DJI A3

The DJI A3 is a flight controller for self-built quad-, hexa- and octocopters of the heavy class and can be expanded to the triple-redundant A3 Pro. It belongs among the older DJI systems for self-assembly, and dealers list it as discontinued.

The closed DJI firmware runs on it, not PX4 or ArduPilot; functions, parameters and ground station come entirely from the DJI environment. The link to the outside is made through CAN and API ports and the Onboard and Mobile SDKs: the Onboard SDK connects a companion computer to the flight controller, the Mobile SDK apps on a mobile device. The upgrade to the A3 Pro triples the sensors, so that failures of single sensors can be outvoted.

The manufacturer is based in China; for contracts with US federal authorities the NDAA procurement rules exclude flight controllers from Chinese manufacturers. In the EU the finished drone determines the class. Large multirotor systems easily exceed 25 kg take-off mass and then belong in the specific category.

The system is manufacturer-bound: ready integration, but little freedom in payload and ground station. Anyone maintaining it in service checks the software version of the DJI tools and the availability of matching accessories such as the GNSS module and power supply. Wear sits in the CAN connectors and the vibration damping of the control board; after every modification the IMU and compass are calibrated again.