Unmanned Systems Technology 003 | UAV Solutions Talon 120 | Cable harnesses | Austro Engine AE50R and AE300 | Autonomous mining | AUVSI 2015 show report | Transponders | Space systems

Wiring harnesses are the nerves of unmanned craft (Courtesy of St Cross Electronics) 32 O ne of the core challenges with an unmanned system is the connectivity needed inside the vehicle which, given the number and variety of sensors and cameras being used in them, brings with it an increased need for communications and therefore power. Also, instead of having a centralised control cockpit laid out around a driver or pilot, unmanned systems have a much more distributed design, and this is changing the way the cable harness that supplies power and data around the vehicle is designed and implemented. This is a key element in the challenge to reduce SWaP – Size, Weight and Power – in unmanned systems. Less weight means a longer range for UAVs and driverless cars, while a smaller size for the electronics means more space for passengers or for larger batteries, and the harness can take up a surprising amount of weight. There are many ways of delivering data around an unmanned system. Traditional harness designs use copper wires, but optical fibres and even wireless links can be used. Each of these technologies has its challenges, but the fundamental issue for all of them is the need to provide power as well. Every sensor and actuator in the vehicle needs power, and has to deliver data back to a control unit, so the traditional approach has been to provide that power alongside the signals by using separate copper cables. In every unmanned systems market the proliferation of sensors, telemetry and comms – and their distribution around the vehicle – severely restricts system weight and size, so the lighter, smaller and faster you can make the connectivity then the better the platform is able to perform. However, with new high-speed connection protocols such as HDMI being used for high-resolution cameras, the range of connectivity requirements is continuously growing. This gives the harness designer and maker more challenges, and Summer 2015 | Unmanned Systems Technology Well connected How do you serve an unmanned system’s need for power and signalling while keeping weight, space and cost to a minimum? Nick Flaherty reports