1st INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE PROBLEMS OF INFORMATICS, ELECTRONICS, AND RADIO ENGINEERING PIERE - 2020
Simulink-based Quadcopter Control System
Model
Vadim A. Budnyaev, Ivan F. Filippov, Valeriy V. Vertegel, Sergey Yu. Dudnikov
2020 1st International Conference Problems of Informatics, Electronics, and Radio Engineering (PIERE) | 978-1-7281-8990-1/20/$31.00 ©2020 IEEE | DOI: 10.1109/PIERE51041.2020.9314676
Sevastopol State University, Sevastopol, Russia
Abstract – This paper presents the results of the first stage of
creating a multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)
simulation model in MATLAB Simulink. A quadcopter
mechanical model based on Simscape Multibody library
elements was developed. In addition, an angular position and
flight altitude control model based on proportional-integral
derivative (PID) controllers was designed using the standard
Simulink libraries.
Index Terms – Quadcopter, UAV, Simulink, Simscape
Multibody, control system, PID.
I. INTRODUCTION
I N RECENT years, multirotor (especially quadrotor)
unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have become very
popular in the commercial industry[1-4] and are currently
used in many areas, from the delivery of parcels and aerial
photography to the maintenance of power lines and
pipelines. This popularity is due to the combination of the
advantages of this design:
● high maneuverability;
● possibility of hovering in the air;
● quick pre-flight preparation;
● the ability to take off from almost any surface;
● compactness and simplicity.
The aim of the scientific project is the development of
mathematical models, analytical, numerical and
experimental methods for modular UAVs research.
Modeling and prototyping techniques that can drastically
reduce the time and cost of UAVs design will be developed
as a part of the research process.
One of the tasks for achieving this aim is the design of a
complex parameterized simulation model of quadcopter that
takes in account the maximum possible number of factors
that affect the flight dynamics. At the first stage, a model of
the quadcopter as a control object without using the
technical characteristics of individual elements of its design
(motors, speed controllers, etc.) are developed, as well as a
control system based on PID controllers. The results of the
UAVs simulation model design are presented in this work.
II. DESIGN ENVIRONMENT
The development of modern multi-rotor drones is carried
out at the junction of many technical areas: mechanics,
control and automation theory, electronics, navigation,
communications and information systems, etc. All these
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areas are significantly separated from each other, so the
work processes are divided and their own specialists deal
with each part.
Traditionally, the interaction between different parts of the
system is verified during the testing phase, at the cost of
expensive prototypes and loss of the time. The MATLAB
Simulink environment helps to bring all developments
together. This allows all specialists to work in the same
environment and debug the interaction of their designs
through simulation. Thus, most of the interaction errors are
detected in the model.
Simscape Multibody is a toolbox for Simulink that allows
exploring the dynamics of complex mechanical systems
with multiple degrees of freedom. The available modeling
tools make it possible to describe rigid bodies with high
accuracy, taking into account their mass-inertial
characteristics, degrees of freedom and relative position, as
well as change the parameters of their motion under the
influence of applied forces and moments.
In addition, Simscape Multibody, using an export plug-in,
allows creating complex dynamic models based on their 3D
models, developed in the CAD SolidWorks [5]. In this case,
all issues of ensuring the operability of models are solved in
SolidWorks. However, a model that works in SolidWorks
could be completely inoperable in Simscape Multibody.
This is due to the fact that not all connections compile
correctly. At the first stage of creating the model, it was
decided to use only standard Simscape Multibody tools.
III. MODEL DESCRIPTION
S500 quadcopter platform (Fig. 1) was used for model
development. It includes a frame of 500 mm in size and
weighing 400 g, four motors with a mass of 15 g and four
10-inch (254 mm) propellers weighing 5 g.
Fig. 2 shows the simplified mechanical model designed in
Simulink using the Simscape Multibody, while Fig. 3 shows
the results of its visualization. The model is a set of ''Brick
Solid'' and ''Cylindrical Solid'' elements, interconnected
using ''Rigid Transform'' blocks. ''Rigid Transform''
implements the movement and rotation of the element
connected to port F, relative to the element connected to
port B.
1st INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE PROBLEMS OF INFORMATICS, ELECTRONICS, AND RADIO ENGINEERING PIERE - 2020

The full first stage quadcopter Simulink-model is shown

in Fig. 4. It includes:
● a subsystem that describes the position of the
quadcopter in the basic inertial coordinate system and
contact with the surface (''Joint & gnd contact'');
● a subsystem that describes the quadcopter design
(''Quadcopter'');
● a subsystem that describes a control algorithm for
stabilizing the angular position and maintaining a
given altitude (''PID Controllers'');
● ''Input Signals'' block, implemented in the form of
four customizable graphs of roll, pitch, yaw and
altitude time dependencies (Fig. 5). Angles are given
in degrees and then converted to radians.
Fig. 1. S500 quadcopter platform.

Fig. 4. Full quadcopter model.

Fig. 2. Mechanical model of quadcopter.

Revolute ''Joint blocks'' implement angular degrees of

freedom and are required for propeller rotation. ''Bushing
Joint'' block, connected to the fixed base of the World Frame,
realizes six degrees of freedom (three translational and three
rotational) and is required to rotate and move the quadcopter
model in any direction.

Fig. 5. ''Input signals'' block.

The content of the "Joint & gnd" subsystem is shown in

Fig. 6. "Bushing Joint" block, which implements six degrees
of freedom, has a number of additional pins that are required
to read the required parameters:
● pz – movement along the Z axis;
● vz – movement velocity along the Z axis;
● qx – pitch angle;
Fig. 3. Quadcopter model visualization. ● wx – angular pitch velocity;
● qy – roll angle;

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1st INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE PROBLEMS OF INFORMATICS, ELECTRONICS, AND RADIO ENGINEERING PIERE - 2020

● wy – angular roll velocity;

● qz – yaw angle;
● wz – angular yaw velocity.

Fig. 9. ''PID Controllers'' subsystem.

The desired angles and altitude of the quadcopter are set

in ''Input Signals'' block, and the actual values are calculated
in "Bushing Joint" block.
Fig. 6. "Joint & gnd" subsystem. The difference between the desired and actual values
(error signal) is multiplied by the PID gains. The
The content of the "Quadcopter" subsystem is shown in
proportional term simply multiplies the error value by a
Fig. 7. It includes elements that describe the design of a
constant.
quadcopter, as well as a "PWM to Rotation & Thrust" block
The integral term removes the steady state error by
that converts PWM signals into thrust and motors rotation
integrating the error value over time until it reaches zero.
angular velocities. In addition, 3D models of the real frame,
The differential component estimates the future error and
motors and propellers have been added to the subsystem.
eliminates it. It estimates the error by the rate of the error
The visualized model of the quadcopter is shown in Fig. 8.
change in time and multiplies it by the derivative
constant [6, 7].
PWM signals are generated at the outputs of the subsystem
and then are converted into thrust and angular rotation
velocity for each motor.

IV. SIMULATION RESULTS

Fig. 10-13 show the quadcopter simulation results.
A dashed line indicates the desired parameter values
obtained from the ‘‘Input Signals’’ block. A solid line
indicates the actual parameter values calculated in «Bushing
Joint».

Fig. 7. ''Quadcopter'' subsystem.

Fig. 10. Take off to an altitude of 1 m and landing.

Fig. 8. Quadcopter model visualization.

The content of the "PID Controllers" subsystem is shown

in Fig. 9.

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1st INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE PROBLEMS OF INFORMATICS, ELECTRONICS, AND RADIO ENGINEERING PIERE - 2020
Fig. 11. Pitch angle changes.
Fig. 12. Roll angle changes.
Fig. 13. Yaw angle changes (rotation 90° around the Z-axis and back).
The absolute error for the roll and pitch angles doesn’t
exceed 2°, for the yaw angle – 0.1°, for the altitude – 4 cm.
V. CONCLUSION
The quadcopter model designed in Simulink has six
degrees of freedom in space. Quadcopter movement consists
of translational movement of the center of mass and body
spherical movement relative to the center of mass. The
model takes into account: lift, gravity, propellers gyroscopic
effect, drone gyroscopic effect, power plant moment of
inertia.
A control system for quadcopter angular position and
flight altitude based on PID controllers has been developed.
Based on the simulation results, we can conclude that the
PID controllers for this model are configured correctly – the
difference between desired and actual parameter values of
the quadcopter's position in space is minimal.
In the future, it is planned to use a bundle of SolidWorks
and Simscape Multibody to design a model of the modular
quadcopter with high carrying capacity, add imitation of
wind gusts to the new model [8, 9] and replace ''Input
Signals'' block with a simplified remote controller model
[10] for real time simulation. In addition, it is planned to take
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into account the influence of the technical characteristics of
the quadcopter individual elements (motors, speed
controllers, etc.), using the wide functionality of MATLAB
Simulink.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This work was financially supported by the Ministry of
Science and Higher Education of Russian Federation during
the implementation of the project «Fundamentals of
mechanics, control and management systems for unmanned
aerial systems with shape-forming structures, deeply
integrated with power plants, and unique properties that are
not used today in manned aircraft», № FEFM-2020-0001.
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[3] D. S. Vamsi, T. V. S. Tanoj, U. M. Krishna and M. Nithya,
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[5] M. Yu. Kalyagin, D. A. Voloshin and A. S. Mazaev, “Quadcopter flight
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[6] M. Usman, “Quadcopter Modelling and Control With
MATLAB/Simulink Implementation,” Thesis (B.S.), LAB University
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[7] E. A. Paiva, J. C. Soto, J. A. Salinas and W. Ipanaqué, “Modeling and
PID cascade control of a Quadcopter for trajectory tracking,” 2015
CHILEAN Conf. on Electrical, Electronics Engineering, Information
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[8] M. C. De Simone, S. Russo, Z. B. Rivera and D. Guida, “Multibody
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1st INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE PROBLEMS OF INFORMATICS, ELECTRONICS, AND RADIO ENGINEERING PIERE - 2020
Vadim A. Budnyaev was born in Sevastopol in
1996. He received the B.S. and M.S. degrees in
radio engineering from Sevastopol State
University (SevSU), Sevastopol, Russia, in 2018
and 2020, respectively. He joined SevSU
Engineering Center of Micro- and
Nanoelectronics Devices in 2016 where he is
currently an assistant research fellow. He is
currently towards the Ph.D. degree in radio
engineering at SevSU. His research activities
include complex systems modelling and design of
microwave integrated circuits using Si and SiGe devices and power
combining circuits. He has published more than 15 scientific papers in the
field of radio electronics.
Ivan F. Filippov was born in Sevastopol in 1993.
He received the B. S. and M. S. degrees in radio
engineering from Sevastopol State University
(SevSU), Sevastopol, Russia, in 2014 and 2016,
respectively. He joined SevSU Engineering
Center of Micro- and Nanoelectronics Devices in
2016 where he is currently an assistant research
fellow. He is currently towards the Ph.D. degree
in radio engineering at SevSU. His research
interests include system-level modelling, analog,
radiofrequency and millimeter-wave integrated circuit design and
microwave measurements. He has published more than 20 scientific papers
in the field of radio electronics.
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Valeriy V. Vertegel was born in USSR, in 1961.
He received the M. S. and Ph. D. degrees in radio
engineering from Sevastopol Instrument
Engineering Institute (SIEI), Sevastopol, USSR,
in 1987 and 2000, respectively. In 1989, he joined
the Department of theoretical bases of radio
engineering SIEI, as an assistant. In 1989, he
became a Senior lecturer, an Associate Professor
in 2001. Since January 2015, he has been with the
SevSU Engineering Center of Micro- and
Nanoelectronics Devices, where he is a Director and Leading Researcher.
His current research interests include digital and analog integrated circuits
design, microwave measurements and digital signal processing. He has
published more than 70 scientific papers and books in the field of radio
electronics.
Sergey Yu. Dudnikov was born in Leningrad,
USSR in 1964. He received the M. S. degree in
engineering at Leningrad State University and
Ph.D. degree at State Optical Institute. He
currently works at Sevastopol State University.
Scope of his professional interests: RFID
technology and applications, communication
protocols and systems for aircraft control.