uAvionix tests dime-sized ADS-B for high traffic density drone operations

January 30, 2017 – uAvionix Corporation based in Palo Alto, California continues to innovate within the ADS-B transceiver market.

Today, uAvionix announced the development and test of a dime-sized transceiver weighing less than 1 gram.

UAvionix worked under a Collaborative Research and Development Agreement with the FAA and other partners to test this prototype.

Smallest transceiver to-date

This ADS-B module represents the smallest transceiver to date. Its small form factor is designed to integrate directly into professional and consumer-level drones with transmission power between 0.01-0.25 Watts. It could provide visibility to any aircraft equipped with ADS-B “in” avionics from 1-10 miles away.

Currently, the product does not fall within current FAA standards due to its low power output transmission.

Need for uAvionix dime-sized ADS-B

Recently, a study published in January by the MITRE Corporation’s Center for Advanced Aviation Systems Development (CAASD) envisioned a world of very high traffic densities of drones with on-board ADS-B. The study sought to understand the implications of such a scenario. It suggested that there is a nominal transmission power output between 0.01 and 0.1 Watts that, when coupled with limited drone traffic densities, can result in a compatible operation with the system as a whole.

uAvionix believes this module is a step towards the future.

“We developed this product to show the world the art of the possible,” said Paul Beard CEO of uAvionix. “We can’t yet sell this device because the standards that were developed for ADS-B did not take into account the value of air-to-air ADS-B communications between small drones or between drones and manned aircraft. It’s literally not legal to transmit at these low power outputs. We aim to lead the discussion and development of those standards and will work with any regulatory body to do so.”

About uAvionix

uAvionix develops the world’s smallest, lightest and most affordable ADS-B transceivers and transponders, Ping. UAvionix’s Ping network system combines hardware, software, and real-time airspace mapping to enable companies to safely and reliably operate drones in the National Airspace System (NAS).

Shop the complete line of uAvionix ADS-B products at Unmanned Systems Source.