The Autel X Star Premium drone boasts impressive features and capabilities. This teardown explores its internal components, including the fuselage, main board, radios, “Starpoint” positioning system, 4K camera and gimbal, battery charger, and remote controller. This in-depth look provides valuable insights for potential Autel X Star Mods and repairs.
Inside the Autel X Star: Fuselage, Radios, and Main Board
The X Star Premium utilizes 900MHz antennas for video transmission and a 5.8GHz antenna for control and telemetry, avoiding the crowded 2.4GHz band. Two 900MHz antennas provide diversity, enhancing video signal robustness.
The main board houses the power distribution system, ESCs, and flight controller. A shielded GNSS module, likely utilizing a u-Blox M8N chipset, enables precise positioning. The 900MHz video RF module and the 5.8GHz control RF module are key components on the main board.
The 900MHz video RF module uses an iTE IT9507FN HDTV digital video transmitter, potentially employing the DVB-T standard. The RF signal path includes an Analog Devices AD8345 quadrature modulator, a BeRex BG15A RF amplifier, and a SKY13370-374LF SPDT RF switch for antenna diversity.
The 5.8GHz control module lacks diversity, a potential area for Autel X Star mods to enhance control reliability. The IMU, incorporating a 3-axis accelerometer and gyroscope, is housed in a vibration-isolated enclosure with a likely built-in heater for temperature stability.
The main processor is an ARM STM32F427II, responsible for flight control. Each motor is controlled by a dedicated ESC with a Texas Instruments TMS320F28027F microcontroller and a DRV8301 gate driver.
Starpoint Positioning System: Optical Flow and Sonar
The “Starpoint Positioning System” combines a downward-facing camera for optical flow and ultrasonic transducers for precise altitude and velocity estimations. This system aids in stable hovering and positioning, particularly at low altitudes.
The optical flow camera works in conjunction with GPS data to enhance positioning accuracy. The ultrasonic range finders provide distance measurements, improving altitude control and optical flow calculations.
The Starpoint unit utilizes two STM32 processors: a STM32F427II for image processing and a STM32F051K6 for ultrasonic ranging. A Sipex SP3232E RS-232 transceiver drives the ultrasonic transmitter. A thermistor compensates for temperature variations affecting the speed of sound.
4K Camera and Gimbal: Precision Imaging
The X Star Premium’s removable gimbal houses a 4K camera with a cooling fan. The gimbal connects to the drone via gold-plated contacts, facilitating easy removal and potential Autel X Star mods.
A complex flat-flex cable connects the gimbal base to the camera head, branching off to the roll and pitch gimbal control boards. The roll-axis control board utilizes a Microchip DSPIC33EP128MC504 for motor control and incorporates a potentiometer for position feedback.
The camera’s PCB features another STM32F427II processor and multiple Richtek RT8010/A DC/DC converters for power management.
Battery Charger: Integrated Balancing
The battery charger incorporates a cell balancing system and charging control within a fan-cooled unit. This design centralizes charging management and potentially simplifies Autel X Star mods related to battery charging.
Four sets of 10Ω balancing resistors, one for each cell in the 4-cell battery pack, are switched by MOSFETs for cell balancing. An Alpha & Omega AO4407A P-channel MOSFET controls the charging process.
Remote Controller: Dual-Band Communication
The remote controller houses both 900MHz and 5.8GHz radio modules, enabling communication with the drone for video transmission and control. This dual-band approach optimizes signal performance for different functions.
This teardown of the Autel X Star Premium reveals a sophisticated design with high-quality components. This detailed analysis offers valuable information for enthusiasts and technicians interested in understanding the inner workings of the drone and exploring possibilities for Autel X Star mods.
