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ALTA X
ALTA 8 Pro
ALTA Ground Control
Mōvi Pro Series
FRX Pro
RTK GPS
Motor Drives
Wave Camera
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Astro is documented separately from other Freefly products for improved searchability. Please follow this
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ALTA X
Introducing ALTA X
ALTA X is a professional multi-rotor aircraft designed for demanding cinematic, professional, and industrial
applications. Completely redesigned from the ground up, ALTA X is the next generation of the ALTA family.
Built for the user, ALTA X emphasizes expandability and customization to make sure it can stand up to all
challenges thrown its way, while still being the reliable workhorse drone that ALTA pilots know and love.
This Aircraft Flight Manual describes the complete operation of airframe and flight control systems, and the
normal maintenance of those items. Do not operate ALTA X without reading and understanding this manual.
This manual is not a substitute for adequate flight training. Training requirements can vary when operating in
different countries or under different flight conditions. Always consult local regulations before flying ALTA X.
In areas where there are no flight training requirements, it is the sole determination of the pilot-in-command
as to whether he or she has the appropriate level of training or experience for a given flight. Always set and
adhere to personal minimums and fly within your own capabilities.
Throughout the manual warnings, cautions and notes are used to highlight various important procedures.
These are defined as follows:
‌ arnings are used to highlight procedures which, if not strictly observed, may result in personal
W
injury.
Cautions are used to highlight procedures which, if not strictly observed, may cause damage to
equipment.
Notes are used to highlight specific operating conditions, usability tips and tricks or steps of a
procedure.
Features

Worlds Toughest Drone Flight Time
Introducing the world's toughest drone: ALTA X. An effort to make ALTA X as light as possible
We’re confident in ALTA X because we push it to allows ALTA X to fly MōVI Carbon (20lb payload)
the limit, and then well past - over and over again for 25 minutes, or a max payload for 8 minutes.
so that we know our customers will have plenty of Smaller payload flight times can exceed 40
margin in the unpredictable real world. minutes
Payload ActiveBlade
Four ActiveBlades reduce the motor vibrations to

ALTA X can carry up to a 35lb payload while 1/5th the normal level. This innovative solution to
maintaining a 2:1 thrust to weight ratio. reduce vibrations increases the lifetime of ALTA X
and helps keep any payload stable.
Speed Easy Deployment
No assembly required! Using a clever rotating

Never worry about keeping up with the action
planar linkage ALTA X folds and unfolds with ease
again, ALTA X has a top speed of over 60mph
This revolutionary feature allows ALTA X to go fro
(95km/h), just make sure that the action can keep
case to flight within minutes, reducing setup time
up with ALTA X!
and minimizing the risk of misassembly on the job
Packability Flight Modes
ALTA X folds to 30% of its full size to fit in the same High quality sensors and GPS modules allow
case as ALTA 8 while still being able to carry 175% ALTA X to maintain its position and height even in
ALTA 8’s payload. This case is TSA approved and the most unfavorable weather conditions providing
has been tested to ensure ALTA X arrives to assurances during autonomous waypoint mission
location ready to go! and piloted flights.
External Power Expandability
Designed with the future in mind, ALTA X is

Five user accessible power expansions allow modular and easily expandable to adapt to ever
ALTA X to power any accessories or payloads you changing technology. This expandability ensures
need to do the job. that ALTA X will continue to be state-of-the-art eve
after years of service.
Easy Integration External Computer
ALTA X is designed to be a platform that can be Some drone applications require real time onboar
customized for any aerial need; from cinema, to computing; ALTA X has the necessary mounts,
forestry, and bridge inspection, ALTA X is a power, and I/O so it can be upgraded with an
versatile tool ready for any challenge. external computer.
User repairable Customer Service
In order to keep ALTA X in the field as much as

possible all ALTA X parts can be bought as spares Like all Freefly products, ALTA X is backed by a
and replaced onsite. Of course we will still offer team of experts ready to answer any questions an
factory checkups and repair services should they make sure you get the job done.
be needed!
Quick Start Guide
Included in Box

Vibration Isolation System 2.0mm Hex Driver

Skyview Landing Gear*
Alta X Spare Parts 2.5mm Hex Driver

Futaba Radio Controller*
Alta X QuickStart Card 3.0mm Hex Driver

FRX - Alta X Ready*
Alta X Product Card Alta X Travel Case*
* Optional accessories
Additional Required Components
Radio Controller
ALTA X supports a variety of radio controllers as outlined in the Controller Integration section of the manual.
A minimum of five (5) channels are required, with four (4) used for flight control, and the remaining one (1)
used for mode selection. A radio controller with between six to ten channels is highly recommended to
make use of Return-to-Land (RTH) and ALTA X’s other functions. It is recommended to use a radio controller
with a three-way switch for Mode selection and a two-way switch for the Return-to-Launch function.
Flight Battery
ALTA X can accommodate a variety of Lithium Polymer (LiPo) flight battery packs. Battery packs must be
12S, having a nominal voltage of 44.4 V. Only run ALTA X using two packs at a time. For additional
information on expected flight duration, refer to the Performance Section of this manual.
Box to Flight
Unfold

Remove ALTA X from its box or

travel case.

If you did not purchase the
travel case with ALTA X;
install the four vibration
isolation stand-offs to the
four threaded holes on the
1. underside of ALTA X then
mount the vibration isolator
with (4x) M4x14 Combo
bolts.
Use the built-in Toad in the Hole

(TITH) on ALTA X’s vibration
isolator to mount ALTA X to your
payload. If you are not using
Skyview landing gear your
payload will act as ALTA X’s
2. landing gear.
Make sure to latch the TITH

once you feel the TITH fully
seat; you will hear a ‘click’
when seated.
Fully unfold ALTA X’s booms;

note that all of the booms are
3.
linked and will open
simultaneously.
Secure the booms by latching

both the red safety latches on
ALTA X.
4.
Always make sure both
safety latches are fully
latched before flying ALTA
X!
Note flight direction relative to

motor positions and GPS. Arrow
5. on GPS indicates forward flight
direction.
Batteries

Adjust the battery tray to fit your

preferred batteries by loosening
and adjusting the (8x) M3x6
SHCS fasteners securing the
two movable tray components.
Ensure the fasteners are

1.
tightened after the trays
have been adjusted.
Place your batteries on the tray

and secure them with the four
battery straps.
2.
See the Appendix for
minimum battery
requirements.
Fly

Ensure you have completed the

1. necessary preflight checks for
ALTA X
Turn on your transmitter
Review the transmitter

integration section of this
2. manual for a step by step
guide to installing your
transmitter if this has not
been done
Plug the batteries into ALTA X

using the built-in battery leads.
Only power ALTA X with

batteries when intending to
3.
fly; make sure you are in a
safe takeoff location and
adhering to your regions
UAV regulations.
Once the batteries are plugged

into ALTA X and you are in a
safe takeoff location arm ALTA X
4.
by holding full low throttle and
full right yaw. Once armed the all
motors will spin up.
After ALTA X is armed you may

takeoff and use
We recommend quickly
checking ALTA X’s
orientation before takeoff by
5. giving small roll/pitch inputs.
Ensure you are monitoring

ALTA X’s voltage during
flight to prevent low battery
situations.
Once the flight is complete,

return to a safe location to land
6. ALTA X. After landing disarm
ALTA X by holding minimum
throttle and full left yaw.
Unplug the batteries after
7. disarming ALTA X and then turn
off the remote controller.
Detailed procedural steps can

be found in the ‘Procedures’
section of this manual; ensure
8.
that you have reviewed and
understand each step before
flying.
Aircraft Setup
Radio Calibration and Channel Mapping

Alta X can be used with a variety of radio controllers. Different radio controllers can map functions to
different channels, so properly mapping controller channels to ALTA X functions is an important step before
flying. Radio calibration and channel mapping are performed using the Alta X QGroundControl program or
app.
If you are uncertain about your radio channel mapping, obtain assistance from an experienced pilot or from
Freefly Customer Support.
Calibrating Radios Using ALTA X QGroundControl App
Calibrating any compatible radio is done using the ALTA QGroundControl app. This only needs to be done
when using a new radio with the ALTA; ALTAs that were bought with a radio have already gone through the
Calibration and Mapping procedures.
Power the ALTA X by plugging in a USB-C cable to the expansion port.

The expansion port is located under the closeout between booms 1 and
Once connected, the ALTA electronics will be powered and you may turn on the radio.
Open the ALTA QGroundControl program, navigate to the Radio tab in the Vehicle Setup menu, and
then initiate the radio calibration.
Make sure to reset all trims and sub-trims to zero before continuing with calibrating and mapping
your radio.
Set the transmitter mode radio button that matches your radio configuration (this ensures that
QGroundControl displays the correct stick positions for you to follow during calibration).
Move the sticks to the positions indicated in the text (and on the radio image). Press Next when the
sticks are in position. Repeat for all positions.
When prompted, move all other switches and dials through their full range (you will be able to observe
them moving on the Channel Monitor).
Press Next to save the settings.
Mapping Channels Using ALTA X QGroundControl App
Radio channel mapping is accomplished with the Alta X Qgroundcontrol App. Prior to mapping channels,
ensure your radio controller and receivers are properly installed and calibrated. Refer to the Radio
Installation section of this manual and your radio controller’s documentation.
Power the ALTA X by plugging in a USB-C cable to the expansion port. The expansion port is located
under the closeout between booms 1 and 2
Once connected, the ALTA electronics will be powered and you may turn on the transmitter.
Open the ALTA QGroundControl program, navigate to the Flight Mode tab in the Vehicle Setup menu for
access to the channel mapping.
Channel mapping can be customized by the user on this menu to fit their preferences. Below is a quick
description of the items mapped to the transmitter and suggested channels for each mapped item.
Function Descriptions
The following functions can be mapped to radio controller channels. These are found in the Radio section of
the Configurations menu in ALTA QGroundControl. Each function is also represented by a chart that
responds to control input allowing for quick verification of mapping settings.
Pitch/Roll/Yaw/Throttle
The Pitch, Roll, Yaw and Throttle controls are the basic flight controls and are mapped to the two radio
controller sticks.
Mode
The required Mode Switch selects between the three different flight modes: Manual, Altitude, and Position. A
three-position switch is recommended to select the three different modes. However, a two-position switch
may be used, but will only allow for selecting between Manual Mode and (depending on radio controller
mixes) either Altitude Mode or Height Mode
Return to Home Switch
The optional Return to Home Switch selects between the different Return-to-Land (RTH) functions. At
minimum a two-position switch is required for the Home Switch functions to select between RTL Off, and
initiate RTL functions.
Typical Channel Mappings
The following radio channel mapping configurations are recommendations only and can be set in ALTA
QGroundControl. Depending on exact radio models, these may help as an initial configuration. However, it
is up to the pilot setting up ALTA X for flight to determine if these settings are appropriate.
Futaba 14SG/8FG
Our Stock Futaba configuration and instructions on how to install are available on our knowledge base
page.
Function Channel Number Direction
Pitch 2 Normal
Roll 1 Normal
Yaw 4 Normal
Throttle 3 Reverse
Mode Switch 5 Normal
Home Switch 6 Normal
Display Voltage Telemetry on 14SG
The Futaba Receiver on the Alta X has the ability to transmit voltage telemetry back to the hand controller.
To view the telemetry display window press the "Home/Exit" button on the left-hand side. Press once again
to return to the default home screen.
Recommended Landing Voltage

We recommend landing the Alta X at 44v under load. Under electrical load the voltage will sag, when the
voltage load is removed the voltage number will rise again. When the voltage reads 44v on QGoundControl
or the transmitter while in flight you should be landing your aircraft and replace the batteries.
Landing voltage recommendations assume customer is using Freefly Alta X batteries that are
kept in reliable condition. Battery performance can change over time and performance can
change between manufacturers.
Arming and Disarming
Definitions
Armed Aircraft will spin propellers, ready to fly
Disarmed Safe mode, no spinning propellers
Arming
To arm ALTA, put the throttle stick in the bottom right corner for 1.5 seconds. Upon arming, the propellers will
start spinning and the boom LED indicator lights will turn bright green/red.
If the ALTA does not arm, please check QGroundControl for errors or warnings.
When armed, propellers will spin! Please follow all precautions and stay a safe distance away
from ALTA X. Before arming, make sure to stay clear of the propellers.
Disarming
To disarm ALTA, put the throttle stick on the bottom left corner for 1.5 seconds. Upon disarming, the
propellers will stop spinning and the boom LED indicators lights will dim. The aircraft will only disarm in
flight in manual mode. Once landed, it can be disarmed in altitude and position modes.
Holding the throttle/yaw stick low and left in manual mode while flying can disarm the aircraft!
Auto Disarm Modes
Under some conditions, ALTA will automatically disarm

Conditions ALTA X Behavior
If ALTA has not taken off after 2 minutes idling

armed on the ground, it will automatically disarm.
Ground timeout before taking off This timeout can be changed in parameter
COM_DISARM_PRFLT (units are in seconds, a
value of “0” disables this timeout entirely).
If ALTA has been previously flown but not power

cycled, after 5 seconds idling armed on the ground
it will automatically disarm. This timeout can be
Ground timeout after flight changed in parameter COM_DISARM_LAND
(units are in seconds, a value of “0” disables this
timeout entirely).
If ALTA detects landing in Autoland mode, it will

disarm after 5 seconds following the logic above.
Autoland
See section “Landing Modes” for more information
on the Landing Detector feature.
Flight Modes
ALTA X has three primary flight control modes which are selected using the Mode Switch: Manual Mode,
Altitude Mode, and Position Mode. ALTA X also has two emergency control modes, Return-to-Land and
Autoland, which are available only during certain situations. For additional information, refer to the sub-
section associated with each emergency control mode.
Altitude Mode and Position Mode are assistive only and are not a replacement for pilot skill and
ability. Pilots should be proficient in Manual Mode flight in order to react to emergency situations
as required.
Always center the control input sticks on the radio controller when switching between control
modes to prevent unexpected movement of the ALTA X.
Manual Mode
In Manual Mode, ALTA X will only stabilize its attitude. At neutral control input (middle pitch and roll stick
position), ALTA X will attempt to remain level. Throttle control is direct. In this mode, it will blow with the
wind, and will require constant throttle adjustment to hold altitude.
Altitude Mode
Altitude Mode changes the throttle stick behavior to command climb and descent rates. The higher the
throttle stick position, the faster ALTA X will climb. Conversely, the lower the throttle stick position, the faster
ALTA X will descend.
When the throttle stick is centered, ALTA X will enter Altitude Hold. In Altitude Hold, ALTA X will maintain a
target altitude and try to correct for vertical drift. If a disturbance moves ALTA X away from this target altitude,
ALTA X will climb or descend to return to the target altitude.
Altitude Mode is assistive only and is not a replacement for pilot skill and ability. Pilots should be
proficient in Manual Mode flight in order to react to emergency situations as required.
Position Mode
Position Mode changes the pitch/roll stick behavior to command ground speeds. Pitch and roll stick
deflection will command fore/aft and left/right ground speeds respectively. Controlling altitude in Position
Mode is the same as in Altitude Mode.
With pitch and roll controls centered, ALTA X will enter Position Hold. In Position Hold, ALTA X will maintain
its position over a given point on the ground and correct for disturbances.
Position Mode requires a strong GPS signal and communication with a minimum of 6 satellites. If a weak
signal is present, ALTA X will not enter Position Mode
Position Mode is assistive only and is not a replacement for pilot skill and ability. Pilots should be
proficient in Manual Mode flight in order to react to emergency situations as required.
Flight using Position Mode in areas of degraded GPS signal, such as near buildings or under
dense tree cover, is not recommended. The automatic reversion to Manual Mode can cause
unexpected, abrupt changes in flight behavior.
Waypoints Mode
Waypoints mode allows ALTA X to execute a predefined autonomous waypoint missions that have been
uploaded to the flight controller via ALTA QGroundControl (QGC). For more information on all of the different
options and abilities built into the Waypoint functionality you can read more in the PX4 Literature.
ALTA X must have a GPS lock before takeoff to set a valid home position in order to start a
waypoints mission. Waypoint mode will be unavailable if the aircraft took off before GPS lock was
achieved. Operator must land and rearm with GPS lock to enable.
Return-to-Launch
Return-to-Launch Mode will command ALTA X to fly back to the defined Home Point. When ALTA X first
acquires a GPS position, it sets this as the Home Point of the flight. See the Radio Channel Mapping section
in this manual for more information on setting up the Return-to-Launch Switch.
RTL can be initiated automatically with a LOS event if it is selected as the Signal Loss Action in ALTA
QGroundControl. RTL can also be initiated manually while flying in any Mode and setting the Home Switch
to RTL.
When initiated manually using the Home Switch, ALTA X will climb to the configured return altitude, fly back
to the Home Point, and descend to 10m. ALTA X will hover above the home point and wait for a set amount
of time and then land. The pilot can cancel the RTL procedure by returning the Home Switch to off.
During an LOS event, RTL followed by Autoland will be initiated automatically. ALTA X will first check its
current altitude against configured RTL altitude. ALTA X will climb to Safe Height. Next, ALTA X will fly back
to the home position at the default waypoint speed set in the ALTA X QGroundControl. Finally, upon
reaching the home position, ALTA X will loiter for 45s and then begin to Autoland.
The Autoland function will land in place. The vertical speed at which the ALTA will descend during an
Autoland varies as the ALTA approaches the ground. Higher above the elevation of the home point, ALTA X
descends at a faster rate and gradually slows to the user-defined Autoland Descent Rate before landing. By
default, the aircraft will descend at 0.7m/s until touchdown is detected.
Autoland is intended to be a failsafe in case of loss of RC control only. If control is available, the
operator should land in manual mode. High wind, sloped ground, and narrow landing gear on the
current payload can make the aircraft prone to tip over when autolanding. Reducing the autoland
velocity may result in missed land detection for some weight combinations, which can have
unpredictable results, so it is advised not to change this value.
The RTL switch on the radio will override all other modes, and prevent any mode switches. To
return to a normal flight mode, make sure to toggle the RTL switch to OFF.
Ensure that the RTL switch is OFF before takeoff.

Landing Modes
It is suggested that the operator lands in Manual mode, as it offers the most control for a precise touchdown.
However it is possible to land in Altitude and Position modes as well. The aircraft behaves a little differently
in each mode:
Manual Mode
In manual mode, the operator will maneuver the aircraft over the landing spot, and descend slowly using
direct throttle control. As the aircraft nears the ground and enters ground effect, the pilot will often need to
reduce throttle a little bit to keep the aircraft descending. Once touchdown is achieved, the operator should
reduce throttle to zero promptly so that it settles on the ground instead of possibly bouncing or dragging the
gear. Disarm as normal.
Altitude Mode
Landing in altitude mode is different than manual because the throttle stick now controls descent velocity
rather than throttle directly. The aircraft will automatically adjust throttle through ground effect to maintain the
same descent velocity. The operator will still need to manually control pitch and roll to maintain position over
the desired landing site. Once the aircraft is on the ground, bring throttle stick to minimum, and then switch to
manual mode and disarm. The aircraft will automatically disarm after 5 seconds if left running.
Position Mode
Landing in position mode uses the same altitude control as in Altitude mode, but additionally will control the
position. This can be useful as it will fight the wind and drift automatically, but the aircraft may maintain a
pitch and roll to do so, requiring care to avoid a prop strike on the ground or a tipover when using narrow
landing gear. As the aircraft nears the ground, the maximum angle will be reduced to prevent large scale
reactions to stick moments, but the operator should keep pitch and roll motions to a minimum when near the
ground. Once the aircraft is on the ground, bring throttle stick to minimum, and then switch to manual mode
and disarm. The aircraft will automatically disarm after 5 seconds if left running
Autoland Mode
It is possible to command the aircraft to autoland, as described above. It is not recommended in cases other
than failsafe, or after careful testing. Autoland is not as precise as a human pilot, and certain payload
combinations can result in tipovers or bouncing. Tall, narrow landing gear is particularly susceptible to
tipover on autoland in high winds.
If the aircraft tips over with the props running, ALWAYS power cycle the aircraft before attempting
takeoff again. If the motors or props hit the ground, they may not start on next arm and cause it to
tip again.
RC Disarm lockout
Introduced in FW 1.3.0, users can now configure a switch on their transmitter that, when enabled, will
prevent manual disarm. Currently, users can disarm the aircraft in manual mode by holding the throttle all the
way at zero, and the yaw stick all the way left for 1.5 seconds. In some cases, such as aggressive flying, this
could happen inadvertently in flight, causing an inflight disarm and crash.
This feature only prevents disarming via RC command. Disarm via Alta QGroundControl still works the
same, and an inflight disarm can still be forced through that interface. That mechanism requires a second
confirmation step, so it is not able to be accidentally triggered.
Configuration
To configure, follow these steps while connected to the aircraft with Alta QGroundControl:
1. On the radio screen, toggle the switch that you want to act as the disarm lockout. Note on the channel
list which channel number is changing when the switch is toggled.
2. Using the parameter screen, set RC_MAP_ARMLK_SW to the RC channel found in step 1.
3. Restart the aircraft
4. Test functionality, as described in the use section below. It is recommended to always test it before
takeoff.
Use
Before every takeoff, it is advisable to test the operation of the switch while idling on the ground to ensure it
is functioning. Follow these steps:
1. Set to manual mode
2. Set disarm lockout switch to OFF
3. Arm the aircraft, keeping throttle at minimum, idling on the ground with props spinning.
4. Set the disarm lockout switch to ON

5. Attempt to disarm the aircraft. It should not disarm, and a warning in Alta QGroundControl will show
indicating that disarm was blocked by the switch.
6. Takeoff and fly mission
7. Land
8. Set disarm lockout switch to OFF
9. Disarm aircraft as normal
Note that to prevent confusion, the lockout switch must be set to OFF for the aircraft to arm also.
Troubleshooting
Switch reversed - If the behavior of the switch is reversed it can be corrected by reversing the switch output
on the transmitter, or by setting parameter RC<channel>_REV to -1, where <channel> is the RC channel
number for the switch in question. For example, to reverse channel 8, set RC8_REV=-1
Threshold - The switch usually maps between 0 and 1. The default threshold is set to 0.75, so that on a 3
position switch, lockout is not enabled until all the way in the 3rd position. If this needs to be adjusted, it is
set by the parameter RC_ARMLK_TH
If the aircraft crashes or otherwise needs to be disarmed quickly, do not forget to toggle the
lockout switch to allow disarming.
The aircraft can also be emergency disarmed using Alta QGroundControl over the radio link.
Select ARM at the top and then it will ask for a swipe to confirm in a box labeled "EMERGENCY
STOP". WARNING: This will stop the motors immediately, even if flying.
Alta Q Ground Control

Alta Q Ground Control is the free mission planning software used with the Alta X. In addition to mission
planning it can be used to update parameters and settings. The latest version of Alta QGC can be found on
our support page.
You can connect your Alta X to QGroundControl using USB or the FRX modem.
Never power your drone with batteries with propellers on when not ready to fly. When powering
the Alta X over USB C the motors are not able to arm.
Loading Default Parameters
Autopilot and system component firmware is updated via the USB expansion port on ALTA X located in the
chassis closeout between booms 1 and 2. To restore default parameters download the latest Parameter
Files and follow the instructions below.
Download the latest ALTA X Param files
from the ALTA X Firmware page on the
1. support website. Make sure you're
aircraft is on the most recent firmware
and matches the default params.
Plug in a USB cable to your computer.

2. Leave the other end unplugged from
ALTA X for now.
Remove the chassis closeout between

3. Booms 1 and 2 to reveal the expansion
board.
Connect the Alta X via USB C. USB C

accesses plug is located on the
expansion board. ALTA X should
4.
display Blue lights, then white, then
display red and green directional lights
on the motors.
Open Alta QGC and wait for aircraft to

5.
connect.
Navigate to the Vehicle Setup page on

the top left of QGC (3 gear icon) and find
6.
the Parameters tab on the left side of
the screen. (2 gears icon)
Select the Tools button on the top right

7. of parameters tab, and select load from
file. Load the ALTAX.Params file.
Reboot Aircraft and Repeat Step 7. to

8. confirm all parameters have been
loaded properly.
If using F9 GPS, Repeat steps 5-8 for

9. RTK ENABLE params located on
support page.
10. Reboot Aircraft.
11.
Calibrate Sensors.
Loading Temp Cal Parameters

Alta X flight control software contains functionality to calibrate and compensate rate gyro, accelerometer and
barometric pressure sensors for the effect of changing sensor temperature on sensor bias. Each flight control
has a unique calibration saved on the SD card of the flight computer. In the event the temp cal is removed
and needs to be re-installed, follow these directions.
Plug in a USB cable to your computer.
1. Leave the other end unplugged from
ALTA X for now.
Remove the chassis closeout

2. between Booms 1 and 2 to reveal the
expansion board.
Hold down the USB MSC Button on

the expansion board while plugging in
the USB C to the expansion board on
3. your ALTA. The Nav lights on the Alta
should remain blue. Your ALTA will
now show up in your file browser as a
USB disk named FF-ALTA.
You should see a file name containing

the aircraft SN followed by
4.
Tempcal.params. Download or copy
this file to your computer.
"Eject" the USB Disk from you

5.
computer and remove USB-C Cable.
Plug in the USB C into the expansion

board. (no button press) ALTA X
6. should display Blue lights, then white,
then display red and green directional
lights on the motors.
Open Alta QGC and wait for aircraft to

7.
connect.
Navigate to the Vehicle Setup page

on the top left of QGC (3 Gears Icon)
8.
and find the Parameters tab on the
left side of the screen. (2 Gears Icon)
Select the Tools button on the top

right of parameters tab, and select
9.
load from file. Load the
Tempcal.params file.
Reboot Aircraft, connect to QGC and

confirm parameters saved by
navigating to Parameters page and
10. selecting Thermal Compensation
tab on the bottom left. The majority of
the parameters should be non-zero
values.
11. Reboot aircraft
If the temp cal has been removed from the SD Card- freefly support can provide you with the temp
cal associated with the serial number of your drone. Email support with your serial number if
needed.
Important Parameters
Parameter Function
Controls the throttle setpoint required for hovering

This depends on the weight of the aircraft, and is
about 29% for no payload. Default is 40% for a 15
MPC_THR_HOVER payload. Setting this parameter correctly will
eliminate drops or climbs when switching betwee
manual and either altitude or position mode with
the throttle stick at 50%.
BOOM(1-4)_COLOR Controls the color of each boom LED.
All parameters starting with 'OSD_' configure how

OSD_(*****)
the OSD looks and acts.
Sets what cell voltage the aircraft will flash the

OSD_BAT_ALARM Boom lights and the OSD battery symbol to
indicate low battery to the user.
Defines how far the aircraft is allowed to tilt while

being controlled in manual mode. This can be
reduced for a little less aggressive feeling for a
pilot. Recommended to leave at 45 degrees for
MPC_MAN_TILT_MAX maximum performance. Reducing to 35 degrees
will give a more gentle and slow flight handling.
This parameter only affects manual mode. In
position and automodes, the aircraft angle is set to
45 for performance.
Defines how fast the maximum speed the aircraft

MPC_VEL_MANUAL will fly in position mode. This can be reduced for
more fine control at lower speeds.
Defines the default waypoint speed, as well as the

RTL speed. This can be increased up to 20m/s,
however it is suggested to set waypoint velocity
MPC_XY_CRUISE separately for missions. If setting this high and
commanding slow waypoint velocities may result
the aircraft slowing down too far in advance of a
waypoint.
Controls stick expo in different modes, can be use

to adjust the feel of the aircraft while flying. More
expo will require more stick input to get the same
*_EXPO
angle or speed when near zero stick, and will
increase rapidly to maximum once the stick is at
higher deflections.
Controls maximum climb and descent velocities in

MPC_Z_VEL_MAX_(UP/DN)
altitude, position and waypoint modes.
Failsafe Settings
Alta X has a number of safety features to protect and recover your vehicle if something goes wrong:
Failsafes allow you to specify areas and conditions under which you can safely fly, and the action that
will be performed if a failsafe is triggered (for example, landing, holding position, or returning to a
specified point). The most important failsafe settings are configured in the QGroundControl Safety Setup
page.
To adjust failsafe settings connect to QgroundControl and navigate to Vehicle Setup page and then the
Safety Tab on the left sidebar.
For more information on Failsafe settings visit PX4 Page.
By Default battery failsafe action is set to warning- which means an audible warning on
QGroundControl and flashing lights on the drone.
Adjusting battery, RC Loss, or Data Link Loss failsafe triggers should be done with care and a full
understanding of the parameters and actions. If you're not sure don't change from default or
contact support for clarification.
It is possible to recover from a failsafe action (if the cause is fixed) by switching flight modes. For
example, in the case where RC Loss failsafe causes the vehicle to enter Return mode, if RC is
recovered you can change to Position mode and continue flying.
Software Reboot from Alta QGC
If you need to reboot the aircraft but don't want to disconnect power, you can reboot through Alta QGC. This
is good for when you don't want to power down your payload or accessories but the flight controller needs a
reboot.
1. In Alta QGCS click the "Vehicle Setting" button on the top left. (3 Gear Icon)
2. From the option displayed on the left-hand side click the "Parameters" button (2 Gear Icon)
3. Click the "Tools" button in the top right.
4. Click "Reboot Vehicle " option.

5. Select "OK" option.
Mission Planning
Creation/Modification/Execution
Missions can be created, loaded, saved, and modified from the Plan View. An overview of Plan View can be
found in public QGC documentation. Click on (+) sign at the toolbar left of the screen to enter waypoint
addition mode. In this mode, users can add waypoints by tapping or left clicking on the 2D map. A new plan
can be created by clicking File -> New -> Yes when in Plan View.
To modify a waypoint, first click on it. The selected waypoint will turn green. Click and hold on clicking for a
second time to drag the waypoint around the map. Latitude and longitude values will change automatically.
When the initial waypoint is added, a Planned Home indicator is automatically added. Initial waypoint will
automatically be named as “Takeoff”. Planned Home is where the aircraft will land if a return to home signal
is sent, unless there are rally points. Takeoff location is the first waypoint the vehicle will move towards as
soon as mission mode is entered.
Users can observe mission specific values such as total mission time or total mission distance from the
panel at the top of the screen. Once users are finished modifying a mission the mission needs to be
uploaded to the vehicle. If a vehicle connection is established with the QGroundControl, a button named
“Upload Mission” will be highlighted as soon as user makes a modification to the mission itself. Click on
“Upload Mission” to load the mission file. Afterwards, go to “Flight View”. Uploaded mission can be executed
from the Flight View by sliding the mission start slider or taking the vehicle into mission mode.
Detailed Mission Items

Waypoint specific values -such as speed, altitude

or commands- can be modified by selecting a
Waypoint specific Variables
waypoint and using the detailed waypoint list at th
right hand side of the screen.
Planned Home (a.k.a Mission Start) item in the

detailed waypoint list can be used as a settings
Planned Home
item. The altitude and flight speed values will be
passed to all other waypoints along the list.
Mission ending characteristics can be customized

Mission Ending
by toggling “return to home” option.
The home position can be changed and centered

Home Position
to the middle of the map from the settings item.
Advanced Users
Detailed waypoint list can be used to give commands at each waypoint. Command menu can be accessed
by clicking on the three horizontal lines (top right of waypoint details panel). These commands will add an
extra waypoint. The point of this waypoint is to indicate that there will be a command executed, it’s not really
a physical waypoint. These commands include the following options: return to home, go to another
waypoint, land and takeoff. Since the addition of the “command waypoint” might cause confusion, users are
advised to get hands-on experience with simpler missions.
The Flight Speed variable inside the detailed waypoint list assigns a speed value that will be executed after
vehicle passes the waypoint. For example, if default Flight Speed is set to 5 m/s and it is re-set to 20 m/s at
third waypoint, vehicle will start to increase its speed from 5 m/s to 20 ms/ as soon as it passes waypoint
three. So the target flight speed between waypoint 3 and waypoint 4 will be 20 m/s. Unless flight speed is
reset back to 5 m/s at waypoint 4, 20 m/s value will be passed to rest of the waypoints.
Tuning
ALTA X is pretuned by Freefly, and can be flown without changes. However, each user may have a different
preference or use case for their aircraft. This section gives some guidance for how to tune some of the
behaviors of the aircraft to suit individual needs. It is NOT recommended to tune low-level control
parameters, as they could cause instability or control issues which could result in a crash.
Issue Tuning Resolution
Reduce MPC_MAN_TILT_MAX to 30-35 degrees

My aircraft is too aggressive in manual mode Do not reduce it further as it may not be able to
handle wind.
Decrease MPC_VEL_MANUAL - this value define

the maximum speed at full stick in position mode.
My aircraft is too fast in position mode a more precise, slow velocity is required, reducing
this will cap the speed and give more stick
sensitivity at lower speed
Increase MC_XY_MAN_EXPO to decrease

sensitivity for small stick motions.
Adjust MPC_Z_VEL_MAX_DN and

My aircraft climbs or descends too quickly/slowly in
MPC_Z_VEL_MAX_UP. They control the
altitude and position mode
maximum speed
Adjust parameter MPC_ACC_HOR to increase or

My aircraft accelerates too slowly or quickly in
decrease the acceleration used to reach the
position mode
desired velocity. Value is m/s^2
Adjust parameters MPC_ACC_UP/DOWN_MAX

control how fast the aircraft accelerates vertically.
Loading the default parameters or known-good presets will allow you to quickly return to a
functional and safe configuration if there is ever uncertainty about changes to the tuning
properties.
Sensor Calibration
ALTA X features redundant, highly sensitive 3-axis magnetometers, gyroscopes, and accelerometers that
measure specific force, angular rate, and earth’s magnetic field to infer heading and maintain stability.
Occasionally, the sensors will require re-calibration.
ALTA X’s compass may require calibration if locations have changed. For best results, it is
recommended to perform manual compass calibrations away from ferrous objects, buildings and
vehicles. In addition, concrete can contain steel rebar which may influence compass calibrations.
Perform calibration without a payload attached and all motor booms extended and latched.
Folded booms will cause an inaccurate calibration.
It is recommended to use two people to perform the compass calibration as it requires handling
and rotating ALTA X.
Alta X has 4 magnetometers, one in the GPS mast, and 3 internally used as backups. In cases
where a payload is mounted that affects the onboard magnetometers more than the external one,
QGroundControl will notify the user that magnetometers are inconsistent. Users can calibrate the
aircraft with the payload attached to solve.
If the payload is causing enough corruption that calibrating with it on does not work, contact
Freefly support for alternative solutions.
Please note, you will have to disable wifi to complete a compass calibration.
Sensor Calibration Prep

Mount a pair of batteries onto

1.
ALTA X.
Plug in the batteries to power up

2.
the aircraft.
Open the ALTA QGroundControl

3.
and connect to ALTA X.
Navigate to the Sensors tab

4.
under Vehicle Setup.
Available sensors are displayed

as a list of buttons beside the
5. sidebar. Sensors marked with

green are already calibrated.
Sensors marked with red require
calibration prior to flight.
Click on the button for each

sensor to start its calibration
6. sequence and follow the
instructions provided in the
ALTA X QGroundControl.
Start by selecting Set

Orientations and set the
autopilot orientation
7.
Autopilot Orientation:
ROTATION_YAW_180
External Compass
Orientation for Here2 GPS:
ROTATION_YAW_270
OR
External Compass
Orientation for RTK/F9P:
Compass Calibration
Follow the instructions below to perform a compass calibration on ALTA X. Compass calibrations should be
done when flying in a new location or when ALTA QGroundControl prompts a calibration.

Click the Compass sensor

1.
button.
2. Click OK to start the calibration.
Place the vehicle in any of the

orientations shown in red
(incomplete) and hold it still.
Once prompted (the orientation-
image turns yellow), rotate the
3. vehicle around the specified

axis in either/both directions.
Once the calibration is complete
in that orientation the associated
image on the screen will turn
green.
Repeat the calibration process

4.
for all vehicle orientations.
Accelerometer Calibration
Follow the instructions below to perform an accelerometer calibration on ALTA X. Accelerometer

calibrations should only be done when prompted by ALTA QGroundControl.

Click the Accelerometer sensor

1.
button.
Position the vehicle as guided

by the images on the screen.
3.
This is very similar to compass
calibration.
Level Horizon Calibration
Follow the instructions below to perform a level horizon calibration on ALTA X. Horizon calibrations should
only be done if the horizon (as shown in the HUD) is not level after completing Accelerometer calibration
and the aircraft is sitting on a level surface.
1. Click the Level Horizon sensor button.
Place the vehicle in its level flight orientation on a

2.
level surface.
GPS Lights
The GPS module includes multi-color LED status lights that provide extra indication of aircraft status on the
ground.
Between 2019 and Spring of 2021 the Alta X Shipped with the Here2 GPS. (pictured below) In May of 2021
the Alta X started Shipping with the Freefly F9P GPS as a standard offering. If The GPS on your Alta X does
not look like the one pictured below you can see more info on your GPS on the RTK GPS Page.

GPS Color Meaning Description
Indicates vehicle has been

armed and has no position
lock from the GPS. Position
Solid Blue Armed, No GPS Lock Mission and RTL flight
modes are not available.
Warning! When armed,

propellers will start spinnin
Indicates vehicle is
disarmed armed and has n
position lock from the GPS
Pulsing Blue Disarmed, No GPS Lock Position, Mission and RTL
flight modes will not be
available until GPS lock is
acquired.
Indicates vehicle has been

armed and has position loc
from the GPS. All flight
Solid Green Armed, GPS Lock
modes are available.
Warning! When armed,

propellers will start spinnin
Indicates vehicle is
disarmed and has position
Pulsing Green Disarmed, GPS Lock
lock from the GPS. All fligh
modes will be available.
Indicates an error has been

encountered during flight
Solid Purple Failsafe Mode
and the vehicle will enter
RTL mode.
Indicates a battery voltage

Solid Amber Low Battery Warning
below threshold.
Indicates an error, typically

an issue with sensor
Flashing Red Error / Setup Required
calibration or autopilot
configuration.
This light is encountered

when system RAM/memory
Flashing Purple System Resource Utilization Too High
usage is above 98%. See
Service Bulletin SB006
WIFI and FRX Connectivity

ALTA X provides two main connectivity methods for wireless telemetry: WIFI for short range, FRX Pro
(optional) for long range. The wireless connectivity allows users to define parameters, monitor ALTA and
configure missions.
WIFI
There is an active service bulletin regarding WIFI for Alta X 1.3.6 and older firmware.
We currently recommend only enabling FRX connectivity (enabled by default) or WIFI
connectivity. The steps below will configure either WIFI or FRX connectivity for you.
Please familiarize yourself with the Service Bulletin and contact Freefly Support if you have
further questions.
WiFi is most useful during preflight planning. WIFI is disabled by default, please see the next section for
enabling WiFi.
After enabling the WIFI, connect your ground control device to the SSID (“ALTAX-[SN]"). Once connected,
open QGroundControl, and it will automatically detect the connection and connect to the ALTA.
If operating multiple ALTAs, please make sure you connect to the correct one. It is advised to set
different passwords for each aircraft to minimize chance of erroneous connections.
Enable and configure WIFI
ALTA X allows users to update the system’s WiFi password and SSID. All ALTA Xs initially come with WiFi
disabled for safety reasons. To enable WiFi connectivity follow the steps below!
Please read this entire section if you intend to use the WiFi feature of ALTA X.
When flying multiple aircraft with WiFi enabled, take extreme caution to ensure that the aircraft
connected to the laptop/mobile device is the desired craft. Failing to connect to the correct device
may result in an inadvertently arming a aircraft or disarming one that is inflight
.
You may enable WIFI using the steps below, or by loading the ALTAX-enablewifi.param file located on the
Alta X support page.
1. Connect to ALTA X using the FRX Pro or USB
Go to the System Parameters under the Paramete

2. tab in the Vehicle Setup menu and find the
FF_WIFI_ENABLE parameter
Change the FF_WIFI_ENABLE parameter to 1 an

3.
MAV_0_CONFIG to "TELEM2" and restart ALTA X
Re-download the parameters by selecting Tools...

4.
Refresh in the parameter screen
Check (or set) the following parameters to

configure wifi: MAV_0_MODE=Normal,
5. MAV_0_RATE = 20000,
MAV_0_FORWARD=Disabled, and
SER_TEL2_BAUD=921600 8N1
6. Restart the Alta X and connect with a wifi device.

Connect to ALTA X’s WiFi using
the initial password listed below
Note that this connection won't
SSID: ALTAX-<serial
provide internet, and some
number>; eg. ALTAX-
devices may disconnect if not
1. 781880
internet is detected. Users will
Password: altaalta have to disable this feature to
use Alta X WIFI
Open your preferred web

2.
browser and go to 192.168.4.1
Select setup, then update the

SSID and password as
necessary. Make sure to make
the password is eight characters
long, secure, and noted down
3. somewhere in case you forget!

Do not change any of the
other menu items!
Once the password and SSID

4. have been updated, hit the save
button at the bottom of the menu.
Power cycle ALTA X and ensure

5. you can connect to ALTA X
using the new password.
Configure WIFI settings
ALTA X passwords must be longer than eight characters and should be unique for each ALTA X.
Do not use the same password on multiple machines!
We suggest not selecting ‘Connect Automatically’ when using WiFi to connect to ALTA X and
clearly labeling each FRX Pro pair.
Reset Wifi
To reset the wifi, follow these steps:

1. Power off Alta X
Hold MSC button and connect

2. USB power, wait for it to load
into USB file mode
With the aircraft still powered on

in USB file mode, press and
3.
hold the BOOT button for 10
seconds.
The Wifi will default to SSID:

4.
ALTA with password "altaalta"
Change the wifi settings as

5. described above in "Configure
WIFI Settings"
The optional FRX Pro long range radio provides telemetry and aircraft control out to much longer range than
the WiFi connection.
Disabling WIFI
You may disable WIFI using the steps below, or by loading the ALTAX-disablewifi.param file located on
the Alta SD card or from the Alta X support page.
1. Connect to ALTA X using the FRX Pro or USB
Go to the System Parameters under the Paramete

2. tab in the Vehicle Setup menu and find the
FF_WIFI_ENABLE parameter
Change the FF_WIFI_ENABLE parameter to 0 an

3.
MAV_0_CONFIG to "TELEM1" and restart ALTA X
Check (or set) the following parameters to configu

4. wifi: MAV_0_MODE=Normal, MAV_0_RATE =
1200, and MAV_1_FORWARD=Enabled
5. Restart the Alta X and connect with a wifi device.
FRX Pro
Using FRX Pro

Plug the ground FRX Pro into a
laptop or portable device using a
USB-C cable
1. The device should

recognize the FRX as a
serial comms device
The LED on the FRX will
light up
Power up ALTA X, if bound the

FRX's will connect automatically
2.
and begin sending data back
and forth.
Binding FRX Pro

Power up the ALTA that has the FRX Pro using
1. batteries (powering up with USB will not provide
power to the FRX)
Plug the ground FRX Pro into a laptop using the

2.
USB-C cable
If the FRX Pro modules are already bound and

connected to a ground station FRX Pro, the status
lights on both FRX Pro modules will turn green
after a few seconds.
3.
If the status light on both radios does not turn
green after 10 seconds, press the bind button
the FRX Pro connected to the controller, wait
one second, then press the bind button of the
other FRX Pro.
Both FRX Pro's status lights will begin flashin

green and the modules will initiate the binding
procedure.
4.
If the FRX Pro modules cannot establish a
connection the status lights will turn red
and then return to their standby state.
Repeat the binding steps above if a binding attem

5.
fails.
FRX Pros configured for use in non-ALTA products (ie, Mōvi) need to be reconfigured before they
can be used in ALTA. Please contact Freefly for instructions to reconfigure the radios. The
symptom for mis-configured radios is that only one radio shows a Green LED and rebinding does
not reestablish communications.
Datalogging
ALTA X provides comprehensive logging capabilities, which are enabled by default. In the default
configuration, logging starts when the aircraft is armed, and ends when the aircraft is disarmed. These logs
are stored on the onboard SD card, and can be downloaded to provide information about the flight.
Downloading Datalogs
Logs are stored on the onboard SDcard. To download them, follow the following steps.
1. Ensure the ALTA X's battery is unplugged.
Hold down the button labeled “MSC” on the

expansion board while plugging in a USB-C cable
2.
that is attached to a computer. Hold the MSC butto
for 5 seconds.
The aircraft should enumerate as a USB drive on

3. the host computer. This may take another 10-15
seconds depending on the host PC.
4. Open the new USB drive in a file manager.
5. The “logs” subdirectory contains all the logs.
In the logs directory, there are subdirectories

labeled with a date. In each folder is a time
6.
stamped file with a “.ulg” extension. These are the
logs
Download whichever logs are of interest. There

may be some logs with very small file sizes, less
7.
than 1MB. These are typically generated by armin
and then immediately disarming.
If the aircraft never acquired GPS, the aircraft may not have good time information and may label
the folder as “sess002” or equivalent. In this case, the largest number is the most recent.
Logs can be downloaded using QGroundControl over the datalink, but this is discouraged as it is
VERY slow and the logs are often corrupt. USB mode is recommended.
View Datalogs
Log files are in “ulog” format. This format is binary, and contains extensive information about the flight and
the vehicle. The easiest way to view the logs is to browse to http://logs.px4.io and upload the ulg file. It will
present many plots showing data such as angles, position, speed, GPS quality, vibration, etc. It will also
show the build information, current configuration, and any errors detected in the flight.
Log Cleanup
The onboard SD card holds between 8GB - 32GB of data, which is able to store logs for hundreds of flight
hours. The ALTA X will start to delete old logs if it runs out of space, so it is useful to periodically clean out
the logs if you don’t want them to be lost. Download all the logs as shown above, and then delete all (or
some) of the folders in the “logs” subdirectory.
MAVLink
ALTA X supports MAVLink connection via two connectors, with one on the communications expansion
panel on the outside of the aircraft (labeled UART) and one inside the aircraft.
External Expansion Panel UART
The external UART connection uses 57600 baud 8-N-1. This port is packet switch multiplexed with an OSD
module, which means that there will be some periodic MAVlink parameter streams present by default for
OSD use. Because it is packet switched, the user does not need to account for multiplexing their transmitted
messages themselves, but instead just needs to plan for the fact that there will be some unrequested traffic
received from the flight controller.
Internal Expansion UART
The internal port is prewired with a cable made available inside of the chassis. The connector is a JST GH 6
pin connector matching the standard dronecode/PX4 pinout. It is paired with a standard 4 pin GH CANbus
connector for peripheral CANbus connections.
The internal port is shared with the WIFI module. To enable it for external communications use, you must
ensure WIFI is disabled using the parameter “FF_WIFI_ENABLE”. WIFI is disabled by default, which means
external communications are enabled. The internal port uses 921600 baud 8-N-1 by default but is
modifiable using parameter “SER_TEL2_BAUD”.
This UART can be configured as a MAVLink “onboard” port, which enables a group of standard MAVLink
streams for communication with an onboard companion computer.
See this for more details: https://docs.px4.io/v1.9.0/en/peripherals/mavlink_peripherals.html
Procedures
Unpacking and Setup

1. Aircraft REMOVE from case
2. Prop straps REMOVE
3. Booms UNFOLD
4. Ring latches LOCK
5. Receivers and wiring CHECK
SELECT and INSTALL as
6. Isolator cartridges
necessary
7. Payload mounting location CONFIGURE as necessary
To set up ALTA X for flight, remove it from the case, and remove the prop straps.
Unfold the booms by placing one hand on a boom and one hand on the airframe and then unfolding the
boom. The boom linkage system will unfold all booms at once. Once unfolded, be sure to latch each side of
the locking ring. These latches are redundant and ensure that the booms stay in the open flight position
during flight.
Check that the receivers and the electrical connectors that attach to the receivers are secure.
For information on installing isolator cartridges and setting up payload mounting locations, refer to the
Isolator Cartridges and Configuring GroundView or SkyView sections of this manual.
Before Starting

1. Payload SECURED
2. Isolator Cartridges VERIFY SECURE
CHECK CONDITION, VERIFY

3. Propellers
TIGHT
4. Propeller Hubs
VERIFY SECURE
5. Motors CHECK CONDITION
6. Radio Controller ON, VERIFY TX BATTERY
7. Radio Controller Model SELECT
AWAY from people and

8. Aircraft Placement
obstacles
9. Battery Pack Voltage VERIFY ABOVE 48V
10. Battery Packs SECURE
CHECK CONDITION and

11. Battery Leads
CONNECT
12. Aircraft KEEP STATIONARY
13. Flight Controller Allow to INITIALIZE
VERIFY 8 PRESENT AND IN

14. Blade Dampers
GOOD CONDITION
VERIFY SOLID COLORED,

15. Orientation Lights
DIM
16. Receiver VERIFY BOUND
17. ALTA X QGroundControl CONNECT
VERIFY NO WARNINGS
19. Compass Calibration CALIBRATE if required
20 Radio Control Range Check AS REQUIRED
Check that the payload is secure by checking that the Toad In The Hole quick release lever is fully clamped
and closed and that the payload does not slip. Check that all isolator cartridges are locked in place,
especially if they have been recently replaced.
The blades should be checked for damage, including nicks and scrapes. If a propeller blade has been
nicked enough that it catches a fingernail, it should be replaced. Blade bolts should be tight and blades
should show little slop. There should be no slop between the propeller hub and the motor.
ActiveBlade dampers should be present and in good condition
Motors should spin freely, and there should be no grinding or scraping sound from the motor. The inside of
the motor should be free of debris.
Always turn on the radio controller before powering ALTA X. Follow the battery installation guidance in the
Battery Installation section of this manual for battery installation instructions.
While the Autopilot initializes, keep ALTA X as stable as possible.
If ALTA X moves during initialization, it may not boot properly and will fail to start or not maintain heading.
At the end of this process the LEDs will go from white to the user selected colors (stock colors are green
facing forward and red facing toward the rear of the aircraft) indicating ALTA X is ready for arming.
Verify that there are no flight warnings by connecting to ALTA X via ALTA X QGroundControl and checking
for warnings or errors. For more information, see the ALTA QGroundControl section of this manual.
Before Takeoff

1. Prop Area CLEAR
2. Mode Switch MANUAL
3. Home Switch UP/OFF
4. Radio Controller VERIFY CORRECT MODEL
5. Telemetry (if equipped) CHECK OPERATION
6. GPS Signal LOCKED (GREEN LIGHT)
CHECK ORIENTATION and

7. ALTA X
ARM
VERIFY USER-DEFINED
COLOR
START, and VERIFY

9. Motors
OPERATION
10. Flight Controls VERIFY CORRECT
11. Throttle AT MINIMUM

Prior to start, check the surrounding area to ensure people and objects are clear of ALTA X and its props.
Also ensure that there are no people or objects between the ALTA X’s takeoff location and its intended flight
path.
Ensure that ALTA X QGroundControl shows all sensors are calibrated and ready for flight.
ALTA X’s props spin at a high RPM and the ends of the blades move at high speeds. ALTA X’s
props can cause severe injury or death or cause damage to objects while rotating. Always ensure
the area surrounding the props and ALTA X is clear of people or objects prior to starting the
motors.
Do not approach ALTA X while it is armed or motors are spinning.
To start the motors, hold full low throttle and full right yaw. Ensure that all the motors are spinning. Raise
RPMs slightly and move the pitch, roll, and yaw controls slightly. ALTA X should pitch, roll, and yaw as
commanded due to isolator cartridge flex. Ensure that the ALTA X behaves as expected. If it does not, shut
down ALTA X and ensure the propellers are installed in the correct orientation and radio settings are correct.
Do not make large yaw commands while on the ground with the Skyview landing gear installed.
Large yaw commands can cause instability.
After checking flight control directions, advance the throttle directly from idle to hover throttle. Prior to takeoff,
do not advance throttle stick above idle until prepared for flight as this can spool up motors undesirably.
While throttling up for takeoff, do not loiter in ground effect. Once in flight, use the Mode Switch to select
between Manual, Altitude, or Position Mode only after first confirming proper flight performance in Manual
Mode.
Only take off in Manual Mode or let the ALTA X take off autonomously when doing a waypoints
mission. Attempting to take off in Altitude or Position Modes may cause ALTA X to tip over.
Altitude Mode and Position Mode are assistive only and are not a replacement for pilot skill and
ability. Pilots should be proficient in Manual Mode flight in order to react to emergency situations
as required.
Recommended landing voltage is 44V.
After Every Flight

2. Home Switch OFF
3. ALTA X LAND
4. Motors DISARM and STOP
5. Orientation Lights VERIFY LIGHTS DIM
6. ALTA X QGroundControl CHECK for warnings
7. Batteries
DISCONNECT AND REMOVE
8. Radio Controller Power TURN OFF
9. Aircraft Condition INSPECT
10. Motor and Prop Condition INSPECT
11. Battery Condition INSPECT
Upon landing, disarm the motors by holding minimum throttle and full left yaw. This is typically done on the
left radio control stick by moving it to the bottom left corner with mode 2 controllers. Disarming can only be
done while in Manual Mode. Once the motors are stopped and disarmed, the Orientations Lights will dim
indicating it is safe to approach ALTA X.
Only approach ALTA X after confirming that it is disarmed by verifying the Orientation Lights have
dimmed.
The downwash from the propellers can disturb debris. This debris can be ingested by the propellers or
motors and cause damage. After the flight, ensure there is no damage to the propeller blades and that the
motors still spin freely and quietly. Take extra care when operating in areas with large amounts of debris,
such as sand, dirt, or gravel.
After flight is also a good time to check the condition of battery packs. Always refer to the battery
manufacturer’s recommendations for inspection and replacement intervals or requirements.
After Last Flight

FOLD and PLACE inline with

1. Propellers
boom
2. Boom Latches UNLOCK
3. Booms FOLD
4. Prop Straps INSTALL
5. Payload REMOVE
6. ALTA X INSERT into case
Keeping ALTA X on the payload or landing gear easily facilitates the folding process as ALTA X may be
turned on the Toad In The Hole adapter while folding the propellers and booms. Release each boom latch
and then fold the booms inwards. Fold the propeller blades such that the booms with grey ActiveBlade
bumpers are pointed towards each other. Install prop straps to help keep props secure while placing ALTA
X in the case.
Ensure the ALTA is placed in the case properly by matching the grey ActiveBlase bumpers to the colored
marks in the pelican case.
Pay special attention to the external GPS, 900/868MHz Telemetry radio and optional accessories if installed
(FPV camera and Tx) when putting the ALTA X back into its case
Emergency Procedures
Emergency Guidance
The emergency procedures listed in this section are the recommended practices for handling the aircraft in
the event of an aircraft emergency. This guidance should be considered and applied as necessary.
The risk of an emergency can be reduced substantially through proper aircraft maintenance, by performing
thorough inspections before and after all flights, and with careful pre-flight planning.
Emergency situations are dynamic events, and not all conditions or procedures can be anticipated or
applied during the event. These procedures are not a substitute for a thorough understanding of aircraft
systems and sound pilot judgment.
In general, if an emergency occurs, three basic actions can be applied to most situations:
1. Maintain aircraft control—Small emergencies can quickly escalate if the pilot is distracted attempting to
troubleshoot the problem. Always maintain visual contact with the aircraft during an emergency to
reduce the likelihood of losing orientation.
2. Analyze the situation—Once the aircraft is stabilized, begin to assess the cause of the emergency if
practical.
3. Take appropriate action—In many cases, the appropriate action will be to land the aircraft as soon as
possible. Always consider the safety of yourself and others before attempting to save the aircraft in an
emergency.
Alarm Indication

2. ALTA X LAND as soon as possible
3. ALTA X QGroundControl CHECK IN APP WARNINGS
Alarms are displayed if the flight controller determines there is a condition present that can adversely affect
the safety of the flight. Alarms are indicated by the Boom LEDs quickly flashing.
Land as soon as possible when the Boom LEDs indicate a warning, and investigate the problem while
ALTA X is safely on the ground. It is best practice to set the mode switch to Manual when an Alarm is
observed to maintain full control authority of ALTA X.
Pilot Loss of Orientation

1. Control Inputs NEUTRALIZE
2. Mode Switch POSITION
3. Yaw NOSE AWAY
4. Roll VERIFY DIRECTION
the safety of the flight. Alarms are indicated by the Boom LEDs flashing.
Land as soon as possible when the Boom LEDs indicate a warning, and investigate the problem while
ALTA X is safely on the ground. It is best practice to set the mode switch to Manual when an Alarm is
observed to maintain full control authority of ALTA X.
Position Mode may not function as expected if Position Lock has not been achieved. It is best
practice to wait for Position Lock prior to takeoff, even if Position Mode is not planned to be used
during the flight.
Unexpected Flight Controller Behavior

If ALTA X behaves unexpectedly, neutralize controls by centering the throttle/yaw and pitch/roll sticks and
observe ALTA X. If it is still flying in an uncommanded manner in either Altitude or Position Mode, switch to
Manual Mode. In most cases, unexpected behavior is due to erroneous sensor readings, degraded GPS
signal reception, or compass issues.
If the unexpected behavior occurred while in Manual mode, land as soon as possible and check ALTA X
QGroundControl for any warnings.
Battery Exhaustion
If battery cell voltage is below Alarm Voltage (all flight modes)

1. Boom LEDs SLOW FLASH
If battery cell voltage is below Land Voltage while flying in Manual Mode

If battery cell voltage is below Land Voltage while flying in Altitude or Position Mode

WARNING popup in ALTA

2. ALTA X
QGroundControl
MANEUVER away from people

3. Pitch and Roll
or objects
If the battery cell voltage drops below the Alarm Voltage, the boom LEDs will flash. Terminate the flight and
land as soon as possible.
If the battery cell voltage drops below the Land Voltage, the boom LEDs will flash. The pilot will remain in
full control of the ALTA X in all three flight modes and full throttle authority is available to the pilot in a battery
exhaustion event
ALTA X will only Autoland if the battery exhaustion failsafe is set to RTL.
Recommended landing voltage is 44V.
Radio Loss of Signal (LOS)

1. Controller Battery CHECK
2. Controller Antenna REPOSITION
3. Mode Switch
POSITION
4. Home Switch Return-to-Land
Loss of Signal (LOS) can occur if the radio controller stops transmitting a signal, or if ALTA X is too far away
to receive it. In the event ALTA X detects a LOS, it will automatically execute a Return-to-Land or Autoland
as configured in ALTA X QGroundControl if using an S.Bus/S.Bus2 or DSM2/DSMX radio type. While ALTA
X includes these emergency control modes, it is always recommended to attempt to regain signal link with
ALTA X to keep the pilot in control of the aircraft.
Move the antenna orientation for best signal strength. Ensure the radio antenna matches the direction of the
receiver antennas. Move the radio away from objects to get a clear line-of-sight to ALTA X.
Set the Mode switch to Position and the Home switch to Return-to-Land so ALTA X will continue to
approach the home point if the signal is momentarily regained, resulting in higher likelihood of regaining full
signal reception.
If efforts to regain control signal are unsuccessful, ALTA X will begin either the Return-to-Land and Autoland
sequence as configured in ALTA X QGroundControl. Refer to the Flight Controller Modes section of this
manual for additional information regarding functionality available with specific radio types.
Loss of FPV Signal

1. Control Inputs AS REQUIRED
2. Visual Contact MAINTAIN
POSITION for optimal signal

3. ALTA X
reception
If visual contact or FPV signal is not maintained:

1. Mode Switch
POSITION
2. Home Switch RETURN TO HOME
3. Throttle AS REQUIRED
An FPV Loss of Signal (LOS) can occur if the aircraft flies out of range or if it flies behind an object that
interrupts the signal. Maintaining visual contact is the preferred method to re-establish control of the aircraft,
either with the pilot seeing the aircraft, or by the use of a visual observer.
Yawing the aircraft can help signal reception if the body of the aircraft is blocking the line of sight between
the transmitter and receiver antennas.
If FPV signal or visual contact cannot be maintained, setting the Mode switch to Position Mode and enabling
Return-to-Land can be used to bring the aircraft back to signal reception range.
It is the responsibility of the pilot to see and avoid other aircraft, people, or obstacles. Always
maintain direct line of sight with ALTA X during flight, use visual observers as operations require,
and follow local regulations regarding see-and-avoid requirements.
Integrations
ALTA X was designed from the ground up to be highly expandable and to support a large number of
payloads. This section covers many of the integrations that have been tested.
For custom integrations, or to inquire about integrations in the works, please contact support!
Isolator Cartridges
Isolator cartridges are available in different durometers, which gives the user the ability to fine tune vibration
damping performance for different payload weights or ambient temperatures. Durometer options include
30A, 40A, 50A, 60A. The durometer of a cartridge is shown in recessed lettering on each of the O-rings.
Use the chart below as a general guide choosing the correct isolator cartridges for your payload.
Payload [lb] Payload [Kg] Isolator Durometer Cartridge Qty
0-3* 0 - 1.4 30A 3
4 - 10 * 1.8 - 4.5 30A 6
11 - 19 ** 5.0 - 8.6 30A 9
20 - 23 ** 9.1 - 10.4 30A/40A 9
24 - 29 ** 10.9 - 13.2 40A 9
30 - 32 ** 13.6 - 14.5 40A/50A 9
33 - 35 ** 15.0 - 15.9 50A 9
>35 *** >15.9 60A 9
* Depends on Payload Sensitivity - run as many isolators as possible.

** Mix and Match different durometers to attain desired vibration isolation qualities. When
shooting video it is desirable to run the softest isolators possible without bottoming out the
isolators.
*** 60A isolators should be used when the most rigid connection between payload and aircraft is
desirable.

To install, place the cartridges

between the two isolator plates.
1. Ensure they are engaged in the
track features and are parallel
with the plates.
Push inwards fully until they

click, indicating the cartridges
are locked in place. Pull
2.
outwards on the cartridge to
ensure it is locked.
To remove, pinch the cartridge

latch to unlock it from isolation
3.
plates and slide it outwards to
disengage.
Flight testing may be required to determine the optimal isolator for a given setup.
Skyview
Freefly's Skyview allows for payloads mounted on the top-side of the aircraft.

Remove the (x4) M4x14 combo

head bolts that secure the
1.
isolator assembly to the bottom
of the aircraft.
Unbolt and remove the center

battery support. Using a 10mm
2.
wrench, remove the 4 posts from
the bottom of the chassis.
Secure the Skyview landing

gear spacer to the chassis using
(x4) M4x14 combo head bolts.
3.
Attach the Skyview landing gear
onto the spacer using the TITH
quick release.
Unbolt (x4) M4x10 socket heads

4. and remove the spacer from the
isolation assembly.
Attach the TITH plug using (x4)

5.
M4x8 socket head cap screws.

Attach the vibration isolation

assembly to the stiffener ribs on
6.
top of the chassis using (x4)
M4x14 Combo head screws.
ALTA X is now ready to fly in

7.
Skyview mode!
Radio Transmitters
ALTA X allows for the installation of a radio control system. S.Bus, S.Bus2, DSM2, and DSMX receiver types
are supported. Some ALTA X emergency control modes (Return-to-Land and Autoland) may vary depending
on the type of radio. Refer to the Flight Controller Modes section of this manual for additional details.
Installation of Futaba Radio

Locate the bay used for receiver

1. installation (between booms 2 &
3)
Remove quick release door with

2.
radio wires:
3. Plug signal wire into receiver.
If using telemetry, plug the

telemetry wire located in the bay
4.
between booms 2 & 3 into the
opposite side of the receiver.
Feed receiver antenna through

5. bottom of chassis via the plastic
ferrule.
Secure receiver using the

provided double-sided tape to
6.
inside of receiver housing.
Replace the quick release door.
Route antenna wires into the

7. two antenna tubes below ALTA
X chassis.

Installation of Spectrum Radio

Locate the bay used for receiver

1. installation (between booms 2 &
3)
Remove quick release door with

2.
radio wires:
Feed signal cable through panel

3.
grommet.
Plug in receiver/satellite into

4.
signal cable.
Attach receiver/satellite to
5. exterior using double-sided
tape.
Radio Controller Calibration and Mapping

ALTA X can be used with a variety of radio controllers. Different radio controllers can map functions to
different channels, so properly mapping controller channels to ALTA X functions is an important step before
flying. Radio calibration and channel mapping are performed using the ALTA QGroundControl program or
app.
Calibrating Radios Using ALTA QGroundControl App
Calibrating any compatible radio is done using the ALTA QGroundControl app. This only needs to be done
when using a new radio with the ALTA X; ALTA X that were bought with a radio have already gone through
the Calibration and Mapping procedures.
1. Power the ALTA X by plugging in a USB-C cable to the expansion port.

2. The expansion port is located under the closeout between booms 1 and 2
.
3. Once connected, the ALTA X electronics will be powered and you may turn on the radio.
4. Open the ALTA QGroundControl program, navigate to the Radio tab in the Vehicle Setup menu, and
5. Set the transmitter mode radio button that matches your radio configuration (this ensures that
6. Move the sticks to the positions indicated in the text (and on the radio image). Press Next when the
7. When prompted, move all other switches and dials through their full range (you will be able to observe
8. Press Next to save the settings
Make sure to reset all trims and subtrims to zero before continuing with calibrating and mapping
your radio.
Mapping Channels Using ALTA QGroundControl App
Radio channel mapping is accomplished with the ALTA Qgroundcontrol App. Prior to mapping channels,
1. Power the ALTA X by plugging in a USB-C cable to the expansion port.
1. The expansion port is located under the closeout between booms 1 and 2
2. Once connected, the ALTA X electronics will be powered and you may turn on the transmitter.
3. Open the ALTA QGroundControl program, navigate to the Flight Mode tab in the Vehicle Setup menu for
4. Channel mapping can be customized by the user on this menu to fit their preferences. Below is a quick
Customers are advised to use tablets, laptops, or desktops to perform the Radio Calibration and
Channel Mapping; some mobile devices may crop these menus.
Controller
Use this to select the appropriate receiver. The following guide is compiled for convenience. For complete
specifications and which mode will work with your receiver, refer to your radio controller or receiver manuals.
DSM2/DSMX are typically used by Spektrum controllers

SBUS is typically used by Futaba controllers
controller sticks.
Mode
mixes) either Altitude Mode or Positon Mode
. Other modes are available, but should be only used by experienced operators.

is up to the pilot setting up ALTA X for flight to determine if these settings are appropriate.
Futaba 14SG/8FG
Pitch 2 Normal
Roll 1 Normal
Yaw 4 Normal
Throttle 3 Reverse
Futaba 14SG/8FG
Spektrum DX18
Pitch 3 Reverse
Roll 2 Reverse
Yaw 4 Reverse
Throttle 1 Normal
Mode Switch 6 Reverse

FPV Camera and Transmitter
FPV System installation

Note: If you are installing a different FPV Transmitter other than the Freefly FPV system, please see the
appendix section for wiring guidance.

Connect the FPV camera cable

to the FPV extension located
1.
inside the chassis at the base of
boom.
Screw the FPV mount to the top

2. of the chassis with the (x4)
M3x14 screws and washers.
Screw the FPV camera bracket

3. to the FPV mount with (x2)
M2.5x5 screws and washers.
Screw the FPV camera to the

4. bracket using the included (x4)
M2x4 screws and washers.
Plug the FPV cable into the

5.
back of the camera.
VTX System Installation

Connect the VTX cable to the

VTX extension located inside
1.
the chassis at the base of boom
#3
Screw the VTX and its mount to

the interior of the closeout panel
adjacent to the base of boom #3
2. using 2x M3x10 screws. Then
plug in the VTX cable. This can
be done without removing the
closeout panel.
Route the SMA mount and cable

through the access port at the
3. base of boom #3. Ensure you do
not unplug the u.FL connector
during this step.
Screw the SMA mount to the

4. accessory mounting pattern
using 2x M3x5 screws
Attach the included TBS

5. Triumph Antenna to the SMA
jack and tighten.
LIDAR
Phoenix LIDAR
Freefly has tested the PhoenixLiDAR systems to ensure easy integration and compatibility. To use ALTA X
with the the miniRANGER system simply install the system using the Toad in the Hole quick release, and
then follow the normal LiDAR workflow as described by PhoenixLiDAR.
External Computer
External Computer Mounting
To mount an external computer, first

open the chassis. Directions for
1.
opening the chassis can be found in the
maintenance section.
Once the chassis is open use the 32x32

mm hole pattern in the lower chassis
2.
plate to mount the computer. The hole
pattern is sized for M3 bolts.
After mounting the external computer

3. and routing its power and I/O cables,
close the chassis.
TELEM1 and TELEM 2 are internal

UART for ext computer integration. Both
are exposed as 6pin GH. By Default
TELEM1 is typically plugged into the
FRX Pro. TELEM2 is shared with wifi,
4.
so wifi can't be used if you connect
anything to TELEM2.
SET_TEL1_BAUD or
SET_TEL2_BAUD is how you would
adjust baud rates.
Power & Comms

Power is available from a few sources:
5V from expansion ports (see Expansion Ports section)

5V or 12V DC-DC converters
Communication to the aircraft is currently available through the Mavlink on the expansion port labelled
"UART" (see expansion ports sections)
MoVI Carbon
MoVI Carbon makes a perfect companion to the ALTA X. When installing Carbon onto an ALTA, please note
the following:
To use MōVI Carbon with ALTA X, we recommend using the 40 duro isolators that ship with ALTA X.
Install landing gear on MōVI Carbon and attach to ALTA X using the Toad in the Hole Quick Release.
We recommend using qty 2 12s 16Ah flight packs with MōVI Carbon as this will allow 20+ minute flight
times.
The default Movi Carbon tuning should work well with ALTA X.
FRX Pro can be added to MoVI Carbon to increase control range and robustness.
5V/12V DC-DC Converters
Description & Specifications

The Freefly DC-DC converters draw power from the 50V battery bus and provide up to 120W of 5V or 12V
DC. The converters utilize off the shelf converters mounted on a custom heatsink with and a custom
capacitor board to provide better transient response.
Spec 12V 5V
Operating input voltage range 18-75VDC 18-75VDC
Output voltage 12VDC 5VDC
Max output current (Note 1) 10A 24A
Max output power (Note 1) 120W 120W
Recommended max output

100W 100W
power
Operating Temperature -40C to 85C -40C to 85C
Input power connector XT30 (Male Pins) XT30 (Male Pins)
Output power connector XT60 (Female Sockets) XT60 (Female Sockets)
Weight with Wires/ Plugs 105 grams 105 grams
Note 1: Above ambient temperatures of 50C, some current/power derating will be necessary.
The DC-DC converter output is isolated, so the "return" power connection is not tied to the AltaX
ground. If you are connecting to a data link in AltaX (such as UART), you must run the ground
line in the data connection (ie. pin 6 in UART connection or pin 4 of CAN).
Failure to properly ground modules connected to the isolated DC-DC converters may result in
spotty or non-functional connection.
Installation
The converter mounts onto any unused closeout. Installation steps:

Remove two screws holding

1. closeout door, remove closeout
door

Install DC-DC converter using
2.
supplied button-head screws
Route & connect XT30

3. connector to inside of the power
expansion board
Route XT60 connector to

4.
desired location
The internal XT30s of the power expansion board share the same 10A fuse as J1.
Operation Notes
The power converter will power on automatically as soon as the battery is connected on the aircraft.
The power converter will power on automatically as soon as the battery is connected on the aircraft.
The converters have overcurrent & short circuit protection, and will restart automatically upon clearing of
overcurrent/short circuit condition.
Caution! The DC-DC converter heatsink may get very hot when drawing power.
Maintenance
Interval Inspections
Every 15 Flights
ALTA X is designed to be as low-maintenance as possible.

It is recommended to check ALTA X’s fasteners regularly. This check should occur roughly after every 15
flights. To check ALTA X’s fasteners, apply a tightening torque to each fastener on the chassis using the
supplied hex drivers. The fasteners should not slip.
Inspect Fastener Tightness
Check the tightness of the following fasteners to verify no loose fasteners:
Motor mount bolts

Boom clamping bolts
Prop hub bolts
Prop bolts
Top and bottom chassis bolts
Closeout panel bolts

FPV camera mounting plate bolts
Boom stay attachment bolts
GPS/Compass mounting bolts
If a fastener does slip, tighten it using the methods described in the Fastener Installation section.
Do not apply additional thread locking compound unless the fastener has repeatedly come loose.
Every 15 Flight Hours
Inspect Fastener Tightness
Check the tightness of the fasteners as described above.
Inspection Wear Components
Inspect the following items. Replace if worn.

Propeller blades - Chips, cracks, or deep scratches
ActiveBlade bumpers
- Broken or crushed
Frame Bumpers - Broken or crushed
Pan Isolator Rings - Tearing or gummed up to the post
Inspect Boom Ring Latch Tightness
Check boom latching tightness by closing the latch. There should be a firm closing force and click. Adjust
the tension by using a 2.0mm hex wrench on the set screw located in the rear of the latch link.
Every 3 Months: Battery Maintenance
For long-term storage, it is recommended you put your batteries on a storage charge every 3 months. The
batteries can over discharge over time due to parasitic loss in the BMS. Making sure your batteries are at
proper storage voltage every three months will prevent permanent damage due to over-discharging.
The longevity and health of the battery is fully dependent on how you treat and care for it. One important
aspect of the care of a lipo is storage voltage. Storing the battery at a charged voltage for more than 2-3 days
will start to degrade the battery. The optimal storage voltage for lipos is 3.8v to 3.9v per cell (45.6v to 46.8v
total.) After a mission, a Lipo charger can be used to put batteries in “Storage Mode”. This will either
discharge or charge your battery to get it to storage voltage. Batteries should be placed in a cool
environment with a recommended storage temperature from 10°C to 25°C. For storage make sure your
battery is kept in a dry fireproof cabinet.
Every Year or Every 1000 hours
We recognize that our users put Freefly gear into a wide variety of demanding situations and count on their
equipment to perform reliably. Freefly recommends that users send their equipment back on the following
intervals for a checkup to ensure optimal long-term performance and reliability.
We recommend that your Alta be serviced once a year or every 1000 flight hours.
Freefly will inspect your Alta with specific emphasis on:
Wear / fatigue items

Updated / improved / revised components
Confirm performance thresholds:
Motors
Sensors
The service will include:

Service bulletin and firmware updates.
Full airworthiness inspection
Full cleaning and fastener replacement (as needed)
System level test and re-qualification
Replacement of Parts
Spare or replacement parts are available for sale separately at freeflysystems.com. Please refer to the store
for a current listing of all available spare parts.
Use Of Threadlocker
Bolts and screws used in the daily use of this aircraft do not require threadlocking compound.
This includes the screws holding on the battery trays, vibration isolation system and the Skyview
landing gear parts.
However, for the structural fasteners described in parts of this section blue Loctite 243 compound
or equivalent is required. Apply sparingly to the threads before insertion.
Fastener Installation
The Freefly hex drivers included with ALTA X are designed to limit the torque that can be applied
to each bolt or screw and help prevent stripping the fastener head.
Thread all fasteners into their respective holes until snug (when the fastener head bottoms out
and lightly clamps the two mating parts together).
To prevent excessive tightening and damaging the fastener or parts, twist the driver from the
smaller diameter knurled section of the tool between your thumb and index finger for small
fasteners (under size M3) or with your thumb and two forefingers for larger fasteners (size M3 and
larger).
Before performing any part replacement, ensure that ATLA X has been unplugged from any
power source. Leaving ALTA X powered while performing any work on it can result in a
potentially dangerous situation.
Fastener Torque Values

Torque Values for Installed Fasteners
Replacing ActiveBlade Bumpers

Push down on one side of the

ActiveBlade assembly to open

1. the gap and provide better
access. Pull the bumper out from
that side.
Repeat this for the second

2.
bumper.
To replace, insert the tail of the

new bumper into the hole and
3. pull into place, until the shoulder
is fully seated. A circular motion
may help with seating.
To replace the second bumper,

push down on the ActiveBlade
4.
assembly and again pull the tail
of the bumper to seat.
Rock the the ActiveBlade

assembly back and forth to
5.
make sure the bumpers are
aligned.
Replacing Propeller Sets

First, remove the ActiveBlade

1. bumpers as detailed in the
previous section.
Remove (2x) M5x30 bolts and

2. (4x) M3x10 bolts and remove the
top plate.
Replace props and nylon

3.
washers if required.
Refit top plate and attach with

(2x) M5x30 bolts and (4x) M3x10
4. bolts. Loctite 243 or equivalent
must be used to secure these
fasteners.
Reinsert the ActiveBlade

5. bumpers as detailed in the
previous section.
Props are supplied as a weight matched and balanced pair. Only fit props in the factory supplied
pair.
Replacing ActiveBlades

Remove (x4) M3x10 bolts by

1. accessing through the top of the

assembly as shown.
Fit new assembly and secure

with (x4) M3x10 bolts. Loctite
2. 243 or equivalent must be used
to secure these fasteners.
Replacing Pan Isolator Rings

Remove the Vibration Isolator

assembly from the aircraft by
1.
removing the (4x) M4 x 14
Combo bolt.
Using a 12mm wrench and an

2. M2.5 driver to remove the Pan
Isolation post.
Replace the Pan Isolator Rings

by pushing the old rings out of
3. the mounts and inserting the
new ring. Make sure it is fully
captured by the mount.
Insert the post back through the

4. Pan Isolator Ring and secure it
using Loctite 222.
Repeat this process with all Pan

5. Isolator Rings that need to be
replaced.
Once you are done replacing

Pan Isolator Rings, mount the
6. Vibration Isolation assembly
back to the aircraft using Loctite
243.
Replacing Frame Bumpers

Remove the vibration isolator

assembly from the aircraft by
1. removing the (4x) M4 x 14
Combo bolt.
Remove the bumpers by pulling

on their heads until they release
2.
from the Vibration Isolation
assembly.
To replace, insert the tail of the

new bumper into the hole and
pull it into place until the
3.
shoulder is fully seated. A
circular motion may help with
seating.
Repeat this process with all

4. Frame Bumpers that need to be
replaced.
Once you are done replacing

Frame Bumpers, mount the
5. Vibration Isolation assembly
back to the aircraft using Loctite
243.
Opening Chassis

Set aircraft on a stable level

work surface.During
disassembly, take care to note
1.
the location of fasteners and
orientation of parts, as this will
greatly help with reassembly.
Remove the following fasteners

(reference drawing below):
1. (x4) M4x16 Combo - which

secure the boom stays to
the boom
secure the closeout panels

secure the battery
connector mount

2. secure the center ring

secure the center ring
6. (x4) M3x10 SHCS - which
secure the battery tray and
latch mount
7. Remaining M4 bolts that
secure the top chassis to
each hinge. See detail in
drawing below. Note: There
are 3 different length M4
bolts in this area.
The top chassis can now be

removed from the machine, and
3.
the inner cover lifted off to
access the enclosure area.
To reassemble, refit the

enclosure making sure it is well
4.
seated and there are no trapped
wires.
Attach the power connector with

(x2) M3x10 bolts before
5. reseating the top chassis, `
making sure the orientation is
correct.
Reassemble the remaining
chassis fasteners. Take care to
align the fasteners correctly. It is
recommended to get all
6. fasteners started before
torquing. Loctite 243 or
equivalent should be used in all
these locations.
Replacing Booms
If replacing more than one boom, replace one at a time to reduce the chances of mixing up
connections.

Remove the top chassis as

1.
detailed in the previous section.
Trace the wires from the boom to

be replaced. There will be three
cables from each boom, a power
cable, an LED cable and a
2. motor control cable. Carefully
unplug each, taking care to note
the locations for when the
replacement boom is fitted.
Remove any strain relieving zip

3. ties. Take care to note the
correct wire routing.
Loosen the three M4 bolts that

4. clamp the boom, and carefully
slide the boom out of the hinge.
Remove the corrugated tube

from the old boom, noting its
5. location on the harness. If being
reused, remove the ActiveBlade
assembly from the old boom.
Prepare the new boom

6. assembly by attaching the
corrugated tube.
Feed the wiring harness through

the hinge, slide the boom into
7.
place and temporarily secure by
lightly tightening the hinge bolts.
Connect new boom’s three

cables, route the wires and
secure with strain relief zip ties
8. where needed. Make sure the
corrugated tube is positioned
correctly and strain relieved to
the chassis securely.
Replace the enclosure cover

9. and reinstall the top chassis per
the previous section.
The booms on ALTA X are

clocked to improve yaw
authority. Replacement booms
are supplied with alignment
cards to allow accurate clocking
10. of the motors. Their use is
covered in this video. Before
aligning the motors, completely
remove the M4 boom clamp
fasteners, and apply Loctitie 243
or equivalent. Once aligned,
torque fasteners.
Reattach the ActiveBlade

11. assembly as described in
previous section.
Updating Firmware
Autopilot and system component firmware is updated via the USB expansion port on ALTA X located in the
chassis closeout between booms 1 and 2. To update firmware download the latest FW files from the ALTA X
Firmware page and follow the instructions below.

Download the latest ALTA X FW

1. from the ALTA X Firmware page
on the support website.
Plug in a USB cable to your

2. computer. Leave the other end
unplugged from ALTA X for now.
Remove the chassis closeout

3. between Booms 1 and 2 to
reveal the expansion board.
Hold down the USB MSC Button

on the expansion board while
plugging in the USB C to the
4. expansion board on your ALTA.
Your ALTA will show up in your
file browser as a USB disk
named FF-ALTA.
You should see a folder named

5.
'freefly'.
Replace the ‘freefly’ folder in the

root of the drive with the new
6.
one downloaded from the
Freeflysystems.com website.
Unplug ALTA X from the USB

and then apply USB power (or
battery power with the props
removed) while holding down
7.
the Boot button on the
expansion board.
Hold Boot button until motor
boom lights start blinking blue.
ALTA X should display blue

solid or flashing lights on its
motors to show it is updating its
8. FW. Once complete the system
will boot normally and display
red and green directional lights
on the motors.
Update ALTA X to use the latest Note: if your Alta X is configure

parameter defaults using ALTA with a nonstandard switch
QGC. Parameter files are layout, this step could disrupt
9 available here at your workflow. Please check
https://freeflysystems.com/suppo with your supplier or integrator
rt/alta-x-support you are unsure
For troubleshooting, you can view details of the bootloading process by connecting to the GPS2
UART on the expansion connector with a USB to UART adapter and a cable using the
dronecode/PX4 UART standard pinout. The UART settings are 57600 baud, 8-N-1.
Test radio channels, arming, and disarming behavior after firmware updates to ensure radio
mapping has been preserved. Incorrect radio mapping can lead to loss of control.
Do not use a battery to power ALTA X during FW updates! Using USB power prevents unwanted
motor spin-ups.
Testing and Certification
An overview of the pre launch testing Freefly completed to ensure Alta X performs to
spec
Testing Philsophy
The team at Freefly comes from a cinema background and spent the first decade of their career onset filming
in some of the most demanding circumstances available. It was from this period and all the failures we
endured (at the worst times) that we developed the testing philsophy that drives Freefly today.
We like to test early, test frequently, and test harder than any of our customers will. We push our drones and
gimbals to the limits (and often destroy them) in order to make sure you can rely on them when time is short
and the light is beautiful.
We sweat the details so you don't have to!
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Product Development Process

Freefly typically follows an product development workflow with the following stages. We have developed
this process over the last decade to help ensure adequate effort goes into each product we build at each of
the critical stages of development.
Mule / Prototype
This is a very rough prototype that the team will build over the couse of 1 -2 weeks to quickly derisk any of
the items that we are very worried about with our design intent. For Alta X this was a flat plate carbon
chassis mule that we built over the course of a week designed to ensure flight performance and tuning.
EV - Engineering Validation
This is the first prototype that is based upon our intendend design. Often times we will rapid prototype parts
and machine parts for this round in house. At this stage we are not sure if many of our designs will work and
we want to get them built and testing as quickly as possible to figure where we missed. All the materials
should be fully functional and testable.
For this stage we mainly want to know if we can build a machine that meets all functional requirments
We usually build 10 to 20 units during the EV test period
DV - Design Validation
This stage will feature one configuration that worked well from our EV testing period and be built with hard
tools with production processes that are being refined for mass production.
We want to know if we can build machines that meet all functional, and cosmetic requirements
This might be 20 to 50 units
PV - Production Validation
Now we are scaling! Can we build machines that achieve our functional, cosmetic, and manufacturing
metrics consistently? Are we able to build machines that repeatably delight our customers in a systematic
fashion?
100+ units
Test Documentation
Here are the test Freefly ran prior to launching Alta X
All the tests that were completed (except for a few confidential ones) during the development of Alta X are
listed in a google sheet here
This overview sheet will tell you key information about the test, who completed the test, and the test result. If
you want to understand the test in more detail you can review each test plan individually by following the
link for each test.
Flight Testing
Before the launch of Alta X the Freefly team completed over 500 hours of flight and simulated flight testing.
The summary and details for these flights can be found here.
For these test the team at Freefly pushed the Alta X harder than we think a customer would ever imagine.
This meant stressing the machine to the limit in order to ensure robust performance in the field.
Freefly also leveraged a small group of external beta testers during this phase to ensure they were pleased
with the Alta X performance. We did have a difficult time getting the test machines back from several of
these testers (Ahem Pat Weir) 😂
ALTA X 40 lb payload
Certifications
Certifications for Alta X
Canada
Alta X is certified in Canada for Advanced Operations under the Transport Canada RPAS Safety Assurance
requirements
Manufacturing Workflow
How each Alta X is built!
You can see how an Alta X is assembled and tested in this visual diagram
Appendix
This section covers technical details of ALTA X.

Technical Specs
Powerplant
Number of Motors
Motor Max Continuous Power 17,760W
Motor Max Instantaneous Peak Power 23,088W (<3
Equivalent Kv 115 rpm
Propellers
Material Carbon Fiber Reinforced Nylo
Propeller Orientation (2x) CW and (2x) CCW Prop
Propeller Type Folding - 840 x 230 mm (33 x 9i
Battery
Cells 12
Nominal Battery Voltage 44.4
Peak Battery Voltage 50.4
Battery Connectors XT-90 Anti Spa
260a per batter

Required Minimum Battery Discharge Rating (Per
Pack) (assumes two batteries) 20C for a 16A-hr pac
Battery Tray Dimensions

Minimum Battery Tray footprint
Maximum Battery Tray Footprint
Minimum Skyview Battery Tray Footprint
Maximum Skyview Battery Tray Footprint

Maximum Height of Battery for Skyview Mounting
Weight
Maximum Gross Takeoff Weight 34.9k
Maximum Payload 15.9k
Empty Weight 10.4 k
Environmental
Operating Temperature -20C to +50
Operating Ceiling (Weight-dependent. See performance spec
Ingress Protection Tested to IP43 equivale
Flight Controller
Autopilot Name Custom PX4 flight control sta
Manual, Altitude, Position, Mission, Loiter, Orb

Flight Modes
Retu
Supported Inputs MAVlink SD
Futaba, Spektrum, PX4 compatible SBUS an

Supported Radios
PPM receive
Supported Radio Controller Telemetry Systems Voltage feed provided for Futaba RX telemet
Minimum Radio Controller Channels Required 5 (roll, pitch, yaw, throttle, mod
Supported GNSS GPS/Glonass/Beidou/Galile
Lighting and Indication
Orientation Lights Boom tip mounted LEDs
User controlled in software - red, orange, yellow,

Orientation Light Color Options
green, cyan, blue, purple, white, and off.
Yes, see the FPV integration section for

FPV Ability
instructions on how to mount the FPV.
Isolation Systems
Vibration Isolation System Built-in (see chart below for weight suggestions)
Payload [lb] Payload [Kg] Isolator Durometer Cartridge Qty
0-3* 0 - 1.4 30A 3
4 - 10 * 1.8 - 4.5 30A 6
11 - 19 ** 5.0 - 8.6 30A 9
20 - 23 ** 9.1 - 10.4 30A/40A 9
24 - 29 ** 10.9 - 13.2 40A 9
30 - 32 ** 13.6 - 14.5 40A/50A 9
33 - 35 ** 15.0 - 15.9 50A 9
Radio Specs
Operating Frequency
Futaba 2.4 G
FRX Pro 900M
FPV TX 5.8 G
RFD 900X 900M
Max Transmitting Distance
Futaba Varies on condition
FRX Pro 1-2 Miles LO
FPV TX TB
RFD 900X 1-2 Miles LO
Power Supply
Futaba DC - 6V HT5F18008 NIH
FRX Pro Input 5-30
FPV TX Up to 600m
RFD 900X 5
Output Power (max)
Futaba ± 0.52dB
FRX Pro 10mW - 1W (User adjustabl
FPV TX 25mW (up to 800mW with HAM license
RFD 900X 1W (+30dBm
USB Power Supply
Futaba N
FRX Pro 5
FPV TX N
RFD 900X 5
Operating Temperature
Futaba N
FRX Pro -20 to 50
FPV TX Normal Airflo
RFD 900X -40 to +85 deg

Performance Specs
Performance Charts
Flight Time v. Payload
Thrust to weight ratio

Total Weight Thrust to
Flight Time (min) Payload (lbs) Payload (kg)
(lbs) Weight Ratio
50 0 0 43.28 3.5
41.7 5 2.3 48.28 3.1
33.3 10 4.5 53.28 2.8
26.6 15 6.8 58.28 2.6
22 20 9.1 63.28 2.4
18 25 11.3 68.28 2.2
12.5 30 13.6 73.28 2.0
10.75 35 15.9 78.28 1.9
Maximum Gross Weight
To determine maximum gross weight, determine flight location pressure altitude and temperature, and refer
to the weight in the chart below.
Gross Weight includes payload, battery and structure weight.
The maximum gross weight might exceed the weight allowed by regulatory agencies. When determining
gross weight, please consider any such local restrictions on aircraft weight when planning aircraft weight.
The maximum gross weight at a defined density altitude was established by calculating weight so
that sufficient thrust margin for maneuvering is maintained.
Cells highlighted in yellow indicate where the weight is limited by the maximum design weight
Max Configurable Parameters
Max Angular Velocity Configurable, default to 100 deg/s in manual mod
Max Pitch Angle Configurable, default
Configurable, default to 6m/s in Position & Altitud

Max Ascent Speed (by mode)
Mod
Configurable, default to 4m/s down in Position & A

Max Descent Speed (vertical (by mode)
Mod
Max Speed (by mode) Configurable, default to 20m/s in Position Mod
Depends on payload, see "Maximum Gros

Max Service Ceiling above Sea Level
Weight" cha
Electrical Interfaces
Expansion Ports
External Com Expansion
The external communications expansion port is located between booms 1 and 2 on the ALTA.
GH-6 Pin GH-4 Pin

5V External Power
The external expansion connector port 5V power is provided by a dedicated 5V 3A current limited power
supply separate of the redundant 5V power supplies for the flight controller. Each output on the external
expansion connectors is protected by a 1.1A hold 2.2A trip PTC (Part number 0ZCG0110FF2C). The sum of
the power supplying the following components must be less than 3A:
Motor boom LEDs (approx 1A during flight with 2x red and 2x green LEDs)
Long range radio if not powered via other means (FRX Pro is powered by 12V)
All internal CANbus peripherals on CAN expansion connectors

All external UART, I2C, and CANbus connectors
UART Port - GH-6 Pin
MAVLink serial communications at 57600b 8-N-1
Pin Signal Voltage (V)
1 VCC +5V
2 TX (Out) +3V
3 RX (In) +3V
4 CTS (In) +3V
5 RTS (Out) +3V
6 GND GND
GPS2 Port - GH-6 Pin
Nuttx console output at 57600b 8-N-1.
1 VCC +5V
2 TX (Out) +3V
3 RX (In) +3V
4 I2C1 SCL +3V
5 I2C1 SDA +3V
6 GND GND
CAN Ports - GH-4 Pin

Peripheral CANbus for future expansion.
1 VCC +5V
2 CAN_H +5V
3 CAN_L +5V
4 GND GND
WARNING: Internal Long Range RF CAN is 12V VCC, do not use!
I2C Ports - GH-4 Pin
I2C bus for future expansion
1 VCC +5V
2 I2C1 SCL +3V
3 I2C1 SDA +3V
4 GND GND
Power Expansion
The power expansion port is located between booms 1 and 2 on the ALTA; it contains three externally-
facing and two internally-facing direct battery connected power expansion connectors with female socket pin
XT-30 type connectors. Each external output is protected by a 10A automotive mini blade type fuse. The
replacement fuse part number is 0297010.WXNV.
The system and fuses are sized to supply 10A or less continuously on each external port simultaneously;
the internal connectors share the same fuse with the external connector J1. Please note that the output
voltage will vary with system battery voltage as the battery discharges.
Use of any other size fuse could cause the aircraft to crash if shorted.
FPV Cable Pinout
Cable FPV TX
Every Alta X comes with a cable pre-installed to attach the FPV video transmission system. Freefly provides
this FPV system and the appropriate cable to attach the transmitter to the aircraft cable, but if the customer
wants to install their own FPV transmitter, please use the pinout below for wiring guidance. Also see note
below pinout for camera-specific guidance.
FPV TX Cable connector from aircraft (Mating connector is HIROSE DF11-6DS-2C)
Connector Pinout
Designation Color
(DF11-6DEP-2C)
1 12V RED
2 GND BLACK
3 5V PURPLE
4 5V-Pass-Thru GREY
5 VID-IN YELLOW
6 VID-OUT ORANGE
Note: The Freefly-provided FPV system powers the camera via the 5V-passthrough at the VTX. If the
customer wants to install their own VTX that does not provide a 5v-passthrough, it is necessary to power the
camera directly from the 5V pin (Pin 3). This can be done by moving the pin on the camera cable from pin 4
to pin 3.
Alta X Motor Change June 2022
The original Alta X that shipped between September 2019 and May 2022 came equipped with DJI M12
Motors. In June of 2022, the Freefly Alta X received a motor update and is now shipping with X9 motors.
Like all Freefly Systems products, we conducted a lot of testing on these motors to ensure reliability,
performance, and safety. You can find the testing log book and test plans conducted for the X9 motors here.
The X9 motors are configured in software to match the same thrust performance of the M12 motors.
X9 motors are not susceptible to SB003 Motor Stall on fast descent.
The M12 and X9 motors use the same 33” propeller but have a slightly different ActiveBlade assembly to
accommodate a different motor shaft and bolt pattern. Below are photos of the two motors to help you
identify which motors you have and which active blade assembly you will need to purchase for spare parts.
If you’re purchasing a new Alta from Freefly Systems at the time of reading this you will have X9 motors.
The M12 motors use
CW ActiveBlade with M3 Fasteners - PN 910-00413

CCW ActiveBlade with M3 Fasteners - PN 910-00414
The X9 Motors use
CW ActiveBlade with M4 Fasteners - PN 910-00703

CCW ActiveBlade with M4 Fasteners - PN 910-00704
X9 Motor on all Alta X built after June 2022
M12 Motor on all Alta X built September 2019 - May 2022

X9 Motor top view without ActiveBlade assembly
M12 Motor Top Down view without ActiveBlade Assembly
Security Precautions and Best Practices
In order to maintain control of personal or mission critical information, there are some precautions and best
practices that can be used. This information is being included in our documentation as part of our DIU Blue
Certification.
WiFi
WiFi can allow an attacker to remotely access the Alta X. This includes, but is not limited to:
Downloading Flight Logs
Collecting live telemetry

Uploading and Downloading Missions
Controlling the aircraft.
Consider a user with WiFi access to have physical access to the aircraft.
By default, WiFi is not enabled on Alta X. WiFi is permanently disabled on Alta X Blue.
Alta X ships with a default password for all aircraft. If you must use WiFi, it is imperative to change the
password immediately
Even with a secure password, a sophisticated attacker could still bypass the WiFi encryption, so do not
leave WiFi enabled for longer than necessary.
FRX Pro
While the radio link is encrypted, anybody with the ground radio can be considered to have physical access
to the aircraft, and all of the above precautions apply.
Dataflash Logs
By default, Alta X records flight logs(from arm to disarm) to internal storage. These logs include information
such as:
Flight path
Time of flight
Takeoff location
Automated mission information (waypoints)
These logs can be pulled from the aircraft if you have physical access, without any user authentication.
One option to limit exposure is to frequently back up and remove logs from the aircraft.
Logging can also be completely disabled by setting the following 2 parameters:

SDLOG_MISSION: 0
SDLOG_MODE: -1
Note: Freefly Systems uses dataflash logs to diagnose Alta X issues. Disabling logging may
increase turnaround time for technical support and in some instances, prevent RMAs from being
issued.
System Compromisation
Freefly Systems recommends keeping Alta X physically secure at all times. If you suspect that the aircraft
has been compromised, please consult these links to flash the latest firmware and reset the aircraft to factory
defaults.
Freefly Systems utilizes signed and encrypted firmware packages. The firmware of the flight controller
cannot be modified without erasing all of the firmware, and Freefly firmware cannot be loaded if the flight
controller has been tampered with.
If you suspect the aircraft has been compromised, you can also send your aircraft to Freefly Systems for
service, although standard service fees apply.
Technical Drawings and CAD
Aircraft Dimensions

Dimension Length [mm]
Unfolded Diameter (not including props) 1415
Unfolded Diameter (Including Props) 2273
Folded Diameter 877
Height 387
Height (Skyview) 434
Mounting Interfaces - Chassis Underside
Mounting patterns on the underside of the chassis
445-00197 Chassis Lower - REV F.PDF 203KB

PDF
Complete drawing for Chassis Lower

Alta X Lower Chassis Hole Pattern Guide.pdf 529KB
PDF
Chassis Lower Mounting Patterns
Shrinkwrap Model Link - (Downloadable STEP file available here)
CAD files for Movi Pro can be found in this section
CAD for Cargo Landing Gear

Legal
Disclaimer and Warning

Please read this disclaimer and warning carefully and review the ALTA X Aircraft Flight Manual (AFM) prior
to flight. If you have any questions, please contact support@freeflysystems.com prior to using the ALTA X.
You can review the most current version of this manual on the ALTA X Support Page. By using ALTA X, you
acknowledge that you have read, understand and agree to this disclaimer. You agree that you are solely
responsible for your conduct while using ALTA X, and for any direct or indirect consequences that may result
from its use. You agree to only use ALTA X for proper purposes that are in accordance with local and
airspace rules and regulations.
ALTA X is not a toy and should be operated with extreme care, as improper operation can cause
damage to property, serious personal injury or death.
As with any multi-rotor aircraft, ALTA X is a complex and technical machine. Novice pilots should invest
sufficient time on a flight simulator and seek training from an experienced pilot prior to operation. The
ALTA X Aircraft Flight Manual and a flight simulator are no substitute for training with an experienced
pilot, particularly when it comes to learning how to safely operate ALTA X. Novice pilots should never fly
without the supervision of an experienced pilot.
Always check ALTA X and its components prior to operation.
Always maintain a safe distance from ALTA X when in use.

Never attempt to touch ALTA X when the propellers are moving.
Never fly ALTA X over or around people, power lines or other aircraft.
Never fly with any propellers that have visible imperfections or damage.
Always keep children and animals a safe distance away from ALTA X when in use and when changing
configurations.
Only use propellers supplied by Freefly Systems that are designed for use on ALTA X.
Always remove the propellers or power ALTA X using a low power source when making a change to the
configuration of ALTA X to prevent propeller strikes in the event of unintentional motor starts.
Always remove the configuration jumper when making changes to the configuration of ALTA X.
Always test ALTA X with the propellers removed to make sure that the motors are spinning in the correct
direction and that the motor assignment is correct with respect to the Autopilot flight controller. If you
have either of these wrong, the ALTA X will be uncontrollable and dangerous.
It is your responsibility to perform a full system check of ALTA X prior to every flight.
It is your responsibility to learn how to safely operate ALTA X and to adhere to all applicable rules and
regulations.
Fly at your own risk.
ALTA X is a tuned system with custom components selected for each application. Modification, removal,
or substitution of ALTA X components will void the warranty and can lead to unsafe operating
conditions.
Limitations of Liability
IN NO EVENT SHALL FREEFLY BE LIABLE TO BUYER FOR ANY INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL,
PUNITIVE, INCIDENTAL, OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING
FROM THE USE OF ALTA OR FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS (HOWEVER CAUSED AND
UNDER ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY), EVEN IF FREEFLY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY
OF SUCH DAMAGES. IN NO EVENT SHALL FREEFLY’S LIABILITY FOR A PRODUCT (WHETHER
ASSERTED AS A TORT CLAIM, A CONTRACT CLAIM OR OTHERWISE) EXCEED THE AMOUNTS
PAID TO FREEFLY FOR SUCH PRODUCT. NOTWITHSTANDING ANYTHING HEREIN, IN NO EVENT
SHALL FREEFLY’S LIABILITY FOR ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS
AGREEMENT EXCEED THE AMOUNTS PAID BY BUYER TO FREEFLY FOR PRODUCT IN THE LAST
TWELVE (12) MONTHS. IN NO EVENT WILL FREEFLY BE LIABLE FOR COSTS OF PROCUREMENT
OR SUBSTITUTE GOODS BY BUYER. THE LIMITATIONS SET FORTH HEREIN SHALL APPLY TO ALL
LIABILITIES THAT MAY ARISE OUT OF THIRD-PARTY CLAIMS AGAINST BUYER. THESE
LIMITATIONS SHALL APPLY NOTWITHSTANDING ANY FAILURE OF ESSENTIAL PURPOSE OF ANY
LIMITED REMEDY. Freefly shall not be liable for damages or injuries incurred directly or indirectly from the
use of ALTA X including, but not limited to, the following situations:
Failure of the operator to follow proper instructions and safety warnings found at
www.freeflysystems.com.
Failure of the operator to understand and operate the aircraft within the operating limitations described in
this manual.
Failure of the operator to follow onboard safety warnings while using ALTA X.
Failure of the operator to follow and comply with local rules and regulations.
Failure of the operator to follow and comply with the local communications law.
Failure of the operator to inspect ALTA X and its components prior to operation.
Failure of the operator to properly maintain and/or service ALTA X through an authorized Freefly Service
Center with genuine ALTA X parts.
Use of third-party products on ALTA X.
Use of ALTA X in a physically or mentally impaired capacity.
Use of ALTA X without sufficient training.
Use of ALTA X in unsafe conditions, including but not limited to, bad or severe weather, such as rain,
wind, snow, lightning, dust storms, etc., or in areas of magnetic or radio interference, such as power
stations, broadcasting and cell phone towers, government prohibited airspace, etc.
Improper operation, misjudgment or risky behavior while using ALTA X.
Infringement of third party data, audio, or video rights recorded when using ALTA X
Software Release Notes
Always check to make sure you're running the newest firmware on your Alta X. Firmware can include bug
fixes both big and small as well as new features. Click Here to sign up for notifications about Service
Bulletins.
v1.3.6
Known Bug: High System Memory Utilization

If multiple MAVLink streams are enabled (such as FRX and WIFI connectivity) simultaneously,
there may not be enough free system memory for flight logs to record successfully. See Service
Bulletin SB006 for more details.
Summary: X9 motor support and logging bugfix

Release Date: June 2022
Versions in this package:
FMU: v1.3.22
QGroundControl: v1.3.8 (unchanged since previous release)
Notes
Hotfix: Fixed an issue that prevented logging from behaving as expected. This issue caused
logging to cease functioning, particularly during longer flights.
After applying this update, logging the issue that prevented logging at times will no longer exist.
Features: Adds support for drones shipping with X9 motors.
Installation
Instructions can be found on our Support page under "Updating Firmware" section.
This is the minimum supported version for Alta X with X9 motors.
v1.3.2
Summary: Hotfix for Improper Mission Throttle Command
Release Date: January 2022
FMU: v1.3.19
Notes
Hotfix: Fixed invalid throttle setpoint error when transitioning from a piloted flight mode to mission
mode. See more details in this service bulletin.
After applying this update, missions can be safely launched while in flight.
Some microSD cards that read/write below minimum specifications may occasionally fail to
begin a mission, with the error [mc_pos_control] Auto activation failed with error: Activation
Failed. If this occurs, restart the mission. If the issue persists, contact Freefly Support for
assistance.
Installation
Instructions can be found on our Support page under "Updating Firmware" section.
v1.3.1
Summary: Added support for motor telemetry board to catch motor no start
Release Date: March 2021

FMU: v1.3.17
Notes
Hotfix: Added support for motor telemetry board to catch motor no start. This will prevent arming with
specific motor faults that were causing tip over. See more details in this service bulletin.
If an ESC fault is triggered, arming is denied, QGC will pop up a message, LEDs fast flash red
lights.
If a telemetry timeout is detected, arming is denied, QGC will pop up a message.
New Feature: Added current consumption to battery data.

In QGC, use the Analyze window (Mac/Windows top toolbar > Widgets > Analyze) to look at
BATTERY_STATUS.current_battery (unit: centi-amps), and
BATTERY_STATUS.current_consumed
Improvement: Alta X is smoother as it transitions through waypoints. New default configurations file
reduces NAV_ACC_RAD from 10m to 2m.
Bugfix: Logging rates were not set properly. Updated telem rates, 20hz for most to match ESC
telemetry rate.
v1.3
Summary: F9P RTK GPS Support and Safety Improvements
FMU: v1.3.x
QGroundControl: v1.3.x
Notes:
New Feature: F9P RTK GPS Support
New Feature: Optional RC disarm toggle to prevent manual disarm in flight

New Feature: Onboard checking of critical parameters
Bugfix: LEDs on ALTA X place a significant load on the 5V EXT bus
Improvement: Check for RTL switch enable before takeoff, warn if no homepoint
Improvement: Don't require reboot when wifi parameters are modified
Improvement: Lockout feature to guide people to only use the ALTA with the Freefly version of the
QGroundControl
v1.2
Summary: Initial ALTA X release

Release Date: September 2019
FMU: v1.2.x
QGroundControl: v1.1.x
DIU Blue Alta X
DIU Blue UAS Alta X

The Freefly Systems Alta X has been approved by the Defense Innovation Unit and was added to the Blue
sUAS List. Freefly offers the original Alta X, Alta X (Blue Cube), and a Alta X (DIU Blue Package).
The original Alta X uses a Black Cube flight computer. This aircraft was developed and released in 2019
prior to the DIU Blue Certification program.
The Alta X (Blue Cube) uses a Blue Cube flight computer assembled in the U.S.A. This flight computer
use identical hardware as the Black Cube. The Alta X (Blue Cube) aircraft also utilizes specialized
firmware that has been vetted and approved by DIU for cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
Note: Alta X (Blue Cube) does not have wifi capabilities for adjusting parameters from a mobile
device.
Note: Alta X (Blue Cube) PN: 950-00112 does not include a hand controller. You can purchase a
controller separately or provide your own.
Alta X (DIU Blue Package) includes the Alta X (Blue Cube) as well as a UXV Tablet controller with an
RFD 900X telemetry radio. This encrypted radio sends and receives MAVlink telemetry and control
inputs to the drone.
Aircraft Blue List Certified Hand Controller Flight Computer
Futuaba/ User
Alta X N Black Cube
Supplied
Futuaba/ User
Alta X (Blue Cube) Y Blue Cube (F4)
Supplied
Alta X (DIU Blue UXV Navtab w/

Y Blue Cube (F4)
Package) RFD900
As part of the Blue UAS program, the Alta X is under strict revision control and updates in firmware or
hardware will only be released after review from DIU.
More information on DIU Blue UAS Program can be found on the DIU Website here.
ALTA 8 Pro
Overview
Intro to ALTA 8 Pro
Introduction
Overview of ALTA 8 Pro
ALTA Pro is a professional multi-rotor aircraft designed for demanding cinematic, professional, and
industrial, applications. In under five minutes, ALTA Pro can unfold from its carrying case to flying some of
the most capable cinema cameras and industrial payloads on either the top or bottom of the aircraft. ALTA
Pro runs the PX4 stack and has been customized for both cinema and commercial use, yielding precise yet
smooth control.
This Aircraft Flight Manual describes the complete operation of airframe and flight control systems, and the
normal maintenance of those items. Do not operate ALTA Pro without reading and understanding this
manual.
This manual is not a substitute for adequate flight training. Training requirements can vary when operating
in different countries or under different flight conditions. Always consult local regulations before flying ALTA
Pro. In areas where there are no flight training requirements, it is the sole determination of the pilot-in-
command as to whether he or she has the appropriate level of training or experience for a given flight.
Always set and adhere to personal minimums and fly within your own capabilities.
Throughout the manual, warnings, cautions and notes are used to highlight various important procedures.
Warnings are used to highlight procedures which, if not strictly observed, may result in personal injury.
Cautions are used to highlight procedures which, if not strictly observed, may cause damage to equipment.
Notes are used to highlight specific operating conditions, usability tips and tricks or steps of a procedure.
Specifications
ALTA 8 Pro Specifications
Included Items
ALTA 8 Pro Included Items

1. Case
2. ALTA Pro
3. Long Range Radio Modem

a. Aerial portion mounted to ALTA
4. Isolator Cartridges
a. (6) Teal (Installed)
b. (6) Black
c. (6) Red
5. Inverted Landing Gear
6. Quick Release Battery Tray

7. ALTA Product Spares
8. USB-Futaba Power Cable

9. FPV Cables
a. Skyzone/BOSCAM
b. BOSCAM, small connector
c. ImmersionRC/Fat Shark
d. Ready Made RC
10. 5.5mm Wrench
11. Hex Drivers (1.5mm, 2.0mm, 2.5mm)

12. Electronic Luggage Scale
13. Documentation
Additional Required Components (Not Included in Base Package)
Radio Controller
ALTA Pro supports a variety of radio controllers as outlined in the Flight Controller Specifications. A
minimum of five (5) channels are required, with four (4) used for flight control, and the remaining one (1)
used for mode selection.
A radio controller with between six to ten

channels is highly recommended to make use
of Return-to-Land (RTH) and ALTA Pro’s other
functions. It is recommended to use a radio
controller with a three-way switch for Mode
selection and a two-way switch for the Return-
to-Land function.
Flight Battery
ALTA Pro can accommodate a variety of Lithium Polymer (LiPo) flight battery packs. Battery packs must be
6S, having a nominal voltage of 22.2 V. Only run ALTA Pro using two packs at a time. Each pack must have
a continuous discharge rating of 250 amps or greater, and a peak discharge rating of 500 amps or greater.
For additional information on expected flight durations, refer to the Performance Section of this manual.
The use of flight packs which do not meet the

voltage and discharge rating above (22.2V
nominal, 250a continuous discharge, and 500a
peak discharge) can cause damage to the ALT
and the batteries.
Dimensions
Item Dimension
Unfolded Diameter
1325 mm - ALTA Pro
(does not include Props)
Folded Diameter
660 mm - ALTA Pro
(does not include Props)
Height to base of Toad In The Hole (TITH) 263 mm - ALTA Pro

ALTA 8 Pro Dimensions
Powerplant
Item Specification
Number of Motors 8 - ALTA Pro 8
Motor Type Direct Drive 3-Phase PMAC Outrunner
Motor Make and Model Freefly F45
Motor Max Continuous Power Output 350 W
Motor Max Instantaneous Peak Power Output 950 W
Maximum RPM (flat rated) 6300 RPM
Equivalent Kv 384
Electronic Speed Controller Freefly Silent-Drive Sine Wave ESC
Propellers
Item Spec
Make and Model Freefly ALTA Propeller
Material Carbon fiber with balsa core
Propeller Orientation (4) CW and (4) CCW Props - ALTA Pro 8
Propeller Type 18 × 6 Folding
Battery
Item Spec
Nominal Battery Voltage 6S / 22.2V
Maximum Battery Size (GroundView) 240 × 175 × 80 mm
Maximum Battery Size (SkyView) 220 x 156 x 64 mm
Maximum Battery Quantity 2 Battery Packs (Parallel)
Minimum Battery Quantity 2 Battery Packs (Parallel)
Battery Connectors 2× EC5 (Parallel)
Required Minimum Battery Discharge Rating (Per

250A / 500A Peak
Pack)
Weight
Item Spec
Maximum Gross for Takeoff 18.1 kg (40.0 lbs) - ALTA Pro 8
Maximum Useful Load 12.0 kg (26.4 lbs) - ALTA Pro 8
Maximum Payload 9.1 kg (20.0 lbs) - ALTA Pro 8
Typical Standard Empty Weight 6.2 kg (13.6 lbs) - ALTA Pro 8
Specific Loadings
Item Spec
Typical Specific Power 145 W/kg
Thrust Ratio at MTOW1 1.85 : 1
Flight Controller
Item Spec
Autopilot Name PX4
Manual, Height Mode, Position Mode , Return-to-

Flight Modes
Land (RTH), Autoland, Waypoint Mission mode
Supported Inputs: DSMX, DSM2, S.Bus, S.Bus2
Futaba S.Bus & S.Bus2, DSMX, DSM2

Supported Radios
(Spektrum/JR)
Supported Radio Controller Telemetry Systems Futaba w/ built-in voltage sense port
Minimum Radio Controller Channels Required 5
Supported GNSS GPS, GLONASS, Galileo
Supported Satellite-based Augmentation System QZSS, WAAS, EGNOS, MSAS
First-Person View System Video Formats NTSC, PAL
Supported First-Person View Transmitters Skyzone, BOSCAM, ImmersionRC, Fat Shark
Ready Made RC
Supported First-Person View Cameras
RMRC-700XVN (Recommended), Runcam Eagle
2 Pro, or similar
First-Person View OSD Telemetry User Configurable
RFD900/868X Long Range Telemetry System

Installed Transceivers
Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz b/g/n
Default Data Logging Rate 25Hz
Lighting and Indication

Item Spec
Status Light 1 Watt Red, 1 Watt White LED
Orientation Lights 3-Watt RGB LED
Off, Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Cyan,

Orientation Light Color Options
Purple, White
FPV Ability FPV SD with OSD overlay
GPS Light Color Scheme Solid Blue - Armed Without GPS Lock
Solid Green - Armed With GPS Lock
Breathing (Any Color) - Waiting/Standby
Blue (Solid or Breathing) - No GPS Lock
Green (Solid or Breathing) - GPS Lock
Fast Blinking Red - Arming Error
Isolation Systems
Item Spec
Vibration Isolation System O-Rings
Option 1: Soft / Light Payloads Red O-Rings
Option 2: Medium / Medium Payloads Teal O-Rings
Option 3: Stiff / Heavy Payloads Black O-Rings
External Systems Mounting

Item Spec
FPV Transmitter Mount

Mounting Locations
GPS Mount
Telemetry Radio Mount

Freefly Toad In The Hole (TITH) Quick Release
Mounting System

Dimensions / Drawing
FPV Camera Mount Between Booms 1 & 8 - ALTA Pro 8
FPV Transmitter Mount Boom 2 - ALTA Pro 8
GPS Mount Boom 7 - ALTA Pro 8
Telemetry Radio Mount Boom 3 - ALTA Pro 8
Expansion Port Pin-outs
Expansion Port Layout
UART Port
1 VCC +5V
2 TX (Out) +3.3V
3 RX (In) +3.3V
4 CTS (In) +3.3V
5 RTS (Out) +3.3V
6 GND GND
GPS2 Port
1 VCC +5V
2 TX (Out) +3.3V
3 RX (In) +3.3V
4 I2C1 SCL +3.3V
5 I2C1 SDA +3.3V
6 GND GND
CAN Ports
1 VCC +5V
2 CAN_H +5V
3 CAN_L +5V
4 GND GND
I2C Port
1 VCC +5V
2 I2C1 SCL +3.3V (1.5K pull-up)
3 I2C1 SDA +3.3V (1.5K pull-up)
4 GND GND
Limitations
ALTA 8 Pro Limitations
Limitations
These limitations are advisory in nature and do

not extend or restrict limitations provided by
governing aviation authorities.
Powerplant Limitations
Item Spec
Maximum RPM 6300 RPM
Maximum Battery Voltage 25.2 Volts
Minimum Average Battery Voltage 19.2 Volts
Environmental Limitations
Do not fly ALTA Pro in temperatures exceeding 45ºC (113ºF) or below -20ºC(-4ºF).
Flight Controller Limits
Item Spec
Maximum Pitch/Roll Angle 45°
Maximum Yaw Rate 150° / second
Weight Limits
Item Spec
Maximum Payload 9.1 kg (20.0 lbs)- ALTA Pro 8
Maximum Takeoff Weight See following tables
ALTA 8 Pro Max Allowable Gross Weight

Abbreviations and Terminology
Definitions for common terminology
Meteorological Terminology
Term Definition
International Standard Atmosphere in which:

The air is a dry, perfect gas;
The temperature at sea level is 15° Celsius (59°
Fahrenheit);
The pressure at sea level is 1013.2 mbar (29.92
ISA
inches Hg);
The temperature gradient from sea level to the
altitude at which the temperature is -56.5°C
(-69.7°F) is -0.00198°C (-0.003564°F) per foot and
zero above that altitude
Mean Sea Level is the average height above the

MSL
surface of the sea for all stages of tide
Above Ground Level is the height of the aircraft

AGL
above the ground
Outside Air Temperature is the free air static

OAT
temperature surrounding the aircraft
Altitude measured from standard sea level

pressure (1013.2 mbar, 29.92 in. Hg) by a pressur
Pressure Altitude or barometric altimeter
It is the indicated pressure altitude corrected for
position and instrument error. In this Manual,
altimeter instrument errors are assumed to be zero
Power Terminology
Term Definition
The maximum typical power output of a motor

Maximum Continuous Power Output
averaged over the entire flight
The maximum power output of a motor during any

Maximum Instantaneous Peak Power Output
phase of flight, such as when maneuvering
Flight and Powerplant Control
Term Definition
The radio controller stick responsible for throttle

control. For Mode 2 controllers, this is the vertical
Throttle Stick movement of the left control stick. For Mode 1
controllers, this is the vertical movement of the rig
control stick
The radio controller stick responsible for yaw (also

called pan) control
Yaw Stick
For Mode 2 and Mode 1 controllers, this is the
lateral movement of the left control stick
The radio controller stick responsible for pitch

control. For Mode 2 controllers, this is the vertical
Pitch Stick movement of the right stick
For Mode 1 controllers, this is the vertical
movement of the left stick
The radio controller stick responsible for roll

Roll Stick control. For Mode 2 and Mode 1 controllers, this is
the lateral movement of the right control stick
The radio control stick responsible for both pitch

and roll control
Pitch/Roll Stick or Cyclic Stick
For Mode 2 controllers, this is the right stick
Weight and Balance
Term Definition
Maximum Takeoff Weight (MTOW) Maximum allowable weight at liftoff
Standard Empty Weight Weight of a standard aircraft
Basic Empty Weight Standard empty weight plus optional equipment
Difference between take off weight and basic

Useful Load
empty weight
Useful load less battery weight
Payload

General Terminology
Term Definition
LOS Loss of Signal
RTH Return-to-Land
Small Unmanned Aircraft System includes all

components of the system required for the flight of
sUAS
an unmanned aircraft, including the radio controlle
data link and other related support equipment
Systems Diagrams
ALTA 8 Pro Systems Diagrams
Overview
Flight Control
Power System
FPV Equipment
ALTA 8 Pro Ground Control Desktop and Mobile
App
Qgroundcontrol for ALTA 8 Pro
Getting QGroundControl up and running is quick and easy! Use the ALTA Pro QGroundControl program to
change ALTA Pro’s parameters, monitor statuses, and set up waypoint missions.
1. Download and install the application.
2. Start QGroundControl and ALTA Pro.
3. Connect your vehicle to the ground station device.
1. WiFi
1. To connect to ALTA Pro via WiFi, find the ALTA Pro’s WiFi connection by searching for it in
your device’s WiFi menu and then connect to it like you would any other device.
2. You may have to enable the WiFi feature on ALTA Pro if it is your first time connecting.
2. 900/868MHz
1. Simply plug in the 900/868MHz radio into your computer using the attached USB cable. If
ALTA Pro is turned on the two radio’s will automatically connect!
New Features
QGroundControl
The implementation of QGroundControl into the ALTA Pro system results in new features.
1. By harnessing the full power of the PX4 autopilot controller architecture, ALTA Pro has all the features
of a modern drone: waypoints, autonomy, telemetry/C2, autoland, etc.
2. Advanced, high-bandwidth position hold offers unprecedented precision, repeatability, and stability.
3. PX4 integration will allow users to create and fly complicated waypoints missions with ease.
4. The use of Mavlink and Dronecode protocol makes drone software integration possible and creates
straightforward path to custom sUAS solutions for both cinema and business.
5. ALTA Pro has a built in 900/868MHz radio which will allow for a range of up to 2 miles between the
aircraft and ground station.
The ALTA Pro QGroundControl App will be actively maintained, and additional functionality may be added
over time. For information on individual app updates, refer to the App release notes.
For a more indepth review of QGroundControl

capabilities and workflows, please visit the
QGroundControl User Guide.
If you are currently operating with an ALTA

(Autopilot) version, there is no need to upgrad
if you’re happy with the current feature set. The
Autopilot-controlled ALTA has an excellent
track record for reliability and smooth flight
characteristics. Currently, the Alta Autopilot
version offers Orbit mode functionality and the
Velocity clamp feature. While the ALTA Pro will
continue to see features added, it is does not
currently support Orbit mode and Velocity
clamp functionality.
When flying multiple aircraft at the same time,

take extreme caution to ensure that the aircraft
connected to the laptop/mobile device is the
desired craft. Failing to connect to the correct
device may result in an inadvertently arming a
aircraft or disarming one that is inflight.
We suggest not selecting ‘Connect

Automatically’ when using WiFi to connect to
ALTA Pro and clearly labeling each 900/868MH
RX/TX pair.
900/868 MHz Radio
ALTA Pro makes use of a 900/868MHz radio to increase the communication range between the ALTA Pro
and laptop ground station. This allows users to monitor, update, and reroute ALTA’s while up in the air or on
the move.
All 900/868MHz radio’s are set to default signal

strength when they leave our facility. Users are
responsible for making sure they are operating
within the bounds of the radio communication
regulations in their area. The radio strength
settings can be updated with the RFDTools
program. Users will have to use the USB
supplied with the radio modules to connect to
their computer and update signal strength
parameters. This should be done for both
radios. Contact support for questions
concerning how to update the radio settings.
QGroundControl Overview
Symbol Name Function
Configure the QGroundControl

Settings
application.

Setup Configure and tune your vehicl

Plan Create autonomous missions.
Monitor you vehicle(s) while

Fly flying, including streaming
video.
Download logs, geotag images

Analyze from a survey mission, access
the MAVLink console
Click to show a dropdown of

messages from the vehicle. Th
will change to a Yield sign if
Vehicle Messages
there are critical messages.
Yield sign shown in image
above.
Shows you satellite count and

GPS Status
current hdop.
RC RSSI RC signal strength information
Telemetry signals strength

Telemetry RSSI
information.
Battery Remaining battery percent.
Current flight mode. Click to

Flight Mode
change flight mode.
Shows you progress of RTK

GPS Survey-In process.*
RTK GPS Survey-In Status
*ALTA Pro does not ship with a
RTK GPS
ALTA Pro Specific QGroundControl Features

Tuning Parameters
QGroundControl has a custom tab that allows quick access to the most important ALTA Pro parameters.
These parameters are accessible through the ‘Tuning’ tab in the Vehicle Setup Menu.
ALTA Pro Parameters
Access to boom LEDs and OSD parameters are also located in the Vehicle Setup Menu, under the
Parameters tab and in the ALTA grouping.
CAD File
Downloadable STEP file available - Alta 8

Setting up ALTA 8 Pro
A step by step guide to setting up your ALTA 8 Pro
First Time Setup
If ALTA Pro is purchased as a bundle with a transmitter or FPV kit, these will be factory installed and ALTA
Pro will be ready to fly out of the box! For customers installing their own receivers or FPV systems, please
follow the instructions below. The guide details the first time setup process for ALTA Pro 8.
Radio Installation
Radio Controller Receiver
ALTA Pro requires the installation of a radio control system. S.Bus, S.Bus2, DSM2, and DSMX receiver
types are supported. Some ALTA Pro emergency control modes (Return-to-Land and Autoland) may vary
depending on the type of radio. Refer to the Flight Controller Modes section of this manual for additional
details.
Additionally, ALTA Pro supports radio receiver diversity using S.Bus, S.Bus2, DSM2 and DSMX receivers.
This means two receivers may be installed, and the Autopilot flight controller will automatically use the
receiver with the best signal quality. Using two receivers requires the radio controller to be bound to both
receivers. Refer to the instructions provided with your radio controller to complete the binding process. For
Spektrum radios a receiver is required to bind the satellites to a radio controller.
Futaba Radio for ALTA Pro 8
1. Locate the noted closeout panels used for receiver installation (between booms 2 & 3 and 6 & 7).
2. Remove side closeout panel with radio wires using a 2.0mm hex driver.
3. Plug signal wire into receiver.
4. If using telemetry, plug the telemetry wire located in the closeout between booms 2 & 3 into the primary
receiver (refer to the Voltage Telemetry section).
5. Feed receiver antenna into lower antenna tube.
6. Secure receiver using the provided double-sided tape to inside of receiver housing.
7. Reattach closeout panel.

8. Route antenna wires into the two antenna tubes below ALTA Pro chassis.
9. Repeat installation process for dual receivers (if applicable).
Spektrum Radio for ALTA Pro 8
1. Locate the noted closeout panels used for Spektrum receiver installation (between booms 3 & 4 and 7
& 8).
2. Remove side closeout panel using a 2.0mm hex driver.
3. Feed signal cable through panel grommet.
4. Reattach closeout panel.
5. Plug in receiver/satellite into signal cable.

6. Attach receiver/satellite to exterior using double-sided tape.
7. Repeat steps 1-6 for dual receivers (if applicable).
Voltage Telemetry
ALTA Pro supports battery voltage telemetry on Futaba radios when using a receiver that supports an
external voltage sensor, such as the R7008SB. Installing the telemetry wire is easiest when initially
installing the receiver. To set up ALTA Pro with voltage telemetry for Futaba radios:
Installing Voltage Telemetry for ALTA Pro 8
1. Remove the closeout panel between booms 2 and 3 with a 2.0mm hex driver and locate the radio
receiver wire bundle.
2. Identify the voltage sense wire and connector in the bundle. It is the small, 2-pin connector attached to a
black and red wire pair.
This wire is already connected to an in-line fus

Soldering a fuse into this wire is not required.
3. Connect the cable to the voltage sense port on the primary Futaba receiver.
4. Reattach the closeout panel.
First Person View (FPV)

ALTA Pro can power a variety of first person view (FPV) cameras and transmitters, as well as add
informational on-screen display (OSD) elements to aid in FPV flying. Using an FPV ground station display
can be a useful method of monitoring status, performance, and flight parameters of the ALTA Pro during
flight.
Three FPV transmitter cables are included with each ALTA Pro. Each supplied cable has one side with a
connector that mates with a cable located in the closeout panel between booms 1 & 2. The other end of
each supplied cable has specialty connector(s) to run Immersion RC, Fatshark, BOSCAM, or BOSCAM
compact FPV transmitters. For cable identification, refer to the FPV Transmitter installation instructions.
A single camera cable is provided and is configured to run a Ready Made RC camera (model RMRC-
700XVN recommended). This cable mates with a pre-installed cable located behind the closeout panel
between booms 1 & 8.
Camera and transmitter cables follow this wiring scheme:

Cable Color Function
Red +12 VDC
Black Ground
Yellow Video signal
It is the responsibility of the pilot to see and

avoid other aircraft, people, or obstacles.
Always maintain direct line of sight with ALTA
Pro during flight, use visual observers as
operations require, and follow local regulations
regarding see-and-avoid requirements.
Do not short the pins of the FPV transmitter

connector located on the pre-installed FPV
transmitter lead in the ALTA Pro. Doing so
could damage the on-screen display circuit. If
using a multimeter to check the pins, first
connect one of the provided transmitter cables
then take voltage readings from the transmitte
cable.
FPV System Installation
FPV Camera ALTA Pro 8
1. FPV Camera ALTA Pro 8 Remove the front closeout panel with a 2.0mm hex driver.
2. Locate the FPV camera cable included in the ALTA Pro package.
3. Pass the FPV cable through the closeout panel grommet and connect to the mating FPV camera lead
inside ALTA Pro. Connect the other end directly to the camera.
4. Replace front closeout panel.
5. Mount FPV camera on the FPV mount on the front ALTA Pro using the provided hardware.
FPV Transmitter ALTA Pro 8

1. Mount FPV transmitter on the provided carbon fiber accessory mount plate
2. Attach accessory mount to boom 2 with M3x6 flathead bolts.
3. Locate the appropriate FPV transmitter cable. The following cables are included:
a. ImmersionRC/Fat Shark (cable with two connectors)
b. BOSCAM/SkyZone (cable with one large connector)
c. Compact BOSCAM (cable with one small connector)
4. Use a pair of dykes to cut the zip tie holding the braided transmitter cable to the corrugated tube on boom
2
5. Pass transmitter cable through the underside of the hinge, connect to the correct FPV transmitter cable,
and plug into the FPV transmitter.
6. Zip tie the FPV transmitter lead to the boom 1 cable bundle and the FPV Transmitter mount for strain
relief. The boom should be fully folded when the transmitter lead is zip-tied to cable bundle.
FPV On Screen Display Setup

A number of properties and components can be adjusted or added to the FPV On Screen Display (OSD)
using QGroundControl. To access these settings go to the the ALTA settings group in the Parameters tab of
the Vehicle Setup menu.
Properties
Name Options Description
OSD_ENABLE Enabled/Disabled Turns OSD on or off
Indicates the FPV video camer

OSD_PAL_NTSC PAL / NTSC
format to PX4
OSD_UNITS Metric / Imperial Changes the displayed units
Centers the OSD components

OSD_HOR_OS Min: 1
horizontally
Centers the OSD components

OSD_VER_OS Min: 1
vertically
Controls the margin to the left o

OSD_LEFT_OS Min: 1
the OSD
Controls the margin underneat

OSD_LOWER_OS Min: 1
the OSD
Controls the margin to the right

OSD_RIGHT_OS Min: 1
of the OSD
Controls the margin above the

OSD_UPPER_OS Min: 1
OSD
Sets battery cell levels that

OSD_BAT_ALARM 3.000 - 4.200
trigger an on screen warning
Creates an on screen warning

Min: 1.000
OSD_MAX_ALTITUDE when exceeding the set max
Default: 121.900
altitude (meters)

Min: 0.000 when exceeding the set max
OSD_MAX_CLIMB
Default: 3.500 climbing rate (meters per
second)

Min: 1.000
OSD_MAX_RANGE when exceeding the set max
Default: 1000.000
range (meters)

Min: 1.000
OSD_MAX_VELOCITY when exceeding the set max
Default: 20.000
velocity (meters per second)
Increases of decreases the

OSD_GND_BRIGHT 0 - 16
brightness of the ground
Increased and decreases the

OSD_SKY_BRIGHT 0 - 16
brightness of the sky
Text Components
The following components are displayed as text items, and can be configured to display as big or small
letters, or no letters, effectively turning off the display.
Name Description
Displays the height of ALTA Pro from its starting

OSD_SHOW_HEIGHT
point in meters or feet
Displays the vertical speed of ALTA Pro in meters

OSD_SHOW_VARIO
per second or feet per minute
Displays the magnetic heading of ALTA Pro and is

OSD_SHOW_HEADING
measured in degrees
Displays the horizontal distance along the ground

OSD_DISTANCE ALTA Pro is from the initialization position in mete
or feet
Displays the ground speed of ALTA Pro in meters

OSD_GROUNDSPEED
per second or knots
OSD_SHOW_BATTERY Displays the voltage of the flight battery packs
Displays the time of the flight in minutes and

OSD_SHOW_TIME
seconds
OSD_SHOW_GPS Displays the number of GPS satellites in view
Displays the horizontal accuracy of the GPS signa

OSD_SHOW_GPSHACC
in meters or feet
Displays the GPS derived latitude and longitude

OSD_SHOW_LATLON
coordinates of ALTA Pro
Adds indicators to the artificial horizon that indicat

OSD_ROLL_MARKER changes in roll
OSD_SHOW_ATT
Adds an attitude indicator on screen
OSD_SHOW_BATTERY Adds a battery voltage indicator on screen
Artificial Horizon Components

The artificial horizon displays pitch and roll information in the center of the FPV display in the form of a
horizon line and accompanying elements.
Name Options Description
Turns off all artificial horizon

OSD_ROLL_MARKER Off-Small-Large
components
Allows for scaling of the artificia

horizon markings to compensa
OSD_PITCH_SCALE 1 - 200
for FPV cameras of different fie
views
Sets the number of degrees

between pitch markings when
OSD_PITCH_IN 1 - 180
the artificial horizon ladder is
used
Allows for scaling of the artificia

horizon markings to compensa
OSD_ROLL_SCALING 1 - 200
for FPV cameras of different fie
views
Other Components
The following components can be turned on or off. These components do not have adjustable settings.
Name Description
Displays an arrow that points in the direction of

OSD_HEADINGARROW
north
Displays an arrow that points in the direction of the

OSD_HOMEARROW
initialization point
Displays a bar on the right of the screen that scale

with vertical speed. The bar will increase in length
OSD_VARIOGFX
up to indicate a climb, or down to indicate a
descent
Displays a bar on the left of the screen that scales

with the forward/rearward velocity component
OSD_SPEEDGFX
The bar will extend up to indicate forward velocity
or down to indicate a rearward velocity
Displays a bar on the bottom of the screen that

scales with the side-to-side velocity component
OSD_SIDESLIPGFX
The bar will extend left to indicate leftward velocity
or right to indicate rightward velocity
Unfolding and Folding ALTA
ALTA Pro features swan-neck booms that fold compactly for travel. They are secured in an open position for
flight using over-center latches.
Unfold ALTA Pro
1. Remove ALTA from case.
2. Unfold ALTA Pro Remove ALTA from case. Fold down all six/eight boom retention clips.
3. Open ALTA Pro booms. ALTA Pro can become unbalanced and tip over while unfolding booms
individually, so unfold opposite boom pairs simultaneously to keep balance.
4. Snap shut all eight boom latches until they click and latch.
5. Visually confirm all latches are seated properly

6. Remove prop protectors.
Fold ALTA Pro

Secure props with prop protectors.
2. Unlatch all eight booms.
3. Close ALTA Pro booms in opposing pairs to keep balance.

4. Fold up all eight boom retention clips to secure booms.
Care should be taken when storing ALTA Pro i

its case to avoid damaging the GPS antenna
and the telemetry radio. When storing ALTA Pr
in a non-standard case, remove all antennas to
ensure there is minimal/no contact between th
external electronics and the case.
Radio Calibration and Channel Mapping
ALTA Pro can be used with a variety of radio controllers. Different radio controllers can map functions to
different channels, so properly mapping controller channels to ALTA Pro functions is an important step
before flying. Radio calibration and channel mapping are performed using the ALTA Pro QGroundControl
program or app.
Calibrating Radios Using ALTA Pro QGroundControl App

Calibrating any compatible radio is done using the ALTA Pro QGroundControl app. This only needs to be
done when using a new radio with the ALTA Pro; ALTA Pros that were bought with a radio have already
gone through the Calibration and Mapping procedures.
Power the ALTA Pro by plugging in a USB-C cable to the expansion port.
The expansion port is located under the closeout between booms 1 and
Once connected, the ALTA electronics will be powered and you may turn on the radio.
Open the ALTA QGroundControl program, navigate to the Radio tab in the Vehicle Setup menu, and
Make sure to reset all trims and subtrims to

zero before continuing with calibrating and
mapping your radio.
Set the transmitter mode radio button that matches your radio configuration (this ensures that
Move the sticks to the positions indicated in the text (and on the radio image). Press Next when the
When prompted, move all other switches and dials through their full range (you will be able to observe
Press Next to save the settings.
Mapping Channels Using ALTA Pro QGroundControl App

Radio channel mapping is accomplished with the Alta Pro Qgroundcontrol App. Prior to mapping channels,
Power the ALTA Pro by plugging in a USB-C cable to the expansion port. The expansion port is located
under the closeout between booms 1 and 2
Once connected, the ALTA electronics will be powered and you may turn on the transmitter.
Open the ALTA QGroundControl program, navigate to the Flight Mode tab in the Vehicle Setup menu for
Channel mapping can be customized by the user on this menu to fit their preferences. Below is a quick
Controller
Use this to select the appropriate receiver. The following guide is compiled for convenience. For complete
specifications and which mode will work with your receiver, refer to your radio controller or receiver manuals.
DSM2/DSMX are typically used by Spektrum controllers SBUS is typically used by Futaba controllers
controller sticks.
Mode
mixes) either Altitude Mode or Height Mode

is up to the pilot setting up ALTA Pro for flight to determine if these settings are appropriate.
Futaba 14SG/8FG
Pitch 2 Normal
Roll 1 Normal
Yaw 4 Normal
Throttle 3 Reverse

Spektrum DX18
Pitch 3 Reverse
Roll 2 Reverse
Yaw 4 Reverse
Throttle 1 Normal
Mode Switch 6 Reverse

Configuring for MōVI
MōVI can be attached to either the top or bottom of ALTA Pro via the Freefly Toad In The Hole (TITH) quick
release.
ALTA Pro comes pre-configured for GroundView mounting of MōVI.
Groundview
Prepare your MōVI for GroundView flight (see MōVI manual)

Attach landing gear
Install TITH receiver on MōVI
Connect MōVI to bottom Toad
Skyview
Prepare your MōVI for SkyView flight.

Remove landing gear (see MōVI manual)
Install TITH receiver on MōVI (see MōVI manual)
Connect and secure the supplied inverted landing gear to the bottom Toad.
Top mounting is not supported by the MōVI M1
without the keyed pan tube upgrade kit. If you
are unsure whether your M10 has the upgrade
kit, contact Freefly Customer Support for
additional info.
Remove Battery Mount Quick Release.
Connect MōVI to top Toad.

Isolator Cartridges
Isolator Cartridges
Different Isolator Cartridges can be used to fine tune vibration damping performance for different payload
weights or ambient temperatures. Three isolation cartridge styles are provided with ALTA Pro. The
cartridges have colored o-rings: red for light payloads or cold ambient temperature, teal for medium
payloads or typical ambient temperature, and black for heavy payloads or hot ambient temperature. Flight
testing may be required to determine the optimal isolator for a given setup.
To install, place the cartridges between the top chassis plate and the battery plate. Ensure they are engaged
in the track features and are parallel with the chassis and battery plate. Push inwards fully until they click,
indicating the cartridges are locked in place. Pull outwards on the cartridge to ensure it is locked.
Always ensure isolator cartridges are locked in
place before flying ALTA Pro. Isolator cartridge
that are not locked can cause the payload to
loosen and change ALTA Pro’s fundamental

flying characteristics.
To remove, pinch the cartridge latch to unlock it from the battery and chassis plate, and slide it outwards to
disengage. Simultaneously pull the battery and chassis plate apart while pulling the cartridge outward.
Battery Installation
Battery Installation
Batteries may be installed on either the top or bottom of an ALTA Pro and are always mounted opposite of
the payload location. In both locations, battery packs are secured with silicone straps tensioned across the
packs. The straps are secured using studs located on either side of the packs.
Always secure battery packs with both battery

retention straps.
Ensure both battery packs are at a similar state

of charge (a full pack voltage difference less
than 0.5V) prior to connecting them to ALTA
Pro. Plugging in two dissimilarly charged pack
could cause one pack to rapidly discharge into
the other and damage the batteries or cause a
battery fire.
Only use packs that are identical in their

capacity and at a similar condition. Using a
pack with another that is larger, or has many
more charge/discharge cycles, can damage th
battery packs.
Always refer to and follow the battery

manufacturer’s instructions, recommendations
and guidelines for battery handling.
When plugging in battery packs, ensure the
polarity is correct. Positive is indicated by a red
power lead, and negative/ground is indicated b
a black power lead. Reversing polarity will
damage ALTA Pro’s electronics.
Groundview
1.Place battery retention strap studs at the appropriate height to hold the battery packs firmly in position.
2. Adjust battery stops to fit battery packs.
3. Attach the single-hole end of the battery retention straps to the studs.
4. Place battery packs on the battery tray.
Do not install batteries directly on the lower

battery tray if a Toad adapter is also installed.
Either remove the Toad adapter or use the
Quick Release Battery Tray.
5. Tension and secure battery retention straps.
Skyview
Always completely secure the inverted landing
gear by closing the TITH quick release lever.
Inverted landing gear that are not completely
attached can rotate and unplug battery leads.
1. Pinch the battery tray handles and slide to remove it from landing gear.
2. Attach the single-hole ends of the battery retention straps to the studs on the battery tray.
3. Place battery packs onto battery tray.
4. Tension and secure battery retention straps.

5. Slide tray with battery packs back into landing gear until the tray latches in place.
6. Ensure tray and battery packs are secure.

Sensor Calibration
ALTA Pro features a highly sensitive 3-axis magnetometer, gyroscope, and accelerometer that measure
specific force, angular rate, and earth’s magnetic field to infer heading and maintain stability. Occasionally,
the sensors will require recalibration.
ALTA Pro’s compass should be regularly

calibrated, especially when traveling between
different geographic locations. For best results
it is recommended to perform manual compas
calibrations away from ferrous objects,
buildings and vehicles. In addition, concrete
can contain steel rebar which may influence
compass calibrations
Perform calibration without a payload attached

and all motor booms extended and latched.
Folded booms will cause an inaccurate
calibration.
It is recommended to use two people to perfor
the compass calibration as it requires handling
and rotating ALTA Pro.
To perform sensor calibrations on ALTA Pro:
1. Mount a pair of batteries onto ALTA Pro.
2. Plug in the batteries to power up the aircraft.

3. Open the ALTA Pro QGroundControl and connect to ALTA Pro.
4. Navigate to the Sensors tab under Vehicle Setup.
5. Available sensors are displayed as a list of buttons beside the sidebar. Sensors marked with green are
already calibrated. Sensors marked with red require calibration prior to flight.
6. Click on the button for each sensor to start its calibration sequence and follow the instructions provided
in the ALTA Pro QGroundControl.
7. Start by selecting Set Orientations and set the autopilot orientation
1. Autopilot Orientation: ROTATION_YAW_270
Compass Calibration
Follow the instructions below to perform a compass calibration on ALTA Pro. Compass calibrations should
be done when flying in a new location or when ALTA Pro QGroundControl prompts a calibration.
1. Click the Compass sensor button.

3. Place the vehicle in any of the orientations shown in red (incomplete) and hold it still. Once prompted
(the orientation-image turns yellow), rotate the vehicle around the specified axis in either/both
directions. Once the calibration is complete in that orientation the associated image on the screen will
turn green.
4. Repeat the calibration process for all vehicle orientations.
Accelerometer Calibration
Follow the instructions below to perform an accelerometer calibration on ALTA Pro. Accelerometer
calibrations should only be done when prompted by ALTA Pro QGroundControl.
1. Click the Accelerometer sensor button.

3. Position the vehicle as guided by the images on the screen. This is very similar to compass calibration.
Level Horizon Calibration
Follow the instructions below to perform a level horizon calibration on ALTA Pro. Horizon calibrations
should only be done if the horizon (as shown in the HUD) is not level after completing Accelerometer
calibration.
1. Click the Level Horizon sensor button.

2. Place the vehicle in its level flight orientation on a level surface.
Propellers
The folding propellers include two balanced carbon fiber propeller blades attached to propeller hubs, which
are themselves secured to the motors. The propellers installed on booms 1, 3, 5, and 7 spin clockwise when
viewed from above ALTA Pro, and the propellers installed on booms 2, 4, 6, and 8 spin counterclockwise
when viewed from above.
For information on propeller installation and maintenance, refer to the Maintenance section of this manual.
Only use propellers supplied by Freefly on

ALTA Pro. Use of third-party propellers can
cause motor instability, overheating, and failur
In rare cases propellers can experience icing,

this occurs when ice begins to form on the tips
and underside of the blades due to temperatur
and humidity. This will cause the props to
become unbalanced, increases drag and
reduces lift. Flying with iced blades can be
dangerous and is not advised
Checking Propeller Bolt Tightness
Over time, the bolts that hold the propeller blades to the propeller hub can loosen due to vibration. To check
propeller bolt tightness, twist the propeller about its length. If there is free play, the propeller bolt is too loose.
Use the provided 2.5mm hex driver and wrench to tighten the bolt and nut that secure the propeller blade
just enough to remove the play.
Do not overtighten, or the propeller may fail to
unfold completely during motor start up,
leading to excessive vibration.
Tuning ALTA Pro's Flight Controller
ALTA Pro’s Flight Controller comes pre-tuned for a wide variety of payloads and flying conditions. Generally,
additional tuning is not required to fly ALTA Pro, and will only need to take place if more customization of
control feel is desired. Default tuning values are included in Appendix A, Default Tuning Values.
DO NOT CHANGE FLIGHT CONTROLLER

TUNING VALUES WITHOUT A FULL
UNDERSTANDING OF THE TUNING PROCESS
A poorly tuned sUAV is dangerous and can
result in property damage, injury, and death.
Parameters fall into three categories: Rate, Attitude, and Position. Typically, tuning should take place in that
order, ensuring Rate parameters are set first, then moving to Attitude parameters, and finally Position
parameters.
Before tuning, users should read and become familiar with the PX4 Tuning Guide.To tune ALTA Pro, open
the ALTA Pro QGroundControl connect to your ALTA Pro and navigate to the Multicopter Attitude Control
and Multicopter Position Control parameters groups under the Parameter Tab in the Vehicle Setup menu.
Once you have found the parameter pages follow the instructions in the PX4 Tuning Guide.
Tuning can change the fundamental flying
characteristics of ALTA Pro. It is possible for
ALTA Pro to become unstable or even
uncontrollable if values are set too high or too
low. Only change tuning parameters in small
increments and with caution. Always test new
tuning configurations in open areas away from
people or obstacles.
While ALTA Pro QGroundControl allows users

to tune their ALTA Pro in the air we suggest
changing tuning values while ALTA Pro is on
the ground as a precautionary measure.
When making configuration changes with ALT

Pro QGroundControl, make sure to save each
parameter as you change them!
Additional Parameters
Additional Parameters
ALTA Pro QGroundControl allows users to alter many additional parameters that do not affect the Flight
Controller characteristics of ALTA Pro. These parameters are used to select neutral points using trim or to
set maximum or minimum values for a variety of different settings. These settings can be found under the
Tuning and Parameters tabs in the Vehicle Setup menu.
Users should understand the effect of

parameter settings before changing them.
Incorrect or poorly chosen parameters can
result in crashes, injury, or death. You can
always reset all parameters to defaults by
following the Reset to Default instructions.
Use the search bar at the top of the Parameters

tab to quickly find any settings!
ALTA Configuration Setup

We have compiled a list of the most important ALTA Pro Flight parameters in the Tuning Tab under the
Vehicle Setup Menu. Ensure you have an understanding of what the characteristic of the ALTA Pro a
parameter effects before changing it.
You may need to update the Hover Throttle

when changing payloads to optimize ALTA
Pro’s flight performance. The Hover Throttle
settings can be found under the ALTA
Configuration Setup tab or in the Parameters
tab.
If you are unsure of what characteristics a
parameter effects please reach out to Freefly’s

Customer Support Team for clarification.
Safety Parameters
QGroundControl allows users to customize ALTA Pro’s fail safes and safety parameters. These options are
found under the Safety tab in the Vehicle Setup menu.
Low Battery Parameters
This set of parameters allows users to select when battery levels warnings are triggered and what the
aircrafts failsafe is when this threshold is met.
RC and Datalink LOS Failsafe Settings
This parameter determines the flight mode ALTA Pro will enter if it detects a Loss-of-Signal (LOS). Selecting
‘Land at Current Position’ will cause ALTA Pro to Autoland in place when the LOS is detected. Selecting
‘Return to Land’ will cause ALTA Pro to Return-to-Land and then Autoland when the LOS is detected.
Return Home Settings
Used to set the RTL altitude, loiter time, and RTL behavior.
Land Mode Settings
This adjusts the descent rate of the ALTA Pro during Autoland in meters per second. This value is applied to
the Autoland descent profile for the final 15 meters above the ground until landing. This option also provides
the option to automatically disarm ALTA Pro after landing.
Saving, Loading, and Resetting Parameters
Saving, Loading, and Resetting Parameters

ALTA Pro QGroundControl allows users to save, load, and reset all of ALTA Pro’s parameters. This is useful
when trying to save certain parameters that will need to used again in the future or when troubleshooting
and needing to get back to a known good state.
Saving Parameters
Saving parameters can be done in the Parameters tab of the Vehicle Setup menu. Navigate to the ‘Tools’
menu in the top right hand corner of the window and select ‘Save to file…’ from the dropdown. Then select a
file name and folder to save to.
Loading Parameters
Loading parameters is also done from the Parameters tab of the Vehicle Setup menu. Navigate to the ‘Tools’
menu in the top right hand corner of the window and select ‘Load from file…’ from the dropdown. Then
select the desired .params file to load.
Resetting Parameters
To reset all ALTA Pro’s parameters to the ALTA Pro defaults follow the Loading Parameters instructions and
load the ALTA Pro Default Parameters file. This can be found on the ALTA Pro support page.
Selecting the ‘Reset all to defaults’ option in th
Tools menu will reset all parameters to the
QGroundControl defaults. These are not the
same as the ALTA Pro default parameters. To
reset to ALTA Pro defaults load the ALTA PRO
Default Parameters to the aircraft.
Updating your Wifi Password and SSID
Enabling and Updating Your Wifi Password and SSID
1. Connect to ALTA Pro using the Radio Modem or USB
2. Go to the System Parameters under the Parameter tab in the Vehicle Setup menu and find the
SYS_COMPANION parameter.
3. Change the SYS_COMPANION parameter to ‘ESP8266 (921600 baud, 8N1)’ and restart ALTA Pro to
enable the WiFi connection.
To enable WiFi connectivity follow the steps below!
Please read this entire section if you intend to

use the WiFi feature of ALTA Pro.
When flying multiple aircraft with WiFi enabled

take extreme caution to ensure that the aircraft
connected to the laptop/mobile device is the
desired craft. Failing to connect to the correct
device may result in an inadvertently arming a
aircraft or disarming one that is inflight.
ALTA Pro allows users to update the system’s WiFi password and SSID. All ALTA Pro’s initially come with
WiFi disabled for safety reasons.
Once you have enabled ALTA Pro’s WiFi, change the password and SSID from their defaults!
1. Connect to ALTA Pro’s WiFi using the initial password listed below
1. SSID: [off] AltaPro-<serial number>; eg. [off] AltaPro-781880
2. Password: altaalta
2. Open your prefered web browser and go to 192.168.4.1

3. Select setup, then update the SSID and password. Make sure to make the password is eight characters
long, secure, and noted down somewhere in case you forget!
1. Do not change any of the other menu items!
ALTA Pro passwords must be longer than eigh

characters and should be unique for each ALT
Pro. Do not use the same password on multipl
machines!
We suggest not selecting ‘Connect
Automatically’ when using WiFi to connect to
ALTA Pro and clearly labeling each 900/868MH
RX/TX pair.
4. Once the password and SSID have been updated, hit the save button at the bottom of the menu.
5. Power cycle ALTA Pro and ensure you can connect to ALTA pro using the new password.
6. Connect to Futaba radio system and confirm both receivers work and system arms.
Operating ALTA Pro
Learn how to operate ALTA Pro
Flight Controller Modes
Flight Controller Modes
Overview
ALTA Pro has three primary flight control modes which are selected using the Mode Switch: Manual Mode,
Altitude Mode, and Position Mode. ALTA Pro also has two emergency control modes, Return-to-Land and
Autoland, which are available only during certain situations. For additional information, refer to the sub-
section associated with each emergency control mode.
Altitude Mode and Position Mode are assistive

only and are not a replacement for pilot skill an
ability. Pilots should be proficient in Manual
Mode flight in order to react to emergency
situations as required.
Always center the control input sticks on the

radio controller when switching between
control modes to prevent unexpected
movement of the ALTA Pro.
Manual Mode
In Manual Mode, ALTA Pro will only stabilize its attitude. At neutral control input (middle pitch and roll stick
position), ALTA Pro will attempt to remain level. Throttle control is direct.
Altitude Mode
Altitude Mode changes the throttle stick behavior to command climb and descent rates. The higher the
throttle stick position, the faster ALTA Pro will climb. Conversely, the lower the throttle stick position, the
faster ALTA Pro will descend.
When the throttle stick is centered, ALTA Pro will enter Altitude Hold. In Altitude Hold, ALTA Pro will
maintain a target altitude and try to correct for drift. If a disturbance moves ALTA Pro away from this target
altitude, ALTA Pro will climb or descend to return to the target altitude.
Altitude Mode is assistive only and is not a
replacement for pilot skill and ability. Pilots
should be proficient in Manual Mode flight in
order to react to emergency situations as
required.
Position Mode
Position Mode changes the pitch/roll stick behavior to command ground speeds. Pitch and roll stick
deflection will command fore/aft and left/right ground speeds respectively. Controlling altitude in Position
Mode is the same as in Altitude Mode.
With pitch and roll controls centered, ALTA Pro will enter Position Hold. In Position Hold, ALTA Pro will
maintain its position over a given point on the ground and correct for disturbances.
Position Mode requires a strong GPS signal and communication with a minimum of 6 satellites. If a weak
signal is present, ALTA Pro will not enter Position Mode. If the GPS signal degrades while in Position Mode,
ALTA Pro will automatically revert to Manual Mode.
Within Position Mode ALTA Pro enters Classic Control style which use the tuning parameters to control
translational position over the ground.
Position Mode is assistive only and is not a

replacement for pilot skill and ability. Pilots
should be proficient in Manual Mode flight in
order to react to emergency situations as
required.
Flight using Position Mode in areas of degrade

GPS signal, such as near buildings or under
dense tree cover, is not recommended. The
automatic reversion to Manual Mode can caus
unexpected, abrupt changes in flight behavior
Flight using Position Mode with Compass
enabled in areas near large ferrous objects or
high magnetic flux is not recommended.
Incorrect compass readings can result in loss
of control. Compass assist can be disabled in
the ALTA App if desired.
Waypoints Mode
Waypoints mode allows ALTA Pro to execute a predefined autonomous waypoint missions that have been
uploaded to the flight controller via ALTA Pro QGroundControl (QGC). For more information on all of the
different options and abilities built into the Waypoint functionality you can read more in the PX Literature.
ALTA Pro must have a GPS lock on its home

position in order to start a waypoints mission.
Return-to-Land
Return-to-Land Mode will command ALTA Pro to fly back to the defined Home Point. When ALTA Pro first
acquires a GPS position, it sets this as the Home Point of the flight. See the Radio Channel Mapping section
in this manual for more information on setting up the Return-to-Land Switch.
RTL can be initiated automatically with an LOS event if it is selected as the Signal Loss Action in the ALTA
App. RTL can also be initiated manually while flying in Position Mode and setting the Home Switch to RTH.
Full functionality of the PX4 LOS features is

only available on an S.Bus/S.Bus2 or
DSM2/DSMX receiver.
When initiated manually using the Home Switch, ALTA Pro will fly back to the Home Point. ALTA Pro will
hover above the home point and wait for a set amount of time and then land. The pilot can cancel the RTL
procedure by returning the Home Switch to the middle or bottom position.
During an LOS event, RTL followed by Autoland will be initiated automatically if ‘RTL’ is selected as Signal
Loss Action in the ALTA App and an S.Bus/S.Bus2 or DSM2/DSMX radio system is in use. ALTA Pro will
first check its current altitude against Safe Height. If ALTA Pro is below the Safe Height, it will climb to Safe
Height. If ALTA Pro is above Safe Height, it will remain at its current altitude. Next, ALTA Pro will fly back to
the home position at the RTL Speed set in the ALTA Pro QGroundControl. Finally, upon reaching the home
position, ALTA Pro will loiter for 15s and then begin to Autoland.
Autoland
Autoland will only initiate if one of the following conditions is met and the Autoland is setup as the failsafe for
these events. See the Safety Parameters to customize ALTA Pro’s failsafe behaviors:
Loss of Signal (LOS) occurs and ‘Land’ is selected as the Signal Loss Action in the ALTA app
At the end of a LOS Return-to-Land event when using S.Bus/S.Bus2 or DSM2/DSMX radio systems
Battery exhaustion failsafe is tripped and the failsafe is set to return to land in ALTA Pro
QGroundControl.
Autoland and Return-to-Land will only occur if

these settings are turned on in the aircraft
parameters.
Geofences
Geofences
Geofences are currently not supported by Freefly. We recommend that you do not use this feature. If this
feature is used, set the Geofence breach action to Warning; Hold, RTL, and Terminate should not be used as
they may result in crash or an ALTA Pro that cannot return to its home position.
Home Switch
The home switch has three positions, however only the top toggle position will turn RTL on.
RTL Off
(Bottom/Middle Toggle Position)
This is the normal switch position and does not initiate an RTL command.
RTL On
(Top Toggle Position)
This manually initiates the RTL function. In RTL, PX4 will command ALTA Pro to climb to the set minimum
altitude and then guide the unit’s position to the home point.
Once RTL has been initialized it will continue to

return to home unless the Home Switch is
returned to RTL Off.
Status Light
The rear-facing Status Light shows the status of ALTA Pro as it boots, arms, and flies. The following table
shows the different meanings of the light in the various flight phases.
Flight Phase Light Color Meaning
Booting Flashing Red + White Flight controller is booting
Flight controller is running and

Standby Flashing White
disarmed
Flight controller is running and

Flashing Red
not ready to arm
Flight controller boot

Solid Red
unsuccessful
Armed Off Ready for Flight
Flight critical alarm—land

Flight - all modes Solid Red
immediately!
Nominal flight status

Flight - Manual Mode Off
No errors
Outside user-defined range,

Solid White
height, or speed limits
Flight critical alarm or battery

Solid Red alarm voltage—land
immediately!
Battery land voltage—land

Flashing Red
immediately!

Flight - Height Hold Off
Height hold inactive
Slow Flashing White Height hold active
Flight critical alarm—land

Solid or Flashing Red
immediately!

Flight - Position Hold Off Height hold inactive
Position hold inactive
Height Hold and Position Hold

Fast Flashing White
Active
Flight critical alarm —land

Solid or Flashing Red
immediately!
Orientation Lights
The boom-end mounted Orientation Lights indicate both the orientation of ALTA Pro in flight and the status
of the individual motor Electronic Speed Controllers (ESCs) during other operational phases. The following
table shows the different meanings of the light colors in the various operational phases.
Flight Phase Light Color Meaning
Standby Flashing Green ESC booted normally
Armed User-defined Nominal Status
Flight User-defined Nominal Status
Firmware Update Pink ESC firmware is updating

Alarms
ALTA Pro will notify the pilot of critical alarms through QGroundControl. These alarms indicate a serious
issue has been observed in the behavior of the ALTA Pro that, if not acted upon immediately, can cause loss
of control. Never continue a flight when ALTA Pro indicates an alarm!
Aircraft Monitor
ALTA Pro QGroundControl includes a flight status monitor that displays information about the health of the
ALTA Pro and the various controls that can be selected.
Icon Name Description
Indicates if the PX4 has

completed its booting process
Boot and whether it was successful.
Any issues that prevented a
normal boot are indicated here
Displays the voltage of the

Battery
battery packs.
Displays the state of the PX4

Status
flight controller.
Displays if the PX4 detects a

radio controller signal. A LOS
Radio
warning is displayed if no signa
is present.
GPS
Displays if PX4 has resolved a

GPS fix or not.
Displays the number of GPS

satellites in view and being
Sats received. A minimum of 6
satellites are required in order t
enter Position Mode.
Clicking on this icon displays

whether a position lock is ready
indicating a valid GPS fix and
Lock
good heading. This is required
before the Autopilot will allow
switching into Position Mode.
Displays the current height

control mode: Manual, Vario if i
Altitude Height or Position mode and
climbing or descending, and

Hold.
Attitude Displays the current attitude
control mode.
Displays the status of the

compass and if the Autopilot
believes the compass readings
are good or bad. If Bad, the
Compass
compass may require
recalibration (see the Compass
Calibration section in this
manual).
Speed Displays ground speed.
Displays the amount to time the

Flight Time
aircraft has been flying.
Data Logging
ALTA Pro automatically logs flight and control data when ALTA Pro is armed for flight. Data is recorded to
the autopilot and are accessed through the Log Download tab in the Analyze menu of ALTA Pro
QGroundControl.
Summarized flight data from an individual flight can also be viewed immediately after landing by placing a
downloaded log file into PixHawk Flight Review. Full details about the review process can be found in the
Flight Reporting section of the Pixhawk User Manual.
A native data analyzer is being developed and will be available on the ALTA Pro Support page.
Normal Procedures
Unpacking and Setup
Unpacking and Setup
Item Action
1. Aircraft REMOVE from case
2. Prop protectors REMOVE
3. Boom retention clips STOW
4. Booms UNFOLD
5. Boom latches LOCK
6. Receivers and wiring CHECK
SELECT and INSTALL as

7. Isolator cartridges
necessary
8. Payload mounting location CONFIGURE as necessary

To set up ALTA Pro for flight, remove it from the case, and remove the prop protectors. Stow the boom
retention clips by folding them down. The clips fold in one direction and are spring-loaded to stay in open
and closed detented positions.
Unfolding the booms is most easily accomplished by unfolding all opposite pairs partially, then unfold the
opposite boom pairs completely. ALTA Pro can become unbalanced while unfolding booms individually, so
unfolding opposite pairs reduces the possibility of tipping.
Once unfolded, push on the boom latches until they audibly click, indicating the booms are secure. There
should be little to no slop in the hinge. Check that the receivers and the electrical connectors that attach to
the receivers are secure.
For information on installing isolator cartridges and setting up payload mounting locations, refer to the
Isolator Cartridges and Configuring GroundView or SkyView sections of this manual.
Before Starting
Item Action
1. Payload SECURED
2. Isolator Cartridges VERIFY SECURE
CHECK CONDITION, VERIFY

3. Propellers
TIGHT
4. Propeller Hubs VERIFY SECURE
5. Motors CHECK CONDITION
6. Radio Controller ON, VERIFY TX BATTERY
7. Radio Controller Model SELECT
AWAY from people and

8. Aircraft Placement
obstacles
9. Battery Pack Voltage VERIFY ABOVE 24V
10. Battery Packs SECURE
CHECK CONDITION and

11. Battery Leads
CONNECT
12. Aircraft KEEP STATIONARY
13. Flight Controller Allow to INITIALIZE
VERIFY SLOW FLASHING

14. Status Light
WHITE
15. Orientation Lights VERIFY FLASHING GREEN
16. Receivers VERIFY BOUND
17. ALTA Pro QGroundControl CONNECT
18. ALTA Pro QGroundControl VERIFY NO WARNINGS
19. Compass Calibration CALIBRATE as required
20. Radio Control Range Check AS REQUIRED

Check that the payload is secure by checking that the Toad In The Hole quick release lever is pushed in and
that the payload does not slip. Check that all isolator cartridges are locked in place, especially if they have
been recently replaced.
The blades should be checked for damage, including nicks and scrapes. If a propeller blade has been
nicked enough that it catches a fingernail, it should be replaced. Bolt tightness should be checked by
rotating the blade about its length (blade pitch up and down). There should be no slop, and if there is, the
bolt and nut should be tightened until the slope is removed. There should be no slop between the propeller
hub and the motor.
Motors should spin freely, and there should be no grinding or scraping sound from the motor. The inside of
the motor should be free of debris.
Always turn on the radio controller before powering ALTA Pro. Follow the battery installation guidance in the
Battery Installation section of this manual for battery installation instructions.
While the Autopilot initializes, keep ALTA Pro as stable as possible. Wedging a foam prop protector
between the stationary gimbal or landing gear and the frame can be used to stabilize ALTA Pro from
spinning during this process.
If ALTA Pro moves during initialization, it may not

boot properly and will fail to start or not maintain
heading.
At the end of this process, the status will begin slow flashing white, indicating ALTA Pro is ready for arming.
The Orientation Lights will also begin flashing green. Verify that all motors are flashing green, indicating all
ESCs initialized successfully.
Verify that there are no flight warnings by connecting to ALTA Pro via ALTA Pro QGroundControl and
checking for warnings or errors. For more information, see the ALTA Pro QGroundControl section of this
manual.
Before Takeoff
Item Action
1. Prop Area CLEAR
3. Home Switch UP/OFF
4. Radio Controller VERIFY CORRECT MODEL
5. Telemetry (if equipped) CHECK OPERATION
6. GPS Signal LOCKED
7. ALTA Pro ARM
8. Status Light VERIFY OFF
VERIFY USER-DEFINED
COLOR
START and VERIFY

10. Motors
OPERATION
11. Flight Controls VERIFY CORRECT
12. Throttle ADVANCE directly to hover
Prior to start, check the surrounding area to ensure people and objects are clear of ALTA Pro and its props.
Also ensure that there are no people or objects between the ALTA Pro’s takeoff location and its intended
flight path.
Ensure that ALTA Pro QGroundControl shows all sensors are calibrated and ready for flight.
ALTA Pro’s props spin at a high RPM and the

ends of the blades move at high speeds. ALTA
Pro’s props can cause severe injury or death o
cause damage to objects while rotating. Alway
ensure the area surrounding the props and
ALTA Pro is clear of people or objects prior to
starting the motors.
Do not approach ALTA Pro while it is armed or
motors are spinning.
To start the motors, hold full low throttle and full right yaw. Ensure that all the motors are spinning. Raise
RPMs slightly and move the pitch, roll, and yaw controls slightly. ALTA Pro should pitch, roll, and yaw as
commanded due to isolator cartridge flex. Ensure that the ALTA Pro behaves as expected. If it does not, shut
down ALTA Pro and ensure the propellers are installed in the correct orientation and radio settings are
correct.
Do not make large yaw commands while on the

ground with the inverted landing gear installed
Large yaw commands can cause instability.
After checking flight control directions, advance the throttle directly from idle to hover throttle. Prior to takeoff,
do not advance throttle stick above idle until prepared for flight as this can spool up motors undesirably.
While throttling up for takeoff, do not loiter in ground effect. Once in flight, use the Mode Switch to select
between Manual, Altitude, or Position Mode only after first confirming proper flight performance in Manual
Mode.
Only take off in Manual Mode or let the ALTA

Pro take off autonomously when doing a
waypoints mission. Attempting to take off in
Altitude or Position Modes may cause ALTA
Pro to tip over.
Altitude Mode and Position Mode are assistive

only and are not a replacement for pilot skill an
ability. Pilots should be proficient in Manual
Mode flight in order to react to emergency
situations as required.
After Every Flight
Item Action
2. Home Switch OFF
3. ALTA Pro LAND
4. Motors DISARM and STOP
5. Orientation Lights VERIFY FLASHING GREEN
VERIFY SLOW FLASHING

6. Status LED
WHITE
7. ALTA Pro QGroundControl CHECK for warnings
8. Batteries DISCONNECT AND REMOVE
9. Radio Controller Power AS REQUIRED
10. Aircraft Condition INSPECT
11. Motor and Prop Condition INSPECT
12. Battery Condition INSPECT
When not using the Autoland feature, make sure to switch to Manual Mode prior to landing.
Users may land in Manual Mode, Altitude Mode

or letting the ALTA Pro land autonomously
when doing a waypoints mission. Quickly
reverting to manual mode when landing in
Altitude mode will prevent ALTA Pro unwanted
movements .
Upon landing, disarm the motors by holding minimum throttle and full left yaw. This is typically done on the
left radio control stick by moving it to the bottom left corner with mode 2 controllers. Disarming can only be
done while in Manual Mode. Once the motors are stopped and disarmed, the Orientations Lights will flash
green, and the Status Light will slowly flash white, indicating it is safe to approach ALTA Pro.
Only approach ALTA Pro after confirming that
is disarmed by verifying the Status Light and
Orientation Light colors.
The downwash from the propellers can disturb debris. This debris can be ingested by the propellers or
motors and cause damage. After the flight, ensure there is no damage to the propeller blades and that the
motors still spin freely and quietly. Take extra care when operating in areas with large amounts of debris,
such as in sand, dirt, or gravel.
After flight is also a good time to check the condition of battery packs. Always refer to the battery
manufacturer’s recommendations for inspection and replacement intervals or requirements.
After Last Flight
Item Action
FOLD and PLACE inline with

1. Propellers
booms
2. Prop Protectors INSTALL
3. Boom Latches UNLOCK
4. Booms FOLD
5. Boom Retention Clips EXTEND
6. Payload REMOVE
7. ALTA Pro INSERT into case
Fold propeller blades and install foam Prop Protectors to decrease the risk of damaging the propellers while
packing ALTA Pro. Keeping ALTA Pro on the payload or landing gear easily facilitates the folding process
as ALTA Pro may be turned on the Toad In The Hole adapter while folding the propellers and booms.
Folding the booms in opposing pairs can help maintain balance and reduce the likelihood of tipping.
Make sure that the handle is aligned front-to-back with the battery leads facing to the right when putting
ALTA Pro in the included case. Pay special attention to the external GPS, 900/868MHz Telemetry radio and
optional accessories if installed (FPV camera and Tx) when putting the ALTA Pro back into its case.
Emergency Procedures
Emergency Guidance
The emergency procedures listed in this section are the recommended practices for handling the aircraft in
the event of an aircraft emergency. This guidance should be considered and applied as necessary.
The risk of an emergency can be reduced substantially through proper aircraft maintenance, by performing
thorough inspections before and after all flights, and with careful pre-flight planning.
Emergency situations are dynamic events, and not all conditions or procedures can be anticipated or
applied during the event. These procedures are not a substitute for a thorough understanding of aircraft
systems and sound pilot judgment.
In general, if an emergency occurs, three basic actions can be applied to most situations:
1. Maintain aircraft control—Small emergencies can quickly escalate if the pilot is distracted attempting to
troubleshoot the problem. Always maintain visual contact with the aircraft during an emergency to
reduce the likelihood of losing orientation.
2. Analyze the situation—Once the aircraft is stabilized, begin to assess the cause of the emergency if
practical.
3. Take appropriate action—In many cases, the appropriate action will be to land the aircraft as soon as
possible. Always consider the safety of yourself and others before attempting to save the aircraft in an
emergency.
Alarm Indication
Alarm Indication (Flashing or Solid Red Light)
Item Action
2. ALTA Pro LAND as soon as possible
3. ALTA Pro QGroundControl CHECK IN APP WARNINGS
the safety of the flight. Alarms are indicated by the Status Light staying or flashing Red (depending on the
flight mode).
Land as soon as possible when the Status Light indicate a warning, and investigate the problem while ALTA
Pro is safely on the ground. It is best practice to set the mode switch to Manual when an Alarm is observed
to maintain full control authority of ALTA Pro.
Pilot Loss of Orientation
Item Action
3. Yaw NOSE AWAY
4. Roll VERIFY DIRECTION
Regaining spatial orientation as quickly as possible is most important. If the pilot loses orientation of ALTA
Pro, control inputs will not give the expected result, so neutralize controls by centering the throttle/yaw and
pitch/roll sticks to stabilize motion. If a good GPS signal is available, enable Position Mode so ALTA Pro will
stay in one place.
Use yaw only to reorient ALTA Pro so the nose is pointed away, then use the roll control to verify the
orientation of ALTA Pro.
Position Mode may not function as expected if

Position Lock has not been achieved. It is best
practice to wait for Position Lock prior to
takeoff, even if Position Mode is not planned to
be used during the flight.
Unexpected Flight Controller Behavior
Item Action
If ALTA Pro behaves unexpectedly, neutralize controls by centering the throttle/yaw and pitch/roll sticks and
observe ALTA Pro. If it is still flying in an uncommanded manner in either Altitude or Position Mode, switch
to Manual Mode. In most cases, unexpected behavior is due to erroneous sensor readings, degraded GPS
signal reception, or compass issues.
If the unexpected behavior occurred while in Manual mode, land as soon as possible and check ALTA Pro
QGroundControl for any warnings.
Battery Exhaustion
If battery cell voltage is below Alarm Voltage (all flight modes)
ILLUMINATES RED (solid or

1. Status Light
blinking)
If battery cell voltage is below Land Voltage while flying in Manual Mode
1. Status Light FLASH RED
LAND as soon as possible

2. ALTA Pro
(Autoland is not initiated)
If battery cell voltage is below Land Voltage while flying in Altitude or Position Mode
ILLUMINATES RED (solid or

1. Status Light
blinking)
WARNING popup in ALTA Pro

2. ALTA Pro
QGroundControl
MANEUVER away from people

3. Pitch and Roll
or objects
If the battery cell voltage drops below the Alarm Voltage, the Status Light will turn solid red in Manual Mode
or flash red if in Altitude Hold or Position Hold. Terminate the flight and land as soon as possible.
If the battery cell voltage drops below the Land Voltage, the Status Light will flash red. The orientation lights
will flash as described above. The pilot will remain in full control of the ALTA Pro in all three flight modes
and full throttle authority is available to the pilot in a battery exhaustion event
ALTA Pro will only Autoland if the battery

exhaustion failsafe is set to RTL.
Radio Loss of Signal
Radio Loss of Signal (LOS)
Item Action
1. Controller Battery CHECK
2. Controller Antenna REPOSITION
4. Home Switch Return-to-Land
Loss of Signal (LOS) can occur if the radio controller stops transmitting a signal, or if ALTA Pro is too far
away to receive it. In the event ALTA Pro detects a LOS, it will automatically execute a Return-to-Land or
Autoland as configured in ALTA Pro QGroundControl if using an S.Bus/S.Bus2 or DSM2/DSMX radio type.
While ALTA Pro includes these emergency control modes, it is always recommended to attempt to regain
signal link with ALTA Pro to keep the pilot in control of the aircraft.
Move the antenna orientation for best signal strength. Ensure the radio antenna matches the direction of the
receiver antennas. Move the radio away from objects to get a clear line-of-sight to ALTA Pro.
Set the Mode switch to Position and the Home switch to Return-to-Land so ALTA Pro will continue to
approach the home point if the signal is momentarily regained, resulting in higher likelihood of regaining full
signal reception.
If efforts to regain control signal are

unsuccessful, ALTA Pro will begin either the
Return-to-Land and Autoland sequence as
configured in ALTA Pro QGroundControl. Refe
to the Flight Controller Modes section of this
manual for additional information regarding
functionality available with specific radio types
Loss of FPV Signal
Loss of FPV Signal
Item Action
1. Control Inputs AS REQUIRED
2. Visual Contact MAINTAIN
POSITION for optimal signal

3. ALTA Pro
reception
If visual contact or FPV signal is not maintained:
Item Action
2. Home Switch RETURN TO HOME
3. Throttle AS REQUIRED
An FPV Loss of Signal (LOS) can occur if the aircraft flies out of range or if it flies behind an object that
interrupts the signal. Maintaining visual contact is the preferred method to re-establish control of the aircraft,
either with the pilot seeing the aircraft, or by the use of a visual observer.
Yawing the aircraft can help signal reception if the body of the aircraft is blocking the line of sight between
the transmitter and receiver antennas.
If FPV signal or visual contact cannot be maintained, setting the Mode switch to Position Mode and enabling
Return-to-Land can be used to bring the aircraft back to signal reception range.
It is the responsibility of the pilot to see and

avoid other aircraft, people, or obstacles.
Always maintain direct line of sight with ALTA
Pro during flight, use visual observers as
operations require, and follow local regulations
regarding see-and-avoid requirements.
Performance
Environmental
Item Specification
Max Allowable Wind Speed <22 knots
Temperature Window 45ºC (113ºF) ~ -20ºC(-4ºF)

Weight / Endurance Performance Data
Conditions:
Item Condition
Altitude Sea Level, ISA
Winds Zero
Allowable Gross Weight
As altitude and temperature increase, the density of the air decreases. Consequently, ALTA Pro’s thrust will
decrease. The following table describes maximum gross weight limits with respect to altitude and
temperature.
Maintaining ALTA 8 Pro
General Information and Techniques
General Information and Techniques
Chassis
ALTA Pro ships from the factory with motors precisely aligned to minimize the difference in motor speed
between clockwise turning and counterclockwise turning motors while in flight. Opening the chassis by
removing the screws that attach either the top or bottom chassis plates affects this alignment and may
reduce ALTA Pro performance.
Do not open the ALTA Pro chassis. Opening the

chassis affects factory alignment.
All user maintainable items are outside the chassis and do not require the removal of screws attaching the
top or bottom chassis plates.
Use Of Threadlocker
Bolts and screws this manual identifies as needing to be removed or replaced do not typically require
threadlocking compound. This includes the screws holding on the handle, battery retention strap studs,
battery stops, closeout panels, and the top male Toad In The Hole adapter. In addition, fasteners that attach
to nuts with a nylon locking feature (nylock nuts) do not require threadlocker.
All structural fasteners require the use of threadlock. This includes chassis screws, lower male Toad In The
Hole adapter, motor attachment fasteners, and the four M3 x 8 socket head bolts that attach the folding
propeller to the motor. Typically, a low strength threadlocker (such as Loctite Purple 222) is used on
structural fasteners.
Fastener Installation
The Freefly hex drivers included with ALTA Pro are designed to limit the torque that can be applied to each
bolt or screw and help prevent stripping the fastener head.
Thread all fasteners into their respective holes until snug (when the fastener head bottoms out and lightly
clamps the two mating parts together).
To prevent excessive tightening and damaging the fastener or parts, twist the driver from the smaller
diameter knurled section of the tool between your thumb and index finger for small fasteners (under size M3)
or with your thumb and two forefingers for larger fasteners (size M3 and larger).
Maintenance Items
Propellers
Propeller blades should be removed when making a change to the configuration of ALTA Pro to prevent
propeller strikes in the event of unintentional motor starts and should be replaced if they become damaged.
Generally, a nick on the leading edge that is large enough to catch a fingernail indicates that the propeller
should be replaced. If the blade composite structure becomes delaminated, the propeller should be
replaced.
Freefly makes folding propeller assemblies available that include the blades and propeller hub fully
assembled and factory balanced. They are available in clockwise and counterclockwise orientations.
Only use propellers supplied by Freefly on

ALTA Pro. Use of third-party propellers can
cause motor instability, overheating, and failur
The folding propellers are installed on the motors with four M3×8 socket head bolts.
Always use a thread locking compound on the
bolt threads that attach the propeller hub to the
motor.
Odd numbered booms (1, 3, 5 and 7) use clockwise rotating propellers when looking from the top down, and
even numbered booms (2, 4, 6 and 8) use counterclockwise rotating propellers.
Always check to ensure the correct propeller

rotation direction and correct propeller prior to
flight. Propellers that spin in the incorrect
direction will cause ALTA Pro to be
uncontrollable.
Replacing Propeller Bumpers

Under normal use, propeller bumpers (see exploded view figure on the next page) may split and fall out of
the folding propeller assembly. Six spare bumpers are provided with the ALTA Pro. To replace the bumper,
disassembly of the folding propeller is required.
Start by removing the M3 x 19 bolt and nylon nut. Pull off the upper prop adapter. The two bumpers are held
in place by cylindrical features in the lower prop adapter. Replace the worn or split bumper.
To reassemble, follow the parts layout in the figure above. Note that there are two different types of
washers, one made of nylon and the other made of PTFE. The nylon washer is smaller in width and
thicker, and is installed between the nut or bolt head and the two prop adapters. The PTFE washer is
wider and thinner and is installed between the prop blades and prop adapters.
Propeller blades are balanced and paired

individually. Do not mix and match individual
propeller blades when reassembling.
Unbalanced propellers can affect flight
performance.
Every 15 Flights
ALTA Pro is designed to be as low-maintenance as possible.
It is recommended to check ALTA 8’s fasteners regularly. This check should occur roughly after every 15
flights, depending upon the level of vibration ALTA 8 experiences in flight or during handling. To check ALTA
8’s fasteners, apply a tightening torque to each fastener on the chassis using the supplied hex drivers. The
fasteners should not slip.
If a fastener does slip, tighten it using the methods described in the Fastener Installation section. Do not
apply additional thread locking compound unless the fastener has repeatedly come loose.
Every 15 Flight Hours
The following items should be checked after every 15 hours of flight.
Fastener Tightness
Check the tightness of the following fasteners:
Motor mount bolts
Prop hub bolts
Prop bolts
Top and bottom chassis bolts
Closeout panel bolts

FPV camera mounting plate bolts
Accessory mounting plate bolts
GPS/Compass mounting bolts
Inspection
Inspect the following items. Replace if worn.
Propeller blades
Prop bumpers
Hinge Latch Tightness
Check hinge latching tightness by closing the hinge. There should be a firm closing force and click. Adjust
the tension by using a 1.5mm hex wrench on the set screw located under the hinge latch.
Replacement Of Parts
Spare or replacement parts are available for sale separately at freeflysystems.com. Please refer to the store
for a current listing of all available spare parts.
Firmware Update Process
Autopilot firmware is updated via the USB expansion port on ALTA Pro located in the chassis closeout
between booms 1 and 2. To update firmware download the latest FW files from the ALTA Pro Firmware page
and follow the instructions below:
1. Download the latest ALTA Pro FW from the ALTA Pro Firmware page on the support website.
2. Plug in a USB cable to your computer. Leave the other end unplugged from ALTA Pro for now.
3. Remove the chassis closeout between Booms 1 and 2 to reveal the expansion board.
4. Hold down the USB MSC Button on the expansion board while plugging in the USB C to the expansion
board on ALTA Pro.
5. Enter the new folder now available in your file explorer. You should see a folder named FF-ALTA PRO.
6. Replace the ‘Freefly’ folder in the folder called FF-ALTA PRO with the new one downloaded from the
Freeflysystems.com website.
7. Unplug ALTA Pro from the USB and then apply battery power while holding down the Boot button on
the expansion board.
8. ALTA Pro should display a pink light to show it is updating its FW. Once complete the system will boot
normally and display flashing green orientation lights and a flashing white status light.
Test radio channels, arming, and disarming

behavior after firmware updates to ensure radi
mapping has been preserved. Incorrect radio
mapping can lead to loss of control.
Motor Alignment
ALTA Pro’s motors are aligned at the factory at an angle relative to the chassis. This slight angle improves
aircraft yaw authority and reduces the possibility of clockwise and counterclockwise turning motors from
spinning at different speeds during stable hover. However, this alignment can be lost when opening the
ALTA Pro chassis or if a boom needs to be replaced.
If the motors need to be realigned, follow the realignment procedure, then verify realignment was successful
using the Pixhawk Flight Review software.
To perform a realignment, Freefly recommends using a small, digital angle gauge with a flat surface so it can
rest on the bottom of the motor mount (for example, the Wixey WR300 angle gauge).
Alta Pro Motor Realignment Procedure
1. Place ALTA Pro on a level surface.

2. Place a digital angle gauge on the chassis next to the boom facing outwards.
3. Zero the angle gauge.

4. Starting at motor 1, place the digital angle gauge on the flat surface of the motor mount with the gauge
facing outwards.
4. If the gauge reads a value outside the range 2.5°±0.1°, loosen the motor mount clamping bolts. While
placing slight inward pressure on the motor, rotate the motor until the angle gauge indicates 2.5°±0.1°. When
viewed from the end of the boom:
a. Motors 1, 3, 5 and 7 should be rotated clockwise.
When rotating the motor, do not pull outwards

on it.
6. Apply threadlock as required (Loctite 222 recommended), and tighten the motor mount bolts to 0.8 N-m (7
in-lbs). Do not over-torque the bolts.
7. Repeat steps 2 through 6 for the additional motors.
8. After aligning motors, recheck motor mount alignment and clamping bolt tightness.
Motor Alignment Verification Flight Test Procedure
1. Complete Unpacking and Setup, Before Starting and Before Takeoff checklists.
2. Enter a hover for at least 10 seconds. Do not yaw during the hover.
3. Perform the ‘After Every Flight’ checklist.
4. Retrieve the microSD card from the GPS module and open it with a computer.
5. Open the ALTA Flight Data Viewer.

6. Drag and drop the latest .csv data log file of the test flight from the microSD card on to the ALTA Flight
Data Viewer window.
7. Under the Data Seeker section, select Hover from the Seek Event drop down box.
8. In the Flight Statistics section, look at the Yaw CW Bias value. It should be within +/- 5%. It Yaw CW
Bias is outside +/- 5%, recheck motor alignment.
If the Pixhawk Flight Review is unavailable or
cannot be used on your operating system, yaw
bias can be found at the bottom of the .csv dat
log for that flight.
Guidelines Following an Accident
Guidelines Following an Accident
Extra precautions should be taken following an accident, including a crash, tip over, propeller strikes with
solid bodies, or other abnormally stressing events. Contact Freefly Customer Support immediately after an
accident for guidance as field inspections are no substitute for consultation and direct inspection and repair
of damage by Freefly.
Freefly Customer Support can be reached at support@freeflysystems.com or by phone at +1 (425) 485-

5500.
ALTA Pro is a precisely tuned flying machine

with sensitive electronics and may become
damaged or adversely affected by crashes, tip
overs, propeller strikes with solid bodies, or
other abnormally stressing events. Freefly
recommends contacting Customer Support
immediately for guidance in case of any of
these events. Field inspections are no
substitute for consultation and direct
inspection and repair of damage by Freefly
Typical inspection points after an accident may include, but not be limited to, the following to gauge the
flight-worthiness of ALTA Pro prior to subsequent flights:
Propeller blade and hub damage

Propeller tip spacing
Motor alignment
Chassis plate damage

The Toad In The Hole spacer in the center of the ALTA Pro
Booms for damage or cracking
Position light covers
Landing gear
Closeout panels
Hinge frame alignment

Hinge tension-compression link and latch
Troubleshooting
General Warnings
Symptom Potential Cause Potential Solution
Check voltage of flight packs

Boot Fail Voltage limits exceeded
and replace as necessary
Check surroundings and boot in

an area away from ferrous
Compass readings out of limits
objects. Recalibration of the
compass.
Compass Warning Invalid compass calibration Calibrate the compass
GPS/Compass Unit has become Check the GPS/Compass unit

GPS Warning
disconnected wiring for damage
Accelerometer Warning Hard landing Reboot ALTA Pro
Contact Freefly Customer

Motor Warning ESC or Motor failure or error Support immediately. Do not
continue flying ALTA Pro.
Flight Controller
Follow radio controller

ALTA Pro will not arm Radio not bound manufacturer’s binding
procedure
Check radio mapping charts fo

correct behavior.
Radio not mapped properly
Adjust mapping as necessary i
ALTA Pro QGroundControl
Power cycle ALTA Pro. Ensure

does not move during boot
Flight Controller boot not
If ALTA Pro must move during
successful
boot (such as on a moving
platform), use Motion Booting
A low battery error latches and

Low Battery does not allow further take off
without a battery replacement.
Flight Behavior
Revert tuning to the last known

Unexpected flight behavior Tuning too high or too low working configuration
Set tuning back to default value
Change hover throttle to match

Alta Pro seems to "hop" or "dip" weight of aircraft. 49% for ~10lb
Hover throttle not set correctly
at the end of a climb payload, closer to 40% for light
aircraft.
ALTA Pro does not maintain Pitch or Roll Trim position not Use the ALTA app to set the
level pitch or roll set appropriate pitch and roll trim
Check flight settings and tuning

ALTA Pro oscillates or vibrates parameters in the App. Revert
Tuning too high or too low
during flight tuning to the last known workin
configuration. Re-tune.
Check for damage to propeller

Propellor Damage blades. Replace with spares as
required.
Replace with spares as

required. Propeller blades are
Propeller blades unbalanced
balanced and matched at the
factory.
Thoroughly inspect ALTA Pro

following any accident. Contac
Hinge or motor misalignment
Freefly for further inspection an
assessment.
Ice build-up is causing

vibrations due to unbalanced
Ice on Propellers
propellers. Remove ice from
propellers before further flights
ALTA Pro is sluggish in Check tuning in ALTA Pro and

Tuning too low
response to commands adjust as required
Weigh the ALTA Pro and

compare to the Allowable Gros
Flight weight is over limit
Weight table in this manual.
Remove weight.
Follow the instructions listed in

ALTA Pro ascends or descends
the ALTA Pro Flight Parameter
when switching between flight Hover Throttle set incorrectly
section of this manual to adjust
modes
Hover Throttle
ALTA Pro does not maintain Re-initialize ALTA Pro while
Yaw during boot keeping ALTA Pro stationary in
heading
all directions
Monitor ALTA Pro

QGroundControl and takeoff
Unexpected behavior in Position
Position lock not achieved only after Position Lock has
Mode
been achieved with strong GPS
signal
Re-initialize ALTA Pro while

Incorrect heading due to yaw
keeping ALTA Pro stationary in
during boot
all directions
Check surroundings for ferrous

Compass corruption or
objects or magnetic interferenc
calibration
Calibrate the compass.
ALTA Pro circles a point in

Compass calibration is invalid Calibrate the compass
Position Mode
Reduce Position tuning values

Position tuning values too high very slightly following the PX4
tuning guide.
ALTA Pro does not track straight Perform a manual compass

Compass calibration invalid
in Position Mode calibration.
Monitor the ALTA Pro

ALTA Pro does not Return-to- QGroundControl to ensure
Position Lock not achieved
Land when commanded position lock has been achieve
with strong GPS signal
Descend at a slight angle

ALTA Pro wobbles when Vertical descent into turbulent air relative to vertical so the ALTA
descending from propellers Pro does not fly into turbulent a
from propeller downwash
Default Tuning Values
https://freeflysystems.com/support/alta-pro-support
ALTA Ground Control
Intro
ALTA QGroundControl is based on the public version of the QGroundControl and is tailored for use with
ALTA X and ALTA 8 Pro. Although you should be able to use the public version, we highly recommend
using the Freefly version to be fully compatible. Freefly only uses and tests the ALTA QGroundControl.
v1.3
Summary: Support for RTK

Windows: v1.3.8
Mac: v1.3.8
iOS: v1.3.8
Android: v1.3.8
Notes:
New Feature: RTK status indicator and button to restart survey-in (Windows and Mac only)
New Feature: Display ALTA firmware version numbers in QGC

Improvement: Disabled QGC version check complaints
Improvement: Warn when advanced parameters screen is open
Improvement: Lockout feature
Bugfix: Airframe name doesn't display ALTA X
Bugfix: Hide MPC_CRUISE_90 and MPC_DEC_HOR_SLOW for ALTA X on ALTA Config screen
(not available with v1.2 firmware)
v1.1
Summary: Support for ALTA X
Windows: v1.1.4
Mac: v1.1.4
iOS: v1.1.4
Android: v1.1.4
Notes:
New: ALTA X support
Support for PX4 firmware v1.9
Allow for multiple airframe parameter defaults

Number of LEDs displayed on config screen
Improvement: Display a warning if switching airframes while the app is open
v1.0
Summary: Initial release for ALTA 8 Pro

Release Date: April 2019

Windows: v1.0.6
Mac: v1.0.6
iOS: v1.0.6
Android: v1.0.6
Notes:
ALTA QGroundControl v1.0.6 is based on Public QGroundcontrol v3.5.1 stable
Included new parameters we added for ALTA support such as LEDs and OSD
Overwrote their Tuning screen with our own to include frequently used parameters. This is to make it
more convenient to user compared to going to all parameters screen where parameter names are
cryptic and only provides basic UI.
Overwrote their parameter defaults to match ALTA defaults
Moved a component in radio screen to make it not crop for small screens
Overwrote app name and version number so that app can be differentiated from the public one
Removed "Reset all to defaults" for UX purposes. This button ends up kicking you out of wifi and
erasing all calibration values
Adding parameter file import/export functionality for iOS and Android
v1.5 Beta
Summary: 3D Mission Viewer Beta
Windows: v1.5.1
Mac: n/a
iOS: n/a
Android: n/a
Notes:
This is a beta release and it is for windows only. Full details can be found at this link.
New: 3D Mission Viewer

Mōvi Pro Series
This section covers Mōvi Pro Series products:
Mōvi Pro
Mōvi XL
Mōvi Carbon
MIMIC
Pilot
Mōvi Pro iOS and Android Apps
Mōvi Pro and Carbon SL4 Guide

Troubleshooting Tree
Movi Pro Troubleshooting Tree
Movi Pro Troubleshooting Tree.pdf 55KB

PDF
Mōvi Carbon
Mōvi Carbon Pro Tips
Here are the most common issues and mitigation strategies for Carbon customers.
As always Freefly support is here to help if you run into issues!
Key links
Quick Start Guide
Manual
Customer Support
Software
You need to be running Mōvi firmware v2 0 10 or above for FRX Pro to work
You need to be running Mōvi firmware v2.0.10 or above for FRX Pro to work
Mōvi Controller (MC) will need to be on v4.1.3 or above with this package
Get the latest software for fixes and improvements
iOS v2.0.2 includes Carbon firmware v2.0.16. Get it here

Mōvi Controller firmware v4.1.7 includes the “Reset Attitude” feature (see below). Get it here
Carbon does not need to be autotuned and then gains / filters do not normally need any adjustment
If you run a window of < 4 on the MC you will start to see joystick noise in the image
Additionally, if you are using FRX Pro on the MC, make sure that it is getting power from an external
power supply, as noted in the Using FRX Pro section of the wiki.
The Carbon IMU takes six minutes to reach peak performance, but it is fine to shoot with it in this time.
When the initial six minute IMU warm up period is complete, the yellow indicator on the bottom left of
the Mōvi screen turns grey. At this point the roll/horizon may still be a few degrees off (1 to 4
degrees). You may use the “Reset Attitude” feature (see below) to reset the attitude estimate and
level the roll axis. Otherwise Carbon should level out on its own after ~15 minutes.
The Carbon IMU has a max rate of 200 deg / sec. If you exceed this it could corrupt the attitude estimate
and roll / tilt / pan could drift. If this happens please activate the new “Reset Attitude” feature (see
below).
If you operate Carbon with full pan / tilt rate you will need to be gentle on the joystick or you can get
some interaction / slapping with the inner / outer axis. Right now the acceleration limits are not
working properly on the inner axis. Alternatively if you absolutely do not want this to happen you can
reduce the pan speed or reduce the remote scale to a value of 150 deg / sec or less
There is a new “Reset Attitude” feature that will temporarily tell Carbon to ignore the gyros and listen to
the accelerometer to level itself. It's important to be stationary and not accelerating when using this
feature. In the iOS app this button can be found under Monitor > Status > Terminal. In the Mōvi Controller
it can be found at the bottom of the Mōvi Expert menu, named "Carbon Attitude: Reset".
Make sure you power down your camera when you change settings so you do not lose them when you
turn Carbon off.
Mechanical
You do not need to balance Carbon it comes pre balanced from Freefly
You do not need to balance Carbon, it comes pre balanced from Freefly
If you add accessories to Carbon you will need to adjust pan balance, this is the only adjustment you
will need to make
Carbon needs to have either a UV filter or a ND filter in place to balance properly
Please do not adjust the inner axis, the balance is precisely set at the factory and it takes special
equipment to achieve the level of balance needed for Carbon to perform at full zoom
To check pan balance, tip Carbon to the side and see if Pan swings forward / backwards - adjust as
needed to prevent this
Support
If you do have an issue that you cannot solve please provide the following. With these items Support
can solve the issue 10x faster than with just a text description
Video of the behavior
List of your setup (with FWs running on each item)

Log file of the behavior
Software Versions
#protip- Verify all Freefly products are up to date by referencing the chart below to make sure there are no
compatibility issues.
For instance, v2.0 GCU is not fully compatible with v1.5 MIMIC. So, if you plan to upgrade to v2.0 software
bundle, make sure all your devices are updated to the versions specified for that bundle.
Software Components 2.1 Software Package
Mōvi Pro GCU 2.1.0
TSU 2.0.1
ESC 1.1.0
Mōvi XL GCU 2.0.16
TSU 2.0.1
ESC 1.0.4
Mōvi Carbon GCU 2.1.0
TSU I/O 2.0.1/1.0.0
ESC 1.0.2
MIMIC 2.0.3
Mōvi Pro App iOS 2.1.0
Android 2.0.5
Mōvi Controller 4.2.0
Firmware Updates
To Update
Get the Mōvi Pro App at https://freeflysystems.com/support/movi-pro-support
Connect to your Mōvi Pro/XL/Carbon or MIMIC through the Mōvi Pro iOS or Android App.
Navigate to Monitor>Updates, and check if you have the latest firmware.
Notes
Mōvi Controller update is through its own process.
Mōvi subcomponent versions (gcu, tsu, esc) can be found on Mōvi screen under
Monitor>Details>Versions
V2.1.0 RELEASE NOTES

September 2022
The v2.1.0 Software Bundle comes with new MōVI Pro/Carbon firmware v2.1 and updated iOS/Android
apps to enable the features below:
Improvement: Adds setting to select SL4 battery type. Selecting SL4 uses a SL4 specific state of
charge estimation function.

November 2020
v2.0.2 Software Bundle comes with new Mōvi Pro/XL/Carbon firmware v2.0.16 and updated iOS/Android
apps to enable features below:
Improvement: Stabilization performance is improved under severe vibration conditions
Improvement: Stabilization performance is improved for cases where there is a small amount of
acceleration (ex: dolly push on a slider)
Improvement: Default settings start with "user" preset. This way if user doesn't modify the preset
selection, MōVI would behave exactly the same as pre-blackjack firmware
Improvement: Default roll and tilt mode in 360 should be free and not snap.
Default for 360 off: Tilt locked, roll locked
Default for 360 on: Tilt free, roll free (every time 360 roll is toggled on)
Improvement: Majestic Screen App UI relayout and include new settings introduced with Blackjack
Improvement: Added smooth lock feature back to the timelapse mode to allow manually positioning
MōVI by hand
Improvement: Dual rocker to control pan and tilt independently for setting up timelapse
Improvement: Updated all information texts inside the apps
Bugfix: Removed features from the iOS app that were previously removed from the firmware
Target mode
Max Roll Angle
Output Master Filter
Shutter type
Shaky cam
Bugfix: Compass declination is fixed.

Bugfix: In the previous build of the iOS app, opening the expert settings screen would result in pan-for-
roll coupling symptoms if running firmware v2.0.10 or below.
Bugfix: Carbon was not resetting biases on boot, which could cause roll to be off a few degrees after
boot. Additionally, GCU firmware v2.0.16 includes other improvements to eliminate potential roll issues
for Carbon.
Bugfix: On FW v2.0.11 and later, filter settings, such as drift assist mode wasn’t persisting on reboot
New: New reset attitude button on iOS App and Movi Controller that will reset the sensors on the Movi
Carbon to allow users to mitigate any attitude corruption in the field.

April 2019
This release is an app only update ( iOS v2.0.1 and Android v2.0.3)
This is a bugfix for “roll goes off when panning” symptom.
Root cause was loading a configuration file from the app to MōVI.
If you are experiencing this symptom, you should “reset robot settings”. There shouldn’t be any
further problems using this app.

December 2018
This the major release for Mōvi Pro/Carbon/XL called Blackjack! Read more about it here.
V1.6 RELEASE NOTES

GCU - v1.6.4
New Feature: Support for Mōvi Carbon.

Internal
New Feature: Support for external gyros + accelerometers on Mōvi Carbon.

New Feature: Added bias tracking startup ramp for external IMU’s that have warm up periods.
Improvement: Updated UI to show when an external gyro + accelerometer is connected on Mōvi XL and
Mōvi Carbon.
Bugfix: The bias tracker no longer tracks Pan rotations using the accelerometer.
TSU
v1.6.5
Bugfix: Fixes an issue where FIZ position measurements wrap around and can give incorrect
readings past their limits. This fix will prevent gimbal from having an incorrect zoom rate scale at
zoom limits.
v1.6.4
New Feature: Added zoom rate scaling feature which slows down camera movement the farther the
lens is zoomed in.
New Feature: FIZ Autocal on startup for Mōvi Carbon.
MōVI Controller
v3.6.0
New Feature: Zoom Rate Scaling UI so users can adjust the Zoom Rate
New Feature: Default the lens profile on Mōvi Carbon to Fujinon XK 20-120mm.
v3.7.2
New feature: Mōvi Wheels support & TX Config screen updates
iOS / Android Apps - v1.6.x
Known Issues
Timelapse Controls Disappear on Movi Controller
Issue: Preview/Start Timelapse options disappear on controller; leaving only the cancel option.
Workaround: Setting up timelapses still works through the app.
V1.5 RELEASE NOTES

GCU v1.5.1
New Feature: FOG (Fiber Optic Gyro) support for Mōvi XL
TSU
v1.5.2
Bugfix: Mōvi Pro/XL compatibility issues with new version of RED firmware is fixed. Previously,
upgrading RED firmware from v6 to v7 have introduced issues such as slow response to camera
controls or having issues during camera boot.
Bugfix: LANC setup sometimes triggered IMU error on Mōvi

v1.5.1
Improvement: FIZ motor tuning profile adjustments
Bugfix: Camera Type setting on iOS and Android is now persistent on reboot
MIMIC v1.5.1
Bugfix: API FIZ commands through MIMIC don't get forwarded to Mōvi with their full range
Bugfix: Pressing "clear faults" in FIZ Axis Setup screen would not stop sending "clear faults" command
until an all axis auto calibration is done or until MIMIC is reboot.
Mobile Apps v1.5.x

New Feature: Majestic Span configurations to achieve whip pan
New firmware bundle
Known Issues
MIMIC may set range limits unintentionally. Check if you have limits set on FIZ screens in case you run
into an issue where you can’t control FIZ.
Blackjack
Blackjack (Mōvi Pro Series Software v2.0) focuses on new performance and roll modes. Mōvi becomes
even more powerful, versatile, smart and reliable. ......Oh, and we fixed a few bugs also.
Learn more about the motivation behind 2.0 here at freeflysystems.com/blackjackor on our blog
!
#lighterisbetter
All of the added strength is accomplished by smart software engineering. 50% more powerful, 100%
smarter, all without adding a single gram to Mōvi.
What's New
Learn about what's new in Blackjack
360° Roll
360° roll video.
What is it?
Mōvi can now roll 360°+ degrees. We built in a suite of advanced roll modes so you can #justkeeprolling.
Here are some example methods. Read the 360° Roll Guideto learn more or visit the Blackjackpage for an
overview!
Roll With Snap

Roll Continuously Via Pan
Axial Roll
Barrel Roll
Portrait Shooting
How to use?
New high-level “360° Roll” toggle enables new behavior for Roll and Tilt modes.
Additionally, Mōvi now has a brand new Axis Mode screen!!

#protip
Make sure you understand the theoryand practicebehind roll modes before you shoot for the best
experience. There is a another whole guidethat focuses on 360 Roll!
Majestic Methods
Majestic methods video.
What is it?
Choose from predefined shooting methods in a single click or create your own custom profiles. Go from whip
to slow in seconds—without opening the app.
How to use?
Mōvi now includes a Majestic screen that lets you quickly switch between different majestic setting presets.
#protip
Try new Whip majestic preset together with Maniacmode! Also:

Whip preset temporarily sets Hold Strengths to 60.
Learn more on how to be a pro at using whip preset in this video.
You can set your “user” preset by toggling to “user” in the Mōvi screen and then modifying values in the
Mōvi Pro App. It will automatically remember those settings, no saving required.
Maniac Mode
Maniac mode video.
What is it?
50% increased power to motors! More juice, more whips, more joy.
How to use?
Enable Maniac Mode for Mōvi Pro or Carbon: MōviPro App > Tuning > Advanced.
It has cool down time if used a lot. Motors are
protected by an advanced thermal model that lowers current as needed.
Mōvi displays a warning on the details screen, shown as Drive “Limit” while in thermal cool down
mode, but stays in Maniac Mode as long as possible.
#protip
Make sure to test your setup under load before going out on a serious shoot. Different setups have different
power requirements.
Our test results show that the camera doesn’t shut down until Mōvi Pro batteries are less than 30% +
RED & all accessory ports used + Maniac enabled + all motors maxed out.
Battery sets with poor health may not support Maniac Mode.
Maniac mode doesn’t automatically consume more power. Motors only draw more power if needed.
Autotune v3
Autotune v3 video.
What is it?
Autotune is now even smarter and more #prolevel! It models your payload in new ways to deliver the
best software performance that is also tightly integrated with hardware.
How to use?
Just Autotune like before, every time you change payload or setup. Simple as that!
All new changes happen behind the scenes!
#protip
Since previous firmware, the default Hold Strengths have been increased from 8 to 30. This improves
the disturbance rejection, but previously would lead to overshoot on fast commands with a heavy
camera package. 2.0 resolves this overshoot.
We are testing with even higher hold strengths: 40-60 for pan, tilt and roll on Pro. Keep XL at 15-25
since it is already very strong.
Default tuning percentage of 70% is a little high from our testing. Try 50-65. New default is 60%.
Live Boot
Live boot video.
What is it?
Mōvi had the fastest boot time in the market with ~2 seconds.
Now it’s even more robust.
Shaky shaky - We got rid of the motion booting setting. Now it’s called Live Boot and you don’t even
have to think about it. MōVI will turn on instantly if you are running, jumping on a boat or barrel rolling on
a plane.
Dynamic Fixed Mount

Dynamic fixed mount video.
What is it?
Drift is annoying. Mōvi now features a dynamic fixed mount mode where the MōVI detects when it is
stable and mitigates drift, using its high resolution encoders.
#protip
Mōvi Pro v2.0 knows when it is sitting still and uses this information to combat drift. Corrections are
made exponentially when Mōvi is stationary. It takes about 15 seconds to get 50% correction and about
minute for 90% correction.
If you are diagnosing a drift issue, make sure to turn off all controllers to determine if the source is Mōvi
or one of the controllers.
Dynamic Drift Control

Dynamic Drift Control video.
What is it?
Mōvi Pro 2.0 has learned to ignore the bad data from the accelerometer to help keep your shots level
and stable, even in high accelerations without compass or GPS assist modes.
#protip
There are a lot of behind-the-scenes software features that make Mōvi more robust. We’re not relying on
Heading Assist setting anymore and recommend keeping it off until you have a specific reason to use it.
Additionally, the GPS option has been removed because GPS is now incorporated automatically.
Improvements
Impact Recovery:Mōvi will automatically reset if it detects it was disturbed. Previously this would have
affected an axis, such as roll, to be off for few minutes or require reboot.
Zoom Rate Scaling: Enable zoom rate scaling and the Mōvi will automatically slow down pan / tilt rate
as you zoom in. Super helpful for catching Dave’s dance moves from afar.
Auto FIZ Cal on Boot: Mōvi can now automatically calibrate focus / iris / and zoom on powerup. Turn it
on in Mōvi Pro App > Configurations > Dual Op > Adjustments
TheMōvi Wheelsnow automatically sets pan/tilt joystick settings to zeros for most responsive feel.
Bugfixes
Timelapseis now more robust!
And many more misc bugs!
360° Roll
Learn about Blackjack's 360° roll feature
360° Roll Intro

This feature guide describes how 360° Roll works in Mōvi Pro v2.0 Software. For the best experience, take
the time to understand both the theory and the practical aspects of 360° Roll modes before you go out on a
shoot.
How to use?
Enabling 360° roll is as simple as turning on 360° Roll mode from the App, Mōvi Screen, or Mōvi Controller
menu. However, keep in mind that these new behaviorsalso introduce an additional level of complexity. All
features described in this guide apply with 360° Roll on.
There are many ways to use 360 °Roll and its features, depending on your crew size and roll control
method. Users can apply options like Tilt and Roll Snap to the different 360° Roll methods to modify their
behavior as well—continue reading for more information.
#protip
If you don’t need to roll past ±90° for your shot, consider leaving 360° Roll off and using regular control.
360° Roll is a specialty tool and adds a level of complexity that may be unnecessary if you need to do a
simple, leveled-off shot.
Mōvi Pro ecosystem currently allows roll commands from:

Mōvi Controller
MIMIC
Wheels
Gamepad
Pilot
API
iOS/Android apps currently don't have a feature to send continuous roll commands
Method: Barrel Roll

Video demonstration of a barrel roll.
Perfect for the single operator that wants to execute 180° moves without moving the ring, or 360°+ moves by
rotating the ring to follow the camera lens axis.
Settings
360° Roll -> On

Roll mode -> Free / Majestic
Tilt mode -> Free / Majestic, or Snap!
Pan mode -> Free / Majestic
Make sure not to command pan rate from a controller.
Majestic Window -> Medium to reject unintentional movement
Operation
There are two ways to input the roll command for Barrel Roll:
1. Majestic Roll
Simply rotate the handles for a majestic roll.
2. Roll Command
Command a roll rate from a controller. Here are the options.

Follow the roll motion of Mōvi with the handles/ring to ensure Mōvi doesn’t get into a singularity or
hit its hard stops.
#protip
Set Tilt Mode to Snap for shots where you want to ensure tilt doesn’t move up or down, i.e., a shot where
you are moving straight down a hallway while rolling.
Method: 360° Roll Via Pan
Video demonstration of a 360° roll via pan.
The perfect method for when you want continuous 360° rolls without moving the ring or handles. By rotating
the pan axis 90°, it now acts as the roll axis and allows 360° moves.
How to use?
Illustration of pan for roll.
In dual operation, there’s no specific setup required to use this mode. For a solo operator, this method is
currently not possible.
Pan for Roll has the potential for confusion since there are two ways to set it up. The picture above is
one possibility, the other is with the roll beam above the camera. The setup you use might depend on
how far you need to look up or down.
#protip
In this orientation, more stress is placed on the pan motor and quick release. Make sure the quick
release is fully engaged and tightened, and always use safety rigging.
Wiring and mechanical constraints still limit the available travel of the “roll” motor.
Pan balance is especially important in this orientation. Become familiar with pan balancing by watching
the Mōvi Pro balancing tutorial.
Use the Hula Hoop method we showed here.
Method: Vector Roll

Problem while displaying link...
Click here to visit the page.
Video demonstration of a vector roll.
360° Roll mode allows users to set a ‘virtual’ target and command an axial roll along that line.
How to use?
In 360° Roll mode, the roll axis is defined with respect to the camera and lens, not the horizon. So, no
matter which way the camera is pointed, a roll command will always cause the image to rotate along the
optical axis of the lens.
Start by adjusting the axis of Mōvi in dual operator mode (for instance with Mōvi Controller).
Command roll rate from a controller (hereare the options).
#protip
This works best if you tilt down or up at least 30 degrees in gimbal up or gimbal down configuration.
If you have a setup with long lenses, make sure you have clearance with the roll beam.
Method: Roll With Snap

Video demonstration of a roll with snap.
Mōvi gently snaps the camera to the nearest 90° plane so you can execute roll moves but ‘land’ on a
horizontal or vertical frame.
How to use?
Settings
360° Roll -> On
Roll mode -> Snap
Majestic response -> Set to your liking.

It will change the speed of snapping.
Setup roll input source. Here are the options.
Operation
Start commanding a roll rate to start your shot.
When you stop commanding roll rate, Mōvi will snap to the nearest 90° plane.
#protip
Play with different majestic smoothing/response settings to vary how the snapping speed.
Try and stop your move slightly before 90° so Mōvi can finish the move and land perfectly at 90 degree
plane.
Method: Portrait Shooting

Video demonstration of portrait shooting.
Great for when a mobile or social company is paying the bills and insists on flipping that Red Epic on its
side. Quickly transition from landscape to portrait mode with no change to the camera rigging.
This method is useful if you want to shoot in social media square or vertical aspect ratios by rotating the
camera 90º. You will still have Pan and Tilt Majestic control in this orientation.
How to use?
Settings
360° Roll -> On
Roll mode -> Snap
#protip
Set a wide window on Roll Majestic so you don’t accidentally put in a roll move.
Method: Full 3D Majestic

Perfect for the single operator that wants to have full 3D Majestic control with no limits. This is useful for
simulating a zero-gravity perspective or a first-person-view flight through open space.
How to use?
360° Roll -> On
Tilt and Roll -> Free / Majestic
Majestic Window -> Small
Majestic Response -> Optional
Method: Full 3D MIMIC

This is similar to Full 3D Majestic, but with a remote 3D input from MIMIC. The camera will follow the MIMIC
orientation in 3D with no limits.
How to use?
MIMIC Mode -> Direct (not Level Roll or Majestic).

Tilt -> Free
Roll -> Free
Method: Free Gamepad Roll
How to use?
Settings
Map Roll to the Gamepad left and right triggers from the MIMIC.
Use medium Joystick windows to prevent joystick/trigger-induced drift.
Tilt -> Free
Roll -> Free
Operation
Set a roll rate using the analog left and right triggers on the DS4 gamepad while also controlling pan
and tilt with the joystick. This can create many complex 3D rolling shots. With snapping off, the roll will
remain fixed when you release the triggers.
#protip: Snapping for Tilt and Roll

While 360 Roll is on, the usual Tilt and Roll modes (Level, Smooth Lock, Majestic) take on new options that
are more applicable to full 3D operation
Free: When not being driven, the axis stays where you leave it.
Snap: When not being driven, the axis smoothly moves to the nearest 90º increment.
For roll, this means landscape or portrait.
For tilt, this means lens horizontal or lens vertical.
#protip: New Behaviors

New high-level “360°Roll” toggle changes the behavior of Roll and Tilt modes.
360° Roll Off On
Roll Mode 0 Level Snap (New)
Roll Mode 1 Majestic Free (New)
Tilt Mode 0 (Smooth) Lock Snap (New)
Tilt Mode 1 Majestic Free (New)
Here are more details about these new modes, whether you are using them in Majestic, MIMIC, or in Rate
Majestic.
The angle of the ring or base determines the snapping orientations.

Window, smoothing, and span are applied to camera-frame axes. For example, roll settings always
apply on the lens optical axis.
Tilt and Roll snapping are applied in parallel with Majestic commands. Must be within the Majestic
Window on all relevant axes to fully snap.
MIMIC
Inputs are processed directly, regardless of MIMIC Mode settings.

Only the highest priority MIMIC input is used.
Tilt and Roll snapping should be off.
Rate
(Joystick, Rocker, Gamepad, Wheels)
A higher-priority rate command

on a singleaxis will be applied to that camera-frame axis, on topof the MIMIC/Majestic command.
on two or threeaxes will overridethe MIMIC/Majestic command.
The current attitude determines the snapping orientations.
#protip: Singularity
Why does Pan wobble/swing during 360 happen?
This is due to a “singularity.” When the roll arm lines up with the pan arm, you mechanically constrain
the system and end up losing tilt control. Software does its best to compensate for this, but it can’t defy
physics.
Here is an exampleof why pan moves to achieve an axial 360° roll shot.
This videoalso goes over the concept.
What do I do to prevent this?
There are a few options:
1. For unrestricted, continuous 360° roll shot, you can mount pan for roll (example video). Learn more in
pan-for-rollsection.
2. When working as dual operator with handheld, MōVI operator can follow the roll motion with the
handles/ring to ensure MōVI doesn’t hit singularity (example, example).
3. Don’t over constrain the system. Just command roll and have pan and tilt in majestic with zero windows.
Currently only available with MIMIC + Wheels or MIMIC + Pilot but we will have many more options in
the future.
4. Have the MōVI perfectly level (example video: levelvs non-level).
#protip: How To Command Roll Rate

Here are some options:
MōVI Controller: Map Roll to Zoom (360) on the TX Config screen

MIMIC + Gamepad: Map Roll in Gamepad screen
Wheels + MIMIC: Map Roll in Input Setup screen
Wheels + MōVI Controller: Map Roll to Wheels on the TX Config screen

MIMIC + Pilot: Map Roll in Input Setup screen
API
You can command roll from MIMIC itself in MIMIC mode as well, however this is absolutemode and not rate
mode.
Mōvi Controller
Compatibility
Mōvi M5/10/15 is compatible with Mōvi Controller firmware v4.1.3 or below
Mōvi Pro/XL/Carbon is compatible with Mōvi Controller firmware v3.0.1 or above
v4.2.0
Bugfix: FIZ range limits were sometimes getting set randomly. This was causing it to look like a FIZ axis
was getting stuck or locked.
Bugfix: Mōvi Controller was occasionally sending corrupt gimbal commands, causing Mōvi to briefly
twitch or reset its FIZ values
Bugfix: Can’t select/unselect lenses from lens library
Bugfix: Carbon wasn’t displaying units for FIZ in the FIZ main screen, due to the lens library not
working.
Improvement: Pan/tilt trim knobs can now be used in Wheels mode
New Feature: Added reset attitude button under Mōvi Expert screen for use with Mōvi firmware v2.0.16
or above. Scroll to it in the menu, then turn the right knob right to initiate the process
Known issue: Lens Library sometimes doesn’t save new lenses
v4.1.3
New Feature: FRX Pro support! Go to Radio Config and change Radio Type from Internal to USB
Improvement: Signal strength indicator in Radio Config when USB mode is selected (for use with FRX
Pro) displays good/weak/bad instead of packets per second.
Bugfix: Adding a new lens to lens library would freeze Mōvi Controller even when rebooted.
Known issue: Can’t select/unselect lenses from lens library. Adding a new lens doesn’t persist.
v4.0.0
New Feature: Blackjack support
New Feature: Roll mapping option for Wheels!
Improvement: Added 360 roll mapping for Rocker and Joystick.
Improvement: Timelapse menu is removed during winter clean up. App version is significantly
improved.
Improvement: Wheels advanced settings (termination, LED, etc) on Mōvi Controller
Improvement: Added timeout features to Wheels
Improvement: Display 0 values for joystick smoothing/window/expo when Wheels enabled.
v3.7.2
New feature: Mōvi Wheels support & TX Config screen updates

Improvement: Iris and Focus linearization for Mōvi Carbon and set crop factor, which now makes
displayed lens range 40-240mm
v3.6.0
New Feature: Zoom Rate Scaling UI so users can adjust the Zoom Rate
New Feature: Default the lens profile on Mōvi Carbon to Fujinon XK 20-120mm.
v3.2.1
Improvement: Alpha Wheels Mode is improved and jitters are further eliminated. Some notes:
MIMIC settings no longer apply.
Joystick settings now apply. For the most direct feel, dual op pan and tilt joystick window, smoothing,
and expo should be set to zero. They can be modified for more smoothing if desired.
Remote Rate Scale now applies and is a final drive ratio with the maximum of 200º/s. So, 70:1
wheels gear plus 100º/s Remote Rate Scale will be a total of 140:1 wheels to axis ratio.
Should work better with high Hold Strength. You will still get overshoot on abrupt stops. High Hold
Strength puts more responsibility in the operator's hands for the start and stop ramps.
There is a known bug where the controller must boot in Alpha Wheels mode to initialize the wheels
properly. Not addressed by this update. We'll look into it for next release.
If you are using MIMIC version of the Alpha Wheels, we recommend to get the latest firmware from
1A Tools.
New Feature: Added Chrosziel CDM-100M Lens Motor option to the FIZ Axis config motor selection list.
v3.1.0
Improvement: Changed all references to "WEDGE" in displays to "FIZ"
New Feature: Added Hocus Reflex to motor selection list
New Feature: Added bare-bones Aux Port for API pass-through

Technical Drawings and CAD
Defeatured CAD to assist with payload integration.
Movi Pro with Aerial Landing Gear - (Downloadable STEP file available here)
Movi Pro - (Downloadable STEP file available here)
Movi XL - (Downloadable STEP file available here)

Mōvi XL Setup Stand
During development of Mōvi XL we built a modular test stand and balancing rig. We found this stand to be
very useful for building and balancing camera payloads before mounting XL to a vehicle or crane. Below
you can find information and links to assist you in making your own!
You will need 3 things for this build:
The frame : We have built out a model of the stand on vention.io where you can either; click to buy the parts
and assemble yourself or check out the bill-of-materials and cut-list so you can build your own from scratch.
Vention MoVI XL Setup Stand
The adapter plate : This will allow you to mount the Mōvi XL Quick Release to the frame. You can fabricate
this yourself, or order it from a service like Protolabs or Xometry.
Adapter Plate 2D Drawing / STEP CAD file
The quick release : The Mōvi XL Quick Release Kit can be found in the Freefly Systems Store. We
recommend using M6x20 FHCS (qty6) to attach to the Quick Release to the adapter plate.
Movi XL Quick Release

Mōvi Pro and Carbon SL4 Guide
When using SL4 batteries on a Mōvi Pro or Carbon, update your gimbal software for the best user
experience. Please follow the instructions below to update your Mōvi Pro or Carbon.
1. Download the latest Mōvi Pro app version at the Apple App or Google Play stores.
Google Play
Apple App
2. Update the Mōvi Pro through the Mōvi Pro app to the latest firmware version (v2.1.0 or newer)
Tap Monitor > Updates > and select Update
3. Go to Configurations > General and select SL4 in the Battery Type window.
Tap General > Battery Type > and select SL4
Selecting SL4 configures your gimbal's battery monitor for SL4. For the most accurate state of charge,
always refer to the battery fuel gauge included on every SL4.
Click here for more information on the SL4 batteries.

FRX Pro
Overview
Introduction
Overview of FRX Pro
FRX Pro was designed to increase the performance of Freefly's family of gimbal controllers by allowing
users to achieve increased range and better connections in even the harshest RF environments. FRX Pro is
perfect for professionals who are looking to push their Freefly gear further to get shots that were previously
unattainable.
This manual covers the setup, use, and troubleshooting information needed to successfully use FRX Pro
with your other Freefly gear. We advise reading and understanding this manual before using FRX Pro with
other products in the Freefly Ecosystem!
Throughout the manual, warnings, cautions and notes are used to highlight various important procedures.
Warnings are used to highlight procedures which, if not strictly observed, may result in personal injury.
Cautions are used to highlight procedures which, if not strictly observed, may cause damage to equipment.
Notes are used to highlight specific operating conditions, usability tips and tricks or steps of a procedure.
In the Box
FRX Pro Kit Contents and Optional Accessories
FRX Pro Kit Contents
Item Quantity
FRX Pro Module 2
COM Cable 300mm 2
USB Cable (A-C) 1
D-Tap Power Cable (DTAP - Molex) 1
5dBi Antenna (RP-SMA) 2
2dBi Antenna (RP-SMA) 2
Zipties 200mm 2
Additional Optional Accessories
Item Use
Used to mount FRX Pro to MōVI Pro and MōVI

25mm Pop-n-Lock
Carbon
50mm Pop-n-Lock Used to mount FRX Pro to MōVI XL
Used to mount FRX Pro to MōVI Controller and

Screw Mount Pop-n-Lock
other products with 1/4-20 mounts.
FRX Pro Spare D-Tap Power Cable Replace the D-Tap Power Cable in the FRX Pro K
Replace the 5dBi antennas provided in the FRX

5dBi Spare Antenna Set*
Pro Kit
Replace the 2dBi antennas provided in the FRX

2dBi Spare Antenna Set*
Pro Kit
*Note: These items are not available in the Freefly online store but can be ordered by special request.
System Diagram
Visual Overview of FRX Pro
FRX Pro Overview
Item Function
1. Status LED Communicates FRX Pro status to the user
2. Bind Button Binds FRX Pro units to one another
Connects to FRX Pro to Freefly products with

3. UART Port
UART communication ports
Connects to FRX Pro to Freefly products with CAN

4. CAN Port
communication ports
Connects to FRX Pro to Freefly products with USB

5. USB-C Port
communication ports
Setup Overview
Status Light Overview

Connectors and Pinouts
Specifications
Dimensions + Mounting Patterns
Item Dimensions
Length 15.6mm
Height 67.0mm
Width 42.4mm
Mounting Pattern M3 - 15mm x 15mm Grid
Specifications
Item Specification
Weight 62.2g
Input Voltage 5 V - 30V
Input Power >10W
Signal Power 10mW - 1W (User adjustable)
Frequency 902 - 928MHz *
Spread Method Frequency Hopping
Range 1700m [5600ft] (Based on testing) **
Antenna Connector RP-SMA
Operational Temperature Range -20 to 50C
*FRX Pro's alternative frequencies to be released in the near future
**Range is dependent on Signal power settings, RF environment, and line of sight

Using FRX Pro
Mounting
How to mount FRX Pro
FRX Pro Mounting
Install a FRX Pro module to your gimbal using the Pop-n-Lock dovetail and a Pop-n-Lock mounted to
the pan axis of your gimbal. See the diagram below for suggested mounting areas on your gimbal.
If necessary you can update the orientation of the Pop-n-Lock dovetail to make adjust the orientation
of the FRX Pro module.
Alternatively you can utilize the zip-tie features machined into the front face of FRX Pro to secure it
to the mounting surface.
Mount the other FRX Pro module to your MōVI Controller setup.
We suggest using a Screw Mount Pop-n-Lock kit to utilize one of the many 1/4-20" mounting
location on the MōVI Controller and most monitors.
FRX Pro Wiring
Gimbal Side
Unplug any devices from COM1 of the gimbal's GCU.

When using FRX Pro you will no longer need the older MC-RX's. These can be removed from the
gimbal.
Use one of the COM Cables provided in the kit to connect the FRX Pro's UART port to the COM1 port of
your gimbal.
Controller Side
For power, connect the other FRX Pro module to an external power supply, such as a V-Lock battery
using the FRX Pro D-Tap Power cable.
For signal, connect the FRX Pro to the MōVI Controller using the USB Cable provided in the kit.
Ensure you have plugged the USB Cable into the bottom USB port on the MōVI Controller.
Binding and Setup
How to bind and setup FRX Pro
FRX Pro Binding

Turn on the gimbal and MōVI Controller that the FRX Pro's are going to link.
The FRX Pro's status light will turn white during boot and standby.
If the FRX Pro modules are already bound and connected to a gimbal and controller which are
running, the status lights will turn green after a few seconds.
If the status light remains white, press the bind button of the FRX Pro connected to the controller, wait
one second, then press the bind button of the other FRX Pro.
Both FRX Pro's status lights will begin flashing white and the modules will initiate the binding
procedure.
Once a data connection is established both the status lights on the FRX Pro modules will turn green.
If the FRX Pro modules cannot establish a connection the status lights will turn red and then return to
their standby state.
Repeat the binding steps above if a binding attempt fails.
MoVI Controller Setup
To use the MōVI Controller with FRX Pro you must change the MōVI Controller's Radio Type setting to
'USB'
To access this setting navigate to the MōVI Controller's Radio Config menu and use the Menu Set
knob to change the Radio Type to 'USB'
Once the setting has been changed, 'Write' it to the MōVI Controller's memory by selecting the 'Write'
field on the next line and pressing the Menu Set knob.
To use the old MC-RX with this MōVI Controller, you must set the Radio Type back to 'Internal'
Use of FRX Pro requires a MoVI Controller that is updated to v4.1.X or newer.
Use of FRX Pro requires a MoVI gimbal that is updated to v2.0.X Blackjack or newer.
Running dual MōVI Controllers using FRX Pro is not possible, due to the FRX Pro's large power draw it
consumes the power from both COM ports on the GCU. Please use the MōVI Controller Receivers when
attempting to use two MōVI Controllers.
Updating and Configuration
How to update FRX Pro
Configurator
Latest FW + Configurator
Item
1. COM Port Drop down Menu
2. Read Configuration Button
3. Default Configuration Button
4. Write Configuration Button
5. Power Level Setting
6. Aux Baud Rate Setting
7. FRX FW Version
8. FW File Selection Button
9. FW Load Button
Updating FRX Pro

FRX Pro's ship with the latest stable FW preloaded onto each module so no updating is necessary before
use!
To update the FRX Pro module you will need to download the latest FRX Pro FW to a PC.
You can find the latest FW packages on the FRX Pro's support page.
For the latest MōVI Controller FW, please visit the MōVI Controller Support page.
Connect the USB A-C cable to your computer then plug in the FRX Pro module while holding down its
Bind button.
The status light will turn blue indicating it is in FW Update Mode.

Open the configurator bundled with the FRX Pro FW and connect to the correct COM port using the drop
down menu at the top of the configurator.
If you are using a Mac select the port named 'tty.ubsbmodemXXXXXX'.
With the correct COM port selected, choose the new firmware file using the Browse button.
The name of the file will be FRX_Pro_x-x-x_xxxxxxxx.enc.
Click the Load button to begin the FW load process. After a few seconds, the new firmware file will be
sent to the FRX Pro module. Wait for the progress to reach 100%.
If FW load fails make sure you are in the FW Update Mode.

FRX Pro modules are updated individually; this means each module must be updated when a FW
update is released.
MoVI Controller FW must be v4.1.0 or later to work with FRX Pro.
Configuring FRX Pro
FRX Pro's power and baud rate can be adjusted when necessary, for instruction review the steps detailed
out below.
To enter Configuration mode simply connect an FRX to a PC using a USB A-C cable.
Do not press the bind button to enter the Configuration mode.
Open the configurator bundled with the FRX Pro FW and connect to the correct COM port using the drop
down menu at the top of the configurator.
With the COM port selected, press the Start Configuration Mode button.
The Power Level and Aux Baud Rate can now be adjusted and written to the FRX Pro module using the
Write Configuration button.
Always use an Aux baud Rate of '111111' when using FRX Pro with the MōVI family of gimbals.
To reset the FRX Pro module to defaults select the Default Configuration button in the configurator.
Limiting Frequency Use of FRX Pro
Be sure to know and adhere to the radio frequency legislation in the region where FRX Pro is being used.
Users may configure the FRX Pro to use a subset of its available frequency range. This setting is not
exposed within the configurator application but may be changed through serial commands on the radio. The
following procedure explains how to connect to the FRX Pro with a serial connection and change the
frequencies used by the radio.
The procedure below must be completed on both radios of a FRX Pro pair.
Do not run the bind process after changing the frequency range. The bind process will reset the
frequency to the default full range of 902 Mhz - 928 Mhz.
1. Download and install a terminal client like Putty or CoolTerm.
2. Connect your FRX Pro to your PC using a USB-C cable.
3. For Windows, open the Device Manager. Then, expand Ports (COM and LPT). Note the COM port
number for the FRX Pro. For example, in the screenshot below, the FRX Pro is on COM11.
For macOS, open the Terminal application. Enter ls /dev/tty.* to view a list of connected
devices and their assigned ports.
4. Open the terminal client from Step 1 and connect to the COM port from Step 3 with speed 9600.
If you are using Putty, select Serial. Next, enter the COM port number. Then confirm the speed is 9600.
If you're using CoolTerm, go to Connections>Options, and create a connection to the COM port from
Step 3 in the Port drop-down window with a speed of 9600. Click OK. On the Main CoolTerm screen,
click connect at the top to connect to the port.
5. Type +++ in the blank terminal window, press enter, then wait five seconds. The radio should reply
"NO CARRIER".
6. Enter ATS180 /? to view a list of available frequency zones. Note the zone number you wish to use.
7. Enter ATS180=<Zone#> where <Zone#> is the zone ID noted in Step 6. For example, to use Zone 5,
type ATS180=5.
8. The last digit in ATS180 is the segment number. If you are choosing a Zone with Segment 0, you will
not need to change the segment number. If you want to choose a Zone with Segment 1, type ATS181=
<Zone#>.
9. Enter AT&W .
10. Unplug the radio and repeat for the second FRX Pro.
Troubleshooting
Use the following troubleshooting tree to resolve common issues with FRX Pro!
For additional troubleshooting help please contact Freefly Support or visit the FRX Pro Support page.
FRX Pro Software Release Notes
v1.1.0 Release Package
Summary: Added support for ALTA X.
Updating firmware is not necessary if you bought FRX Pro for your MōVI.

FRX Pro firmware version 1.0.12

Configurator (Max + Windows) version v1.1.0
Notes:
Firmware:
New: FRX Pro can now be plugged into Mac or PC, and be used as the long range radio for
ALTA X with QGroundControl
Configurator:
New: Added separate configuration defaults for use with Movi and ALTA
Bugfix: Some text fields were hidden in Mac when Dark Mode is enabled
Summary: This is the initial release of FRX Pro

Release Date: June 2019
FRX Pro firmware version 1.0.9

Configurator (Max + Windows) version v1.1.0
Notes:
Initial release!
RTK GPS
Overview
Freefly's RTK GPS modules provide a drop-in replacement for existing PX4 GPS modules, and integrate the
cutting-edge U-Blox multi-band ZED-F9P GPS module to provide you with centimeter-level positional
accuracy.
Terminology
RTK: (Real Time Kinematics) Provides cm-level GPS accuracy
Base Station: Ground GPS, provides GPS correction data
Rover: Aircraft GPS, uses base station correction data to calculate heading
Survey-in: Process in which base station calculates its position
Benefits of Freefly RTK GPS
RTK provides cm-level positional accuracy
Improves sensor data, and flight performance
The multi-band GPS and antenna translate in higher satellite count, fast lock, even in non-RTK mode
Included in the Box
1x GPS modules with multi-band antenna

USB C to A cable (Type C right-angle to Type A (3 m / 9.84 ft long)
Magnetic quick-mount, with fasteners for base station module

Screws to mount onto Alta X
Quick Start Guide
Pre-requisites
Before operating the RTK GPS, you should have the following:
Alta X with RTK GPS
If you are retrofitting RTK GPS onto an existing Alta X, follow the installation guide.
Alta X running firmware v1.3 or above (see firmware update steps here)
Telemetry Radio, such as the Freefly FRX Pro
Base Station RTK GPS module on a stable mount (tripod is recommended!) and a USB-C Cable
Alta QGroundControl v1.3 or above running on Windows or macOS (download on support page)
Operation Checklist
Title Title
Get Alta powered on and ready

1.
to fly
Install base station module onto

2.
mount
Connect Alta QGroundControl to

3.
aircraft
Click the "RTK" symbol to open

4.
the status window
Connect base station module to

5.
laptop via USB
Ensure QGroundControl
recognized the module
6. Wait until GPS Status no

longer says "Not
Connected"
Open RTK status window and

7. press "Restart" button to initiate
survey-in.
Wait until GPS Status says

"GPS Initializing."
8. Note: If the status does not
change after 10 seconds, refer to
the troubleshooting section.
Wait for GPS Status to change to

"Survey-in Complete".
Note: The survey-in process will
complete after the minimum
survey-in time has completed
9.
(typically 180s) AND the
accuracy is below the
configured threshold (2m). See
the configuration page for
adjusting these parameters.
Wait for Aircraft GPS status of

10.
"RTK GPS Lock (fixed)"
Ensure that Aircraft location is

11.
correctly indicated on the map
12. Fly and enjoy!
Any time you move the base station GPS, it is recommended that you manually restart survey-in
by clicking on the "Restart" button. This ensures that the base station updates its location and
provides optimal absolute positioning.
Module Installation
Follow this guide if you are retrofitting RTK GPS onto an existing Alta X.
Alta X Installation - Mechanical

The Rover module replaces the existing GPS module. Follow the instructions below to remove the previous
GPS module and install the RTK module.

1. CUT cable tie

REMOVE three bracket

2. mounting screws attaching the
bracket to the Alta X
REMOVE the three mounting

3. screws attaching the bracket to
the GPS module
4. REMOVE cover screw

Carefully LIFT cable cover, slide

5.
out

With a driver or long device,

6. DEPRESS connector latch and

slide connector and cable out
REMOVE GPS device and

7.
mounting bracket
INSTALL RTK Module, button

8. should be facing away from the
aircraft
PLUG existing 8-pin GPS cable

9.
into RTK Module
Apply threadlocker and SCREW

the 3, M3x16 mm bolts
10.
Hint: The M3x16 use a 2.5mm
driver (ie "Freefly Blue")
Alta X Installation - Configuration Changes
After completing the mechanical installation, you will have to configure the autopilot.
Note: You must be running Alta SW 1.3 or above for RTK GPS operation

1 Open Alta Ground Control
Power Alta X up by connection

2
at least one battery
Connect to Alta X via Alta

3
Ground Control
Click on the Vehicle Setup (gear

4 icon) and on the "Sensors"
button.
Press "Compass" to start

5
compass calibration
When prompted for autopilot

6 orientation, set

ROTATION_YAW_180
Follow instructions to calibrate

7
compass
When prompted for external

compass orientation, set
8 NO_ROTATION (set to
YAW_180 if placed in the
alternate [rear] location)
In Vehicle Setup, click on

9
"Parameters" button
In the "Standard" group, select

10
"Serial"
Set "SER_GPS1_BAUD" to
11
115200 8N1
12 Reboot Alta
User Interface
Module LED Indicators

The RTK GPS modules have two different LED indicators: multi-color status LED and red, safety LED.
Multicolor (RGB) Status LED
This LED is located in the corner of the modules, and can vary in color.
When installed on AltaX (or another PX4-based autopilot), the LED follows PX4 convention:
https://docs.px4.io/v1.9.0/en/getting_started/led_meanings.html
On the base station, the LED lights solid white when the module is powered via USB.
Red Safety LED
This LED is located next to the module's button.

When installed on Alta X, the LED indicates arm status
Double-blinking red: aircraft is powered up, but not armed
Solid red: Aircraft is armed
On the base station, the safety LED is used to indicate bootloader mode (used for firmware updates). The
LED will briefly blink when the module is first powered up via USB, and will stay solid red when the module
is in bootloader mode.
Alta QGroundControl GUI

When the base station is plugged into your computer, Alta QGC will display two GPS-related indicators:
Aircraft GPS: This is the same dialog as with normal GPS, and it indicates:
GPS Count: The number of satellites seen by the Alta

GPS Lock: The type of lock.
3D GPS = normal (non-RTK)
3D RTK GPS Lock (fixed) = RTK lock, best precision

Other modes:
3D RTK GPS Lock (floating) is pretty much equivalent to 3D GPS

2D GPS is equivalent to not having GPS (ie, it must be at least 3D to be of any use to the
aircraft)
HDOP: Horizontal Dilution of Precision: A measure of how good the horizontal position is (lower is
better)
VDOP: Vertical Dilution of Precision: A measure of how good the vertical position is (lower is better)
Course over ground: Direction of flight path. Only valid when the aircraft is moving
Aircraft GPS Status

RTK Base Station: This icon and window indicates the status of the base station
The RTK icon color indicates status:
Red or Grey: Not connected, no base station GPS detected
Blue: Survey-in initializing
Yellow: Survey-in active
White: Survey-in complete, base station is sending RTK corrections

GPS Status (inside the window when the icon is clicked) indicates the Survey-in Status
Not Connected: No base station GPS detected

Survey-in in process
Survey-in complete: Base station is providing RTK corrections, aircraft can compute RTK lock
Accuracy: Current accuracy of position estimate. Accuracy number should decrease during survey-
in, and will remain the same after survey in is complete
Satellites: Number of satellites observed by the ground station. This number might not match the
aircraft's number
Duration: Duration of survey-in. Number will increase until survey-in completes
Lat/Lon: Computed Global location of base station

Alt: Altitude computed by base station
Base Station status showing survey-in in process

Base Station status showing survey-in complete`
RTK Theory of Operation
General RTK Procedure

The RTK system requires two GPS modules:
The Base Station GPS should be mounted in a stable location on the ground.
During the survey-in period, it observes its location and averages it to acquire a very accurate
estimate of its absolute location on earth. The longer the survey-in, the more accurate the location
will be.
After the survey-in period, the base station GPS will broadcast GPS corrections to the Rover, which
can use the corrections to calculate an accurate absolute location.
Note: For optimal performance, the base station GPS should not be moved after survey-in has
begun!
The Rover GPS is mounted on the aircraft, and receives corrections from the base station to calculate
very accurately its location.
Additional components are required for the system to work:
Ground station computer & software (Alta Ground Station)
Communications link to aircraft (such as FRX Pro)
PX4-based autopilot
The standard signal flow is the following:
The base station GPS sends correction data to the ground station software
The ground station software sends the correction data to the aircraft's PX4-powered autopilot
The autopilot forwards correction data to the Rover GPS
The Rover GPS calculates its accurate location, sends it back to the PX4 autopilot
Base Station Notes
For best performance, please note the following:
Install the base station on a stable mount

Do not move the base station once survey-in has begun
Place the antenna in a location with as much sky view as possible. The more sky the GPS can see, the
more satellites, the faster the lock, the faster the survey-in
Survey-in will begin as soon as it is plugged into the computer and the ground station software is started
Survey-in Process
Survey-in is the process where the ground station GPS sits stationary and performs many measurements to
improve its location estimate. In essence, over time, any errors will average out and the estimate error will
decrease. This survey-in period is critical, since it will determine the overall accuracy of the aircraft.
During the survey-in, Alta QGC will display the mean 3D error, and you should notice it steadily decreasing.
Survey-in is complete when both of the following criteria are met:
Mean 3D error is below a pre-defined threshold (Alta QGC default is 2m)

Minimum observation time has been met (Alta QGC default is 180s)
After survey-in, the base station GPS will start broadcasting packet in the "RTCM3" standard, which the
aircraft ("Rover") GPS utilizes to calculate very accurate positional data. The process of the Rover
establishing high-accuracy position does take a few seconds after survey-in is complete, and will be
indicated by a GPS status of "RTK (fixed)."
It's critical that the base station is not moved, either during survey-in, or after. Every time you move the base
station, you should restart survey-in, which can be done by pressing the button "Restart" in the "RTK"
window on the main toolbar.
Specifications
Ublox ZED-F9P GPS Receiver
Ultracap backup power for fast (hot-start) restarts
EMI shield over receiver for improved EMI immunity
IST8310 Magnetometer
Safety-switch and safety LED

RGB LEDs for status indication
NCP5623CMUTBG I2C Driver
BMP388 Baro on I2C bus

External, active antenna (Maxtena M7HCT)
SMA connector
STM32 MCU for future CAN-based communication

FW updates through USB connector
Connectivity:
USB-C
2-way USB Switch to MCU and F9P

SMA for active antenna (20mA max)
4-pin CAN Bus (dronecode compliant)
8-pin UART/I2C
Power:
Input from either (diode OR'd):

USB (5V)
CAN (4.7 to 25.2V)
UART (4.7 to 25.2V)
Power Consumption <1W
RTK Performance over range

The performance of RTK over long distances is typically limited by:
Telemetry link: You must have a telemetry link between the aircraft and ground station,
RTK degradation over distance: As the aircraft moves away from the base station, the RTK accuracy will
degrade. The F9P RTK GPS receiver spec is 0.01m CEP (Circular Error Probability) + 1ppm for both
vertical and horizontal.
For example, at 10km distance from base station, the typical accuracy would be 0.01m + (1km *
1/1,000,000) = 0.02m CEP
GPS Origin Point

GPS coordinates reported from this base station are centered around a point 35mm from the base of the
antenna.
Mechanical Dimensions

Prerequisites
For use on Alta, the following is necessary:
Alta X
Two RTK Modules (Rover and Base Station)
Alta SW 1.3 or above
Datalink (FRX Pro recommended)
Computer (Mac or Windows) running Alta QGC 1.3 or above

Sturdy mount for base stations GPS. Tripod with 1/4-20 mount is recommended
USB C cable
I2C Address Table
Description PN I2C Address (7-bit)
RGB LED Driver NCP5623C 011 1001 ($39)
Barometer BMP388 111 0111 ($77)
Magnetometer IST8310 000 1110 ($0E)
Connector Pinout
CAN Ports - GH-4 Pin
1 VCC +5V to 25.2V
2 CAN_H +5V
3 CAN_L +5V
4 GND GND
UART/I2C Ports - GH-8 Pin

Pin Signal Signal Notes
1 VCC +5V to 25.2V
2 SERIAL: FC to GPS 3.3V TTL
3 SERIAL: GPS to FC 3.3V TTL
4 I2C-SCL
5 I2C-SDA
3.3V = PRESSED
6 SAFETY SWITCH 0V = NOT PRESSED
4.7k pull-down
3.3V, pull low to turn on LED.
7 SAFETY LED
20mA sink
8 GND GND
GPS Antenna Compatibility

The following antennas have been tested with the Freefly RTK GPS module:
Maxtena M7HCT
UBlox ANN-MB multi-band antenna
The Freefly RTK modules are shipped with Maxtena M7HCT multiband antennas. However, the GPS is
compatible with other SMA, L1/L2 multiband antennas.
Sensor Rotation
The IST8310 defines its coordinate system using left-hand rule, which is corrected in PX4 to be right-hand.
Orientation is shown below in both native and PX4-corrected coordinates.
Alta X Orientation
When installed on Alta X, the PX4 orientation is with respect to the front-left vertical mounting surface. In
other words, when installed on the front-left (where the standard GPS is installed), the "external mag"
orientation should be set to Yaw 0° (ie, No rotation). When installed on the diagonal side (rear-right), the
orientation should be set to Yaw 180°.
Troubleshooting
I get Compass Inconsistency Errors when arming!

Troubleshooting steps:
Make sure the sensor rotations are set correctly
In the Alta QGC parameters screen, search for "CAL_MAG0_ROT." In Alta X, this parameter should
be set to "No Rotation" when the GPS is installed in the front, or "YAW_180" when the GPS is
installed in the rear
In the Alta QGC parameters screen, search for "SENS_BOARD_ROT." In Alta X, this parameter
should always be set to "ROTATION_YAW_180"
Perform compass calibration away from steel structures
Proximity to steel structures (such as rebar in buildings or manhole covers on roads) can sometimes
interfere with compass calibration. As such, we suggest you perform compass calibration outdoors,
away from buildings and any underground steel structures.
Survey-in takes a long time to complete or does not complete

Cause: The Base Station GPS probably does not have good GPS lock
Fix: Move the GPS to a location with more open sky. Ensure that GPS is mounted on a stable platform, and
that GPS is not moved after initial installation.
Base Station GPS does not show up in Alta Ground Station

Cause: GPS serial connection was not recognized
Troubleshooting steps
Make sure no other software is open that might be using the GPS com port
In Windows, check device manager to see if GPS serial port appears.
If it does not appear, check USB cable
Reboot computer
Base Station safety LED is solid red

Cause: The GPS module has entered bootloader mode. This happens when the safety button is pressed
while plugging the GPS module into the computer.
Fix: Unplug and re-plug the GPS module, taking care that the safety button is not pressed while plugging in.
I accidentally changed the GPS settings!
By default, PX4 and Alta Ground Control only write configuration settings to the GPS's volatile RAM. This
means that all settings are reset to their default settings when the module is re-powered.
If you have made permanent changes to the GPS by writing to its flash memory and the module no longer
responds, you will have to reset its settings via USB.
To reset the GPS to its factory settings, you will have to download U-Center from U-Blox, using the following
link: https://www.u-blox.com/en/product/u-center. Once you've installed U-Center, you can load the default
Freefly GPS parameters found in the "Configuring" page of this Wiki.
My aircraft GPS module does a cold restart on every boot

The GPS module has a supercap onboard to provide backup power, which allows you to perform a warm-
restart, resulting in super-quick lock when re-powering the boards. However, this supercap only provides
power for a limited time, typically less than one day. So, if the module has been disconnected for long
enough, it will perform a cold boot, taking ~30s to acquire a lock.
Due to the need to perform survey-in, the base station GPS is commanded to perform a cold start every time
you connect it to Alta Ground Control.
My base station is in the wrong location in the Ground Control map

Cause: The base station was moved without restarting survey-in
Fix: Make sure you're using Alta QGC 1.3 or above. Stock QGC does not always restart RTK survey-in. To
restart survey in in Alta QGC (1.3 and above!), use the RTK "Restart" button shown in the "Using RTK
Modules" section.
My aircraft is in the wrong location in the Ground Control map

Cause: Refer to the "Base station in the wrong location" section above.
Advanced Configuration
Configuration
The default configurations have been tested to provide good performance for all users. However, there are a
few additional settings that users can change to tweak RTK usage.
Improving Height Hold Performance in RTK Mode

By default, Alta utilizes the barometer as the principal source of height, since the baro accuracy (10s of cm)
is much better than that of the normal GPS (many meters).
However, RTK provides very good height precision (centimeters), so it can be used to improve the Alta
height performance by switching Alta to use GPS as the primary altitude source.
To change the height mode, navigate to the Parameters tab of QGC, and search for " EKF2_HGT_MODE."
Set mode to "GPS" and reboot.
When not using RTK, it is recommended you return the EKF2_HGT_MODE to "Barometric Pressure"
Setting EKF Height Mode to GPS is only recommended when flying in RTK mode. In non-RTK
mode (or with a normal GPS), the baro will provide much better height accuracy.
Ground Station RTK Configuration
While the default RTK settings are likely to be sufficient for most people, Alta Ground Control Station allows
you to tune the following RTK base station survey-in parameters:
Survey-in accuracy: The lower the number, the more accurate the base station location will be, though
it will also take longer to complete survey-in. Default value: 2.0m
Minimum observation time: Longer time typically results in a better survey, though this number can be
reduced if the base station GPS is in a location where the survey-in accuracy quickly reaches the
desired number. Default value: 180 seconds
To change the parameters, perform the following steps:

OPEN Alta Ground Control

1. Alta SW
Station
Click on QGC logo, then

"General" Button
2. Settings Tab
Scroll Down to RTK GPS

Section, change settings
3. RTK GPS

Restart Alta Ground Control

4. Restart Alta SW
Station to apply settings
Default PX4 Configuration with RTK GPS

The RTK module serial port is configured for 115kbaud. PX4 may not be able to automatically set to this
baudrate, so it is recommended to set the parameter "SER_GPS1_BAUD" to 115200 8N1 to ensure reliable
GPS communication.
Default Freefly U-Blox F9P Configuration
The default GPS configuration is shown below. By default, PX4 only modifies RAM values, which reset to
the flash values on every power-up.
However, if you inadvertently modify the Flash values, you can use the data below to reset them to the
Freefly defaults.
# Config changes format version 1.0
# created by u-center version 19.08.01 at 15:37:31 on Monday, 07 Oct 2019
[del]
[set]
RAM CFG-UART1-BAUDRATE 0x1c200 # write value 115200 0x1c200 to item id
Flash CFG-UART1-BAUDRATE 0x1c200 # write value 115200 0x1c200 to item id
RAM CFG-UART1-STOPBITS 1 # write value 1 - ONE to item id
Flash CFG-UART1-STOPBITS 1 # write value 1 - ONE to item id
RAM CFG-UART1-DATABITS 0 # write value 0 - EIGHT to item id
Flash CFG-UART1-DATABITS 0 # write value 0 - EIGHT to item id
RAM CFG-UART1-PARITY 0 # write value 0 - NONE to item id
Flash CFG-UART1-PARITY 0 # write value 0 - NONE to item id
RAM CFG-UART1-ENABLED 1 # write value 1 to item id
Flash CFG-UART1-ENABLED 1 # write value 1 to item id
RAM CFG-UART1INPROT-UBX 1 # write value 1 to item id
Flash CFG-UART1INPROT-UBX 1 # write value 1 to item id
RAM CFG-UART1INPROT-NMEA 1 # write value 1 to item id
Flash CFG-UART1INPROT-NMEA 1 # write value 1 to item id
RAM CFG-UART1INPROT-RTCM3X 1 # write value 1 to item i
Flash CFG-UART1INPROT-RTCM3X 1 # write value 1 to item i
RAM CFG-UART1OUTPROT-UBX 1 # write value 1 to item id
Flash CFG-UART1OUTPROT-UBX 1 # write value 1 to item id
RAM CFG-UART1OUTPROT-NMEA 0 # write value 0 to item id
Flash CFG-UART1OUTPROT-NMEA 0 # write value 0 to item id
RAM CFG-UART1OUTPROT-RTCM3X 1 # write value 1 to item
Flash CFG-UART1OUTPROT-RTCM3X 1 # write value 1 to item
RAM CFG-UART2-BAUDRATE 0x1c200 # write value 115200 0x1c200 to item
Flash CFG-UART2-BAUDRATE 0x1c200 # write value 115200 0x1c200 to item
RAM CFG-UART2-STOPBITS 1 # write value 1 - ONE to item id
Flash CFG-UART2-STOPBITS 1 # write value 1 - ONE to item id
RAM CFG-UART2-DATABITS 0 # write value 0 - EIGHT to item id
Flash CFG-UART2-DATABITS 0 # write value 0 - EIGHT to item id
RAM CFG-UART2-PARITY 0 # write value 0 - NONE to item id
Flash CFG-UART2-PARITY 0 # write value 0 - NONE to item id
RAM CFG-UART2-ENABLED 1 # write value 1 to item id
Flash CFG-UART2-ENABLED 1 # write value 1 to item id
RAM CFG-UART2-REMAP 0 # write value 0 to item id
Flash CFG-UART2-REMAP 0 # write value 0 to item id
RAM CFG-UART2INPROT-UBX 1 # write value 1 to item id
Flash CFG-UART2INPROT-UBX 1 # write value 1 to item id
RAM CFG-UART2INPROT-NMEA 0 # write value 0 to item id
Flash CFG-UART2INPROT-NMEA 0 # write value 0 to item id
RAM CFG-UART2INPROT-RTCM3X 1 # write value 1 to item i
Flash CFG-UART2INPROT-RTCM3X 1 # write value 1 to item i
RAM CFG-UART2OUTPROT-UBX 1 # write value 1 to item id
Flash CFG-UART2OUTPROT-UBX 1 # write value 1 to item id
RAM CFG-UART2OUTPROT-NMEA 0 # write value 0 to item id
Flash CFG-UART2OUTPROT-NMEA 0 # write value 0 to item id
RAM CFG-UART2OUTPROT-RTCM3X 1 # write value 1 to item
Flash CFG-UART2OUTPROT-RTCM3X 1 # write value 1 to item
RAM CFG-HW-ANT_CFG_VOLTCTRL 0 # write value 0 to item
Flash CFG-HW-ANT_CFG_VOLTCTRL 0 # write value 0 to item
RAM CFG-HW-ANT_CFG_SHORTDET 0 # write value 0 to item
Flash CFG-HW-ANT_CFG_SHORTDET 0 # write value 0 to item
RAM CFG-HW-ANT_CFG_OPENDET 0 # write value 0 to item i
Flash CFG-HW-ANT_CFG_OPENDET 0 # write value 0 to item i
RAM CFG-TMODE-MODE 0 # write value 0 - DISABLED to item id
Flash CFG-TMODE-MODE 0 # write value 0 - DISABLED to item id
Firmware Release Notes
Summary: This is the initial release of RTK GPS
RTK GPS firmware version 1.0.0
RTK GPS bootloader version 1.0.2

Configurator (Max + Windows) version v1.0.0 (Not released public)
Notes:
Initial release!
Motor Drives
Motor Drives:
Arc200
Software:
Arc GUI
API
Motor Drive FAQ's and Common Problems

Arc200
Drive Specs:
Input Voltage: 4S (13.6v) - 12S (50.4v)*

Max peak phase current: 200A
Continuous current with little to no heatsinking (hot-side facing upwards and unobstructed): 60A
Continuous current when bolted to a typical EV aluminum chassis: 100-150A
Continuous current with infinite aluminum heatsink or water cooling, and forced air cooling on phase
wires: 200A
Control Inputs: PWM, Analog (1x combined throttle/brake or independent throttle and brake),
UART/CAN (for advanced users to interface through the Freefly API's QX protocol)
DC-Input: XT90
Phase-Output: 8mm Female Bullet
Sensor support: Fully sensorless, digital hall sensors, PWM
Operating modes: Torque mode (EV), speed mode (Multirotor, requires advanced user tuning),
angle/servo mode (experimental, requires advanced user tuning and high-resolution motor encoder)
23.4kHz switching frequency for zero audible PWM noise

Integrated 5A 5V BEC (Recommended continuous-current draw to be kept less than 3A)
Water resistant and splash proof - integrate into your application to avoid continuous water exposure
* (motor inductance must be above 12uH line-to-neutral when operating over 6S battery voltage or damage
may occur and warranty void!)
Getting Started
This sections provides and overview of the components and concepts that you need to understand in order
to use the Arc200 successfully.
Basic Concepts - Brief introduction into Freefly Robotics and the Arc200
Drive Mounting - Mounting the Arc 200
Wiring Quickstart - Wiring process and diagrams for the Arc200
Powering On and Throttle Safety - Tips for 1st power on
Sample Configurations - examples of how we have used Arc200

Basic Concepts
The Arc200 was conceived as a universal motor drive that allows a variety of use cases. Our priorities in
designing the Arc200 were:
Robustness
Performance
Ease of setup
Ease of integration
Arc 200 features sensorless field oriented control which allows for low torque ripple over the full speed
range, and most importantly no 10-16khz screeching!
Mounting the Arc200
The drive generates heat on the side opposite the logo engraving. If attaching the drive to a heat sink body
such as a metal chassis, heatsink, water block, etc. the heatsink should attach to the side opposite the logo.
If attaching the drive to a thermal insulator such as a plastic chassis, the drive should be mounted with the
heat generating side out so air will flow over the hot side. In this case the logo should mount to the plastic
body. The drive mounts using 3mm hardware which is included with the Arc200.
Thermal paste or quality thermal pad should be used for proper thermal transfer into the heatsink.
If you need additional mounting hardware you can find many options here
3D model of Arc200 (STEP file): ARC200_Block.STEP
Hot side (Mount this to a heatsink or metal body through thermal pad or paste - preferred mounting
method):
Cold side (Mount this to a plastic enclosure or any thermally insulating material if no heatsinking
surface is available and leave the other side exposed to air):
Wiring Arc200
Connecting The Drive
Always connect the motor and any wiring with the DC power disconnected! Never attach or disconnect a
motor when the drive is powered up. Damage to the hardware may occur.
See the Sample Configurations for some diagrams showing connections to the drive for a few popular
configurations you might find on a typical electric vehicle, RC car, etc.
Ground Loop Warning
If you are connecting any drive to a controller that is externally grounded and/or powered (might be typical
for a flight controller), make sure to read the section titled "1+ Drives connected to a receiver that is
externally grounded or powered:" on the Multiple Drives page to avoid damaging your motor drive!
Freefly Supplied Wires

USB Cable
PWM Cable (accessory purchase, not included with drive): Connect this to the PWM port on the drive
and use 'PWM Throttle on Encoder Line' as the input mode
Flying Lead (accessory purchase, not included with drive): Available accessory cable to allow
connecting to any pin on the drive for a custom integration into an application
Powering On and Throttle Safety
Powering On
When powering on the drive, if the USB cable is connected to the drive and a computer, the drive will enter
bootloader mode indicated by a solid blue LED. This mode will exit within 10-15 seconds if no firmware
update command is received and enter normal operating software. If powering with the USB cable
disconnected, the drive will immediately bypass the bootloader and enter normal operating software.
After first power up, you will need to connect to the GUI using the supplied USB cable. The drive needs to
be configured for your motor and application before it can operate. See the ARC GUI section for information
on this software.
Throttle Disconnect Safety

The Arc200 handles a disconnected or broken throttle input in the following ways as a safety measure:
PWM: If no PWM edge is detected in the timeout period of 50ms, the drive will command 0A if in torque
mode, or 0RPM if in speed mode (keep in mind in speed mode, going to 0RPM may involve high
torques and a rapid change in motion!).
Analog: If an analog cable is disconnected, there is an internal pull-down resistor that will make the
drive think the throttle is set at 0. Make sure this is a safe state! This could present hazards if the
drive would start accelerating in either direction for this throttle command.
GUI/QX API: If no QX packet is received in a 1-second period (any QX packet, does not need to be a
command packet), the drive assumes the user has disconnected and commands 0A if in torque mode, or
0RPM if in speed mode.
After configuring your drive, you should test out the throttle disconnect safety! Get the motor spinning then
manually unplug the throttle and make sure you are satisfied with what happens from a safety standpoint.
Sample Configurations
This page covers some common installations of an Arc drive. Before you even worry about hooking these
up, it is highly recommended to get your motor spinning successfully through the GUI. Get that done first,
then start thinking about setting up control inputs and sensors.
Before you start setting up the throttles, it is recommended to set the Control Mode to 'No Control (Safety
State)' until you are happy with the throttle configuration. Otherwise the motor may receive commands mid-
way through throttle setup!
After you have setup your throttle and motor wiring, go to the Control tab of the general setup helper for more
information on setting up your throttle, then launch the throttle wizard.
Sensorless With One Analog Throttle

This is a popular configuration for something like a scooter where you want to have just one hand throttle.
This can be a bit awkward for regenerative braking as these hand throttles usually spring-reset all the way
one way which would put you in full braking when you take your hand off. It works out alright though if you
want to get started with one throttle or really want to keep one hand free!
Sensorless with Independent Analog Throttle and Brake
This is the easiest to control and makes your electric vehicle behave much like a typical car. One hand
controls throttle, the other controls braking. If you let off both hands, then it coasts much like when you take
your foot off the gas in a car.
Sensorless with PWM Control
For PWM control, you can use the included PWM cable. This connects to the 'PWM' wire on the drive and
converts it to the industry-standard hobby servo connector. This can be connected to something like an RC
receiver, or really anything that outputs a PWM with high-time controlling the signal (not duty cycle).
If you want to do your own wiring and not use the provided adapter cable follow this diagram. There are two
possible ways to hook up a PWM cable, select whichever makes the most sense for your wiring! In a very
poor EMI environment, using the 'Encoder PWM Input' option will be somewhat more robust (this is what the
provided adapter cable uses).
Adding Sensors
With any of these configurations, you can always add a sensor to the motor if you want true zero-speed
torque. Although you can usually tune sensorless to give you great performance, it's not the same as a real
sensored configuration for low speed torque performance.
Most people running an electric vehicle will want to add hall sensors. It is industry standard within the hobby
ESC community and many motors can be purchased with sensors already built into the motor.
Dual Motor Skateboard
Check out the bill of materials below to build your own like ours!
Bill of Materials
Multiple Drives
If multiple drives are connected to the same DC power source, care must be taken to avoid damaging the
drives when setting up the control interface.
The one rule that must always be obeyed is that you cannot connect ground or power supply output pins of
any of the drives together! Doing so may cause permanent hardware damage to the drives and voids your
warranty.
This naturally makes controlling the drives slightly more difficult because the PWM and analog inputs are
ground referenced. Two solutions are outlined on this page.
PWM Networking:
For PWM input, you can connect the PWM controller to each drive in parallel but you must use the correct
cables for each drive.
Freefly sells two PWM accessory cables: primary and secondary cables (store links coming soon). The
primary cable connects opto-GND and GND together so that you can still get BEC power output to power a
receiver, steering servo, etc. The secondary cable leaves the input opto-isolated (opto-GND and GND are
not connected), but there is no BEC power available on the connector.
By using either zero or one primary cables and all other drives using secondary cables, you can safely wire
the PWM lines in parallel to the receiver, flight controller, etc. as long as that receiver/controller is not
grounded anywhere else in the system! Never use more than one PWM primary cable in any network of
drives, and never use any PWM primary cables if the receiver/controller is externally grounded, or
hardware damage may occur to the drives and your warranty will be void.
2-Drive network with receiver not externally grounded or powered

1+ Drives connected to a receiver that is externally grounded or powered:
If the controller receives external ground connection, then you cannot safely use the master cable as you
would create a ground loop that may damage the drive. In this instance, all drives must use the secondary
PWM cable.
CAN Networking:
If each drive will be receiving the same command (for example, a skateboard with one hand controller and
two motors) then you can use CAN networking to safely command two or more drives from a single PWM
source.
If only two drives are in the network, you can use the Freefly CAN link cable (not yet released for purchase
as of 9/21/2018, link coming soon). If connecting three or more drives, you will have to wire up your own
CAN network following the directions below.
2-drive using CAN link cable:

3+ drives using your own CAN network wiring:
Do not connect the ground wires between the CAN ports! Only CAN-L and CAN-H.
In either case, setup the drive that connects to the controller (master drive) as you normally would if that
were the only drive in the system. In the Drive-Specific Functions section of the Configuration, set
"Retransmit Commands via CAN As Primary?" to "Yes". This makes any command received over its
standard input mode (PWM, Analog, etc.) get re-transmitted over the CAN network:
For all the other drives that connect only over CAN, this retransmission flag should be left at 'No'. On these
drives, just set the "Input Throttle Mode" to "CAN Secondary". On these drives, there is no need to setup the
throttle configuration as values are transmitted over CAN in their native unit (amps, RPM, degrees).
Warnings
If the battery is fully charged and near the drive's over-voltage limit, there will be a limited amount of
regenerative braking current available. If you use the regenerative braking for long, it will charge up the
battery all the way to the absolute over-voltage cutoff limit and you will lose all regenerative braking.
This is a safety feature to avoid over-charging the battery and potentially damaging or overheating it but
presents a safety issue to be aware of. If you went to the top of a huge hill with a fully charged battery, by
the bottom there would be little to no braking available (even at the top you may notice significantly
decreased braking capability depending on your over-voltage foldback start and cutoff configurations).
You should always have mechanical brakes installed on your vehicle in good working condition in case
the electrical system is unable to brake due to battery charge, incorrect configuration, or hardware
damage.
Always test what happens when your throttle becomes disconnected in case the wire becomes
unplugged or the throttle breaks while you are riding your vehicle. For more information on what to
expect, see the Powering On and Throttle Safety page.
Arc200 Firmware Updates
Warning: Updating firmware will often make your saved motor configuration become invalidated. If
you care about the settings loaded on the drive, make sure you use 'Save To File' on the
configuration tab of the GUI so you can load the settings back onto the drive when done! When you
update the firmware, the parameters will only be invalidated and lost if the new firmware has a different
parameter definition set. Most major firmware releases change this but if an update has the exact same
parameter definition, you will notice your parameters are retained.
Launch the updater EXE and select the .ENC file for the firmware you want to update to. You can
downgrade or upgrade from and to any version you want.
Connect the USB cable with the drive powered off, then connect the ESC to a power source (such as a
battery or lab supply). The LED on the drive should be solid blue. When it is solid blue, click load (you might
need to wait a few seconds for the computer to recognize the drive). The drive will exit this solid-blue
bootloader mode after 10-15 seconds so you need to get the timing right.
An alternate way to enter the bootloader to keep it in bootloader until the next power cycle is clicking
'Bootload and Reboot' on the configuration tab of the GUI. After clicking this, the drive will reboot and be in
the solid-blue bootloader state. Now it will remain in bootloader forever until the next power cycle so you
have all the time you need if you are struggling to use the timed bootloading method.
Windows GUI can be downloaded here.
Arc200 Drive Firmware Files:

June 27, 2019 - v1.1.10
April 1, 2019 - v1.1.9
January 10, 2019 - v1.1.8
November 15, 2018 - v1.1.7 (see comment in release notes about PWM scaling if using PWM input!)
October 9, 2018 - v1.1.5
October 3, 2018 - v1.1.4
August 23, 2018 - v1.1.2
August 17, 2018 - v1.1.1
July 17, 2018 - v1.1.0
July 12, 2018 - v1.0.100
Arc200 Drive Bluetooth Firmware (installed separately from main drive

firmware through the same procedure - will not wipe drive configuration):
November 1, 2018 - v1.0.1 increases output power 4dB for increased range.
Firmware Change Log:

v1.1.10:
Adds support for erasing the log memory chip
v1.1.9:
Adds a parameter that allows you to disable BTLE so that there are no security risks of people changing
parameters while a drive is operating.
v1.1.8:
Re-enable data logging
v1.1.7 (note v1.1.6 was unreleased so this is a change log since 1.1.5):
The scale for PWM commands was changed in 1.1.7 to represent milliseconds rather than previous
arbitrary units. This means if you use PWM input, you will need to re-adjust the throttle
min/max/neutral points.
Fix math error in DC current estimate where the value would falsely increase when the PWM magnitude
is railed.
Fix bug where regen torque is not available when a drive is configured in forward-only torque mode
using hall sensors on a relatively slow motor (such as a bicycle hub motor).
Flash data logging has been disabled while an issue with the system is being investigated (in most
cases, it didn't work in the previous releases either). We hope to re-enable this in the near future in a
new firmware update.
Revise safety system on PWM so that there's no way updating settings can make the drive start up even
if entering PWM mode and/or assigning invalid PWM ranges. PWM must pass through neutral before it'll
start even after parameter updates.
Correct behavior to take away torque or speed command when PWM-on-encoder-line signal is
disconnected from the drive as a safety if throttle is lost.
v1.1.5:
Bug fix which caused CAN re-transmission to fail in 1.1.4.
Direction reversal capability is now available from within the Motor Settings section of configuration.
Bug fix which prevents certain motors from stopping when spinning in jitter-start speed mode with a low
slew rate command.
Bug fix where a motor with speed-dependent regen current that falls to zero-current at zero-RPM in hall-
sensor mode may get stuck thinking it's spinning very slowly in reverse and not be able to accelerate
forward.
Corrected major bugs in the current command offset system which previously prevented reaching full
regen when the motor was spinning forwards in torque mode.
Corrected issue with integrator runaway during jitter start modes that created over-current faults and
popping noises on certain motors and configurations.
Improved performance of undervoltage and overvoltage foldbacks to avoid tripping a hard fault during
normal operation
Make Q-current request be buffered in mtr->q_request_pre_foldback so that logging tasks asynchronous
with the fastloop can't sometimes pick up pre-foldback values
Add filtering to the PWM-out magnitude before it is fed into the foldback-regen-current-in-torque-forward-
only system to fix an instability
Add filtering to the signed current magnitude used in jitter start current loops to avoid excessive acoustic
noise during startup
Tero tuning added (compiled when built using the Tero Keil target)
Fix a divide-by-zero vulnerability if regen or accel current limit is set to 0A (or speed-dependent with a
minimum of 0A).
Improvements to under-voltage performance decreasing the odds of false-tripping an under voltage fault.
Add support for CAN networking for command forwarding

Add support for throttle expo
Independent throttle/brake now smoothly transition between throttle and brake. No more step-change in
torque request when you tap the brakes.
Change foldback-below-PWM-torque-forward-only default to 5% (previously 2%).
v1.1.2:
Major reliability bug fixes in the absolute encoder calibration algorithm.

Fix flash logging which was broken in v1.1.1.
Add raw brake input to the log
v1.1.1:
Remove current HPF parameter. Confusing and un-utilized.
Improved current command offset which is now just one parameter rather than being a speed-dependent
setup requirement.
Bug-fix where the Q-axis integrator was allowed to run away when in torque-mode jitter-start-mode and
a zero current command was received with the motor not spinning. This resulted in a large current spike
when a command was received as the integrator was railed to a high voltage.
Add ability to set regen current foldback at low PWM widths when in torque forward only mode to avoid
motor jerking at very low speeds with high regen commands.
Remove current HPF parameter. Confusing and un-utilized.
setup requirement.
Bug-fix where the Q-axis integrator was allowed to run away when in torque-mode jitter-start-mode and
a zero current command was received with the motor not spinning. This resulted in a large current spike
when a command was received as the integrator was railed to a high voltage.
v1.1.0:
Turn on MCU pull-down on UART RX line for increased safety against noise-induced QX messages.
Update QX protocol to accept '...QQX...' beginning of message to allow for sending many Q's to clear the
parser state machine.
Corrected feed-forward KV math on a ramp-start in speed mode to decrease the speed jump when
transitioning from ramp to run.
Bug fix where the first time performing resistance might give different (incorrect) results compared to
subsequent resistance measurements.
LED Codes
"Slow" flashing = 1hz, "fast" flashing = 4hz
Solid Blue: In bootloader mode, unplug USB cable to bypass (or power cycle if a manual indefinite bootload
cycle was initiated). If you drive remains solid-blue after power on without a USB cable connected, the
drive's firmware somehow went corrupt. Try loading the latest firmware, if it still fails, contact Freefly support
to report the issue.
Slow Flashing Blue: Drive's EEPROM could not be loaded. This usually indicates some corruption. Try
using the Erase Flash button in the GUI's Configuration tab to reset the memory chip.
Fast Flashing Blue: Loss of signal, out of range (CAN, PWM), or safety state awaiting neutral throttle
position before starting after re-configuration (PWM). If this is reporting a loss-of-expected-signal, then this
state persists for 2 seconds minimum for any trigger, or permanently if loss is more than 0.5 second. This
indicates an unreliable communication between the drive and whatever is commanding it.
Solid Green: Normal operating mode, no persistence
Slow Flashing Green: under voltage in range of potential foldback or so far under voltage that the drive has
completely disconnected phase outputs.
Fast Flashing Green: over voltage in range of potential foldback or so far over voltage that the drive has
completely disconnected phase outputs.
Solid Red: Overheat foldback
Slow Flashing Red: Self-test failed at boot time. This usually indicates your drive suffered internal damage.
The only other way to make this happen is trying to power the drive from a DC voltage outside the absolute
max capabilities called out in the drive specs.
Fast Flashing Red: --unused--
Rapid White Flicker: The internal memory chips are being erased after receiving a wipe command from the
user. This state should automatically clear in a few seconds when the erase operation is complete.
Freefly Tero Variant
Firmware
If you purchased your drive as an Arc200, you will need to change the firmware on the drive to the Tero
variant. If you purchased your drive as a pre-configured drive specifically for Tero use, it should come from
the factory with Tero firmware installed. In that case, you only need to update the firmware if you want the
latest version.
To update the firmware on the drive, follow the same instructions as for the Arc200, except use the firmware
on this page.
v1.1.10 - Initial Release April 1, 2019
Drive Installation
The Tero drive is compatible with 4S and 6S Lipo batteries. Do not use this drive on a Tero with more
than 6S or damage may occur to the drive! At boot-up, the drive should beep either 4, or 6 times. Make
sure this matches up to the expected cell count to ensure that under-voltage thresholds are appropriately
established.
Simply remove the Castle ESC taking note of what port it plugs into on the receiver, and connect the Freefly
Arc200 ESC's servo connector to the same port. Connect that cable to the 'PWM' port of the Arc200 drive.
On first power-up, have the wheels lifted off the ground. Power up the radio and ensure the throttle-zero
(knob on the receiver) is set such that the Tero does not accelerate. The Arc200's throttle is set to a different
zero-point than the Castle ESC so you will most likely find the tires accelerating on first power-up until you
change the throttle zero point.
Now you're ready to go! No software configuration or drive tuning is required for the Tero version.
PWM Cable
Early Arc200 drives shipped with a PWM cable that doesn't work well with the receiver that came with Tero.
You can try it, but most likely there will be no throttle control. If it does not work, contact Freefly to receive the
correct replacement cable.
Arc GUI
The Arc GUI is designed and tested for Windows 10. It may work on previous versions of Windows but it is
untested.
Installation:
Just unzip the package into one folder and run the EXE. No installation is necessary, this will directly launch
the GUI.
July 16, 2019 - v1.1.11

June 27, 2019 - v1.1.10
April 1, 2019 - v1.1.9
November 15, 2018 - v1.1.8
October 11, 2018 - v1.1.6
October 9, 2018 - v1.1.5
October 3, 2018 - v1.1.4
August 23, 2018 - v1.1.2
August 17, 2018 - v1.1.1
July 17, 2018 - v1.1.0
July 12, 2018 - v1.0.100
For USB connectivity, you may need to install the STLink Virtual COM port driver:
https://www.st.com/en/development-tools/stsw-stm32102.html
Operation:
The GUI is mostly self documented within so you should be able to understand the use and functions of the
GUI from within.
If you want a bit more guidance on how to start the auto-setup wizard for a beginner user, look here.
For a detailed list of definitions and discussions on all tuning parameters for advanced users, look here.
Behavior of Configuration:
When operating the configuration tab, realize that what's displayed is not real-time synchronized with the
configuration on the drive. When you first connect, a 'Download' operation is performed which pulls the
configuration from the drive and displays it on the Configuration tab. Any change you then make is not
immediately sent to the drive until you press 'Send'. Using the 'Send' button sends it to the drive's active
memory and it immediately affects the operation of the drive, but it is still stored temporarily and would be
lost at a power cycle. To store a configuration indefinitely, press 'Write to Flash' after pressing 'Send' (it
writes what's on the drive to the flash memory, not what's on the screen so you must first use 'Send' to load
your configuration to the drive, then 'Write to Flash' to load what's on the drive into long-term memory). If you
ever want to revert the drive to a factory configuration, you can use Erase Flash then power-cycle the drive
(disconnect and re-connect is not sufficient, drive must actually reboot).
Change Log:
v1.1.10
Adds support for erasing the log flash memory chip
v1.1.9
Adds support for latest v1.1.9 Arc200 firmware
v1.1.8 (v1.1.7 was unreleased so this is a change log since 1.1.6)
Correct math error in the DC current foldback graph generation of the general setup pop-up.
Fix bug where a divide-by-zero hard fault may occur if clicking "Setup Wizard" on a drive that hasn't yet
successfully completed an initial parameter download.
Bug fix where on rare occasion, the function generator tab says the drive is in safety state on initial
connection even though the drive is really configured in a controllable mode.
Reliability improvements in parameter send/download when multiple drives are connected to one GUI
simultaneously.
If you open the current tune wizard and click save-and-close without pressing run, a warning pops up
confirming that you really intend to save-and-close.
Now operates cleanly on a 720p monitor with scrolling implemented where windows previously didn't fit.
Bug fix where loading a UMDS2 preset file that included a combo-box driven parameter that does not
exist in the currently connected drive firmware previously caused a hard-fault exception.
v1.1.6
Correct units of slew up/down to be in RPM/s instead of the previously incorrect RPM
Add new "Max Phase Accel Available With Throttle" and "Max Phase Regen Available With Throttle" in
case you want to limit your throttle's maximum range compared to the drive's configured max phase
current.
Bug fix where max phase accel and regen were not properly set after pressing save and close in the
general setup pop-up
Fix bug where connecting to an old drive firmware using a new GUI version may cause a hard-fault
crash in the GUI
v1.1.5
The AutoFOC pop-up no longer requires interacting with the function generator tab, user can instead
use the built-in speed control slider
Fix bug where encoder autotune pop-up still appears in quadrature mode
Fix bug where the title of the groupbox for encoder calibration is not updated when changing the type of
calibration
If there is any general drive fault (such as over-current, under-voltage, etc.) at any point during an
autotune of R, L, or FOC/KV, the autotune process is aborted and the user is informed of the problem
(usually power supply related).
Adjusted the current loop tuning levels to improve the robustness of a loop tune when running the
advanced fastest-with-current filter.
Rearranged the UI of the current loop tuning pop-up
Changed the programmable over-voltage cutoff level maximum from 54v to 52v for Arc200 drives
Add new separate Jitter Speed 1 and 2 parameters so that they are separate from RPM Closed Loop 1
and 2
Remove the need for selecting between sensored and sensorless when tuning the current loop
When loading a preset, if it uses DQ-filtering, a pop-up suggests changing this to Super-DQ-filtering
since it has superior performance on the latest firmwares.
Encoder calibration pop-up now in step-by-step wizard format which allows user to select the encoder
type, set the drive configuration to speed mode/sensorless/QX, send, then spin the motor from within the
setup pop-up.
Auto-tune wizard merged with the general setup helper pop-up. Now the auto-tune wizard is just the first
tab of the setup helper improving user work-flow and making the system easier to understand.
Items in the general setup helper now disappear if they are not relevant to the selected mode of
operation.
Throttle setup pop-up now in step-by-step wizard format which allows the user to select the input type,
set the drive configuration to No Control (safety state), send, then perform throttle setup based on the
selected mode.
Auto-tune wizard and applicable pop-ups now have built-in send buttons so you no longer have to do it
from the configuration tab.
Reliability of sending-configuration greatly reduced so you should now almost never see a notice about
transmission verification failing on parameters.
Logs can no longer be downloaded over a bluetooth connection. Note is displayed informing the user to
re-connect over USB to download logs.
Add support for CAN networking for command forwarding
Add support for throttle expo
v1.1.2:
General improvements to button and instruction text in the UI.
v1.1.1:
Add support for new definition of a QX121 packet with new byte offsets. GUI supports either new or
legacy QX121 packet for backwards compatibility.
Correct the axis labels on the X and Y axes in the dependent parameter pop-up.
Re-order the parameter groups so that they appear in a more logical order (advanced filter parameters at
end, loop tuning in the middle, basic setup beginning). This change only applies for latest comms rev or
newer.
setup requirement. Also added this parameter to the general setup helper wizard.
Change "Temp Cutoff" and "Temp Foldback Start" parameter names to "ESC Temp Cutoff" and "ESC
Temp Foldback Start" for clarity.
Autotune task buttons are only enabled after the previous task is complete. Makes it nearly impossible to
get out of order.
Bug fix in presets pop-up where clicking in a blank space in the listbox previously caused an out-of-
bounds array index hard fault.
Autotune wizard now has an added step after loading pre-FOC autotune preset which requires sending
the config to the drive before starting pole pair measurement.
Improved in-app documentation on the encoder auto calibration process.
v1.1.0:
Improved robustness of the flash log download system including additional error messages if the drive
can't list all logs.
Bug fix makes several pop-ups no longer cause the motor to time-out if OK is not clicked within a few
seconds.
Add details to inductance and resistance measurement pop-ups to discuss what variation from run to run
is concerning.
Move warning text about wattages to the end of the text block in the resistance and inductance
measurement pop-ups.
Improved function generator tab with adjustable scale labels on the slider and +- fixed value buttons.
Improved in-program documentation on setting RPM Closed Loop 1 and RPM Closed Loop 2.
Added a display of the GUI software version above the plot window and a display of the drive model and
firmware version at the top of the telemetry tab.
Send, download, and flash buttons are now greyed out and disabled until the currently-requested send
or download operation completes. Improved user experience.
Send and download now perform significantly faster over bluetooth and hopefully reliably now.
Log save-as button is now only enabled after a log is successfully downloaded leading to an improved
user experience.
Telemetry updating is limited to 5hz when connected over Bluetooth, and a Bluetooth logo is displayed
when in this state to inform the user.
Send many 'Q's before the first QX when connecting to a drive to clear the parser state machine on the
drive in case the last connection closed inelegantly and left the parser mid-message.
Basic Configuration and Auto Setup Wizard
When you first get your drive, you will need to teach the motor drive about the motor so that the Field
Oriented Control (FOC) can run properly. For a beginner user, the recommended method is to run the auto-
setup wizard. This will guide you through a process of steps that makes the drive automatically measure
important parameters such as resistance, inductance, and KV. Next it will guide you in setting up the drive's
configuration such as operating point limits and how you will control the drive.
To launch this wizard, click 'Auto Setup Wizard' from within the Configuration tab:
This will launch the auto-setup wizard which guides through the process of setting up a motor and drive.
Each step of this procedure has in-program instructions within the pop-ups so there is no further instruction
provided here.
Advanced Configuration (Parameter List)
Note this parameter list may change over time. The parameter set is defined within the firmware and as the
motor algorithm continues development the exact set of parameters may be updated. If your firmware is
newer or older than this documentation, the parameter selection and names may not exactly overlap.
Dependent Parameters:
Some parameters can be setup to change value based on a dependent variable (in most cases, measured
speed). These will look like this:
If set to a constant value such that there is no dependence:
If set to a dependent mode:
When you click Setup on a dependent parameter, you will see a setup box like this:
This will guide you through setting up the dependent parameter and provides a graph showing the
dependence for the variable.
Control
This section establishes how the user will command a speed, torque, or angle to the drive. This is
mandatory to understand and setup to control an EV with anything other than the GUI.
When setting the min, max, or deadband, it is easiest to have your controller connected with the ESC in
control mode: safety state. Go to the telemetry tab of the GUI and observe the Raw Throttle Level. This will
guide you on what absolute levels you should be entering. See parameter definitions below for more
guidance.
Control Mode:
No Control (Safety State): This puts the drive into a safety state where nothing will control it to spin.
The control loop is not running in this state. Never change to this state while the motor is running as it
will act as shorting the phases and do a very high current brake that could damage things mechanically
or electrically!
Speed Mode (RPM): Drive is commanded in RPM, commands can come in as either positive or
negative numbers for the two directions. Note that as of June 4, 2018, there is no autotune for the speed
outer loop so some skill is required to use this mode.
Torque with Reverse (+-A): Torque command mode that smoothly transitions between forward and
reverse. Positive current commands make the motor spin forward, at which point negative commands
make it brake. It smoothly transitions between zero and the negative currents make it spin backwards.
When spinning backwards, positive current commands then make it brake. Positive current is forward
acceleration or backwards braking, and negative current is forward braking or backwards acceleration.
Torque Forward Only (+-A): Positive current commands make the motor accelerate and negative make
it brake. The motor will never command torque to start spinning backwards. This mode is good for EV's
which should not start driving backwards upon reaching zero speed while braking (negative torque).
Currently there is no way to make the motor spin backwards but eventually implementations may be
made to allow for a forward/reverse switch (such as shifting your car into reverse vs. drive - you don't
want it to just start driving backwards when you hit the brake!)
Torque With Smart Reversal: Torque mode where in order to switch directions, the ESC must observe
that the motor has stopped after a braking event in the forward direction, then the user must return the
throttle to a zero-current command, then push the throttle in the reverse direction again in order to get the
vehicle to start going backwards. The opposite procedure occurs to get the vehicle moving forward
again. It creates a distinct event required to "switch gears" into the other direction so that you can't brake
and then have the vehicle start going the opposite direction immediately upon stopping.
Angle, sensored only, PIV Control (deg): Acts as an absolute position mode. You must have an
absolute encoder installed and calibrated before attempting to use this mode. Hall sensors are not good
enough. Although this mode does work, as of June 4, 2018, it has minimal testing and should still be
considered to be in a mostly experimental state. Note that as of June 4, 2018, there is no autotune for the
speed inner loop or angle outer loop so some tuning skill is required to use this mode.
Current Command Offset: Current command offset adds a PWM-width dependent (mostly speed
dependent) current to the user command when the drive is operating in any torque mode. This can be used
to overcome any zero-bias errors in the current measurement so that when you command zero current, the
motor will slow down while otherwise it may continue spinning or accelerate due to an offset error in the
current measurement. If the motor doesn't stop with zero command, use a more negative current command
offset. Using approximately -0.15 A/(VDC * PWMdec) is recommended and is the default value. Most motors
will quickly stop when commanded with zero current using this setting. PWMdec represents the PWM width
as a value from 0 to 1.
Torque-Forward-Only Regen Foldback Start-Below PWM: This parameter is used to make the regen
brake command fold back below the programmed PWM width.Usually you want this to be a few percent,
default is 2%. This only applies in torque-forward-only mode, in all other operating modes this parameter
has no effect on drive operation. Without this, when the motor regens and reaches zero speed, the regen
command will make it want to start spinniing backwards. The moment it does, the torque command is
cancelled because it is in forward only mode. Then it can start rolling forward again and then the regen
torque command comes back. This creates an oscillation that results in stuttering torque. This foldback
eliminates this phenomenon by avoiding regen current when the motor is approaching zero speed.
Input Throttle Mode: Note you should setup your throttle in 'No Control (Safety State)' mode!
GUI: Motor is commanded in RPM, amps, or degrees (depending on operating mode) from the GUI. All
other control methods such as throttles or hand controllers are disabled.
Analog Throttle: An analog connection (0-5v maximum sense range) is connected to the analog input
pin to control the ESC.
PWM Throttle: A PWM input is used on the throttle input pin.
PWM Throttle on Encoder Line: A PWM input is used on the encoder input pin. This is provided for
convenience in case that pin is more accessible in your wiring harness configuration. This mode cannot
be used if you are using a PWM encoder.
Independent Analog Throttle and Brake: Independent brake and throttle exist on the separate analog
input pins for brake and throttle. If brake is pressed, it overrides the throttle.
Smart Reversal Threshold/Time: Only relevant when using Torque mode with smart reversal. These
thresholds are used for the ESC to detect when the motor has stopped. The difference in currents between
any two phases must be below the Smart Reversal Threshold for a duration of Smart Reversal Time before
the ESC believes the motor has stopped spinning.
In GUI control mode:
Input throttle and input brake settings have no effect. Only the GUI function generator controls the motor.
In Analog Throttle or PWM Throttle:

Input Throttle Min: This is the input command which will result in maximum negative torque (Peak
Decel Current), speed (Max RPM Reverse Direction), or angle (Not yet implemented). If you want to hold
your throttle at full negative (safest to do this with Control Mode in Safety State!) and check the Raw
Throttle Level on the Telemetry page, that'll tell you what to type in here, and use the same logic for
setting the remaining settings in this section.
Input Throttle Max: Same as min, but now for max accelerating current or maximum speed.
Input Throttle Zero Neutral: The throttle level which corresponds to either zero speed or zero torque. If
you are using a spring-return throttle as most hobby EV's do, this is the setting where you're not pushing
the throttle either direction and want coasting.
If you want to disable reverse current or speed command, make sure Input Throttle Min is exactly
equal to Input Throttle Zero Neutral and the drive won't command those quadrants. Similarly, if you
only want reverse current or speed command, set Input Throttle Max exactly equal to Input Throttle
Zero Neutral to disable positive current or speed command!
Input Throttle Deadband: How much deadband should exist at the middle of the throttle. If this is zero,
then the throttle would have to perfectly return to an exact known setting to get zero torque. Since this is
not realistic, add a small dead-band so that an EV or RC car won't stutter with small amounts of current
error when the throttle is released.
In this mode, Input Brake Min and Input Brake Max have no effect.
In Independent Analog Throttle and Brake Mode:
You can use this mode in speed mode, although it doesn't make a lot of sense. This is really designed for
torque mode. In speed mode, this results in the brake input commanding negative speeds and the throttle
commanding positive speeds. If you were spinning a motor fast in the forward direction and feather the
brake, it would do a full-power deceleration to hit the negative speed command given by the brake input.
Input Throttle Min: The minimum throttle value where an accelerating torque (in torque command) or
speed command (in speed mode) starts being produced. Below this, the throttle current or speed
command is zero (or negative if the separate brake is pressed).
Input Throttle Max: The maximum throttle value for positive command. The torque command (in torque
mode) or speed command (in speed mode) is proportional to the throttle input level between Input
Throttle Min and Input Throttle Max.
Input Brake Min: Similar to throttle min, below this there is no reverse command (in torque mode
braking, in speed mode negative speed command). Above this reverse command starts to work.
Input Brake Max: The maximum input reverse command. The reverse input command is proportional to
the brake input level between Input Brake Min and Input Brake Max.
In this mode, Input Throttle Zero Neutral and Input Throttle Deadband have no effect.
Sensored/Sensorless Configuration
This section sets up whether the motor is in sensored or sensorless configuration. If in sensored mode, this
is where you will setup the encoder type and perform calibration on it. After you have selected the sensor
type and succeeded at making the motor spin sensorlessly, it is possible to use the "Auto Encoder Cal"
button to setup the sensored offset and min/max encoder values.
Sensored vs. Sensorless:
Sensorless: The motor will run only in sensorless mode. Any connected encoder will be completely
ignored. In this mode.
Sensored: The motor will run in sensored mode. It may transition into sensorless mode if you setup the
transition zones appropriately as described in the parameters below
The following values only have relevance in sensorless mode:
Sensorless Speed-Mode:
Ramp Mode: Open-loop ramp which is easiest to configure but least useful. This mode works great if
the load has a small well known inertia and is always starting without being locked up or stalled. This is
generally not going to be a sufficient start-up mode for an EV. This is a great way to easily start up a
stand-alone motor for calibration or test purposes.
Jitter Start: Runs the proprietary Freefly jitter-start algorithm. This is a good choice for EV's or for loads
that need a high-speed start into an unknown or variable inertia. This is difficult to configure and as of
June 4, 2018, there is no autotune or easy-to-write guide on how to set this up. Some details exist later
on this page for configuring this mode.
Sensorless Torque-Mode:
Kick Start Mode: This is a great easy way to get your EV started. This is especially perfect on scooters,
pedal bikes, etc. where it is easy to get the vehicle started yourself. In this mode, providing throttle from a
stand-still will do nothing. Once you get the vehicle started rolling at even a very slow speed, the ESC
provides torque if commanded. It is highly recommended to start out your EV in this mode and get
everything dialed in before attempting to setup jitter start mode
Jitter Start: Runs the proprietary Freefly jitter-start algorithm. This is a good choice for EV's or for loads
that need a high-speed start into an unknown or variable inertia. This is difficult to configure and as of
June 4, 2018, there is no autotune or easy-to-write guide on how to set this up. Some details exist later
on this page for configuring this mode. In most cases, this can be configured to allow an EV to start
relatively seamlessly even on an incline.
The following values only have relevance in sensored mode:
Sensored Mode:
3 Hall Sensor: Uses three hall sensors
PWM Absolute: A PWM signal applied whose ontime is proportional to the absolute shaft angle
SPI Absolute: The exact meaning of this may vary from drive to drive. Check your exact drive model's
documentation to figure out exactly what is supported as an SPI encoder.
Quadrature (With Boot Autocal): Generally only a good idea for angle mode, and a very good solution
for that. Since quadrature is not absolute without some calibration, this will perform boot-time calibration
where it spins the motor a quarter electrical cycle to calibrate the encoder to phase. As of April 2, 2018,
you can't really use this if the motor is incapable of performing a low current open-loop auto cal on boot
up.
Sensored Offset: This sets the offset between the phase angle and the sensor angle. It is necessary to use
the 'Auto Encoder Cal' system unless you are an advanced user who can manually setup the phase angle
offset.
Sensored Hall Code: This tells the drive what configuration and placement the three hall sensors are in. It
is necessary to use the 'Auto Encoder Cal' system to establish this unless you are an advanced user who
can figure out which code to use by referencing other designs.
Sensored Abs. Encoder Min: Auto Encoder Cal can set this parameter. This sets the minimum encoder
value the drive expects to see. For example if when spinning the absolute encoder value goes from 400 to
800, this value would be set to 400.
Sensored Abs. Encoder Max: Auto Encoder Cal can set this parameter. This sets the maximum encoder
value the drive expects to see. For example if when spinning the absolute encoder value goes from 400 to
800, this value would be set to 800.
Sensorless Transition Start: Upon reaching this speed, the drive will start transitioning to sensorless. It is a
smooth transition between 'Sensorless Transition Start' and 'Sensorless Transition End'. It is recommended
to have at least 100RPM of window between start and end in these parameters. If you want to run sensored
at all speeds, set both this start and end value to extremely large numbers far above the maximum speed
you'd ever expect to reach. That way it'll never reach the transition point and be stuck sensored.
Sensorless Transition End: The end point that goes with the above parameter. Above this speed, the drive
is entirely in sensorless mode.
Quadrature Cal Current: This value only has relevance when the drive is booting up in quadrature mode.
This is the current with which the drive will spin open-loop to establish the quadrature offset. Even in
quadrature mode, this value does not affect run-time, only bootup.
Motor Settings
Pole Pairs: Sets the number of pole pairs of the motor. See autotune documentation for more information on
how to automatically measure this.
Resistance: Sets the resistance of the motor. See autotune documentation for more information on setting
this.
Inductance: Sets the inductance of the motor. Note that this parameter is not necessarily best set to what
you'd measure with an inductance multi-meter. Many unusual controller behaviors get wrapped up into this
parameter so it is best measured using the autotune system within UMD. See autotune documentation for
more information on setting this.
KV: Sets the KV of the motor (phase voltage per RPM). See autotune documentation for more information on
setting this.
Current HPF: This is an obsolete parameter that remains for engineering experimentation. Its value is
irrelevant on released firmware.
Operating Point Limits

Overvoltage Cutoff: This sets the voltage above which the drive will enter a fault state and cut off gate
drive. This should be set at least a few volts higher than the most charged battery voltage you expect to
connect. Note that the ESC may have built in limits lower than the value you can type into this.
Overvoltage Foldback Start: Above this voltage, fold-back will start which limits regenerative current in an
attempt to not hit the hard cutoff. For best user experience, this should be at least a few volts below cutoff.
For example on a 6s battery pack where 25.2v is the maximum expected voltage, you might set foldback
start to 24v and cutoff to 25.2v, To disable the soft foldback, just set cutoff and foldback start to the same
value. Remember that above this foldback start, you will start to lose regen! This could present a safety
hazard if your vehicle has no backup mechanical brakes. If you are counting on the regen, you should not
fully charge your batteries as there's no capacity left to charge into. You should also re-evaluate your life if
you're trusting a small consumer electronic device with your immediate survival.
Undervoltage Cutoff: Below this voltage, the ESC will enter a fault state and cut off gate drive to protect the
battery pack from critical under-voltage. You should set this to the absolute minimum voltage you'd ever
want your motor drive to run at.
Undervoltage Foldback Start: Below this voltage, fold-back will start which limits forward current draw in
an attempt to not hit the hard cutoff. For best user experience, this should be at least a few volts above cutoff.
For example on a 6s battery pack where you don't want to ever go below 3.2v/cell, you could set your cutoff
to 19.2v and foldback to start at 20.2v.
Max Battery Draw: This sets a limit on how much current can be drawn from the battery during acceleration
events. This is calculated from phase current and duty cycle, there is no sensor performing this limiting. As a
result, this is only an estimate and may have significant error. This should not be used as a precision cutoff.
If you do not want to use battery current limiting and instead want to only limit the phase current commands,
just set this to a number more than twice as high as the peak accel current configured below.
Max Battery Regen: This should be a positive number. This sets a limit on how much current can be
regenerated back into the battery during regenerative braking events. This is also calculated with no direct
sensor, so there may be significant errors. If you do not want to have a limit at the battery end, just set this to
a number more than twice as high as the peak decel current configured below. Note that if you set this to a
smaller value, you will have full regen at low speeds but at high speeds the regenerative current will be
greatly reduced since the regen current at the battery is proportional to speed for a constant phase current.
This could present a safety hazard if braking is less powerful than expected at speed.
Max Phase Accel Current: This sets the maximum phase current that will ever be commanded as a
positive acceleration. This is speed dependent if you want this to vary with speed. Note the drive has built in
limits on this value that may be lower than the GUI accepts, so just because you set this to 1000 doesn't
mean you're getting 1000A.
Max Phase Accel Current Available With Throttle: Sets the max acceleration current that can be
commanded with the control throttle. This does not affect QX or CAN commands. This is intended to limit the
range of an analog or PWM throttle.
Max Phase Regen Current: This should be a positive number. This sets the maximum phase current that
will ever be commanded as a regenerative braking event. This is speed dependent if you want this to vary
with speed. Note the drive has built in limits on this value that may be lower than the GUI accepts, so just
because you set this to 1000 doesn't mean you're getting 1000A.
Max Phase Regen Current Available With Throttle: Sets the max regen current that can be commanded
with the control throttle.
Temp Cutoff: Sets the temperature at which the drive will turn off entering a fault condition
Temp Foldback Start: Sets the temperature above which the drive will reduce current linearly up to Temp
Cutoff in an attempt to never hit that cutoff. For best user experience, this should be set approximately 10C
lower than Temp Cutoff to give a wide foldback region.
Speed Limiting
Forward RPM Foldback Start/End: Runs a current command foldback between start and end. This is
especially useful in torque mode, because the 'Max RPM Forward Direction' doesn't do anything unless
you're in speed mode. For best user experience, make sure there are at least a few hundred RPM between
the start and end
Reverse RPM Foldback Start/End: Same as forward except acts on the reverse direction in case you want
a different speed limit in that direction.
Startup
Used for setting up how the drive starts. In sensored mode, none of this matters.
RPM Closed Loop 1: In speed modes, this sets the minimum command speed. Below this speed, an RPM
command does nothing and the motor does not attempt to start.
RPM Closed Loop 2: In speed modes, this sets the speed below which the motor may stop spinning and
wait until the command again exceeds RPM Closed Loop 1 before re-starting. RPM Closed Loop 1 must be
larger than RPM Closed Loop 2.
When running in ramp mode, it usually works well to set Closed Loop 1 to around 2000eRPM for ramp
startup and Closed Loop 2 to about 20% of that value.
Jitter Speed 1 (Introduced in firmware 1.1.2+, previously RPM Closed Loop 1 functioned as this when in
jitter modes): This is one of the speeds that jitter mode runs at open loop. It is usually best to set these jitter
speeds in the low double-digit range, although you can fine tune these values for the best startup. It's really
just a matter of trial and error to get the best jitter startup parameters for a particular motor and vehicle inertia.
Jitter Speed 2 (Introduced in firmware 1.1.2+, previously RPM Closed Loop 2 functioned as this when in
jitter modes): This is the second speed that jitter mode runs open loop. Usually it's best to have this very
close to the same value as speed-1, although for some motors (especially low inertia loads like propellers) it
may work well to have the two jitter speeds quite different.
Jitter Frequency: This only matters in sensorless jitter start. It sets the frequency which the drive jitters
between the two previously mentioned frequencies. It's difficult to say what works best for a given motor and
experimentation is required. Typically something in the 5-100Hz is found to work well but that could vary for
atypical motors or loads!
Jitter Current Multiplier: When in jitter mode, the command current is multiplied by this amount. This gives
a good strong jitter to get the motor started when it is under significant load. Usually 2-4x is a good figure
here, although in some cases you might just want 1x.
Jitter Advancement Time: How long minimum-differential-flux must be met continuously before advancing
out of jitter mode into run mode. This avoids spurious signals from making the drive exit jitter mode which
creates a poor user experience. Usually this should be in the 1-100ms range. Any longer, and you'd
probably actually notice a long amount of time the drive is sitting around jittering before starting. Any less,
and those spurious events will make a poor experience.
Ramp Current: In ramp mode, this sets the current of the open-loop spin. In jitter speed mode, this sets the
current of the jitter. This does not matter in kick start or jitter torque mode (where the torque command times
the current muliplier is instead used)
Ramp Rate: In ramp mode, this sets how fast the drive ramps. If the load inertia is too high then the drive will
lose sync because the open loop spin will be too fast at the ramp current to get the inertia going. If the drive
enters siren mode during a ramp start, it probably lost sync due to too much inertia, too low ramp current,
and/or too much ramp rate.
Current Loop
DQ Park Filter/Super DQ Park Filter: This sets the time constant of the D and Q axis current
measurements. The DQ Park Filter acts upon the D and Q currents, while the Super DQ filter acts upon the
super-transformed D and Q currents. In general, you want DQ park filtering for sensorless operation, and
super-DQ filtering for sensored operation (especially if running at a very low speed). Set the other to zero.
Q-Current Int: Sets the integral gain of the Q current controller. This can be tuned using the 'I-Loop Wizard'.
Q-Current Proportional: Sets the proportional gain of the current controller. This presents a phase boost to
raise crossover frequency and allow for a significantly faster current loop.
D-Current Int: Sets the integral gain of the D current controller. This can be tuned using the 'I-Loop Wizard'.
D-Current Proportional: Sets the proportional gain of the current controller. This presents a phase boost to
raise crossover frequency and allow for a significantly faster current loop.
Q-Current Int Startup: The integral gain of the Q current controller when performing ramp and jitter starts.
Sometimes this works better with a slower current loop, especially jitter start.
Q-Current Int Proportional: Sets the proportional gain for startup jitter or ramp.
RPM Deriv Filt: Filter applied to the derivative of the RPM.

Super-Diff: You should just leave this zero unless Freefly customer support tells you to do otherwise.
RPM Loop
Max RPM Forward Direction: Sets the maximum RPM that can be commanded in the forward direction.
This is just a clamp on command and does not affect the control loop. This means this is only having an
effect in speed mode where there is a speed command. In torque mode, there is no speed mode so this
setting does nothing. In that mode you should be using 'Forward RPM Foldback Start/End' in the Speed
Limiting section below. Any command above this limit will be ignored and replaced with this limit.
Max RPM Reverse Direction: This should be a positive number. Sets the maximum RPM that can be
commanded in the reverse direction. This is just a clamp on command and does not affect the control loop.
Any negative speed command beyond this limit will be ignored and replaced with this limit.
Slew Up: Sets the maximum slew rate for increasing RPM command. This only affects the command, not
the operation of the control loop. If you want speeds to change slowly, set this to a lower number. Conversely
if you want high accelerations such as you might on a multirotor, set this as high as you can while keeping
the motor stable. Extremely high slew rates may cause instabilities in the speed controller so this is one
method of mitigating instabilities. This is a speed dependent parameter if you want this to change with
speed. Sometimes at very low speeds, having a lower slew rate is helpful to maintain stability since the
controller struggles more at low speed while at higher speeds a fast slew rate is fine.
Slew Down: Sets the maximum slew rate for decreasing RPM command.
KP Up: Sets the proportional gain of the speed controller for increasing speeds. As of April 4, 2018, there is
no auto-tune for this.
KP Down: Sets the proportional gain of the speed controller for decreasing speeds. Often, this would be set
to the same value as KP Up. As of April 4, 2018, there is no auto-tune for this.
RPM Integrator: Sets the integral gain of the speed controller. In many cases, you should just set this to 0.
You only need this if you must have nearly zero error between measured speed and commanded speed. It is
much more difficult to stabilize the control loop and get desirable step responses when including integral
gain.
RPM Integrator Max: Sets the maximum current that can be added to the output of the outer-speed-loop as
a result of the RPM integrator. useful to prevent major wind-up of the integrator if you don't want it to be able
to output huge integral currents. If the integral gain is zero, then the value of this parameter is irrelevant.
Thrust Drag: Sets a feed-forward thrust drag. This parameter is largely experimental and has almost no
testing or practical use history although it theoretically could improve transient response when using a
propeller load.
Angle Loop
Angle P Gain: Sets the proportional gain of the angle controller.
Angle D Gain: Sets the derivative gain of the angle controller.
Flux observer
Flux VIR HPF: This is the high-pass filter that is applied within the calculation of the integral of V-IR in the
flux calculator. It is recommended to leave this at 1000ms unless you are an advanced user who knows how
to tune this.
Flux VIR LPF: This is the low-pass filter applied in the integral calculation. It is recommended to leave this
at a fixed 10ms value unless you are an advanced user. This is a speed-dependent parameter so to set it for
10ms set both the '<' min and '>' max both to 10ms.
Sensorless Angle Filter: Time constant of the angle filter. A good starting point for this is 4ms. It is very rare
you would ever want it higher. If tuning the speed loop aggressively you may want to lower this. General
motor instability may also be improved by lowering this.
Speed Filter: Time constant of the speed measurement filter. This is also good to start at 4ms. Again, very
rare you'd want to go higher and lowering it may improve stability.
Minimum Differential Flux: Use the 'Flux Wizard' to set this (only after KV is correctly set). If the difference
between any two fluxes is lower than this, then the ESC will register the motor as not spinning and set the
speed measurement to zero. This is also used as the transition point in jitter start mode to trigger the ESC on
when to advance from jitter mode to standard FOC run mode. The value of this parameter is irrelevant in
fully sensored modes, but it is mandatory for any sensorless operation.
API
Overview
Movi Pro API: https://freeflysystems.com/support/movi-pro-support
At this time there is no API software written specifically for the Motor Drive project. The QX protocol is the
same as that used in Movi Pro's API so that QX module can be used for motor drive. This page outlines the
QX messages that you will want to send to control or monitor the drive.
You can communicate with Freefly motor drives over the QX Protocol, a custom communication protocol
outlined on this page. This will allow for basic control of the drive as well as monitoring telemetry.
Freefly's customer support team prioritizes end-user support and will not be able to answer API support
requests. Please visit the Freefly Forum API Section for FAQs, additional resources, and bug reports.
Communication Channels
Each drive model may feature slightly different communication channel configurations:
Arc 200:
CAN-bus, 1mbps
USB over ST virtual serial port driver: baud rate, parity, etc. do not matter over this emulated layer
External UART: 115,200kbps, 8 bits, no parity, 1 stop bit (8N1)
QX Protocol
Freefly’s custom communications protocol that provides this interface is called the “QX Protocol”. This is a
compact, lightweight binary messaging protocol that minimizes the size and complexity of messages,
making it efficient for transmission on bandwidth constrained communications links.
Source code that allows building and parsing messages with this protocol is provided as a portable pure C
language library that can be included in C/C++ projects directly, and used as a template in projects of other
languages.
The QX protocol uses a client - server model where clients send read or write requests and receive current
values, and servers send current values and receive read or write requests. In the Freefly API, the device
connected to a COM port acts as the client and the MōVI Pro acts as the server.
Configuring Motor Drive for API Control

To use the API on any of these channels, the drive just needs to be set in QX command mode. Set the 'Input
Throttle Mode' configuration field to 'QX (GUI, UART, CAN, BTLE, or API)' and it will accept commands over
this channel.
You can still use the QX communications over any channel to monitor drive telemetry even if the command
mode is not in this mode. For example if you want to use an analog throttle but monitor drive temperature
over QX, just set the input throttle mode to Analog and you can still monitor the temperature. You would not
be able to command torque over QX anymore as the drive will only be listening to the analog throttle for
commands.
QX Over CAN
To send a QX message over the CAN bus, you just need to send CAN message ID 0x78 with a payload
length of 1 to 8 bytes. These bytes will be sequentially read into a QX parser. If a QX message is longer than
8 bytes (as most are), then you just send it in multiple 0x78 packets. For example if your message to send is
0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, you would send a 0x78 ID CAN message of length 8 with payload 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
7, followed by another 0x78 ID CAN message of length 2 with payload 8, 9.
There is nothing special about matching your QX messages to the frames of the 0x78 message. This is
really just acting as a virtual UART layer on the CAN bus. Any 0x78 message is merely bytes coming in
through the virtual UART stream which are then processed in the order received by the QX parser.
QX Transmission Structure for API Access

Here are the contents of the QX protocol. If you are using the QX submodule included with the Movi Pro API,
you probably won't need to craft these messages at the byte-level. If you are implementing your own QX
handler you will need to send a message that follows this structure. The response will come back from the
drive in the same structure appearing as another QX message of the same attribute ID.
Offset QX Purpose Value/Range Data Function
0 Header 'Q' 'Q' = 0x51 Header
1 Header 'X' 'X' = 0x58 Header
Number of bytes
2 Length Do not exceed 0x7F between LENGTH an
CHECKSUM
Start counting
LENGTH and
contribute to
CHECKSUM below
this line
0x80 | (Attribute &

3 Attribute ID LSB's of attribute
0x7F)
(Attribute & 0x3F80) >>

4 Attribute ID MSB's of attribute
7
Reserved, set to 0x42

for API
communications (sets
5 Options 0x42 to absolute-write mod
which can be used fo
polling telemetry too)
Reserved transmit
6 TRID 0x0
request ID
Reserved reply reque

7 RRID 0x0
ID
8-N Payload Payload contents
Stop counting
LENGTH and stop

contributing to
CHECKSUM now
255 -
Message verification
N+1 Checksum (SUM(Checksum-
checksum
bytes) % 256)
Motor Drive QX Messages

For each message ID, the bytes in the payload are shown as well as the code you would use to generate
the message using the QX protocol provided by Freefly.
UC As UC, US As US, and UL As UL are 8, 16, and 32 bit unsigned binary values transmitted on the wire.
FL As FL is a 32-bit floating point number transmitted in raw binary following standard C floating point
conventions.
RPM Command (Attribute ID 1010):
This command is only applicable if the drive is in speed-mode. In all other modes this command will be
ignored.
Payload Offset Contents/Description Length (bytes) Type
Motor Identifier (set to

0 1 UC As UC
0)
1-4 RPM Command 4 FL As FL
Example QX code:
byte temp_byte = 0;
PARSE_UC_AS_UC(&temp_byte, 1, 0, 0); //Motor identifier
PARSE_FL_AS_FL(&rpm_command_float, 1, MAX_COMMAND_POSSIBLE, MIN_COMMAND_POSSIBLE); //Speed com
Torque Command (Attribute ID 1011):
This command is only applicable if the drive is in torque-mode. In all other modes this command will be
ignored.
This command follows the same structure as the RPM command, except the RPM command is replaced by
a torque command (in amps).
Angle Command (Attribute ID 1012):
This command is only applicable if the drive is in angle-mode. In all other modes this command will be
ignored.
This command follows the same structure as the RPM command, except the RPM command is replaced by
an angle command (in degrees support decimal precision).
Telemetry Packet 1 (Attribute ID 1000):
This packet can be polled at any time over QX regardless of what control or output mode the device is set in.
It provides basic real-time monitoring potential for logging or displaying to the user on a dashboard.
When sending this message, you can optionally send dummy contents for all the data. The values will be
ignored. You can also just send one byte. The only one that actually matters for polling is the motor identifier
(which should be set to 0). The remaining bytes are ignored by the drive and need not be present. The
response from the drive includes the telemetry in these fields.
Contents/Descrip
Payload Offset Units Length (bytes) Type
tion
Motor Identifier
0 1 UC As UC
(set to 0)
1-4 DC Voltage Volts 4 FL As FL
DC Current
(sensor not
5-8 Amps 4 FL As FL
present on all
drive models)
9-12 Phase A Current Amps 4 FL As FL
13-16 Phase B Current Amps 4 FL As FL
17-20 Phase C Current Amps 4 FL As FL
21-24 Phase A Flux Wb 4 FL As FL
25-28 Phase B Flux Wb 4 FL As FL
29-32 Phase C Flux Wb 4 FL As FL
33 Reserved, Ignore 1 UC As UC
Throttle Input
Raw (As
36-39 N/A 4 FL As FL
telemetry, not
command)
DC Current,
40-43 Amps 4 FL As FL
Estimated
46 ESC Fault State 1 UC As UC
ESC Soft Fault

47 1 UC As UC
State
Brake Input Raw

48-41 (As telemetry, not N/A 4 FL As FL
command)
Example QX code:
byte temp_byte = 0;
PARSE_FL_AS_FL(&vdc_v, 1, FLT_MAX, -FLT_MAX);
PARSE_FL_AS_FL(&idc_a, 1, FLT_MAX, -FLT_MAX);
PARSE_FL_AS_FL(&ia_a, 1, FLT_MAX, -FLT_MAX);
PARSE_FL_AS_FL(&ib_a, 1, FLT_MAX, -FLT_MAX);
PARSE_FL_AS_FL(&ic_a, 1, FLT_MAX, -FLT_MAX);
PARSE_FL_AS_FL(&flux_a, 1, FLT_MAX, -FLT_MAX);
PARSE_FL_AS_FL(&flux_b, 1, FLT_MAX, -FLT_MAX);
PARSE_FL_AS_FL(&flux_c, 1, FLT_MAX, -FLT_MAX);
byte ignore;
PARSE_UC_AS_UC(&ignore, 1, 0, 0);
PARSE_FL_AS_FL(&throttle_input_raw, 1, FLT_MAX, -FLT_MAX);
PARSE_FL_AS_FL(&idc_estimated_a, 1, FLT_MAX, -FLT_MAX);
PARSE_UC_AS_UC(&esc_fault_state, 1, 0xFF, 0);
PARSE_UC_AS_UC(&esc_soft_fault_state, 1, 0xFF, 0);
PARSE_FL_AS_FL(&brake_input_raw, 1, FLT_MAX, -FLT_MAX);
Telemetry Packet 2 (Attribute ID 1001):
Follows the same concepts as Telemetry Packet 1.

Contents/Descrip
Payload Offset Units Length (bytes) Type
tion
Motor Identifier
0 1 UC As UC
(set to 0)
Q-Axis Current
1-4 Amps 4 FL As FL
Command
Q-Axis Current
5-8 Amps 4 FL As FL
Measured
D-Axis Current
Command
D-Axis Current
Measured
17-20 RPM Measured RPM 4 FL As FL
PWM Out
21-24 LSB's 4 FL As FL
Magnitude
Phase (Voltage
25-28 Degrees 4 FL As FL
to BEMF Offset)
BEMF Absolute
Angle
Drive
33-36 Deg C 4 FL As FL
Temperature
Q-Axis Integrator
37-40 Volts 4 FL As FL
Loop Output
D-Axis Integrator
41-44 Volts 4 FL As FL
Loop Output
Sensored Shaft
Angle
Example QX code:
byte temp_byte = 0;
PARSE_FL_AS_FL(&iq_command, 1, FLT_MAX, -FLT_MAX);
PARSE_FL_AS_FL(&iq_measured, 1, FLT_MAX, -FLT_MAX);
PARSE_FL_AS_FL(&id_command, 1, FLT_MAX, -FLT_MAX);
PARSE_FL_AS_FL(&id_measured, 1, FLT_MAX, -FLT_MAX);
PARSE_FL_AS_FL(&rpm_measured, 1, FLT_MAX, -FLT_MAX);
PARSE_FL_AS_FL(&pwm_out_mag, 1, FLT_MAX, -FLT_MAX);
PARSE_FL_AS_FL(&phase_offset, 1, FLT_MAX, -FLT_MAX);
PARSE_FL_AS_FL(&bemf_angle, 1, FLT_MAX, -FLT_MAX);

PARSE_FL_AS_FL(&temp_c, 1, FLT_MAX, -FLT_MAX);
PARSE_FL_AS_FL(&integrator_output_i_q, 1, FLT_MAX, -FLT_MAX);
PARSE_FL_AS_FL(&integrator_output_i_d, 1, FLT_MAX, -FLT_MAX);
PARSE_FL_AS_FL(&sensored_shaft_angle, 1, FLT_MAX, -FLT_MAX);
Motor Drive FAQ's and Common Problems
My motor drive disconnects a lot when I'm trying to work on it over USB. What's wrong?: The motor
drive can produce a high EMI environment, especially when spinning motors at high currents, during fault
situations, etc. The USB protocol is very susceptible to this noise and it can be difficult to keep reliable
connections. You should try to avoid using USB extension cables to connect the drive to a computer as this
is going to make connection integrity much worse. Also try using a USB port on the back of the computer
(directly on the motherboard) as the extension to a front port on a desktop computer can degrade signal
integrity. If you need to use an extension, make it as short as possible and if possible place some ferrite
rings on it. When extensions must be used, reliability can be improved by placing a USB hub at the end of
the extension and plugging the drive into that. This acts as a repeater and can mitigate much of the EMI
issues, although it's still ideal to be plugged directly into a computer. An even better option is using an
isolated USB repeater (we've had pretty good luck with these: https://buy.advantech-bb.com/USB-
Communications/USB-Isolators/BBC13251.products.htm). Ultimately, USB should really only be used for
drive configuration and testing rather than control of an installation. Even with an isolator and no extension
cables, it will still not be a perfectly robust system. You should be able to get it good enough to easily
perform configuration and test sessions without much stress though!
When configured in Torque Forward Only mode, the motor makes popping noises instead of
effectively braking at low speeds or when the tire locks up (either sensored or sensorless): The drive
is actually doing what it should, but an undesirable natural oscillation occurs near zero speed with high
regen braking. When the tire stops spinning, the braking torque makes it want to start spinning backwards.
The forward-only mode prohibits this and cuts torque if the motor isn't spinning forward. Once torque is cut,
the inertia of the vehicle starts the motor forward again, and once again there is regen braking. This cycle
repeats with the motor constantly starting to spin backwards then have torque cut off. The result is a series of
popping noises while the ESC is preventing reverse tire spin (much like the vibration you feel in the brake
pedal when a car's ABS becomes activated). This is a pretty undesirable behavior as it's a loud and
unpleasant pop, plus you lose much of the power of the regen brakes when the wheels lock.
As of firmware version 1.1.1, there is an easy fix for this. Just set the Torque-Forward-Only Regen Foldback
Start-Below PWM parameter to a higher value. For most motors, about 2% will get rid of this behavior, which
is the default value for a reset Arc200 drive. This parameter makes the max regen command linearly fold
back from the programmed maximum to zero over the range from 0% PWM width up to the parameter's
programmed value. By creating this region where the regen command is being reduced, a steady-state
operating point is found when full regen commands are given near low speed. In fact if you watch closely
you will be able to see the tire very slowly spin forward when it locks up on a low-traction surface. This
operating point of braking stability eliminates the popping and reduction in braking effectiveness.
When I push my throttle full acceleration or full braking, it doesn't feel like I'm getting anywhere near
the programmed max acceleration or regen current. Make sure your throttle ranges are configured
correctly in the throttle setup section of configuration! You can use the throttle setup wizard to help set the
end-points. A mis-configured throttle will not necessarily ever reach the programmed max acceleration
current. After you configure your throttle, it's a good idea to connect to the GUI and make sure that when you
push your throttle all the way forward or brake, that the commanded Q-axis current on the telemetry window
is roughly equal to the programmed maximum (it might just barely not reach it due to rounding errors
throughout a variety of current foldback and limiting systems).
When I'm commanding zero current in torque mode (neither acceleration nor braking), the motor
either accelerates or feels like it is excessively braking. How do I set the bias-point of a zero current
command so that zero current command is as close to true coasting as possible? Due to the
switching nature of a motor drive coupled with imperfections in a motor's physical construction, there is
always some error between the motor drive measuring zero-current, and the motor actually carrying zero
current. Usually, this is no more than a few amps and is typically speed dependent such that the error gets
higher as the motor spins faster. As of firmware version 1.1.1 and later, there is a Current Command Offset
parameter in the Control section of the drive configuration. If your motor accelerates when commanded with
zero current (usually, this will only happen with no drive train connected since even the slightest mechanical
damping would stop it), then you need a slightly more negative value for this. If your motor rapidly stops and
feels like it has too much braking when commanded with zero current, you need a value closer to zero. The
default value is -0.15A/(VDC * PWMdec) since most motors need a little bit of offset to stop when provided
with a zero current command at higher speeds.
When I have a high max torque command (usually you run into this at 150A or greater commands)
sometimes it just pops when given high throttle instead of giving torque. A few things to try:
Increasing the inductance setting by around 50-75% higher than what the autotune process gives can
help reduce this effect. If you go too far on this, you may notice a loss of acceleration.
Using a faster current loop tuning can help. Try the 'Fastest with Current Filtering' option in the Current
Loop Tuning Wizard. If you have experience tuning control loops you can try going for an even higher
crossover frequency than this tuning results in but in most cases you can't get much faster.
Try reducing the DQ Park Filter/Super-DQ Park Filter in the configuration (unless it's already zero). Most
autotune results will give 5ms here, but try something like 0.5ms, it may help.
If you're running sensors (especially hall-sensors), the sensor might not work well at higher speeds.
Make sure you setup the "Sensorless Transition Start" and "Sensorless Transition End" parameters to
appropriately low values. Usually a few hundred RPM. Below the "start" parameter, the motor is fully
sensored. Above the "end" parameter, the motor is fully sensorless. Between the two, it linearly
transitions between sensored and sensorless to avoid a discrete mode change.
Ultimately, once you've done both of the above your best bet is to just reduce the 'Max Phase Accel
Current' parameter until the problem goes away. For example many motors will run into this problem
when you set the max phase accel current to 200A, but are totally fine at 180-190A.
When a motor is trying to start in Jitter mode, it just shakes but never actually goes into normal
closed-loop operation no matter what, or struggles to exit jitter mode even when no mechanical load
is holding it back: Try either increasing the Jitter Speed 1 and 2 parameters and/or reducing the Minimum
Diff Flux parameter slightly (Not by much! It's rare you need to lower the min diff flux from the suggested
value in the autotune pop-up).
When coming to a stop in torque mode, the motor makes a very brief pop as the shaft stops
spinning: If in torque-forward-only mode, increase the "Torque-Forward-Only Regen Foldback Start-Below
PWM" parameter. Default is 2% but going as high as 5-10% may be helpful in some cases. If that doesn't fix
it or you're not in that operating mode, try slightly increasing the Minimum Diff Flux parameter (no more than
2x what the autotune pop-up suggests for that parameter at the most).
Why can't I see my motor drive as a BTLE device?

Starting in Arc200 firmware v1.1.9, there is an option in the drive-specific functions section of configuration
to disable BTLE. This may be used if there are concerns about security with having an open BTLE device
for configuration. By default from the factory, this is set to 'No' which leaves BTLE enabled. If you changed
this to 'Yes', then your drive will be silent on BTLE and you need to connect to the drive to re-enable BTLE.
You will need to power-cycle the drive after saving this setting to flash to complete the enable or disable of
the BTLE feature.
SuperLight Batteries
Freefly-designed smart batteries
SuperLight Lithium-ion batteries are designed and manufactured by Freefly. They work with any device that
uses the Freefly Open Battery Interface: Astro today, others coming soon.
Every pack has a built-in Battery Management System (BMS) and OLED screen. The BMS manages
discharging and charging without balance leads, and applies many protections during charge and discharge
to improve safety, diagnostics and performance. They also include a critical flight mode which limits
protections in order to prevent false power cutoff while airborne. The OLED screen gives detailed
information about pack status, like state of charge, voltage, current, temperature, life time statistics, etc. The
USB-C port can charge devices (such as phones, computers such as MacBookPro, etc) that support USB
Power Delivery from 5V up to 20V with 60W.
Usage
Freefly | SuperLight Battery Tour
Battery Management System

Each SuperLight pack has a built-in Battery Management System (BMS) that manages charging and
discharging. As a result, the experience of using SuperLight Batteries is similar to using a smartphone or
laptop computer battery, rather than a hobby-style lipo pack.
User Interface
Press the button once to check state of charge. Press again to turn on the battery.
Press the button to cycle through top-level screens. Hold for detail, when available (see table below). Press
to return to top level.
Standby: When a battery is ejected from a device, it will automatically enter standby. After 30 seconds of
inactivity, the battery will revert to standby automatically. To activate standby manually, press and hold the
button.
Display Navigation
1 - Top Level 2 - Detail 3 - Detail 4 - Detail
State of Charge
Voltage Cell voltages
Current
Temperature Individual sensors
Last Charge/Capacity
USB
Health Lifetime health Manufacturer Data Debug
States
Standby: This is a low power state where the screen is turned off and the batteryt will consume less
than 100uA.
Deep sleep: The battery enters a mode called ship mode when it has been discharged to a
minimum voltage level (2.7 V). It will consume less than 10uA in this mode, and should allow the
cells to last for 3 years or more.
SoC: This is a quick display screen that shows battery percentage, as well as the firmware version
number. Batteries will go back to standby after 5 seconds.
On
ID Sense: In this state the batteries are searching for a smart host, such as Astro
Hotswap: In this state the batteries are active and are supplying current to a smart host, such as
Astro
Enabled: In this state the batteries are active and are supplying current to a passive host, such as
Movi Pro SuperLight Battery adapters
Airmode: When a smart host, such as an Astro, commands batteries to go to Airmode, SuperLight
batteries will bypass all protections and provide power without any interruption. If there are any faults
during a flight, error messages will be displayed, but the output will not be affected. Once batteries are
commanded to leave Airmode, protections reactivate, thus batteries may shut off to protect themselves.
USB Power Output

The USB-C port offers Power Delivery, which means the SuperLight battery will negotiate with a connected
device to send power at a voltage best for your device. It will provide up to 60W power. For instance, it will
charge your:
Macbook Pro
iPhone
iPad
Astro Controller
How to use:
Plug USB C cable to battery and other end to a device you want to charge.
Turn on the battery to start charging the device.
You can also press to cycle through screens until you see the USB screen to see more details about the
USB charging state.
Simply remove the USB cable from the battery and the battery will power off automatically.
Weather and Temperature
Temperature
Specified ambient operating temperature is -20°C to 50°C.
Note, the battery temperature may be significantly different than the ambient air temperature due to
thermal mass of the cells. They take a significant amount of time to change temperature.
Cells heat during discharge, especially during flight. The amount of heating is heavily dependent upon
starting temperature, discharge rate, etc. 30 degrees C of heating during a flight is common.
Batteries perform optimally around room temperature. If possible, keeping them near room temp before
use is encouraged, but not required.
Cold Operation:
Charging: If the battery cell temperature is less than 0°C and charging is attempted, the battery will
display a fault ("Under Temp Chg") and not re-allow charge until the temperature is raised above
5°C.
Discharging: If the battery cell temperature is less than 10°C and discharging is attempted, the
battery will display a fault ("Under Temp Dsg") and not allow discharge until the temperature is
raised above 15°C.
Hot Operation:
Charging: If the battery cell temperature exceeds 50°C during charging, the battery will display a
fault ("Over Temp Chg") and not re-allow charge until the temperature is lowers below 45°C.
Discharging: If the battery cell temperature exceeds 70°C during discharge, a warning will be
triggered telling the operator to reduce output and land or halt battery use ASAP. If the battery cell
temperature exceeds 80°C during discharge, the battery will display a fault ("Over Temp Dsg") and
not re-allow discharge until the temperature is lowers below 60°C.
Weather
SuperLight batteries are water resistant. Not for submerged use. Not for use in salt spray or water.
The connectors cannot be mated while wet. Water must be blown out before mating the connectors.
If you fly in rain, it is important to ensure you dry the pack off before attempting to plug into it's USB-C port or
to plug the pack into a charger. Blow out the connectors to ensure you don't trap any water inside.
The USB-C dust cap is intended to keep out debris. It is not intended to form a water-tight seal.
Charging
Safety
Use only Freefly SL8 Fast Chargers.
Make sure someone is nearby while batteries are charging. Do not charge batteries unattended. Place the
batteries in a fireproof container for charging and storage.
DO NOT charge the battery above 4.2 volts per cell. DO NOT exceed 1.5C charge rate.
Charging Time
SL8-Air batteries charge from empty in about 90 minutes.
Firmware v1.9 gives a conservative charging time estimate. Actual charging times can be faster than the
time shown on the display.
Temperature
The charging temperature range is 0 to 50 C°.
If a charger is connected while the battery is too hot or cold to charge, the battery will not charge and an
error message will be displayed. If the charger remains connected to the battery, charging will begin
automatically when the battery cools/warms sufficiently.
In cold environments: If charging begins while the pack is above 0 C°, the heat of charging can be
sufficient to keep the pack warm enough to charge even if the ambient temperature is lower.
In hot environments: Charging will stop when cells get to 50 C° and restart charging automatically at 45
C°.
Specifications
Capacity and Voltage
Voltage, nominal Voltage, min -

Model Capacity (Ah) Capacity (Wh)
(V) max (V)
SL8 - Air 21.6 18 - 25.2 7.3 157
SL4 - Ground 21.6 18 - 25.2 4.1 86.4
Ambient Temperature -20 °C to 50 °C
Battery Cell Temperature 10 °C to 50 °C
Charging Temp 0 °C to 50 °C
Weather Moderate rain (~3 mm per minute)
Drop rating 1 meter
60 Watts (Up to 3 A at the following voltages: 20,

USB Power Delivery
15, 12, 9, 5)
Cell Chemistry Lithium-Ion
SL8 : Samsung 40T

Cell Type
SL4 : Lishen LR2170SF
SL8 : 80 A
Max Continuous Current (10 s)
SL4 : 13.5A
SL8 : 120 A
Max Peak Current (1 s)
SL4 : 20 A
SL8 : 1035 g
Mass
SL4 : 600g
Transport
Airline Travel
Please consult local regulations.

*SL-4 model is not compatible with Astro.
Detail of FAA regulations here:
https://www.faa.gov/hazmat/packsafe/more_info/?hazmat=7
https://www.faa.gov/hazmat/packsafe/resources/media/Airline_passengers_and_batteries.pdf
Shipping
We’ve found that FedEx provides the easiest path to ship batteries. Their website has a search tool to find
FedEx locations that can accept batteries can be found good shipments, go to https://www.fedex.com/locate
> More... > Dangerous Goods Shipping > and Search in your area.
If you’d like to pack the batteries yourself, guidelines can be found in the UPS guide to safely packing
batteries. Refer to the Lithium batteries section (SL batteries are classified UN3481). These guidelines are
universal across shipping providers.
Interface
Freefly Battery Interface

Freefly Superlight batteries use the Pixhawk Battery Interface, an open standard the we helped create!
Freefly SL Series Interface Standard is linked here and should be used by anyone who wants to integrate
the SL batteries into your own hardware solution.
For mechanical integration, here are the CAD files: SL8 and SL4
If you have any questions on this specification, please let us know.
Configuration
Do not connect in series. For example, do not connect two 22 volt batteries together to make a 44
volt supply.
Maintenance
Health and Lifecycle

SuperLight Batteries display a Health percentage value, called State of Health (SoH).
State of Health is expressed as a percentage of the ratio of predicted Full Charge Capacity (calculated at
25°C) over the Design Capacity (nominal capacity of a new pack).
Best practices
To get the most out of your SuperLight packs there are a few things that you can do to improve performance
and longevity.
Temperature
Li-ion batteries operate best around room temperature. This means you will get more flight time out of the
pack, and less capacity loss over the life of the pack. When able to, we recommend charging your packs
after they have cooled from flight, at room temperature for the best longevity.
Storage
To store your batteries for long periods of time (months or years) we recommend charging them up to around
50% SoC.
Lifecycle
SuperLight batteries typically have a lifetime significantly longer than 500 cycles. We have tested them to
over 1000 cycles with greater than 80% capacity remaining.
Over time the batteries will lose some capacity, however, they can continue to be used as long as desired
with lower capacity.
Superlight batteries should be disposed of in accordance with local regulations on battery and electronic
waste.
Hard Reset
In the event that the firmware locks up or an unforeseen issue occurs, there is a method that allows resetting
the battery controller. Note, you should not use this in normal operation - it should never be required. That
said, if it is unresponsive, you can try this method to reset the battery. Push and hold until the display goes
blank, then release the button (approx 15 seconds). The battery will restart.
Firmware Update
Download the SuperLight Firmware Utility from the product downloads page.
Make sure the battery is powered off. If not, press and hold the button for 5 seconds then release to turn off.
Connect the battery to a PC with a USB cable.
Press and hold the battery button until the display shows "Firmware Update" mode.
Open SuperLight Firmware Utility on PC and follow directions.
If USB C to C cable doesn't work, try USB A to C cable.
Checking The Battery Firmware
Tap the button on the Herelink battery while it is powered off to check the current firmware version.
Troubleshooting Tree
A troubleshooting tree is a roadmap of all the avenues available to test when searching for a solution.
Fault Codes
The Health screen will show fault codes. If there are multiple fault codes the fault screen will scroll through
displaying them.
Some faults are latching, and require that a user ejects them from the system re mounts them to try again if
the issue has been resolved.
Code Message Reset? Cause and Action
One or more cells is

over voltage and this
was sensed by
hardware. Try allowin
to balance by leaving
on a charger, then ret
1 (b0) Cell Over Voltage HW Remount It could also be due to
extreme water ingress
Allow battery to dry
and retry. Retry a few
times, then discontinu
use if it persists.
One or more cells is

under voltage and this
was sensed by
hardware. Try allowin
to charge and balanc
by leaving on a
Cell Under Voltage
2 (b1) Remount charger, then retry. It
HW
could also be due to
extreme water ingress
Allow battery to dry
and retry. Retry a few
times, then discontinu
use if it persists.
The pack outputs wer

likely shorted, or
extreme high current
discharge occurred fo
too long. Ensure there
4 (b2) Short Circuit Dsg HW Remount
is no possibility of a
short circuit, then retry
Retry a few times, the
discontinue use if it
persists.
A high amount of
current was discharge
for too long. The
8 (b3) Over Current Dsg HW Remount application may not b
suitable for this batter
If possible, do not loa
the battery as heavily
A high amount of
charge current was
sensed. Make sure a
compatible charger is
being used. It's also
16 (b4) Over Current Chg Remount possible to trip this is
heavy regen
applications such as
EVs. Ensure
application stays with
fault range.
A high amount of
current was discharge
for too long. The
32 (b5) Over Current Dsg Remount application may not b
suitable for this batter
If possible, do not loa
the battery as heavily
Allow battery to cool

down, then retry.
Optionally, leave
64 (b6) Over Temp Chg Cool Down charger connected.
Charging will resume
when temp is below
charging limit.

128 (b7) Over Temp Dsg Cool Down
down, then retry.

down, then retry.
Optionally, leave
256 (b8) Over Temp PCB Chg Cool Down charger connected.
when temp is below
charging limit.

512 (b9) Over Temp PCB Dsg Cool Down down, then retry.
Move battery to warm

environment, then ret
Optionally, leave
1024 (b10) Under Temp Chg Heat Up charger connected.
when temp is above
charging limit.
2048 (b11) Under Temp Dsg Heat Up
down, then retry.
Move battery to warm

environment, then ret
Optionally, leave
4096 (b12) Under Temp PCB Chg Heat Up charger connected.
when temp is above
charging limit

8192 (b13) Under Temp PCB Dsg Heat Up
down, then retry.
Battery is empty.
16384 (b14) Discharge Cutoff Charge
Charge!
Leave charger
connected. This allow
32768 (b15) Cells Out of Balance Allow balance the BMS to bring the
affected cells back int
balance.
There has likely been

a hardware error. Ret
65536 (b16) Pack Measure Error Auto if corrected a few times, then
persists.

131072 (b17) Cell Extreme Low V None a few times, then
persists.

262144 (b18) AFE I2C Comms Auto if corrected a few times, then
persists.

Fuel Gauge I2C
524288 (b19) Auto if corrected a few times, then
Comms
persists.
1048576 (b20) FET Short Error None a few times, then
persists.
Extreme discharge ha
likely occurred.
Reduce load and retry
2097152 (b21) FET Over Temp Cool Down
Retry a few times, the
persists.
4194304 (b22) Reserved NA NA
8388608 (b23) Reserved NA NA
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Lvj6x0Ht6IaxXGekTi8CoWcz-eM6nu7gFCggsHDv3h8/edit…
docs.google.com
Cleaning
Keep debris and moisture out of connectors.
Warranty
Freefly takes pride in the products we build and we want our customers to have
confidence in the gear they use.
Freefly SL batteries are covered by Freefly's warranty for 1 year or 500 cycles (whichever happens first).
The warranty covers:
Manufacturing defects
Functionality failures
Does not charge/discharge

Screen does not work
Displays permanent Error Code
Displays repeated Error Code under normal usage
Warranty is void if any of the following criteria are exceeded:
Maximum Battery Cycles Greater than 500 cycles
Date of Purchase More than 1 year from date of purchase
Minimum Operation Temperature Lower than -20 degrees Celsius
Minimum Battery Voltage Lower than 15 Volts
> 83A on SL8-Air

Maximum Discharge Rate
> 28A on SL4-Ground
Greater than 1.5 C

Maximum Charge Rate
> 12A on SL8-Air
> 6.8A on SL4-Ground
Contact Freefly Support with any questions or warranty claims.

Legal
Safety and Warnings
1. Read the safety instruction and warning before using or charging this lithium ion battery. Improper use
may result in severe personal injury or fire.
2. DO NOT disassemble, puncture, shock, crash, short, or put the battery into a fire.
3. Only use an approved Freefly charger. An unqualified charger may cause a fire. DO NOT charge the
battery above 4.2 volts per cell. DO NOT exceed 2C charge rate.
4. Store and charge the battery in a fireproof container in a cool or shaded area and in a safe place that
children and pets cannot access. DO NOT leave the battery in a vehicle. DO NOT expose the battery to
direct sunlight for extended periods of time or place in direct contact with liquids.
5. DO NOT discharge battery with current exceeding the max discharge current. It will cause the battery to
overheat and may result in battery deterioration, swelling, bursting, or fire. Always discharge in a
fireproof location.
6. STOP USING OR CHARGING the battery immediately if it swells, leaks, or its temperature exceeds
140F (60C) or anything else abnormal occurs.
7. In purchasing this product, the buyer/user agrees to bear all responsibilities of these risks and not hold
Freefly Systems, its owners and employees, its distributors, and/or its retailers responsible for any
accidents, injury to persons and property damage. If you do not agree to these conditions, please return
the battery to the place of purchase.
Limitations of Liability
IN NO EVENT SHALL FREEFLY BE LIABLE TO BUYER FOR ANY INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL,
PUNITIVE, INCIDENTAL, OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING
FROM THE USE OF SUPERLIGHT BATTERIES OR FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS
(HOWEVER CAUSED AND UNDER ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY), EVEN IF FREEFLY HAS BEEN
ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. IN NO EVENT SHALL FREEFLY’S LIABILITY
FOR A PRODUCT (WHETHER ASSERTED AS A TORT CLAIM, A CONTRACT CLAIM OR
OTHERWISE) EXCEED THE AMOUNTS PAID TO FREEFLY FOR SUCH PRODUCT.
NOTWITHSTANDING ANYTHING HEREIN, IN NO EVENT SHALL FREEFLY’S LIABILITY FOR ALL
CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT EXCEED THE AMOUNTS PAID BY
BUYER TO FREEFLY FOR PRODUCT IN THE LAST TWELVE (12) MONTHS. IN NO EVENT WILL
FREEFLY BE LIABLE FOR COSTS OF PROCUREMENT OR SUBSTITUTE GOODS BY BUYER. THE
LIMITATIONS SET FORTH HEREIN SHALL APPLY TO ALL LIABILITIES THAT MAY ARISE OUT OF
THIRD-PARTY CLAIMS AGAINST BUYER. THESE LIMITATIONS SHALL APPLY NOTWITHSTANDING
ANY FAILURE OF ESSENTIAL PURPOSE OF ANY LIMITED REMEDY.
Freefly shall not be liable for damages or injuries incurred directly or indirectly from the use of SuperLight
Batteries including, but not limited to, the following situations:
Failure of the operator to follow proper instructions and safety warnings found at
www.freeflysystems.com.
Failure of the operator to understand and operate SuperLight Batteries within the operating limitations
described in this manual.
Failure of the operator to follow safety warnings while using SuperLight Batteries.
Failure of the operator to follow and comply with local rules and regulations.
Failure of the operator to follow and comply with the local battery transportation law.
Failure of the operator to inspect SuperLight Batteries prior to operation.

Failure of the operator to properly maintain SuperLight through an authorized Freefly Service Center
with genuine parts.
Use of SuperLight Batteries in a physically or mentally impaired capacity.

Use of SuperLight Batteries in unsafe conditions, including but not limited to, bad or severe weather,
such as rain, wind, snow, lightning, dust storms, etc., or in areas of magnetic or radio interference, such
as power stations, broadcasting and cell phone towers, government prohibited airspace, etc.
Improper operation, misjudgment or risky behavior while using SuperLight Batteries.
Freefly Technical Standards
Torque Specifications
Background of Fasteners
Various types of joints and fasteners are used to assemble components together throughout Freefly
products. Depending on the types of materials used, joint design, and fastener used, this document serves
as a standard to be referenced where applicable.
Definitions:
1. SHCS: Socket head cap screw
2. BHCS: Button head cap screw

3. FHCS: Flat head cap screw
4. CHCS: Combo head cap screw. Freefly Systems proprietary combination type fastener
Four major types of joints are to be considered, as shown below. These are largely simplified as there are
numerous combinations of clamped material vs. threaded material. Materials listed below signify the
“clamped” materials and does NOT indicate the threaded material.
Thread-Locking Fluid.
Thread-locking fluid should be used on metal-metal or composite-metal joints that do not require constant
adjustment. In general, Loctite type 222 shall be used unless otherwise stated.
1. WARNING: Thread locking fluid (eg Loctite 222) should not be used with plastic joints, or when
fastening polycarbonate plastic.
Joint Torque Specifications
Standard Fasteners
Fastener installation set torque for standard bolts into metallic threads
Clamped Material (Assumes threaded material is metallic)
All torques are listed as Nm
Alu Alu
Plast Plast Carb Carb PCB PCB
mini mini Steel Ste
ic ic on on A A
um um
Faste FHC SHC FHC SHC FHC SHC FHC SHC SH

FHC
ner S/ S/ S/ S/ S/ S/ S/ S/ S/
S/
type/ BHC CHC BHC CHC BHC CHC BHC CHC CH
BHC
size S S S S S S S S S
M1.6 0.2
M1.9
M2 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2
M2.5 0.4 0.2
M3 1.1 1.5 .8 .8 1.0 1.0 0.7 0.7
M4 1.5 2.0
M5 3.0
M6 3.0
M7
M8
#0
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#8
#10
#12
¼”
⅜”
Plastite Thread Forming Fasteners
Clamped Material (Assumes threaded material is PA6 nylo, 30% glass filled, 1000rpm installation
speed
All torques are listed as Nm
Aluminium Plastic Carbon PCBA Steel
BHCS BHCS BHCS BHCS BHCS

Fastener Thread Thread Thread Thread Thread
type/ size Forming/ Forming/ Forming/ Forming/ Forming/
Plastite Plastite Plastite Plastite Plastite
M1.6
M1.9 0.25 (.4) .4 0.1
M2 .25 0.2
M2.5 0.6
M3 1.1
M4
48-2 .35
Wave Camera
Downloads
This page contains the latest versions and release notes of the Wave Player (macOS) and Wave Player
(Windows) software, as well as the Wave Camera Firmware and User Guide. If you don't have a Wave yet,
you can also download sample footage to try out in Wave Player.
Please note that both updates (Wave Player and Camera Firmware) may be required to take advantage of
the latest features. Updating Wave Player alone does not automatically update the Camera Firmware.
For previous versions and release notes, see the Previous Versions.
Wave Player macOS
Latest Version
Wave v1.4.4 (macOS) (ZIP, 5.0MB)
macOS 12 Monterey or later is required for Wave v1.4.4.

Use Wave v1.4.1 for macOS 11 Big Sur, or update to use the latest version of Wave Player.
Release Notes
v1.4.4 (2 November, 2022)
New Features
Application stability enhancement
Direct all Wave Player macOS feedback to freeflysystems.com/contact
Wave Player Windows
Latest Version
Wave Player v1.4.0 (Windows) (ZIP, 36.3MB)
Release Notes
v1.4.0 (18 October, 2021)

Added CALIBRATE tab for creating User Calibrations to reduce Fixed Pattern Noise (FPN).
Improved alignment of factory calibration data (also slightly reduces vertical FPN).
Restored Row Filter with improved algorithm and adjustable threshold. This can help reduce temporal
row noise in some scenes.
Added saturation Shadow Rolloff slider. To reduce color shift in shadows, the saturation is gradually
reduced from the Saturation setting to zero between the two values set here.
Increased H.264 export bit rate.
Fixed some issues with the timeline that would result in 1-3 frame offsets between the cursor or in/our
marks and the actual playback position.
Other minor bugfixes.
Camera Firmware
Latest Version
Wave Firmware v1.4.1 (ZIP, 3.12MB)
Firmware Update Instructions
The camera firmware can be updated over USB using the following procedure:
1. While holding down the Scroll Wheel, press and release the Power Button to power on the camera in
Firmware Update mode. Continue to hold down the Scroll Wheel until the Record LED flashes slowly.
2. Plug in the USB cable. The camera will appear as a USB drive. This drive is separate from the one
where clips are stored, so your footage won’t be visible but is safe and not affected by the
firmware update.
3. Drag the new firmware file (WAVE.BIN) into the fw folder.
4. Click the Scroll Wheel. The Record LED will begin to flash quickly as the firmware is updated.
5. Wait for the camera to automatically restart with the new firmware. This should take at most 30 seconds.
Release Notes
v1.4.1 (11 November, 2021)
Fixed a file system bug that could cause the start of recording to be delayed on the first clip after a power
cycle, sometimes leading to frame corruption at the start of that clip.
User Guide
A PDF copy of the latest Wave User Guide is available below. This Wiki also has information, tips, and tricks
for Wave Camera operation.
WaveUserGuide_Rev6.pdf 6MB
PDF
3D Model
Shrinkwrap Model Link - Fusion 360 Web Viewer. (Downloadable STEP file available from there.)
Previous Versions
This page contains previous versions and release notes of the Wave Player (macOS) and Wave Player
(Windows) software, as well as the Wave Camera Firmware. In general, it's recommended to use the latest
versions available on the Downloads page to take advantage of the latest features, improvements, and bug
fixes.
Wave Player (macOS)
Release Notes and Previous Versions
Release Notes
v1.4.3 (30 June, 2022) (ZIP, 4.8MB)
New Features
Color Presets
Create color presets and apply them to other clips with one-click
Hold to Seek on Timeline

Improved application stability
Additional Notes
Additional miscellaneous changes
v1.4.2 (20 April, 2022) (ZIP, 4.8MB)
Wave v1.4.2 requires macOS 12 Monterey, use Wave v1.4.1 if your system is running macOS 11
Big Sur.
New Features
Amplify (Apple Silicon macs only)
This feature amplifies small movements (down to sub-pixel) to make them more visible to the
naked eye, for uses such as drone vibration analysis.
AI Enhance (Apple Silicon macs only)
This is a deep-learning-based 2K to 4K super-resolution network trained specifically to take into

account subsampling artifacts of Wave 2K footage.
Additional Notes
Ai Enhance is only available for 2K Wave footage.
Temporary artifacts may be appear when opening clips after thubnail generation. These won't be
present in exported clips.
v1.4.1 (9 December, 2021)
New Features
User Dark Frame – generate your own dark frame files and use them to further reduce fixed artifacts
in exported clips. See User Calibration for more information.
Click your GPU to switch on machines with multiple GPUs

Improvements
Faster decode, up to 10% faster on Apple Silicon Macs

Mild UI enhancements
Users can now 'Ignore All' version compatibility warnings
Pressing play at the end of a clip will start playback at the beginning of the clip
Color Slider Changes
Increased sensitivity of the Black Level slider
Highlight Slider Range has been remapped to match other video tools
Introduces Saturation Shadows Rolloff slider
Additional Notes
v1.3.5 (15 September, 2021)

New Features
Automatic Queue Recovery
Single export dialog when items are queued
Improvements
Fixes a stability issue on Intel Macs
Native Export for high aspect ratio video

H.264 bitrate increase
Improves clip segment visualizer in Queue Panel
Notes
v1.3.4 (11 August, 2021)
New Features
Queue Panel
Mutli-Export per clip support
Native Wave Exports

Per-Clip Time estimates
Notes
v.1.3.0 (26 Jul 2021)
Freefly Wave 1.3.0.app.zip 1MB

Binary
Wave Player 1.3.0 macOS

New Features
Thumbnail Generation for Wave files in selected path
Ability to queue multiple clips for export
Adds HEVC 10-Bit video exports

16:9 Crop to UHD or FHD for 4K and 2K
Bugfixes
Slider changes on paused last frame will take effect
Release Note
v.1.2.1 (15 Jun 2021)
Freefly Wave 1.2.1.app.zip 1MB

Binary
Wave 1.2.1 macOS
New Features
Imports Mark In / Out points set on Wave
Bugfixes
Changes to support FW v1.2.1 release with support for faster CBR codec changes.
Manages interframe flicker artifact in some high aspect ratio video recordings
v.1.1.0.3 (3 May 2021)
Freefly Wave 1.1.0.3.app.zip 1MB

Binary
Wave 1.1.0.3 macOS
New Features
Moves file save location to end of export
Ability to change file save name
Adds HEVC (H.265) output format
v.1.1.0.2 (26 April 2021)

Freefly Wave 1.1.0.2.app.zip 1MB
Binary
Wave 1.1.0.2 macOS
Bugfixes
Enables application use with Intel 6000 series Integrated Graphics
v1.1.0.1 Beta (5 April 2021)
Wave Beta.app.zip 1MB

Binary
Wave Beta 1.1.0.1 macOS
New Features
Camera FW 1.0.1 Support
New Mark In / Out Controls
Bugfixes
Application no longer closes when given 4:3 or high aspect ratio video
Improves Previous Frame / Next Frame buttons behavior on high aspect ratio video
Window can now be resized while paused without distorting the image
v1.1.0 Beta (24 March 2021)
Wave Beta.app.zip 1MB

Binary
Wave Beta 1.1.0 macOS
New Features (Initial Release; Requires Camera FW v1.1.0)

This version of Wave Player macOS Beta will not correctly export Camera FW 1.0.1 Footage
Release Notes
Changing Resolution using the Top Control may affect output Quality. If this happens, restart Wave
Player.
Wave Player (Windows)

v1.3.0 (11 August, 2021)
Wave Player v1.3.0 (Windows) (ZIP, 34.5MB)
Added Amplify (Beta). This feature amplifies small movements (down to sub-pixel) to make them more
visible to the naked eye, for uses such as drone vibration analysis.
Added AI Enhance (Beta). This is a deep-learning-based 2K to 4K super-resolution network trained

specifically to take into account subsampling artifacts of Wave 2K footage.
Refactored the UI into three workflow tabs: Open, Adjust, and Export.
Added thumbnail previews to the Open and Export tabs.
Added an export queue for staging multiple exports.

Added an option for exporting in camera-native format. This will create a new clip folder with *.kwi and
*.kwv files for the marked portion of the clip.
Added an option to crop to the nearest 16:9 output size for resolutions that are slightly larger than a
standard format (e.g. 2176 to 2160p).
The UI window now supports resizing and maximization (full-screen).
Playback speed capped to the selected export FPS. (Export speed remains unlimited, for those with
high-end desktops.)
Performance and memory optimizations.
Other bugfixes.
v1.2.1 (15 June, 2021)
WavePlayer_v1_2_1.zip 16MB
Binary
Wave Player v1.2.1 (Windows)
Fixed a bug that would offset codec compression state by one frame. This is necessary to support
Camera FW v1.2.1's faster adaptation rate for the constant-bit-rate codec.
v1.1.1 (18 March, 2021)
Binary
Fixed a bug in the 2K shader pipeline introduced in v1.1.0 that was causing some over-sharpening and
edge artifacts.
v1.1.0 (9 March, 2021)
Binary
Support for Camera FW v1.1.0.
Color processing pipeline updated to better match the on-camera HDMI preview. Image adjustment
order of operations and settings are now common to both, with settings values stored in clip metadata.
New export options: Adjustable frame rate (24/25/30fps) and H.264.

Support for 1920x1080 display resolution.
GPU compatibility and performance improvements.

Minor bugfixes.
v1.0.5 (27 January, 2021)
Binary
Support for Camera FW v1.0.1 features and bugfixes.

Removed redundant setup.exe. WavePlayerSetup.msi is the only program needed for install.
v1.0.4 (8 January, 2021)
Binary
Improved GPU compatibility.

Removed Calibration Mode checkbox, which was for internal use.
v1.0.3 (21 December, 2020)

Binary
Improved GPU compatibility.
v1.0.1 (10 December, 2020)
Binary
Initial release.
Camera Firmware
v1.4.0 (18 October, 2021)
Minor tweaks to COLOR3 profile: decreased black level and increased shadow saturation rolloff in 4K to
reduce magenta-tinted shadows in underexposed conditions. This is only a metadata hint and does not
affect the recorded data. (Applied black level and shadow saturation rolloff can be changed at will in
Wave Player to suit the scene and exposure.)
Added level-triggered mode for General Purpose Input (GPI), for easier remote start/stop control in cases
where the Record LED or HDMI preview are not being monitored.
Added STANDBY fan speed setting.
v1.3.0 (11 August, 2021)

New default color profile (COLOR3) with gamma of 2.2, better matching Rec.709. This is only a
metadata hint and does not affect the recorded data. (Applied gamma can be changed at will in Wave
Player to suit the scene and exposure.)
File format for the internal SSD changed to exFAT, which has lower overhead, improved write speed
margins. (This takes effect the next time the SSD is formatted after the firmware update.)
Internal SSD is now explicitly read-only over USB. This is to prevent cases where files added or deleted
over USB create file system fragmentation that negatively impacts peak write speeds.
Improved HDMI playback buffering and smoothness. Dropping to 1x from fast-forward will now resume
30fps playback.
Better indication for internal SSD near-full and full.
Other minor bugfixes and improvements.
v1.2.1 (15 June, 2021)
WaveFirmware_v1_2_1.zip 3MB
Binary
Wave Firmware v1.2.1
Increased the adaptation rate of the constant-bit-rate codec to accommodate more rapid changes in
scene contrast with less RAM buffering. Wave Player v1.2.1 or newer is recommended for use with this
firmware as it addresses a bug that the faster adaptation rate exaggerates.
v1.2.0 (12 May, 2021)
Binary
Loads camera settings on boot from the most recently recorded clip.
Continuously update HDMI black level based on sensor temperature when in STANDBY. (Previously
required menu interaction to update.)
Fixed a bug that was referencing incorrect dark frame calibration data at low temperatures (<10ºC
ambient). As a result, low-temperature black level and FPN is improved.
Added support for factory defect pixel mapping and correction.
v1.1.0 (9 March, 2021)

Binary
Updates to compression and color pipeline.
Improved out-of-the-camera color profile (closer to Rec.709). This does not affect recorded data, but
provides a more color-accurate HDMI preview and matching starting point for the Wave Player image
adjustments.
Improved highlight handling, approximately 1/2-stop more dynamic range. This is done by allowing
some sensor clipping and using the unclipped channels to recover highlight detail, aided by a smoother
highlight desaturation curve. New image adjustments are available in the latest Wave Player to expose
these settings.
Improved match between HDMI preview and Wave Player image adjustment starting point. Image
adjustment order of operations and settings are now common to both, with settings values stored in clip
metadata.
Added more scroll wheel filtering to prevent jumpy menu scrolling.
Moved Shutter Line Artifact compensation to on-camera.

Additional minor bug fixes and error handling.
v1.0.1 (27 January, 2021)
Binary
Improved compensation for Shutter Line Artifact. This sensor artifact shows up as a dark row across the
frame when one frame's exposure starts while the previous frame is still being read out, and is most
severe in underexposed conditions. This firmware synchronizes exposure start to an exact row and,
together with the latest Wave Player version, uses that information to better compensate for the artifact.
Fixed a bug that could, in rare cases, cause image corruption after switching between 4K and 2K mode
that would persist until the next power cycle. Momentary HDMI preview glitches during the 4K/2K mode
switch are normal as the pipeline is reconfigured.
v1.0.0 (10 December, 2020)
Binary

Initial release.
Specifications
Specification Condition Valu
--- Image Sensor ---
Format - S3
Aspect Ratio - 4
Pixel Size - 5.5μm x 5.5μ
Native Resolution - 4096 x 307
Active Area - 22.53mm x 16.90m
Shutter Type - Global Electron
Native ISO - 25
--- Lens Mount ---
Standard Lens Mount - E-mount Compatib
Removable - Ye
Positive Locking - Ye
Electronic - N
--- Recording ---
Media - Internal NVMe SS
Media Size - 1TB or 2T
Format - Compressed RG
Native Bit Depth - 10-b
Compression Ratio Typical 5:1 to 6
Resolutions / Frame Rates - See Maximum Frame Rate
Bit Rate Maximum 1.00GB/s (8.00Gb/
4096 x 2176, 422fps, 5.5:1 0.89GB/s (6.84Gb/
2048 x 1088, 1461fps, 5.5:1 0.74GB/s (5.92Gb/
Continuous Capture Time 4096 x 2176, 422fps, 1TB 19m

4096 x 2176, 422fps, 2TB 39m
2048 x 1088, 1461fps, 1TB 23m
2048 x 1088, 1461fps, 2TB 45m
Others Limited only by Media Siz
--- Power ---
Battery - Internal 11.1V, 2200mA
Run Time Standby 90m
Recording (Max Rate) 60m
Charge Time Powered Off 90m
DC Input Voltage Operation 12-26
Charging to 100% 14-26
Power Consumption Standby 15
Recording (Max Rate) 19
Charging (Max) 24
--- Interface ---
Barrel Ja
DC Input -
5.5mm OD x 2.1mm
HDMI A (Full Siz

HDMI Output -
1080p3
6-Pin JST G
Optically Isolate
GPIO - Start/Stop/Syn
UART (3.3V or 5.0V) A
(Note
Type C (Reversibl
USB - USB 3.2 Gen1x
SuperSpeed 5Gb
WiFi 802.11b/g/n (Note

Wireless -
Bluetooth v4.2 (Note
--- Wave Player Software ---
Operating System Windows 1
Camera-Nativ
ProRes (Note
Export Formats CineForm (Note
H.26
PNG Sequenc
JPEG Sequenc
--- Other Features ---
Firmware Update - via USB-
Upgradeable Storage - Ye
LCD - N
Audio Recording - N
Autofocus - N
--- Physical ---
Dimensions w/ E-mount 150mm x 97mm x 47m
Weight w/ E-mount 716
Mounting Points 1/4-20 2: 1x Top, 1x Botto
M3 8: 2x per Sid
--- Environmental ---
Operating Temperature - 0ºC to 40º
Ingress Protection - IP5
Note 1: Hardware capability, API details TBD.

Note 2: Hardware capability, no software support or mobile app available as of this release.
Note 3: Only available on Wave Player Mac and iPad.
Note 4: Only available on Wave Player Windows.
Maximum Frame Rates
The maximum frame rate depends on image resolution as set by the Width and Height settings. There are
two Width options: 4096 (4K) and 2048 (2K). The 2K width option uses subsampling, which preserves the
crop factor of the Image Sensor but does not increase its light sensitivity. See 4K vs. 2K for more details on
the image quality differences of the two readout modes. The table below lists the maximum frame rate by
aspect ratio for both Width options. Continuous recording is possible at all frame rates from 1fps up to the
maximum in increments of 1fps.
Aspect Ratio Height (4K) Max FPS (4K) Height (2K) Max FPS (2
4:3 3072 300 1536 104
16:9 2304 398 1152 138
17:9 2176 422 1088 146
2:1 2048 448 1024 154
2.13:1 1920 477 960 164
2.29:1 1792 511 896 175
2.46:1 1664 549 832 188
2.67:1 1536 594 768 203
2.91:1 1408 647 704 220
3.2:1 1280 711 640 240
3.56:1 1152 788 576 265
3.76:1 1088 833 544 279
4:1 1024 884 512 295
4.27:1 960 941 480 313
4.57:1 896 1006 448 333
4.92:1 832 1081 416 356
5.33:1 768 1168 384 382
5.82:1 704 1270 352 412
6.4:1 640 1392 320 448
7.11:1 576 1540 288 490
8:1 512 1722 256 541
9.14:1 448 1954 224 603
10.67:1 384 2257 192 683
12.8:1 320 2673 160 786
16:1 256 3275 128 925

FAQ
What resolutions and frame rates are supported?

The maximum frame rate in 4K (17:9) is 422fps and in 2K (17:9) is 1461fps. 2K uses subsampling, which
preserves the crop factor of the image sensor but does not increase its light sensitivity. Other aspect ratios
(from 4:3 to 16:1) are available with different maximum frame rates up to 9259fps (2048 x 128). Continuous
recording is possible at all frame rates from 1fps up to the maximum in increments of 1fps. See Maximum
Frame Rates for more details. See 4K vs. 2K for more details on the image quality differences of the two
readout modes.
What does "continuous recording" mean?

Wave records continuously to its internal SSD at all frame rates. This means it operates as a normal video
camera: press the record button once to start recording and press it again to stop. The clip is immediately
saved in SSD flash memory. There is no RAM buffer or trigger setup required, and the length of the clip is
limited only by the SSD capacity. (See Specifications for more details.) All recording is non-volatile and
power-down safe.
What types of lenses are supported?

Wave uses a locking mount compatible with E-mount lenses. There is no electrical connection to the
lens, so lenses with electronic focus or iris control are not supported. Likewise, there is no autofocus.
Wave is intended for use with manual lenses that cover a S35 sensor. Faster lenses (with lower wide-open f-
number or T-stop) are preferable for shooting at high frame rates, where light is at a premium.
Because of its short flange focal distance, E-mount can be readily adapted to almost any other mount. See
Lens Recommendations for a list of some good lens options for Wave.
Is there an on-board LCD?

No, an external monitor capable of receiving a 1080p30 HDMI signal is required to view the preview image
and interact with camera menus. On-camera external monitors typically also have useful tools such as
histograms, waveforms, and focus assist. See Monitor Recommendations for a list of some good monitor
options for Wave.
Foregoing an on-board LCD allows the entire back surface of the camera to be used for heat sinking, which
is important for continuous high-speed capture. Embedded LCDs also tend to be lower resolution and/or
brightness than readily-available on-camera monitors.
Can an external HDMI recorder be used?

The HDMI output is limited to 1080p30 and has minimal image processing, so the use of an external HDMI
recorder is limited. There is no RAW output over HDMI available.
What are the key image sensor specs?
Wave uses a S35 color image sensor with 5.5μm pixels and a native resolution of 4096 x 3072 (4:3). The
native ISO is 250 and the native dynamic range is 10-11 stops. It utilizes a global electronic shutter with
shutter speeds ranging from 1s to (1/66000)s.
This sensor is first and foremost about speed: it produces pixel data at up to 37.75Gb/s. It is not designed as
an HDR or a low-light sensor. Review the sample footage available to make sure it will work for your
application. Review the Exposure Guide for tips to get the most out of the available dynamic range.
Is there an option for binned 2K? cropped 2K?

While this sensor does have a binned 2K readout mode, it's slower than reading out the full 4K, so it isn't
useful in practice. While there is no automatic cropped 2K, it's possible to shoot at 4096 x 1088 and
manually crop the center of the image later. This gives an intermediate maximum frame rate (833fps) with
higher image quality than subsampled 2K. See 4K vs. 2K for more details on the image quality differences of
the two readout modes.
What is the native recording format? Export formats?

Clips are recorded internally in a lightly-compressed 10-bit RGB file format optimized for write speed. At
present, these files can’t be opened directly by other editing tools. Wave Player is the PC software used to
view native Wave clips, trim them, apply basic image adjustments, and export them to other formats. Export
formats include CineForm (.MOV), H.264 (.MP4) and PNG/JPEG sequences.
Do I need a Windows computer to work with Wave files?

Wave Player macOS is now available for files recorded with Camera FW 1.1.0. For files recorded with
Camera Firmware below 1.1.0, Wave Player for Windows is recommended.
Most Macs capable of running macOS Big Sur are cabable of running Wave Player macOS. Refer to the
following System Specifications for details on supported Macs.
System Component Minimum Recommended
CPU Architechture Intel x86_64 Apple Arm (M1 Series)
Operating System macOS 12.0 macOS 12.3
CPU Cores 4 8
USB USB 3.x (SS) USB 3.x (SS)
The Wave Player PC software used to view and export Wave clips runs on Windows 10. Refer to the
following System Specifications for details on supported PCs.
Operating System Windows 10 Windows 10
CPU Cores 4 8
Memory 8GB 32GB
Graphics 2GB VRAM Dedicated, 8GB VRAM
DirectX Support DX12 DX12
Display 1920 x 1080 4K
Wave Player will not run on Parallels, as there is no support for DX12. It will run on a Boot Camp Windows
installation.
See Laptop Recommendations for a list of some laptops that have been tested to work with Wave Player.
Is there an app for Wave camera control?

Not at this time, but the camera hardware supports WiFi and Bluetooth, so one may be developed later.
Is there an option for circular buffering / post-triggering?

At the moment, no. Wave always records continuously to its internal SSD, so it has only a small RAM buffer
used to ride out variable SSD write latency. This would not be enough memory to support a circular buffer /
post-triggering workflow.
Can Wave run on external power? External batteries?

Yes, the DC Input accepts 12-26V from an external power supply (included) or battery, and draws a
maximum of 24W to both run the camera and recharge the internal battery. This can be supplied by an
external V-Lock battery for longer-duration mobile operation. Note that although the camera will operate at
12V, fully charging the internal battery requires at least 14V at the DC Input.
Can the Wave SSD be replaced or upgraded?

Yes. The internal SSD is a standard M.2 NVMe SSD that can be replaced or upgraded. Only a small number
of SSDs have been tested to meet the write speed requirements of Wave right now. But by using a standard
interface, the camera can be upgraded as drives get bigger, faster, and cheaper. Details on the upgrade
process will be posted at a later date.
Does Wave record audio?

No. Since it’s primarily a high-speed video camera, audio processing wasn’t included.
Camera Components
Exposure Guide
General
Firmware and Wave Player Software
Make sure to use the latest Camera Firmware and Wave Player, available on the Downloads page, as
continuous improvements to the color processing pipeline are made. In v1.1.0 Camera Firmware, highlight
handling was improved, providing approximately a half-stop more dynamic range. This was done by
allowing some sensor clipping and using the unclipped channels to recover highlight detail, aided by a
smoother highlight desaturation curve. In v1.4.0 Wave Player (Windows) software, the ability to create User
Calibrations was added to further reduce the presence of Fixed Pattern Noise (FPN), which extends the
dynamic range further, especially in underexposed conditions.
Light Requirements
Shooting high speed video requires a lot of light. Each frame has less time to capture light, so more photons
are required. The Wave camera's native ISO is 250. To get a feel for how much light is required at a given
frame rate, you can compare with another camera using equivalent ISO and Shutter Speed settings:
Wave Settings Comparable ISO and Shutter Speed
4K, 420fps, 180º ISO 250, (1/840)s
2K, 1440fps, 180º ISO 250, (1/2880)s
Bit Depth
To maximize frame rate, Wave captures in 10-bit linear with minimal processing and noise reduction. This is
much different than a cinema camera that captures in 14-bit or 16-bit linear and processes the HDR image
down to 10-bit log, with significant amounts of on-board noise reduction. As a result:
The dynamic range is 10-11 stops, vs 14+ stops for a cinema camera.
More careful control of lighting is needed to fit the scene’s dynamic range to the sensor’s. The image is
less forgiving to under/over-exposure.
Additional tone curve adjustment and noise reduction in post can be used. For example, the Shadows
adjustment in Wave Player can help curve out shadow noise.
Contrast-Dependent Black Level and Noise Floor
Black level in high-contrast scenes will be lower than black level in low-contrast scenes. This also has
implications for the noise floor.
Contrast-Dependent Black Level and Noise Floor
If a scene is under-exposed, the black level and noise floor will be higher. Additionally, tone curve
adjustment and noise reduction will be less effective, since more of the scene's information is in shadows.
The noise can't be reduced without also throwing out information.
Magenta-tinted shadows are also a consequence of the artificially higher black level in underexposed
scenes: too much color correction is applied to the higher shadow levels. To compensate for this, the black
level can be manually adjusted downward in Wave Player, or the Shadow Rolloff setting can be adjusted to
reduce shadow saturation.
Indoor
Wave works well for indoor studio and tabletop shooting, as it’s usually much easier to control the lighting.
You do need a lot of light, though. Set exposure to exactly fill the histogram with highlights just below 100%
(other than light sources and specular). Then add light as-needed to fill shadows.
Choice of Background
Dark, flat backgrounds will exaggerate the noise. If you want a black background, be prepared to use the
Shadows curve adjustment to suppress noise. Add extra fill light to shadowed areas on the
foreground/subject to compensate.
Light or textured backgrounds work well as-is without much adjustment.
Outdoor light from windows in the background will probably clip. If you need to also capture what’s
outside the window, follow the Outdoor tips.
Outdoor
There’s plenty of light outdoors, but fitting an outdoor scene into the available dynamic range is more
challenging. More discretion and test shooting might be required to know if Wave will work for a given
outdoor shoot. Use a daylight-visible field monitor and hood to make sure you can get a good look at the
preview image exposure.
Front Lighting
When possible, keep the sun behind you. This will reduce the scene dynamic range by illuminating the
subject more, allowing more of the background to also be captured.
Back Lighting
If the scene has to be backlit, it will probably have more dynamic range than can be captured by the sensor.
You have some choices:
Add some fill lighting or bounce some sunlight onto the subject.
Expose for the subject and allow the sky to clip.
Expose for the sky, allowing the subject to be in silhouette.

User Calibration
To reduce the presence of Fixed Pattern Noise (FPN), a User Calibration can be created based on a short
clip recorded with no light hitting the sensor. Available in Wave Player (macOS) v1.4.1 and in Wave Player
(Windows) v1.4.0. See below for instructions for macOS and Windows.
At a minimum, this should be done at once for 4K and once for 2K. However, since FPN is affected by
temperature and exposure and may change over time, it can be beneficial to generate new User
Calibrations periodically or if operating conditions have changed substantially. Use camera settings that
closely match the target operating point(s).
.kwc calibration files are not cross platform, but can be used on other computers with the same
Operating System.
macOS
To generate a new User Calibration, follow the steps below:
1. Turn on the camera and wait 10-15 minutes for it to warm up.
2. With the lens or body cap on to prevent light from hitting the sensor, record a short clip (at least 40
frames, but more than that is not beneficial).
3. Connect the camera via USB

4. Show Dark Frame Manager from the Menu Bar (image below)
5. Click "Add Dark Frame"

6. If the list is empty, click "Open Dark Frame Clips" and select WAVE drive
7. Select your target source Dark Frame clip from the list
8. Click "Generate Dark Frame" at the bottom of the window
On macOS, User Calibrations can be accessed from the Menu Bar from "Configuration > Dark Frame
Manager"
The best calibration for a given clip is automatically selected according to criteria listed in the table below,
and will show "Active" if the User Calibration is being used for the currently opened clip. Use the folder icon
at the bottom of the Dark Frame Manager to directly access KWC files containing User Calibration Data.
Criteria Condition
Camera UID Must match.
Width (4K or 2K) Must match.
Must match or exceed clip Height. Must match identically

Height for clips with Aspect Ratio 24:9 or higher (Closest Heigh
selected as ranking priority #1.)
FPS Closest FPS selected as ranking priority #2.
Shutter Angle Closest Shutter Angle selected as ranking priority #3.
Closest image sensor temperature selected as raking

Temperature
priority #4.
Date/Time Newest calibration selected as ranking priority #5.
To delete a User Calibration, select it and use the "Delete Dark Frame" button. This could be used to
remove an older calibration that matches more settings and enable selection of a newer calibration that
might be more accurate despite matching fewer settings.
Windows
To generate a new User Calibration, follow the steps below:
1. Turn on the camera and wait 10-15 minutes for it to warm up.
2. With the lens or body cap on to prevent light from hitting the sensor, record a short clip (at least 40
frames, but more than that is not beneficial).
3. Connect the camera via USB and open the clip.
4. Switch to the CALIBRATE tab.
5. Select a location for the calibration data using SELECT CAL FOLDER. (This only needs to be done
once and will persist across sessions and updates.)
6. Click MAKE CAL FROM CLIP.
User Calibrations already present in the selected folder will be displayed in the CALIBRATE tab. The most
relevant calibration for a given clip is automatically selected according to the criteria listed in the table
below, and will be highlighted. If no calibrations are valid for the selected clip, none will be highlighted.
Criteria Condition
Camera UID Must match.
Width (4K or 2K) Must match.
Must match or exceed clip Height. (Closest Height

Height
selected as ranking priority #1.)
FPS Closest FPS selected as ranking priority #2.
Shutter Angle Closest Shutter Angle selected as ranking priority #3.
Closest image sensor temperature selected as raking

Temperature
priority #4.
Date/Time Newest calibration selected as ranking priority #5.
To delete a User Calibration, click the Remove button next to it. This could be used to remove an older
calibration that matches more settings and enable selection of a newer calibration that might be more
accurate despite matching fewer settings. It’s also possible to use a custom folder structure to organize User
Calibrations in a way that bypasses the default ranking priority.
4K vs. 2K
The Wave's sensor has two readout modes, 4K (4096px per row) and 2K (2048px per row), which
correspond to the Width setting in the on-camera menu. 2K uses subsampling (row and column skipping):
Subsampling readout for 2K.
While this sensor does have a binned 2K readout mode, it's slower than reading out the full 4K, so it isn't
useful in practice. The fast subsampled readout allows much higher frame rates in 2K, but with reduced
image quality:
Subsampling does not increase the ISO of the sensor (as binning would), so proportionally more light is
needed to achieve good exposure at the higher frame rates enabled in 2K mode.
Subsampling introduces more aliasing due to the sparse distribution of sampled pixels. See below for
an example of this effect and an alternative way of capturing 2K at intermediate frame rates.
The 2K readout mechanism, combined with higher frame rates, introduces more noise as more electrical
switching is happening at the sensor with less settling time.
The HDMI preview quality is limited by hardware constraints to half resolution, so the 2K preview can be
difficult to use for focus.
For these reasons, the 2K readout mode is best used for scientific applications where image quality is less
important than maximum frame rate. The 4K readout mode is best used for cinema applications where
image quality is highest priority.
It's also possible to shoot cropped 2K while in 4K readout mode by setting the Height to 1088px and
manually cropping out the center of the image. In this configuration the maximum frame rate is 833fps. The
image quality will be better than subsampled 2K, but obviously not as good as full 4K. See below for an
example of 4K, cropped 2K, and subsampled 2K.
Amplify [BETA]
Amplify is an image processing technique in Wave Player that enhances or amplifies small movements in a
video for easier visual recognition. This can be used, for example, to highlight and troubleshoot vibrations in
a mechanical system.
Amplify works best when the source video has low noise and minimal background movement such that the
region of interest where motion is occurring remains in the same place in the video. The frame rate should
be approximately 5-20x higher than the highest motion frequency of interest. (In certain cases, frame rate
aliasing can also be used to visualize even higher frequencies.)
A dedicated graphics card with at least 4GB of VRAM is required to use Amplify. Note that due to memory
restrictions the 1.3.0 release of Amplify only works with 2K images. 4K images can be used as source
material but they will be downscaled to 2K, processed, then upscaled back to 4K. This limitation may be
addressed with further memory optimization in a future release. MacOS 1.4.2 adjusts to 2K for preview but
exports at 4K.
The following subsections explain the adjustable parameters used by Amplify.
Scale
This determines which features sizes are considered for motion amplification. Small features are at the low
end of the scale and large features at the high end. Good results can usually be obtained by leaving at the
default settings of 0 - 8. For Height settings below 640, better results may be obtained by setting the high
end of the scale to 7 or 6.
Gain
This is the amount of amplification applied to the motion. Settings of around 5 to 10 are usually quite good.
Too high a gain can cause noise and unwanted artifacts to appear. A gain of 1 is equivalent to Amplify being
turned off.
Frequency
This is the frequency range over which motion amplification is applied. The left slider is a high-pass filter
and the right slider is a low-pass filter. The high-pass filter is effective for removing any unwanted bulk
movement in the video, for instance caused by slow panning or operator jitter. The low-pass filter can be
used to reduce noise and improve the visual appearance of the video.
It is usually best to start with the low-pass filter fully to the right (off) and tune the high-pass filter for best
visualisation of the motion. Then the low-pass filter can be used to reduce noise if necessary. Alternatively,
if the frequency of the movement under study is known then set the range accordingly to bring out that
motion.
AI Enhance [BETA]
AI Enhance is a deep learning super-resolution technique used to upscale Wave 2K clips to 4K. It is a Deep
Neural Network that has been custom-trained for the Wave 2K frames, to take into account the subsampling
used by the Wave sensor to achieve higher frame rates in 2K. So, the Ai Enhance can reduce subsampling
and aliasing artifacts around edges during the super-resolution process.
With AI Enhance enabled, 2K clips (Width setting of 2048) will be processed and exported at the equivalent
4K resolution with the same aspect ratio.
A dedicated graphics card with at least 4GB of VRAM is required to use AI Enhance. The deep neural
network is implemented in GPU hardware, so a higher-end desktop GPU, or M1 Pro or above will greatly
improve the frame rate achievable with AI Enhance turned on.
The figure below shows how AI Enhance improves details on a 2K recording.
Comparison showing Ai Enhance: notice the detail in the bumblebee's wings, legs, and eyes.
AI Enhance is still a preliminary feature and improvements are still in-work. AI Enhance works best on
scenes with clear focus and good lighting (avoid underexposure).
Windows
When using AI Enhance in Wave Player, a preview of AI Enhance will activate after the video is paused for
approximately 1 second. During normal playback and “scrubbing” on the timeline, the AI Enhance is
temporarily disabled to allow faster preview at the tradeoff of reduced preview screen quality, since AI
Enhance consumes significant GPU resources. This reduced preview effect is only for the user interface in
Wave Player: images and movies exported from the Wave Player will have full image quality of AI Enhance,
if AI Enhance is turned on before the Export.
macOS
When using AI Enhance in Wave Player, AI Enhance will be active at 'Full' preview quality, using lower
preview quality will disable the feature during scrubbing, but it will be enabled during export and in the
export queue.
Troubleshooting
USB Connection
The camera should mount as an external drive when connected to a computer via USB. Sometimes, driver
issues may cause the USB connection to fail, with or without an error message. It may also connect as a
USB High-Speed (480Mb/s) device instead of a USB SuperSpeed (5Gb/s) device. Typical real-world file
transfer rates when connected as a SuperSpeed device are 250-300MB/s (2.00-2.40Gb/s).
The following tips can help recover a valid USB SuperSpeed connection:
General:
Make sure the USB cable and the USB port are both rated for USB 3.x SuperSpeed. They should be
marked "SS".
Try removing and reconnecting the USB cable.
Try rebooting the camera.

Try a different order of operations: Sometimes powering on the camera with the USB cable already
connected to the computer works better. In other cases, having the camera powered on first, then
connecting the USB cable works better.
Try a different USB port.
Try a different USB cable.
Try rebooting the computer.
Windows 10:
Open Device Manager and observe if any new devices are shown when the camera USB cable is
connected. If one comes up, but it isn't an external drive, right-click the new device and select Uninstall
device. Then, disconnect and reconnect the USB cable.
Try the additional troubleshooting steps listed here, including resetting the USB controllers (Method 3).
HDMI Preview Quality

Due to hardware constraints, the camera only does a limited amount of decoding and image processing for
the HDMI preview. As a result, the HDMI preview image quality is lower than the recorded image quality.
When recording at 4K, the HDMI preview quality is closer to 1080p. When recording at 2K, the HDMI
preview quality is closer to 480p.
This can make focusing in 2K mode with a shallow depth of field more challenging. If the scenario permits,
you can set the focus point in 4K mode and then switch to 2K mode. Some additional focus assist tools are
planned for future firmware updates.
Laptop Recommendations
Wave Player macOS is now available for files recorded with Camera FW 1.1.0. For files recorded with
Camera Firmware below 1.1.0, Wave Player for Windows is reccomended. Most Macs capable of running
macOS 12 Monterey are cabable of running Wave Player macOS.
Wave Player macOS
Operating System macOS 12 macOS 12
CPU Cores 4 8
CPU Architecture Intel, Apple Silicon Apple Silicon
Memory 8GB 32GB CPU/GPU Memory
Graphics 2GB VRAM 32GB CPU/GPU Memory
Some computers that have been tested to work with Wave Player macOS are listed below:
Model CPU (Cores) RAM GPU (VRAM)
Apple M1 Max (32GB

Macbook Pro 16" Apple M1 Max (10) 32GB
Shared)
Apple M1 Pro (32

Macbook Pro 14" Apple M1 Pro (10) 32GB
Shared)
Macbook Pro 13" M1 Apple M1 (8GB

Apple M1 (8) 8GB
2020 Shared)
Apple M1 (8GB
iMac 2021 M1 2021 Apple M1 (8) 8GB
Shared)
AMD Radeon Pro

MacBook Pro 16" Intel i9-9980HK (8) 32GB
5600M (8GB)
AMD Radeon Pro

MacBook Pro 16" Intel i9-9800H (8) 16GB
5500M (4GB)
Wave Player Windows

The Wave Player PC software used to view and export Wave clips runs on Windows 10. Refer to the
following System Specifications for details on supported PCs.
Operating System Windows 10 Windows 10
CPU Cores 4 8
Memory 8GB 32GB
Graphics 2GB VRAM Dedicated, 8GB VRAM
DirectX Support DX12 DX12
Display 2560 x 1440 4K
Wave Player will not run on Parallels, as there is no support for DX12. It will run on a Boot Camp Windows
installation.
Some laptops that have been tested to work with Wave Player are listed below:
Brand/Model CPU (Cores) RAM GPU (VRAM)
Razer Blade 15 NVIDIA RTX 5000

i7-10875H (8) 32GB
Studio Edition (16GB)
MacBook Pro 16" AMD Radeon Pro

i9-9980HK (8) 32GB
(Boot Camp) 5600M (8GB)
MacBook Pro 16" AMD Radeon Pro

i9-9800H (8) 16GB
(Boot Camp) 5500M (4GB)
RTX 3070 Laptop

Gigabyte Aero 15 i7-10870H (8) 32GB
(8GB)
Lens Recommendations
Wave uses a passive, locking lens mount compatible with E-mount lenses and adapters. There is no
electrical connection to the lens, so lenses with electronic focus or aperture control are not
supported. Sony E-mount lenses with electronic focus or aperture control are not compatible with Wave:
With no power input, the lens elements move on their own. Likewise, there is no autofocus.
Wave is intended for use with manual lenses that cover a S35 sensor. Faster lenses (with lower wide-open f-
number or T-stop) are preferable for shooting at high frame rates, where more light is needed.
Because of its short flange focal distance, E-mount can be readily adapted to almost any other mount. Some
good lens options for Wave are listed below with sample videos shot on Wave, if available.
Lens Adapter Features Sample Video
Laowa 12mm f/2.8

- Wide Angle
Zero-D
Canon FD 50mm f/1.4 FD to E-mount Low Cost
Irix Cine 150mm T3.0

- 1:1 Macro
Macro
Canon CN-E Cine

EF to E-mount Fast Primes
Primes
Fujinon MK 18-55 T2.9 - Zoom
Fujinon MK 50-135
- Zoom
T2.9
Monitor Recommendations
An external HDMI monitor capable of receiving a 1080p30 signal is required to view the preview image and
interact with camera menus. On-camera monitors typically also have useful tools such as histograms,
waveforms, and focus assist. Some good monitor options for Wave are listed below.
Monitor Size Features
Daylight Visible (1000nit)

Atomos Shinobi 5" Histogram, Waveforms, Focus
Assist
Histogram, Waveforms, Focus

SmallHD Focus 5 5"
Assist
Connector Pinouts
GPIO Connector
The GPIO connector provides two general-purpose inputs (GPI) and two general-purpose outputs (GPO).
The figure below shows the pinout of this connector and the color coding of the Mōvi Pro Wave Remote
Control Cable (Freefly P/N 910-00661).
Pinout of GPIO connector and color coding of the Mōvi Pro Wave Remote Control Cable.
Mōvi Pro Wave Remote Control Cable
The Mōvi Pro Wave Remote Control Cable (Freefly P/N 910-00661) is available on the Freefly Store. You
can use this now for remote start/stop on your Mōvi Pro. It will also enable full camera control via UART in a
future firmware update. You can also use this as a donor cable to wire up a custom remote start/stop for
other systems (see below).
The settings to use for remote start/stop with the Mōvi Pro and Mōvi Controller are shown below:
Device Setting Value
Wave GPI Setting GPI:EDGE (default)
Mōvi Controller FIZ Config->Camera Type ARRI RS
Custom Remote Start/Stop
A custom remote start/stop cable can be created by following the wiring diagram below. The GPIO are
optically isolated, so the host must supply a voltage (3.3V or 5V is okay) to power its side of the optocoupler.
The current drawn will be <20mA.
Wiring of a custom remote start/stop cable.
The user input connects to Pin 6: GPI2/RS. It can be a simple switch, as in (a). In this case, the switch
connects the GPI2/RS pin to GND (0V). By default, each single press will toggle the recording state on or off,
just like the dedicated Record Button. For wireless remote start/stop, a relay- or transistor-based RC switch
can also be used.
Alternatively, a logic signal from a host device can be used to drive Pin 6: GPI2/RS, as in (b). The host
device should be connected to the same ground (0V) as Pin 1: GND, and the logic high voltage should
match the voltage supplied to Pin 2: VIN. GPI2/RS is internally pulled-up to VIN, so open-drain logic can
also be used.
The behavior of the input is determined by the GPI Setting:
Edge-Triggered, GPI:EDGE (Default)
The recording state is toggled on or off at each rising edge of the GPI2/RS input, as illustrated in the figure
below. In the case of a simple button, recording would start or stop each time the button is released, since
the button connects GPI2/RS to GND (0V). There are some restrictions on the pulse width and frequency
implemented to prevent glitches, also shown in the figure below.
GPI behavior in edge-triggered mode.
Level-Triggered, GPI:LVL
The camera records when the GPI2/RS signal is low and returns to standby when the GPI2/RS signal is
high, as illustrated in the figure below. In the case of a simple button, the camera would record while the
button is held down, since the button connects GPI2/RS to GND (0V). There are some restrictions on the
pulse width and frequency implemented to prevent glitches. These are detailed in the figure below.
GPI behavior in level-triggered mode.

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Freefly Public

ALTA Ground Control

Mōvi Pro Series

Freefly Technical Standards

Worlds Toughest Drone Flight Time

Four ActiveBlades reduce the motor vibrations to

Speed Easy Deployment

No assembly required! Using a clever rotating

Packability Flight Modes

External Power Expandability

Designed with the future in mind, ALTA X is

Easy Integration External Computer

User repairable Customer Service

In order to keep ALTA X in the field as much as

Vibration Isolation System 2.0mm Hex Driver

Alta X Spare Parts 2.5mm Hex Driver

Alta X QuickStart Card 3.0mm Hex Driver

Alta X Product Card ​ Alta X Travel Case*

Additional Required Components

Remove ALTA X from its box or

Use the built-in Toad in the Hole

Make sure to latch the TITH

Fully unfold ALTA X’s booms; ​

Secure the booms by latching

Note flight direction relative to

Adjust the battery tray to fit your

Ensure the fasteners are

Place your batteries on the tray

Ensure you have completed the

Turn on your transmitter

Review the transmitter

Plug the batteries into ALTA X

Only power ALTA X with

Once the batteries are plugged

After ALTA X is armed you may

Ensure you are monitoring

Once the flight is complete,

Detailed procedural steps can

Radio Calibration and Channel Mapping

Calibrating Radios Using ALTA X QGroundControl App

Power the ALTA X by plugging in a USB-C cable to the expansion port.

Mapping Channels Using ALTA X QGroundControl App

Return to Home Switch

Typical Channel Mappings

Mode Switch 5 Normal

Home Switch 6 Normal

Display Voltage Telemetry on 14SG

Recommended Landing Voltage

Arming and Disarming

Armed Aircraft will spin propellers, ready to fly

Disarmed Safe mode, no spinning propellers

Auto Disarm Modes

Under some conditions, ALTA will automatically disarm

If ALTA has not taken off after 2 minutes idling

If ALTA has been previously flown but not power

If ALTA detects landing in Autoland mode, it will

Ensure that the RTL switch is OFF before takeoff.

2. Set disarm lockout switch to OFF

4. Set the disarm lockout switch to ON

6. Takeoff and fly mission

Alta Q Ground Control

Loading Default Parameters

Alta X Product Card Alta X Travel Case*

Fully unfold ALTA X’s booms;

10. Reboot Aircraft.

5. sidebar. Sensors marked with

2. Click OK to start the calibration.

2. Click OK to start the calibration.