Drone rescue systems Drs-m300 User manual

User Manual DRS-M300-EN (2022-08-10)

Content Overview

Parachute Manual DRS-M300

(version 2.3-EN)

Emergency Trigger Device Manual

(version 1.1-EN)

DRS Firmware Manual

(version 2.5-EN)

Parachute Manual DRS-M300 v2.3-EN (2022-08-10)

Parachute Manual DRS-M300

Version 2.3-EN

2022-08-10

Drone Rescue Systems GmbH

Andritzer Reichsstraße 15

8045 Graz

AUSTRIA

www.dronerescue.com

Parachute Manual DRS-M300 v2.3-EN (2022-08-10) 
©2022 Drone Rescue Systems GmbH 2/26 
Contents 
Parachute Manual DRS-M300 ........................................................................................... 1 
1Disclaimer ................................................................................................................. 3 
2Introduction.............................................................................................................. 4 
3Components.............................................................................................................. 5 
4Installation Tools....................................................................................................... 8 
5Installation................................................................................................................ 9 
 Install the M300 connector ......................................................................................... 9 
 Mount the parachute cords....................................................................................... 10 
 Mount the container cord ......................................................................................... 13 
 Modification of the UAV carrying case...................................................................... 14 
 Configure the M300................................................................................................... 15 
5.5.1 Configure Onboard SDK in DJI Assistant Application......................................... 15 
5.5.2 Onboard SDK activation ..................................................................................... 16 
 DRS Configuration...................................................................................................... 17 
 Assembly test............................................................................................................. 17 
6Flight........................................................................................................................19 
 Pre-Flight Inspection.................................................................................................. 19 
 Loading and unloading the parachute....................................................................... 20 
6.2.1 Put the container under tension........................................................................ 20 
6.2.2 Load the parachute ............................................................................................ 21 
6.2.3 Unload the parachute ........................................................................................ 24 
 Takeoff....................................................................................................................... 25 
 After flight.................................................................................................................. 25 
7Storage ....................................................................................................................26 
8Maintenance............................................................................................................26 
9Specifications ...........................................................................................................26 
 Operational and environmental conditions .............................................................. 26 
 Approved payloads.................................................................................................... 26 
 
 

Parachute Manual DRS-M300 v2.3-EN (2022-08-10)

1Disclaimer

The information contained in this document is confidential, privileged and only for the

information of the intended recipient and may not be used, published or redistributed without

the prior written consent of Drone Rescue Systems GmbH.

The opinions expressed are in good faith, and while every care has been taken in preparing

these documents, Drone Rescue Systems GmbH makes no representations and gives no

warranties of whatever nature in respect of these documents, including but not limited to the

accuracy or completeness of any information, facts and/or opinions contained therein.

Drone Rescue Systems GmbH, its subsidiaries, the directors, employees and agents cannot be

held liable for the use of and reliance of the opinions, estimates, forecasts and findings in

these documents.

We recommend that you do not fly prior to purchasing liability insurance. This helps cover

costs in the event that persons are hurt or property is damaged as a result of your use of

DRONE RESCUE technology. In general, RC aircraft are not covered by standard liability

insurance.

Your safety is your own responsibility, including proper use of equipment and safety gear, and

determining whether you have adequate skill and experience. Our products may be

dangerous, unless used properly and with adequate precautions, including safety gear. Our

products are not intended for use by hobbyists or non-professional users.

Warranty will be terminated if parachute is re-packed by yourself.

Parachute Manual DRS-M300 v2.3-EN (2022-08-10)

2Introduction

The DRS-M300 is an autonomous parachute solution for the DJI M300 (UAV), providing the

following advantages

•UAV-independent sensors

•Very light-weighted

•Easy to reuse within minutes

•Visual and acoustical indication signals

•No use of pyrotechnics/explosive components to deploy the parachute

•No use of compressed gas cartridges to deploy the parachute

•Bayonet mechanism to simply attach and detach the whole system

This document will guide you through the system components, installation, configuration, pre-

flight checks, and storage and maintenance recommendations.

Beside the standard device the RC variant is available to trigger the parachute via handheld

remote control.

Parachute Manual DRS-M300 v2.3-EN (2022-08-10)

3Components

Table 1 lists all systems components. Within the document, parts are linked by their short ID

e.g., container for the carbon container.

Short ID

Picture1

Quantity

Description

Container

Carbon container of the DRS system

Container lid

Lid of the container.

Parachute

Parachute (wrapped in a plastic cover secured

by some rubber bands)

Parachute cord

Cords mounted to the UAV

Long hook and

loop fastener

Used to fix the parachute cords

Short hook and

loop fastener

Used to fix the container cord

Depending on the actual DRS configuration, the component pictures in Table 1 may slightly differ from your

system.

Parachute Manual DRS-M300 v2.3-EN (2022-08-10)

Short ID

Picture1

Quantity

Description

Container cord

Safety cord for the container

Hook

Brummel hook to link the parachute to the

parachute cords

Hook

protection

sleeve

Protection sleeve for the brummel hook

Cord box

Self-adhesive cord box to stow the parachute

cords away

Cord box lid

Lid of the cord box

Cable clip

Self-adhesive cable clip

Nut

M3 self-retaining nut

Clamp

Clamp pair

Spacer set

Spacers for top-mounted payload (1 short, 3

long)

Parachute Manual DRS-M300 v2.3-EN (2022-08-10)

Short ID

Picture1

Quantity

Description

DRS M300

connector

M300 standard connector with mounting

plate for the DRS system

M300 RC connector, including antenna, with

mounting plate for the DRS system

Optional component depending on device

variant.

Emergency

Trigger

Handheld radio controlled (RC) transmitter

and antenna to deploy parachute in case of

emergency.

Optional component depending on device

variant.

Table 1 System components

For standard variant only

For DRS-M300 RC variant only

Parachute Manual DRS-M300 v2.3-EN (2022-08-10)

4Installation Tools

Table 2 lists all tools used for the system installation. These tools are not part of the system

and have to be provided by the user. Within the document, tools are linked by their short ID.

Short ID

Picture

Description

Nut driver M3

Nut driver 5.5mm (M3)

Cutter knife

Cutter knife, also known as Utility/Stanley

knife

Table 2 Installation Tools

Parachute Manual DRS-M300 v2.3-EN (2022-08-10)

5Installation

Unmount all propellors and detach all batteries and other power supplies before starting the

installation!

Caution:

Mounted propellors may cause injuries or damages.

Caution:

It is mandatory to verify the correct operation with an assembly test right after the

installation! See chapter “5.7 Assembly test”for details.

Install the M300 connector

Use the clamps, the rubber strips, and the nuts to fixate the mounting plate of the DRS M300

connector on the front right arm of the UAV with the cable pointing to the UAV center. Place

it as close to the center as possible, so that you can still unlock and fold the arm. The mounting

plate must be in a horizontal position when the arm is unfolded to the flying position or the

banking angle measurement will be faulty during flight which could lead to an unwanted

deployment. Make sure that the rubber strips are between the arm and the clamps, then

tighten all nuts equally with 3 Nm using the nut driver M3.

Caution:

It is necessary to mount the plate as tight as possible to the mechanism, because

otherwise it will scratch on the other arm, when folded (e.g., during transport).

3 Nm

Parachute Manual DRS-M300 v2.3-EN (2022-08-10)

Connect the plug of the DRS M300 connector to the OSDK interface on the top of the UAV and

fix it with the short spacer of the spacer set. Screw the three long spacers into the drones

thread holes for top-mounted payloads. You may mount other top-mounted payloads to these

spacers.

Clean the front right side of the UAV shown in the picture below. Afterwards remove the

backside foil of the cable clip, clip the cable and stick the clip centered on the cleaned side of

the UAV.

Mount the parachute cords

Mount one parachute cord to each front arm

and pull it around close to the hinge. Thread

one end of the cord through the other end’s

loop.

Parachute Manual DRS-M300 v2.3-EN (2022-08-10)

Put one hook and loop fastener over each

parachute cord.

Tighten the parachute cords well and fasten

the hook and loop fasteners.

When both sides are done, it should look like

this.

Push the container cord ribbon through the

tiny hole in the cord box lid.

Then feed it through both loops at the end

of the parachute cords.

Parachute Manual DRS-M300 v2.3-EN (2022-08-10)

Wrap the ribbon over the cord box lid.

Slide the cord box lid down, till the

parachute cords protrude on the other end

of the lid.

Remove the container cord, it will be used

later again.

Thread the open ends of both parachute

cords through the hook’s small hole without

opening.

Push the parachute cords far enough

through the hole to wrap the loops over the

hook.

Tighten the parachute cords well and slide

the cord box lid to the end.

Remove the protection film from the

adhesive tape on the bottom side of the cord

box.

Parachute Manual DRS-M300 v2.3-EN (2022-08-10)

Press the cord box on the center of the UAV

front.

Tighten the parachute cords and put them into the cord box. Close the cord box with the

cord box lid.

CORRECT

INCORRECT

Caution:

If the parachute cords are not tightened well, the cords might get tangled up in the

UAV propellors and cause a crash!

Mount the container cord

Wrap the container cord around the front

right arm, next to the mounting plate of the

DRS M300 connector.

Parachute Manual DRS-M300 v2.3-EN (2022-08-10)

Put the short hook and loop fastener over

the container cord and fasten it.

Modification of the UAV carrying case

Inside original DJI M300 carrying case

Due to the installation of the DRS-M300 system the UAV will not fit in the original carrying

case. A simple, but irreversible, modification will allow to fit the UAV including the DRS-M300

system (without container), in the carrying case. The steps below describe the modification.

Caution:

Any modification of the case is done at your own risk!

The colored areas in the picture on the left

should be partly removed. The same color

coding is used in the detailed description

below.

Parachute Manual DRS-M300 v2.3-EN (2022-08-10)

Take a cutter knife and cut down along the

two orange dashed lines (in line with the

original recess). Afterwards cut horizontally

between the orange lines about 1cm above

ground and remove the plastic.

Take a cutter knife and cut down along the

two blue lines. Afterwards cut horizontally at

the same level as the purple marking and

remove the plastic.

Take a cutter knife and cut down along the

two green lines. The longer continuous line

should be twice as long as the shorter one.

Afterwards cut horizontally at the same level

as the yellow marking and remove the

plastic.

The UAV + DRS M300 connector and cord box should now fit in the case.

Configure the M300

5.5.1 Configure Onboard SDK in DJI Assistant Application

Onboard SDK is used to switch off the UAV motors before the parachute is deployed.

•Remove the container from the UAV.

•Turn the UAV on.

•Connect the UAV to a PC using a USB-cable and start DJI Assistant 2 to configure

the API (see DJI M300 user manual for details).

•Select "Onboard SDK" on the left.

•Tick the "Enable API Control" box on the top left.

Parachute Manual DRS-M300 v2.3-EN (2022-08-10)

•Set "Baud rate" to 115200 via dropdown list.

•Set "Timestamp" to 1 Hz via dropdown list.

The correct DJI Onboard SDK settings are shown in the figure below.

5.5.2 Onboard SDK activation

The UAV requires an activation of the parachute system before it can be used. This must be

done only once when installing the DRS and also once after each firmware-update of the UAV

or the remote controller. Perform these steps to do this:

•Mount the container on the UAV.

•Connect the UAV to a PC with internet access via USB cable (see DJI user manual for

details).

•Start "DJI Assistant 2 for Matrice".

•Turn the UAV on.

Parachute Manual DRS-M300 v2.3-EN (2022-08-10)

•The DRS requests the activation automatically. If your "DJI Assistant 2 for Matrice"-

setting Onboard SDK APP ID is set to OFF, then "DJI Assistant 2 for Matrice" prompts

you to confirm the request. Otherwise you will not be asked for a confirmation.

•Wait as long as the LED indicates that the DRS is waiting for the interface (see Firmware

Manual chapter “Device States and Signals”). The activation is done when the state has

moved forward.

•Close "DJI Assistant 2 for Matrice" and disconnect the USB cable.

Once activated, the UAV does not need internet access at future flights for the DRS to work.

Caution:

If the activation is skipped or if it fails, then the DRS cannot turn off the motors and

the parachute or the cords can get tangled up in the propellors when the parachute

is deployed. It is therefore absolutely inevitable to verify that the motors stop at the

assembly test (see "5.7 Assembly test").

DRS Configuration

The DRS parachute system’s behavior can be configured with multiple parameters. It is pre-

configured for a DJI M300 standard use case application. Fit the configuration to your specific

usage. Configuration is described in the firmware manual in chapter “DRS Configuration”.

Take care to set especially MANUAL_DEPLOY_INPUT according to your device variant (standard

or RC).

Assembly test

Perform this assembly test right after the installation (before the first flight) and after every

50th flight to verify the proper operation of the parachute system. The intention is to test the

engine shutdown and the deployment mechanism without a parachute actually being loaded

in the container. It is necessary to switch on the motors but keep the UAV on the ground

during this test.

Carefully read the checklist below to become familiar with the procedure, and

execute the steps afterwards!

Parachute Manual DRS-M300 v2.3-EN (2022-08-10)

Follow this checklist:

•Unmount the propellors

Caution:

Mounted propellors may cause any injuries or damages

•Verify that all cables are connected tightly and fixated in the clips.

•Verify that all screws that fix the mounting plate of the DRS M300 connector are pulled

tight.

•Verify that the spacers, especially the short one which fixes the plug of the DRS M300

connector is pulled hand-tight.

•Attach the container and put it under tension as described in chapter 6.2.1. The system

should be strained but not loaded with the parachute after this step.

•Insert a dummy load into the container (e.g., an appropriate bottle filled with water).

Caution:

Triggering (deploying) an empty container will cause damage to the device!

•If you have the standard variant, prepare the DRS for timed deployment as described

in the firmware manual in chapter “Timed Deployment via File”. In case of the RC

variant turn on the Emergency Trigger.

•Turn on the UAV and perform the usual takeoff procedure until the motors are

spinning but without taking off.

•Verify the correct status of the DRS by observing the LED and the buzzer signals (see

firmware manual). The DRS should be in the MANUAL state if you intend to trigger the

test-deployment via a PWM signal (RC variant), or in the TIMED DEPLOYMENT state if

you want to use the timed deployment feature for the test (standard variant).

•Prepare to catch (or at least dodge) the dummy.

Caution:

The dummy load will be shot out heavily. Take precautions to prevent it from causing

any harm or damage!

•Wait until the deployment timer has elapsed (standard variant) or press both push

buttons on the Emergency Trigger (RC variant).

Verify that

▪the motors have been switched off,

▪the dummy load has been deployed,

▪the DRS’s buzzer and LED indicate the DEPLOYED state.

All these conditions must be met for a positive test result.

Turn off the UAV afterwards.

Parachute Manual DRS-M300 v2.3-EN (2022-08-10) 
©2022 Drone Rescue Systems GmbH 19/26 
6Flight 
 Pre-Flight Inspection 
To ensure a safe and reliable operation visually check the following components before each 
flight. Verify that 
•there is no visual damage to the elastic rubber springs of the container or any other 
component 
•all cables are connected tightly and fixated in the clips 
•all screws that fix the mounting plate of the DRS M300 connector are pulled tight 
•the spacers, especially the short one which fixes the plug of the DRS M300 connector 
is pulled hand tight 
•the container is fully under tension and the deployment base is at the bottom 
•the parachute is packed in the plastic cover and the rubber bands which secure it have 
been removed 
•the parachute is fully loaded inside of the container and no parachute fabric is 
protruding 
•the container is rotated to its locked position 
•the parachute is properly linked to the UAV with the cords, the hook, and the hook 
protection sleeve 
•the container lid is tightly clipped on the top of the container 
•the container cord is linked to the UAV and is connected to the safety cord of the 
container 
•the parachute cords are stashed inside the cord box and the cord box lid is clipped 
onto it 
 
In case of RC variant, additionally verify that: 
•the Emergency Trigger is prepared and the battery is fully charged 
 