DJI has announced a major revamp to its developer ecosystem support policies. To make the development of third-party drone solutions on DJI’s platforms easier than ever before, the technology giant is reducing the cost of its SDK software and hardware kits, making all member services free of charge for SDK developers, and ramping up technical support dramatically.
Almost 25% of DJI’s 13,000-strong global workforce is dedicated exclusively to research and development. And yet, as the use of drones becomes more rampant across increasingly diverse industries, the company finds it impossible to develop specialized solutions in-house for every conceivable scenario.
This is where the developer ecosystem comes in. To date, DJI SDK has been leveraged by more than 80,000 developers around the world to create over 1,000 novel drone applications. At the same time, more than 30 third-party drone payloads developed with DJI PSDK (Payload SDK) have achieved mass production and found a robust user base in industries such as public safety, energy, and surveying.
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And now, to bring about more practical, efficient, and effective drone solutions to users, DJI is slashing the cost of SDK software and hardware development, simplifying the application process, increasing technical support, opening global sales channels to vetted high-quality developers, and bridging the gap between developers and users.
DJI SDK development kit new price list
The price of the DJI SDK development kit is now reduced by up to 56%.
| Product Name | Original Price (USD) | New Price (USD) |
| Matrice 300RTK OSDK Expansion Module | $225 | $100 |
| OSDK Round Ribbon Cable Set | $385 | $180 |
| Payload SDK Development Kit 2.0 | $280 | $130 |
| SKYPORT V2 Flat Ribbon Cable Connector Kit | $90 | $70 |
| SKYPORT V2 Round Ribbon Cable Connector Kit | $285 | $150 |
| SKYPORT V2 | $990 | $450 |
| DJI SKYPORT Adapter Set | $830 | $480 |
| DJI X-PORT Carrying Case | $140 | $80 |
Also read: DJI releases two new drones in China: Agras T40 and T20P
DJI makes PSDK applications and member services free
In addition, PSDK applications no longer require manual approval. You can begin your development immediately after creating and submitting your application.
As a reminder, there are two versions of PSDK development: Developing Mode and Production Mode. The main difference between the two is that Developing Mode offers a maximum of 10 X-Port or SkyPort units per PSDK App, while Production Mode offers unlimited X-Port/SkyPort units.
Originally PSDK Production Mode had an application fee, which DJI is now doing away with. The material submission requirements are the same as before, and activation occurs after approval.
Also, all SDK developers can now avail member services free of charge, including technical support, APP activation, and access to beta SDK. The company further says that developers who have paid for an advanced membership that has not yet expired will automatically get a refund.
DJI has also combined multiple technical support portals into a single platform for DJI SDK developers. This forum will include will cover everything from a demonstration of ecological solutions and common problems in SDK development to technical documentation for development and explanation of proprietary terms.
The company says the unified forum will be monitored closely and its team will resolve issues on priority. The issues, in the meantime, will be categorized into three main categories: inquiry, bug, and demand. Each category has its own resolution timeline, which you can see in the table below:
| Issue Category | Resolution / Update Timeline | Criteria |
| Inquiry | 1 week | Provide a complete solution |
| Bug | 2 weeks | Schedule a solution and update on the progress every 2 weeks. For the faults of old models, which are difficult to solve and have little impact, after evaluation, if the demand fails, the developer will be informed of evaluation results and reasons. |
| Demand | 2 weeks | After evaluation, if the demand fails, the evaluation results and reasons will be informed. After evaluation, if the demand is adopted, the development plan will be provided. |
DJI sums up by saying that it will continue to cooperate with global developers to provide users in various industries with more professional and cost-effective drone solutions. And for high-quality third-party solutions, the company will make its global sales channels open to help developers connect their products with their users.
Read more: DJI drops major firmware update for M300 RTK drone
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