Cables

Proper cables can play a surprisingly significant role in the success of your operations. Cables are a small expense, but many devices will respond poorly to nonstandard or cheap cables. The symptoms of a poor connection that result can be unpredictable and hard to diagnose. When this happens, it can result in lost connection to the drone, camera functions not loading or buttons missing, unreliable video streaming, or even application crashes.

For best results with an iPad device, make sure you're using a Lightning to USB cable specifically listed as compatible with Apple devices, as generic or inexpensive cables can cause issues on some devices. For the iPad Pro models with a USB-C connector, we also recommend sticking with explicitly Apple-compatible cables.

DJI also sells cables that support iPad devices that have been shown to be reliable replacements for Apple-manufactured cables when connecting between the remote and the tablet.

If you choose a third-party cable, it is best to avoid thickly insulated or otherwise stiff or inflexible cables. Sideways tension on the cable can cause the tablet and drone controller to have a poor connection, which can result in poor or lost communication with the drone or other unpredictable behavior. This can particularly be an issue with the iPad Pro tablets that have a USB-C port.

Finally, frayed cables or damaged or otherwise loose USB or Lightning connectors can cause unpredictable issues with connectivity and application stability. Be sure to include cable inspection as part of your regular maintenance schedules. Whenever possible, have extra cables on hand!