Powering the vehicle

In this section we will explain how to power on the vehicle.

After placing the main battery as described in the chapter Battery placement the XT90 connector of the battery needs to be connected to the XT90 socket in the battery bay.

The XT90 socket is located on the right side of the battery bay (front view).

The XT90 connector and socket have key features that allow for easy identification and proper alignment during connection. The constricting shapes at the left end of the connector and socket need to align. This design ensures that the connectors can only be plugged in one way.

Insert the XT90 connector of the battery into the XT90 socket of the Evo until fully joined.

Be sure to push the connector in fully to ensure a secure connection. If the connectors are not fully joined, the vehicle will still be able to switch on but the connectors could overheat. During the flight, due to vibration, the battery plugs could even come loose resulting in the vehicle losing power.

Vehicle initialization

When powering up the DeltaQuad Evo, it will go through an initialization routine that can be monitored on the Evo's LCD display located above the avionics bay:

DeltaQuad Evo starting the initialization

Checking payloads

First payload slot one will be identified

Secondly payload slot two will be identified

After the successful initialization, the LCD will read "Ready to fly".

The final message reads "Ready to fly"

If the initialization can't be completed due to an error, the LCD will give information indicating how to resolve it.

The following is a complete list of messages and their explanations.

LCD message	Explanation
Ready to fly	The vehicle has found no errors and is ready to fly.
Left wing not detected	The left wing is not detected. Please attach the left wing.
Right wing not detected	The right wing is not detected. Please attach the right wing.
Reverse payloads	The heaviest payload should be in the rear (slot 1). This message indicates that the payloads should be reversed. The payload in slot 1 should be installed in slot 2 and vice versa.
No payloads found	The software has not found any payloads. When flying without payloads the empty payload boxes (placeholders) need to be installed.
Slot 1: No payload	No payload was found in slot 1 (rear payload). Both payloads should be occupied. With a dual payload, this message should not appear.
Slot 2: No payload	No payload was found at slot 2 (front payload). Both payloads should be occupied. With a dual payload, this message should not appear.
Slot 1 not Configured	The payload printed circuit board (PCB) for the payload in slot 1 has not been programmed.
Slot 2 not Configured	The payload printed circuit board (PCB) for the payload in slot 2 has not been programmed.
Balancing Error XXmm	The payload makes the vehicle to nose or tail heavy and cannot offset the center of gravity (CG) with the nose battery (between -5 and +35 is ok).
Automatic balancing	The system is balancing the vehicle by moving the nose battery fore or aft.
Arming denied: XX	Arming UAV is denied because of reason XX.
Battery not fully charged	Battery level below 80%.
Nose battery moved XX mm	The vehicle moved the nose battery XX mm to offset the imbalance caused by the payloads.
Payload to heavy	The total payload weight is above 3000 grams. This is not within vehicle specifications.
Updating params	The vehicle parameters are being updated to accommodate the payloads.
Writing parameters failed	There was an error while writing the parameters.

Automatic vehicle balancing

Every payload box carries information about its weight and weight distribution. This information is stored on the I/O board of the payload box.

Depending on the installed payloads the DeltaQuad Evo will automatically balance itself by moving the main battery tray to the front or to the back.

The DeltaQuad Evo can compensate to a greater extent for tail heaviness rather than nose heaviness. That is why the main battery tray can move more forward than backward. This is the reason why the heavier payload must be always installed in payload slot one, the most aft payload slot close to the pusher motor.