Idea-fly IFLY4 Multi-Copter User manual

Brand: Idea-fly

Model: IFLY4 Multi-Copter

Category: Remote controlled toys

Type: User manual

1. IFLY-4 Installation and Setup ................................................................................................................ 2

2. IFLY-4 Installation .................................................................................................................................. 2

3. IFLY-4 Radio Transmitter Configuration (Recommended) .................................................................... 4

4. IFLY-4 Radio Transmitter Configuration (Alternative) ........................................................................... 6

5. Get Ready For Flying ............................................................................................................................. 7

5.1 Propeller Installation ........................................................................................................................ 7

5.2 Power ON ......................................................................................................................................... 7

5.3 Reset the IFLY-C4 IMU sensor. (Level Calibration) ............................................................................ 8

5.4 ARM (active) Mode .......................................................................................................................... 8

5.5 DIS-ARM (safe) Mode ....................................................................................................................... 8

5.6 Power OFF ........................................................................................................................................ 8

6. IdeaFlyTools Software .......................................................................................................................... 9

6.1 IdeaFlyTools Installation ................................................................................................................... 9

7. State ................................................................................................................................................... 10

8. Gyroscopes ......................................................................................................................................... 11

9. Control settings .................................................................................................................................. 12

10. CameraMount ................................................................................................................................ 13

11. Joystick ........................................................................................................................................... 14

12. Firmware ........................................................................................................................................ 15

Update firmware ................................................................................................................................ 15

1. IFLY-4 Installation and Setup

Before flying the IFLY-4 it is necessary to install and setup your radio transmitter and receiver so

that the IFLY-C4 Flight Controller (FC) can respond correctly to your flight commands. These

instructions will take you through the initial installation and setup of the IFLY-4.

2. IFLY-4 Installation

2.1 Connect your chosen receiver to the IFLY-4C Flight Controller according to the

schematic below;

A – Connect to the AILERON channel of the receiver

E – Connect to the ELEVATOR channel of the receiver

T – Connect to the THROTTLE channel of the receiver

R – Connect to the RUDDER channel of the receiver

F – Connect to a spare channel of the receiver (eg. GEAR). 2 position switch to change

flight mode – Balanced (auto-stabilised) and Manual (non-stabilised)

S1 – Connect a spare channel of the receiver for manual Camera PITCH control

(optional)

S2 – Connect a spare channel of the receiver for manual Camera ROLL control

(optional)

P1 – Connect the Camera PITCH (Tilt) servo to this port (optional).

P2 – Connect the Camera ROLL servo to this port (optional).

Observe the polarity. The signal wire is uppermost and closest to the FC label.

2.2 Securely fasten your receiver onto the IFLY-4 frame using double sided foam tape.

2.3 Set your radio transmitter to Airplane mode.

2.4 All settings within the radio transmitter programming e.g. DR/EXPO etc. are still

functional and can be used to tune the IFLY-4 characteristics.

2.5 If you are using 2.4G- BIND your receiver to your transmitter (refer to your

transmitter’s manual).

FRONT

2.6 Loosen the 4 finger bolts from the underside of the IFLY-4 and unfold the 4 frame arms

into their flying position.

2.7 Tighten the 4 finger bolts to secure the frame arms into the flying ‘X’ configuration.

2.8 Note: The bolts only need to be finger tight. Use of additional tooling may over-tighten

the bolts and lead to damage.

2.9 Clip on the two landing gear struts to the underside of the IFLY-4.

2.10 Note: It is recommended to install each side of the landing gears strut one after

the other to avoid overstressing the gear.

2.11 Push the two landing gear skids through the landing gear struts to complete the

installation.

Completed installation

Finger Bolt x4

Landing Gear Mount x4

3. IFLY-4 Radio Transmitter Configuration (Recommended)

The recommended method for setting and configuring the IFLY-4 is by connecting to the

IdeaFlyTools software on a computer. If you have not already done so, pls go to Section 3.0 to

install the IdeaFlyTools software onto the Windows PC.

An alternative method is shown in section 1.3.

SAFETY WARNING – REMOVE ALL PROPELLERS FROM THE IFLY-4 DURING SETUP

3.1 Using a standard mini USB cable (not supplied), connect IFLY-C4 Flight Controller to a

computer. The IFLY-C4 mini USB port can be found on the side of the unit.

3.2 RUN IdeaFlyTools on the computer.

3.3 Switch ON your radio transmitter.

3.4 Install the flight battery and plug into the IFLY-4.

3.5 You should be presented with the following screen on your computer;

3.6 Click the ‘joystick’ tab to calibrate your transmitter.

3.7 Click the ‘Calibrate joystick’ button to start calibration of your transmitter.

3.8 Move all sticks of your transmitter from its MIN to MAX positions several times,

including cycling the switches.

3.9 Observe the final positions of the bars when you are MID-stick. It should be

showing at mid position of the slider bars.

3.10 Click the “Complete Calibrate” button to complete calibration of the transmitter

endpoints.

3.11 Now move each axes of your transmitter stick separately and observe the direction

that the slider bar moves is in accordance with the indication on the screen (eg.

TX Aileron LEFT, moves the slider bar LEFT etc). If the slide bar does not move in

the correct direction: REVERSE the direction of that channel on your

TRANSMITTER.

3.12 Repeat step 12, until all directions have been set correctly. Note: the MODE

channel will correspond to the channel which you connected the ‘F’ wire to.

Always set the MODE to a default position of BALANCE, so auto-stabilisation is

ON.

3.13 When you have finished, click the “Write” button to transfer the settings back to

the IFLY-C4. The IFLY-C4 will beep.

Your IFLY-4 is now fully configured. Install the propellers back on and you are ready to fly!

4. IFLY-4 Radio Transmitter Configuration (Alternative)

If you do not have access to a computer, it is possible to setup your radio transmitter manually.

However, this should only be done by an experienced person. The propellers MUST be

removed during this setup.

READ THIS SECTION COMPLETELY BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO START THE CONFIGURATION

SAFETY WARNING – REMOVE ALL PROPELLERS FROM THE IFLY-4 DURING SETUP

1. Unfold and position the IFLY-4 in a stable horizontal position without the landing gear

installed.

2. Set your radio transmitter THROTTLE to LOWEST position – DO NOT CHANGE FROM THIS

LOWEST THROTTLE POSITION OR MOVE THE IFLY-4 AT ANY TIME DURING THE SETUP.

3. Switch ON your radio transmitter.

4. Install the flight battery and plug into the IFLY-4.

5. With THROTTLE LOW, move the RUDDER stick to the LEFT. Observe if the motors start to

spin slowly? If YES, your THROTTLE and RUDDER directions are correct. Go to step 8.

6. If the motors did not start, move your RUDDER stick to the RIGHT. Observe if the motors

start to spin slowly? If YES, your THROTTLE direction is correct, but your RUDDER direction

is reversed. REVERSE the RUDDER direction on your radio transmitter. Go to step 8.

7. If the motor did not start at all during step 5 or 6. Your THROTTLE direction is reversed.

REVERSE the THROTTLE direction on your radio transmitter and repeat from step 5.

8. You can stop the motors spinning at any time by moving the RUDDER in the opposite

direction to which turned the motors ON.

9. The next steps require the IFLY-4 to be in an ARMED state. To go into ARMED state, move

the THROTTLE to LOW (should be at that position already) and move the RUDDER LEFT

(momentarily), then return RUDDER to neutral.

10. Now move the ELEVATOR stick FORWARD. Observe if the REAR motors speed up? If YES,

your ELEVATOR direction is correct. If the front motors speed up instead, you need to

REVERSE the ELEVATOR direction on your radio transmitter.

11. Now move the AILERON stick LEFT. Observe if the RIGHT motors speed up? If YES, your

AILERON direction is correct. If the RIGHT motors speed up instead, you need to REVERSE

the AILERON direction on your radio transmitter.

12. Finally, you can only set the Flight Mode switch direction by carefully testing out during

initial flying.

Update – Firmware version v3.17 or higher

If your IFLY-C4 has been updated with firmware v3.17 or higher. You can check the flight mode

you are flying by watching the flashing LED lights below the motors.

Single flash – Manual mode (non-stabilised) mode,

Double flash – Balanced mode (stabilised) mode.

5. Get Ready For Flying

READ THIS SECTION COMPLETELY BEFORE ATTEMPTING YOUR FIRST FLIGHT

It is recommended that before you commence your first flight, you should check the rotation of

all the motors and the direction and security of the propellers.

5.1 Propeller Installation

5.2 Power ON

1. Unfold the IFLY-4 and position it in a stable level horizontal position.

2. Set your radio transmitter THROTTLE to the LOWEST position.

3. Switch ON your radio transmitter.

4. Install the flight battery and plug into the IFLY-4.

5. Reset the IFLY-C4 Flight Control IMU sensor (see section 2.3)

6. ARM the IFLY-4. (When you first power up, the IFLY-4 will default to DIS-ARM mode for

safety.)

7. Your IFLY-4 is ready to fly!

8. For your first flight, keep the IFLY-4 to a height of less than 1m to check out your controls

Motor position #1 and #3 – Clockwise rotating propellers

Motor position #2 and #4 – Anti-clockwise rotating propellers

If any of the motors are found to be rotating in the wrong

direction, you can change it by swapping any two wires going

from the motor into the ESC.

and get familiar with it’s handling. At this time you can also test out the BALANCED and

MANUAL flight modes.

5.3 Reset the IFLY-C4 IMU sensor. (Level Calibration)

This step is will calibrate the IMU sensors to a level position. Ensure that the IFLY-4 is in a

level position before carrying out this step.

1. Move the THROTTLE stick up to the HIGHEST position

2. Move the RUDDER stick to the RIGHT.

3. The IFLY-C4 will beep twice to indicate that the IMU has been reset.

4. Return the THROTTLE stick down to the LOWEST position

5. Note: Although not entirely necessary, for safety reasons, it is recommended to reset the

IMU sensors every time before each flight.

5.4 ARM (active) Mode

WARNING – When the IFLY-4 is in ARM mode, the motors will automatically start up with low

rpm. This indicates it is in ARM mode. Any subsequent movement of the transmitter sticks OR

movement of the IFLY-4 will instantly result in a response by the IFLY-4.

Beware of rotating propellers!

1. Move the THROTTLE stick down to the LOWEST position

2. Move the RUDDER stick to the LEFT momentarily. The motors will spin up slowly.

3. The IFLY-4 is ready for flight!

5.5 DIS-ARM (safe) Mode

When you first power ON the IFLY-4 it will default to DIS-ARM mode, you can only enter level

calibration, or ARM the IFLY-4 from DIS-ARM mode. It is safe to pick up the IFLY-4 and connect/

disconnect the flight batteries in this mode.

1. Move the THROTTLE stick down to the LOWEST position.

2. Move the RUDDER stick to the RIGHT momentarily. The motors will stop.

5.6 Power OFF

When you have completed your flight. Land the IFLY-4 on the ground.

1. Move the THROTTLE stick down to the LOWEST position.

2. Move the RUDDER stick to the RIGHT momentarily. The motors will stop. (DIS-ARM mode)

3. Unplug and remove the flight batteries from the IFLY-4

4. Switch OFF your radio transmitter.

6. IdeaFlyTools Software

The IdeaFlyTools is a software which allows you to finely tune and customize your IFLY-4. As well

as allowing you to update the firmware of the IFLY-C4 Flight Controller. IdeaFlyTools require a

Windows based PC to run from.

6.1 IdeaFlyTools Installation

IdeaFlyTools require Microsoft .NET framework 4 to be installed in order to run properly.

Download and install the latest version from www.microsoft.com

1. Download the latest version of ‘Ifly4Tools’ from www.idea-fly.com

2. Unzip the ”Ifly4Tools.rar” to any location on the PC

3. Connect the IFLY-C4 Flight Controller to the PC using a standard mini USB cable

4. Unless you intend running the motors, it is not necessary to connect the flight batteries

5. The USB cable will be sufficient to power the IFLY-C4 and the LEDS

6. Run the “Ifly4Tools.exe” found in the “iflytools” folder

7. The interface will show like this after opening the software

There are four buttons on the bottom of all the screens. The actions of these buttons are:

READ - The software will read the current setting of the IFLY-C4 and display them.

IMPORT – This button imports a previously saved configuration file.

EXPORT – This button will export the current settings as a configuration file for later

reuse.

WRITE – This button will write the current settings from the IdeaFlyTools into the IFLY-C4

flight controller. You must click this button to save any changes made.

7. State

This screen allows the user to observe the basic 3D orientation of the quad and to test the

motors. The pictorial view of the quad is updated in real-time with the physical movement of

the IFLY-4.

TEST MOTOR -

SAFETY WARNING – REMOVE ALL PROPELLERS FROM THE IFLY-4

This button will bring up a second screen which will allow to you run each motor

individually to test. You must install the flight batteries into the IFLY-4 order to run this test.

It is not necessary to switch on your radio transmitter.

Select the motor you want to test and move the slider to the right to start the motor and

vary the speed. Alternatively, you can select a fixed speed with the slider and then select the

motor you would like to test.

3D Model shows the flight attitude.

THIS BUTTON CAN TEST MOTOR.

8. Gyroscopes

This IFLY-C4 uses a 3 axes gyro and 3 axes accelerometer for control and flight stabilization. This

screen allows the user to customize the responsiveness of the gyros and accelerometers.

Moving the gyros settings to the right will increase the stabilising response. However, if it is too

far right, the setting may be too strong and the IFLY-4 may shake or oscillate in flight, if too far

left, the setting may be too weak and the IFLY-4 difficult to control.

Click the READ button to get the current settings from the IFLY-C4

Gyro Advanced PID-

This screen allows the user full control over the settings of the Gyros using individual PID

(Proportional–Integral–Derivative) settings. However, we do not recommend you do changes

these unless you have a full understanding about PID. The range of the PID data is 1-1000. More

information on PID can be found on the internet

When you are complete click the WRITE button to transfer your new settings to the IFLY-C4

9. Control settings

This screen allows the user to customise the control sensitivity of the IFLY-4 a directional and

rotational sense. Similar settings are also available to customise the sensitivity of the camera

mount control in pitch and roll direction.

Moving the slider to the right will increase (more) sensitivity to the control inputs from the

transmitter. Moving the slider to the left will reduce (less) sensitivity to the control inputs from

the transmitter.

Click the READ button to get the current settings from the IFLY-C4

DIRECTION – Controls the sensitivity of forward/backward, left/right during the flight.

ROTATION – Controls the sensitivity of rotational change during the flight

Altitude

Control – Controls the sensitivity of altitude hold system.

MinGas- MaxGas when MinGas< THROTTLE<MaxGas The vehicle will automatically

maintain a high level.

Balance

In here you can set balance system’s PI parameter.

When you are complete click the WRITE button to transfer your new settings to the IFLY-C4

10. CameraMount

This screen allows the user to customise the sensitivity of the camera mount control in pitch

and roll direction.

Click the READ button to get the current settings from the IFLY-C4

Control

PITCH – Controls the amount of compensation to the camera mount for forward/backward

movements, during the flight.

ROLL – Controls the amount of compensation to the camera mount for left/right

movements, during the flight.

ServerOut

Min/Max sevo travel limits,adjust them to avoid mechanical binding.

Middle – adjust the value to make the camera mount to your desired angle-to-ground.

Speed – Controls the camera mount rotation speed.

11. Joystick

This screen allows the user to calibrate observe the real-time control signals received by the

IFLY-C4 from the radio transmitter. You have to have the flight batteries installed and the

transmitter ON and linked to the receiver in order to see the data.

See Section 1.2 of this manual for additional information on calibration of the radio transmitter.

12. Firmware

This screen allows the user to check the current firmware version the IFLY-C4 is running and also

update to a new firmware version.

Idea Fly are continuously updating and improving the firmware. New firmware versions for the

IFLY-C4 can be downloaded from www.idea-fly.com

After downloading a new version of the firmware, unzip the .rar file to any directory on your PC.

NOTE: When the major version number is not the same, Do not update. Example: if the current

version is 1.2.1, you will cannot update to 3.x.x .

Update firmware

1. Click the “Click select firmware file” button and choose the firmware file (from your

previously saved folder)

2. Click the ”Update” button to install the new firmware.

3. After the firmware has been updated the flight controller will reboot. It is normal for the

software to report a loss in USB connection.

4. Wait to allow the flight controller to reconnect to the PC. You will see the updated firmware

version under the ‘FW Information’ section of the screen.

Idea-fly IFLY4 Multi-Copter User manual

Brand: Idea-fly

Model: IFLY4 Multi-Copter

Category: Remote controlled toys

Type: User manual

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Idea-fly IFLY4 Multi-Copter User manual

Idea-fly IFLY4 Multi-Copter User manual

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