Intel FALCON 8+ Quick Start Manual

INTEL® FALCON™ 8+

Unmanned Aircraft System

QUICK START GUIDE

QUICK START GUIDE – Rev. 06 July 2017 QUICK START GUIDE – Rev. 06 July 2017

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GloSSARy

• UAV: Intel® Falcon™ 8+ Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) –

includes all ying parts

• CTR: Intel® Cockpit Controller – ground control station

• BMS: Intel® Powerpack Battery Management System –
smart battery

• UAS: Intel® Falcon™ 8+ System / Intel® Falcon™ 8+
Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) – Product including UAV

and all dedicated accessories

• Payload: Camera mount with gimbal and camera

InTEnDED USE

This Product is a UAS that is intended for commercial use only,
such as for visual inspection, mapping and surveying. It is
not intended for any consumer or recreational use.

You must read, understand, and follow all documentation
before using the UAS.

DISClAImER

The features and benets of the UAS depend on its
conguration and may require enabled hardware,
software, or service activation. Technical results may have
been estimated or simulated, using internal analysis, or
architecture simulation, or modeling of Intel Corporation,
or Ascending Technologies GmbH, acquired by Intel
Corporation and merged into Intel Deutschland GmbH, and
provided to you for informational purposes. Any dierences
in your UAS hardware, software or conguration may aect
actual performance.

SAfETy SymbolS USED In ThE QSG

Critical Warning: Indicates important information that

can be ight critical.

General Information: Shows information helpful in

operating and using the UAS.

ThAnK yoU foR PURChASInG ThE InTEl® fAlCon™ 8+ UnmAnnED AIRCRAfT SySTEm

Congratulations on your new Intel® Falcon™ 8+ Unmanned
Aircraft System (UAS).

This UAS is purposely built for professional use. It is not
intended for consumer use. You should already have
experience ying a UAS, which requires control of the drone
with a ground control station similar to the one included with
the Intel® Falcon™ 8+ UAS.

This Quick Start Guide (QSG) presents a brief summary of
the UAS, how to set it up and steps to get started. The QSG
consists of the following main sections:

• UAS Description: Packing list, UAS components, ground
control station, payloads, etc.

• Operating the UAS: Safety precautions, pre-ight and
post-ight checks, and steps to get started – preparing,
using and controlling the UAS.

Before using the UAS, please read the Terms and

Conditions of Use, and Safety Warnings enclosed with this

package. It is important that you also read the User Manual

before using the UAS. Download the User Manual at

www.intel.com/Falconmanual .

In addition, Intel strongly recommends that you attend a
pilot training before you use the UAS. For further details
on training, contact the reseller from whom you bought the
UAS, or if you bought the UAS directly from Intel, contact
Intel.

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SAfETy GUIDElInES

These guidelines must be read, understood, accepted and followed by any personnel who operate the UAS:

Do’s:

• Comply with all laws and regulations. You are responsible for knowing and complying with all laws and

regulations applicable to the airspace in which you operate.

• Professional drone operators must comply with all applicable insurance, and aviation-specic liability

requirements.

• Conduct the “UAS and safety check”, “pre-ight” and “post-ight” checks according to the User Manual.

• Maintain the UAS in a safe and airworthy condition.

• Use your best judgment, and prioritize the safety of the environment in which you are ying, and the

people and objects within it.

• Fly at a safe distance and/or wear appropriate safety equipment.

• Intensive training of every pilot, to operate the UAS in all ight modes, is mandatory.

• Fly in dry conditions only - the UAS and payloads are not waterproof.

• Operate the UAS only within the specied operational limits.

Don’ts:

• Do not disassemble the UAS.

• Do not transport the UAS in containers not approved by Intel Corporation.

• Do not operate the UAS under the inuence of alcohol or drugs.

• Do not make any unapproved modication to the UAS.

• Do not y beyond the line of sight.

• Do not y in closed or restricted areas.

• Do not y at temperatures below -5° C (23° F) or above +40° C (104° F).

• Do not exceed speed of 16 m/s in Height-Mode or descend faster than 10 m/s in Manual-Mode.

• Do not y in problematic environments with high electromagnetic disturbances.

• Do not operate the UAV in potentially explosive environments.

UAS DESCRIPTIon

What’s Inside the Package?

When you unpack your Intel Falcon 8+ UAS for the rst time, please make sure that all the items, which you specied

in your purchase order, are included.

Make sure the items are not damaged from shipment. If any of the items are missing or damaged, contact your dealer

or contact the technical support team at Intel.

Violation of these safety guidelines might be illegal and

subject to ne, and will result in the loss of warranty.

QUICK START GUIDE – Rev. 06 July 2017 QUICK START GUIDE – Rev. 06 July 2017

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Intel Falcon 8+ UAS Case**

This case is used for all necessary parts of your Intel Falcon 8+ UAS.

Intel Cockpit Controller Case**

Following the numbers, the slots contain:

Intel Falcon 8+ UAV without payload and batteries

Power supply units for charging the Intel Powerpack Batteries
(optional) (6)

Space for accessories, e.g. sun glasses

Toolkit with spare propellers (see Figure 02 below)

Space for the payload when mounted directly onto the UAV.
(For load security you must take the foam bolster inlet, which is
supplied with the payload case.)

Space for Intel Powerpack Batteries (shipped separately)

Space for Independent Camera Control (ICC) gamepad
(optional)

Space for extra equipment, if any, which is not part of the UAS,
e.g. reective safety vest or video goggles

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Figure 01

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Toolkit and spare parts

Figure 02

Intel Cockpit Controller with mounted sun shield (for transporting
the Intel Cockpit Controller in the case, the sunshade should be
arranged as shown to provide extra protection of the touchscreen
tablet against scratches during transportation.)

Additional space to store extra items, e.g. an extra power
supply

Included in the case, but not shown:

Shoulder harness, located underneath the sun shield protected
touchscreen tablet.

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Figure 03

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Main Components

The UAS comes with the below main components:

• The Intel Falcon 8+ UAV

• The Intel Cockpit Controller

• The Intel Powerpack Batteries

• Payload

The payload of the Intel Falcon 8+ UAS must be placed as
shown in Figure 04. Make sure that it is placed conveniently
inside the foam bolster.

The foam bolster cover (not shown) located on top of the
payload, should be used to secure the payload when it is
transported in the Intel Falcon 8+ UAS case, while it is mounted
onto the UAV.

** The images of the items above are for illustration purpose only, and the actual item(s) packed with your Intel Falcon 8+ UAS may dier from the one(s) depicted
here dependi ng on, for example, which payload you ordered.

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UAV with payload – top view:

Actively stabilized camera mount with gimbal and camera

Motor rails

Central unit

Carbon cross

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Payload Case**

The Intel Falcon 8+ UAV

Figure 04

Figure 05

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UAV – back view:

Carbon ber chassis

USB stick slot (supports up to 16 GB, le system: FAT32,
allocation unit size: 32 kilobytes)

Hole for camera mount carbon rod and knurled securing nut
(see no. 5 in Figure 11)

Battery compartments with retaining clips (7) for batteries

Power button

Micro SD-card slot (SD-card: speed class 10 minimum,
supports up to 16 GB, le system: FAT32, allocation unit size:
32 kilobytes); for ight logs (black box)

Battery marks

Built inside:

Electronics for ight stabilization and power supply

Diversity data link modules

Video transmitter module

Carbon cross with center cross piece, antenna arrangement:

Data link antennas (2.4 GHz) and video link antennas (5.8
GHz) are integrated into the landing feet. They are diagonally
arranged as shown in Figure 07.

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UAV with payload – bottom view:

Payload

Motor rails

Center cross piece

Carbon cross

Landing feet

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Figure 07

Figure 08

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Video

Video

Data

Data

Figure 06

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UAV – front view:

Hole for camera mount’s carbon rod

Connector slot for payload adapter plug (see no. 2 in
Figure 25)

Retaining clip for payload adapter

Cable tube containing cabling of antennas (for example)

Fan for internal cooling behind slots

Vibration dampers

Motor rails and related elements consist of:

Propellers (mounted directly on motors)

Brushless motors (mounted directly on mounts)

Brushless motor mount

Carbon ber tube

Connector between carbon cross and motor rails

Landing foot

UAV – side view:

LED position light

Vibration dampers

Cable tube

Each motor rail consists of four brushless motor controllers,
seated within the carbon tube.

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Figure 09

Figure 10

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Figure 11

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Payload

Overview of the Intel Cockpit Controller

The Intel Cockpit Controller

The payload consists of:

Actively stabilized payload with circuitry for controlling camera

Camera (e. g. Sony Alpha 7R*)

Pitch Servo

Lightweight Carbon Fiber Structure

Knurled Securing Nut for the Camera Mount

Payload Adapter

Controller – top view, with unfolded antenna panel:

Control Unit

Touchscreen Tablet with Preview Video (optional with sun

shield)

Antenna Panel, Unfolded (2.4 GHz data link and 5.8 GHz video

link antennas)

Controller – right side view:

Control Unit

Touchscreen Tablet with Preview Video (optional with sun

shield)

Antenna Panel, Unfolded (2.4 GHz data link and 5.8 GHz video

link antennas)

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The Intel Cockpit Controller is the main control hub for the Intel Falcon 8+ UAV, and the attached payloads. It is designed to
be carried and operated by one person, and displays all relevant ight information.

The communication between the Intel Cockpit Controller, and the Intel Falcon 8+ UAV, is realized by two independent 2.4
GHz digital data links. The preview video is transmitted digitally on 5.8 GHz. The Intel Cockpit Controller uses the same
battery type as the Intel Falcon 8+ UAV. The battery is located in the battery compartment, which can be accessed from the
bottom of the Intel Cockpit Controller.

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

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There are dierent connectors on the back of the controller:

4 X USB

1 X HDMI*

The USB port, labeled USB 1, can only be used to perform Intel
Cockpit Controller rmware updates from a USB stick.

The other USB ports can be used to connect the ICC, or USB
sticks with pre-planned ight missions to be imported.

A sun shield can be attached to the touchscreen tablet to avoid

reections. It is foldable for storage and transport.

Figure 15

The functional elements of the controller are:

Start/Stop Button (starts/stops the motors when the left stick
is simultaneously held down at minimum)

GPS (GPS-Mode ON)

HGT (Height-Mode ON) when both buttons are switched ON/lit,
then Manual-Mode is activated

Left Rocker Switch (R1) (controls the camera pitch angle)

Right Rocker Switch (R2) (controls dierent camera functions
depending on the attached payload)

Left and Right Control Sticks

Status Display

Left Push Button (B1) (sets the camera to predened angles
+/-90°, +/-45° and 0° - see "Setting the Camera Angle" section

for details)

Right Push Button (B2) (controls dierent camera functions
depending on the attached payload)

4 Function Buttons for Status Display

Return to Home Button

Power Button

Integrated Shoulder Harness Holders

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