Bartman
Welcome to MultiRotorForums.com!!
In the coming months we're going to see new additions to the flight control market that may or may not advance the state-of-the-art. They also may or may not improve what is an increasingly disappointed mood amongst flight control buyers looking for the "Complete Package". We're far enough along with this that we should be smart enough to tell the hype from reality.
So I ask, what do you want from the company that is selling you your next full-featured flight control system?
Here's my list and I look forward to reading what you guys have to say.
From the Company I expect
From the equipment I expect
That's my list, thanks for reading. I'm very interested to hear what all y'all have to say about it or add to it. It's inevitable that names will be named but let's avoid a bash-fest of any one company if we could please.
Thanks!
Bart
So I ask, what do you want from the company that is selling you your next full-featured flight control system?
Here's my list and I look forward to reading what you guys have to say.
From the Company I expect
- Thorough testing and debugging BEFORE posting items for sale, if it doesn't work, don't sell it!
- Clear statement of source regarding parts (if it's a rebranded item I expect people to admit that, rather than BS me about how unique it is)
- Clear and factual documentation of what is included (Hardware AND features)
- Clear and factual documentation of what can reasonably be expected from the equipment (performance)
- Photos and video documentation of the equipment, installed and operating (no photoshop, no stabilization, no tricks at all)
- Detailed information, including photos, showing the parts and how they are to be installed
- Detailed information reviewing the configuration of individual firmware items to get desired performance
- Responsive customer service department, including phone service for emergencies even if it has to be a pay service
- Prompt replacement of defective parts
- Frequent interactive (not just post-and-runs) participation in online forums
- Don't keep adding features if the most basic stuff doesn't work right!
From the equipment I expect
- High quality manufacturing (little bits shouldn't break off of new or hardly used items!!!)
- High quality manufacturing (Worth listing this one twice)
- The most basic features should actually do what they are supposed to do
- Installing hardware shouldn't cause damage to hardware
- Installing the hardware you just paid a lot of money for shouldn't automatically create a presumption of guilt that you caused the defects!!!
- Mounting of components should be straightforward and easy to follow (companies should map it out and make it easy to follow)
- Dual and independent power inputs (no y-connections to one power connection at the FC or power board)
- Multiple receiver or satellite capability
- Manual and auto-level flight modes available on any given flight
- Altitude sensor that is intelligently designed into the system so it doesn't require foam to make it work properly
- Altitude hold that doesn't constantly resemble a yo-yo or a leaky balloon
- Stable in ground effect
- Stable in descending flight
- Stable in wind up to 35 knots
- intelligent throttle response so a hover is a hover rather than a close approximation of a hover
- Compatible with current generation consumer-grade radio systems
- Self monitoring for control or signal failures so as to expedite descent and landing without flying any farther from point of departure
- Ability to set max flight radius to utilize GPS to prevent controlled fly-away events (pilot error basically)
- It's a multi-rotor for God's sake! If a motor fails, prop fails, ESC fails, etc. the FC should be able to manage it and remain controllable! Why have so many motors if it can't do that!?!
- Dynamic GPS positioning (heli is cool with me flying it while it does the GPS thing)
- GPS position hold, come home, and pre-programmed waypoint navigation with google Earth interactivity
- Ability to train and tweak flight controller on the bench to know what level is
- Two LED outputs with configurable functions in firmware (let's face it, the LED's are an absolutely necessary part of multi-rotor helicopters if you're not flying strictly FPV)
- Low voltage warning that you can actually see AND hear, configurable in firmware
- Option to join parts with solder (I don't love servo or bullet connectors, sorry!)
- I actually am starting to prefer the I2c control scheme but I'd like to also see manufacturers bite the bullet and develop ESC's that work specifically with their FC system. I can't believe that Turnigy ESC's are optimized for the control demands of multi-rotor helicopters.
- In the nice to have category, predictive camera stability/control where the flight control can vote on what the camera mount is told to do based on control inputs combined with gyro/acc readings....everything today is reactive and just a little behind what the heli is actually doing
That's my list, thanks for reading. I'm very interested to hear what all y'all have to say about it or add to it. It's inevitable that names will be named but let's avoid a bash-fest of any one company if we could please.
Thanks!
Bart