SunFounder 6D-Box User manual

Preface
About SunFounder
SunFounder is a technology company focused on Raspberry Pi and Arduino open source
community development. Committed to the promotion of open source culture, we strive to
bring the fun of electronics making to people all around the world and enable everyone to
be a maker. ur products include learning kits, development boards, robots, sensor
modules and development tools. In addition to high quality products, SunFounder also offers
video tutorials to help you build your own project. If you have interest in open source or
making something cool, welcome to join us! Visit www.sunfounder.com for more!
About Quadcopter Learning Starter Kit for MWC
This learning kit is a basic but functional study tutorial for quadcopters based on the open
source platform MWC. Different from other toy aircrafts on the market, 6D-Box quadcopter
is not only a toy – through its application, you can not only learn much basic knowledge
about quadcopter and remote control, but also, which is more important, assemble your
own copter. It can the stepping stone on your path towards more advanced command of
flying and copters. The assembly of this quadcopter is quite simple and we provide thorough
hardware and software materials. This starter kit is a best choice for you if you are interested
in quadcopter and want to start learning.
As for the name 6D-Box: we call it 6D because it adopts a 6 degrees of freedom (D F)
attitude sensor, and the box comes from its shape after assembled, which is very vivid. An
ATMega328P microprocessor is used for its flight control. The related sketch is compiled in
Arduino IDE with Arduino Pro Mini as the board model and applies the software MultiWii V2.2
after our modification. The quadcopter uses a 720 coreless DC motor and its frame diagonal
is only 11cm long, making it ultra-small in size and flexible in flight with premium lightweight
propellers.

otes:
 The figures of 3D model are included in this manual, so there may be difference between
the model and physical product in color and shape.
 Please note that the remote control we provide is with the throttle on the LEFT. You may be
clear of that before applying the product.
 PLEASE follow instructions in this manual in case of parts damage.
 Some parts may be comparatively fragile. Please DO OT try any operations that may harm
the components.
 We provide free technical support, excluding any man-made damages.
 When you fly the quadcopter for the first time, please go to an open environment and avoid
crashing into hard objects in case of quadcopter especially propeller damages.
If you have any questions, suggestions or ideas, please contact us:
Send an email to [e-mail]
r visit www.sunfounder.com and click Contact us on the page.
Copyright otice
All contents including but not limited to texts, images, and code in this manual are owned
by the SunFounder Company. You should only use it for personal study, investigation,
enjoyment, or other non-commercial or nonprofit purposes, under the related regulations
and copyrights laws, without infringing the legal rights of the author and relevant right
holders. For any individual or organization that uses these for commercial profit without
permission, the Company reserves the right to take legal action.

Contents
1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 1
1.1 verview ........................................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Specifications.................................................................................................................... 2
2. Components List ............................................................................................................................ 3
3. Software Debugging ..................................................................................................................... 9
3.1 Preparations ...................................................................................................................... 9
3.2 Battery & Charger ............................................................................................................ 9
3.3 Flight Control Board ....................................................................................................... 10
3.4 LED Board ........................................................................................................................ 11
3.5 Program ........................................................................................................................... 11
3.6 Configure Flight Parameters in GUI.............................................................................. 15
4. Remote Control ........................................................................................................................... 17
4.1 Remote Control .............................................................................................................. 17
4.2 Remote Control + Receiver .......................................................................................... 19
4.3 Gyroscope and Accelerator Calibration ................................................................... 20
4.4 Copter Lock & Unlock by Remote Control ................................................................. 21
5. Assembly ....................................................................................................................................... 24
6. Try Flying ........................................................................................................................................ 33
6.1 Fine Tuning....................................................................................................................... 33
6.2 Precautions During Flight ............................................................................................... 35
6.3 First Fly! ............................................................................................................................. 35
6.4 Reducing the Weight of Your Craft ............................................................................. 35
7. Stunt Flying .................................................................................................................................... 37
8. Troubleshooting............................................................................................................................ 38
9. Precautions ................................................................................................................................... 38

1
1. Introduction
1.1 Overview
－ MWC
SunFounder 6D-Box is a mini quadcopter based on MWC.
Multiwii Copter, or MWC, is an open source firmware aiming to provide the brain of a RC
controlled multi rotor flying platform. It was developed by French Alexander Dubus, a model
airplane hobbyist, to control his DIY tricopter. Having been improved by many hobbyists
around the world, Multiwii now can not only support multicopters like tricopter, quadcopter,
and hexacopter, but also model aircrafts like fixed wing plane and helicopter. It is powerful
but easy to use at the same time. It supports various types of sensor and a wide range of
external devices and flight modes, which makes it one type of the most popular firmware in
the world these years.
However, for a beginner along the road, the mass information and the huge size of its code
stops quite a lot of hobbyists from getting their feet wet. To help solve this issue, we
developed this 6D-Box quadcopter based on MWC for Arduino. Though small, it contains
most of the knowledges about MWC. By learning this aircraft, you can try making your own
aircraft with the knowledge gained about multicopter as well as operation skills, using it as
a quick start!
－ 6D-Box
The 6D-Box quadcopter is
ultra-small and lightweight
– only weighing 45.8g (no
protective bumpers), with
a distance of 11.8cm
between diagonal motors.
The battery supports a non-
stop flight of up to 8min.
With a frame made of 3mm
carbon fiber, the plane
features light weight, high
strength and strong anti-
bump capability.

2
As for flight control, SunFounder Pro Mini board (compatible with Arduino Pro Mini) is used
as the core processor, with MPU6050, an attitude sensor that incorporates accelerometer
and gyroscope.
Four 720 coreless DC motors can realize the highest efficiency together with proper
propellers. With the LED board underneath, the quadcopter can have "eyes" at night and
also show fascinating effects.
As to communication, a 4-channel RadioLink remote control and receiver are used. They
can also be applied in other aircrafts - when you get enough knowledge about airplane
model and are sufficiently familiar with the operations, you may even make your own plane
using them for control! That'll save you a lot of money and you'll not need to adapt to
another control again.
To fit our 6D-Box better, some adjustments are made to the original MWC code. With the
altered code, new hands may skip the difficulties in the PID adjustment and start learning
MWC more easily. Besides, since it is lightweight and portable, and also quite safe to fly, our
6D-Box boasts itself the best choice for you to enter the model aircraft field!
1.2 Specifications
 Size: 4.6'' (distance between diagonal motors)
 Weight (without bumpers): 1.6oz (45g); (with bumpers) 1.75oz (49.6g)
 Motor model: 720 coreless motor; working voltage: 3.7V
 Blade/Propeller: 55mm long, high efficient
 Receiver: RadioLink; Remote Control: T4EU
 Battery: 3.7V, 380mAh, sizing 38x20x8 mm

3
2. Components List
2.1 Structural Fasteners
Parts Name Qty.
M1.2*10
Self-tapping Screw
6
M2*5
Nylon Screw 6
M2*20
Nylon Screw 6
M2*8 Nylon
Standoff 6
M2*15 Nylon
Standoff 6
2.2 Mechanical Components
Parts Name Qty.
Frame 1

4
6D-B X Cover
2
6D-B X
LED Board 1
Motor Protective
Seat
2 (Black)
2 (Red)
Propeller Bumper
2 (Red)
2 (Black)

5
Red Propeller
Reverse (clockwise)
2
Red Propeller
Positive
(counterclockwise)
2
Black Propeller
Reverse (clockwise)
2
Black Propeller
Positive
(counterclockwise)
2
2.3 Electronic Components
Parts Name Qty.
Flight Control
Board 1

6
Li-Po Battery
(3.7V, 380mAH) 1
Mini USB Cable (1m)
1
3.7V USB Charger
for Li-Po Battery 1
720CW Motor (red
& black wire)
(M1, M2)
2
720CCW Motor
(black & white wire)
(M3, M4)
2
USB To Serial
for 6D-B X 1
2-Pin Connector
Cable (1.27mm pin
space, 3cm)
1

7
6-Pin Connector
Cable (1.27mm pin
space, 10cm)
1
4mm Heat-shrink
Tubing (8cm) 1
Remote Control
Receiver
(4-Channel)
1
Remote Control 1

8
2.4 Tools
Parts Name Qty.
2mm Cross
Screwdriver 1
Propeller Removal
Wrench
1
2.5 Self-provided Parts
Parts Name Qty.
AA Battery for
Remote Control 8

9
3. Software Debugging
3.1 Preparations
￭ Mini USB cable
￭ SunFounder PL2303 (USB-to-Serial Tool)
￭ Flight control board
The driver for PL2303 needs to be installed. If your PC is running Windows and the Update is
open with access to the Internet, the driver will be installed automatically. But if Windows
Update is not opened or your PC is not connected to the Internet, then go to SunFounder
6D-Box Quadcopter\Drivers, and click to open PL2303_Prolific_Driver nstaller_v1.10.0.exe
file and install.
If your PC is running MAC S X, refer to the SunFounder 6D-Box Quadcopter\Drivers\PL2303_
MacOSX_10_6-10_10_v1_5_1 folder.
3.2 Battery & Charger
The 6D-Box quadcopter uses a 3.7V high energy density Li-Po battery, weighing 10.8g with
a dimension of 38x20x8mm. It has a rated capacity of 380mAH – a charging/discharging of
400mAH in real use. The high energy density and capacity empowers the battery to support
a better endurance capability for the quadcopter. As shown in the figure above, the red
wire is the anode and black, cathode. The connector is designed for anti-reverse purpose.

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For the 6D-Box quadcopter, a Mini USB charger for a single battery is used. You may charge
the battery with it by USB charger devices such as PC and power banks. During charging,
first connect the battery with the charger. You can see the LED on the charger light up,
which means the connecting works. Then connect the charger to a USB charger device like
your PC. And the LED will go out. When you see the LED lights up again, the recharging is
done. It should take about 60 minutes. Please note that the USB charger device should
provide a voltage of 5V and a maximum current of 3A.
Precautious items for battery usage:
． DO OT connect the anode and cathode of the battery to avoid a short circuit.
． DO OT throw batteries into fire or water. Do not dispose of batteries in the trash directly.
Please place them in the appropriate collection container for recycle.
． DO OT overcharge or charge the battery to save life.
． Store batteries in a cool, dry place at normal room temperature. The recommended
voltage for restoring is 3.9V.
． Remove the batteries in time in case of overcharging.
3.3 Flight Control Board
Ports on the 6D-Box Flight Control Board:
Get the flight control and the battery. Place the board flat, connect with the battery and
then switch on the flight control. Check whether the red indicator LED on the board lights
up or not. The blue indicator will blink for a while and then go out, or keep blinking. If the
above situation happens, it means everything goes well. Remove the battery and continue
the following steps.

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3.4 LED Board
The 6D-Box LED board makes the quadcopter more dazzling! With the shining LEDs, you can
keep it in sight in the darkness. Taking the top view of the LED board (with the SunFounder
logo on), with the port at the top, as shown in the figure above, the three LEDs on the top
frame are white, right ones red, bottom ones green and left three ones blue. These LEDs
flash in a certain order with a specific frequency. You can not only locate the aircraft by
their light, but also tell its flight direction by their colors.
To connect the LED board to the flight control board, plug a 1.27mm 2-pin cable into the
LED board port as shown in the above figure, and then connect to the flight control. Repeat
the steps for flight control test. Then you'll see the LEDs on LED Board and flight control board
blinking or dim synchronously, which indicates the LED board works.
3.5 Program
ote: This section is not a must-do. If you did not re-burn any sketch to your board, skip this
part and directly go to Configure Flight Parameters in GUI.
3.5.1 Program Download & Configuration
First you need to download the related materials on the page of the quadcopter in
LEAR >Get Tutorials on our website www.sunfounder.com. Then unzip the downloaded
package. Go to SunFounder 6D-Box Quadcopter\Code\MutltiWii_2_2_SE_2_0\ and click to
open the MutltiWii_2_2_SE_2_0.ino file with Arduino 1.0 or higher. Then the code is as folllows:

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Click the tab config.h and start configuring the parameters. In the part The type of
multicopter, activate the line #define QUADX, while the other lines should be commented
out.
Then configure the remote control and choose the proper I2C communication rate. Just
apply the default settings.

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Then the flight control. Activate the line #define SUNFOUNDER_SE_V1_0 and comment out
the rest lines. If your sketch is downloaded on MWC website, there is no such line – you need
to find the line #define HK_MultiWii_SE_V2 and activate it.
In Gyro filters, use a low-pass filter based on your situation, but the frequency should be no
lower than 10Hz. You're suggested to activate the line #define MPU 050_LPF_188HZ. ote:
It is very IMP RTANT to select the proper filter here!
Finally, in the ESC part, activate #define EXT_MOTOR_RANGE.
3.5.2 Upload & Compile
After the configurations are done, select the board: click Tools>Board>Arduino Pro or Pro
Mini.

14
Then click Tools>Processor>ATMega328 (5V,16MHz).

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Connect the USB-to-Serial for 6D-Box with the flight control and select the correct serial port.
Note: Since the sockets on the flight control board and USB-To-Serial for 6D-Box (or PL2303)
are rather small, when plugging in the 6-pin connector cable, you may need to press the
socket in case of damages to the pins.
Click Upload and wait till it's done.
3.6 Configure Flight Parameters in GUI
Connect the USB-to-Serial with the flight control, go to SunFounder 6D-Box
Quadcopter\Code\MultiWiiConf, and start setting based on your upper computer.
Take 32-bit Windows. Go to application.windows32 and open the MultiWiiConf.exe file (if

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you cannot open the file, you may need to install Java. pen a web browser, at the address
bar enter http://www.java.com/en/ and press Enter. n the page, click Free Java
Download and then install, click the execution file again). Then select the proper serial port.
Click START and READ. Activate the LOW, MID and HIGH for A GLE. Click Write.
bserve whether the ACC, GYRO and MAG curves get normal. They should be all level as
shown above. If they are not, please put the flight control board flat and click CALIB_ACC
for calibration.

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4. Remote Control
4.1 Remote Control
Talking of remote control, here a term is involved: "channel", meaning how many types of
movement the copter can make by the remote control. For example, up and down can
be counted one channel. If the remote control can only control the copter to fly up and
down, it's called one channel.
For a quadcopter, at least four channels are needed, namely, up-down, right-left, forward-
backward, and clockwise-counterclockwise rotation. The corresponding channels are
throttle (up-down), roll (right-left), pitch (front-back) and yaw (clockwise-counterclockwise
rotation). If you want more functions, more channels are required.
For this 6-D Box quadcopter, a 4-channel remote control is used. Before applying the remote
control, you need to know there are two different types of remote control. They are different
in the position of throttle – left (what we provided in this kit) and right. The throttle controls
the motor speed. The higher you push it, the motor rotates faster, and the quadcopter flies
higher, and vice versa. It is quite easy to tell the throttle. Try to pull the two rocker arms. The
one that will not restore to the middle is the throttle rocker.
Below is the physical picture of a remote control (throttle at the left hand). Since the focus
of the remote is on the rocker arms, hereafter only virtual figures for them (instead of the
whole remote) will be shown for better demonstration and easier understanding.