SmallUAVCommand,ControlandCommunicationIssues

DrJosephBarnard joseph.barnard@barnardmicrosystems.com
ManagingDirector,BarnardMicrosystemsLimited,UK

Above:theEADSDRACUAVdevelopedfortheFrenchmilitaryservices
Talkoutline

Aircraftcategories
Commandissues:thedownlink
Commandissues:theuplink
STANAG4586
UAcommunications
WirelessLAN802.11
COFDMvideotransmission
Potentialfrequencies
AirTrafficControlvoicerelay
SatelliteCommsfrequencies
FrequenciesusedbysomeUAVs
MiniUAVdatalink
PredatorUAVdatalink
GlobalHawkcommunicationslinks
GroundControlStations
Conclusion

Right:EADSDRACUAVGroundControlStation
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Modelaircraftcategories
fromGrahamLynnspresentation:UASsarenotmodelaircraftatUAV2007ConferenceinParis.

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UAVcommandissues

Second C3 air vehicle acts as a communications C3 air vehicle hovers over centre of area of interest,
relay in addition to providing local surveillance providing communications and surveillance support.

5.8GHz WIRELESS ETHERNET LINK

SAT COMMS LINK
Internet access via

INK
EXL
L
UP

K
ND

WLAN
N
X LINK

LI
WL

EX
PL

W
DUPLE
U

LA
DUPLE

N
N
LA

DU
W

X LINK

PLE
WLAN

X
DELTA wing RECCE plane

LIN
called up in bad weather

K
QUAD-R

QUAD-R

Local Support
Base FOB

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 BEGINHEADER
time16:35:23.100
date20071114
ua_idGB_123_ABC
UAcommandissues:downlink msg_num133
Ononemission,mighthave,forexample: msg_version1.21
ENDHEADER
BEGINIMU
1commandandcontrolUA(helicopter) gyro_x23.105
gyro_y13.243
1investigatorUA(helicopter) gyro_z12.596
9surveyUA(deltawing) accel_x3.933
accel_y0.022
accel_z0.223
EachUnmannedAircrafthasaround80parameterstoreport mag_x15.877
on(seerighthandside)dependingonthenumberofengines mag_y225.112
mag_z8.254
andcontrolsurfaces(flaps)andotherthingstobecontrolled. inclin_y1.989
inclin_z3.850
temp11.213
AtypicalUAstatusmessagesizeis3,569characters(bytes): ENDIMU
BEGINFCU
BEGINengine
Header id1
InertialMeasurementUnit set_speed13000
actual_speed14321
FlightControlUnit carb_setting12.3
power carb_actual13.3
temp105.2
warnings fuel_flow_rate23.23
communications vibration12.22
payload ENDengine
cum_hours128.77

GPS BEGINengine
sense(asinsenseandavoid) id2
set_speed13000
actual_speed11321
carb_setting11.7
BarnardMicrosystemsLimited2007 carb_actual10.3
5
temp125.2
UAcommandissues:downlink

Statusmessagefrequency:

Duringpossiblecollision,systemproblems 4minimessagespersecond
Ontakeoffandlanding: 1messagepersecond(GPSsynchronised)
duringmission 1messageevery10seconds

Peakbandwidthrequired:downlink

Messagesize=3,569Bytes
Messageformat:ASCIItext(notinreducedsizebinaryformat)
Messagerate=1fulllengthmessagepersecond
Messagebitratepriortocoding=3,569x8=28,552bits/second
128bitAESencryptionisoptional:noincreaseinbitspermessage
WithReedSolomon(255,223)codingtoenablethedetectionandcorrectionoftransmission
errors,themessagesizeincreasesto32,650bits

AtypicalGPRSmodemcapableofoperatingat900MHzorat1,800MHzcansupportadatarate
ofupto56kbpsandcanthusadequatelysupportthedownlinktelemetry.

Asatellitecommunicationsmodemcanalsoreadilysupportabitrateof56kbps.

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 BEGINMISSION
BEGINSETUP
MobileTelemetry 442083410566
TESTMT_LINK
UAcommandissues:uplink WLANCH6
TESTWLAN
TESTFUEL
Theuplinkisusedtochangetheflightplan,and TESTFLAPS
needstobeprotectedfromunauthoriseduse. TESTBATTERY
ENDSETUP
BEGINWAYPOINT0
Aflightplanisusuallymorethan1,000Bytesinsize, GPS12.12.123N23.14.345W100
AGL120
andvariesgreatlywithmissioncomplexity. ENDWAYPOINT0
BEGINLEG0_1
Thereisnoregularflightplanupdatemessagerate, duration0.3.00
BEGINcamera
althoughthereareoftensmallGPScorrection typeSONY_W200_1
updatemessagesbroadcastfromonceasecondto compass90
angle270
everytenseconds. MultiShot 100
ENDcamera
ENDLEG0_1
Duetothesensitivityoftheuplinkmessages,they BEGINWAYPOINT1
aretypically: GPS12.15.123N23.14.345W100
ALTIMETER150
SENDTELEMETRY
Encryptedusing128bitAESencryption ENDWAYPOINT1
BEGINLEG1_2
ForwardErrorCorrectioncodedusingReed duration00:09.00
Solomon(255,223)coding,orsimilar,tobothdetect MaxFuelEfficiency
errorsandincreasedecryptioncomplexity BEGINCamera
typeNikon_D40X_2
transmittedusingaSpreadSpectrumtransmitter zoom100
wherethebandwidthisincreasedatleasttenfold compass90
angle270
(from10to50timesbandwidthincrease) SingleShot
ENDCamera
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TheNatoStandardAgreement(STANAG)4586definesmanyofthecommandand
controlprotocolsusedinmilitaryUAVs...butthedocumentisveryhardtogetholdof!

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ExampleofmessagedefinitioninSTANAG4586

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STANAG4586
UnmannedAircraftcontrolandstatusmessagesfallintothreegeneralcategories:

Initialization,configuration,andmissionuploadmessagesexchangedpreflightorinfrequently
duringflightasnecessaryiftheoperatingmodeorconfigurationoftheaircraftischanged.

Controlmessagessenttocontroltheaircraftanditsenginesatafrequencyhighlyrelatedtothe
levelofautonomycharacterizingtheaircraft.

Statusmessagessentbytheaircraft

Thesereportdynamicchangesinaircraftmovements,direction,orientation,engineoperation,
etc.Thesemessagescanbesentveryfrequently.

Typicalupdateratesrangefrom1to20timespersecondforcriticalparametersaccordingto
UASmanufacturers,where1/sec.wouldbeappropriateforafullyautonomousaircraft,and
20/sec.wouldapplytoahandflownUA.

Theseupdatesratesarethemajordriversindeterminationofaggregateaircrafttogrounddata
rate,andhencebandwidth.

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UnmannedAircraftcommunications

Telemetryandcommandbandwidthisconsideredseparatefrompayload(suchasvideocamera
andphotography)bandwidth.

Telemetryandcommandbandwidthcanbeaccommodatedbya56kbit/seclink:

GPRSmodem
satellitecommunicationslink

Payloadbandwidthisusuallymuchlarger:upto8Mbit/secforahighqualityvideolinkusing
COFDMmodulationtechnique.Findingandusingthisbandwidthisconsideredacommercial
issue:

WirelessLocalAreaNetwork(WLAN)basedaround2.4GHzband

CodedOrthogonalFrequencyDivisionMultiplexing(COFDM)basedfrom5to24GHz.
However,thissystemisdegradedbyDopplerfrequencyshifteffectsassociatedwithUAVmotion,
sothereisalimitontheUAVspeed.

OthogonalQPSKifCOFDMcannotbeusedduetotheDopplershiftproblem

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WirelessLAN802.11channeldeploymentscheme
fromCiscoAironet1200Series
ChannelDeploymentIssuesfor2.4GHz802.11WLANs

ThehighestbandwidthvariantoftheWLAN802.11familyisthenew802.11n(DRAFT)variant.
Switchessupportingthisdraftstandardarecommerciallyavailable.ForsmallUnmannedAircraft,
theuseofWLAN802.11ispopularforshortrange(lessthan1km)payloaddatalinks.

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COFDMtransmissionofvideoinformationfromabeyondlineofsightUAV

CodedOrthogonalFrequencyDivisionMultiplexing(COFDM)techniquesareincreasinglybeing
usedtotransmitvideopayloaddatafromaUAVtoareceivingantennaontheground,ortoa
relayUAV.Theattributesoftheselinksareasfollows:

tolerantofmultipathinterference

efficientmodulationschemes:QPSK,16QAMor64QAM

theDigitalVideoBroadcast Terrestrial(DVBT)standardsuggeststheuseof2,000orthogonal
subcarriersinan8MHzbandwidth,withthefrequenciesofthesubcarrierscarefullyselectedto
ensureorthogonalityBandwidthof6and7MHzarerealisedbyscalingthefrequenciesofallthe
subcarriers.

ForwardErrorCorrectionisapplied(theCodedorCpartofOFDM)toenablethe
measurementofthebiterrorratioforeachsubcarriersignal

AESencryption,typically64bitor128bit,canoptionallybeapplied

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BandwidthspecificallyforUAVtelemetryandcommanduses
ThisandnexttwoslidesfrompresentationbyAxelKlaeyleatUAV2007ConferenceinParis

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BarnardMicrosystemsLimited2007 16
List of potential frequency bands

from EUROCAE WG 73 UAS spectrum vers 0.4.doc by Christian Pelmoine

108112MHz ILSLOC

112118MHz. VOR, GBAS

118137 MHz AM(R)S

138144 MHz

9601164 MHz DME / TACAN / Transponders

1.8 GHz

2.3 2.4 GHz

2.73.1 GHz Radiolocation, Radionavigation

5.0 5.15 GHz Radionavigation, mobile, .

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AirTrafficControlvoicerelay

UAVmanufacturersandoperatorshopethisrequirementwillsomehowjustgoaway...
AirTrafficControllersareadamantthisrequirementiscastinconcrete.

UAVsneedtobetreatednodifferentlyfrommannedaircraft,fromanAirTrafficperspective.

TheUAVmustrespondtoavoicecommandfromanAirTrafficControlstation,suchasanAirport
ControlTower,andacknowledgethecommand,fromtheATCstation,suchas:

FlightUAV123descendtoFlightLevel130

with: FlightUAV123descendingtoFlightLevel130

OnesolutionforthesituationinwhichtheUAVGroundControlStationisremotefromtheUAV
andtheAirTrafficControlstationistorelaythedigitisedvoiceviasatellite.Theproblemisthe
latencyinsatellitecommunications,whichintestsusingtheIntelsatsystemhavebeenfoundtobe
asmuchas25seconds.Onesuggestionistousevoicerecognitionsoftware...
Domain Threshold Objective
En Route 3.0 sec 1.5 sec
Tower 3.0 sec 1.5 sec
Terminal 3.0 sec 1.5 sec

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Satellitecommunicationsfrequencies
fromEUROCAEWG73UASspectrumvers0.4.docbyChristianPelmoine

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FrequenciesusedbysomecurrentUnmannedAircraft
fromUAVFrequencyManagementConcernspresentationbyMikelRyanatUAV2007

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 fromwww.L3com.com/csw brochure

TheabovelinkforsmallUAVsfromL3operatesfrom1,755MHzto1,850MHzwithapower
outputupto10Wattsandadatarateupto10.7Mbps.Thereisageneraltrendforthesmaller
UAVstooperatetheirbeyondlineofsightcommunicationslinksatthelowerfrequencies,
typicallyfrom900MHz(GSMmodem)totheISMbandat5.8GHz.

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 By contrast, the
communications link for
the relatively large
Predator Unmanned Air
Vehicle consists of:

an on-board receiver
operating in the
frequency range from
10.95 GHz to 12.75 GHz

and a 50 Watt transmitter

operating in the
frequency range from
14.0 GHz to 14.5 GHz.

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Example:GlobalHawkcommunicationsrequirementsin2007
fromUAVFrequencyManagementConcernspresentationbyMikelRyanatUAV2007

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GlobalHawkspectrumsystems
fromUAVFrequencyManagementConcernspresentationbyMikelRyanatUAV2007

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GlobalHawkfrequencybandsused
fromUAVFrequencyManagementConcernspresentationbyMikelRyanatUAV2007

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ExampleofacomplexGroundControlStation,herefortheRUAGRangerUAV

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ExampleofacomplexGroundControlStation,hereforthePredatorUAV

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Conclusion

Thetelemetryandcommandlinkmustbeconsideredseparatelytothepayloadlink.

ThecommanddownlinkofUAstatusinformationisrelativelysimple,andcanbemanagedusing
a56kbpsGPRSmodemorasatellitecommunicationslink.

ThecommandandcontroluplinktotheUnmannedAircraftneedstotakeintoaccounttheneed
topreventunauthoriseduseoftheuplink,sothisdatapathmustberobustandencrypted.
Althoughtheactualinformationbitrateisrelativelylow,thetransmissionbandwidthusedinthe
uplinkcanbecomparabletothedownlinkbandwidthduetotheuseofSpreadSpectrum
modulation.

TheWorldRadioConferencemayassignabandwidthspecificallyforUAScommandand
telemetryuse...by2015.

Thepayloadlinktypicallyrequiresamuchhigherbandwidththanthetelemetryandcommand
link,typicalvaluesbeing8MHzforaCOFDMvideolink.Thisbandwidthisnotreadilyavailablefor
UAVuse,souseisoftenmadeoftheIndustrial,ScientificandMedical(ISM)bandsat2.4GHz
(WLAN802.11),5.8GHz,20GHzandsoon.

AirTrafficControlvoicerelaymustbesupported:theproblematpresentconcernsthelatency
oftenexperiencedwithsatellitecommunications:acaseforvoicerecognitionsoftware?
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