DJI Ace One User Manual

Ace One User Manual

Ver. 2.5

http://www.dji-innovations.com

Copyrights

This product and manual are copyrighted by DJI Innovations with all rights reserved. No part of this product or manual shall be reproduced in any form without the prior written consent or authorization of DJI Innovations. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the product or information contained herein.

Disclaimer

DJI Innovations assumes no liability for damage(s) or injured incurred directly or indirectly from the use of this product.

Trademarks

DJI and Ace One are registered trademark of DJI Innovations. Names of product, brand, etc., appearing in this manual are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owner companies.

Product Documents List

Forbidden

Please refer to the page(s) mentioned

TX

R/C Transmitter configuration required

Alt

Alt Key

Caution

Assembly & Mounting Tips

Mouse Left Click

Enter

Enter Key

Correct

General Tips

Mouse Right Click

Up/Down/ Left/Right Directions Keys

Wrong

Ace One Assistant configuration required

Ctrl

Ctrl Key

The Ace One product package includes the following installation manual. To correctly use Ace One system and fly safe, please read the instruction carefully before power on.

 Warranty Card

[Warranty Card] recommend the necessary conditions for using Ace One system and related safety issues. Please fill out the

customer & helicopter information card and return to DJI to register your product warranty.

 Quick Start Guide

[Quick Start Guide」For experienced users, the quick start guide provides a brief summary of the steps that can also be found in

details in the manual.

 Ace One User Manual

[Ace One User Manual] provides you the detailed steps for Ace One basic setup, configuration, parameter settings, operation

processes, and also maintenance of the product.

Reader’s Guide for This Manual

Please strictly follow these steps to mount and connect the Ace One system on your helicopter, as well as to install the Ace One Assistant software on your computer.

 Icons seen in this document

DJI Ace One Introduction

GPS Cruise Mode

GPS Atti. Mode

Atti. Mode

Manual Mode

Command Stick

Meaning

Flight speed control; Stick center position for 0m/s, its endpoint for maximum speed set by user.

Helicopter attitude control; Stick center position

for 0˚ attitude, its endpoint for 45˚which is a

fixed limit.

Mechanical driving

directly

Command Linearity

YES

NO

Stick Released

Lock the position when GPS signal is adequate

Only altitude

stabilizing

Recommend for experience pilot only

Altitude lock

Maintain the altitude best above 3 meters

NO

Stabilization

Flybarless stabilizing on ELEV and AILE direction is available for all control mode

GPS Lost

After 10s when GPS signal lost, System enters Atti. Mode. Automatically.

Only performing attitude stabilizing without position lock.

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Safety

Maintain constant speed

Attitude & speed mixture control ensures stability.

Depends on

experience

Enhanced fail-safe featured, auto hover or Go-Home if transmitter signal lost

Appropriate

Applications

Long and smooth flight route

High agility for all flying

---

 Integrated tail gyro The flying direction (YAW) of helicopter will be effected by cross wind. Ace One system can detect the drifting angle & Speed, and control the rudder servo to eliminate such influences. In the case of flying forward in cross-wind, Tail Gyro can work on two different modes as the example shown.

Heading

Head-locking Mode

Rate Mode

Cross-Wind

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DJI Ace One is an autopilot system for radio-controlled helicopters, which completely takes the stress out of flying RC helicopters for both professional and hobby applications. Ace One can be installed in a variety of models, from small electric helicopters to large gasoline and turbine helicopters.

 Multiple control mode based on autopilot system:

 Built-in functions include:

 Flybarless rotor head support  Integrated engine governor for internal combustion engines  Tilt and roll gimbal stabilization

Package Contents

 Main Controller (MC)

The Main Controller is the brain of Ace One. The MC communicates with the IMU, GPS/Compass, engine governor, servos and RC transmitter to carry out autopilot functionality. The MC provides a “black box” flight log, and USB interface to read flight logs, configure Ace One and update firmware from a PC.

(System requirement: Windows XP SP3 or Windows 7)

 GPS & Compass module (GPS)

The GPS/Compass module includes two status-indicating LEDs. It should be installed on the tail boom, where there is a clear view of the sky.

×1

 IMU

The Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) consists of one 3-axis accelerometer, one 3-axis gyroscope and a barometer.

×1

 GPS Tail Boom Mount

The GPS Tail Boom Mount and double-sided foam tape enable secured installation for the GPS/Compass module on almost

any helicopters.

×1

 3-PIN Servo Cable

Cables used to connect the MC to the RC receiver.

×10

 3M 5925 Double Sided Tape

（Only for GPS & Compass module）

×4

 Micro USB Cable

This cable is used to configure Ace One, update firmware and

download flight logs.

×1

 Quick Start Guide

For experienced users, the quick start manual provides summary of the steps which can be found in detail in this

manual.

 Warranty Card

Ace One comes with a two-year warranty, as described on this

card. Please keep this for your personal records.

×1

Mounting and Connection

 IMU

 Where? The IMU is best positioned near the helicopter’s center of gravity, where

vibration is relatively low.

 What orientation? Orient the IMU such that the arrow marked on the above

surface of the IMU faces the sky and points directly forward, backward, left or right. The sides of the IMU should be precisely parallel to the helicopter body.

DO NOT MOUNT THE IMU UPSIDE-DOWN.

 How? Use double-sided foam tape for secured installation.

1

Check the double-sided foam tape or Velcro regularly to ensure that the

IMU is securely positioned.

2

DO NOT cover the ventilation holes, keep them unobstructed.

3

The IMU module is NOT water-proof or oil-proof.

 GPS & Compass Module (GPS)

 Where? Mount it on the tail boom, between the

rotor-head and the tail-rotor. The compass is sensitive to magnetic interference, so position the module at least 20 cm from servos and 30 cm from electric motors or gasoline (petrol) engines. The GPS is sensitive to vibration interference, so position the module at least 10 cm from the tail rotor. The GPS should not be close to the main rotor head because rotor blades can interfere with GPS satellite signal, the farther from the center of the rotor disk, the better.

 What Orientation? The DJI logo marked on the

GPS should face the sky, with the orientation arrow pointing directly forward. The GPS is packaged with a special indication line for mounting for the first time. The LED status indicators should face the tail rotor.

1

If you are uncertain whether materials near the GPS are magnetic or not, you can use a compass or magnet to check it.

2

GPS mounting-support hardware is included in the Ace One package. If however you prefer to use your own GPS mount,

please make sure that the mount material is NOT magnetic.

 Main Controller (MC)

 Where? There is no orientation requirement for the MC. Maintain at least a 20-centimeter-distance between the MC and the

engine or motor. Choose a mounting location where as shorter servo extension wires are needed as possible. This helps reduce the risks of electronic interference. Please also make sure the USB port is accessible when installing the MC so as to facilitate software configuration.

After choosing a location to mount the MC, it is recommended that you DO NOT mount the MC until all wirings and software configurations are completed.

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A1 Before you Begin

Fly the helicopter without Ace One and make sure that the helicopter works properly without any autopilot assistance. To complete this step, you will need a tail gyro instead of Ace One system. This is a good time to isolate and resolve unwanted vibrations. IT IS

IMPORTANT THAT YOU SHOULD NOT SKIP THIS STEP.

A2 Mount the devices on your helicopter

A3 Connections

X3 X2 X1

U P

G R T E A

F4 F3 F2 F1 S4

S3 S2 S1

Brushless Motor Controller (ESC)

Electric

Motor

Gas/Nitro

Engine

Rudder Servo

Throttle Servo

Engine Speed Sensor

Battery MUST supply 4.8 - 8.4 volts.

Could be connect to any of the spare I/O port.

Swashplate Servo

3 or 4

LEDs are status indicators.

GPS/COMPASS: Mount to the Tail boom, 20 cm from servos, 30 cm from motor, 10 cm from tail rotor.

Micro-USB: PC connection for configuration and firmware upgrades.

Internal vibration isolation design, enable a more convenient

IMU mounting.

In-line CAN-Bus Port:

This CAN-Bus port can be used

for the IMU connection or for future hardware upgrades.

Main Controller

R/C Receiver

THR RUD

DO NOT connect the rudder servo until the servo type has been selected in Ace Assistant.

F channel is available for control of

gimbal servo, camera shutter, etc.

Please use Assistant Software or DJI

Ground Station to setup.

 CAN Bus– Interface for Ace One Module

The Ace One MC uses CAN-Bus to power and communicate with other Ace One modules. Three connection ports are provided: two on the MC and one in-line connection on the GPS/Compass wire. Ace One identifies the connected devices automatically without

configuration.

 GPS module can be connected to either port of MC.  IMU can be connected to the MC or to the in-line port on the

GPS wire. Connect the GPS/Compass and IMU to the MC.

Press & Pull out

 Receiver & Servos

STEP1: Set the transmitter to single-servo CCPM (Futaba: H-1; JR/Spectrum: 1sNORM; Hitec: 1-Servo 90°).

Connect the receiver to the MC input servo ports. (High voltage receiver is essential，over 7.4v)

R/C Receiver (Futaba / Hitec)

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

X3 X2 X1

U P

G R T E A

R/C Receiver (JR)

AUX2

AUX1

GEAR

RUDD

ELEV

AILE

THRO

X3 X2 X1

U P

G R T E A

RUDD

THRO

AILE

ELEV

GEAR

AUX1

AUX2

X1

For Camera Gimbal control

U

For Control Mode Switch

P

For collective pitch or up/down

G

For gyro sense adjusting

R

For rudder control

T

For throttle control

E

For cyclic pitch or front/back

A

For cyclic roll or left/right

STEP2: Connect the cyclic servos and throttle servo or ESC (NOT the rudder servo) to the

Ace One output servo ports using the diagram corresponding to the swash type of your helicopter. (High voltage servo is essential, for example, JR HV series.)

F1

F2

Roll

Pitch

S1S1S3

S4

For swashplate servos

THR

For throttle servo or ESC

RUD

For rudder servo

F1

F2

For Gimbal servos

S2

S1

90

o

S3

S4

S2

S1 S3

90

o

S2

S1

S3

140

o

S2

S1 S3

90

o

S2

S1

S3

120

o

S2

S1

S3

120

o

HR3

H3H140

H4

HE3

H1

*S3: Collective Pitch

The power consumption of Ace One is 5W maximum (testing condition: 0.9A@5V). For some small scale helicopters, the BEC provided may not be able to supply enough overall power consumption, please use high performance BEC.

 Battery or BEC

Ace One uses the same power source as the servos and receiver; power to all electronics connected to the MC can be supplied by either servo input or output ports on the MC. Ace One operates with a power source between 4.8 to 8.4 volts DC. When choosing a power source, bear in mind that all servos and Ace One will use that same power source, thus please make sure the power source you use will also satisfy the servo requirements. A high capacity battery of 4000mAh or above is strongly advised, especially for large scale electric powered helicopter.

A4 Ace Assistant Software Basic Operation

Software and Driver Installation

Please download and install the assistant software and driver from our website first. The micro-USB port is used for MC configuration and firmware upgrade

Please connect your MC to your internet enabled computer by the USB cable before you open the assistant software. You have to register at the first time you use the assistant software.

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5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

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1

TOOL

 Firmware upgrade: update your firmware from DJI

server, keep your Ace One system up-to-date.

 Sign in: Log onto DJI server.  Read flight log: Upon choosing this, Ace One main

controller will become a mobile drive under [My computer] directory, and Ace Assistant will be

closed automatically.

 Disable all knobs  Reset to factory default

2

Language

a) English b) 中文

3

Newsletter: Latest product news.

4

ABOUT

 Info: Information regarding your Ace One  Error Code

5

Export: export/save Ace One configurations in files.

6

Import: load previously saved Ace One configurations.

7

Wizard: step-by-step, for your first-time-configuration.

 Flight & Configuration Procedure Brief

8

Write: write data of latest settings of the current page to

your Ace One main controller. The parameter value or the title of which will appear as red and bold in font when modifications have been made, make sure you click the “Write” button to update your Ace One system.

9

Read: read parameters from Ace One main controller.

10

Write all: write latest settings and changes of all files to

your Ace One main controller.

11

Graphic guidance

12

Text guidance

13

Flybarless function ON/OFF indication

14

Engine governor working mode indication

15

Tail gyro working mode & gyro sense indication

16

Autopilot working mode indication

17

Red light: Ace One  PC has been disconnected.

Green light: Ace One  PC has been connected. Blue light: Ace One  PC communication.

18

Here you can find all the configuration pages the same as

in the “Wizard”.

DJI Ace One User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Product Documents List

Reader’s Guide for This Manual

Contents

DJI Ace One Introduction

Package Contents

Mounting and Connection

A1 Before you Begin

A2 Mount the devices on your helicopter

A3 Connections

A4 Ace Assistant Software Basic Operation