Description:

Crazyflie 2.1 starter kit + radio dongle: the Nano drone that will take you far

The Crazyflie 2.1 nano drone is the latest version of the flying robot designed by Bitcraze. It’s a robotic development platform that fits in your hand and which you can control from a smartphone, computer or using a PS3 or Xbox controller.

• Crazyflie 2.1 carries a LiPo battery which, when charged, gives it a flight time of approximately 7 minutes. There’s also a USB connector so you can recharge your drone from a computer.
• The kit includes a complete expansion interface, both above and below the platform.
• The flying device also has a 3-axis IMU for more accurate navigation.
• You have access to a complete range of connectors (UART, SPI, I2C, etc.), allowing you to upgrade your UAV by installing for example a camera module or any sensor compatible with your project. But beware, the UAV’s payload capacity is limited to 15 g!

More communication capabilities with the Crazyradio PA USB dongle

The kit also includes the Crazyradio PA USB dongle, which is a radio amplifier equipped with an antenna that increases the pre-existing signal and allows you to communicate with your UAV when up to 1 km away in an open space. What’s more, the USB dongle can exchange data with another Crazyradio dongle up to 2 km away. You can now display all the data collected in flight on your computer, then set up an Xbox-type controller to control your aircraft.

Like the Crazyflie kit, this radio amplifier is open-source, to encourage the creation of projects that communicate over long distances. It is built around a Python API so that designers can all use the same language.

Technical specifications of the Crazyflie v2.1 + Crazyradio kit

Includes:

• 1 Crazyflie 2.1 kit
• 1 Crazyradio PA 2.4 GHz USB dongle
• 2.4 GHz ISM band radio
• BLE support with iOS and Android clients available
• Dual antenna support: on-board chip antenna and U.FL connector
• STM32F405 microcontroller: Cortex-M4, 168 MHz, 192 KB SRAM, 1 MB Flash
• nRF51822 microcontroller (for radio antenna and power management): Cortex-M0, 32 MHz, 16 KB SRAM, 128 KB flash
• USB connector
• On-board LiPo charger with 3 available modes: 100 mA, 500 mA and 980 mA
• Full speed USB interface
• Partial USB OTG capability (no 5V output)
• EEPROM: 8 KB
• 3 axis BMI088 IMU: accelerometer and gyroscope
• BMP388 high precision pressure sensor
• Flight time with stock battery: 7 min.
• Charging time with stock battery: 40 min.
• Maximum recommended payload: 15 g
• Supported clients: Windows, Linux, Mac OSX (Python)
• Supported controllers: Xbox 360, PS3, any gamepad/controller with at least 4 analogue axes
• Supported devices: Android and iOS mobile devices
• Expansion connectors:
  • VCC: 3V, max. 100 mA
  • GND
  • VCOM: unregulated VBAT or VUSB, max. 1A
  • VUSB: input and output
  • I2C: 400 kHz
  • SPI
  • 2 x UART
  • 4 x GPIO/CS for SPI
  • 1-wire bus for expansion identification
  • 2 GPIOs connected to the nRF51 radio module
• Crazyradio PA dongle:
  • Based on the Nordic nRF24LU1+ radio module
  • 8051 microcontroller: 16 MHz, 32 KB flash, 2 KB SRAM
  • 2.4 GHz ISM band radio
  • USB device peripheral
  • 125 radio channels
  • Communication data rate: 2 Mbps, 1 Mbps and 250 Kbps
  • Receives and sends data packets of up to 32 bytes payload
  • Automatically handles addresses and packet ACK
  • SPI and UART connectors
  • Compatible with Enhanced ShockBurst protocol from Nordic Semiconductor
  • Radio specifications: 20 dBm output power, 100 mW; low noise amplifier; RP-SMA connector
  • Power supply: up to 13V via extension header
  • 2x5 2.54 mm expansion header
  • Hardware support for PPM input
  • Standard USB-A connector