MINDS-I Marz Rover User manual

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Helpful instructional videos available at: mindsieducation.com
Marz Rover
MCK-MRDR-001
Self Driving Unmanned Ground Vehicle

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MINDS-i® PRODUCT SAFETY INFORMATION
When safety precauons are followed, your MINDS-i® system will provide years of enjoyment. Use care and good sense at all mes
when operang this product. Failure to use your system in a safe, sensible manner can result in injury or damage to property. You and
you alone must insure that the instrucons are carefully followed and all safety precauons are obeyed.
• Water can cause the electronics to short out and can cause permanent damage.
• Always turn on the transmier before turning on the receiver.
• Fully extend the transmier antenna before operang your vehicle.
• Before turning on your radio system, check to make sure that no one else is running on the same frequency.
• CHOKING HAZARD: Do not allow children under age 3 or any individuals who have a tendency to place objects in their
mouths to play with any part of the MINDS-i system, including, but not limited to: connectors, pieces, electronics, radio
transmiers, wheels, res. The system contains small parts which could accidentally be swallowed and cause suocaon.
• When the system is powered and/or in moon, keep ngers, face, tools, loose clothing, hair, and all other body parts away
from gears, wheels, etc. Do no wear gloves while operang machinery. Even plasc parts can pinch, cut, or crush.
• The transmier’s antenna could also cause injury if played with violently or pointed towards someone’s face.
• Never operate your MINDS-i® system on streets or in any areas where full-size vehicles are.
• Do not pick up your MINDS-i® system when it is in moon.
• Never charge, run or store your MINDS-i® system in a locaon subject to high temperatures, low temperatures or high
humidity.
Do not store in direct sunlight.
• To avoid electronic malfuncon, do not allow the vehicle to become wet. Short circuits will produce a very strong electrical
current. Should your MINDS-i® system become wet, stop using it immediately.
• WARNING! Electrocuon Hazard. Do not use the materials provided for other than its intended purpose.
• Do not put it into re.
• Always use recommended baeries. If improper baeries are used, they may become hot, leak and may rupture.
• Do not aempt to recharge non-rechargeable baeries.
• Only baeries of the same equivalent type as recommended are to be used. Do not mix old and new baeries.
• Exhausted baeries are to be removed from the system and replaced with new ones. Recycle all used baeries.
• Do not lick baeries. If baery appears to be leaking or has a crystalline deposit on the outside, dispose of it immediately
(wear gloves when handling, preferably nitrile or other non-reacve material).
• Do not run a wire between baery terminals, as wire will get very hot, can be irreparably damaged or explode.
• Make sure the baeries are installed with the correct polarity as shown. Do not disassemble your baeries. Never allow them
to become hot or to burn. To avoid short-circuits, avoid geng them wet. Do not short circuit baeries.
• If liquid from inside the baeries contacts your skin or clothes, wash them with water. If leaked baery uid gets into your
eyes, ush them immediately with cool water and seek medical aenon. Do not rub eyes.
• Always wear safety glasses to protect your eyes. Note that normal glasses, while usually made of impact-resistant plasc, will
not aord sucient protecon from shrapnel or ying debris.
• Always wear close-toed shoes to protect your feet from heavy or sharp objects, which might be dropped.
• If you have long hair, keep it ed back or under a hat to avoid it becoming caught in moving parts.
• The MINDS-i® system contains small parts. Do not ingest. Do not insert into any orice (e.g. nostrils, ears, etc).
• The system contains metal parts. Cung or bending can cause parts to break; resulng in sharp edges which can cut skin.
• Baery disposal. Do not throw baeries into the trash, especially rechargeable baeries. Contact your local waste disposal
oce for informaon on baery disposal. Baeries should be stored as directed by your local hazardous materials disposal oce
unl pickup (usually in a hard sided waterproof, non-conducve container, e.g. a plasc bucket).
WARNING! IMPORTANT! RESPONSIBLE ADULT SUPERVISION IS REQUIRED FOR CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 14.
THIS PRODUCT IS NOT DESIGNED FOR UNSUPERVISED USE BY CHILDREN YOUNGER THAN 14 YEARS OLD.
All pictures descripons and specicaons found in this instrucon manual are subject to change without noce.
MINDS-i® maintains no responsibility for inadvertent errors in this manual. Visit www.mymindsi.com for the latest updates and
informaon.

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MINDS-i® is a high-performance Construcon/RC/Robocs System, which is NOT intended for use on the public roads or congested
areas where its operaon may conict with or disrupt pedestrian or vehicular trac. Read all enclosed informaon before operang.
Fully illustrated, step-by-step instrucons describe adjustment, operaon, and required maintenance procedures. MINDS-i® should not
be operated in a crowd, or without adequate space. In an eort to connually upgrade our products, MINDS-i® reserves the right to
make improvements and modicaons to this system, which may not be reected in the photographs and specicaons printed on
this box. PROPOSITION 65 WARNING: This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and/or birth
defects or other reproducve harm.
Terms & Condions: All orders placed with MINDS-i, Inc (phone, fax, mail, internet/web & email) constute the acknowledgment
and acceptance of all condions listed below. All purchases remain the property of MINDS-i®, Inc unl paid for in full. All orders
shipped to a Washington State address must pay sales tax as required by the Washington State Department of Revenue. In the event
that an order placed on our web-site does not calculate sales tax and the order is being shipped to a Washington State address,
MINDS-i® will calculate the sales tax when the order is processed and call or email the customer with the new amount. All prices,
materials, design, color, contents included with a product and product specicaons are subject to change without noce. Some
product images may be shown with oponal items that are sold separately. Depending on the products ordered and the desnaon of
the order, certain shipping services may not be available. MINDS-i® will not be responsible for pricing errors and may cancel the order.
Orders will not be shipped unl all Credit Card informaon is veried and matched. All other orders (check or money order) will not
be shipped unl payment has been received in full. All unpaid orders will be canceled aer 30 calendar days. All weights shown for
products are used for shipping calculaon only and may not reect actual weight of the product.
Product Warranty: MINDS-i® warrants to the original buyer that our products are free from defects in materials and workmanship
for a period of 120 days from the original date of purchase (original purchase receipt required). This warranty does not cover abuse,
misuse, incorrect wiring, modicaons, alteraons, connector damage, wear and tear or robot compeon damage. If the Product
is determined to be defecve within the warranty period, MINDS-i® or its authorized service provider will, at our sole opon, repair
or replace any defecve parts free of charge, or refund the purchase price. What you must do: Return the Product in its original
packaging or packaging aording equal protecon, freight prepaid, with proof of purchase, to an authorized MINDS-i® service
provider. You are responsible for all shipping charges. For more informaon, contact MINDS-i® at [phone] or info@mymindsi.
com.
Shipping Errors and Defecve Products: Claims for shipping shortages, errors, or defecve materials must be in wring and
received by MINDS-i® within ten (10) days aer receipt of shipment by buyer. Failure to make such claim within the stated period shall
constute an irrevocable acceptance of the goods and an admission that the goods fully comply with all the terms and condions of
the buyer’s order.
MINDS-i® is Designed and Manufactured in the United States
Some components are manufactured in China and the Philippines.
Patents US 7,517,270; US 7,410,225; US 7,736,211; US 7,841,923; MX 288350; CN ZL 200680044576.1; Addional Patents Pending.
Trademarks 3,420,137 and 3,487,694
Copyright © 2014 MINDS-i Inc. All rights reserved.
MINDS-i, Inc
22819 East Appleway Avenue
Liberty Lake, WA 99019
USA

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01
CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY AND USAGE
HELPFUL INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS AVAILABLE AT: www.mindsieducation.com
1.5-LOCK 2-LOCK 3-LOCK
PANEL-LOCK 2-ROTATE 3-ROTATE

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02
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04
05

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06
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MARZ ROVER & LUNAR ROVER BUILD STEPS
UAV AIRFRAME BUILD----------------------------------------------------------9
MOTOR POD ASSEMBLY----------------------------------------------------10
CHOOSE YOUR FRAME-----------------------------------------------------12
MOUNTING YOUR FLIGHT ELECTRONICS--------------------------------------19
WIRING THE FLIGHT CONTROLLER ---------------------------------------------20
UAV WIRING DIAGRAM----------------------------------------------------21
UAV COMPETITION KIT JUMPER--------------------------------------------24
FLIGHT CONTROLLER PROGRAMMING----------------------------------------------25
CALIBRATING SENSORS---------------------------------------------------28
CALIBRATING ESC’S-----------------------------------------------------30
UPLOAD UAV CODE-------------------------------------------------------31
PID TEST RACK---------------------------------------------------------32
CONNECTING TO THE DASHBOARD-------------------------------------------34
SERVO REVERSING / TRANSMITTER BINDING--------------------------------------35
MINDS-I DASHBOARD----------------------------------------------------------37
DASHBOARD FEATURES AND FUNCTIONS--------------------------------------39
WAYPOINT PANEL--------------------------------------------------------40
CONFIGURATION PANEL---------------------------------------------------41
TELEMETRY-------------------------------------------------------------42
GRAPHING--------------------------------------------------------------43
EVENT LOG-------------------------------------------------------------44
DATA PANEL------------------------------------------------------------45
FLIGHT MODES----------------------------------------------------------46
CONNECTION / TERMINAL-------------------------------------------------47
MAP VIEW--------------------------------------------------------------48
TOGGLING MODES / LOG FILES--------------------------------------------49
FINAL ASSEMBLY-------------------------------------------------------------51
ON RACK PRE-FLIGHT CHECK---------------------------------------------------53
FLIGHT AND SAFETY CHECKLIST------------------------------------------------54

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PART IDENTIFICATION REFERENCE
Due to variance in manufacture some parts may di󰀨er in shape and color from those pictured in
this manual.
WIRES
For a 2 or 3 wire plug the lightest wire is the signal and the darkest wire is the ground. Colors
may NOT match those pictured in the diagrams. Possible variations include:
OR OR
Signal
Ground
Signal
Ground
Signal
Ground

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SERVOS FRONT - OUTPUT PIN 2 REAR - OUTPUT PIN 3
GPS / COMPASS
MODULE
(optional)
POWER MODULE
BATTERY
RADIO RECIEVER CH1 - INPUT PIN 2 CH2 - INPUT PIN 1
WIRING GUIDE FOR ELECTRONICS
USE FOR STEPS: 07-09 & 17 - 21
2
3
RADIO RECIEVER
MOTOR
MOTOR
ESC
ESC
TELEMETRY
RADIO
(optional)
ENCODERSERVOSERVO
PING SENSORS
PIN 0
PIN 1
PIN 2
PIN 3
PIN 4

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6x6

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MOTOR CASE ASSEMBLY
(Without Encoder)

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x1
MOTOR CASE A
x1
MOTOR CASE B
x2
6x12x4mm BEARING
x1
x1
58T 32P SPUR GEAR
MOTOR SHAFT
x3
#4-40 x 3/8” SCREW
x3
#4-40 NUT

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Be sure to align the set screw with the at
spot on the motor shaft.
Then, tighten the pinion set screw.
Mount the pinion gear ush with the end of
the motor shaft.
x1
5,000 RPM MOTOR
x1
10T 32P PINION GEAR
x1
PINION SET SCREW

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x1
M3x6mm SCREW
x2
M3 WASHER
x4
#4-40 x 3/4” SCREW
x4
#4-40 NUT
x4
#4 WASHER
DO NOT TIGHTEN!

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Check that the
gears mesh.
Adjust motor screws until
gears mesh smoothly, then
tighten.
Tighten both
screws after gears
mesh.
The motor case with the
encoder is pre-assembled.

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x1
RING GEAR
x1
DIFFERENTIAL CARRIER
x1
CARRIER SHAFT
x4
CARRIER SCREW
x2
OUTPUT GEAR SHAFT
x2
SPIDER GEAR
CARRIER SHAFT
DIFFERENTIAL ASSEMBLY
x2

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x1
PINION GEAR
x2
6x12x4mm BEARING
x2
DIFFERENTIAL CASE
x2
10x15x4mm BEARING
x2

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x2
#4-40 x 3/4” SCREW
x2
#4 WASHER
x2
#4-40 NUT
PUT THE SCREW HEADS ON
THE SAME SIDE AS THE RING
GEAR TO MARK IT.
MARK THE SIDE THE RING GEAR IS
ON FOR FUTURE REFERENCE.
Repeat steps 1 - 5: x2