Flight Modes & Behaviour

Introduction

The Vertex One flight controller supports multiple flight modes. On top of that is contains pre-programmed flight behaviors such as automated take-off and landing. Status indicators on the body of the drone are used to inform the pilot about the flight controller's state and behavior. All these aspects will be explained in this section.

Flight Modes

The Vertex One supports the following flight modes:

• Manual position mode
• Automatic position mode
• Attitude mode

The flight modes can be selected on the remote controller. Options within the automatic mode can be selected through the Avular Programming Interface (API)

Manual Position Mode

In manual position mode the Vertex holds its altitude and position. This is only available when GNSS position data is available. The pilot controls horizontal and vertical velocity through the RC as well as yaw rate. This mode is strongly recommended for a first flight with the Vertex One.

Automatic Position Mode

In Automatic mode the Vertex follows a trajectory reference as supplied to the flight controller via the Avular Programming Interface. This is only available when GNSS position data is available. The pilot can always take over control by switching back to manual position mode or attitude mode.

Attitude Mode

In Attitude Mode, the Vertex maintains its stable horizontal orientation, altitude, and heading. The pilot controls roll and pitch angles via the remote controller, as well as vertical velocity and yaw rate. This mode can result in drift if no input is provided from the remote controller. It should only be used if strictly necessary and by experienced pilots, or it can be activated in case of a failsafe action by the flight controller.

Flight Behaviour

Automated Take-off/Landing

The Vertex One has an automated take-off and landing sequence. The Pilot can trigger this via the RC or the Avular Programming Interface. During take-off the Vertex One will ascend to the specified take-off altitude (default: 0.6m).

Automated landing results in the Vertex One descending until it detects landing. The motors will automatically be disarmed after the landing is detected. The pilot can control the descent velocity while landing. Therefore the pilot can always increase altitude again while landing.

Fail-safe Behavior

The Vertex One can commence an emergency landing due to various conditions such as critical battery level, loss of the remote controller connection or sensor problems. The behavior is equal to a manual landing except the pilot cannot cancel landing or take-off again after landing. It is required to first reboot the Vertex. Determine and solve the cause of the emergency landing before attempting another flight.

Vertex States

The Vertex One has a double safety measure to prevent potentially unsafe situations by accidental spinning of the propellers. Before the flight can commence, the pilot will have to follow steps for the drone to go through the motors enabled state to the armed state. See the following diagram:

1. After powering on the Vertex One, it is in the disarmed state; the status indicator on the body is red
2. To enter the motors enabled state, double press the power button. The Vertex One is in the motors enabled state and the power button indicator is green.
3. Now, the Vertex One can be armed by the remote controller as described in the RC documentation.

Status Indications

To inform the pilot about the status on the Vertex One, there are five light indicators: 4 Navigation lights and 1 Status indicator.

Please note, that the Navigation Lights are only available when Vertex One is powered by the PowerPack.

System Function

Indication	Pattern	Function
	Fluorescent Light Animation	Booting
	Breathing Animation	Idle
	Rotating Animation	Starting flight controller
	Gradually Turning-off Animation	Shutting down Vertex One
	Pulse Fade Animation	Updating firmware/flight controller
	Slow Blinking	Error

G = Green R = Red B = Blue Y = Yellow W = White P = Purple

Drone Disarmed

During disarmed states the center LED bar on the body displays the 'motors enabled' state. Double press the power button to change the state from motors disabled (red) to motors enabled (green) and vice versa.

Indication	Pattern	Function
	Solid	Initialization of flight controller.
	Fading	Automated sensor calibration. Do not move the Vertex.
	Fading	Ready for arming, in Attitude Mode Manual.
	Fading	Ready for arming, in Position Mode Manual.
	Fading	Ready for arming, in Automatic Position Mode.
	Fading	Unsafe to start motors, check RC switch position and connection. Otherwise, potential sensor issues.
	Long/Short blink	Emergency stop state. Triggered after emergency landing or killed motors. Resolve why this state is triggered and reboot Vertex.
	Fading	Pre-flight check failed. Check RC switch positions. If RC is requesting position mode, check if positioning sensors are available. Rear Navigation Lights are alternating between red and the current mode of operation colors.

G = Green R = Red B = Blue Y = Yellow W = White P = Purple

Drone Armed

While Vertex One is armed, the Status Indicator and Navigation Lights are used to inform the pilot about the drone’s flight mode, flight mode changes, or other events potentially requiring the pilot’s attention.

On top of the indication to the pilot, the Navigation Lights are used as anti-collision lights as required by directive EU 2019/945. While Vertex One is in the armed state, there is a green strobe blink in between any other status indication to signal to the pilot, visual observers, and other aircraft for an active unmanned aircraft system.

Indication	Pattern	Function
	Solid	Attitude Mode manual
	Solid	Position Mode manual
	Solid	Automatic Position Mode
	Blinking	Battery low or critical (<25%). Blinking alternately with the flight mode indication colors on the rear arms.
	Fast Blinking	Emergency landing. Alternating blinking between yellow and red.

G = Green R = Red B = Blue Y = Yellow W = White P = Purple