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INAV

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Micro-UAV

Small INAV controlled FPV vehicles

Control Systems

Prerequisites - Intro to UAV Tech or equivalent experience

$2300

New Curriculum

Sept 1 - 2026

COURSE INFORMATION

Course Dates

Micro-UAV Control Systems

Sept 1 - Oct 22
5pm - 7pm
T,Th
16 Sessions

Topics

  • RF Communications

  • Antenna theory and practical application

  • Three phase brushless motor operation

  • Electronic Speed Controls

  • Battery Theory and Technology

  • Power Requirement Calculation

  • PID Control and computer based flight control

  • Soldering

  • Composite Materials

  • Precision measuring tools

  • Hand tools

  • Community resources

  • Regulations and Certification

Course Overview

Upcoming Changes

In this new curriculum, we'll be working with INAV, a type of UAV operating system that emphasizes navigation and stability over pure acrobatic performance. Unlike Betaflight, which is optimized for racing and freestyle flying, INAV includes built-in support for GPS-based features like Return-to-Home, Position Hold, and Waypoint Missions.

My goal is to use this smaller build as a safer, less intimidating vehicle in order to get used to the INAV system. It's not exactly hard, but there are a fair amount more elements than Betaflight.

Here are some of the sensors and systems we'll be working with:

  • Gyroscope & Accelerometer
    Typical sensors built into all flight controller. These can tell us how fast the drone is rotating, speed, and angle.

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  • Barometer
    Measures air pressure to determine height above sea level. 

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  • Magnetometer (Compass)
    Gives us the vehicle direction

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  • GPS
    Uses signals from orbiting satellites to determine our global position. This is critical to holding a position or following waypoints.

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  • Optical Flow Sensor
    Works like a computer mouse on a desk; it sees movement over the ground to help the drone stay in place when there's no GPS. 

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  • Rangefinder
    Uses sound or light to measure how far we are from the ground. Especially useful for accurate landings.

What is a "Micro-UAV"

What's typically considered a "micro" is also known as a "3 inch" quadcopter. However the confusion here is that the 3 inch dimension is the diameter of the propellers, rather than the overall size.

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The other characteristic understood by those in the field, is that a micro UAV has a great deal of power for its size. To give you a rough idea, getting to 80mph in under a few seconds is fairly reasonable.

For scale, here are the various course drones. 

Intro to UAV Tech, Micro-UAV, and Industrial UAV Systems.   

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tiny whoop, 3 inch, and 5 inch

The Build

The base build is similar to Industrial UAV Systems but with several more sensors and of course the INAV control software. ​

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Coming from the Intro to UAV Tech course, you'll find that many of the components were integrated into the Tiny Whoop system. You'll understand their purpose, but these are now separate parts that need to be soldered and wired in. 

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Due to the small size of the 3 inch vehicle, fitting all the elements can be difficult, and it's likely we'll need to make modifications.

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Remember we don't build kits from a single manufacturer that all are designed to fit nicely together. These are made from discrete parts that we need to fit in ourselves. But we do have a machine shop and several 3d printers to help us build whatever we might need.​

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INAV

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INAV is a firmware variant like Betaflight that we use in other classes. Both Betaflight and INAV were derived from the same base firmware called "Cleanflight". This means that you'll probably feel fairly comfortable coming in from Betaflight.​

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However, as you can see in this image, there are many different menus.

INAV Features

Position & Altitude Hold
Precise hovering using GPS and barometer fusion, essential for long-range cruising and aerial photography.

Return to Home
A robust, configurable failsafe that autonomously returns the aircraft to the launch point, including obstacle avoidance logic (climb-to-home).

Waypoint Missions
Users can plan complex routes on a map via the Mission Control tab and upload them for fully autonomous execution.

GeoZones
Allows pilots to define virtual boundaries (No-Fly Zones or Flight Zones) to prevent accidental airspace violations
 

JavaScript Programming
Allows users to write custom logic scripts for complex automation (e.g., triggering actions based on GPS coordinates).

Final Words

There's such a large amount to be learned in "drone tech", and each element you learn to use can bring great satisfaction. From a new receiver that increases range to discovering a different configuration that greatly increases high speed stability. 

 

For over a decade this has been the perfect course for helping get people into an amazing application of modern robotic technology.  

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Course Dates

Micro-UAV Control Systems

Sept 1 - Oct 22
5pm - 7pm
T,Th
16 Sessions

Click here to get notified of upcoming classes

Mailing List

Registration

The Pre-Registration List

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To help ease the college registration for our CTECH students we've created a spreadsheet to hold students' place in class while they wait for classes to be scheduled, vouchers to be received, voucher access (I believe it's a month before class), or any other complication in the process. We can add you to the spreadsheet before you get a CTCLink ID, but you will need to have one eventually. 

 

We'll reach out to you as we get closer to the class start date.

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If you see a class you'd like to get in, you can contact us to be added to this spreadsheet.
 

You can also simply email me and I can add you as well.
Damian Cianci
dcianci@edmonds.edu

The Registration Process
 

Register by phone between 9am and 4pm PDT (This is the easiest way)
425-640-1840

Important - You will need a CTCLink ID number in order for us to help you over the phone or in person. You can follow the steps below to get one.

Fill out an application to Edmonds College:

Online Admissions Application

https://apply.ctc.edu/user
* This can take 1-5 business days to get your ID

A few notes for your application:
Enroll as: "First Year"
Program: "Professional Technical"
Term: "_____" (Season plus year, such as: Spring 2023)
Degree or Certificate: "Undecided - Professional Technical"

Once you have received your CTC Link ID number please let us know and we can get you registered for your class.

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