This page lists the contents of the HoverGames drone kit.
The HoverGames drone kit includes most components required to build your own quadcopter. The kit provides a frame, motors, electronic speed controllers, the RDDRONE-FMUK66 flight controller and some additional peripherals. The contents of the package should be checked to make sure nothing is missing.
Sorry - Some required parts cannot be included in the HoverGames drone kit because of shipping regulations. LiPo batteries and some other small items are listed on a separate page. They have to be bought separately before you are able to fly.
12x Extension cable with bullet connectors
1x Holybro Pixhawk 4 GPS with integrated safety switch and buzzer
1x 3D printed RC receiver antenna mount
1x Debug breakout board with cable and 3D printed enclosure
1x Segger J-Link EDU Mini debugger
1x HoverGames battery strap
1x HotRC A400 3S-4S LiPo battery charger, with EU & US power plugs (BATTERY NOT INCLUDED!)
Hex/Allen keys and wrench
Extra cables with JST-GH connector
Double-sided foam tape / sticky pads
Zip ties
Micro USB cables are included with the radio controller and the telemetry radio sets. Note that the telemetry radio sets are sold separately, they are not included in the HoverGames drone kit!
The NXP RDDRONE-FMUK66 flight management unit is the brain of the HoverGames drone. It features NXP sensors and automotive grade components and it is fully supported by PX4 Autopilot software. This GitBook provides instructions and external sources which should help you set up the software.
The FMU comes with a 3D printed enclosure, which can be mounted on top of the drone with double-sided tape. A microSD card is also included, to which logs will be written during flight. Make sure to insert this SD card before you fly!
The LJI X4 500 quadcopter frame is the body of the HoverGames drone. It replaces the S500 frame that was included with older kits. It is completely made out of carbon fiber parts and has a vibration damped mount for the FMU. This GitBook provides instructions on how to assemble this frame.
Frame size: 500 mm (diagonal), 200 mm (height)
Weight: 475 g (without electronics and motors)
Be careful with the carbon fiber parts of the frame. The edges may be sharp.
Note Updated kits after 2021 use a different 5010 motor type. These all use CW threads, which is acceptable industry practice, however extra care should be taken to ensure the motor nuts for the CW and CCW propellers are tight. The nuts should be checked before any flights. This gitbook and included videos may still refer to and show images using the RS2212 motor type.
The kit includes four brushless motors suitable for a quadcopter the size of the HoverGames drone. Two motors will rotate in clockwise (CW) direction, and two in counter clockwise (CCW) direction. This allows the drone to fly stable without unwantedly rotating around its vertical axis.
The clockwise (CW) rotating motors have a little notch on top of their shaft. It might come with a black nut. The counterclockwise (CCW) rotating motors have a smooth top and they usually come with silver nuts.
Make sure to use the right nuts with the right motors! You could damage the threading on the motor shafts or the nuts if you force a nut with the wrong threading onto the shaft.
Note that the nuts might also be "integrated" into the propellers. The propellers included in the HoverGames kit should be of this "self-locking" type.
Direction of rotation matters when mounting the motors on the frame. This will be extensively discussed in other parts of this GitBook. Make sure to not miss any steps of the assembly instructions.
There are four ESCs (electronic speed controllers) or motor controllers included in the HoverGames kit. The ESCs control the current to the motors on demand of the FMU. The motors are connected to the ESCs with three bullet connectors. It is safe to connect these three connectors in any order.
The three bullet connectors can be connected in any order. However, when a motor does not turn in the desired direction, two of the three cables should be swapped. The motor will then turn into the opposite direction. We will come back to this during the assembly instructions.
The provided ESCs are able to handle currents up to 40 A continuously, which should be more than enough when used with the included motors. They support battery configurations between 2 and 6 cells in series (3 or 4 cells are recommended).
Included in the kit are also two clockwise (CW) turning propellers and two counterclockwise (CCW) propellers. The intended direction of the propeller becomes clear from the shape of the propeller. Looking at it from the side, it curves down towards the back of the propeller blade, with the front being the side which "slices through the air first".
The direction of these self tightening propellers is also easily recognized by the color of the "integrated" nut. Propellers with a black nut are meant to go clockwise, and propellers with the silver nut go counterclockwise.
The power module provides power to the FMU and also includes voltage and current sensors which allow the flight controller to keep track of the battery level.
The small white JST-GH connector provides power to the FMU. The larger black XT60 connectors go to the batteries and to the power distribution board (PDB). The PDB included with the frame kit should already have an XT60 connector installed. (Note that XT60 connectors may also be yellow.)
GPS allows the drone to receive information about its position. This enables position hold mode and autonomous flying modes in which no user input is required. The Pixhawk 4 GPS has an integrated safety switch, buzzer and status LED. It plugs directly into the FMU. It also includes a compass, which is able to measure the rotation of the drone. The GPS comes with its own mount as well.
For controlling the drone, a radio controller is included. The transmitter has several switches to which different actions and functions can be programmed. Settings are changed with a touchscreen, which can also be set up to show telemetry data. The receiver module connects directly to the FMU. A 3D printed component for mounting the antennas of the receiver is included in the drone kit.
More information on setting up the RC transmitter and receiver can be found elsewhere on in this GitBook.
Debug tools are also included in the HoverGames kit. It consists of a small breakout board with a 3D printed plastic case, a Segger J-Link EDU Mini debugger and a USB-TTL-3V3 cable, as well as a 7 pin JST-GH cable that connects the breakout board to the FMU. With this setup you can program a blank board, single step through the code, set breakpoints and debug the processor. The USB-TTL-3V3 cable gives you access to the system console.
The USB-TTL-3V3 cable has to be inserted into the 6 pin connector on the debug breakout board as shown below. The black wire (ground) has to be on the side with the small notch/mark. Doing it the wrong way around could damage your FMU or adapter board!
