(1/8) APM Mini 3.1 Video Series - Simple setup, config and calibration. Board from Banggood.com

In this first video of the APM Mini 3.1 series I show how to take the new board from 'out of the packet' to having the board connected to the radio receiver, configured and setup ready for installation into the frame of the model.

The latest firmware version supported on the APM 2.x boards is V3.2.1. When loading the firmware choose the option in the lower right hand of the screen to select 'Pick Previous Firmware' to load V3.2.1 of the code.

In this video we cover --

• What you'll need
• Selecting and installing the firmware
• Calibration of the magnetometer and accelerometers
• Connection to the radio receiver
• Calibration of the RC channels
• Selection of the flight modes

In the next video I will show how to connect the GPS, board into the model and test motor connection.

Thanks for watching, please like the video and subscribe!
Happy flying.

[kenhaupt]

I've been out of the hobby for about 4 years and have forgotten so much of what I'd learned! I now have a lot more time on my hands and can get to the stuff I purchased years ago. Putting the mini APM on a trifecta frame (very 2016!) right now. Your videos are invaluable! Thanks for putting in SO much work helping the rest of us have a bit of fun!

[therealanalogman]

Your approach to teaching is outstanding! Extremely well ordered in your thinking and articulate in your explanation of this material! Honestly, as good as any instructional videos I have every viewed! Thanks and blessings to you!

[patty]

Really, this is possibly the best instructional video I've ever seen on youtube. The time put into the camera work, graphics, and the pace of it is really excellent. On to 2/8 now!

[mikenonya]

I'm a beginner at quad-copters, but not to electronics.  I recently purchased a HK pilot micro master set... and with the use of your videos, I was able to get it up and flying within a couple of days.  Your videos are spot on.. Thanks for posting them... time to start messing with FPV

[MrPolleke]

WOW Painless!
You make my (quadcopter) life so much easier!
Thank you so much for your excelent videos.
Greatings from Holland,
Paul (66 of age)

[claudiufarcas]

Thank you for this nice APM presentation. As for the red/black wires these can be switched in the the small connector (just need a small sharp pin to unlock each wire and reposition correctly). Looking forward for the next episodes.

[gregfleming]

Great video! Thanks for the heads up on the wiring being wrong on the RX header.

[husky]

Thanks so much for this. I have an APM Mini clone from HK, which didn't come with any instructions and I had no clue how to connect it up!

[ME-zukg]

Great video on the set up like the standoffs to calibrate unit.

[theaeroscout]

This is such a great board for mini quads, maybe not racers but for the 'adventurous type'. Is it possible to have a low voltage buzzer/alarm? I see it has 'RTL' and 'land' but can there also be an audible warning?

[billfinkle]

Hi Painless360.
Great vidio's . My question can you connect external led's on the mini 3.1 as the 2.5/6
I use these on my quad's for arming and gps indicators.
I now have a Bix3 with a Apm mini 3.1 hidden deep inside it and I have no visual indication of it being armed/disarmed. Tried looking in the mission planner / apm planner paramiters as with the Quads and googled it. The Mini 3 is loaded with Aduplane firmware all else seems ok not flown due to rotten windy cold weather.
Hope you have a solution or is it too new ? :)


Keep up the Great Video's


Bill Civic

[mikenonya]

on the PCM whats the difference between Vcc & V?  is one used for sensing and the other used for monitoring?  And are they both 5 volts?

[cywizx]

Hi...could please, kindly make a video on the Mini Apm Pro...?

[taneliharkonen]

that is so cool that you are doing all this stuff for the APM mini too! :D One thing that I thought when I saw the mini was that this is just a smaller and less sophisticated board for smaller craft but this is not true I reckon? Are there some drawbacks or is it as top notch board as its bigger APM brother? I am just upgrading to a bigger quad which will be my first self build one and I am so happy that you do these videos. You make all of it so much easier to understand! :)

[bdiccus]

Fantastic mate. So glad I found your channel.

[cywizx]

Hi..first of all, I have learned so much from your videos, they are simply awesome and so detailed.
Re the above video, I am having a weird problem of calibrating my radio, I am using a Radiolink AT9 and R9D receiver.
During my calibration, the both the sticks on the TX is working the opposite direction. If I put the throttled to its min its showing up on the calibration screen. same with the roll and pitch. but the left right direction for both the sticks are OK.
Would truly appreciate your kind suggestion. Thx.

[randaldell-spector]

Hi mate, with an open apm board, should it have a dome or enclosure over it on the drone? When I enter a gps mode my drone seems way less controlled. In fact it flipped over and crashed the other day. I did buy it all second hand and in bits so I’m not even half sure that there may have been problems already.
Also the blue light on top of the gps, is that supposed to turn solid blue or keep flashing?
Thank you for providing some of the best YouTube educational drone videos I’ve come across btw! I’m a trainer myself and have also taken a few teaching pointers from your videos.

[realRickSanchez]

Awesome videos, very informative and extremely easy to understand.

Could it be possible to connect the MinimOSD plus a bluetooth module to this board at the same time? or do I need the regular APM to do it. I'm liking the mini more since I can stack different boards on top of each other plus is just smaller.

[RcBuddy]

Super, looking fw to see all vids that follow.
Cheers.

[Toro-Tor]

Hello Painless, Thank you for all the great videos.
Question: when you calibrated the radio, you mentioned that pitch has to upside-down (in this version?) - is it possible that on a APM 2.8 it also has to be that way. Asking because I've got a slightly "over-powerderd" Tarot F690 with with APM 2.8 (cloned), which after lift-off is impossible to control. It is just pure chaos and i throw it into RTL to land again. Now I'm starting to think that this pitch-control might be wrong way round. ... testing this beast is not so easy as I've got no clue what this beast is actually doing when I move the sticks, everything happens to fast :)