D-O Control and Power Board

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Estimated reading time: 5 min

The new code and user handbook are in the attachments and on GitHub: https://github.com/PrintedDroid/D-O-Printed-Droid

The D-O V2 control and power pcbs are made for Michael Baddeleys D-O V2.

They reduce the wiring to a minimum.
There are 2 Versions. The big one is designed for a bigger 10ch Receiver (that is connected via Ch. 2 & 7-10) and needs the Arduino Nano (unless you run the iBUS sketch).
The smaller board is iBUS only (perfect for the small 10ch iBUS receiver)

The D-O stand in the attachment is for testing everything without mounted “wheels”.

Available at shop.printed-droid.com

**D-O Mini iBUS Board with FS-RX2A receiver**

Receiver wiring:

The FS-RX2A Pro receiver will also work well (all versions). Be carefull with the wiring:

How to bind:
• 1. Press and hold the Binding button, and supply power to the receiver, blue LED blinks fast means entering the binding mode.

• 2. Make the transmitter enter BIND mode.

• 3. The LED indicator become slowly blink means the binding is succeed.

• 4. Make the transmitter quit the BIND mode, the receiver LED indicator stay on means receiving signal.

Some sample pictures of the installed boards:

D-O Droid Control System v2.1 – Setup and Configuration Guide

The D-O Droid control system version 2.1 is a complete all-in-one solution for Arduino Mega that handles self-balancing, sound control, servo control, and all RC functions.

Why Choose iBus v2.1?

The iBus v2.1 is a complete system that combines ALL functions into one Arduino Mega:

MPU6050/6500/9250/6886 IMU-based self-balancing with PID control
10-channel iBus RC receiver support
DFPlayer Mini sound system with personality features
Multi-servo control for head and mainbar movement
Battery monitoring with low voltage protection
Runtime configuration menu via Serial
Idle animations and state reactions
RC Mixing Mode selection (Arcade/Tank)

One Mega does everything – no additional controllers needed!

What’s New in v2.1

1. Runtime Configuration Menu

Old v1.1: Hard-coded values requiring recompilation

float kp = 25;  // Change requires reupload
float ki = 0;
float kd = 0.8;

New v2.1: Interactive serial menu

=== CONFIGURATION MENU ===
1. PID Configuration
2. Feature Toggles
3. Battery Settings
4. Sound Settings
5. Driving Dynamics
6. Adaptive PID
7. Save & Exit

Benefit: Tune your D-O without recompiling!

2. RC Mixing Mode Selection (NEW in v2.1.2)

Problem: With standard FlySky setup, forward/backward was slow but turning was fast.

Solution: Arcade Mixing Mode (now default)

ARCADE MODE (Default – Recommended):

CH1 (Right Stick Left/Right) = Steering
CH2 (Right Stick Up/Down) = Throttle
One stick controls everything – like a video game

TANK MODE (Original):

CH1 = Left Motor speed directly
CH2 = Right Motor speed directly
Requires custom transmitter mixing

How to change: CLI Menu → 5. Driving Dynamics → RC Mixing Mode

3. Battery Monitoring (Optional)

IMPORTANT: Battery monitoring is now OFF by default! Why? Without voltage divider circuit connected, pin A15 floats and shows random values (1.8V, 2.5V etc.) Enable only if: You have the voltage divider circuit properly connected. How to enable: CLI Menu → 2. Feature Toggles → Battery Monitor → ON

4. Adaptive PID Control

Automatically adjusts PID parameters based on driving speed:

// Slow speed: More stability
if (avg_speed < 50) {
    current_kp = config.kp_slow;
}
// Fast speed: More responsive
else if (avg_speed > 150) {
    current_kp = config.kp_fast;
}

Benefit: Better balance at all speeds without manual adjustment!

Hardware Requirements

Component	Specification	Notes
Microcontroller	Arduino Mega 2560	Required for Serial1 iBus
RC Receiver	FlySky FS-iA6B	iBus protocol required
IMU	MPU6050	Also works: MPU6500, MPU9250, MPU6886
Motor Driver	Cytron MD10C (2x)	Or similar H-bridge
Sound Module	DFPlayer Mini	With Micro SD card
Servos	4x Standard	Head (3x) + Mainbar (1x)
Speaker	8 Ohm, <3W	For DFPlayer
Battery	2S+2S LiPo	7.4V – 8.4V

Complete Wiring

Mega → Motor Driver (Cytron MD10C)

D13 → DIR1 (Motor 1 Direction)
D12 → PWM1 (Motor 1 Speed)
D11 → DIR2 (Motor 2 Direction)
D10 → PWM2 (Motor 2 Speed)
GND → GND (both drivers)

Note: Motor power (VM) from battery, logic (VCC) from 5V

Mega → Servos

D2 → Mainbar Servo
D3 → Head Servo 1 (Pitch)
D4 → Head Servo 2 (Yaw)
D5 → Head Servo 3 (Roll)

WARNING: Servo power from BEC (5-6V), NOT from Mega!

Mega → DFPlayer Mini

D7 → RX (via 1k resistor!)
D8 → TX
5V → VCC
GND → GND
Speaker → SPK1/SPK2

Mega → iBus Receiver

D19 (RX1) → iBus Signal
5V → VCC
GND → GND

Mega → MPU6050 IMU

SDA (20) → SDA
SCL (21) → SCL
5V → VCC
GND → GND

Mega → Battery Monitor (OPTIONAL)

Voltage Divider Circuit:
Battery+ ──[10kΩ]──┬──[3.3kΩ]── GND
                   │
                   └── A15 (Mega)

How To: First Time Setup

Step 1: Upload Sketch

Open D_O_printed_droid_rc_ibus_v2.1.ino in Arduino IDE
Select Board: Arduino Mega 2560
Select correct COM port
Click Upload
Open Serial Monitor (9600 baud)

Step 2: IMU Calibration (CRITICAL!)

Place D-O in balanced upright position
Send c within 3 seconds of boot
Keep D-O PERFECTLY STILL for 5 seconds
Wait for “Calibration saved” message

TIP: Always re-calibrate if:

Balance seems off
You moved/remounted the IMU
D-O keeps falling to one side

Step 3: Select Setup Mode

For new builds, use Pure iBus mode (2):

--- Setup Type Configuration ---
0 = PWM Only (Balance only, external controller)
1 = Hybrid (iBus + PWM sound)
2 = Pure iBus (RECOMMENDED)

How To: Use the Configuration Menu

Accessing the Menu

Open Serial Monitor (9600 baud)
Send m
Menu appears – enter number to select option

Example: Changing PID Values

1. Send 'm' to open menu
2. Send '1' for PID Configuration
3. Enter new KP value (e.g. 28)
4. Enter new KI value (e.g. 0)
5. Enter new KD value (e.g. 1.2)
6. Send '7' to Save & Exit

Example: Changing Mixing Mode

1. Send 'm' to open menu
2. Send '5' for Driving Dynamics
3. Find "Mixing Mode" option
4. Enter 1 for Arcade, 0 for Tank
5. Send '7' to Save & Exit

Example: Enable Battery Monitoring

1. Send 'm' to open menu
2. Send '2' for Feature Toggles
3. Find "Battery Monitor" option
4. Enter 1 to enable
5. Send '7' to Save & Exit

How To: Set Up FlySky Transmitter

Channel Assignment (v2.1)

Channel	Function	Transmitter Setup
CH1	Steering	Right Stick Left/Right
CH2	Throttle	Right Stick Up/Down
CH3	Mainbar Servo	Assign to VrA or switch
CH4	Head Pitch	Left Stick Up/Down
CH5	Head Yaw	Left Stick Left/Right
CH6	Head Roll	Assign to VrB
CH7	Sound Mute	SwA (2-pos switch)
CH8	Sound Trigger	SwB (momentary)
CH9	Mood	SwC (3-pos switch)
CH10	Squeak	VrA or VrB dial

WICHTIG für CH3 (Mainbar): Standardmäßig ist CH3 bei FlySky nicht belegt! Du musst CH3 manuell einem Schalter oder Regler zuweisen, sonst reagiert der Mainbar-Servo nicht.

How To: Set Up Sound Files

SD Card Structure

/mp3/
  0001.mp3 - Startup sound
  0002.mp3 - Default/ready sound
  0003.mp3 - Greeting 1
  0004.mp3 - Greeting 2
  0005.mp3 - Greeting 3
  0006.mp3 - Negative 1
  0007.mp3 - Negative 2
  0008.mp3 - Negative 3
  0009.mp3 - Negative 4
  0010.mp3 - Positive 1
  0011.mp3 - Positive 2
  0012.mp3 - Positive 3
  0013.mp3 - Positive 4
  0014.mp3 - Positive 5
  0015.mp3 - Squeaky 1
  0016.mp3 - Squeaky 2
  0017.mp3 - Squeaky 3
  0018.mp3 - Squeaky 4
  0019.mp3 - Squeaky 5
  0020.mp3 - Squeaky 6

Requirements: