Thank you for purchasing the
Intel® Aero Ready to Fly Drone!
The Intel Aero Ready to Fly Drone is a pre-assembled quadcopter that is purposely built for professional drone
application developers to enable you to get your applications airborne quickly.
This development platform is intended to be modified by developers according to their professional judgment. Intel
has not established operating limitations for the kit or tested any configurations other than the base configuration that
is shipped as configured from the factory. Developers are responsible for testing and ensuring the safety of their own
configurations, and establishing the operating limits of those configurations.
You should already have experience flying aircrafts via remote control using
Manual
flight mode which requires control
of the drone with a two-gimbal joystick controller similar to the one included with the Intel Aero Ready to Fly Drone.
Box Contents:
This Getting Started Guide
Terms & Conditions of Use and Important Safety Information
Instruction manual for Spektrum DXe Transmitter
Pre-assembled quad-copter airframe**
2 sets of snap-on propellers: “A” (x4) and “B” (x4)
Spektrum* DXe Transmitter (2.4GHz DSMX*)
4 AA alkaline batteries for Spektrum DXe Transmitter
**Battery not included. Recommended Battery: Li-Po, 4000 - 4500 mAh, 4S, with XT60 connector.
Safety for the Battery: The Operator is responsible for obtaining a battery and battery charger which are certified for use in the
Operator‘s country of operation. The Operator is responsible for proper use of the battery and battery charger per the
manufacturer’s safety guidelines.
Getting Started
1. Read the
Terms & Conditions of Use and Important Safety Information
document (included in the box) before
operating the drone.
2. Experienced pilots can begin flying immediately after following these steps:
a.
Attach a Battery
i. Insert a battery inside the center cavity of the drone’s airframe with cables extending out toward the
rear of the drone as shown in Figure 1.
ii. Tighten the restraining strap around the battery to secure the battery as close to the center of the
airframe as possible.
iii. Connect the battery cable to the drone using the XT60 connector
Figure 1. Intel Aero Ready to Fly Drone
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b. Set up the GPS Antenna (see Figure 2)
i. Raise the GPS antenna mast 90
o
until vertical then tighten the antenna base cover
Figure 2. Raising the GPS Antenna Mast
c.
Attach the propellers (see Figure 3 )
i. Identify propellers marked as “A” and “B” on top of the propeller blade.
ii. Attach each propeller to its corresponding labeled motor by pressing down and twisting counter-
clockwise (for “A” propellers) and clockwise (for “B” propellers) until each propeller latches securely.
iii. To detach the propeller, press the center hub of the propeller while twisting the propeller blade in the
opposite direction used when attaching.
Figure 3. Propeller Identification
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d. Prepare the remote control transmitter (see Figure 4)
i. Install the 4 AA alkaline batteries in the transmitter.
ii. Flip all toggle switches UP or AWAY from the pilot.
The Flight Mode switch should be set to
Manual
(mode 0) until you arm the motors in Step 3.d.
iii. Turn ON the transmitter by sliding its power switch UP (located between the two gimbal sticks)
The transmitter’s power LED will turn to steady orange and a two-tone “rising chirp” will be heard.
Figure 4. Remote Control Transmitter
3. Prepare to Fly
a.
Perform all pre-flight safety procedures as follows:
Pre-Flight Safety Check
Perform this safety check before each flight of the drone (also referred to as UAV).
Verify the following:
1. The flight zone is clear with enough open space outdoors for take-off and landing (no people, animals, or
obstacles within a radius of 10 meters).
2. Propellers are in working condition and attached securely to the motors.
3. All drone components and wires are securely attached to the airframe and do not impede the path of the
propellers.
4. The drone battery is properly charged. Connect the battery to the UAV circuitry only when in use.
5. The drone battery is secured to the airframe.
6. The battery for the remote control transmitter is properly charged.
7. Communication between the remote control transmitter and the drone is functioning properly. (step c, below)
8.
Arm the motors only after people, animals, and obstacles are at a safe distance.
WARNING:
Check airworthiness of the drone before each flight, especially after any incident like a hard landing. Do not
fly the drone if any part of the aircraft appears to be damaged or malfunctioning. Always perform the Pre-Flight Safety
Check before each flight.
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b. Turn ON the Drone
i. Press the power button on the drone (Figure
5)
for about 1 second. The two blue LEDs immediately
adjacent to the power button will illuminate a steady blue and the cooling fan will spin.
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Power Button
Blue LEDs
Power Indication
Figure 5. Power Button
c.
Verify the remote control transmitter is paired to the drone
i. Verify the orange LED on the remote control receiver located on the bottom side of the drone (Figure
6)
is illuminated and steady orange.
If the LED is blinking or not ON, please check the troubleshooting tips.
Figure 6. Receiver LED Indicates Connection Status with Transmitter
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d. Arming and Disarming the Motors
The following instructions assume default factory settings. If you modify the Flight Mode configurations, these
instructions may not apply.
i. Press the left gimbal stick toward the bottom right. Hold for about 2 seconds. (Figure 7 ) The motors
will start spinning.
CAUTION – MOTORS WILL SPIN – STAY CLEAR OF THE PROPELLERS
Throttle Enable
Figure 7. Transmitter Controls for Arming and Disarm the Drone Motors
NOTE: When flying indoors, or areas where there is a weak GPS signal, use
Manual
flight mode (mode 0).
ii. To disarm the motors, press the left gimbal stick toward the bottom left. Hold for about 2 seconds.
(Figure 7) The motors will stop spinning.
e.
Choose the appropriate Flight Mode
i. INDOOR FLIGHTS: use
Manual
flight mode (mode 0).
Manual flight mode requires reasonable piloting skills. Until you are experienced, use caution while
operating in this mode.
ii. OUTDOOR FLIGHTS: use either
Position Hold (GPS)
(mode 2) or
Manual
(mode 0).
It is recommended to use
Position Hold (GPS)
(mode 2) when flying outdoors for greater flight
stability. Note that this mode relies upon the drone locking onto a GPS signal. For best performance,
place the drone in an area that has clear line of sight to the sky and wait at least 2 minutes before
attempting to fly in
Position Hold (GPS)
mode. This will allow the drone to achieve GPS signal lock. To
see the GPS signal strength status, follow the instructions on page 7 “For Developers and Advanced
Users” to install and use the QGroundControl application.
4. Takeoff
a.
Slowly increase throttle by pushing the left gimbal stick upward. When flying in
Manual
flight mode, be
especially prepared to compensate for any unwanted yaw and tilt during takeoff.
5. Land the Drone
a.
It is easier to land the drone using
Position Hold (GPS)
flight mode, which allows for a more controlled rate of
decent and stability.
b. Landing safely in
Manual
flight mode requires reasonable piloting skills. Be prepared to control the rate of
decent to minimize hard impact with the landing surface.
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