1. Preliminary Design Review
FUAVA Team:
H. Kyle Bygott
Jack Elston
Stephan Esterhuizen
Kiran Murthy

2. Project Background
FUAVA = Fire-monitoring Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Avionics
Monitor and downlink meteorological data in real-time from above wildfires
Creation of avionics system for UAV
Conceptual idea began Spring 2002
Interdisciplinary project with ASEN/CS
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3. Overall System
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4. High-Level Functionality
Overall design: distributed system
CAN bus
Main flight computer
Interface boards
Modular design allows addition and removal of individual components
Capstone:
Construct generic interface boards
Set up small proof-of-concept system
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5. Capstone Focus
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6. Capstone System
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7. Capstone System To be completed for Expo: If we have time:
2 Interface boards:
Gyro Interpretation
Servo Control
If we have time:
R/C Interpretation
Flight Computer
Extra flash memory onboard
Systems not implemented by Expo can be simulated by a PC
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8. Testing
Each module can be separately tested from the rest of the system
A PC will be interfaced with the CAN bus, allowing monitoring and control of all bus activities
Emulation code run on PC can emulate missing components
Stepwise system integration will allow problems with individual components to be debugged.
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9. Capstone Focus
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10. Interface Board
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11. Interface Board
Convert different types of protocols to universal CAN bus
RS-232, I2C, Analog
Programmed to communicate with individual instruments
FUAVA Protocol
High-level packets sent over CAN bus
Example: “Rate gyro 2 reads 45o attitude”
CAN supports single-cast, multi-cast and broadcast
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12. Interface Board Software
Using GNU GCC Cross Compiler
Support for C/C++
Must still make software architecture decision
Round-Robin with Interrupts
Real Time OS (AVRX, ~1kB)
CVS will be used for configuration management
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13. Software Continued…
Driver libraries will be written in such a way that it abstracts hardware as much as possible
Allows CS and other Engineers to easily write interface-specific software for the distributed AVR microcontrollers
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14. Marketability
“In modern UAV aircraft avionics systems, it is important to provide the ability for upgrades and modifications.To provide this functionality, a modular design approach is critical.”
Kahn, Aaron D. The Design and Development of a Modular Avionics System
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15. Marketability
Industry is looking for distributed system to control UAV
Modular systems exist but are limited by “closed design”
PC104 systems (most prevalent) require building a stack of PC104 boards—spatially inconvenient
An avionics system that could modularly integrate COTS components would be invaluable
Cost Effective
Easily Upgradeable
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16. Marketability ASEN wants CU to be top in UAV research
Need a flexible and easy-to-use avionics system
Current available avionics systems require more than the desired one year project duration to integrate
FUAV + FUAVA will constitute platform for future CU UAVs
Projects would be more prolific and further advanced
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17. Prime System Cost Interface Board: $163.00 ATmega128L: $17.00
PCBs: $120.00
CAN controller: $4.00
CAN transceivers: $2.00
Miscellaneous: $20.00
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18. P.O.C. Additional Cost TOTAL P.O.C. COST: $839.00
Gyros: $100.00
R/C Equipment: $100.00
Servos (3): $150.00
Interface Boards (3): $489.00
COTS Avionics system: $
Many components have already been acquired personally and through UROP funding
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19. Schedule
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20. Schedule Issues
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21. Schedule Issues Schedule issues overcome by:
Allowing ample testing time
Prototype test
Overall system test
Allotting generous amount of time to creation of initial wire-wrapped prototype
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