Getting Started

For additional help see madflight Discussions

  1. Get the required hardware (see below), and have a look at the hardware specific instructions:
  2. Install the madflight library in Arduino IDE. (Menu Tools->Manage Libraries, then search for madflight)
  3. Open Examples for custom libraries->madflight->Quadcopter.ino in the Arduino IDE.
  4. Edit the HARDWARE CONFIG section in madflight_config.h to enable the peripherals:
    • Connect IMU (gyro/acceleration) sensor (see below)
    • Connect radio receiver (see below)
  5. Compile Quadcopter.ino and upload it to your board. Connect the Serial Monitor at 115200 baud and check the startup messages. Type help to see the available CLI commands.
  6. IMPORTANT: Use CLI calimu and calmag to calibate the sensors.
  7. Type calradio and follow the prompts to setup your RC radio receiver.
  8. Use CLI commands pacc, pgyr, pahr, prcl, pmot, etc. and check that IMU sensor, AHRS and RC Receiver are working correctly.
  9. Connect battery and motor ESCs (no props) to pin_out0-3, arm the quad and check that motors are spinning correctly.
  10. Mount props, go to an wide open space, and FLY!

Required Hardware

  • Development board:
    • RP2350/RP2040 (e.g. Raspberry Pi Pico2)
    • ESP32-S3/ESP32 (e.g. Espressiv ESP32-S3 DevKitC)
    • STM32 (e.g. Black Pill)
  • SPI IMU sensor (BMI270, MPU9250, MPU6500, MPU6000, ICM-45686, ICM-42688-P), if not available then use an I2C IMU sensor (MPU6050, MPU9150)
  • RC Receiver: MAVLink, ELRS, CRSF, SBUS, DMSX, or PPM
  • BEC or DC-DC converter to power your board from a battery
  • ESC (OneShot125 or 50-490Hz PWM) and/or servos (50-490Hz PWM)

Or a commercial flight controller which includes some or all items on a single board.

Optional Hardware

  • GPS Module (Serial)
  • Barometer (I2C BMP280, BMP388, BMP390, MS5611)
  • Magnetometer (I2C QMC5883L)
  • Current/Voltage Sensor (ADC or I2C INA226, INA228)
  • Radar/Lidar/Ultrasonic distance sensor
  • Optical Flow Sensor (I2C)

Connect IMU Sensor

Connect a SPI IMU Sensor

Set the following in madflight_config:

imu_gizmo      ICM42688 // select your sensor type here
imu_bus_type   SPI
imu_align      CW0 // options: CW0, CW90, CW180, CW270, CW0FLIP, CW90FLIP, CW180FLIP, CW270FLIP

//only uncomment the following if you do not want to use the default settings
//pin_imu_int        <gpio>
//pin_imu_cs         <gpio>
//imu_spi_bus        <bus>
//pin_spi<bus>_sclk  <gpio>
//pin_spi<bus>_mosi  <gpio>
//pin_spi<bus>_miso  <gpio>

madflight requires the interrupt pin pin_imu_int connected.

Connect the IMU sensor:

Sensor Dev Board
SCL/SCLK <--- pin_spi<bus>_sclk
SDA/SDI <--- pin_spi<bus>_mosi
ADD/SDO ---> pin_spi<bus>_miso
NCS <--- pin_imu_cs
INT ---> pin_imu_int
VCC ---- 3V3 or 5V (depending on your sensor board)
GND ---- GND

<bus> is the SPI bus number, set with imu_spi_bus <bus>

Connect an I2C IMU Sensor

Only use I2C if you really have to, better use SPI: no hanging busses - no crashes of your craft because of that.

Set the following in madflight_config:

imu_gizmo      MPU6050 // select your sensor type here
imu_bus_type   I2C
imu_align      CW0 // options: CW0, CW90, CW180, CW270, CW0FLIP, CW90FLIP, CW180FLIP, CW270FLIP

//only uncomment the following if you do not want to use the default settings
//pin_imu_int        <gpio>
//imu_i2c_bus        <bus>
//pin_i2c<bus>_sda   <gpio>
//pin_i2c<bus>_scl   <gpio>

madflight requires the interrupt pin pin_imu_int connected.

Connect the IMU sensor:

Sensor Dev Board
SCL <--> pin_i2c<bus>_scl
SDA <--> pin_i2c<bus>_sda
INT ---> pin_imu_int
VCC <--> 3V3 or 5V (depending on your sensor board)
GND <--> GND

<bus> is the I2C bus number, set with imu_i2c_bus <bus>

Configure the IMU Sensor Orientation

imu_align sets the sensor orientation. The label is yaw / roll (in that order) needed to rotate the sensor from it's normal position to it's mounted position.

IMPORTANT: Check that imu_align is correct, your craft will immediately crash otherwise. Use CLI pahr to check that rolling right side down gives positive ahr.roll, pitching nose up gives positive ahr.pitch, and yawing right (turning clockwise from as seen from above) gives positive ahr.yaw. Using pacc you should get [ax,ay,az] = [1,0,0] when nose down, [0,1,0] when right side down, and [0,0,1] when level. If not, adjust the imu_align parameter, re-upload and try again.

Connect Radio Receiver

Connect a Serial Receiver

Set the following in madflight_config:

rcl_gizmo      CRSF // select your radio receiver type here: MAVLINK, CRSF, SBUS, DSM
rcl_num_ch     8     // number of channels
rcl_deadband   0     // center stick deadband, set to 0 for serial receivers

//only uncomment the following if you do not want to use the default settings
//imu_ser_bus        <bus>
//pin_ser<bus>_tx    <gpio>
//pin_ser<bus>_rx    <gpio>

Connect a PPM Receiver

Set the following in madflight_config:

rcl_gizmo      PPM 
rcl_num_ch     8      // number of channels
rcl_deadband   10     // center stick deadband in [us], a value around 10 will probably work fine
pin_rcl_ppm    <gpio> // select the pin here

Configure Radio Channels

Either use CLI calradio, or modify the following parameters, or set your radio transmitter to match the default parameters:

rcl_thr_ch        1 // 1-based channel number for throttle
rcl_thr_pull   1100 // pwm for stick pulled toward you, i.e. idle throttle
rcl_thr_mid    1500
rcl_thr_push   1900 // pwm for stick pushed away, i.e. full throttle

rcl_rol_ch        2 // roll channel
rcl_rol_left   1100
rcl_rol_mid    1500
rcl_rol_right  1900

rcl_pit_ch        3 // pitch channel
rcl_pit_pull   1100 // pwm for stick pulled toward you, i.e. pitch-up
rcl_pit_mid    1500
rcl_pit_push   1900 // pwm for stick pushed away, i.e. pitch-down

rcl_yaw_ch        4 // yaw channel
rcl_yaw_left   1100
rcl_yaw_mid    1500
rcl_yaw_right  1900

rcl_arm_ch        5 // arm switch channel, set to 0 to use stick commands for arming
rcl_arm_min    1600 // armed pwm range min
rcl_arm_max    2500 // armed pwm range max

// flightmode 6 position switch - Ardupilot switch pwm: 1165,1295,1425,1555,1685,1815 (spacing 130)
// EdgeTx 3-pos SA + 2-pos SB setup:
//   Source:SA Weight:52 Offset:0 + Source:SB Weight:13 Offset:-1 Multiplex: add
//   -OR- Source:SA Weight:26 Offset:-40 Switch:SBdown + Source:SA Weight:26 Offset:36 Switch:SBup Multiplex:Replace

rcl_flt_ch        6
rcl_flt_min    1165 // 6-pos switch lowest pwm (flight mode 0)
rcl_flt_max    1815 // 6-pos switch lowest pwm (flight mode 5)