3D R Y6 User manual

3DR Y6
Ready-to-Fly
UNBOXING GUIDE
This box contains a flight-tested, ready-to-use 3DR Y6:
a fault-tolerant, high-stability multicopter solution for
flying fully autonomous, pre-programmable missions!
These instructions will guide you through unboxing
your new 3DR Y6.

25 mm stainless steel bolts (3)
10 x 4.7 SF (normal) propellers (1)
10 x 4.7 SFP (pusher) propellers (2)
You will need a 5.5 mm (7/32) wrench for minor assembly. We also
recommend a 2 mm (5/64) hex wrench for tightening propellers.
Thank you for purchasing a 3DR Y6!
Your 3DR Y6 comes fully assembled. Just complete this unboxing guide,
and your copter is ready to fly.
Micro USB cable
1Unfold blue arms
Your copter’s blue arms indicate its front-facing direction and arrive
folded for ease of transport.
UNBOXING
Locate the bolts at the corners of the body plate outside the blue arms.
Remove both bolts and nuts. These bolts will secure the blue arms in
place.
Remove outer bolts
CONTENTS
Metal nuts (3)
4 mm JP1 jumper connector
6 mm PPM jumper connector
3DR Y6 copter
11 x 4.7 SFP (pusher) propellers (1)
11 x 4.7 SF (normal) propellers (2)

Remove
Rotate blue arms away from black arm so your copter forms a Y.
Align the hole in the corner of the plate with the hole in the arm and
reinsert bolt into its original position. Ensure that bolt passes through
bottom plate, arm, and top plate. Use wrench to fasten each bolt with a
metal nut.
Fasten arms in place
Slide arms into Y position
Secure with bolt
To unpack your copter’s legs, simply slide leg into place and secure
using provided 25 mm bolts and nuts.
Rotate leg back into the flight position as
shown above. The hole in the leg should
align with the hole in the arm. Insert a 25
mm bolt through leg and arm, and secure
with nut. Repeat for all three legs.
Travel position
2Secure legs
Flight position
Travel position Flight position
Add bolt

Prop nut
Motor
Propeller
Plastic ring
Spacer
Collet
Remove prop nuts and attach propellers
Your 3DR Y6 unboxing is complete! For pre-flight
configuration and flying instructions, please visit:
copter.ardupilot.com/apmcopter. Happy flying!
Safety Check! Ensure writing on props faces up.
COUNTERCLOCKWISE ROTATION:
USE NORMAL PROPELLER
CLOCKWISE ROTATION:
USE PUSHER PROPELLER
Your copter includes normal propellers (unmarked or marked “SF”) and
pusher propellers (marked “SFP” or “P“). The direction of each motor is
shown below: add pusher propellers to motors marked clockwise, add
normal propellers to motors marked counterclockwise. Use 10-inch
props for top motors and 11-inch props for bottom motors.
3Add propellers
CCW
!
!
CW
CCW
!!
CW
CCW
!
!
CW
CCW
!!
CW
Y6 motor order
Blue arms
Remove plastic rings from propeller package, select the one with
the larger internal diameter, and insert it into the back of the
propeller hub.
Remove prop nut and metal spacer
from motor. Add propeller with writing
facing up in relation to the sky. This
means you’ll need to attach props to
bottom motors upside down! Replace
spacer and prop nut; tightly fasten
prop nut to threaded collet.
We recommend inserting a hex wrench
(2 mm) into the hole in the side of the
prop nut to get better leverage when
tightening prop nuts.

GETTING STARTED
Get started configuring your copter by completing these steps:
• Install software.
• Connect and calibrate radio control.
Connect Radio Control
A radio control (RC) transmitter and receiver are required as primary or
backup control for any autonomous vehicle. To connect an RC receiver to
APM, use the six-wire and two-wire cables provided with your copter.
Note: APM also supports one-wire PPM connection with supported receivers.
See copter.ardupilot.com for instructions.
Six-wire cable Two-wire cable
Use the six-wire cable to connect the receiver’s signal pins to APM’s
input signal pins. Use the two-wire cable to connect power and ground
pins between APM and the receiver.
APM inputs wiring
APM input pin numbers
Connect six-wire cable to signal pins
(top row, “S”).
Connect red wire to power pin (center
row, “+”) and black wire to ground pin
(bottom row, “-”).
RC receiver wiring
Connect six wires to signal pins (top
row, “S”). Match wires between channel
numbers and APM pin numbers.
Connect red wire to power pin (center
row, “+”) and black wire to ground pin
(bottom row, “-”).
If your receiver’s signal pins are
labeled by control instead of
number, use the diagram across
to match the correct control
channel with its corresponding
APM input signal pin.
6AUX 2 (OPTIONAL)
5AUX 1 (MODE SWITCH)
4YAW / RUDDER
3THROTTLE
2PITCH / ELEVATOR
1ROLL / AILERON
APM Input Signal Pins
Channel pin numbers

Mission Planner is free, open-source software providing multiplatform
configuration and full-featured waypoint mission scripting for
autonomous vehicles.
To install Mission Planner on your ground station computer (Windows
only), visit ardupilot.com/downloads, select Mission Planner, and select
sort by date (short link: goo.gl/Si5grC). Select the most recent (top)
MissionPlanner - MSI (Microsoft installer package).
Install Software
After selecting the most recent MSI, read
the safety information and select Download:Download
Open the downloaded file to run the Mission Planner Setup Wizard.
Select the option to proceed if prompted with a security warning.
Mission Planner
Setup Wizard will
automatically install
the correct device
drivers.
Device Driver Installation Wizard
Mission Planner Downloads Screen
Mission Planner (6) « Downloads
Sort by: Title | Hits | Date
■MissionPlanner - ZIP - 1.2.62
■MissionPlanner - MSI - 1.2.62
■MissionPlanner - ZIP - 1.2.60
■MissionPlanner - MSI - 1.2.60
■MissionPlanner - ZIP - 1.2.61
■MissionPlanner - MSI - 1.2.61
Sort by date.
Select top MSI to
download most
recent version.

Mission Planner Setup Wizard
Mission Planner: Flight Data Screen
Launch Mission
Planner to explore
the capabilities of
your autonomous
vehicle!
Mission Planner will
notify you when an
update is available;
please always run
the most current
version of Mission
Planner.
Calibrate Radio Control
Mission Planner’s RC calibration utility teaches APM to work with your
RC transmitter. If you opted to receive RC components with your
copter, this process has already been done for you.
For more information on using Mission Planner or troubleshooting
your installation, please visit planner.ardupilot.com.

Open Mission Planner. Connect APM to your
computer using the provided micro-USB cable.
Windows will automatically install the correct
drivers for APM. In Mission Planner, select the
COM port for Arduino Mega, set the Baud rate
to 115200, and select Connect.
Turn on your transmitter, and ensure it is set to airplane mode (not
helicopter mode). In Mission Planner, navigate to Hardware, Mandatory
Hardware, and Radio Calibration. Select Calibrate Radio. Move the trans-
mitter’s sticks and mode switches to all available positions until the red
bars are set at the extremes for each control. Select Click when Done to
complete RC calibration.
APM USB port
Connect APM to Mission Planner:
1 Select Arduino Mega.
2 Select 115200.
3 Select Connect.
1 2
3
1
2
3
4
5
6
1 Select Hardware.
2 Select Mandatory Hardware.
3 Select Radio Calibration.
4 Select Calibrate Radio.
5 Move transmitter sticks and switches to all positions.
6 Select Click when Done.
Left Stick:
Right Stick:
To learn about utilizing your copter’s autonomous flight modes,
designing missions, troubleshooting, multicopter safety, and
more, please visit copter.ardupilot.com.
Mission Planner: Radio Calibration Screen