Zero-Pilot 3.0 Project
Overview- Daniel Puratich (Unlicensed) Ethan Abraham Darwin Clark
ZeroPilot 3.0 ( ZP3 ) is our custom in house flight controller board! The project’s latest version can be found on our Altium 365, here. For access to WARG’s Altium 365, please message Daniel Puratich (Unlicensed).
The flight controller will have input interfaces from sensors, computer vision’s computer system, and our drone’s ground communication system. Zeropilot 3.0 will be able to output control signals to all flight control surfaces aka motors/servos on the UAS (unmanned aerial system). The board will use a microcontroller which firmware will use to execute our flight logic.
Weekly architecture meeting have been held in late May and early June to make major decisions with the firmware team, see here for notes. Overall the project has been broken down into five sections designed for ownership by one or a small group of electrical members. These sections are defined below along with their owners.
For all custom EE flight hardware, including ZP3: mounting holes should be 3.400mm and with 6.000mm plating, electrically not connected.
Power Distribution Architecture
Research Topics
Centralized vs. Split Power Distribution Architecture
Research advantages and disadvantages of a centralized power distribution architecture versus a split power distribution architecture with multiple duplicated voltage rails (5V, 12V, 24V, etc.)
Buck Converter or Buck Boost Converter. What about Buck-Boost Converters?
Research advantages and disadvantages between using a buck converter versus a boost converter to generate a desired voltage rail (Ex. if I need to make a low power consumption rail of 24V, and I have both a 12V and a 50V rail, should I use a buck converter to step down 50V to 24V? Or, should I use a boost converter to step up 12V to 24V?
In what applications should we use buck-boost converters?
Buck Converter Sourcing
Research a list of manufacturers, suppliers with available in stock buck converter ICs
Optional Current Sense Interface
Should the connector interface for optional current sense of the voltage regulator buck converter PCB modules be V_sense+ and V_sense-, or I_sense and GND? That is, should the buck converter PCBs send the raw Kelvin-sensed signals to a connector, or should the PCBs have a dedicated current sense amplifier from which the output and GND is sent to a connector?
Buck Converter Projects
12V-5V @ 3A Buck Converter Board - Nolan Haines Neel Bullywon
12V-5V Synchronous Buck Converter PCB @ 3A Max Load Current Consumption (15W)
I/O:
Input Voltage Connector
+12V
GND
Output Voltage Connectors (2x)
+5V
GND
Current Sense Connector
V_sense+ and V_sense-, or:
I_sense and GND
Features:
12V-5V Buck Converter @ 3A
Reverse Polarity Protection
Status LEDs for both +12V and +5V voltage rails
Optional current sense interface
Dimensions:
15mm x 25mm
No vertical design constraints
24V-12V @ 2A Buck Converter Board - Michael Botros
24V-12V Synchronous Buck Converter PCB @ 2A Max Load Current Consumption (24W)
I/O:
Input Voltage Connector
+24V
GND
Output Voltage Connectors (3x)
+12V
GND
Current Sense Connector
V_sense+ and V_sense-, or:
I_sense and GND
Features:
24V-12V Buck Converter @ 2A
Reverse Polarity Protection
Determine for given PMOS selection if conduction power loss is acceptable. If unacceptable, consult your leads to discuss compromising solutions
Status LEDs for both +24V and +12V voltage rails
Optional current sense interface
Should also be able to provide 5A @ 3A with the change of a few passives
Dimensions:
20mm x 30mm
No vertical design constraints
50V-24V @2A Buck Converter Board - (Unasigned)
(12S) 50V-24V Synchronous Buck Converter PCB @2A Max Load Current Consumption (48W)
I/O:
Input Voltage Connector
(12S) +36V to +50.4V
GND
Output Voltage Connector (3x)
+24V
GND
Current Sense Connector
V_sense+ and V_sense-, or:
I_sense and GND
Features:
50V-24V Buck Converter @ 2A
Status LEDs for both +50V and +24V voltage rails
Optional current sense interface
Should also be able to provide 12V @ 2A if needed with the change of a few passives
Dimensions:
25mm x 35mm
No vertical design constraints
+5V USB - 24V @0.25A Boost Converter PCB - Steven Wang
+5V USB - Max. 24V Synchronous Boost Converter PCB @0.25A Max Load Current Consumption (6W)
I/O:
Input Voltage USB Connector (we only care about the following pins really):
+5V
GND
Output Voltage Connector
Up to +24V
GND
Features:
5V-Max. 24V Boost Converter @ 0.25A (Maybe higher current?)
Status LEDs for both +5V and Max. +24V voltage rails
Note:
Output voltage should be easily adjustable (To standard values).
RF Communications Emulator Project
RF Communications Emulator PCB - Unassigned
Daniel Puratich (Unlicensed) Define requirements for this project in more detail before assigning it.
I/O (Still TBD):
Programming & Debugging Header
+5V & GND somehow? Could be through USB-Serial Converter Interface
PPM Outputs
Features:
STM MCU
PPM outputs
Programming/Debugging Interface and LEDs
Requirements from Firmware’s perspective : Comms Emulator Board - Requirements
Other Projects
Motor Controller - Muhammad Tanveer
...
Introduction
Subpages ordered based on priority for team.
Purpose
The purpose of each subpage here is to that for every project its nice to have a centralized confluence doc that contains all the info about the project such that the project is easy to explain to anyone. We do this in the EE confluence space under active projects (subpages of this page), an example would be RPi Interface .
For all new projects, especially ones in early stages where ideas fun rampant, leads should create a project page for the project. The idea is long term anyone contributing to this project updates the doc then it ends up looking like Servo Module 12S down the line with lots of design info within.
Projects
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