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Ground Station Team

Ground Station Team. Ben Redmon Sam Hishmeh Robert Koontz Nick Mattei Shadab Ambat. Objectives. Maintain Piccolo Autopilot and Ground Station for Flight Testing and PAX River Competition. Meet competition objectives by adding and editing waypoints during competition flight.

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Ground Station Team

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  1. Ground Station Team • Ben Redmon • Sam Hishmeh • Robert Koontz • Nick Mattei • Shadab Ambat UK Aerial Robotics Team University of Kentucky

  2. Objectives • Maintain Piccolo Autopilot and Ground Station for Flight Testing and PAX River Competition. • Meet competition objectives by adding and editing waypoints during competition flight. • Manage PAX computer profile. UK Aerial Robotics Team University of Kentucky

  3. Piccolo Overview The Piccolo system is an integrated flight control system for small unmanned aircraft. It includes an avionics hardware package and a ground station hardware and software package. UK Aerial Robotics Team University of Kentucky

  4. Piccolo Hardware Piccolo Avionics Unit This unit contains all sensors related to flight, as well as GPS and UHF antenna connections. Outputs for control servos are also present. Piccolo Ground Station This unit is the hardware communications interface between the Piccolo Operator Interface software and the avionics unit. The Futaba console for manual flight control is connected to this unit. UK Aerial Robotics Team University of Kentucky

  5. Piccolo Software The Piccolo Operator Interface software runs on a Windows PC that is connected to the Piccolo ground station via serial port. Most command and control functions are handled through this software. Telemetry Page Map Page UK Aerial Robotics Team University of Kentucky

  6. Design Key Features of Piccolo System • Avionics - Small size: 4.8” x 2.4” x 1.5”, 233g. • Highly integrated –Includes sensors, GPS, servo control outputs, enclosure, and communications link. • Real-Time Data Logging. • End-user programmability, including RS-232 serial communications. • Flexible drag and drop flight plan generation and updates, even during flight. UK Aerial Robotics Team University of Kentucky

  7. Design Safety Features of Piccolo System • Manual override of autonomous flight mode supported via integrated UHF ground station link and modified Futaba pilot console. • Lost communications waypoint – In the event of interrupted communications, the avionics will automatically proceed to a designated waypoint. • Multiple modes of flight termination due to lost communications and/or GPS failure: • Close the throttle: The airplane will glide to the ground while attempting to track the flight plan. • Deadman switch: In the event of Piccolo system failure, this switch can disable the engine ignition. UK Aerial Robotics Team University of Kentucky

  8. Design Constraints • The Piccolo avionics accept 8-20 VDC power input. Nominal power consumption is approx. 300 mA @ 12 VDC. The ground station hardware can be powered via 120VAC or 12V car battery. UK Aerial Robotics Team University of Kentucky

  9. Design Risks • May need to determine if autonomous takeoff is possible without catapult, since the Piccolo system currently only supports autonomous takeoff in conjunction with a catapult system. • As of 4-1-2006, neither the ME group or the PAX River group have attempted a flight test with the Piccolo. UK Aerial Robotics Team University of Kentucky

  10. Status • Verified GPS tracking and radio communications on the ground. • Performed in-flight waypoint editing through software simulation. • Performed flight surface calibration on test aircraft. • Flight tests pending. UK Aerial Robotics Team University of Kentucky

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