Using the Remote

The three small switches on the lefthand side of your Smart Inventor board are called DIP switches.

• OFF is at the bottom of the red panel, and ON is at the top of panel. Hint: it says on!
• If you want to run your code, all three DIP switches should be off. This is called run mode.

• If you want to upload your code, put switch 1 in the on position and switches 2 and 3 in the off position. This is called upload mode.

To upload code, you must make sure that both the Smart Inventor board and the Bluetooth module are in ‘Upload Mode’.

The reset button is also on the lefthand side of the Smart Inventor Board, right underneath the DIP switches. If this button is pressed and all of the DIP switches are off, the Smart Inventor Board will automatically start whatever program was last uploaded. Just as a warning, it does not reset the Bluetooth module!

The power switch is in the middle of the Smart Inventor Board. When this switch is flipped on, it connects the battery pack to the Smart Inventor Board. If you don’t have AA batteries for your battery pack, you can plug the USB cable into your computer to power the remote.

Make sure you turn your remote off when you’re switching between upload mode and run mode! Just flip the power switch to off and disconnect your USB cable.

Next to the DIP switches is a white knob that is a perfect fit for a Phillips screwdriver. This is the potentiometer (adjustable resistor) and it controls the sensitivity of the IR sensors on the Smart Inventor Board. Turning the potentiometer clockwise will increase sensitivity, and turning it counterclockwise will decrease sensitivity.

Warning: the potentiometer needs to be turned very carefully! You should be able to feel the upper and lower limits when you’re turning the potentiometer, and it cannot make a full 360 degree turn. If the potentiometer is turned too far, it will break and the IR sensors will not work correctly.

The Bluetooth module on your remote control’s blueboard turns the code you wroite into wireless Bluetooth signals that the CoDrone can receive.

The small black button on the Bluetooth module is its reset button. Pressing this puts the Bluetooth module into upload mode. If you would like to upload your program to the Smart Inventor Board, make sure it’s in upload mode (DIP switch 1 on, DIP switches 2 and 3 off)! If this all works correctly, one blue LED on the Smart Inventor Board should be flashing.

The joysticks use the movements of your fingers to output a signal which the Smart Inventor Board can read. Inside each joystick are two potentiometers: one for the x (horizontal) direction and one for the y (vertical) direction.

Left joystick

• Located on the left side of the controller.
• Vertical movement controls your CoDrone’s throttle, or how high it goes.
• Horizontal movement controls your CoDrone’s yaw, or which way it turns.

The Smart Inventor Board uses infrared light to detect your fingers! When you cover one of the infrared sensors, the infrared light bounces off your fingers and shines on the sensor. Sunlight can also activate the sensors, so be careful in areas with a lot of direct sunlight.

• The bottom left IR sensor is labeled IR 11 and is connected to Smart Inventor Board digital pin 11. In the default flight program, covering this sensor immediately stops your CoDrone’s motors so it stops mid-air. This is your kill switch!

• The bottom center IR sensor is labeled IR 14 and is connected to Smart Inventor Board digital pin 14. In the default flight program, this sensor doesn’t do anything.

• The bottom right IR sensor is labeled IR 18 and is connected to Smart Inventor Board digital pin 18. In the default flight program, covering this sensor initiates the landing command so your CoDrone slowly descends and lands.

Sunlight may trigger the infrared sensors and accidentally trigger commands. The bottom IR sensors’ sensitivity can be adjusted with the white potentiometer.