Do drone novices understand drone frequencies and drone channels? Signals are transmitted and received between the drone and the controller through specific radio frequencies. Here, we will explain the communication channel of the drone.
What is a drone controller?
A drone controller may also be called a drone transmitter, drone radio controller or simply a drone remote control. Communication between the drone and the controller typically occurs via radio signals, Wi-Fi, or GPS.
The type and strength of the communication type affects how far the drone can fly from the controller. A radio signal is sent from the drone transmitter in the drone controller and received by the drone's receiver.
Related More: Drone Controller Radio Transmitter Guide
What are channels in drones?
Drone channels refer to wireless channels used for control and communication. A series of channels are preset between the drone and the remote control, and communication and control are carried out through these channels.
Drone controllers usually have four communication channels, which refer to the direction control of the remote control drone. Each channel is a separate action sent to the aircraft.
Throttle, yaw, pitch, and roll are the four main inputs required to control a quadcopter drone. Each of these uses one channel, so at least four channels are required. Each switch, slider, or button on the transmitter uses a channel to send information to the receiver.
Therefore, drones are divided according to channel types: 2-channel remote control drones, 4-channel remote control drones, 6-channel remote control drones, and 8-channel remote control drones.
What is the difference between 2-channel and 4-channel remote control aircraft?
2-channel rc drone are almost toy-grade, while 3-channel rc drone are lack full controllability, making them difficult to fly in certain situations.
A 4-channel RC Drone will allow you to control the throttle (speed), ailerons (roll), rudder (yaw), and elevator (pitch); these are collectively called the primary controls.
The drone has 4 channels, which can achieve ascending, descending, forward, backward, left flying, right flying, and 360° rolling.
How many channels does a drone need?
The average consumer drone requires 4 channels for basic operation of the drone, usually fixed-wing remote control drones and quadcopter drones.
For FPV drone flying, at least 5 channels are usually required, 4 of which are used to control the movement of the drone and an additional channel for arming the drone.
For example, DJI FPV glasses have up to 8 channels depending on the region (FCC: 8, CE/SRRC: 4, MIC: 3). Each channel has a bandwidth of 20 MHz. The default channel is eight, and only one pilot is allowed to use the channel at a time. Channel 8 can be changed manually to avoid interference from other devices. All channels operate at 5.8 GHz.
What are drone frequencies?
Drone frequency usually refers to the communication frequency and remote control frequency of the drone.
The 900 MHz band was initially the most common drone remote control signal. The 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz bands are commonly used for video control of drones, which will transmit real-time footage to the remote control while filming.
The 900 MHz frequency band is commonly used for FPV drones, the 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz frequency bands are used for consumer drones, 2.4 GHz is suitable for medium and long-distance communications, and 5.8 GHz is suitable for short-distance high-speed communications.
What is the relationship between drone frequency and drone channel?
In drone systems, channel control signals are transmitted through specific frequencies, which are usually in the 2.4GHz or 5.8GHz range.
Normally, the control signal of one channel will occupy a certain frequency range, and the control signals of different channels will use different frequencies to avoid interference and conflict.
Therefore, the frequency setting of the drone will affect the number of channels it can support, as well as the stability of communication between the remote control and the drone.
Summarize
Under a certain drone frequency band, there are usually multiple channels to choose from. By selecting the appropriate channel, interference can be minimized and communication quality and flight performance improved.
High-performance multi-channel drones usually use the 2.4GHz or 5.8GHz frequency band and have multiple channels to achieve stable two-way communication and improve the accuracy and stability of flight control.
