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

68 A ll unmanned vehicles, be they for use in the air, on land or in the sea, must carry a transponder – effectively a radio transmitter that provides details of the vehicle’s identity, along with other information such as its position, speed, altitude or depth. The word itself is a portmanteau of ‘transmitter’ and ‘responder’, which neatly describes the device’s functions, and it can encompass everything from commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) equipment ready to be integrated into a specific vehicle, to a highly complex and bespoke design. At their simplest, transponders provide information. In essence, they receive a radio-transmitted ‘question’ from an unmanned vehicle control station or, in the air domain, an air traffic control (ATC) secondary surveillance radar (SSR), which operates in the UHF section of the radio spectrum. When the transponder is interrogated in this way, it replies by disclosing its identity and any further information requested, such as its position, speed and altitude. SWaP Despite the differing tasks and operating environments of unmanned air, land and sea vehicles, their transponders share Tom Withington explains the factors that need to borne in mind when designing these safety-critical devices Summer 2015 | Unmanned Systems Technology Personal details There is a pressing need to ensure that unmanned aerial vehicles can fly safely alongside their manned counterparts in unsegregated airspace (Courtesy of USAF)