User guide

User guide

UI

Connecting to the Crazyflie

Crazyradio (Crazyflie/Crazyflie 2.0)

1. Connect the Crazyradio dongle to the Android device with the USB OTG cable.
2. A pop-up dialog should ask you which app you would like to use with the USB device.
3. Select the Crazyflie app (“Crazyflie Client”).
4. When you run the app for the first time, you can scan for the Crazyflie (must be switched on).
   • Preferences button → Connection Settings → Radio Scan
   • Or you can set channel and data rate in the preferences manually
5. Connect to the Crazyflie by clicking on the connect button.
6. If the connection is established, the connect button should have a green background and the green LEDs on the Crazyflie and the Crazyradio should blink rapidly.

Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) (Crazyflie 2.0)

Please note:

• Your Android device must support Bluetooth LE (Low Energy) 4.0 and run Android 4.4+ (eg. Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Samsung Galaxy S4).
• Make sure that you have not paired your phone with the Crazyflie 2.0 via your phone's general Bluetooth settings, otherwise the app will not be able to connect properly (connection will claim to be successful, but controls won't work).
• The (old) Crazyflie does NOT support Bluetooth LE, only Crazyflie 2.0 supports Bluetooth LE.

1. To start a Bluetooth LE connection just make sure that no Crazyradio is connected.
2. If you have not turned on Bluetooth on your phone you will be asked to turn it on.
3. Connect to the Crazyflie by clicking on the connect button.
   • Sometimes it might take a few seconds and it might fail the first time, in that case please try again.
4. If the connection is established, the connect button should have a blue background and the green LEDs on the Crazyflie and the Crazyradio should blink rapidly.

Basic controls

Connecting an external controller

Instead of using the on-screen controls, you can also connect an external controller like a PS3 Controller (or compatible).

There are several possible combinations how this works depending on how you connect to the Crazyflie:

Connection to Crazyflie	Gamepad connection: USB via OTG cable	Gamepad connection: USB via USB hub	Gamepad connection: Bluetooth direct (only Sony phones)	Gamepad connection: Bluetooth with root access and SixAxis Controller app
Crazyradio	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Bluetooth LE	Yes	Yes	Yes	No

Connect a Playstation Controller over USB

In addition to the USB OTG cable, you'll also need:

• USB Y-Cable
• USB Hub
• PS3 Controller (or compatible joystick/gamepad)

Setup:

1. Connect a USB Host (OTG) adapter to your Android device
2. Connect a USB Y-cable with the USB Host adapter
3. Connect a wall-plug with the (red) power plug of the Y-cable (you need external power)
4. Connect the upstream port of a USB hub with the socket of the Y-cable
5. Plug the Playstation controller and the Crazyradio into the USB hub
6. In the Crazyflie Android app, change the controller to game pad
   • Preferences button → Controller Settings → Controller
7. The Crazyflie Android client should say “Using game pad controller”
8. Press the “PS” button and move the analog sticks (the pitch/roll/thrust/yaw on-screen values should change)

Connect a Playstation Controller (over Bluetooth)

Some Android devices made by Sony, like the Xperia Z1, support the PS3/PS4 controller natively. Otherwise your Android device must be rooted and you need to install the SixAxis Controller app (paid)

1. Use the Sixaxis Controller app to pair and connect the Playstation Controller
   • You might have to press the “PS” button to activate the Playstation Controller
2. In the Crazyflie Android app, change the controller to game pad (if you haven't done so yet)
   • Preferences button → Controller Settings → Controller
3. Press the “PS” button and move the analog sticks (the pitch/roll/thrust/yaw on-screen values should change)

Please note: In general, you cannot connect to the Crazyflie 2.0 via Bluetooth while you are connected to the PS3 controller via Bluetooth. It actually does work on certain Sony Xperia phones (e.g. Z2,Z3), because those phones have native support for connecting to Playstation controllers.

Advanced features

Altitude hold

Altitude hold uses the built-in pressure sensor (barometer) on the Crazyflie 1.0 and 2.0 to keep the Crazyflie at the current height. It does not compensate for changes in attitude (Pitch, Roll, Yaw), so the user still needs to control those axes.

Please note:

• Only supported when using Crazyradio.
• For safety reasons it can only be used when the game pad is used.

Controls:

• The default assigned "Hover" button on the game pad is R1 (right top shoulder button) on a Playstation controller.
  • It can be re-assigned in the preferences: Preferences button → Controller Settings → Gamepad axis and button mapping → Hover
• To activate it, press the "Hover" button (and keep it pressed) while flying at reasonable height (at least knee high). At the same time let go of the thrust axis. The Crazyflie should (more or less) keep it's current height. You still need to correct the attitude (Pitch, Roll, Yaw). If you let go of the "Hover" button, altitude hold is off immediately and you need to apply thrust again manually to keep the copter in the air.
• During altitude hold the thrust axis works slightly different:
  • center stick is neutral,
  • if you move the thrust axis up, the height increases
  • if you move the thrust axis down, the height reduces.

Height hold

Height hold uses the distance sensors on the zRanger and the Flow deck to keep the Crazyflie at a default height of approximately 40 centimeters. It does not compensate for changes in attitude (Pitch, Roll, Yaw), so the user still needs to control those axes. The distance sensor is more reliable than the pressure sensor (barometer), but the maximum supported height is about 1.2 meters.

Please note:

• Only supported when using Crazyradio.
• For safety reasons it can only be used when the game pad is used.
• Required deck: zRanger deck or Flow deck

Controls:

• Controls work is almost identical to altitude hold. Except the default height is 40cm and the maximum height is limited to roughly 1.2 meters.
• You can adjust the height with the thrust axis, but once you exit height hold the height is reset to the default (40cm). So the next time you enable height hold, it starts with the default again.

LED ring deck

When the LED ring is connected, the lighting pattern of the LED ring can be changed. The front LEDs (headlight) can also be switched on and off.

Please note:

• Only supported when using Crazyradio.
• Required deck: LED ring deck

Controls:

• By default "LED ring: Enabled headlight" is assigned to "Alt 1 action" which is assigned to the L1 button on the game pad (left top shoulder button) on a Playstation controller.
• By default "LED ring: Cycle ring effect" is assigned to "Alt 2 action" which is assigned to the L2 button on the game pad (left bottom shoulder button) on a Playstation controller.
• Both actions can be re-assigned in the preferences: Preferences button → Controller Settings → Gamepad axis and button mapping → Alt 1/2
• There are also two on-screen buttons to enable the headlight and cycle the ring effect respectively.
• The "LED ring: Cycle ring effect" cycles through the following effects:
  • Off
  • White spinner
  • Color spinner
  • Tilt effect
  • Brightness effect
  • Color spinner2
  • Double spinner
  • Solid color effect
  • Factory test
  • Battery status
  • Boat lights
  • Alert
  • Gravity
  • N/A

Buzzer deck

Please note:

• Only supported when using Crazyradio.
• Required deck: Buzzer deck

Bootloader

Please note: Only supported when using Crazyradio.

Preferences

Feature support

Feature	Crazyradio	Bluetooth LE
Basic controls	Yes	Yes
Connection quality	Yes	Yes
Battery	Yes	No
Console	Yes	Yes
Bootloader	Yes	No
Altitude/Height hold	Yes	No
Decks (LED, Buzzer)	Yes	No
Param/Log	Yes	No