Embedded systems design of a low-cost flight controller for use in UAV platforms

¹ Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town, 7700
² Centre for Robotics and Future Production, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria 0184

^* Corresponding author: frsdan004@myuct.ac.za

Abstract

Serving as a critical interface between high-level software and low-level electronic systems, flight controllers are essential for aerial robotic applications. However, their significant cost poses a barrier to widespread adoption. While affordable, off-the-shelf flight controllers exist, they generally do not support the firmware required for research- and industry-level implementation, such as PX4. This paper presents embedded system designs for low-cost flight controllers that are PX4 compliant. The research delves into examining the necessary components, existing open-source firmware/software, and appropriate hardware solutions. The presented designs are based on open standards and capable of operating with various platforms, applications, and components. The final design is shown to be low in cost while also demonstrating substantial potential for integration with existing applications. The flight controllers were verified with a range of tests, including the implementation of a control system that was responsible for governing the roll angle of a quadcopter. The overall flight controller performance is shown to be comparable with the performance and functionality of commercial solutions.