Raging Rotors: Who is the Puppeteer?

Raging Rotors ahoy! This week we talk about the true brains behind any multirotor aircraft: The Multirotor Controller. This is no ordinary electronics setup that can be made (or bought) through multiple sources.

Now a Multirotor Control Unit consists to two parts: A gyroscope and master control system.

The gyroscope is your average stabilizing system, and are a part of many helicopters from fixed pitch to quadcopters to collective pitch stunt helicopters. They come in many brands/forms: From Blade Helicopter’s AS3X and SAFE system to Align’s 3GX  to DJI’s Naza to many others. With a quadcopter, usually the gyroscopic system comes with adjustable/programmable settings in order to make the quadcopter more aerobatic (flips, extreme bank angles, etc) to more stable (usually for aerial photography).

The master control system is the main board that links all the ESC’s (and in some cases, servos) together before reaching the receiver of your radio system. This keeps all control of the motors equal so proportional control is given to all elements. The control system also talks to (or in many cases is integrated with) the gyroscope to send correctional or stabilizing data to the motors.

Now, as I stated, a lot of Mutirotor Control units exist, so there is no singular product that does the job better than another, for a system is as useful as the pilot that programs it. Many multirotor control units are available for purchase or order at your local hobby shop, and for adventurous people one can pick up an Arduino gyroscopic control board and program to their heart’s content. Feel free to discuss your favorite gyros/controllers in the comments!

With March 1st drawing near, I have to again jump for joy for this Saturday’s 2014 Quadcopter Championship. Granted there are predictions for snow to be in the area (read: Buried alive in Chi-Beria), but we will keep you in the loop as the weathermen make up their mind as to how big of a pain this winter is going to be as it reaches its end. Details can be found via This Link.

I think a build project/article should be in the future, as it’s time to implement everything I’ve talked about. As for now though, until next time, Stay Shiny and Keep Flyin’!