RoboticsPIDArduinoDrones

PID Control for Drone Stabilization

March 20, 202512 min read

What is PID Control?

PID (Proportional-Integral-Derivative) is a control loop mechanism that continuously calculates an error value and applies a correction.

The Components

P (Proportional): Reacts to current error

I (Integral): Reacts to accumulated past errors

D (Derivative): Predicts future errors

Hardware Setup

Arduino Mega 2560

MPU6050 6-axis IMU

4x Brushless motors with ESCs

Custom 3D-printed frame

PID Implementation

cpp

float kp = 1.2, ki = 0.05, kd = 0.8;
float previousError = 0, integral = 0;

float computePID(float setpoint, float measured, float dt) {
    float error = setpoint - measured;
    integral += error * dt;
    float derivative = (error - previousError) / dt;
    previousError = error;
    
    return kp * error + ki * integral + kd * derivative;
}

Tuning Process

PID tuning is more art than science. I used the Ziegler-Nichols method:

Set Ki and Kd to 0

Increase Kp until oscillation begins

Note the critical gain (Ku) and period (Tu)

Calculate Ki and Kd from Ku and Tu

Results

After tuning, the drone achieved stable hover with less than 2 degrees of deviation in pitch and roll. Response time to disturbances was under 100ms.

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