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Contents
Advantages
Compared to a quadrocopter with 4 rotors, an MK-Hexa brings the following advantages:
- higher payload with up to 1.0kg
- despite the higher payload no bigger (more dangerous) propellers or motors are being used
Each motor of the HexaKopter is individually controlled by the electronics.
Motorization
- 6 * Propellers: 10" EPP1045
- Lipo 4S/3300mAh (wide configuration)
Guide to assembly
How is an MK-Okto built? Now some hints that could help with the assembly.
All images are clickable for a larger view
Marking centerplates
The centerplates are marked with an arrow. That is always top-side and front.
One centerplate will be top and the other the bottom plate.
Mounting the 10mm and 15mm bolts
On these six plastic bolts the brushless motor controllers will be installed later. Bolts are attatched with 8mm-plastic screws.
The bolts are mounted to the upper plate and point upwards.
Two rubber bolts are attached with 5mm metal scerws.
Attatching the 15mm bolts
To these bolts the cam-mounting can be attatched later. Bolts are attatched with 8mm-plastic screws.
The bolts are attatched to the lower plate and point downwards.
Mounting the motors
The motors are attached to the riggers with two small metal screws. Please check the cable direction. It should point to the middle of the MikroKopter.
feeding in the motor-, LED-, and buzzer cables
The three motor cables are fed into the riggers.
Also feed one red and one black 0,5mm cable (35cm) into the front and into the rear rigger. (For the buzzer (Rear) and the LED-Light (front))
Tips:
- Stick or solder wires together before pulling them through.
- if needed, attatch a string to the wires and pull it through first.
- Make a knot at the end, so the wire cant slip back out again.
Wiring of the buzzer cable
A small (0,5mm2), red and black cable goes through the rear rigger to connect the buzzer.
- red is plus
- black is minus
mounting and connecting the LED-bars
The LEDs can be sticked to the riggers. They are connected to the black and red cable (fed through the rigger) For protection you should cover them with transparent shrinking tube after connecting
mounting the riggers
The six riggers are mounted between the upper and lower center plate. Red is the front arm. Twelve 15mm screws are nedded for mounting. The screws have to be well fastened.
Also another two 15mm rubber bolts are used. The FlightControl will be mounted on four rubber bolts.
Mounting the cover-holder
The dome will be mounted to these plastic pieces. They also serve as spacers between the plates. If 1mm spacers is included in your set remember to mount them.
Holders are fixed with 15mm plastic screws and nuts.
aligning the cables
The cables are aligned like on the pictures.
Velcro strips
These are used to attach the batteries.
The stripe is fed through the designated slashes.
Two Velcro strips will be sticked to the battery later.
Electronics
The electronics and algorithms, running inside the microcontrollers, are the central component of a multicopter. Only through their sensors and fast adaptive control flying is made possible.
It consists of:
FlightControl -> "main cotroller with sensors" for the calculation of the copter's state
BL-Ctrl -> control of the brushless motors
RC-receiver -> Interface between Transmitter (pilot) and FlightControl.
LiPo-battery -> Powersupply
FlightCtrl
There still are some components which have to be attatched to the preassembled PCBs. In general, the preassembled version can be identified by its (red) colour.
"FC" is the abbreviation for FlightControl.
A circuit board (PCB) before and after assmbly of all the final parts:
A circuit board (PCB) before and after assmbly of all the final parts:
The way and heading for the mounting of the FC is predefined:
- The arrow next to the switch has to point in direction of the front rigger (BL #1)
- horizontally
- uC (microcontroller) facing up!
Video about the assembly of the final parts (21,3MB)
Further information about the FC ME (MemsEdition) (parts of delivery can be different in color and amount)
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In the Hexa and Okto set there is no need for the switch (not delivered with the set)
BL-controller
The BL-Ctrl was designed especially for Mikrokopter.
Compared to common brushless controllers, the BL-Ctrl provides a fast data bus (i2c) to the FC and switches very fast to new target values. Common brushless controllers cannot be used.
The BL-Ctrls are adressed from 1-4(5+6) via jumpers (soldered).
Address selection
Each motor requires a defined adress. That's why adresses from 1-6 are assigned.
With a BL-Ctrl V1.2, motor adresses can be set by a jumper (soldered).
rules:
Adress (motor) |
1-2 |
2-3 |
1 |
open |
open |
2 |
open |
closed |
3 |
closed |
open |
4 |
closed |
closed |
Adresses 5-6
Since the HexaKopter needs adresses up to 6, BL-Ctrls 5-6 need a special setup. In the set (from the shop), BL-Ctrls with special software are marked specially.
These BL-Ctrls are adressed by the following:
Adress (motor) |
1-2 |
2-3 |
5 |
open |
open |
6 |
open |
closed |
Power distribution board
The Hexa distributor supllies all 6 BL-Ctrls with power and connects the i2c bus for communication.
The BL-controllers are mounted in the fitted slots and connected with cable bridges.
The TOP ist marked by a + (plus).
Arrangement of the BL-Ctrls
The BL-Ctrls are arranged as shown here.
The microcontrollers of the Bl_Ctrl are on the TOP
Here you already see the colors of the motor cables.
If the holes of the riggers are on the right side of the rigers, please use this connection: old connection
assembling of the bridges
6 bridges have to be assembled onto the distribution board.
check for shortcut
The bridges may not have contact against each other or against plus or minus
Measure with a multimeter: against each other and against plus and minus it must have high resistance
Solder Elkos on BL-Ctrl 1,3,5
The BL-Ctrls are connected via the wires of the Elko (capacitors). The Elkos are assembled from the top of teh distribution board.
There should be 2mm of air unter the Elkos (so the wire-ends are not touching the caps of the Elkos).
The Elko-wires are to be bent over and put (and soldered) through the + and - solder-pads of the BL-Ctrls.
MINUS (marked on each Elko) is on the INNER side (for inner Elkos) and on the OUTER side for outer Elkos.
a lot oh heat has to be used on the distribution board to make a perfect connection
Solder from both sides!
Connect the data bus (I2C) to BL-Ctrl 1,3,5
The i2c bus (C & D) is connected via 2 silver wire-bridges.
The silver wire is stuck in the holes of the distribution board and bent over. After that teh ends of the wires are soldered to the "C" and "D" connection pads of the BL-Ctrls.
Solder Elkos on BL-Ctrl 2,4,6
For BL-Ctrl the cabled are bended 90°
Connect the data bus (I2C) to BL-Ctrl 2,4,6
The i2c bus (C & D) is connected via 2 silver wire-bridges.
Connection wires of the power distribution board
The following wires are to be connected to the distributor:
- Battery plus and minus (2,5mm² + = red and - = black)
- I2C to FC: C and D (0,5mm² C = red and D = black)
- Supply FC (0,5mm² + = red and - = black)
Supply of the FlightCtrl
The power supply for the FC comes from the small + and - pads at the upper side of the power distribution board.
about 15cm 2,5mm²
Battery cable: Cable 15cm 2,5mm²
CAUTION: Ends have to be well-tinned so no tiny copper wires can stick off the strand.
attaching the electronic to the frame
The BL-Ctrls are attached to the 10mm bolts
Motor is front
connecting the LED supply to the distribution board
Front LEDs
Back LEDs
connecting he motor ales to the BL-Ctrls
The motor cables are connected to the three pady of the BL-Ctrls.
The order is as follows:
connect A = grey, B = blue, C = black on odd motor adresses (1,3,5) clockwise rotation
connect A = blue, B = grey, C = black on even motor adresses (2,4,6) anticlockwise direction
If you don't use the standart motors, the order doesn't matter for now and might have to be changed later on during the motor test phase.
Possible LED-Driving circuit
With the HExa power distribution boardit is possible to realize the driving circuit for LEDs
Description here
Connecting the FlightCtrl
Supply
Plus can be taken from behind the switch because the switch does not have to be assembled on the Okto. (it would only switch on/off the FC)
Later - the Hexa will be switched on/off just by (un-)plugging the battery
Wires should be twisted a little to eliminate compass-errors comping from interfering fields.
Connectng the buzzer
Mounting the FC
The FC is mounted in the way that the small arrow points to the front. plastic nuts can be screwed ontop of the rubber damper-threads optionally to place the FC a little higher.
The small arrow shows the front.
Connection I2C to the FC
- C = red
- D = black
Attatchment of the RC-receiver
Here a spectrum receiver
Instuction of using and pairing the Spectrum receiver
After binding the receiver, the cable has to be cut into two pieces. More of this cables are available in the shop, if needed
Now the entire electronics should look like this:
Battery cable
Can be mounted like shown here:
The battery plug (deans male) is soldered to the wires (plus is marked on the plug) and the wires are covered again with shrinking tube for protection against shortage.
The battery might have to be (re-)configured with a female Deans-plug.
Here again - tin well for protection against short circuits.
The battry plugs are tightened with zip-ties.
DO NOT shorten the battery contacts!
Final mounting
Installing the FlexLanders (XL)
The landing gear is attatched by 20mm Screws (steel)
Installing the plate for a camera-mount
10mm-spacers are mounted under the lowest bolts. The pastic windinging can be shortened by a cutter for this.
Another option would be to use 8mm vibration-dampers (the threads of the 15mm spacers might have to be shortened first)
Installing the battery
The Battery is placed under the camera-plate and secured with Velcro strips
Mounting the hub
- The holes for the riggers have to be cut into the hub.
- The hub can be painted from the inside.
The hub is attached via some metal screws
Starting Up
Prior to flight the Flight-Ctrl has to be set up as "Hexa" - otherwise only 4 motors would turn on. To do that, hold down the ALT-while clicking on "Settings" in the Mikrokopter-Tool. Then, the Mixer-Configuration "HEXA.mkm" can be loaded.
Informations regarding the mixer
Safety
Read before using the Mikrokopter:
Flight and Handling
handling - turning on - calibration etc.
See also the Safety instructions