UAV Mapper Parachute Installation
 

 

Overview

Do the following to add a safety parachute to your UAV Mapper. You can deploy the parachute at will using a switch on your RC transmitter or as a waypoint in a mission. This makes it easy to land your UAV in tight areas, on harsh surfaces, or to save your UAV in the event of a failure.

Requirements

Install the parachute

  1. Feed the servo wire through the body.
     
  2. Position the servo wire into the groove and push the parachute to the bottom of the body.  
  3. Twist the parachute so its mounting holes align with the holes on the bottom of the body.
     
  4. Install the mounting plate (Tuffwing) and screws (Included with Mars parachute).

Configure your RC transmitter

  1. Use Mission Planner > INITIAL SETUP> Radio Calibration to determine channel number for your RC transmitter switches.
  2. Switch "Up" position must be above 1700 PWM, "down" must be below 1700 PWM. Switch up is open parachute, switch down is close parachute.  Use your RC Transmitter's Servo End Point Adjustment and Servo Reversing if necessary.


  3. The AUX switch on a DXe is channel 8. This works well for parachute deploy.

Configure your Pixhawk

Plug your parachute servo into any open RC OUT 9 - 14 and set the following parameters:

CHUTE_ALT_MIN:0

CHUTE_CHAN:6 (Note: can be on any available channel 5-8)

CHUTE_DELAY_MS:500

CHUTE_ENABLED:1

CHUTE_SERVO_OFF:1900

CHUTE_SERVO_ON:1100

CHUTE_TYPE:10

RC9_FUNCTION:27-Parachute. (Note - you can use any open RC OUT 9-14).

Configure your parachute

You can only trigger the parachute once per boot up. Do the following to configure your parachute.

  1. Set your RC transmitter parachute switch to its "down" position (PWM less than 1700).
  2. Power up your UAV and press the arm button.
  3. Parachute servo arm will move to its "closed" position. The servo arm should be pointing to the center of the parachute tube. Remove the servo arm screw and adjust servo arm if necessary.
  4. Move your RC transmitter parachute switch to the "Up" position (PWM more than 1700).
  5. Parachute servo arm will move to its "open" position. The servo arm should be pointing away from the parachute tube. After about 3 seconds the servo arm will move back to its "closed" position.

Test deploy your parachute

Do each step in order.

  1. Power off your UAV.
  2. Return your RC transmitter parachute switch down to "closed".
  3. Fold your parachute, insert it into the tube, and push the servo arm to the closed position.
  4. Power up your UAV.
  5. Arm your UAV.
  6. Move your RC transmitter switch up to "Open". Your parachute should deploy. You must repeat this sequence each time you deploy the parachute.

Deploy your parachute at the end of a mission

  1. Create a mission.

  2. Select your last WAYPOINT and then click the Add Below button.


  3. Change WAYPOINT to DO_PARACHUTE.


  4. Change Enable to 2. Your parachute will now deploy immediately following the last waypoint.