<p>You need a flight controller to stabilize this machine. As you've found, motors are not exactly identical (nor is the air they are pushing, plus many other external factors).</p>
<p>The flight controller uses a gyroscope to detect when there is an abonormality, and compensates by accelerating/decelerating the appropriate motor.</p>
<p>Many flight controllers in this size have an embedded receiver. Often spektrum/frsky but nowadays some are ELRS as well. You will need a matching transmitter that can bind to the flight controller. (The radiomaster tx16s can bind to nearly everything except ELRS, and can even do that with an external module).</p>
<p>A whoop-style flight controller will probably suit you best based on size, power (I assume you're using a single lipo cell), and the fact that the receiver is already built-in. You will still need to solder the motors to the flight controller. Keep in mind this is small soldering and there is risk of short circuits. Test each circuit before powering the board so that you do not damage the motor controller on board.</p>
<p>tl;dr you need a <em>brushed</em> AIO whoop flight controller (AIO - all-in-one means there's a receiver usually) and a transmitter that uses the same protocol.</p>
<p>I've noticed you've been asking a lot of questions to try to get this off the ground. While flight controllers and associated components are expensive, they are essential to flight. You could absolutely make your own flight controller/motor controller without a gyroscope, using an arduino and a half-bridge chip for each motor, however you will find it quite difficult to control without electronic stabilization (and possibly even more expensive to source due to the silicon shortage). The reason for this can be explained by understanding the concepts outlined here:
<a href="https://learn.parallax.com/tutorials/robot/elev-8/understanding-physics-multirotor-flight/using-lift-control-movement" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://learn.parallax.com/tutorials/robot/elev-8/understanding-physics-multirotor-flight/using-lift-control-movement</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-15T03:50:09.257Z
How did this one work https://youtu.be/rTMRraOOG3I . It looks like it used a receiver
Raster R
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-15T04:14:59.840Z
He called it a receiver. Is it actually a flight controller?
Raster R
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-15T17:33:00.663Z
I don't see anywhere in that video where the actual name of the parts is mentioned. The control board he used is a motor driver, receiver, and flight controller all-in-one. The receiver is what talks to the transmitter, the flight controller does the gyroscopic stabilization, and the motor controller(s) turn those signals into current from the battery that actually controls the motor. There's more to discuss/learn here but that's outside of the scope of a character limited comment
Brydon Gibson
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-16T05:56:50.080Z
Thanks @Brydon Gibson
Raster R
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-13T18:29:53.233Z
2021-09-13T18:29:53.233Z
Brydon Gibson
<p>I made this small foam board frame.
I attached 4 motors after taking care that diagonally opposite motors rotate in same direction and adjacent ones in opposite direction. I ensure I wired the coreless motors accordingly to cause this. Otherwise the 4 motors are wired in parallel. I have the L propeller fixed on the CW motors. The R on the CCW motor.</p>
<p>It looks like image shown below.
I have it anchored to a drawing board using strings.
When I connect it to a lipo battery it does rise up - image also shown for same. (It does look like the at least one of the motors is stronger than the others)</p>
<p>From what I understand I need a AIO controller or receiver board and remote now.</p>
<p>I need suggestions on what can be a compatible remote and receiver to take this further.</p>
<p>R</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/8OLqx.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/8OLqx.png" alt="foam based initial effort" /></a>
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/O2WBG.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/O2WBG.png" alt="it does rise up" /></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-14T02:34:38.017Z
@Brydon Gibson. Thanks for the reply. What I am trying to do is a lot similar to this. https://www.deviceplus.com/others/diy-projects/building-diy-drone-from-scratch-part-1-building-cheap-diy-drone/ I will take care of getting the motor connections soldered to the controller with receiver. "brushed AIO whoop flight controller (AIO - all-in-one means there's a receiver usually) and a transmitter that uses the same protocol." Ok. I will go for that.
Raster R
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-15T17:35:32.763Z
In this link he uses receiver/flight controller interchangeably. I'm not a fan of this but for strictly the scope of that article, it's fine to do since they are one board. The board he recommends does actually seem like a good (toy grade) choice for a first build
Brydon Gibson
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-16T09:17:35.277Z
@Brydon Gibson in toy grade drones how do we bind a remote to the controller or the receiver board?
Raster R
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-16T12:58:43.693Z
Or is that kind of binding not needed in toy grade drones? Also is it safe to say toy grade drones don't need any configuration?
Raster R
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-16T13:11:51.677Z
Binding process differs for each board. Usually toy grade receivers will go into bind mode ~30 seconds after bootup if no connection is found, so it just involves turning on the drone without turning on the transmitter until a light starts flashing
Brydon Gibson
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-16T17:25:52.770Z
@Brydon Gibson you mean if its a toygrade controller most likely we just need to ensure the supported remote and that is all we need. Right?
Raster R
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-16T17:32:48.757Z
Likely yes. I wouldn't recommend getting a toy grade flight controller/receiver without the remote unless you know _for sure_ what you're getting, or you plan on using a multiprotocol (expensive) transmitter. They all use different protocols
Brydon Gibson
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-16T18:09:28.657Z
@Brydon Gibson I just want to finish my poc and get it off the ground. Then will probably try Arduino based drones. I have enough information on how to proceed. Thanks
Raster R
<quadcopters><receiver><toy-grade-drone>
Home made simple drone- need some directions
Raster R
# Home made simple drone- need some directions

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-09-13)

I made this small foam board frame.
I attached 4 motors after taking care that diagonally opposite motors rotate in same direction and adjacent ones in opposite direction. I ensure I wired the coreless motors accordingly to cause this. Otherwise the 4 motors are wired in parallel. I have the L propeller fixed on the CW motors. The R on the CCW motor.

It looks like image shown below.
I have it anchored to a drawing board using strings.
When I connect it to a lipo battery it does rise up - image also shown for same. (It does look like the at least one of the motors is stronger than the others)

From what I understand I need a AIO controller or receiver board and remote now.

I need suggestions on what can be a compatible remote and receiver to take this further.

R

[![foam based initial effort](https://i.sstatic.net/8OLqx.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/8OLqx.png)
[![it does rise up](https://i.sstatic.net/O2WBG.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/O2WBG.png)

**Tags:** quadcopters, receiver, toy-grade-drone

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: @username_1. Thanks for the reply. What I am trying to do is a lot similar to this. https://www.deviceplus.com/others/diy-projects/building-diy-drone-from-scratch-part-1-building-cheap-diy-drone/ I will take care of getting the motor connections soldered to the controller with receiver. "brushed AIO whoop flight controller (AIO - all-in-one means there's a receiver usually) and a transmitter that uses the same protocol." Ok. I will go for that.  
> **username_1**: In this link he uses receiver/flight controller interchangeably. I'm not a fan of this but for strictly the scope of that article, it's fine to do since they are one board. The board he recommends does actually seem like a good (toy grade) choice for a first build  
> **username_0**: @username_1 in toy grade drones how do we bind a remote to the controller or the receiver board?  
> **username_0**: Or is that kind of binding not needed in toy grade drones? Also is it safe to say toy grade drones don't need any configuration?  
> **username_1**: Binding process differs for each board. Usually toy grade receivers will go into bind mode ~30 seconds after bootup if no connection is found, so it just involves turning on the drone without turning on the transmitter until a light starts flashing  
> **username_0**: @username_1 you mean if its a toygrade controller most likely we just need to ensure the supported remote and that is all we need. Right?  
> **username_1**: Likely yes. I wouldn't recommend getting a toy grade flight controller/receiver without the remote unless you know _for sure_ what you're getting, or you plan on using a multiprotocol (expensive) transmitter. They all use different protocols  
> **username_0**: @username_1 I just want to finish my poc and get it off the ground. Then will probably try Arduino based drones. I have enough information on how to proceed. Thanks  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-09-13. Score: 3

You need a flight controller to stabilize this machine. As you've found, motors are not exactly identical (nor is the air they are pushing, plus many other external factors).

The flight controller uses a gyroscope to detect when there is an abonormality, and compensates by accelerating/decelerating the appropriate motor.

Many flight controllers in this size have an embedded receiver. Often spektrum/frsky but nowadays some are ELRS as well. You will need a matching transmitter that can bind to the flight controller. (The radiomaster tx16s can bind to nearly everything except ELRS, and can even do that with an external module).

A whoop-style flight controller will probably suit you best based on size, power (I assume you're using a single lipo cell), and the fact that the receiver is already built-in. You will still need to solder the motors to the flight controller. Keep in mind this is small soldering and there is risk of short circuits. Test each circuit before powering the board so that you do not damage the motor controller on board.

tl;dr you need a *brushed* AIO whoop flight controller (AIO - all-in-one means there's a receiver usually) and a transmitter that uses the same protocol.

I've noticed you've been asking a lot of questions to try to get this off the ground. While flight controllers and associated components are expensive, they are essential to flight. You could absolutely make your own flight controller/motor controller without a gyroscope, using an arduino and a half-bridge chip for each motor, however you will find it quite difficult to control without electronic stabilization (and possibly even more expensive to source due to the silicon shortage). The reason for this can be explained by understanding the concepts outlined here:
<https://learn.parallax.com/tutorials/robot/elev-8/understanding-physics-multirotor-flight/using-lift-control-movement>

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: How did this one work https://youtu.be/rTMRraOOG3I . It looks like it used a receiver  
> **username_0**: He called it a receiver. Is it actually a flight controller?  
> **username_1**: I don't see anywhere in that video where the actual name of the parts is mentioned. The control board he used is a motor driver, receiver, and flight controller all-in-one. The receiver is what talks to the transmitter, the flight controller does the gyroscopic stabilization, and the motor controller(s) turn those signals into current from the battery that actually controls the motor. There's more to discuss/learn here but that's outside of the scope of a character limited comment  
> **username_0**: Thanks @username_1  

---

