Hello,

We have just purcahsed and setup our dual L1 and P1 and were hoping to be able to complete survey missions with both of the payload simultaneously. But when we create a flight plan on the controller, we can only select a single payload (either the L1 or the P1). Does anyone ahve any ideas on how we can create flight plans that will utilise both at the same time.

For additional context, we are fine to have low overlap with the P1, we just need the high resolution images that it produces over the L1 RGB images.

I don’t think you can do that simultaneously

Hi, Plan a L1 flight, and take manual control of P1. Timed shutter should do the job while L1 is working. Not sure if it will work properly !

We had other issues when we used the dual payload. With the L1 in port 1, and the P1 in port 2 we had an error of: "Payload UTC Time Error" This was only possible to resolve by removing the P1 payload. So, we have now had to go back to the single downward payload and will need to do a multipass mission with seperate payloads.

Drone2Tractor Posted at 11-4 22:51
We had other issues when we used the dual payload. With the L1 in port 1, and the P1 in port 2 we had an error of: "Payload UTC Time Error" This was only possible to resolve by removing the P1 payload. So, we have now had to go back to the single downward payload and will need to do a multipass mission with seperate payloads.

Anyway, the lateral and frontal overlap is totally different between P1 and L1. I also have dual Skyport, I only use one camera at a time for these reasons! (I need dual for a hyperspectral camera which is too heavy for a single port). Remember to always put your camera on the left.

Which HS camera are you flying?

patiam Posted at 11-6 12:06
Which HS camera are you flying?

The resonon PIKA-L

LV_Forestry Posted at 11-5 23:37
Anyway, the lateral and frontal overlap is totally different between P1 and L1. I also have dual Skyport, I only use one camera at a time for these reasons! (I need dual for a hyperspectral camera which is too heavy for a single port). Remember to always put your camera on the left.

The way that our importer described it, the M300 does not send the correct offsets if you have the dual payload installed. Your data may be displaced to the left by 5cm or so.

LV_Forestry Posted at 11-6 14:41
The resonon PIKA-L
[view_image]

Nice! Want!

Drone2Tractor Posted at 11-6 15:00
The way that our importer described it, the M300 does not send the correct offsets if you have the dual payload installed. Your data may be displaced to the left by 5cm or so.

Yes, i heard that too. But i try and the mistake isn't worst than if mounted in the center. At least for forest inventory it is acceptable. Maybe for cadastral surveys it could be disappointing. Could someone from DJI confirm this 5 cm offset if mounted on dual skyport ?

patiam Posted at 11-6 15:39
Nice! Want!

Its a good equipment in general. Sell as compatible with M300. For the camera its true, but for the battery you have to integrate it by yourself. Feel free to ask 3D files of the integration kit if needed.

Hi, there. Sorry for the late reply.
Please note that you can not create flight plans that will utilize both (L1 & P1) at the same time.
Thank you for your understanding.

DJI Natalia Posted at 11-12 01:09
Hi, there. Sorry for the late reply.
Please note that you can not create flight plans that will utilize both (L1 & P1) at the same time.
Thank you for your understanding.

Hello Natalia,

Can we add this as a feature request. The L1 and P1 make a very interesting combo for data collection. To a degree, it does not matter that their field of views are not the same. During the mission setup, you would have the options to indicate which sensor is the primary and which is the secondary for when determining the flight path. i.e. if you select the P1 as the primary, you should get options around doing a photogrammetry style operation where we select the side overlap, and the forwards. At the mission summary, we would get a page that details the L1 data coverage for the area during the flight.

Something similar for if we choose the L1 as the primary. In this situation you would have the same sliders, but if the side overlap of the L1 is too low, a warning could be presented to the end user that the P1 will not have any side overlap.

Both of these also would need to have the position offsets sent to the corresponding payload to ensure that the position of the images/lidar returns are correctly adjusted. Or we would need to have an option in the Terra software to input an offset (whether custom or set known offsets of the dual payload).


In our situation, we now need to do at minimum 2 separate sets of flights to get the data that is required, when if we could fly with both at the same time, we would be able to fly only once.

This particular setup may also be of interest to other operators with the L1, and a thermal flying at the same time, or the L1 with the Z30 for asset inspections that also render a clean 3D model from the LIDAR, potentially enabling us to take real measurements from the images when blended with the L1 data.

Drone2Tractor Posted at 11-12 19:34
Hello Natalia,

Can we add this as a feature request. The L1 and P1 make a very interesting combo for data collection. To a degree, it does not matter that their field of views are not the same. During the mission setup, you would have the options to indicate which sensor is the primary and which is the secondary for when determining the flight path. i.e. if you select the P1 as the primary, you should get options around doing a photogrammetry style operation where we select the side overlap, and the forwards. At the mission summary, we would get a page that details the L1 data coverage for the area during the flight.

Thanks for the detailed information and feedback.
We will forward it to the relevant team and see how we can do better.
For any updates, you can also stay turn to our official website.
Thank you.

From what I understood when we asked if it was possible to have a dual payload following a planned flight, is that only the payload 1 (Using the port 1) can have automatic shutter capabilities to follow a planned mission.  Otherwise, you'll have to plan a flight mission with the L1 on Port 1 (Automatic features) and manually take pictures with the P1 attached on the 2nd port (As LV_Forestery suggested)

SoberTiger Posted at 11-14 11:35
From what I understood when we asked if it was possible to have a dual payload following a planned flight, is that only the payload 1 (Using the port 1) can have automatic shutter capabilities to follow a planned mission.  Otherwise, you'll have to plan a flight mission with the L1 on Port 1 (Automatic features) and manually take pictures with the P1 attached on the 2nd port (As LV_Forestery suggested)

I'm really not sure there's any added value in flying the two sensors at the same time. For two reasons :
-Different characteristics therefore different flight plan.
-Significant reduction in flight time with overweight, therefore, battery change and RTH more frequent.

LV_Forestry Posted at 11-14 12:38
I'm really not sure there's any added value in flying the two sensors at the same time. For two reasons :
-Different characteristics therefore different flight plan.
-Significant reduction in flight time with overweight, therefore, battery change and RTH more frequent.

There is value in doing a single flight with smaller areas, or if the area that you are intending on flying will be changing as you are flying such as: construction site, agriculture during harvest or planting, currently failing dam, train derailment. All of these are situations that I have been asked to do in the past, and it would have been highly beneficial to have very high-resolution images (overlap is less relevant for situational awareness, and live decisions making) and a 3D model of the area (the LIDAR) that can be quickly turned around for onsite engineers to determine what needs to be done means that in a single flight, we can deliver both data sets.

You also have a cost associated with turning the whole thing off, swapping a payload, and starting again as the payloads are not hot swapable, the L1 needs to warm up the IMU (5+ minutes), and you need to re-acquire a fix which may take quite some time in some conditions (we have waited for more than 30 minutes to get a fix).

The difference in flight characteristics is a decision that the end users should be making, and the example that I gave above indicates ways that DJI could implement this so that the end users is properly aware of what they are trying to do, and the impacts on the data collection.