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Connect to a drone

Every drone manufacturer uses different communication protocols. To establish a connection between ArcGIS Flight and a drone, follow one of the workflows below depending on your hardware.

Note:

ArcGIS Flight should be the primary source of communication to your drone. If you use a third-party app to communicate with your drone, for example, the DJI Pilot Pro app, it takes precedence over the drone's communication and prevents ArcGIS Flight from registering mission updates.

Connect Mavic 3E and Matrice 4E

The workflow below is supported for Mavic 3E and Matrice 4E drones using an iPad with an M-series or A-series chipset, a wired USB-C or wireless connection, and ArcGIS Flight Connection. DJI no longer offers an iOS SDK, so ArcGIS Flight Connection is required to establish communication between the iPad and the drone.

Download ArcGIS Flight Connection

To download the app, complete the following steps:

Note:

An internet connection is required.

This application is not compliant with the American Security Drone Act of 2023. Government customers or customers who require an application that is compliant with the American Security Drone Act of 2023 should use ArcGIS Flight U.S. Government edition.

  1. On the drone controller, download the ArcGIS Flight Connection .apk file.

  2. In the files app, tap the file to install it, read the Master License Agreement, and tap Agree.

  3. Tap Okay, and tap Allow only while using the app.

  4. In ArcGIS Flight, select either Mavic 3E or Matrice 4E.

    The Connection Assistant window appears.

    Depending on whether the iPad has an M-series or A-series chipset, the workflow steps are different. For an iPad with an M-series chipset, complete these steps. For an iPad with an A-series chipset, complete these steps.

    Caution:

    ArcGIS Flight supports USB-C cables that are originally manufactured by Apple or DJI. The use of other cables may prevent a successful connection.

Connect with an iPad M-series chipset

If you are using an iPad with an M-series chipset, the USB Connection Setup appears. Complete the following steps:

Note:

The USB driver needs to be enabled before the iPad allows communication to the drone controller.

  1. On the iPad, find and open the Settings app and tap Apps.

  2. Find and open ArcGIS Flight.

  3. Under DRIVERS enable ArcGIS Flight USB Driver.

    Note:

    DRIVERS does not appear if the iPad is not an M-series chipset. If the iPad has an A-series, complete these steps.

  4. Connect the USB-C cable to the drone controller.

    If ArcGIS Flight Connection is installed, a window appears and prompts you to open the app. Tap OK.

    Tip:

    Tap the checkbox to always open ArcGIS Flight Connection when ArcGIS Flight is open.

    If ArcGIS Flight Connection is not installed, a window appears. Tap View or see Connect to drone to learn how to download ArcGIS Flight Connection.

Connect with an iPad A-series chipset

If you are using an iPad with an A-series chipset and there is an internet connection, follow the steps:

  1. Turn on the Mavic 3E or Matrice 4E drone and ensure that it is communicating with the controller.

  2. Open ArcGIS Flight Connection on the drone controller.

  3. Open ArcGIS Flight on your iPad, and do one of the following:

    • If the iPad has cellular data, start the hotspot on the iPad, and connect the controller to the hotspot.

    • If you are using a Mavic 3E drone and the iPad does not have cellular data, select Mavic 3E from the drop-down list, start the hotspot on the controller, connect it to the iPad, and connect the controller to the Mi-Fi hotspot.

    • If you are using a Matrice 4E drone and the iPad does not have cellular data, select Matrice 4E from the drop-down list, and connect the controller and iPad to the Mi-Fi hotspot.

If you are using an iPad with an A-series chipset and there is no internet connection, follow the steps:

Caution:

Before going into an area without a reliable internet connection, save a flight plan, and download the basemap.

  1. Open ArcGIS Flight Connection on the drone controller.

  2. Turn on the Mavic 3E or Matrice 4E drone and ensure that it is communicating with the controller.

  3. Open ArcGIS Flight on the iPad, and select Mavic 3E or Matrice 4E from the drop-down list.

    The Connection Assistant window appears.

  4. Tap Continue.

  5. Follow the instructions to create a hotspot on the controller, and connect the iPad to the controller hotspot.

  6. Tap Done.

    You are set up for offline use and can begin flying the drone.

Connect Freefly Astro with Pilot Pro Controller

The workflow below is supported for the Pilot Pro controller on the Freefly Astro Max and Freefly Astro (NDAA Blue) drones using a wired connection with an ethernet RJ 45 cable.

Note:

For an iPad to work with the Pilot Pro controller, the iPad must have a USB-C port and be running iPadOS 18 or later.

For multi-battery missions, it is recommended to swap batteries while the drone is turned on to avoid rebooting and GPS re-acquisition.

To connect a Freefly Astro drone with a Pilot Pro controller, complete the following steps:

  1. Ensure that the drone is on the ground and disarmed.

  2. Use the Pilot Pro app to enable the ethernet port, which is off by default, on the Freefly Astro (NDAA Blue) drone.

  3. Connect the iPad to the controller using the ethernet cable, and in the iPad settings, tap Ethernet.

  4. Tap Interfaces, and in the IPV4 Address section, set IP address to Manual.

  5. Change the iPad IP address for the ethernet connection to one of the following:

    • IP address—Any value in the range 192.168.144.100-15

    • Netmask—255.255.255.0

  6. Open ArcGIS Flight to create a connection to the drone, and access your project.

  7. Select Freefly Astro Wired as the drone.

    If the drone connection has been established correctly, the connection status appears as a green dot next to the drone model, and telemetry information appears.

  8. If this is your first time setting up the drone, capture a photo manually by pressing the camera shutter button on the controller.

    This creates a folder where ArcGIS Flight stores future mission data.

    This setup is only needed once per initial setup between ArcGIS Flight and the Pilot Pro controller. If you experience any connectivity issues, contact Esri Technical Support.

Connect Freefly Astro with Herelink Controller

The workflow below is supported for the Herelink controller on the Freefly Astro drone using a wireless connection.

Note:

For multi-battery missions, it is recommended to swap batteries while the drone is turned on to avoid rebooting and GPS re-acquisition.

To connect a Freefly Astro drone with a Herelink controller, complete the following steps:

  1. Review the Astro documentation.

  2. Confirm that the firmware installed on the Freefly Astro drone is supported by ArcGIS Flight.

    To update the firmware, refer to the Astro documentation.

  3. On the Herelink controller, press the Power button (between the B button and the Home/Return button) until the screen turns on.

  4. Swipe down from the top of the screen, and tap Settings.

  5. Under Wireless and networks, tap More, and select and enable Tethering and portable hotspot.

    The hotspot settings appear.

  6. In the Setup Wi-Fi hotspot settings, provide a name and password for the controller network.

  7. In the iPad settings, enable Wi-Fi, and connect to the Herelink controller network you created in step 6.

  8. Open ArcGIS Flight, browse to the main menu, and in the drone list, select Freefly Astro Wi-Fi.

To confirm that the drone is connected, information about the drone's status appears in ArcGIS Flight.

Legacy DJI drones

For older DJI drones, use an Apple-certified cable to connect the iPad to the drone controller.