Installation

Autopilot

The underneath of the autopilot has double-sided foam anti-vibration tape. Remove the protection layer of the anti-vibration tape and mount the autopilot in any direction you like, the actual direction can be selected during configuration procedures later. It’s recommended to mount the autopilot as close to the centre of gravity as possible.

"FRONT" arrow indicates the original flight direction. This can be changed in the settings later.

GNSS / MAG

GNSS Module provides positioning information to the system and is sensitive to EMI noise. Make sure to place the GNSS module as far away as possible from:

• Main body of the airframe

• RF emitting devices, such as video transmitters

• High-current cables (ESC / motors power supply)

It’s recommended to use GPS mast for GNSS positioning. Connect the cable and put the GPS on the mast.

Connecting Peripherals

Metal case version

Ports pinout for the front and rear panels

Front panel connectors pinout:

Rear panel connectors pinout:

Plastic case version

Front panel connectors pinout:

Rear panel connectors pinout:

Make sure NOT to mix up polarity. GND line (black) is always nearer the edge (bottom)

RC Receiver

Connect PPM / SBUS output on the RC receiver to PPM / SBUS input port on SmartAP.

ESC / Motors PWM

Connect ESC cables to SmartAP PWM outputs 1-12 depending on the number of motors your airframe has. The first motor is always front or front-right, and its spinning direction is CCW. Supported airframe types and motor numbers / spinning direction are shown below.

PWM signals is the top wire, GND is the bottom one.

If you can’t find your airframe in the list above, please, let us know and we’ll add your airframe! Contact us here.

GNSS / MAG

Connect the one side of the cable to the GNSS module and the other one to the GPS / MAG port on the autopilot as shown in the images below:

Telemetry Module

Connect the one side of the cable to the air telemetry module and the other one to the RADIO port of the autopilot as shown in the images below:

Power Module

Connect the power supply cable (10-36 V, 3S – 8S) to the main power distribution board of the UAV.

Electromagnetic sounder

Camera trigger

SmartAP MAX supports automated camera triggering interface:

• PWM output - if you want to use PWM output, simply connect the camera trigger activator into any free PWM channel and configure the port number later in the settings.

• Relay commutation - if you want to use relay, connect the pins (these should be shorted / unshorted depending on activation) to relay pins RCOM and ROUT (marked yellow):

If you would like to use camera feedback at the exact moment the photo was taken (for log file and precise geotagging later), then you need to connect CS and GND pins marked above to the signal and ground of the interface, thus providing camera feedback.

Assembled System

Fully assembled and mounted system should look as follows: