Draft 1 Summary + Thesis DJI N3 flight controller

DJI N3 Flight Controller 

The DJI N3 flight controller is a reliable, robust, safe and upgradable platform for custom built drones, and it is highly recommended in operating in a densely populated country like Singapore.

The DJI website (n.d) features the N3 flight controller which is part of the NAZA series of DJI family of control units that caters to both industrial and hobbyists drone applications. The N3 system consists of a flight control unit, GPS compass antenna and Power Management Unit (PMU).  On the website DroneDeploy (n.d) the Inertial Management Unit (IMU) serves as a sensor that detects the movements of the drone such as its acceleration, rotation and orientation. Calibrating the IMU is imperative to ensure a safe and stable flight in every drone operation.

The flight controller contains a dual IMU for built in redundancy which is a unique safety feature if one of the IMU is down the secondary unit can regain control which prevents the UAS from crashing or moving in an undesired direction. The FCU can be upgraded with the A3 package which adds an industrial grade IMU to the already robust dual-IMU system for triple redundancy during flight. This significantly reduces the risk of IMU failures and increase the reliability of the system.

 In addition, the flight control unit also has a robust 8GB industrial black box that records performance and real time flight data. This allows pilot to troubleshoot potential issues and fine tune the aircraft for a safer flight. The aircraft can be configured using software such as DJI Assistant 2 or phone application DJI GO.

The N3 system also takes its GPS reference from the GPS GNSS antenna which requires a lock on at least 16 satellites for a good GPS signal.  The Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) can use the GPS GNSS antenna to gain a reference to maintain a stable flight path during operations.  The customizability of the N3 would also allow pilots to add other GPS compasses as a redundancy feature so that if the first GPS compass loses signal, the secondary unit can quickly activate to prevent the drone from deviating for its flight path.

The PMU functions as a regulator that supplies the correct thrust for operator induced thrust and compensates for adverse weather conditions. The PMU can be tuned to accommodate various flight modes such as GPS, altitude and sports mode.

The N3 flight controller supports a wide spectrum of upgradability with DJI’s eco system of products such as camera gimbals like the DJI Ronin-MX series and flight devices such as Lightbridge 2 and TAKON™ series for electronic speed controllers.  

The Roning-MX is a professional gimbal for movie grade cameras that is built for man portable operations and drone uses.

Lightbridge 2 is Radio Control receiver that transmits and receiver signals from the transmitter for up to 5km. it is also able to stream and broadcast High-Definition quality videos feeds back to the operator.  

The TAKON™ ECS is a module that supply continuous power to the drone motors for longer flight endurance. It is compatible with 4 to 14 cell Li polymer batteries.

The N3 features advanced vibration dampening, which allows input sensors to read more accurately, reducing sensor-induced control oscillations and improving overall performance. Its software features include various fail-safe protocols that allow UAS to execute a controlled decent in an event of an imminent crash. This makes the N3 flight control a robust and reliable package. 

 

Reference,

1.      Google AI. Gemini AI. Language Model. Accessed September 16, 2024.

2.      https://deepmind.google/technologies/gemini/

3.      N3 designed for reliability and upgradability” by DJI 2024

4.      Source: Conversation with Copilot, 17/09/2024

5.      DJI website

6.      N3 - DJI. (n.d.). DJI Official. https://www.dji.com/sg/n3

7.      (3) DJI N3 product information  - GetFPV. https://www.getfpv.com/dji-n3-flight-controller.html.

8.        UAVFordrone. (2020, May 17). DJI N3 flight controller DJI N3 flight controller for agriculture drone. https://www.uavfordrone.com/product/dji-n3-flight-controller-naza-series/

 

9.      How do I calibrate my drone’s Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) in DJI fly?(n.d) – IMU https://help.dronedeploy.com/hc/en-us/articles/13805047676823-How-do-I-calibrate-my-drones-IMU-in-DJI-Fly#:~:text=IMU%20(Inertial%20Measurement%20Unit)%20calibration,acceleration%2C%20rotation%2C%20and%20orientation.[TT1] 

 

10.  DJI. (2024). N3 - product information - DJI. DJI Official. https://www.dji.com/sg/n3/info#video

 

11.  DJI. (n.d.). Ronin-MX - DJI. DJI Official. https://www.dji.com/sg/ronin-mx

 

12.  DJI Lightbridge 2 - DJI. DJI Official. (n.d.). https://www.dji.com/sg/lightbridge-2

13.  Takyon z14120 - DJI. DJI Official. (n.d.-c). https://www.dji.com/sg/takyon-z14120

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