Flight controller atlas

Drone Flight Controller

This is a Drone project with a custom flight controller and power management solution that hopefully in the future uses computer vision for flight.
The repository contains two main subsystems:

• Flight Controller
• Flight Computer

This is an ongoing project, and the flight controller is still in development. A prototype flight controller can be seen in the photo on the bottom. A more refined PCB implementation of this flight controller is in the works, named 'Atlas Flight Controller'. This board uses the rp2350A microcontroller from Raspberry Pi, micro-usb power and data, ICM-20948 IMU chip (9-axis), 16MB flash memory (W25Q128JVS), an automatic power switching circuit for use with both external power and micro-usb power. This board will be powered by 5v input (from PDB) during flight which has voltage regulators for smooth and stable power delivery.

Flight Controller

• Software:
  • Connects to the IMU and adjusts motor speed for flight stability
  • Goal: implement PID control (a feedback control system that continuously adjusts an output to reach a target value)
  • Runs the main motor-control software
  • Includes a custom transmitter/receiver interface program
• ATLAS Flight Controller v0.6:

This board uses the RP2350A microcontroller from Raspberry Pi, micro-usb power and data, ICM-20948 IMU chip (9-axis), BPM 384 barometer sensor, 16MB flash memory (W25Q128JVS), an automatic power switching circuit for use with both external power and micro-usb power. This board will be powered by 5v input (from PDB) during flight which has voltage regulators for smooth and stable power delivery. This board is still in development and has not been tested yet. The current design sports a 4-layer design, with the top and bottom for routing, second layer for GND copper pour, and the third layer for a 3.3v copper pour.

Flight Computer

• Uses ROS2 to send commands to the flight controller based on computer-vision input
• Contains main computer-vision software
• Interfaces directly with the onboard camera

Dual Power Supply PCB

• Provides regulated power for sensors and radio receiver
• Uses PDB 12V pins as input
• Includes both 5V and 3.3V outputs for versatility
  • After testing the manufactured power supply, it works as expected. 12v goes into the input side, can turn each channel on or off using the blue switches.
  • 5v and 3.3v are extremely accurate and stable.
  • Minimal heat produced.
• KiCad files included for open access
• Gerber, BOM, and Pick-and-Place files included for quick ordering

Drone Frame

• Modified STL files sourced online and optimized for 3D printing in PLA
• All screw holes intended for M3 screws (not pre-threaded — use nuts)
• Due to 3D-printer tolerances, some holes may require M2 screws with nut and lock washer
• Ensure all screws are tightened as much as possible to avoid structural weakness

How to Use

This repo is best used as a guide for building your own custom autonomous drone, as the implementation is specific to the materials used.

-Materials: 3D printer, PLA filament, 4 BLDC motors (I'm using 920kv DJI), 3S lipo, 4 ESC's, 1 PDB (power distribution board), radio ELRS controller, radio ELRS to PWM receiver, Raspberry Pi 5, Raspberry Pi Pico, IMU board

• Upload all files in the Flight Controller folder to a Raspberry Pi Pico running the latest Micropython
• Follow the GPIO mappings in esc_control.py and controller_input.py, or adjust as needed
• Ensure BLDC motors adjacent to each other rotate in opposite directions
• Optional: order dual channel power distribution board for smooth and effecient power
• Flight Computer instructions are still in progress

My progress so far:

This is a work in progress

MIT License