3D Robotics DIY Quad Frame Kit User Manual
DIY
KITS
FRAME KIT
QUAD
Thank you for purchasing a 3DR Quad Frame Kit!
These instructions will guide you through assembling and wiring
your new autonomous multicopter.
CONTENTS
30 mm steel bolts (4)
25 mm steel bolts (12)
30 mm threaded spacers (4)
Your 3DR Quad Kit contains:
18 mm threaded spacers (12)
8 mm threaded spacers (4 plus 4 spare)
5 mm steel bolts (8 plus 2 spare)
5 mm nylon bolts (28 plus 4 spare)
Metal nuts (16)
Nylon nuts (8 plus 8 spare)
Metal lock washers (8)
Rubber washers (4)
Zip ties (8)
Battery strap
XT60 connector - male
Heat shrink tubing
Deans connectors - male (4)
Threadlocking compound
APM plate
Black arm (3)
Blue arm (2)
Bottom plate
Accessory
plate
Five-wire RC receiver cable
Two-wire RC receiver cable
These instructions require some minor
soldering. If you’re unfamiliar with
soldering, our friends at Sparkfun have
some great tutorials that can get you
started, including this comic:
learn.sparkfun.com/curriculum/42.
For an example of exactly what you’ll
be doing for this assembly (soldering
Deans connectors to ESCs), check out
this video: youtu.be/3LJIQeKuLLU.
Top plate
Landing gear
pieces (8)
Power distribution board
You will also need:
» Phillips screwdriver (small)
» 5.5 mm (7/32) wrench
» Double-sided foam mounting tape
These instructions show the complete assembly and wiring process for a 3DR Quad
using 3DR electronics. For assembling your Quad Frame Kit using other electronic
components, please adjust these instructions accordingly.
» 2 mm (5/64) hex wrench
» Soldering equipment
1
Recommended electronics:
3DR APM 2.6:
3DR APM 2.6
Telemetry adapter
cable
4 mm JP1
jumper connector
6 mm PPM
jumper connector
Micro USB cable
3DR Radio:
Radios (2)
Antennas (2)
Micro-USB cable
Android OTG cable
Autopilot connectors
3DR uBlox GPS+Compass:
6-position to
5-position GPS
cable
3DR uBlox GPS
board with compass
4-position compass
cable
FRAME ASSEMBLY
1 Choose + or x
Your 3DR Quad can be flown in both + (plus)
and x (cross) configurations. A plus-configured
copter flies with one arm forward, while a
cross-configured copter flies with two arms
forward. While both configurations provide
excellent performance, cross is standard and
x (cross) configuration
recommended for new fliers. For plus, use three
black arms and one blue arm when assembling your copter, and remember to specify plus
when choosing your frame orientation during software configuration. These instructions will
continue assembling a Quad in cross orientation.
+ (plus) configuration
2 Attach motors to arms
Each arm of your Quad will have a motor attached to the top of the arm using two 5 mm steel
bolts and two metal lock washers. To ensure motors are securely bolted to arms, apply a
small amount of threadlock to each bolt before fastening.
Threadlocking compound is an important component to ensure your motors remain
firmly attached! For application tips, check out this video: goo.gl/bM3MA.
Position holes in the bottom of the motor over the
two small holes on either side of the larger hole in
top in the of the arm. Secure with two 5 mm steel
bolts (with a metal lock washer on each bolt) by
accessing through the two large holes in the bottom
of the arm. Thread the motor cables through the arm
using the hole in the side of the arm. Repeat for all
four arms.
Thread
cables
5 mm bolts
and lock
washers
2
Install motor collets3
Attach a threaded collet to the top of each motor using the
four small screws included with collets. Apply threadlock to
each screw before fastening. Repeat for all four motors.
4 Assemble legs
Motor collet assembly
Metal nuts
Your Quad has four legs, each comprised of two
landing gear pieces. To assemble each leg, align
two landing gear pieces and attach through the
three bottom holes using three 18 mm spacers
25 mm bolts
and six 5 mm nylon bolts.
For each hole, position spacer between holes,
5 mm
nylon
bolts
and secure from each side with nylon bolts.
Repeat for all four legs.
Attach legs to arms with leg pointing toward
motors. Align the two top holes in the leg with
18 mm
Leg assembly
Attach top and bottom plates
5
spacers
the two holes in the center of the arm. Insert
two 25 mm bolts and secure with metal nuts.
The top and bottom plates will form the main frame by attaching to your copter’s arms. Align
plates in the orientation show below, and attach two blue arms to one end and two black arms
to the other using the four pairs of holes as shown.
Place the arm between the two plates so the two holes
Top plateBottom plate
Attach black arms here
in the arm align with the holes in the plates. Insert a bolt
into each hole and secure with nuts. For inner holes use
30 mm bolts and metal nuts; for outer holes use 25 mm
bolts and metal nuts. Add a rubber washer on top of the
nut on the inner holes.
For plus configuration: Attach a blue arm to only the
position on the plate marked with an arrow.
Inner holes use:
30 mm bolt + arm + metal nut + rubber washer
Outer holes use:
Attach blue arms here
25 mm bolt + arm + metal nut
Next add the spacers that will hold the power distribution board in place.
Using the four holes in the bottom plate shown across, align four 8 mm
spacers, and secure from the bottom using four 5 mm nylon bolts.
5 mm nylon bolt + 8 mm spacer
Slide the battery strap through the two slots in the bottom plate.
Bottom plate
3
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