DeltaQuad Controller

Introduction

When your DeltaQuad Pro #MAP comes with the DeltaQuad Controller, the DeltaQuad controller provides the communication link between your UAV and the ground systems.

Getting started

To connect your UAV to the DeltaQuad controller simply switch on the UAV and press and hold the POWER button on the controller for 3 seconds. Once the controller is booted up, the main menu will display.

Before launching your flight control system it is recommended to connect the controller to a mobile hotspot or Wi-Fi network, The controller uses internet connectivity to load satellite maps and for LTE connectivity to the UAV. The DeltaQuad controller needs to be connected to a 5Ghz mobile hotspot or WiFi network. As the main communication link for the controller is based on 2.4 GHz, these networks will not be displayed. When using a mobile phone hotspot please make sure you configure the hotspot for 5Ghz.

In the top of the screen, you will find the data link bar.

The data link bar will always remain visible and allows you to control the type of transmission and select the active camera feed. The available modes will display in white, and the currently active mode will display in green.

  • MODES:

    • RADIO: This mode uses the internal radio system. The radio system is capable of transmission ranges up to 30KM, or up to 50KM when your system is equipped with the booster package.

    • LTE: This mode uses mobile network over a VPN-secured data link. To use LTE mode the following needs to be activated:

      • A SIM card needs to be installed inside the UAV. The LTE dongle is located in the nose section of the vehicle and can be accessed when the battery is disconnected. Make sure the sim card has sufficient data available and that it is not secured with a pin-code. To test the connectivity of your LTE dongle with your sim card you can insert the dongle into a Windows-based laptop. After approximately 1 minute a webpage will open with the dongle settings and status.

      • The DeltaQuad controller needs to be connected to a WiFi network or mobile hotspot.

  • VIDEO FEEDS:

    • HDMI: This is the HDMI-enabled camera feed of your mapping sensor.

    • FPV: This is the static nose camera feed.

    • OFF: This disables both feeds and stops any data consumption. If the data link becomes intermittent it is recommended to disable the video feeds to remain connected to your UAV.

Starting the UAV control system

Before takeoff, always center all switches, and turn all dials to the left.

From the main menu launch the QGroundControl app (QGC). This application

From the QGroundControl app, you will be able to plan your initial mission. Missions are always planned to ensure the vehicle has a predefined takeoff and landing pattern. Even when you intend to manually control the UAV or control the UAV using repositioning or target following commands, it is recommended to plan a mission for takeoff and landing.

Please review the mission planning section for detailed information on how to plan a mission.

Overview of the buttons

Number

Type

Function

1

3 position switch

FLIGHT MODE

UP: Position flight mode

CENTER: neutral - remain in current mode

DOWN: Mission flight mode

2

3 position switch

RETURN

UP: Return flight mode

CENTER: neutral - no function

DOWN: neutral - no function

3

Dial

Not assigned

4

Dial

Not assigned

5

3 position switch

Not assigned

6

3 position switch

Not assigned

7

Joystick

In hover mode

Stick up: move forward

Stick down: move backward

Stick left: move left

Stick right: move right

In fixed-wing mode

Stick up: descend (nose down)

Stick down: climb (nose up)

Stick left: bank left

Stick right: bank right

8

Push button

Not assigned

9

A to F push buttons

Not assigned

10

Push button

POWER

Press and hold: power on/off

Press: screen on/off

11

Joystick

Not assigned

12

Joystick

In hover mode

Stick up: climb

Stick down: descend

Stick left: yaw left

Stick right: yaw right

In fixed-wing mode

Not activated

Shutting down & charging the controller

The DeltaQuad Controller can operate continuously for approximately 6 hours. If more operation time is required, the controller can be charged during operation.

To charge the controller, open the rubber cover between the antennas and attach the provided USB charger to the USB-C port. The controller requires high-voltage charging. Standard USB chargers or USB sockets from laptops are not always capable of providing high voltage, but they will extend the battery life of the controller.

To shut down the controller, press and hold the power button until the shutdown menu appears. Select "Power off" to shut down the controller.

Under NO circumstances reset the parameters to the firmware's defaults or the vehicle's configuration defaults! Resetting the parameters will render the Ground Control Station non-functional. When encountering any issues with your DeltaQuad, please reach out to our support team for assistance: [email protected]

Transferring mission plans between the DeltaQuad Controller and a computer.

For convenience, you can create mission plans on a computer and transfer the files to the DeltaQuad Controller. This also works the other way around. You can download any file from the DeltaQuad Controller to a computer.

1) Turn on the DeltaQuad Controller and the computer.

2) Connect the DeltaQuad Controller to a computer by using a USB-C cable.

3) On the DeltaQuad Controller, swipe down from the top of the screen to open the menu. When a USB connection has been established, the option "USB charging this device" should be available:

3) Tap on "USB charging this device". A new menu opens. Choose: Use USB to "Transfer files".

4) On your computer, open the File Manager, navigate to the drive "dqgcs" and click on "Internal shared storage":

4) Locate and open the Folder "QGroundControl Daily":

5) Locate and open the folder "Missions":

6) Here you find all mission plans stored on the DeltaQuad Controller. Simply copy any mission plan from your computer into this folder and open it on your DeltaQuad Controller in QGroundControl.

7) Start QGroundControl on your controller, and navigate to the Plan View:

8) Select the "File" tool and click on "Open".

9) On the right side of the screen, a window will appear with all mission plans stored on the DeltaQuad Controller. Click on the file you wish to open.

The mission plan will be displayed in the Plan View:

10) Adjust the mission plan if needed and upload it to the DeltaQuad Pro by using the Upload button.

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