Make Your Own Pixhawk Raspberry Pi Drone in 36 Minutes (2020) | The Ultimate Project Drone

Introduction

This tutorial guides you through the process of building a Raspberry Pi drone using the Pixhawk flight controller. Ideal for hobbyists and tinkerers, the project offers an affordable yet reliable platform for aerial experimentation. By following these steps, you will learn how to set up the hardware, connect components, flash firmware, and control your drone using Python scripts.

Step 1: Gather Your Materials

Before starting, ensure you have the following components:

• Raspberry Pi (any model compatible with UART)
• Pixhawk flight controller
• Jumper wires for UART connection
• Power supply (battery) for the drone
• 3D printable parts for the drone frame (optional)
• MicroSD card for the Raspberry Pi
• Computer for flashing firmware

Practical Tip

Check the links for the 3D printable parts:

• Vibration Plates
• RPI Pixhawk Platform

Step 2: Set Up the Hardware

1. Assemble the Frame: If using 3D printed parts, print and assemble them according to the design.
2. Connect Raspberry Pi to Pixhawk:
   • Use jumper wires to connect the UART pins of the Raspberry Pi to the Pixhawk.
   • Ensure proper pin alignment: RX (Raspberry Pi) to TX (Pixhawk) and TX (Raspberry Pi) to RX (Pixhawk).
3. Power Connections: Connect your power supply to both the Raspberry Pi and Pixhawk.

Common Pitfalls

• Double-check the wiring to avoid damaging the components.
• Ensure the power supply is compatible with both devices.

Step 3: Flash ArduPilot Firmware

1. Download Firmware: Visit the ArduPilot website to download the latest firmware for Pixhawk.
2. Connect Pixhawk to Computer: Use a USB cable to connect the Pixhawk to your computer.
3. Use Mission Planner:
   • Open the Mission Planner software.
   • Select the appropriate COM port for your Pixhawk.
   • Go to the "Initial Setup" tab, select "Firmware," and follow the prompts to flash the firmware.

Practical Tip

Keep your firmware updated for the best performance and new features.

Step 4: Prepare the Raspberry Pi

1. Set Up the SD Card:
   • Flash Raspbian OS onto the microSD card using balenaEtcher or a similar tool.
   • Insert the microSD card into the Raspberry Pi.
2. Update the System:
   • Boot the Raspberry Pi and open the terminal.
   • Run the following commands to update the system:

     sudo apt-get update
     sudo apt-get upgrade
     

Step 5: Enable UART Communication

1. Configure Raspberry Pi:
   • Open the terminal and run sudo raspi-config.
   • Navigate to "Interface Options" and enable the Serial interface.
   • Disable the console if prompted.
2. Reboot the Raspberry Pi:
   • Execute sudo reboot to apply changes.

Step 6: Install Necessary Dependencies

1. Install MAVProxy:
   • In the terminal, run:

     sudo apt-get install python3-pip
     sudo pip3 install MAVProxy
     

2. Install DroneKit:
   • Run:

     sudo pip3 install dronekit
     

Step 7: Control the Drone

1. Create a Python Script:
   • Open a text editor and write a simple DroneKit script to control your drone. Here’s an example code snippet:

     from dronekit import connect, VehicleMode
     
     # Connect to the Vehicle
     vehicle = connect('/dev/serial0', baud=57600, wait_ready=True)
     
     # Set the vehicle into GUIDED mode
     vehicle.mode = VehicleMode("GUIDED")
     

2. Run the Script:
   • Save your script and execute it in the terminal:

     python3 your_script.py
     

Practical Tip

Test your script in a safe environment before flying the drone.

Conclusion

Congratulations on building your Raspberry Pi drone with the Pixhawk flight controller! You’ve learned how to assemble hardware, flash firmware, configure the Raspberry Pi, and control your drone using a Python script. For your next steps, consider experimenting with different flight modes, adding sensors, or enhancing your drone with additional features. Happy flying!