Quick Answer
Setting up ArduPilot means a few steps in order. First, install the firmware for your frame type. Then calibrate the accelerometer and compass. Then calibrate your radio. Last, set up flight modes and failsafes. Do all of this in Mission Planner, on a safe bench, with props off, before your first flight.
Before You Start
You will need a computer with Mission Planner, a USB cable, and your flight controller wired up. Connect the GPS, compass, and radio receiver first. Take the propellers off. Setting up with props off keeps you safe if a motor spins up by accident while you test switches.
It also helps to know your frame type first. This might be quadcopter X, hexacopter, or a fixed-wing plane. This choice decides which firmware and setup screens you will use.
Step 1: Install the Firmware
Plug your flight controller into the computer with a USB cable. Open Mission Planner. Go to the setup screen and choose "Install Firmware." Pick the vehicle type that matches your build. Choose Copter for multirotors, Plane for fixed-wing, or Rover for ground vehicles.
Mission Planner will show you version options. Unless you have a good reason to pick an older release, use the current stable version. Wait for the upload to finish. Let the board reboot before you move on.
Step 2: Set Your Frame Type
Multirotor builds must tell ArduPilot how many motors you have. They must also state how those motors are arranged, such as quad X or hexa X. This setting decides how ArduPilot mixes motor power for roll, pitch, and yaw.
Get this wrong, and the aircraft may flip or spin the moment it takes off. So check this against your real motor layout first. Fixed-wing builds skip this step. Planes use control surfaces, not a motor mix.
Step 3: Calibrate the Accelerometer
The accelerometer screen asks you to place the aircraft in several positions. You will need level, nose down, tail down, each side, and upside down. Follow the on-screen prompts. Hold each position steady until Mission Planner confirms it.
This step teaches ArduPilot what "level" looks like from the sensor's point of view. A rushed accelerometer calibration is a common cause of a drone that drifts sideways in a hover.
Step 4: Calibrate the Compass
Compass calibration asks you to rotate the aircraft slowly. Try to cover as many angles as you can, while Mission Planner records the readings. Do this away from metal desks, cars, and anything else that bends a magnetic field.
A bad compass calibration is a common cause of "toilet bowl" flight. This is when the aircraft slowly circles instead of holding position. A compass placed too close to power wires can also cause this. If GPS modes act strangely later, check this first. For more on sensor placement, see ArduPilot sensor setup.
Step 5: Calibrate the Radio
Turn on your transmitter and bind it to the receiver. Open the radio calibration screen. Move every stick to its full range in every direction. Move every switch through all its positions. Mission Planner records the low and high values for each channel.
Check that stick moves match what you expect on screen. Full up throttle should show full range on screen, and so should full down. If a channel is reversed, most radios let you fix this in the transmitter's own menu.
Step 6: Set Up Flight Modes
Flight modes decide how the aircraft reacts to your sticks. Common choices for a multirotor include Stabilize, for manual flight with self-leveling. Loiter holds a GPS position. Return to Launch flies the aircraft home on its own.
Put your flight modes on a switch on your radio. Set up one simple mode you can always fall back to if you get confused mid-flight. A short, simple switch layout beats having many modes you cannot remember.
Step 7: Set Up Failsafes
Failsafes decide what ArduPilot does when something goes wrong. This could be a lost radio link or a low battery. Set a radio failsafe so the aircraft returns home or lands if it loses your signal. Set a battery failsafe voltage that leaves enough charge to land safely.
Test the radio failsafe on the ground with props off. Turn off your transmitter and check the aircraft acts the way you set it up. Never skip this test. A bad failsafe setting can turn a small radio glitch into a lost aircraft.
A Pre-Maiden Checklist
Run through this short list before your first flight:
- Propellers on in the right direction and tight
- Motors spin the right way, checked with props off
- Radio failsafe tested and working
- Battery failsafe voltage set right for your pack
- GPS has a solid lock with enough satellites before arming
- Center of gravity checked, especially on a new plane
Once these are all done, arm the aircraft in Stabilize mode first, in an open area. Keep your hand near the throttle stick. For wiring questions during setup, Pixhawk cables and ports explained covers the connections in full.