Comprehensive Guide to ArduPilot (ArduCopter) Tuning

Empower yourself to optimize your multicopter drone's flight performance with clear, step-by-step instructions and supporting information.

Critical Topics Covered

Explore initial setup, gyro filter tuning, rate control, attitude stabilization, velocity and position PID tuning, and waypoint navigation.

Structured Learning Approach

Gain insight into control system operations, relevant parameters, step-by-step tuning processes, troubleshooting common issues, and assessment quizzes.

About the Course

Join our comprehensive guide to tuning ArduPilot multicopter drones, designed to empower you to optimize your drone's flight performance. Learn all the essential processes for tuning your own drone with ArduCopter through clear, step-by-step instructions.  These tools are applicable to drones of any size and the ideal values for each parameter will depend on the size and configuration of your drone. Please note, this course is a guide for self-tuning and does not include individual support or one-on-one assistance. This course is an independent resource and is not affiliated with the ArduPilot development team.

Meet Your Course Creator

Hi everyone! I’m Chris Rosser, an aerothermal engineer with a specialism in analytical engineering and computational modeling. Starting out as a hobby FPV drone pilot, I now design my own drone frames and motors under the brand AOS RC. I work with drone companies around the world to optimize their drone products and tunes for ultimate flight performance. I also run my own YouTube channel @ChrisRosser, where I explore the science behind drones, review latest drone technologies, and produce guides on tuning your drones. Following a YouTube video series on ArduPilot tuning for hobby drone pilots, this has now evolved into a full course for professional multicopter drone pilots. 

Course Curriculum

11 Chapters · 148 Lessons

  1. 1

    Welcome and Introduction

    1. Course Overview Free preview
    2. Safety Disclaimer Free preview
    3. (Included in full purchase)

      PDF Slides and Quick Reference Guide

  2. 2

    Hardware Set Up

    1. Chapter Introduction Free preview
    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Overview of Hardware Used in this Course

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Wiring up the ESC and Flight Controller

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      How to Re-Pin a JST-SH 1.0 plug

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Wiring up the GPS and Compass to the Flight Controller

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Wiring up a 2.4GHz Serial Receiver

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      Wiring up a DJI Air Unit (Digital Video Transmitter)

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      Flashing Ardupilot

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz: Hardware and set-up

  3. 3

    Ardupilot (ArduCopter) Initial Configuration

    1. Chapter Introduction Free preview
    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Download Mission Planner

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Setting up the Frame Type

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz: Frame Type

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Initial Tuning Parameters

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Setting the Correct Board Alignment for your Flight Controller

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      Accelerometer Calibration

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      Compass Calibration

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      Check Radio Receiver Channels

    10. (Included in full purchase)

      Setting up Servo Outputs and Motor Protocol

    11. (Included in full purchase)

      Assigning Serial Ports to Connected Peripherals

    12. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz: Baud rates

    13. (Included in full purchase)

      Types of ESCs

    14. (Included in full purchase)

      ESC Calibration

    15. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz: ESC settings

    16. (Included in full purchase)

      Setting up Flight Modes

    17. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz: Flight modes

    18. (Included in full purchase)

      Setting up Failsafe

    19. (Included in full purchase)

      Setting up Battery Monitoring

    20. (Included in full purchase)

      Motor Order and Motor Direction

    21. (Included in full purchase)

      Compass Interference testing

    22. (Included in full purchase)

      Gyro Fast Sampling

    23. (Included in full purchase)

      How to Set up Logging

  4. 4

    Maiden Test Flight

    1. Chapter Introduction Free preview
    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Pre-Flight Checks and Hover Test

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      How to Download the Logs

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Initial Logging Checks: CPU Load

  5. 5

    Gyro Filter Tuning

    1. Chapter Introduction Free preview
    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Introduction to Gyro Low Pass Filters

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Introduction to Harmonic Notch Filters

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz: Ardupilot Filter Type

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Enabling Harmonic Notches

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Driving Notch Filters using Bi-Directional DShot RPM Data

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      Check RPM Data reported over Bi-Directional DShot

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz: Check RPM Data from ESC telemetry

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      Driving Notch Filters using an RPM Sensor

    10. (Included in full purchase)

      Check RPM data from an RPM sensor

    11. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz: Check RPM Sensor Data

    12. (Included in full purchase)

      How to Load Flight Log into Filter Review

    13. (Included in full purchase)

      Tuning Harmonic Notch Filters - IMU Spectrogram

    14. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz: Tuning Harmonic Notch Filters

    15. (Included in full purchase)

      Tuning Harmonic Notch Filters - RPM Filters

    16. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz: Tuning RPM Filters

    17. (Included in full purchase)

      Improving RPM Filtering with MultiSource

    18. (Included in full purchase)

      Tuning the RPM Filter

    19. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz: Optimizing RPM Filters

    20. (Included in full purchase)

      Introduction to Dynamic FFT

    21. (Included in full purchase)

      FFT vs RPM

    22. (Included in full purchase)

      Using FFT for Motor Noise (RPM data is not available)

    23. (Included in full purchase)

      Using FFT for Frame Resonance (RPM data is available)

    24. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz: Tuning Dynamic FFT

    25. (Included in full purchase)

      Warning regarding Throttle-based and Static Notches

    26. (Included in full purchase)

      Enabling Static Notches

    27. (Included in full purchase)

      Enabling Throttle Based Notches

    28. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz: Tuning Throttle Based Notch Filters

    29. (Included in full purchase)

      Tuning Notch Filters

    30. (Included in full purchase)

      Tuning Gyro Low Pass Filters

    31. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz: Tuning Low Pass Filters

  6. 6

    Rate PID Tuning

    1. Chapter Introduction Free preview
    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Overview of ArduPilot PID Controllers

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Introduction to the PID-FF-DFF controller

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Introduction to the Proportional, Derivative, and Integral (PID) Terms

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Introduction to the Feedforward (FF) and Derivative Feedforward (DFF) Terms

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz: PID Parameters

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      Approach to Rate Filter Tuning

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      Rate PID Tuning Test Flight Tips

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      Example PID Tuning test flight

    10. (Included in full purchase)

      How to Load Flight Log into PID Review

    11. (Included in full purchase)

      Determine P:D Balance from Time Series Data

    12. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz: P:D Balance from Time Series Data

    13. (Included in full purchase)

      Determine P:D Balance Using Step Response

    14. (Included in full purchase)

      Tuning P:D Balance in Ardupilot

    15. (Included in full purchase)

      Troubleshooting Oscillations

    16. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz: Troubleshooting an initial PID tune

    17. (Included in full purchase)

      Advanced: Tuning PID Target and Error Filters

    18. (Included in full purchase)

      Advanced: Tuning PID Derivative Filters

    19. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz: Tuning PID Filters

    20. (Included in full purchase)

      Tuning PID Gain

    21. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz: Tuning PID Gain

    22. (Included in full purchase)

      Tuning P:I Balance

    23. (Included in full purchase)

      Tuning Yaw Axis

    24. (Included in full purchase)

      Derivative Feedforward (DFF) in the Rate Controller

    25. (Included in full purchase)

      Target Filtering for DFF

    26. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz: Tuning DFF

    27. (Included in full purchase)

      Tuning FeedForward (FF)

    28. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz: Tuning FF

  7. 7

    Stabilisation Mode Tuning

    1. Chapter Introduction Free preview
    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Introduction to ArduPilot Angle PID controller

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Angle P Term Tuning

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz: Angle P Term Tuning

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Setting Max Angular Acceleration

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz: Calculating Max Angular Acceleration

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      Setting Max Lean Angle

  8. 8

    Altitude Hold Mode Tuning

    1. Chapter Introduction Free preview
    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Introduction to Throttle Controller

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Set up Throttle Controller PID Parameters

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Approach to Throttle Controller Tuning

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Throttle Controller Test Flight Tips

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      How to Read Throttle Controller Logs

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      Tuning Throttle Controller P:D Balance

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz: Tuning the Throttle Controller P:D balance

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      Tuning Throttle PID Gain

    10. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz: Tuning Throttle PID Gain

    11. (Included in full purchase)

      Tuning Throttle I Gain

    12. (Included in full purchase)

      Advanced: Tuning Throttle D-term Noise

    13. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz: Tuning Throttle D-Term Noise

    14. (Included in full purchase)

      Advanced: Tuning Throttle Controller FF

    15. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz: Tuning Throttle Controller FF

    16. (Included in full purchase)

      Advanced: Tuning Throttle Controller DFF

    17. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz: Tuning Throttle Controller DFF

    18. (Included in full purchase)

      Vertical Velocity Controller

    19. (Included in full purchase)

      Tuning the Vertical Velocity Controller

    20. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz: Tuning the Vertical Velocity Controller

    21. (Included in full purchase)

      Tuning the Vertical Position Controller

    22. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz: Tuning the Vertical Position Controller

  9. 9

    Loiter Mode Tuning

    1. Chapter Introduction Free preview
    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Introduction to Loiter Controller

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Loiter Parameters, Jerk, Acceleration, Max Velocity

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Loiter Mode Test Flight Tips

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Introduction to Horizontal Velocity Controller

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Tuning the Horizontal Velocity Controller

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz: Tuning the Horizontal Velocity Controller

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      Introduction to Horizontal Position Controller

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      Tuning Horizontal Kinematic Parameters

    10. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz: Horizontal Kinematic Parameters

    11. (Included in full purchase)

      Tuning the Horizontal Position Controller

    12. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz: Tuning the Horizontal Position Controller

    13. (Included in full purchase)

      Tuning Vertical Kinematic Parameters

    14. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz: Vertical Kinematic Parameters

  10. 10

    Waypoint Navigation Tuning

    1. Chapter Introduction Free preview
    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Introduction to Waypoint Navigation Controller

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Horizontal Waypoint Kinematics

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz: Horizontal Waypoint Kinematics

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Vertical Waypoint Kinematics

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz: Vertical Waypoint Kinematics

  11. 11

    Close

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Congratulations!

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