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Build a Low-Cost Drone Using ESP32

digikey.com

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Re: Build a Low-Cost Drone Using ESP32

#101

Post by nick__m »

ElectRabbit wrote: post #44
AstroJetson wrote: post #13

Is the custom circuit board something that mortals can get made? That seems to be the sticky point to me.

99% of hobbyist PCBs are can be ordered from JLCPCB nowadays. As long the PCBs have no components on them it's very cheap.

JLCPCB assembly services are so cheap as long as you don't use components marked as extended!

I don't solder passive components anymore and now mostly use 0402 (that i am not able to solder reliably) instead of the bigger 0805. If you value your time and don't derive pleasure from soldering passive components, try the assembly services!

Re: Build a Low-Cost Drone Using ESP32

#102

Post by CamperBob2 »

rkagerer wrote: post #35
wat10000 wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There’s a small link at the bottom to “Add all DigiKey Parts to Cart.” But one of the parts is apparently already obsolete and unavailable, and two more have minimum quantities above what’s needed here, so it’s not great.

But one of the parts is apparently already obsolete and unavailable I love Digikey, but unfortunately this is not uncommon at all.

To answer the question asked by the [dead] commenter: because every other electronic component distributor site (with the exception of Mouser, which is basically DigiKey with a different stylesheet) is much worse.

Re: Build a Low-Cost Drone Using ESP32

#103

Post by dheera »

the__alchemist wrote: post #79

Note to anyone unafamiliar: There is a thriving "FPV" ecosystem of drones that can be DIYed. Example common setup, you can mix+match: - Small square PCB with the main flight control MCU (STM32), and some sensors - Smalls square PCB with motor drivers - Carbon fiber frame - Small PCB with a LoRa radio - Camera and video transmission system. (90s-security-cam style analog, or digital. - Brushless DC motors, props etc U…

Also

> All-in-one PCB: Doesn’t need any 3D printed parts or such

I actually am fine 3D printing and laser cutting stuff at home but I don't have the stuff to make a PCB and don't have the hand skills to do anything more than through-hole soldering.

Re: Build a Low-Cost Drone Using ESP32

#104

Post by bodhi_mind »

the__alchemist wrote: post #96
Kadin wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is all true, but just to set expectations: the open source ecosystem seems to be lagging the proprietary world pretty significantly, unless there's some corner where development is really chugging along that's not making it out to the rest of the hobbyist market. Though there have been incremental improvements in flight control software, and video subsystems have moved (mostly) from analog to 2.4/5.8 GHz and dig…

That is consistent with my experience. My highlights: - Current betaflight devevelopers and leaders are incompetent (They inherited the code base from others), and are slow, and varying degrees of willing, to add higher-level flight-control mechanics (semi-autonomous modes etc). - The Ardupilot and PX4 configuration systems, and general experience, are user-hostile. Note that the converses of these hold: Betaflight h…

Fwiw, betaflight for acro flight is probably the best. Tuning is dead simple. Filtering is possibly the best.

That said, I don’t need much else because I just fly acro mode 100% of the time.

Re: Build a Low-Cost Drone Using ESP32

#105

Post by fullspectrumdev »

stavros wrote: post #55
zeroCalories wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ukrainians and Russians use 7" drones for dropping grenades and suicide charges. This does not seem too far off?

Whoops and 7" drones are pretty far apart (depending on what you consider "far", I guess). Whoops can barely lift their own weight, 7" drones can carry maybe a kilo.

A 7” drone can happily carry about 1.5kg which is more than sufficient to carry a RPG shell.

Re: Build a Low-Cost Drone Using ESP32

#106

Post by numpad0 »

jdboyd wrote: post #38
teruakohatu wrote: post #3

This is amazing. Even the landing gear (struts?) is part of the PCB. I hope the author considers selling kits or outsourcing kits to SeedStudio. I live in a country where digikey order shipping is quite pricey. The author estimates the BOM to be a little under US$13. At that price it would be fun to try create a swarm for DIY drone lights show. [1] https://circuitdigest.com/microcontroller-projects/DIY-wifi-...

FWIW, making just 10 might drive that $13 price down quite a bit. Although, it looks like 1 unit might be closer to $50 (at least for the suppliers I might use), but $150 for 10. I think costs could be cut somewhat though. The USB->serial chip is nearly $6, but differently packaged it can be $4.40 for 1 or $3.99/ea for 10, and alternative chips that seem like they should be good enough can be cheaper still. The volta…

Does it need a regulator at all? ESP32 should be able to run on raw battery voltage, assuming the ESP is necessary. RealTek TX2/RX2 + PIC10/ATTiny10/CH32V003 could be even cheaper if user is okay with a dedicated transmitter.

Re: Build a Low-Cost Drone Using ESP32

#107

Post by mig39 »

VagabundoP wrote: post #62
timonoko wrote: post #30

I played with €25 foldable wifi drone from Lidl until EU started requiring €30 fee annual for a camera drone. I cannot think much practical use for drone without a camera. Fly-fishing might be one, but I need to program it so that it drops the line and returns home the moment it feels fish yanking.

Drone reg here in Ireland (over 250g or with a camera its required) €38 for two years. https://www.iaa.ie/general-aviation/drones/drone-register

I'm registered as an operator in Ireland. This isn't per drone fee. It's a per-operator fee.

Re: Build a Low-Cost Drone Using ESP32

#108

Post by aftbit »

the__alchemist wrote: post #96
Kadin wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is all true, but just to set expectations: the open source ecosystem seems to be lagging the proprietary world pretty significantly, unless there's some corner where development is really chugging along that's not making it out to the rest of the hobbyist market. Though there have been incremental improvements in flight control software, and video subsystems have moved (mostly) from analog to 2.4/5.8 GHz and dig…

That is consistent with my experience. My highlights: - Current betaflight devevelopers and leaders are incompetent (They inherited the code base from others), and are slow, and varying degrees of willing, to add higher-level flight-control mechanics (semi-autonomous modes etc). - The Ardupilot and PX4 configuration systems, and general experience, are user-hostile. Note that the converses of these hold: Betaflight h…

I haven't touched this stuff in 5+ years, but I wonder how iNav stacks up on your list? I was about 50% of the way through a 7" FPV build with a GPS receiver based on iNav when COVID hit, and between the supply shortages and general life shift, I stopped working on it.

Re: Build a Low-Cost Drone Using ESP32

#109

Post by aftbit »

Kadin wrote: post #92
the__alchemist wrote: post #79

Note to anyone unafamiliar: There is a thriving "FPV" ecosystem of drones that can be DIYed. Example common setup, you can mix+match: - Small square PCB with the main flight control MCU (STM32), and some sensors - Smalls square PCB with motor drivers - Carbon fiber frame - Small PCB with a LoRa radio - Camera and video transmission system. (90s-security-cam style analog, or digital. - Brushless DC motors, props etc U…

This is all true, but just to set expectations: the open source ecosystem seems to be lagging the proprietary world pretty significantly, unless there's some corner where development is really chugging along that's not making it out to the rest of the hobbyist market. Though there have been incremental improvements in flight control software, and video subsystems have moved (mostly) from analog to 2.4/5.8 GHz and dig…

Back in the old days (Phantom 1), it was all IP. The "range extender" box that you could buy for the controller was literally a MIPS box running OpenWRT. I took one apart and used a debug interface to jailbreak it, then connected my own RPi to its network and used it for some degree of autonomous control. I assume things have advanced substantially since then.

I was very disappointed that my Mavic Mini 1 could not be controlled through the DJI SDK so I couldn't use any external apps to drive it. I assume that has also improved, but for a minute at least, the cheaper DJI drones were essentially unusable for my use cases.

To some extent, the availability of cheap commercial gimbal camera drones really set the OSS side of the hobby back. Eventually most of that energy moved to FPV acro drones, but definitely something was lost, as nobody really tries to build a DIY DJI competitor anymore. Of course, DJI drones are absurdly performance limited compared to what is possible with similar sized platforms.

Re: Build a Low-Cost Drone Using ESP32

#110

Post by aftbit »

ActorNightly wrote: post #65
phoronixrly wrote: post #2

What a great time for this article! The US is having a mass hysteria event and it turns out you can churn out DYI drones for the fat sum of $12-13 each? What a time to be alive! Edit: Hmm, considering that people are taking stars for UFOs lately, maybe a cheap drone is an overkill and a 20-pack of Chinese sky lanterns would be more than enough to keep the average US neighbourhood in a state of constant fear / see how…

The interesting/scary part is that its not that hard to weaponise these drones. You can make one drop a home made explosive pretty easily, fully autonomous. and then dump itself into a body of water. All for way less cost than a gun.

Why even "drop" an explosive? Just fly it straight into the target.
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