What we are building: autonomous long-range quadrotor
AOS UL8 V5 — basis van deze build
UL8 V5 render
We are building a self-flying 8″ long-range quadrotor on ArduPilot — not a cinema drone, but a learning and mission platform. This post is the entry point to the Xenobyte build log.
Goal
We want a reliable aircraft that can:
- Fly missions — waypoints, loiter, later richer tasking.
- Teach us how control, sensors, and ArduPilot work together.
- Stay reproducible: every choice has its own post with why and how.
The airframe is an AOS UL8 V5. Brains: Pixhawk 6X Mini with PM02D. Propulsion: T-Motor F100 1100KV + Pacer 60A V2 + HQProp LR8×4.2×3.
How we work
Eight process steps — from mechanics to autonomy. Each step is a blog post with what we do, manuals, and links to parts:
- Frame & mechanics
- Flight controller & power
- Position & heading
- Radio & telemetry
- Low-speed sensing
- Obstacle awareness
- Config & first flights
- Expanding autonomy
Deeper explainers: power & capacitors, ports & wiring. Firmware: firmware page. Deferred items: later backlog.
ArduPilot Peripheral Hardware — our map
Source index: Peripheral / Optional Hardware
(Mission Planner: Initial Setup → Optional Hardware for many of these screens.)
We walked the wiki tree. Only what fits this UL8 build now or soon:
| Wiki topic | Our status | Our docs / params |
|---|---|---|
| Cable design guidelines | Do | Ports & wiring — red=+/black=GND; twisted CAN; GPS/compass away from ESC |
| Power modules | In use | PM02D — BATT_MONITOR=21 |
| GPS/Compass | In use | Micro M9N UART + F9P DroneCAN (GPS1_TYPE=9) |
| DroneCAN peripherals | In use | CAN Hub → F9P + H-Flow |
| Optical flow / Non-GPS nav | In use | H-Flow — FLOW_TYPE=6, rangefinder type 24 |
| Rangefinders | In use (down) | H-Flow ToF = RNGFND1, not LD-06 |
| Proximity / Object avoidance | In use (360°) | LD-06 — PRX1_TYPE=16 |
| RC systems / CRSF·ELRS | In use | TX16S + XR4 on TELEM2 — setup |
| Telemetry radios | Via ELRS | No separate SiK radio; CRSF/MAVLink over ELRS |
| ESCs & motors / DShot | In use | Pacer + F100 — MAIN OUT, DShot (IOMCU) |
| Safety switch | Software off | No button on Micro M9N → BRD_SAFETY_DEFLT=0 |
| Buzzer | Optional / later | No discrete buzzer yet |
| ADS-B, airspeed, companion PC, FPV/OSD, parachute, … | Later / N/A | Later backlog |
What this is not
Not a BMPCC/cinema stack, not a sealed kit. It is documented choices, alternatives, and a searchable build log.
Next read
Start with Step 1 — Frame & mechanics or browse everything from the drone-build hub.
ArduPilot wiki (implementation)
Official wiki pages for configuring / testing this part in ArduPilot:
Photos