic  Speed  Controllers 

(ESCs)  were  placed  on  each  of  the  arms  of  the  airframe,  with  their  inputs  commonly 

connected to the battery pack, and their 3 outputs are connected to the 3 input poles of the 

motor. Each of the four motors are placed at the ends of each of the arms, with their shaft 

directly inline with the center of the circular space designed for the circular motor mount. 

As for the propellers, the tractor propellers  were placed on the shafts  of  the motors that 

operated  in  the  clockwise  direction.  Similarly,  the  pusher  propellers  were  placed  on  the 

shafts of the motors that operated in the counterclockwise direction. Attention should be 

given to assembling of parts;  there should be no loose components as they  will  produce 

vibrations making quadrotor unstable. Some important points are given below in detail as 

they need special attention. After assembling of parts the figure of our quadrotor is shown 

below. 

Motor Alignment  OF QUUADCOPTER

The act of assembling the motor to the frame is extremely difficult due to the fact that the 

holes  needed  to  be  drilled  to  within  +/-  .1o

  of  each  other.  Any  successful  flying  device 

must be perfectly balanced, and this is very prevalent when dealing with a quad rotor. In 

order to achieve a balanced vertical flight, the group needed to be certain that the motors 

were  perfectly  straight.  If  the  motors  were  not  perfectly  aligned,  achieving  a  balanced, 

smooth flight would be nearly impossible. With this in mind, we devised a way to be sure 

that all the motor were aligned correctly. By setting the frame of the quad rotor on a flat 

surface, we used a T-square held against the motor. If the motors were directly against the 

edge of the square, then the motor would be aligned in a 90 degree angle.

Propeller Balancing 

Due  to  the  fact  that  the  propellers  are  operating  at  such  a  high  RPM,  it  is  crucial  to  the 

quad  rotors  performance  that  the  propellers  are  balanced.  Although  theoretically  the 

propellers are designed to have symmetric blades, in reality there are slight imperfections. 

These imperfections cause the propellers to vibrate uncontrollably, making smooth flight 

almost  impossible.  By  balancing  the  propellers,  vibrations  can  be  significantly  reduced.   

The  group balanced  the propellers by  examining  the relative weight distribution of each 

propeller. There are several types of commercially available propeller balancing devices, 

but  a  similarly  effective  device  was  made.  The  method  used  consisted  of  attaching  the 

propeller to a spindle held up between two blocks, allowing the propellers to rotate freely. 

If  one  of  the  blades  is  heavier  than  the  other,  then  the  propeller  will  rotate  towards  the 

heavier blade. In such a case, the blades trailing edge was sanded down to compensate for 

the  mass  difference.  Once  the  blades  weights  were  evenly  distributed,  the  propeller 

balanced horizontally.  

Quad Rotor Balancing 

The  quad  rotor,  which  includes  air  frame,  dc  motor,  electronic  speed  controller, 

propellers,  batteries  and  electronic  circuits,  was  carefully  designed  and  assembled  with 

the  idea  of  having  a  helicopter  which  is  as  close  to  perfect  in  terms  of  its  weight 

distribution  throughout  the  entire  aircraft.  Achieving  a  steady  and  controllable  flight  is 

almost  impossible  to  achieve  unless  the  aircraft  is  as  close  to  perfect  balance.    The 

addition of the electronic components and battery onto the frame of the quad rotor leaves 

its  weight  distribution  inconsistent  throughout.  As  a  result,  we  devised  a  way  to  make 

sure that the frame is as balanced as possible.  

The way to do this is by attaching a piece of string to the center of the hub and allowing 

the quad rotor to float freely. If the weight is not evenly distributed, then the quad rotor 

will lean towards the heaviest part. The battery packs, which are mounted in the centre of 

air frame in cage like structure, were then adjusted to ensure the quadrotor was balanced 

in the x and y axes. 

 Electronics work OF QUADCOPTER

After describing the parts used in the construction of the quadrotor and their assembling, 

it is important to mention how the electronic components are made to work. This section 

describes  the  electronic  circuit;  a  block  diagram  of  the  electronic  design  is  shown  in 

Figure  below. 

About the Author

I am Kashif Mirza, the founder of Student Training Lab (STL). I am working on projects since 2005 before that I just search things and now I am sharing my knowledge through this plateform.

Follow @theenggprojects

In 61 people's circles

Subscribe To Get FREE Tutorials!

Respected Readers: As a 21 year old student, the only income I rely on is my pocket money. Bearing the running costs of HWS Blog has become really difficult. We educate thousands of bloggers a week with our tutorials. To help us go forward with the same spirit, a small contribution from your side will highly be appreciated.

Posted in: QUADCOPTER