Drone PID controller

Hey friends! Hope you all are doing great! Today, let’s talk about something crucial for drones—the PID controller. This is one of the most important components of a drone because, without it, a drone can’t even take off—let alone stay stable in the air!

In this post, we’ll build a PID controller for a drone using ESP32 and MPU6050. I’ve shared all the necessary code, so you can try it yourself. And if you face any issues, feel free to ask me anytime!

Also, I sincerely apologize for not being able to reply to every message. My schedule is super packed with work, but don’t worry—if you send me two or three messages, I’ll definitely get back to you! In my last post, I received 500+ questions—imagine answering all of them while managing work!

So, keep supporting TechWithPi—follow the page and don’t forget to like! 🚀

Hey friends! Hope you all are doing great! Today, let’s talk about something crucial for drones—the PID controller. This is one of the most important components of a drone because, without it, a drone can’t even take off—let alone stay stable in the air!

In this post, we’ll build a PID controller for a drone using ESP32 and MPU6050. I’ve shared all the necessary code, so you can try it yourself. And if you face any issues, feel free to ask me anytime!

Also, I sincerely apologize for not being able to reply to every message. My schedule is super packed with work, but don’t worry—if you send me two or three messages, I’ll definitely get back to you! In my last post, I received 500+ questions—imagine answering all of them while managing work!

So, keep supporting TechWithPi—follow the page and don’t forget to like! 🚀

Building a Mini Drone with ESP32 and MPU6050 for Stability

To build a stable mini drone using ESP32 and MPU6050, you need to process IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) data and adjust motor speeds accordingly. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

1. Required Hardware:

1. ESP32 – Microcontroller

2. MPU6050 – IMU (Gyroscope + Accelerometer)

3. Coreless Motors (4x)

4. ESC (Electronic Speed Controller) or MOSFET Driver

5. Li-Po Battery (3.7V - 7.4V, 2S or 3S)

6. Propellers (4x)

7. PCB or Breadboard & Jumper Wires

2. Working Principle

MPU6050 provides gyroscope and accelerometer data.

ESP32 reads this data and calculates roll, pitch, and yaw angles using a Kalman filter or Complementary filter.

The processed values adjust the motor speeds to keep the drone stable.

3. Connections

Note: If using coreless motors, use MOSFETs to control their speed via PWM.

4. Software & Code

Install Required Libraries

Arduino IDE (with ESP32 support)

Wire.h (for I2C communication)

MPU6050.h

KalmanFilter.h (optional)

Basic MPU6050 Reading Code

#include <Wire.h>
#include <MPU6050.h>

MPU6050 mpu;

void setup() {
Serial.begin(115200);
Wire.begin();

mpu.initialize();
if (!mpu.testConnection()) {
Serial.println("MPU6050 connection failed!");
while (1);
}
}

void loop() {
int16_t ax, ay, az, gx, gy, gz;
mpu.getMotion6(&ax, &ay, &az, &gx, &gy, &gz);

Serial.print("Ax: "); Serial.print(ax);
Serial.print(" Ay: "); Serial.print(ay);
Serial.print(" Az: "); Serial.print(az);
Serial.print(" Gx: "); Serial.print(gx);
Serial.print(" Gy: "); Serial.print(gy);
Serial.print(" Gz: "); Serial.println(gz);

delay(100);
}

---

5. Implementing Stability Control

1. Use Kalman filter to smooth IMU data.

2. PID Control (Proportional, Integral, Derivative) to adjust motor speeds for stability.

3. ESC/MOSFET PWM control for precise speed regulation.

Simple PID-Based Motor Control Code

float Kp = 1.0, Ki = 0.05, Kd = 0.1;
float error, previous_error = 0, integral = 0, derivative;
int motorSpeed;

void loop() {
float roll = getRoll(); // Function to calculate roll from MPU6050
error = desired_roll - roll;

integral += error;
derivative = error - previous_error;

motorSpeed = Kp * error + Ki * integral + Kd * derivative;

analogWrite(motor1, constrain(motorSpeed, 0, 255));
analogWrite(motor2, constrain(motorSpeed, 0, 255));
analogWrite(motor3, constrain(motorSpeed, 0, 255));
analogWrite(motor4, constrain(motorSpeed, 0, 255));

previous_error = error;
}

6. Remote Control Options

WiFi (ESP-NOW or WebSocket Control)

Bluetooth (ESP32 BLE or HC-05 Module)

2.4GHz Transmitter (like FlySky FS-i6)

7. Final Steps

Test MPU6050 data accuracy before running motors.

Tune PID values for smoother stabilization.

Ensure proper power distribution to avoid overheating.

Calibrate ESCs for even motor response.

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