Unmanned Systems Technology 014 | Quantum Tron | Radio links and telemetry | Unmanned Aerial Vehicles | Protonex fuel cell | Ancillary systems | AUVSI 2017 Show report

79 AUVSI Xponential 2017 | Show report Manufacturing to ease removal. Common signals such as pulses per second and event inputs are available on the power, serial and auxiliary connectors. “For Ethernet and power, we use standard cable pin-outs,” Chris Osterwood said. “The standard voltage in is pin 1, ground is pin 3 and then the other two connectors are serial with power output. The Duro can power a local radio if you’re doing a local point-to-point RTK correction for future accessory equipment. “A future version will have a built-in cellular modem with a traffic message channel connector in the same form factor. The unit will connect to the internet for RTK corrections, either from your station or an internet-connected reference station,” added the company’s Fergus Noble. The Piksi Multi achieves convergence in orders of seconds by integrating L1 and L2 satellite transmission bands in a 71 x 42 x 12 mm board. This is achieved by exploiting COTS components and focusing on software and developing algorithms to optimise performance on small, smartphone- grade components. “For example, a ZYNQ-7020 AP system- on-chip with dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor offered programmable logic sections, letting us write reconfigurable code for our gates and transistors, rather than making custom chips for that purpose,” Noble explained. By using a software-defined, reconfigurable module, the companies hope to add additional features such as regular complimentary firmware updates to users, including future support for the Glonass, BeiDou, Galileo and QZSS satellite constellations. DST Control debuted the OTUS-U200, its newest multi-sensor gimbal for small UAVs. It measures 205 mm in diameter and weighs 2.5-3 kg depending on the camera and laser unit configuration. The central new design feature is a fully sealed (IP56-rated) housing, making it suitable for airborne and maritime applications. The company has also designed it with internal space for the installation of cooled MWIR cameras and non- cooled IR cameras, as well as an EO camera for daytime operations, and laser illuminators and rangefinders for night-time reconnaissance or target acquisition, depending on an end-user’s requirements. Magnus Sundstedt said “The upper window is made from germanium for the MWIR or LWIR, and the one below it is silicon for EO, SWIR and laser sensors, given their similarity in transmissible wavelengths and the transmissibility enabled by these materials. “We also offer video tracking, geo- tracking, moving target detection, digital stabilisation, image enhancement and many other features on request. “Sealing the gimbal housing effectively was a result of choosing the best bearings for the job, and designing the gimbal mechanics not only to resist water as far as possible but to allow water to leave as well,” he added. Pegasus has developed a UAV range-extending series hybrid system which, according to Matt McRoberts, “is engine-agnostic. We can work with a two-stroke, a rotary, a turbine or Unmanned Systems Technology | June/July 2017 The Duro is a ruggedised version of the Piksi Multi RTK GNSS receiver DST Control’s OTUS-U200 multi-sensor gimbal for small UAVs