Building a DJI Inspire 2 with Solo Internals - Dev Help Requested! [INSPI-3DR]

[Andru]

So after quite a bit of struggle, My printer is up and running again. Its amazing how fast you can jam up a well running machine with improperly labeled filament. Worksteel's PLA filament is very VERY temperature sensitive and will actually begin to jam even the best assembled v6/titan combo if printed too hot. Thusly, After having to rebuild my print head again, I've decided to go with a different brand of PLA that prints at normal PLA temperatures and has a more pure-white look. Maybe down the road ill go carbon, but for now, I just want this thing to look like a big ass inspire.

I should have build progress videos up by Sunday, yesterday my friend Alex was nice enough to lend me his Nikon D3200. So here goes build videos and the start of a real YouTube Channel!

As far as the current hurdle, I have been talking to Andru about the RC7-(pwm CH7)-pin 19 functionality he used in his Reincarnated Solo project. My current issue is that I need my servo to run in a specific direction for a specific distance, meaning I believe I have two options.

Option 1 Setup wiring like Andy has, and somehow find a way to make the servo do X many rotations to move the landing gear all the way up... and then reverse the function to bring them back down. (this is with the pause button.)

Option 2: Add an arduino micro running off of a BEC that is hooked up to RC7, so that when RC7 is triggered, it would run logic to check which Endstop is triggered, if the lower endstop is currently triggered (meaning landing gear is down) move the servo until upper is triggered. Else (meaning if the lower is not triggered, move the servo in reverse until the lower is triggered. (landing mode).

I think I'm gonna need option 2, but I have to figure out how to ride definite code in Arduino, as currently my expertise only extends past troubleshooting Marlin configurations for RepRap.

Hopefully Ill have better info for you guys Sunday or Monday!

Or option 3 using option 1 along with mechanical stop switches.

 

[Andrew Schmidt]

Well guys, its gonna be a few days before I am printing again.... managed to destroy two hot ends over the weekend. 1 authentic v6 due to the giant messy clog. and a china knock off that I tried to mock up in its place in the Titan extruder. Looks like i wont be making anymore parts until the v6 lite comes in later this week from Filastruder.

In the mean time, I am gonna catch up on schoolwork, and hope to get to work on programming my arduino Mini for the leg retracts.

 

[jayinsc]

What are your R&D costs so far? Seems a worthy effort

 

[Andrew Schmidt]

@jayinsc Mostly just plastic haha. I've gone through about 3 rolls of PLA @ $20 a piece, and then probably lost about $100 on defective solo parts off of ebay. Should have just gone the new solo route from the beginning.

T-motor 3510's were $45/piece x 4
DJI Inspire props $6 a pack x 2
DJI inspire quick release hub $3 x2
Carbon fiber rod 22x500 $22 x2
Carbon fiber rod 8x250 $17
wire $15
servo $15
endstops $5
Potentiometers $4
arduino micro $15

Theres gotta be more things here and there. But then factor in solo

bought solo with gimbal for $300 @best buy

Sold Solo body $60
Sold Motor Pods $90 (total)
Sold props $50

So gained back 200 of 300 from solo.

So Raw materials, probably around $415.

Total project cost including dev material and ebay loss, around $575.

The look on my girlfriends face when this thing flies? Priceless.

 

[Andrew Schmidt]

Also, just for spits and giggles, I got my printer kinda working with a stripped out knock off hot-end. Somehow it has miraculously chugged through an 8 hour abs print. So we are kinda-sorta back and rolling coal!

I also recently became a 3d Hubs partner, so if anyone needs something printed, or would like to support the endeavor, go here to order : Bearcat Maker's Hub
I can make all kinds of solo accessories listed on thingiverse.

Heres a video of the abs central frame mount. 50% infill. 200 micron resolution.

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Maybe if I'm lucky, Ill have my CF tubing from china by friday. It would be sweet to fly this weekend.

 

[Andrew Schmidt]

Oh crap... those calculation numbers are off.... i neglected the amount of caffeine consumed and the amount of times i had to fix my printers.... lol lets just say closer to $850.

I've got easily 100-150 hours in modeling this project.

 

[Andrew Schmidt]

Light update for you guys, Got the printer limping again.... until parts come in tomorrow. Heres what it made last night! (it's the nose without a hole in the end!)


Currently printing canopy top updated part.

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[Andrew Schmidt]

UPDATE!! Not huge but definitely getting there.

So I've hashed out my plans for the landing gear motor, but have never done my own entire bit of code on arduino, so that should be fun. Planning to start testing this later tonight. Schematic below, let me know what you think.

Also, finally repaired my ABS printer and spent several hours trying to perfect the art of printing ABS Plus from eSun. Only to find out, it needs printed at 255 in order to be happy with layer bonding.

I also figured out that rectilinear is a crappy infill pattern for thin circular parts. So I changed over to the new Prusa version of slic3r, and my cubic infilled arm joints are tough as hell now.

Photo dump. New Canopy printed, Nose printed, upper frame brace printed and servo mounted. Lower frame printed from PLA, going to try and do it out of ABS, but its a 16 hour print.... PLA might have to suffice. Both left and right arm joints are printed in ABS. Now "Trying" to print the outer joints, but they are a nightmare because Slic3r doesn't have a "Touch Bed" only option for support and its killing me.

Hoping to have a full mock up of the frame by Monday, Still waiting on the damn carbon fiber and leadscrew. They;'ve been in California since last Thursday.

Other than that, I need to finish the wires. Measuring is hard because I havent assembled the drone to get a COG yet. Don't want to make the wires too long or too short.

Also have to figure out where to place the Compass so it doesn't suffer interference. Obviously this time there is no leg for it to hide inside.

Also need to print gimbal mount for gopro. But other than that, I think we are in the home stretch. Begging for test flight on Monday!

 

[Andrew Schmidt]

So with a hope and a prayer, I might be able to test fly next week. Probably not with successful landing gear transforms.... but still, a start.

Here's my to-do list for the next 7 days, if I really want to fly over Easter weekend (we have a waterski tournament, so yeah, I wanna film it.)

1.) finalize transform mechanics, Current link arms are too short and do not allow for proper transformation of the body. (this should be easiliy doable.
1B.) Print them, in sturdy abs.

2.) finalize transform mechanics, at the very least, get endstops installed and wires routed, can be tucked away until after first flight.

3.) Print bottom body Final piece. Last version printed fine, but split because my first layer adhesion was way too good.

4.)print appropriate control am mounts and mounting brackets out of abs.

5.) cut remaining CF tubing to size.

6.)Print gimbal lower, mount to chassis

6.) Assemble airframe with internals installed, find COG.

7.) drill holes in CF tubing, route wires.

8.) pre-flight power test

9.) Pre-flight compass Calibration.

10.) Flight? Maybe? Possibly? We shall see.

Wish me luck!

 

[jayinsc]

Good luck! Can't wait to see it in the air

 

[Andrew Schmidt]

Revised transform mechanics, printing more abs.

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[Deleted member 11153]

Wow.

 

[jayinsc]

Hows the progress going Andrew

 

[Andrew Schmidt]

Progress halted a bit. The more I thought about the design, this thing is going to be a nightmare to transport anywhere without the high risk of breaking something. Instead I designed a foldable design similar to the Mavic, but with the 350-400mm frame size when unfolded. Currently fixing my heated bed on my printer and then i plan on making that instead. Much more feasible, and the design still allows for 13" props and monster motors!

 

[RichWest]

It's hard to be going down a path and realize it's the wrong direction after the amount of time invested. Kudos for the effort and sharing what was done.

Good luck with your new direction, should be fairly spectacular based on your prior working knowledge.

 

[EZL]

Andrew,
Mandatory reading for you on the 3DR developer website;
https://dev.3dr.com/



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[EZL]

This is real informative for us fellas versed in electronics and with mechanical knowledge! The opensource idea is also what it's about.
Reminds me of Linux which is beating the pants off of MS and I left the Windows OS more than 7 years ago and only use it if a app needs
it but never online. Putting this information out there will just feed the community with development ideas and further the refinement and
keep this quad and development going beats the heck out of DJI which reminds me of Windows!

 

[jayinsc]

I second that. Your efforts will help others for sure. Something you might want to consider if your looking for a different platform......

Transform Phantom3 into Mavic

Transform Phantom3 into Mavic

 

[xman4242]

How is it going?

 

[genie4x4]

Why not just buy another chasis for $100