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Intel FALCON 8+, User Manual

The Intel FALCON 8+ User Manual is a comprehensive guide for operating and maximizing the potential of your aerial drone. With step-by-step instructions, troubleshooting tips, and detailed specifications, this manual is a must-have for any drone enthusiast. Download your free copy from manualshive.com.

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USER MANUAL

INTEL® FALCON™ 8+ UAS

© 2018 Intel Corporation. All rights reserved

74

The Intel® Powerpack Battery has an internal timer which keeps the battery turned ON

for 3 seconds after unplugging it from the charger. When a battery with LEDs

illuminated is plugged into the Intel Falcon 8+ UAV or the Intel Cockpit Controller

(CTR), the respective unit powers ON automatically without the user pressing the ON/

OFF button. To prevent automatic power ON, wait until the battery LED lights are no

longer illuminated before inserting it into the Intel Falcon 8+ UAV or the CTR.

2.6.2. Operating The BMS Menu

For further information about the battery you can activate the BMS menu. The battery

does not need to be connected to the power supply unit to activate the BMS menu.
To activate the menu:
1. Push/hold down the button (> 2 sec). When the first LED (no. 1, red) is flashing, the 

first menu option can be activated by another long push (> 2 sec) on the button.

2. Every further short push (< 2 sec) on the button navigates to the next menu option 

which can be activated by another long push (> 2 sec) on the button, indicated by 

the flashing of the respective LED.

If there is no user input, the LED menu will close after 33 seconds.
The five menu options are the following:

Menu Option 1, Charging State

When LED 1 is flashing, menu option 1 can be activated. When activated the LEDs show

the state of charge of the battery (see “Charging State” on page 73). After showing the

state of charge of the battery for 8 seconds, the menu is closed automatically (all LEDs

off).

Menu Option 2, Storage Mode

When LED 2 is flashing, Menu Option 2 can be activated. When you select this option

by pushing/holding down the button for more than 2 seconds, the battery Storage

Mode is activated. When this mode is activated, all but one LEDs are on. The off-LED

moves from right to left.
In the Storage Mode, the BMS automatically balances the battery down to 3.8V / Cell (=

15.2 V per battery). The battery Storage Mode can be deactivated by pushing the

battery button for more than 2 seconds.
We recommend using this mode when you have fully charged the battery (80-100%),

but plan to store the battery for 2 days or longer. 
Since there is only a small resistive load, it will take a very long time to discharge full

batteries to the storage voltage. To facilitate discharge, use fully charged batteries in

the Intel® Cockpit Controller or Intel® Falcon™ 8+ UAV before they are stored. 

Summary of Contents for FALCON 8+

Page 1: ...INTEL FALCON 8 UNMANNEDAIRCRAFTSYSTEM ENGLISH MAY2018 USER MANUAL ...

Page 2: ...ed or simulated using internal analysis or architecture simulation or modeling of any one or more of the following companies and are provided to you for informational purposes Intel Corporation Ascending Technologies GmbH which became an Intel Corporation subsidiary after acquisition by Intel Corporation or Intel Deutschland GmbH the Intel Corporation subsidiary into which Ascending Technologies G...

Page 3: ... package 1 2 The most important changes in this version Added instructions how to replace motor rails Add instructions how to exchange a payload adapter and how to update a pay load from the F8 to the F8 Created instructions for Intel High Resolution Imaging Payload Created instructions for Intel Imaging Payload with Obstacle Avoidance Updated battery charging instructions Added additional system ...

Page 4: ...8 2 4 THE 2ND OPERATOR MONITOR 30 2 5 PAYLOADS CAMERA OPTIONS 31 2 5 1 Changing a Payload Camera 34 2 5 2 Payload and compass calibration 36 2 5 3 Sony Alpha 7R Full Frame Camera 39 2 5 4 Inspection Payload 43 2 5 5 Intel High Resolution Imaging Payload 48 2 5 6 Intel Imaging Payload 54 2 6 THE INTEL POWERPACK BATTERIES 71 2 6 1 Charging the Intel Powerpack Batteries 73 2 6 2 Operating The BMS Men...

Page 5: ... 8 TAKING OFF 127 3 8 1 Launching in GPS Mode 128 3 8 2 Launching in Height Mode 128 3 8 3 Launching in Manual Mode 129 3 9 THE FLIGHT 130 3 9 1 Controlling the Intel Falcon 8 UAV from the CTR 131 3 9 2 Mission planning 132 3 9 3 In Flight 133 3 9 4 General Operating Tips 133 3 10 IN FLIGHT EMERGENCIES 134 3 11 LANDING 141 3 11 1 Landing in GPS Mode 141 3 11 2 Landing in Height Mode 141 3 11 3 Lan...

Page 6: ... 193 6 1 MAINTENANCE 193 6 1 1 Intel Falcon 8 UAS firmware updates 193 6 1 2 Caring for the Intel Falcon 8 UAV 198 6 1 3 Propeller replacement 200 6 1 4 Motor rail replacement 202 6 1 5 Exchanging a payload adapter 207 6 1 6 Updating a payload from an AscTec Falcon 8 UAV to an Intel Falcon 8 UAV 210 6 2 TROUBLESHOOTING 212 6 2 1 Establishing a connection between the CTR and the UAV 212 6 2 2 Analy...

Page 7: ...the whole system including Intel Cockpit Controller payload etc is referenced Unmanned Aerial Vehicle UAV is used when only the aircraft itself is referenced 1 1 SAFETYFIRST The following sections contain important safety information Any personnel operating the UAS must read understand and accept these warnings and guidelines before operating the Intel Falcon 8 UAV 1 1 1 Intended Use This product ...

Page 8: ...lways responsible for operating the UAS safely and responsibility and in compliance with all laws Professional drone operators must comply with all applicable insurance and aviation specific liability requirements Completion of a UAS safety check pre flight check and post flight check according to the following sections before every operation is compulsory for every flight Rotating propellers can ...

Page 9: ...s structures and obstacles We recommend two person operations pilot and observer All sense and avoid is done by the pilot and observer Avoid placing the UAV or the Intel Cockpit Controller CTR next to heat sources leaving it in the direct sunlight for extended periods or leaving it in a place where the temperature may exceed the specified range such as a parked car on a hot day Do not disassemble ...

Page 10: ... or restricted areas Always keep both hands on the control sticks You must be able to react at any time to prevent critical situations Be aware of dogs or birds as they might attack your UAV Always give way to other aircrafts Watch out for low flying helicopters All control inputs are given to the UAV as if you were sitting in the UAV as a pilot We strongly recommend attending the basic training a...

Page 11: ...ivate purposes In addition taking pictures of buildings may breach copyrights Take offs and landings of the UAV may only be allowed with consent of the owner of the property on which take offs landings occur Violations of the laws and regulations referred to above may lead to penalties damage claims from individuals or even criminal prosecution This information is provided for informational purpos...

Page 12: ...nch on the nut hold the motor head with thumb and index finger of one hand and use the index finger of the other hand to turn the screw wrench As soon as the motor head starts turning as well sufficient force has been applied 5 Nudge every single propeller so that it turns and check if any unusual sound can be heard or if a propeller spins slower than the others and stops spinning abruptly If ther...

Page 13: ...ter 9 Are all the batteries fully charged Voltage level can easily be checked using the BMS of the batteries It will be shown by the LEDs on the front of the batteries WARNING VIOLATION OF THESE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS RESULTS IN THE LOSS OF WARRANTY Table 1 2 Pre Flight Check List 1 Is the UAS in proper condition according to the points listed in UAS AND SAFETY CHECK on page 11 2 Make sure to have an ...

Page 14: ...een tablet 4 Intel Cockpit Controller CTR Wait for the link to be established 8 The end of the boot process is marked by a triple beep emitted by the Intel Falcon 8 UAV During boot up the Intel Falcon 8 UAV does not need to stand still It can be moved for example it can be started from a moving boat 9 The start up process is finished when camera mount stabilization starts working A gentle buzzing ...

Page 15: ...nd speed is within the operational limits 16 m s in Height Mode or 12 m s in GPS Mode 18 Choose the correct flight mode usually GPS Mode or Height Mode 19 Switch the motors on with both hands only in idle mode While the Intel Falcon 8 UAV is on the ground with running motors always keep the left control stick which controls the height in the fully downward position 20 Are all the motors running co...

Page 16: ... on the payload wait at least 10 seconds until the camera has stored all data and is fully powered down Intel Falcon 8 UAV Push and hold the power button The LED position lights will increase brightness The LED position lights will decrease brightness and simultaneously there will be a short beep from the UAV After the beep let go of the button Touchscreen tablet Push and hold the power button unt...

Page 17: ...ove the shoulder harness of the CTR 9 Store the CTR and all accessories safely in the transport case or in the backpack CAUTION ALWAYS REMOVE ALL BATTERIES FROM BOTH THE INTEL FALCON 8 UAV AND CTR WHEN THE SYSTEM IS NO LONGER IN USE WARNING VIOLATION OF THESE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS RESULTS IN THE LOSS OF WARRANTY Table 1 4 Post flight Check List Continued ...

Page 18: ...gle parts of the Intel Falcon 8 UAV Figure 2 1 The Intel Falcon 8 UAV Components The Intel Falcon 8 UAV consists of several components 1 Actively stabilized camera mount gimbal with camera 2 Motor rails 3 Central unit 4 Carbon cross The Intel Falcon 8 UAV bottom view 1 Actively stabilized camera mount with camera 2 Motor rails 3 Center cross piece with LEDs 4 Carbon cross 5 Landing feet For orient...

Page 19: ...ew Carbon Cross with center cross piece antenna arrangement The data link antennas 2 4 GHz as well as the video link antennas 5 8 GHz are integrated into the landing feet They are diagonally arranged as shown in the image to the left Figure 2 1 The Intel Falcon 8 UAV Components continued Data Data Video Video ...

Page 20: ... updates 3 Hole for the camera mount s carbon rod see Units of the Gimbal on page 23 4 Battery compartments with retaining clips 7 for batteries 5 Power button 6 Micro SD card slot SD card speed class 10 minimum supports up to 16 GB file system FAT32 allocation unit size 32 kilobytes for flight logs Black Box must be inserted contacts upwards 7 Retaining clips for the batteries 8 Place for the lab...

Page 21: ...the Gimbal on page 23 3 Retaining clip for the payload adapter 4 Cable tube contains the cabling of the antennas 5 Fan for the internal cooling behind the slots 6 Vibration dampers Figure 2 4 Central Unit Side View Left Side without Gimbal Camera Mount Side view left 1 LED position light red when UAV is running same on the right side green when UAV is running 2 Vibration dampers 3 Cable tube which...

Page 22: ...ls and Equipment The motor rails and the related elements consist of 1 Propellers mounted directly on the motors 2 Brushless motors mounted directly onto the motor mounts 3 Motor mount 4 Carbon fiber tube 5 Connector between carbon cross and motor rails 6 Landing foot front left shown the video link antenna or data link antenna as applicable is integrated see The Intel Falcon 8 UAV Components on p...

Page 23: ...the Intel Falcon 8 UAV The battery is in Figure 2 6 Units of the Gimbal The actively stabilized camera mount consists of 1 Circuitry for controlling the camera 2 Payload e g Sony Alpha 7R 3 Pitch servo 4 Carbon fiber structure 5 Knurled securing nut for the actively stabilized camera mount 6 Payload adapter see below for details The payload adapter is the connection between the camera mount and th...

Page 24: ...lded antenna panel The CTR can be divided into from bot tom to top 1 Remote control unit 2 Touchscreen tablet for preview video and more see THE TOUCHSCREEN TABLET on page 99 displayed without sun shade 3 Antenna panel unfolded All communication between CTR and the Intel Falcon 8 UAV is sent and received by the antenna panel It features 2 4 GHz antennas for all control and telemetry communication ...

Page 25: ...ks 6 Status Display see STATUS DISPLAY on page 166 7 Left push button B1 sets the camera to predefined angles 90 45 and 0 when the left rocker switch R1 4 is pushed simultaneously right push button B2 controls different camera functions depending on the attached payload 8 Four function buttons for the Status Display 9 RETURN TO HOME button 10 POWER button 11 Integrated shoulder harness holders The...

Page 26: ...ES NEAR THE EAR 1 FIND A QUIET ENVIRONMENT 2 TURN THE VOLUME DOWN ON THIS PRODUCT TO THE MINIMUM SETTING 3 CONNECT THE EARPHONE OR HEADPHONE TO THE PRODUCT 4 PLACE THE EARPHONE OR HEADPHONE NEAR OR ON THE EAR AND 5 SLOWLY INCREASE THE VOLUME ON THE PRODUCT TO A COMFORTABLE LEVEL AVOID INCREASING THE VOLUME ABOVE THIS LEVEL INCREASING THE VOLUME TO BE LOUDER THAN A NOISY ENVIRONMENT SUCH AS A CITY ...

Page 27: ...tus Display you can view the current settings and adjust specific func tions of the UAV In order to do so use the four buttons under the lower left cor ner of the Status Display Escape left side is used to leave menus sub menus and to clear functions In the following text it is displayed as ESC With the arrow LEFT button middle left side and the arrow RIGHT button middle right side you can scroll ...

Page 28: ...e 99 2 3 THEINDEPENDENTCAMERACONTROL ICC The Independent Camera Control ICC is an optional part of the Inspection Package see SOFTWARE FEATURE PACKAGES on page 87 Thanks to the ICC a camera operator can control the main camera functions from a gamepad which is connected to the CTR via a USB port USB port 2 4 The USB ports are in the back of the CTR in the upper left corner see Intel Cockpit Contro...

Page 29: ... preview might get delayed After the installation the tablet must be rebooted Table 2 1 Operating a Camera by ICC BUTTON REFERENCED ON ICC CAMERA SONY ALPHA 7R INSPECTION PAYLOAD 1 Start Stop video 2 Trigger photo Trigger photo both cameras 3 View last image 4 Change color palette when FLIR is active 5 Camera tilt up down Yaw left right Camera tilt up down Yaw left right 6 Camera tilt up down Yaw ...

Page 30: ...trol the video preview of the camera used It is connected to the CTR via the HDMI port by a cable The HDMI port is in the back of the CTR in the upper left corner see Intel Cockpit Controller CTR Overview on page 24 9 Shutter speed Zoom when RGB camera is active 10 Camera tilt velocity Camera tilt velocity 11 Camera tilt velocity Camera tilt velocity Figure 2 11 2nd Operator Monitor Package The el...

Page 31: ...s airborne To ensure complete integration into the Intel Falcon 8 UAV every payload must undergo mechanical and electrical modifications Therefore only payloads approved by Intel are allowed Payloads which have not been integrated might affect the compass calibration due to magnetic emissions by the camera and could have detrimental effects on the flight performance If you require assistance with ...

Page 32: ... connected payload 3 Push Button B3 trigger button on top of the left control stick S1 4 Rocker Switch R1 camera tilt 5 Rocker Switch R2 changes its function depending on the camera used 6 Control Stick S2 turning the right control stick S2 controls the yaw axis of the UAV 7 Status Display and related control buttons 8 ESC LEFT RIGHT ENT depending on the payload additional options can be accessed ...

Page 33: ... downwards Pull the Rocker Switch R1 towards you to tilt the camera upwards The further R1 is pulled or pushed the quicker the tilt movement When the camera is not at 0 a single push of button B1 will set it back to 0 When the camera is at 0 pushing and holding B1 and simultaneously pushing R1 shortly will set the camera to 45 another short push of R1 while holding B1 will set it to 90 When pullin...

Page 34: ...ide of the central unit 1 The Thumbscrew 2 is not attached at this time Make sure the carbon rod is not at an angle when it is inserted 2 Fix the payload adapter 3 Take care that the connector plug of the adapter fits to the equivalent at the front side of the UAV See detail 1 below 3 On the roll servo make sure the ball link connector ball is fixed in the respective slot in the adapter when you f...

Page 35: ...easing clip 4 Knurled securing nut of the actively stabilized camera mount Figure 2 14 Removing the Camera Mount To remove the camera mount 1 Remove the knurled securing nut 1 of the camera mount at the back side of the central unit 2 Carefully disconnect the payload adapter with pressure against the release clip of the adapter 2 3 Disconnect the ball of the ball link connector of the roll servo o...

Page 36: ...d you will need to raise the Intel Falcon 8 UAV to make sure the payload does not hit the ground and cause damage when it tilts downwards 5 Push ENT to start the calibration The camera will first rotate fully downwards and then progressively move to the fully upwards position Do not touch the Intel Falcon 8 UAV during the process 6 When the payload does not move anymore switch off the payload then...

Page 37: ...TUS DISPLAY on page 166 6 Push ENT to confirm The Intel Falcon 8 UAV will make a 400 turn 7 Once the Intel Falcon 8 UAV has finished the turn land switch off the camera then the Intel Falcon 8 UAV then the touchscreen tablet and finally the CTR Restart the complete system in the specific sequence see step 2 above 8 Repeat the above steps for each new payload to be used with the Intel Falcon 8 UAV ...

Page 38: ...the right control stick to adjust the camera It now directly controls the camera angles 5 When the position is set correctly release both control sticks This position will automatically be saved as the new zero position It is also possible to adjust the camera horizon in flight but not the tilt angle To adjust the horizon in flight 1 Enter the menu of the Status Display by pushing ENT 2 Navigate t...

Page 39: ...settings Only then should you switch off the Intel Falcon 8 UAV If you switch off the Intel Falcon 8 UAV too early you will cut the power supply of the camera and risk losing data Figure 2 15 Sony Alpha 7R and SD Card Slot Specifications Sensor size 35 90 mm x 24 00 mm Resolution 36 4 Mpx 7360 x 4912 pixels Lens Sonnar T FE 35 mm F2 8 ZA SEL35F28Z Weight incl lens and gimbal 790 g Approximate max ...

Page 40: ...er button Rocker Switch R1 4 camera tilt changes the angle smoothly Rocker Switch R2 5 camera tilt Dial 1 or Dial 2 depending on B2 Control Stick S2 6 turning the right control stick S2 controls the yaw axis of the UAV Status Display 7 see Camera Options By The Status Display on page 41 ESC LEFT RIGHT ENT 8 Status Dis play control buttons see Status Dis play on page 27 The Sony Alpha 7R has two ma...

Page 41: ...xposure compensation Shutter speed Table 2 3 Sony Alpha 7R Camera Control By Status Display THE FOLLOWING OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE FOR THE SONY ALPHA 7R Record Stop Starts and stops a video recording Dial 2 See previous table for details Review Reviews images already stored on the SD card of the camera Use Rocker Switch R2 no 5 in figure above to navigate Adjust Horizon Occasionally the neutral posit...

Page 42: ...can be quickly accessed by turning the control wheel in the back of the cam era After pushing the Fn button number 1 above by default the following parame ters can be accessed Top row Drive Mode Flash Mode Flash Comp Focus Mode Focus Area Exposure Comp Bottom row ISO Metering Mode White Balance DRO Auto HDR Creative Style Shoot Mode The camera menu can be accessed by pushing the MENU button number...

Page 43: ...Optical zoom 30x Weight incl lens and gimbal 550 g Approximate max flight time 18 min Suggested applications Inspection Depending on the model of Panasonic camera you will find further information here TZ71 https www panasonicstore ie wp con tent uploads 2015 05 DMCTZ70 pdf ZS50 ftp ftp panasonic com camera om dmc zs50_adv_om pdf Please note that the WiFi functionality of these cameras is disabled...

Page 44: ... numbered sub folder FLIR0000 FLIR0001 FLIR0002 is created on the micro SD card Up to 128 image files are stored in one folder If more than 128 images are taken during one flight a new sub folder will be created where the additional images are stored Before the camera can be used the black cap must be removed from the lens The images are stored in a proprietary file for mat ARA The 14 bit RAW outp...

Page 45: ...ayed on the screen is 999 however the actual number of images the SD card can store is higher than 999 Therefore the dis played number will not count down until the SD Card has a capacity of less then 999 images When the FLIR Tau 2 640 IR Raw Data Logger cannot access the SD card an error message ERR will be displayed instead of the number of remaining images In case this happens please take out t...

Page 46: ...neously see Setting the Camera Angle on page 33 for details Push Button B2 2 switches between the cameras for live preview FLIR and Panasonic Push Button B3 3 Trigger button Both cameras will be triggered simultane ously regardless of which camera is selected for the live preview Rocker Switch R1 4 camera tilt changes the angle smoothly Rocker Switch R2 5 Changes its func tion depending which came...

Page 47: ...tomatic Gain Control need to be set via configuration file on the FLIR SD card before take off Table 2 5 Inspection Payload Control By Status Display THE FOLLOWING OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE FOR THE INSPECTION PAYLOAD Switch Camera Switches the live image preview on the touchscreen between the FLIR Tau 2 640 and the Panasonic Lumix camera Adjust Horizon Occasionally the neutral position of the gimbal s...

Page 48: ...uires Intel Falcon 8 UAS firmware version package 1 2 or higher see Firmware update on page 61 Figure 2 20 Intel High Resolution Imaging Payload specifications Specifications of the Sony RX1R II camera Sensor size 35 90 mm x 24 00 mm Resolution 42 4 Mpx 7952 x 5304 pixels Lens ZEISS Sonnar T 35mm F2 0 single focus lens fixed Weight incl lens and gimbal 796 g Approximate maximum flight time 16 min ...

Page 49: ...is will permanently damage the connection between the antenna and the camera mount The camera is powered by the Intel Falcon 8 UAV battery to save weight When you switch the system OFF always switch the camera OFF first and wait for 10 seconds to enable the camera to fully power down and store all images and settings After doing so switch OFF the Intel Falcon 8 UAV If you switch the Intel Falcon 8...

Page 50: ...the left Pushing B2 while in the camera settings mode scrolls through the available adjustable settings ISO shutter speed exposure compensation Rocker Switch R2 5 by moving this switch up down the value of the setting selected with B2 can be adjusted up or down Please note that the adjustable settings depend on the selected exposure mode of the camera P rogram A perture S hutter M anual which is s...

Page 51: ... dial P rogram A perture S hutter M anual 6 Fn button 7 MENU button 8 Exposure compensation dial 9 Shutter button Capabilities such as aperture shutter speed etc can be quickly accessed by turning the control wheel 2 in the back of the camera function of this wheel depends on the operating mode used After pushing the Fn button number 6 above by default the following parameters can be accessed Top ...

Page 52: ...ease see chapter INTEL FALCON 8 UAV FLIGHT LOGS on page 91 for further details Possible workaround Wait several minutes It might take some time until the GPS receiver of the payload has synchronized Move to a location with better GPS reception Power the UAV OFF and then ON again If the message disappears the GPS signal is strong enough Notes If the Intel High Resolution Imaging Payload does not re...

Page 53: ...rocess Figure 2 23 Payload Firmware Update For the payload firmware update process the respective payload has to be mounted and connected to the Intel Falcon 8 UAV 1 Download the latest payload firmware from http intel com FalconDownloads and save this file FW BIN onto a USB stick 2 Insert the USB stick containing the license file FW BIN into the USB port on the payload see picture to the left 3 W...

Page 54: ...ealSense modules stores the payload images and creates an obstacle map of the surroundings which enables the Obstacle Avoidance feature Obstacle Avoidance OA helps the pilot to keep the UAV in a standoff distance from the object that he she wants to inspect OA also registers any obstacles in the immediate vicinity and helps the pilot avoid these while focusing on the inspection Information about h...

Page 55: ...hile physi cally compatible with the camera may be too heavy and are not approved Images are stored on the payload SD card which is inserted in the front left hand cor ner as shown to the left Recorded videos can be transferred to this payload SD card as well see below To transfer files from the payload card to a computer please use an SD card reader connected to the computer Note The frequency wi...

Page 56: ...sary 1 Open the lid by pushing and holding the OPEN slider to the right while simultaneously pushing the lid in the direction indicated by the arrow 2 Remove the micro SD card from the slot by lightly pressing it inwards after which the card pops out for easy removal If using the payload in hot environments with direct exposure to sunlight please attach the supplied camera sun cover onto the camer...

Page 57: ...ontain geoinformation of the image files taken during the flight and can be used in other applications for post processing The prefixes of the JSON files are the same as the mission number followed by the word geotags e g 000001_geotags json File structure of video files Video files recorded during the current flight are stored on the camera SD card not on the payload SD card see figure Intel Imag...

Page 58: ... transferred from the camera SD card to the payload SD card for easier access At the end of the flight the pilot is asked if he she wants to transfer the video files The pilot has to confirm the transfer of the video files to the payload SD card After the confirmation the transfer will occur automati cally During the transfer a feedback is given on the touchscreen tablet see image to the left Afte...

Page 59: ...n and clear of debris in order for proper cooling of the compute board 2 5 6 2 Camera control by the CTR This section describes how to operate the Sony R10C by using the functional elements of the Intel Cockpit CTR Note The ON OFF switch on top of the camera itself has no function CAUTION DO NOT MOUNT LENS HOODS OR SIMILAR ITEMS THAT ATTACH TO THE FRONT PART OF THE LENS AS THESE MAY BLOCK THE VIEW...

Page 60: ...ght side of the screen of the touchscreen tablet of the CTR when activated by tapping on the respective area in the lower left and right corner Figure 2 27 Camera settings by the control menu items on the touchscreen tablet Tapping e g on the area 1 in the lower left corner of the touchscreen tablet opens a con trol panel for adjustable camera settings Depending on lens type and actual camera set ...

Page 61: ...ner on the touchscreen tablet For updating the payload firmware by the PFT you need Intel Falcon 8 UAV with the payload attached The UAV must be powered OFF in the beginning of the update process PC for running the Intel Platform Flash Tool PFT Lite USB type C to USB type A cable for connecting the payload to the computer not supplied Pre instructions for upgrading the payload firmware 1 Download ...

Page 62: ... same PC you installed the PFT 2 Start the Intel PFT Lite application 3 Open the firmware ZIP file by selecting Browse in the upper right corner 4 Open the small hatch on the right side of the payload front side to reveal the USB C port of the payload 5 Connect one end of an USB type C cable not supplied to the port and the other end to the computer running Intel PFT ...

Page 63: ...8 While keeping this button pressed down power ON the Intel Falcon 8 UAV This will put the payload into the firmware update mode 9 The DNX button can be released approximately 5 seconds after switching ON the Intel Falcon 8 UAV Figure 2 28 Firmware update process continued CAUTION DO NOT TURN EITHER THE PAYLOAD OR THE UAV UPSIDE DOWN TO PRESS AND HOLD THE DNX BUTTON LEAVE THE PAYLOAD IN HORIZONTAL...

Page 64: ...round 86 for a short time but continue After the update is completed the prog ress indicator turns green and depicts the message pictured to the left 11 Disconnect the USB cable now from the payload but leave the payload and the UAV powered on After around 40 50 seconds the payload reboots for the first time After around 2 minutes and 40 50 sec onds the second boot is almost com plete After around...

Page 65: ...hts OA is inactive during RETURN TO HOME and Link Loss Procedures procedures OA is able to stop the drone in front of an object when flying up to 4 5m s standard max velocity in GPS mode If the pilot flies at higher speed in Height or Manual Mode and then switches to GPS Mode with OA ON the drone may not be able to stop in front of an object in time due to the speed CAUTION SURFACES THAT ARE LESS ...

Page 66: ...ot maintaining the set standoff distance under the following circumstances surfaces with repetitive patterns like tiling or corrugated iron low light conditions fog snow rain flying straight towards low sun after before sunrise sunset flying between buildings structures where GPS signal may get obstructed Figure 2 29 Obstacle Avoidance directions covered Each RealSense module covers a field of vie...

Page 67: ...nel as described and tap on the OFF ON toggle one time to turn OFF OA The OA indicator field goes light gray The OA indicator and button number 1 above also shows the approximate distance to an object measured by the RealSense modules visualized by 3 bars When a bar is filled black a value is reached Figure 2 30 Tablet GUI with an OA payload mounted Please note that OA is always switched OFF by de...

Page 68: ... OA works GPS Mode and Distance Hold In GPS Mode the UAV performs a sense and stop action when OA is activated As soon as it reaches a user defined standoff distance to the obstacle see section Configuring Obstacle Avoidance on page 67 for further details it will maintain this currently adjusted standoff distance The pilot cannot fly any closer than the set distance and control commands from the C...

Page 69: ...voidance During a descent of the UAV if any obstacle comes into the field of view of the Intel RealSense modules within the pilot set standoff distance the UAV may fly backwards or sideways towards the pilot to keep the defined standoff distance To avoid such a situation always switch OFF OA before descending to land the UAV Note Deletion of the obstacle map that was populated in GPS Mode occurs i...

Page 70: ... con trol sticks will be disabled until the pilot has switched OFF Obstacle Avoidance When Obstacle Avoidance is deactivated the pilot has control of the control sticks again If this warning appears when the UAV is in flight and in Height Mode the pilot must immediately steer away from any obstacle Tablet Switched to Distance Guard The Intel Falcon 8 UAS has automatically switched from GPS Mode to...

Page 71: ...l balancing technology assures the consistency in the performance of the batteries The following sections give you information about the Intel Powerpack batteries you need for the Intel Falcon 8 UAV and the CTR For charging an Intel Powerpack Battery you need one of the deliverable power supply units On the front panel of the battery there is a sticker An area is marked by a dot surrounded by a ci...

Page 72: ...l Corporation All rights reserved 72 Please note the limitations mentioned on the labels of the Intel Powerpack Battery Figure 2 32 The Intel Powerpack Battery The front of the Intel Powerpack battery The back of the Intel Powerpack battery ...

Page 73: ...tery state and the progress of the charging process is automatically shown by the LEDs As displayed in the table above the number of permanently lighted LEDs shows the actual progress of charging Additionally the next higher LED is flashing This means that this charging step is not yet finished When the charging process is finished and the battery is at full capacity all five LEDs will continue fl...

Page 74: ...ashing of the respective LED If there is no user input the LED menu will close after 33 seconds The five menu options are the following Menu Option 1 Charging State When LED 1 is flashing menu option 1 can be activated When activated the LEDs show the state of charge of the battery see Charging State on page 73 After showing the state of charge of the battery for 8 seconds the menu is closed autom...

Page 75: ...d to the factory battery capacity Table 2 10 Charging Cycles THE LEDS SHOW THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CHARGING CYCLES OF THE BATTERY FROM RIGHT TO LEFT BEGINNING WITH LED 5 GREEN 20 THIS NUMBER SHOULD BE MULTIPLIED BY 10 STATUS OF LED NO 1 2 3 4 5 EXAMPLES CHARGING STATE OFF OFF OFF OFF ON 20 1 X 10 0 10 OFF OFF OFF ON OFF 21 2 X 10 11 20 OFF OFF OFF ON ON 20 21 3 X 10 21 30 OFF OFF ON OFF ON 20 22 5 X 1...

Page 76: ...sons The battery cells are too hot or too cold Charge Control Circuitry too hot The charging process will resume automatically once the temperature of the cells is normalized When the battery shows LED1 ON and LED5 ON alternating with LED2 and LED4 ON the battery was operated out of specifications e g too hot during discharge When a battery shows this behavior it can still be used to discharge its...

Page 77: ...l be updated automatically by the UAV During this process which takes less than a minute a message is shown in the status line at the bottom of the Status Display see STATUS DISPLAY on page 166 and it is not possible to start the UAV 2 6 4 Battery Information Safety Instructions And Warnings Lithium Polymer LiPo batteries do not have any memory effect Never fully discharge LiPo batteries as it wil...

Page 78: ...gs It is crucial that all cells in a LiPo battery maintain the same voltage across all cells at all times Never charge batteries unattended When charging LiPo batteries you should always remain nearby to monitor the charging process and react to potential problems that may occur Never continue to charge LiPo batteries if the battery LEDs fail to recognize full charge Overheating of the LiPo cells ...

Page 79: ... 5 V per cell Deep discharging a battery cell below 3 5 V can reduce battery performance or even destroy the battery Storage Transportation New batteries are delivered with less than 30 charge to comply with regulations which allow Li Po batteries to ship via air Because the battery slowly self discharges it is important to maintain battery charge state and periodically check batteries charge leve...

Page 80: ...ails regarding operating temperatures Battery Life Batteries that have lost 20 of their capacity see Operating The BMS Menu Menu Option 5 Battery Status on page 76 must be removed from service and disposed of properly Disposal For proper treatment recovery and recycling please take these products to designated collection points where they will be accepted on a free of charge basis Alternatively se...

Page 81: ...r easy one person transportation the Intel Falcon 8 UAS cases have retractable handles and wheels The Intel Backpack is not safe for air freighting but very useful for missions in remote areas since it is light and relatively compact Figure 2 36 Transport Cases Backpack The transport cases offer great advantages Thanks to fold able handles and wheels they can be easily transported by one per son T...

Page 82: ...Cases Intel Falcon 8 System Case This case is used for all necessary parts of your Intel Falcon 8 UAV Following the numbers the slots contains 1 Intel Falcon 8 UAV without payload 2 Power supply units for charging the Intel Powerpack batteries 6 3 Space for accessories e g sunglasses 4 Toolkit with spare propellers see below 5 Space for the payload when mounted directly on the UAV For load securit...

Page 83: ...itional space e g for an extra power supply Included in the case but not shown Shoulder harness is underneath the sun shield protected touchscreen tablet Payload Case The payload of the Intel Falcon 8 UAS must be placed as shown on this image Make sure that it is placed conveniently inside of the foam bolster The foam bol ster cover not shown on top of the pay load should be used to secure the pay...

Page 84: ...he CTR 2 At the bottom part there is space for the CTR Before placing it inside of the backpack make sure that the sun shield is arranged as shown in the image to protect the touchscreen tablet and that you secure it with the Velcro tape 3 On the outside there are two separate pockets for the Intel Powerpack batteries Another large pocket is located on the lid not shown in the image There is enoug...

Page 85: ... like described above For shipping it please additionally use the cardboard box in which the system case was covered when it was delivered and pack it as described in the following instructions Figure 2 38 Packing Instructions for the cardboard box for the UAV system case The cardboard box set to encase the Intel Falcon 8 UAS Case 1 consists of the following parts Two corrugated inserts for top an...

Page 86: ...escribed 1 Place one of the corrugated inserts into the bottom of the box 2 Place the two cushions over the ends of the case 3 Load the case equipped with the cushions into the box 4 Place the second corrugated insert over the top of the cushioned case and close the box Figure 2 38 Packing Instructions for the cardboard box for the UAV system case ...

Page 87: ...s that it can be used with one payload on any Intel Falcon 8 UAV The available software feature packages can be purchased at any time and unlocked remotely by your Intel Falcon 8 UAS reseller The Intel Falcon 8 UAS does not need to be sent back When ordering a perpetual license please provide the serial number of the UAV which can be found on top of the central unit and as well via the Status Disp...

Page 88: ...e distance GSD the area to cover and start the survey flight INSPECTION PACKAGE WP P With the Cockpit Control application you can create load mod ify and save PATH projects and any related waypoints on the touchscreen tablet of the Intel Cockpit Controller CTR ICC Independent Camera Control see THE INDEPENDENT CAMERA CONTROL ICC on page 28 This function enables a second operator to control the cam...

Page 89: ...ve payload with the serial number the license has been created for is mounted to the Intel Falcon 8 UAV To activate an annual or perpetual license 1 Take the USB stick from your Intel Falcon 8 UAV 2 Plug it into your computer 3 Format the USB stick file system FAT32 allocation unit size 32 kilobytes 4 Copy the f8p_license asc file onto the USB stick 5 Plug the USB stick into the Intel Falcon 8 UAV...

Page 90: ... the Intel Falcon 8 UAV the touchscreen tablet and the CTR and confirm the Link Loss Procedure 1 Push ENT to open the menu on the Status Display 2 Use the arrow RIGHT button to navigate to Settings 3 Push ENT to open the Settings menu 4 Use the arrow RIGHT button to navigate to Payload Info and confirm by pushing ENT The next screen shows the serial number of the payload the type of the camera use...

Page 91: ...rage devices are identical Logs are always stored in a directory called ASCTEC Every time the Intel Falcon 8 UAV is switched on a new directory with a subsequent number will be created inside the ASCTEC directory All files always have the same creation date and time but if available GPS time will be stored in the log One log directory always contains four files ASCHP LOG ASCTEC IFO ASCTEC LOG FLIG...

Page 92: ...corrupted file system on the storage device If the Intel Falcon 8 UAV cannot access a storage device a respective warning will be displayed see following Figure 2 41 AscTec Navigator Software Flightbook The map view shows the flight path and photo trigger positions the list view under neath the map shows the log ID subsequent number start time and date the GPS position WGS84 the number of image ta...

Page 93: ...ting the SD card into the Intel Falcon 8 UAV it should again be accessible If no backup copy is needed the User SD card can also be formatted directly by the UAV To do so 1 Push ENT to open the menu on the Status Display 2 Push the arrow RIGHT button to navigate to Settings 3 Push ENT and use the arrow RIGHT button to navigate to Format User SD 4 Push ENT to confirm The shown screen appears 5 Push...

Page 94: ...e of the Sta tus Display Push the related arrow LEFT button on the CTR until the Error Message Screen is shown No internal SD card will be shown Switch OFF the Intel Falcon 8 UAV Wait 10 seconds and switch it ON again During boot up the internal SD card will be formatted and it should again be accessible If this does not help contact the Intel sup port team to get instructions on how to proceed No...

Page 95: ...t the system date and time on the touchscreen tablet of the CTR see THE TOUCHSCREEN TABLET on page 99 Perform a payload and compass calibration with every new payload see Payload and compass calibration on page 36 Visit https intel com FalconDownloads and install the latest firmware on the system see Intel Falcon 8 UAS firmware updates on page 193 Regularly check the website for updates Always str...

Page 96: ...y finished and the link to the CTR has been established The AscTec Trinity Control Unit allows you to start the UAV even from a moving platform for example a boat Hot swapping batteries To save time it is possible to hot swap batteries while the UAV remains switched ON 1 Land the UAV 2 Switch OFF the motors and leave the UAV switched ON 3 Take out one empty battery the remaining battery will keep ...

Page 97: ... the battery with the colored Intel label 1 facing downwards into the battery compartment Slide it all the way in until it is stopped and flush with the end of the slot The Intel Powerpack battery provides power to the CTR as well as the touchscreen tablet the battery is the same for the Intel Falcon 8 see THE INTEL POWERPACK BATTERIES on page 71 3 Install the shoulder harness by connecting the ca...

Page 98: ...on is felt WARNING DO NOT POWER ON OR OPERATE THE CTR WITHOUT FULLY EXTENDING THE ANTENNA PANEL CAUTION WHEN SWITCHING ON THE CTR THE CENTER POSITION OF THE TWO CONTROL STICKS IS CALIBRATED MAKE SURE TO NOT MOVE THEM WHILE THE CTR IS POWERING UP OTHERWISE THERE WILL BE AN ERROR MESSAGE JOYSTICK ERROR IN THE STATUS DISPLAY AND IN THE NOTIFICATION AREA OF THE TOUCHSCREEN TABLET AND THE MOTORS CANNOT...

Page 99: ...after a few seconds will change to display the Preflight Checklist where the most important safety aspects are listed When starting the touchscreen tablet for the first time before the Preflight Checklist you will see the window for time and date settings see following figure Figure 3 3 The Cockpit Control Application Time and Date Setting When starting the touchscreen tablet for the first time a ...

Page 100: ...and tap on OK before take off You may tap on SKIP but it is recommended you follow the checklist and tap on OK After tapping on OK or SKIP the main screen of the application is opened see next picture Now you can use the touchscreen as a preview video monitor load modify and save PATH projects and the related waypoints optional load and fly AscTec Navigator Soft ware projects Figure 3 3 The Cockpi...

Page 101: ...CE7R LOC 3 manualstab In the notification area at the top of this window general flight information is given In the left corner under GPS 1 the quality of the GPS signal can be seen indicated by 1 to 5 bars Next to the right of the window you find the place for system messages 2 If every thing is fine SYSTEM OK is shown in a green bar In case there are warnings the field will turn red and display ...

Page 102: ...nual In the near future AscTec Navigator will be replaced by the advanced flight planning software Intel Mission Control For up to date information please check http www intel com IntelMissionControl On the left side of the main screen under GPS the buttons for three dif ferent functions are found Tapping on the PATH button opens the PATH function where you can store and edit individual waypoints ...

Page 103: ...R If there is only one warning it will be fully displayed in the notification area If more than one warning is present a popup drop down menu is shown Tapping the drop down button will dis play all warnings The related text is shown in CAPITALS if an error occured which has to be checked via the Status Dis play small letters in the drop down menu If the warning is critical and can lead to an immin...

Page 104: ...ication and PATH Projects PATH PROJECT Tapping on the PATH button in the main screen opens the window PATH PROJECT Here you can create save and load individual Paths projects including the GPS posi tion height camera heading and camera pitch angle Executing the PATH function via the touchscreen tablet Tapping on New Project opens the window PATH PROJECT NEW with an integrated keyboard see below Ta...

Page 105: ...n also be hidden by tapping anywhere in the empty area above After hiding the keyboard you first must tap on the button in the lower right corner Tapping on this button opens a win dow with a summary of the data of your new project and some instruc tions how to use this function If you did not already insert a USB stick you will see a corresponding warning in red You can now insert the USB stick T...

Page 106: ... of your new project and tapping on the check mark see above you can start your new project 1 Launch the UAV 2 Climb to a minimum of 10 m height 3 Tap on the record button to activate the record mode 4 Fly to the first desired waypoint and make sure the camera points towards the desired spot 5 Push the camera trigger left control stick S1 to store this and all following desired waypoints in your p...

Page 107: ...e inserted at the back of the CTR Tapping on the project name in the left side window highlights it and shows the related data Tapping on the check mark in the lower right corner opens the selected project see next image Tapping on this button in the lower left corner brings you back to the last screen In the lower right corner of the window the UAV is indicated by an arrowhead with its actual ori...

Page 108: ...e with the left control stick you generate a new waypoint and any related data is stored see above Tapping on this button zooms your project all waypoints back to fit into the window size e g if you zoomed in or out by pinching and or spreading Tapping on this button only dis played during flight sets the mis sion to stand by Tapping on this button stops the mission This icon shows the actual home...

Page 109: ... area without selecting a waypoint will de select all previously selected waypoints If only one waypoint is selected the following described functions can be executed by tapping the related button If multiple waypoints are selected only the delete move to right and move to left buttons are active Tapping on this button selects the waypoint next to the actual selected way point against the directio...

Page 110: ...ed points Yaw shows the heading at which waypoints were stored Camera Pitch shows the actual stored pitch angle s of the camera To change these properties select the waypoints you want to change to highlight them Tapping on this button once subtracts the value mentioned at Stepsize Tapping on this button once adds the value mentioned at Stepsize The size of a step can be changed by tapping on the ...

Page 111: ...signal needs to be available in the complete area in which the UAV will fly in 75 4 bars The space in which the Intel Falcon 8 UAV will be flying must be free of obstacles Always plan missions with sufficient distance from obstacles and people There will always be positioning errors of your UAV due to GPS drift and external influences like wind In addition the map file may not be absolutely accura...

Page 112: ... AscTec Navigator Soft ware project from an inserted USB stick ASCTEC NAVIGATOR PROJECT LOAD Tapping on Load Project in the ASCTEC NAVIGATOR PROJECT window see above opens the window ASCTEC NAVIGATOR PROJECT LOAD In this window you select the desired project by tapping on it The previously stored waypoint path and the map view of the AscTec Navigator Software will be loaded Tapping on the check ma...

Page 113: ...on and flies to the next waypoint on the path After tapping on the black play button it changes into the blue pause button shown below After tapping on the play button during flight you see the following buttons on the right side Tapping on this button sets the mission to stand by Tapping on the stop button stops the mission The UAV stops and remains at the actual height and position For further i...

Page 114: ...If you interrupted the mission by tapping on the pause button resuming a mission is easily done 1 Launch the UAV up to the minimum height of 10 m 2 Fly close to the waypoint from which the flight shall proceed 3 Tap on the play button The UAV resumes the mission automatically by heading for the next waypoint If you had to abort a mission by tapping on the stop button you should note the last waypo...

Page 115: ...ld is compared with the expected magnetic field Irregularities that might affect the flight behavior are reported by a corresponding error notification on the Status Display for detailed descriptions of possible error messages see WARNINGS on page 143 In case of an error please try to start the system again at a different location If the error persists please contact your local support representat...

Page 116: ... is automatically activated when there is no data link connection between the Intel Cockpit Controller CTR and the UAV The UAV has a fully redundant data link meaning that there are two independent transmitter receiver connections If only one of the data link connections is interrupted the pilot still has complete control over the UAV The warning LINK WEAK will be displayed on the Status Display O...

Page 117: ...ake off height the UAV will stop at its current position and fly back to the home position where the motors were started at its current height If the UAV is lower than 20 m at the time the connection is lost it will first ascend to approxi mately 20 m above take off height and then fly back to the home position Once the UAV has reached the spot above the home position it will descend at 1 5 m s un...

Page 118: ...l is available Figure 3 10 The Link Loss Procedures Continued Direct Landing In case the connection between CTR and UAV gets lost the UAV will stop and start a controlled descend at 1 5 m s at its current position until it lands If no GPS signal is available the UAV will always use Direct Landing Please note that in a situation without GPS sig nal the UAV will drift with the wind while descending ...

Page 119: ...on is available while the motors are started the home position cannot be set If GPS reception becomes available later during the flight the home position will be set to the location where a valid GPS signal was first received This home position will be used for the ComeHome procedures If this does not suit the flight situation chose Direct Landing If the system has landed itself during a Link Loss...

Page 120: ... INTEL COCKPIT CONTROLLER CTR on page 23 When the button GPS is pushed and is lit GPS Mode is active When the button HGT is pushed and is lit Height Mode is active When both buttons are pushed simultane ously and are both lit Manual Mode is active For most applications the Intel Falcon 8 UAV is best to be flown in GPS Mode If neces sary Height Mode can be conveniently and quickly activated or deac...

Page 121: ...IGHT CONTROL POSITION CONTROL GPS Mode ON lit OFF Height Mode OFF ON lit Manual Mode ON lit ON lit CAUTION THE PILOT MUST BE ABLE TO CONTROL THE UAV NOT ONLY IN GPS MODE BUT ALSO IN HEIGHT MODE IF THE SYSTEM SEEMS TO BE UNSTABLE OR HAS DIFFICULTIES IN KEEPING ITS CURRENT POSITION IN GPS MODE PLEASE IMMEDIATELY ACTIVATE HEIGHT MODE BE PREPARED THAT YOU NOW NEED TO CONTROL THE POSITION MANUALLY IF T...

Page 122: ...HT MODE THE GPS MODE BUTTON WILL BE FLASHING WHILE THE HEIGHT MODE BUTTON WILL BE LIT PERMANENTLY THIS INDICATES THAT THE SYSTEM WILL SWITCH BACK TO GPS MODE AUTOMATICALLY WHEN A VALID GPS SIGNAL WILL BE RECEIVED IF THE SYSTEM SEEMS TO BE UNSTABLE OR HAS DIFFICULTIES TO KEEP ITS CURRENT POSITION IN GPS MODE IMMEDIATELY ACTIVATE HEIGHT MODE BE PREPARED THAT YOU NOW NEED TO CONTROL THE POSITION MANU...

Page 123: ... shadow and more satellite signals can be used to calculate the position the UAV can suddenly change its position due to the new calculation Therefore the pilot needs to pay special attention in such situations Whenever there are potential shadings of the GPS signal it is recommended to not use GPS Mode but to activate Height Mode on the CTR IMPORTANT The GPS receiver module of the Intel Falcon 8 ...

Page 124: ...orrectly and full GPS reception is displayed but the actual position accuracy is very low Therefore the pilot needs to pay special attention in such situations Whenever there are potential shadings or reflections of the GPS signal it is recommended to not use the GPS Mode Compass Error Estimation In addition to the compass sensors of the Intel Falcon 8 UAS the UAV is equipped with a compass error ...

Page 125: ...e the inputs via the CTR control the roll and pitch angles of the UAV For example giving full input to the left using the right control stick which controls pitch and roll means the UAV will roll 50 to the left With this configuration the wind direction and speed will influence the direction and speed of the UAV Table 3 3 Controlled parameters in Height Mode HGT BUTTON GPS BUTTON ATTITUDE CONTROL ...

Page 126: ...ontrol stick in the middle 50 does not mean the UAV will keep its height This means the UAV will depending on the weight of the payload either ascend or descend when switching from any other mode to Manual Mode In most cases with full payload the system will start to descend Be prepared to give some thrust to counteract the described effect when switching to Manual Mode Table 3 4 Controlled parame...

Page 127: ...unintentional take off Figure 3 17 Starting the motors To start the motors 1 Keep the left control stick S1 in the fully downwards position 1 2 Use the right hand to push the START STOP button 2 and hold it for at least one second The motors will start one after the other starting with the left motor rail from front to back and continuing with the right motor rail from back to front If during the ...

Page 128: ...econd to start the motors 4 Keep the right control stick centered no pitch and roll and push the left control stick completely up ascend to launch the drone 5 Keep ascending until a safe height is reached Be aware that the Intel Falcon 8 UAV may drift a little and correction might be required 6 Once the safety height is reached bring back the left control stick to the center The Intel Falcon 8 UAV...

Page 129: ...RT STOP button on the CTR up for at least 1 second to start the motors 4 Keep the right control stick centered no pitch and roll and push the left control stick almost completely up forward to launch the drone The UAV will lift off very quickly Therefore be prepared to reduce thrust quickly after a safety distance to the ground is reached The actual safety distance depends on the specific circumst...

Page 130: ...are four controllable directions along three axes on which the UAV can be controlled Roll axis movement to the left or right For example when rolling to the right the propellers of the left motor rail are turning faster than the propel lers on the right motor rail Pitch axis movement forwards or backwards For example to fly for ward the four back propellers turn faster than the four front propelle...

Page 131: ...WASH TRY TO AVOID FLYING THROUGH THE DOWNWASH TURBULENT AIR UNDER THE UAV CAUSED BY THE PROPELLERS TO SAVE ENERGY AND TO ENSURE A SMOOTH DESCENT IT CAN BE AVOIDED BY DESCENDING AND SIMULTANEOUSLY FLYING SIDEWAYS OR BACKWARDS Figure 3 19 Left and right control sticks Left control stick thrust yaw Thrust Up ascend Down descend Right control stick pitch roll yaw Pitch Up fly forward Down fly backward...

Page 132: ...lcon 8 UAV has enough battery capacity to fly back to the home position even if the wind unexpectedly increases Note All directional indications are always referring to the point of view of the UAV Depending on the heading of the UAV directions may be different from the point of view of the pilot CAUTION TO ENSURE SAFE OPERATION ALL PILOTS MUST ALWAYS FOLLOW THE SAFETY GUIDELINES AND THE SAFETY PR...

Page 133: ...nd or turbulences Interference or lost data links Weak or shadowed GPS signal Shadowing on page 123 Figure 3 20 Flight information on the Main Screen of the Status Display From top to bottom Battery voltage of the UAV 15 3V Remaining battery capacity of the CTR in percent 32 Letter G GPS Mode H Height Mode or M Man ual Mode indicating the active flight mode 0 Counter of triggers sent to the camera...

Page 134: ...equency band and or the GNSS module or other system electronics In some cases malfunctions or electronic component failures can also lead to the abnormal behavior of the UAV Possible emergencies and recommended responses are outlined below Figure 3 21 Examples for situations to be avoided Turbulences may occur Close to buildings or other large objects e g trees woods Close to thunderstorms Above a...

Page 135: ...n during vertical take off Switch to Height Mode and continue the vertical take off to get to a safe distance from the ground and other obstacles quickly Control the UAV in Height Mode The compass sensors might have been disturbed on the ground and the compass error estimation algo rithms do not yet have enough information from other sensors to work with sufficient accuracy After receiving enough ...

Page 136: ...ependent link on a different channel in the 2 4 GHz band In case that both data links are lost the UAV auto matically activates one of the three Link Loss Proce dures you are forced to select before the start As soon as the link is re established you can take control again and continue the flight All Link Loss Procedures always go into a controlled descend Simultaneous loss of GPS reception and da...

Page 137: ...g in flight If possible immediately land the system at its cur rent location with careful control commands avoid ing strong control stick inputs Identify and repair the cause of the failure before flying again If two or more motors are lost depending on their position stable flight characteristics can no longer be guaranteed When sufficient thrust is missing the system has the following priorities...

Page 138: ...and analyze the cause of the display failure If flight characteristics changed regarding position or altitude control consider changing to Height Mode or Manual Mode The UAV catches fire during start up on the ground Keep the left control stick down and immediately push the START STOP button again too switch off the motors Extinguish the fire Wait until the UAV has cooled down Follow the post flig...

Page 139: ...the Main Screen The menu is opened 2 Use the arrow RIGHT LEFT buttons to select Settings 3 Push ENT The Settings menu is opened 4 Use the arrow RIGHT LEFT buttons to select Bounding Box 5 Push ENT The respective menu is opened Radius is highlighted 6 Push ENT The field behind Radius is highlighted 7 Use the arrow RIGHT LEFT buttons to determine the radius the UAV should fly in The radius can be se...

Page 140: ...to activate the Link Loss Proce dure Before take off you are forced to choose one of three Link Loss Procedures to determine the auto matic landing in the unlikely event that both data links are lost Direct landing ComeHome Straight minimum 20 m altitude or at its current height if higher than 20 m or ComeHome High at max mission height For more information about the Link Loss Procedure see LINK L...

Page 141: ...he left control stick down gradually until the UAV lands on the ground While the Intel Falcon 8 UAV is on the ground with running motors always keep the left control stick in the fully downward position to avoid any unintentional take off 6 Keep the left control stick in the fully downwards position and use the right hand to simultaneously press the START STOP button on the CTR for at least one se...

Page 142: ... all axes directly as there is no automation assisting control nor preventing pilot errors 1 Activate the Manual Mode 2 Fly the UAV to a position above the desired landing area at a safe height of at least 3 meters 3 Descend slowly to a height of 1 5 meters and wait until the UAV is stabilized 4 Use the right control stick to maintain the current position as precisely as possible while carefully m...

Page 143: ...wer down the touchscreen tablet Push and hold the POWER button of the CTR The CTR will vibrate briefly Let go of the button 3 12 WARNINGS The Intel Falcon 8 UAS displays all warnings which might occur in the bottom line of the Status Display and in the notification area at the top of the touchscreen tablet When there is no warning to display the bottom line of the Status Display shows OK On the ta...

Page 144: ... one min ute of flight time remains Visual The voltage display of the UAV on the Status Display flashes Status Display CP BAT WEAK Tablet Cockpit battery weak Land soon The battery of the CTR is weak Vibration on the CTR Acoustic Battery weak Land soon Visual The remaining oper ating time of the CTR shown as a percentage on the Status Display flashes Status Display CP BAT EMPTY Tablet Cockpit batt...

Page 145: ...uality is not sufficient Vibration on the CTR Acoustic GPS lost Status Display MOTOR FAILURE Tablet Motor failure Land now There is an error with a motor a motor control ler or the motor bus Vibration on the CTR Acoustic Motor failure Land now Status Display JOYSTICK ERROR Tablet Joystick error Land now The calibration of the control sticks failed e g because the user was pushing a joystick during...

Page 146: ...ee as well STATUS DIS PLAY OVERVIEW on page 166 The following messages are only shown if an Intel Imaging Payload is mounted see Intel Imaging Payload on page 54 Status Display OBSTACLE AVOID N A Tablet Obstacle Avoidance not available The Intel RealSense modules cannot be accessed and Obstacle Avoidance is no more available Vibration on the CTR Switched to Distance Guard The Intel Falcon 8 has au...

Page 147: ...bled on SD card Wrongly formatted SD card Shown only on tablet Camera SD card full Insufficient space on the camera SD card SD card is full Shown only on tablet Preparing Camera SD card SD card preparation in progress camera is building a database onto the card not ready yet for storing images videos Shown only on tablet Camera temperature high Camera high tempera ture warning camera is getting to...

Page 148: ... Move to a location with better GPS reception Power the UAV OFF and then ON again The following messages are only shown in the notification area on the touchscreen tablet Tablet battery empty The battery of the touchscreen tablet is empty Shown only on tablet Tablet battery weak The battery of the touchscreen tablet is low Shown only on tablet Gamepad requires inspection license A gamepad for a se...

Page 149: ...than the other Due to this battery warnings may appear sooner than expected or when suddenly reducing the average power consumption even disappear again If in doubt the pilot can check the battery voltage on the Main Screen of the Status Display It is advised to prepare the landing procedure at 14 2 V and be on the ground at 14 0 V Beyond 14 0 V the system may become unstable CAUTION THE SYSTEM MU...

Page 150: ... minute You must land immediately The battery and or UAV can be damaged if the flight is continued Text on the Status Display NO BATTERY REDUNDANCY Text on the tablet No battery redundancy This warning occurs only if the motors are turned ON The total flight time will be reduced and no battery redundancy will be available If the warning occurred in flight with two batteries inserted land immediate...

Page 151: ...ery levels of the CTR SIGNALS EXPLANATION Acoustic Battery weak land soon Tactile Vibration on CTR Text on the Status Display CP BAT WEAK Text on the tablet Cockpit battery weak Land soon Additionally the remaining operating time of the CTR shown as a percentage on the Status Display starts flashing The battery of the CTR is weak The audio warning is repeated every 20 seconds Acoustic Battery empt...

Page 152: ... again 3 If the warning is no longer present you can take off in GPS Mode If the warning is not resolved or if taking off from a differ ent spot is impossible you can 1 Switch to Height Mode and take off in Height Mode to avoid any position corrections by the system which might occur in GPS Mode 2 Fly to open space and keep Height Mode activated for at least 20 seconds it will help the estimation ...

Page 153: ... the ground During start up the current magnetic field is compared to the expected magnetic field If there is a discrepancy there will be a warning as described above The warning can be canceled by pushing the ENT button of the Status Display on the CTR CAUTION IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT AS LONG AS THE INTEL FALCON 8 UAV REMAINS SWITCHED ON THE CANCELED MAGNETIC FIELD WARNING WILL NOT BE REPEATE...

Page 154: ...he system can still be fully controlled via the second independent link on a different channel in the 2 4 GHz band Check if the antenna panel of the CTR is completely unfolded and reduce the distance to the UAV until the signal strengthens In case of this message pushing the arrow RIGHT but ton of the Status Display three times opens the shown screen with details about the signal strength of both ...

Page 155: ...lashing while the Height Mode button will be lit permanently This indicates that the system will switch back to GPS Mode automatically when a valid GPS signal will be received In situations where a loss of the GPS signal can be predicted it is always better to manually switch to Height Mode Table 3 12 Motor warning Controller SIGNALS EXPLANATION Acoustic Motor failure land now Tactile Vibration on...

Page 156: ... 2 U message concerning the user might be application critical but not flight critical C message concerning the core flight critical Figure 3 22 System warnings If Check Msg is shown in the status line there is no acoustic warning In this case push the arrow LEFT button five times when starting on the Main Screen of the Status Display The Error Message Screen shown on the left is opened and the de...

Page 157: ...ty board fresh from pro duction None solved after system restart Restart Sys tem Parameters Parameter version conflict auto update done New firmware sometimes requires new parameter sets which are auto matically written to FLASH mem ory None solved after system restart Restart Sys tem Missing feature SURVEY PACKAGE not installed The feature needs to be unlocked Feature cannot be used Contact sup p...

Page 158: ... or con tact support Sensor data cor rupt usu ally not critical due to IMU redun dancy IMU1 IMU2 IMU3 data corrupt Any sensor value out of range Usually none Restart sys tem SD Card No internal SD card Internal SD card cannot be used missing full file system corrupt No internal data logging NAV1 data Insert refor mat SD card SD Card No user SD card SD card in front of central unit faulty missing f...

Page 159: ... Resend way points mis sion Navigation Tra jectory flight in progress CMD ignored No reaction to data transmis sion Resend way points mis sion Navigation Can t fly home no home position set ComeHome does not work No GPS Navigation N2U Trajectory flight in progress CMD ignored The user tried to execute a survey flight while a pre viously started survey flight is still ongoing The command sent to th...

Page 160: ...invalid The reason could be that less than 3 IMUs were avail able during the calibration pro cess Possibly bad yaw alignment Run payload calibration again Calibration No payload installed or payload config faulty Payload could not be found Payload not working Check Pay load connec tion re initiate cam era type EEPROM Calibration Payload calibration not successful Payload calibra tion failed Possib...

Page 161: ...ssfully stored Calibration No c calib matching pID using default No in flight com pass calibration found matching the installed pay load Possibly bad yaw alignment Run in flight compass cali bration Calibration No in flight compass cali bration found No in flight com pass calibration found at all Possibly bad yaw alignment Run in flight compass cali bration Calibration critical No tempera ture cal...

Page 162: ...are stored on the payload will not be accessi ble Additional payload related warnings might be displayed Please con tact the sup port and provide the payload type and serial number Video Falcon video flash corrupted A F I M or S There is an issue with the video flash No video recep tion Download and install the latest Intel Falcon 8 UAS firm ware If this does not help contact the support and provi...

Page 163: ...ure of one or more motors is too high Potential motor failure Land immedi ately Steer the UAV with careful con trol com mands and avoid strong control stick inputs Care fully land the system Con tact the sup port and provide log files Motor bus communi cation Not all Motors detected 1 or more motor controllers have not given a status update Communica tion from at least 1 motor controller has faile...

Page 164: ...ors will stop working Land immedi ately Contact support Please supply the flight log of the flight where the issue occurred Motor bus communi cation Motor bus not working Land now Communication loss from all motor control lers Communica tion or com plete hardware failure Check con nections Table 3 13 AscTec Trinity Control Unit system warnings continued CATEGOR Y WARNING ERROR MEANING CONSEQUENC E...

Page 165: ...ry Therefore the operating temperature of the Intel Falcon 8 UAS is 5 C and 40 C 23 F to 104 F The upper temperature limit is likely to increase with the introduction of the new battery technology in the future A maximum distance of 250 meters between the UAV and the pilot is recommended Beyond this range the UAV becomes too small to see The UAV is not waterproof Flying in rain fog or snow is unde...

Page 166: ...g Figure 4 1 Status Display On the Status Display you can view the current settings and adjust specific func tions of the UAV To do so you use the four buttons Escape left side is used to leave menus sub menus and to clear func tions In the following text it is dis played as ESC With the LEFT arrow button middle left side and the RIGHT arrow button middle right side you can scroll through menus or...

Page 167: ...splay is the Welcome Screen After some seconds the screen changes to the Start Screen If the UAV is switched on and there is no connection established to the CTR you should push ENT The fol lowing screen appears For entering the serial num ber see Estab lishing a connection between the CTR and the UAV on page 212 By pushing the RIGHT arrow button the lati tude and lon gitude of the last known posi...

Page 168: ...hed on and is updated as soon as one battery is changed G Flight mode G H M see FLIGHT MODES on page 120 0 Counter of triggers sent to the camera OK Status line Everything is OK with the system Other wise there will be the warn ing Check Msg In this case press the LEFT arrow button 5 times until the Error Message Screen is shown see AscTec Trin ity Control Unit System Warnings on page 156 After a ...

Page 169: ...e GPS Info Screen shows Latitude Longitude Speed Reception quality Horizontal accuracy Velocity accuracy Possible Warnings Flight mode Data Link Screen shows Left and right trans mitting and receiving packages Graph analyzer Signal quality Possible warnings Flight mode Attitude Angles Screen shows Pitch Angle Roll Angle Yaw Angle Possible warnings Flight mode Table 4 1 Status Display Menu Structur...

Page 170: ...Falcon 8 UAV with spinning propellers Speed of each pro peller as a coefficient Flight mode Battery Screen shows for bat tery 1 and 2 Actual cur rent in ampere A Actual sys tem volt age in decivolt dV Charge state of each bat tery in per cent Number of errors BMS Screen shows Remaining runtime of the UAV in minutes Actual UAV voltage Charge state of the UAV in per cent Number of batteries inserted...

Page 171: ...will wait at the current altitude It will not land auto matically By pushing the RIGHT LEFT arrow buttons you can select one of these menu points Selecting Navigation and pushing ENT opens the following screen Pushing ENT when New Home Position is highlighted sets the cur rent position of the UAV as the new home position regardless if the UAV is in the air or on the ground and brings you back to t...

Page 172: ... INTER EST COI on page 183 By pushing the RIGHT LEFT arrow buttons you can select one of the menu points Selecting Panorama and pushing ENT opens the following screen Here you can decide if you want a cylin drical or a spherical pan orama Pushing ENT when Cylindricis highlighted opens the next screen In this screen you can start the function and decide how many pic tures are taken during one rotat...

Page 173: ...n Spherical of the Panorama function can be found in PANORAMA on page 184 By pushing the RIGHT LEFT arrow buttons you can select one of the menu points When select ing Camera Options the next screen depends on the mounted payload cam era The informa tion on how to control the specific pay load camera with the Sta tus Display is found in the respective sec tion in PAY LOADS CAMERA OPTIONS on page 3...

Page 174: ... is found in QUICK SUR VEYING ASSISTANT on page 188 By pushing the RIGHT LEFT arrow buttons you can select one of the menu points Selecting Settings and pushing ENT opens the following menu screen By pushing the RIGHT LEFT arrow buttons you can select the menu point you want to control Pushing ENT when the selected menu point is high lighted opens the respective screen There are 12 different menu ...

Page 175: ...e messages of the Status Dis play of the CTR A range from 10 low vol ume to 100 high volume is available Pushing ENT confirms the selection Pushing ESC brings you back to the menu see Intel Cockpit Controller CTR Overview on page 24 Selecting Language and pushing ENT high lights the field to the right By pushing the RIGHT LEFT arrow buttons you can select between English ENG and German GER Push in...

Page 176: ...ushing ENT OK Pushing ESC brings you back to the Main Screen Selecting Format User SD and pushing ENT opens the following screen This function allows to for mat the User SD card Pushing ENT confirms the formatting of the User SD card The pro cess starts and a progress bar is shown Pushing ESC cancels the function and brings you back to the Main Screen see INTEL FALCON 8 UAV FLIGHT LOGS on page 91 ...

Page 177: ...where Bounding Box is acti vated When the UAV reaches the set radius or alti tude it stops and will not fly any further By pushing the RIGHT LEFT arrow buttons you can switch between the settings for Radius and Height and Activate and Deactivate Pushing ENT when selected Radius or Height high lights the field behind By pushing the RIGHT LEFT arrow buttons you can mod ifytheselected value Selecting...

Page 178: ...low contrast situations such as when flying in front of dark trees The screen shows the follow ing information Bat 16 1V Voltage level of the Intel Fal con 8 UAV battery This is the same informa tion as on the Main Screen G Flight Mode This is the same information as on the Main Screen GPS Quality indicator of the GPS signal This is the same information as on the Main Screen Distance Direct line o...

Page 179: ...he same information as on the Main Screen Long Longitude of the UAV position Speed GPS measured flight speed of the UAV Qual Satellite reception quality Sats Number of satellites which can be received Hor Acc Horizontal accuracy in meters m Vel Acc Velocity accuracy in meters per sec ond m s OK Status line This is the same information as on the Main Screen Figure 4 2 Main Information Screens Conti...

Page 180: ...ta link of the CTR Right graph solid line SNR on the left data link of the Intel Falcon 8 UAV dotted line SNR on the right data link of the Intel Falcon 8 UAV UP Pack Uploaded data packages per second from the CTR to the flight system DN Pack Downloaded data packages per sec ond from the flight system to the CTR OK Status line This is the same information as on the Main Screen Attitude Angles Scre...

Page 181: ...TBY NAV2 is in standby ALL OKAY No issues detected by the system REDUND No issues detected by the system and the flight controllers are working redundantly OK Status line This is the same information as on the Main Screen Error Message Screen optional This screen is only displayed if there are system warnings In this case the status line will show Check Msg In AscTec Trinity Control Unit System Wa...

Page 182: ...Screen Battery Screen Shows the actual state for each of the 2 batteries inserted in the UAV Current Actual current of each battery in ampere Voltage Actual voltage of each battery in decivolt dV Charge Charge state of each battery in percent Error Number of errors OK Status line This is the same information as on the Main Screen BMS Screen Shows the actual state of the UAV Rem Runt Remaining runt...

Page 183: ...cessed by 3D modeling software such as Agisoft PhotoScan to build a 3D model of the object Figure 5 1 Circle of Interest Pushing ENT in the Main Screen opens the screen below Selecting Navigation and pushing ENT opens the following screen Selecting Circle of Interest and pushing ENT opens the next screen Rotation Angle Sets the angle after which the next photo will be taken For example one image e...

Page 184: ...ptured all data cannot be stored fast enough Warning Make sure that there are no obstacles on the flight path of the Circle of Interest The next screen is opened Fly backwards The distance of the UAV to the center which was set in the previous step defines the radius of the Circle of Interest If necessary adjust the altitude of the UAV left control stick to the desired height if necessary Adjust t...

Page 185: ...d apertures under 5 6 or over 14 so that the image is under exposed by a maximum of 1 3 f stops Turn the Intel Falcon 8 UAV and camera towards the brightest area of the image Use the histogram to check the exposure Make sure that the image is not over exposed more than 1 3 f stops If necessary adjust the exposure Thanks to the RAW format over and under exposed images can be corrected in post proce...

Page 186: ...w LEFT button to activate Rotation Inc and confirm by pushing ENT The field behind Rotation Inc is highlighted Use the arrow RIGHT LEFT button to adjust the angle in steps of 5 and confirm by pushing ENT The camera tilt angle is also displayed and can still be adjusted by using the rocker switch R1 on the CTR Use the arrow LEFT button again to select START and confirm by pushing ENT The Intel Falc...

Page 187: ...shown screen is opened Selecting Panorama and pushing ENT opens the following screen Selecting Spherical and pushing ENT opens the next screen There are two presets available for focal lengths of 19 mm and 30 mm referring to APS C sized sensors equals approx 28 mm and 45 mm referring to full frame Use the arrow RIGHT button to activate Foc Length and confirm by pushing ENT The field behind Foc Len...

Page 188: ...AMERA PITCH ANGLE DEGREES UAV YAW ANGLES DEGREES Row 1 74 0 90 180 270 Row 2 55 0 51 102 154 205 257 308 Row 3 37 0 36 72 108 144 180 216 252 288 324 Row 4 18 0 30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 300 330 Row 5 0 0 30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 300 330 Row 6 18 0 30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 300 330 Row 7 37 0 36 72 108 144 180 216 252 288 324 Row 8 55 0 51 102 154 205 257 308 Row 9 74 0 90 18...

Page 189: ...Main Screen opens the screen to the left Use the arrow RIGHT LEFT button to select Survey Assist and push ENT An introduction screen is opened explaining the com mands to navigate the menu Pushing ENT opens the next screen Pushing ESC brings you back to the previous screen Use the arrow LEFT RIGHT button to increase or decrease values At the end of line Define the direction in which the Intel Falc...

Page 190: ... tude Height is calculated and shown above the value of the GSD Speed in m s Define the speed with which the map ping flight shall be performed 1 m s 10 m s When setting the speed always make sure that the cam era has sufficient time between waypoints The time required by the camera to reliably trigger and store all images of a waypoint flight depends on Image resolution The higher the resolution ...

Page 191: ... where the mapping flight is supposed to start with the first image Adjust the heading yaw of the system to define the direction of the flight Use the video preview as a help to precisely define the direction ENT Done When the system is at the right spot and oriented correctly confirm by pushing ENT The Intel Falcon 8 UAV will first fly to the calculated altitude and then perform the mapping fligh...

Page 192: ...xecuted using the NAVIGATOR function of the Cockpit Control application on the touchscreen tablet see AscTec Navigator Software Projects on page 111 At each waypoint an image is triggered and the current GPS position is stored in the Intel Falcon 8 UAV log Images and GPS information can later be used in photogrammetry software to create orthomosaics digital surface models or 3D models Please refer...

Page 193: ... fly instead get in touch with the support team Always make sure you have the latest firmware version installed on your system 6 1 1 Intel Falcon 8 UAS firmware updates The latest Intel Falcon 8 UAS firmware and step by step update instructions are available in the download area http intel com FalconDownloads Regularly check this website for firmware updates To guarantee flawless operation the Int...

Page 194: ...lled version of the Cockpit Control application tap on the info button in the lower left corner when the application is running The About screen displays the currently installed version After performing an update we recommend checking in the Falcon Info screen of the Status Display and in the About screen of the Cockpit Control application if the newly installed firmware version is correctly displ...

Page 195: ...r the Cockpit Controller try reformatting the USB stick with the aforementioned parameters Table 6 1 Updating the Intel Falcon 8 UAV STEP OPERATION 1 Plug the USB stick containing the TRINITY ATF file into the USB port on the backside of the Intel Falcon 8 UAV see no 2 in Central Unit Back View without Gimbal Camera Mount on page 20 2 Push the Intel Falcon 8 UAV power button until there is a short...

Page 196: ...When the update process starts the Status Display will show Starting X and the percentage number will increase as the update progresses In addition the Status Display will show several messages regarding the update status of internal components Depending on the updated components the update can take between 10 and 45 minutes At the end of the update process Done will be displayed shortly and the S...

Page 197: ...tch ON the touchscreen tablet 3 Switch ON the CTR 4 Confirm the Preflight Checklist of the Cockpit Control applica tion 5 Tap on the info button in the lower left corner of the touchscreen tab let 6 In the next screen tap on Updates in the lower left corner All update files found on the USB stick will be displayed in the center of the screen 7 Tap on the update file that should be installed A dial...

Page 198: ... outer parts motor rails canopy propellers carefully If indicated you can moisten the cloth with warm water to which you can add a mild dish washing detergent if necessary A small soft paintbrush can be used for dry cleaning For cleaning especially the motors and drying you can also use canned compressed air which is available at many computer stores 14 Confirm the Preflight Checklist 15 Tap on th...

Page 199: ... is not subject to large temperature fluctuations and direct sunlight Make sure the storage place is dry and that no condensation moisture can come into contact on with the system Best practice is to always keep the UAV in the closed approved case Transportation Only transport the system in the case or the backpack as described see TRANSPORT CASES INTEL BACKPACK on page 81 ...

Page 200: ...TURNING PROPELLER MOUNT OR DOING THE OPPOSITE MEANS IF ONE PROPELLER WERE INSTALLED INCORRECTLY THE UAV MAY BECOME UNABLE TO COMPENSATE FOR LOSING THAT PROPELLER AND IF MORE THAN ONE PROPELLER WERE INSTALLED INCORRECTLY IT IS VERY LIKELY THE UAV WILL BECOME UNSTABLE UNCONTROLLABLE AND CRASH INCORRECT INSTALLATION OF ANY PROPELLER BY TIGHTENING THE NUT HOLDING ANY PROPELLER S WITH TORQUE ABOVE THE ...

Page 201: ...es of propellers right and left spinning The propeller direction is shown on the propeller by an arrow see example for a right spinning propeller in the figure to the left 3 Check the propeller spin of the dismounted propeller 4 Align the new propeller with the correct propeller spin to fit onto the propeller mount 5 Press the propeller completely down on the mount 6 Put the new self tightening nu...

Page 202: ...il please contact your dealer There is no difference between the left and the right motor rail of the Intel Falcon 8 UAV In addition to the motor rail the following tools and materials are required T6 torx screw driver included in the Intel Falcon 8 UAS case Loctite 248 included in the Intel Falcon 8 UAS case 2 x Screw M2x18 mm TX FK re use from the motor rail that will be replaced The following f...

Page 203: ...he connecting plug of the front cross tube away from the motor rail Use only a slight force Rotate the motor rail by a small amount to loosen the connector NOTICE Possible breakage of the connector Do not rotate the motor rail too much 4 Push the motor rail straight out of the connecting plug of the front cross tube 5 Push the two ends of the connecting plug of the rear cross tube away from the mo...

Page 204: ...alcon 8 UAV make sure the golden pins of the cross tube connectors show no wear are free of dirt are not bent 2 Make sure the connecting plugs of the cross tube are free of cracks and damages 3 Make sure the thread bushings of the connecting plugs of the cross tube are free of damage 4 On the replacement motor rail make sure the connectors of the motor speed controller show no wear are free of cra...

Page 205: ... OR PROPERTY Figure 6 5 Mounting a motor rail onto an Intel Falcon F8 UAV 1 Align the motor rail to the cross tubes Make sure there is no horizontal tilt of the motor rail NOTICE Risk of damage to the motor rail con nectors and the motor rail controllers if the motor rail is attached with lateral offset Make sure there is no lateral offset between motor rail and cross tube connectors 2 Attach the ...

Page 206: ...be Use no force 6 Rotate the motor rail by a small amount until it fits NOTICE Possible breakage of the connector Do not rotate the motor rail too much Make sure the pin of the center cross is inserted in the jack of the motor rail If necessary retract the motor rail and start again 7 Make sure the bores of the front and rear connecting plugs are correctly aligned to the bores in the motor rail 8 ...

Page 207: ... land the UAV and try to identify the cause If in doubt or if you require professional support please contact support through your reseller Please include a detailed description of your observation and photos if applicable 6 1 5 Exchanging a payload adapter The payload adapter is the connection between the camera mount and the central unit of the UAV If necessary it can be exchanged The only tool ...

Page 208: ... straight arrow or a rotation bend arrow of a part or assembly Figure 6 6 The parts of the payload adapter 1 Ball bearing The ball bearing might look different than depicted There are versions made from plastic or metal 2 Circuit board 3 Back plate 4 Front plate 5 Four screws C2 2x6 5 mm TX SK Figure 6 7 Removing a payload adapter from a payload 1 Remove the 4 screws C2 2x6 5 mm TX SK Use a T6 tor...

Page 209: ...For the single parts of the payload adapter see The parts of the payload adapter on page 208 4 Remove the front plate from the payload rod 5 Remove the back plate from the payload rod Figure 6 8 Attaching a new payload adapter 1 Attach the board to the back plate 2 Attach the ball bearing to the front plate 3 Slide the front plate assembly onto the rod of the payload Figure 6 7 Removing a payload ...

Page 210: ...ning messages No calib on payload found and Payload EEPROM compromised Please do a payload calibration by performing all steps described in chapter Payload calibration on page 36 This will resolve the warning No calib on payload found 3 Update the eeprom flash of the payload Contact the Intel support team and provide the following information Payload type Sony Alpha 7R or Inspection Payload TZ71 4...

Page 211: ...ols from the CTR work as described in the respective chapter regarding this camera To convert a payload back to the AscTec Falcon 8 UAV the payload adapter needs to be removed and a payload calibration must be performed on the AscTec Falcon 8 UAV Please refer to chapter 2 4 1 Payload and compass calibration in the AscTec Falcon 8 UAS user manual for a detailed description on how to do a payload ca...

Page 212: ... as both are turned on In some cases it may be necessary to establish the connection manually again Note It saves some time to switch on the UAV first so that the system check is being carried out Then switch on the touchscreen tablet followed by the CTR Figure 6 9 Connecting the CTR to the UAV If the UAV and the CTR do not automatically connect the Status Display will note it in the Start Screen ...

Page 213: ...ic Intel Falcon 8 UAV and connect it to a different Intel Falcon 8 UAV and repeat the test If the issue persists it is very likely the CTR if the issue disappears it very likely comes from the Intel Falcon 8 UAV Take a new CTR and connect it with the problematic Intel Falcon 8 UAV and repeat the test If the issue persists it is very likely the Intel Falcon 8 UAV if the issue disappears it very lik...

Page 214: ...ve video from a different UAV there is an issue with the video transmission of the original Intel Falcon 8 UAV Video receiver of the Intel Falcon 8 UAV If you have one available please use a different CTR connect it with your Intel Falcon 8 UAV and check if you can receive the video signal with this CTR If you can receive video with a different CTR there is an issue with the video reception on the...

Page 215: ...D card into the Intel Falcon 8 UAV it should be accessible If no backup copy is needed the User SD card can also be formatted directly by the UAV To do so 1 Push ENT to open the menu on the Status Display 2 Push the arrow RIGHT button to navigate to Settings 3 Push ENT and use the arrow RIGHT button to navigate to Format User SD 4 Push ENT to confirm The shown screen appears 5 Push ENT to confirm ...

Page 216: ...e Status Display 1 Push ENT in the Main Screen A menu is opened 2 Use the arrow RIGHT button to select Settings 3 Push ENT A new screen is opened 4 Use the arrow RIGHT button to select Falcon Info 5 Push ENT Now you see the serial number and the firmware versions of the current hardware components In the last column the activated feature packages are shown Internal SD card cannot be accessed Check...

Page 217: ... which the incident occurred Reproduction scenario Please describe step by step what you do and under which circumstances conditions the failure occurs If you want to report an incident or request support please download and fill out the Support Request Form from http intel com FalconDownloads and send it to the Intel support team If the system needs to be sent in for repair please contact the sup...

Page 218: ...USERMANUAL INTEL FALCON 8 UAS 2018 Intel Corporation All rights reserved 218 7 TECHNICALSPECIFICATION Figure 7 1 Technical Data ...

Page 219: ...FF WEIGHT 2 8 kg 6 17 lbs MAX FLIGHT TIME WITHOUT PAYLOAD 26 min MAX FLIGHT TIME WITH MAX PAYLOAD WEIGHT 16 min MAX FLIGHT TIME WITH A7R 16 min MAX FLIGHT TIME WITH INSPECTION PAYLOAD 18 min MAX RANGE DATA LINK 1 km FCC version 3281 feet 850 m CE version 1640 feet MAX SERVICE CEILING 4000 m MSL 13123 feet MAX ALTITUDE ABOVE GROUND LEVEL Varies by country in which you operate the UAV and requires y...

Page 220: ...tup NAVIGATION SENSORS ASCTEC TRINITY CONTROL UNIT Triple redundant Inertial Measurement Unit IMU barometer compass acceler ometers gyroscopes GLOBAL NAVIGATION SATELLITE SYSTEM GNSS GPS and GLONASS MAX AIRSPEED MANUAL MODE 18 m s 40 mph HEIGHT MODE 18 m s 40 mph GPS MODE 4 5 m s 10 mph standard up to 10 m s 22 mph in mapping flights MAX CLIMB SINK RATE MANUAL MODE 6 to 10 m s 13 to 22 mph HEIGHT ...

Page 221: ...DIMENSION W X L X H 320 x 380 x 135 mm 12 60 x 14 96 x 5 31 in WEIGHT 2 7 kg 5 95 lbs w o battery 3 1 kg 6 83 lbs with battery POWER SUPPLY 1 x Intel Powerpack Battery OPERATING TIME 2 h OPERATING TEMPERATURE 5 C to 45 C 23 F to 113 F SHORT TERM STORAGE TEMPERATURE UP TO ONE MONTH 5 C to 40 C 23 F to 104 F LONG TERM STORAGE TEMPERATURE BEYOND ONE MONTH 5 C to 25 C 23 F to 77 F TOUCHSCREEN Size 8 3...

Page 222: ...C 59 F no wind slow and steady flight maneuvers no hovering All measurements done at International Standard Atmosphere ISA Other factors may have influenced the results The pilot is responsible for knowing and complying with all laws and regulations applicable to the airspace in which the Intel Falcon 8 System is operated Juris dictions have different safety rules related to authorization for flyi...

Page 223: ...combined with the Intel Cockpit Controller operating temperature is 45 C 113 F The Intel Falcon 8 without a payload attached and two fully charged batteries inserted maximum operating temperature is 45 C 113 F The Intel Falcon 8 with payload attached maximum operating temperature is 40 C 104 F Because of the necessary higher current the batteries will produce more heat Table 7 1 Technical Data Con...

Page 224: ...amera Mount 35 2 15 Sony Alpha 7R and SD Card Slot 39 2 16 Sony Alpha 7R CTR Control Layout 40 2 17 Camera Settings By Camera Sony Alpha 7R 42 2 18 Inspection Payload 43 2 19 Inspection Payload CTR Control Layout 46 2 20 Intel High Resolution Imaging Payload specifications 48 2 21 Sony RX1R II CTR control layout 50 2 22 Camera settings for Sony RX1R II 51 2 23 Payload Firmware Update 53 2 24 Intel...

Page 225: ...igator Software Projects 112 3 7 Message shown during Regional Settings 116 3 8 Magnetic Field Warning 116 3 9 The Link Loss Procedures 117 3 10 The Link Loss Procedures Continued 118 3 11 New Home Position 118 3 12 Last Known Position 119 3 13 Selecting he flight modes 120 3 14 GPS accuracy 122 3 15 Shadowing 123 3 16 GPS Multi Path Effects 124 3 17 Starting the motors 127 3 18 Basic flight princ...

Page 226: ...lcon F8 UAV 203 6 4 Checks do be done before mounting a motor rail 204 6 5 Mounting a motor rail onto an Intel Falcon F8 UAV 205 6 6 The parts of the payload adapter 208 6 7 Removing a payload adapter from a payload 208 6 8 Attaching a new payload adapter 209 6 9 Connecting the CTR to the UAV 212 7 1 Technical Data 218 ...

Page 227: ...nding on the flight mode 121 3 2 Controlled parameters in GPS Mode 121 3 3 Controlled parameters in Height Mode 125 3 4 Controlled parameters depending on the flight mode 126 3 5 Operational guidelines in case of emergency 135 3 6 Possible Warnings 144 3 7 Warnings depending on critical battery levels of the UAV 149 3 8 Warnings depending on critical battery levels of the CTR 151 3 9 Acoustic and ...

Page 228: ...ion Starting and flying a mission 113 AscTec Navigator Software Waypoint Navigation 192 Automated Start up Checks 115 B Batteries Caring for 80 Batteries Hot swapping 96 Battery Capacity 75 Battery Disposal 80 Battery Information Safety Instructions 77 Battery Life 80 Battery Status 76 Battery Update 77 BMS Error Mode 76 BMS Menu 74 C Camera Control CTR 40 Camera Options Status Display 41 Central ...

Page 229: ...ing a connection between the CTR and the UAV 212 F Firmware update Sony R10C 61 Firmware update Sony RX1R II 53 Firmware updates 193 Flight 130 Flight Logs 91 214 Flight Modes 120 G General Guidelines and Warnings Batteries 78 Geo reference 52 Gimbal 23 GNSS receiver 48 GPS Mode 121 GPS Mode Landing 141 GPS Mode Launching 128 H Height Mode 125 Height Mode Landing 141 Height Mode Launching 128 Home...

Page 230: ...Falcon 8 UAV 18 219 Intel Falcon 8 UAV Caring for 198 Intel High Resolution Imaging Payload 48 Intel Imaging Payload 54 Intel Powerpack Batteries 71 Intel Powerpack Batteries Charging 73 Intel Powerpack Battery 221 Intended Use 7 L Landing 141 Landing GPS Mode 141 Landing Height Mode 141 Landing Manual Mode 142 Launching GPS Mode 128 Launching Height Mode 128 Launching Manual Mode 129 Limitations ...

Page 231: ...le Avoidance OA 54 65 Operating the System 95 Operating Tips 133 Operational Limitations 165 P Packing Instructions 82 Panorama 184 PATH Projects 103 Payload adapter 207 Payload calibration 36 Payloads Camera Options 31 Post Flight Check 16 Pre Flight Check 13 Preparing the Intel Cockpit Controller CTR 97 Preparing the Intel Falcon 8 UAV 95 Privacy and Property Rights 11 Product Warranty 81 Propel...

Page 232: ...a 7R Full Frame Camera 39 Sony Alpha 7R Camera Settings 41 Sony Alpha 7R General Care 39 Sony R10C RGB camera 54 Sony RX1R II 48 Special Functions 183 Standoff distance 54 66 Status Display 27 166 Storage Mode 74 Storing 199 Support 193 216 Switching OFF the UAS 143 T Taking Off 127 Technical Specification 218 Touchscreen Tablet 28 99 Transport Cases 81 Transportation 199 Troubleshooting 193 212 T...

Page 233: ... Warnings of the UAV and the CTR Critical Battery Levels 149 Warnings AscTec Trinity Control Unit System 156 Warnings Battery 149 Warnings CTR 156 Warnings Data Link 154 Warnings GPS 155 Warnings Magnetic Field 151 Warnings Motor Failure 155 Waypoint Navigation 192 Wireless Communication 221 ...

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