MicroLink User and Installation Guide UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 1 | 45 2019 uAvionix Corporation. All rights reserved. uAvionix Corporation 300 Pine Needle Lane Bigfork, MT 59911 http://www.uavionix.com support@uavionix.com Except as expressly provided herein, no part of this guide may be reproduced, transmitted, disseminated, downloaded or stored in any storage medium, for any purpose without the express written permission of uAvionix. uAvionix grants permissions to download a single copy of this guide onto an electronic storage medium to be viewed for personal use, provided that the complete text of this copyright notice is retained. Unauthorized commercial distribution of this manual or any revision hereto is strictly prohibited. uAvionix and Ping are registered trademarks of uAvionix Corporation, and may not be used without express permission of uAvionix. UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 2 | 45 1 Revision History Revision Date A B Comments Initial release 6/23/2019 07/17/2019 Modified the FCC and added the IC regulatory C D E statement 08/09/2019 Updated the SkyStation statistics definitions and modified for uav files updating 08/12/2019 Updated the FCC and IC statements per the TCB 08/28/2019 Updated the RF exposure limits per the TCB UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 3 | 45 2 Limited Warranty uAvionix products are warranted to be free from defects in material and workmanship for one year from purchase. For the duration of the warranty period, uAvionix, at its sole option, will repair or replace any product which fails under normal use. Such repairs or replacement will be made at no charge to the customer for parts or labor, provided that the customer shall be responsible for any transportation cost. This warranty does not apply to cosmetic damage, consumable parts, damage caused by accident, abuse, misuse, water, fire or flood, damage caused by unauthorized servicing, or product that has been modified or altered. IN NO EVENT, SHALL UAVIONIX BE LIABLE FOR ANY INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, WHETHER RESULTING FROM THE USE, MISUSE OR INABILITY TO USE THE PRODUCT OR FROM DEFECTS IN THE PRODUCT. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. Warranty Service Warranty repair service shall be provided directly by uAvionix. UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 4 | 45 3 Contents 1 Revision History ................................................................................... 3 2 Limited Warranty .................................................................................. 4 3 Contents .............................................................................................. 5 4 Introduction .......................................................................................... 7 5 Specification ........................................................................................ 8 5.1 MicroLink Radio Technology ......................................................... 8 5.2 FCC Statement ............................................................................. 9 5.3 Ground Radio System (GRS) SkyStation ................................. 11 5.4 5.5 Airborne Radio System (ARS) .................................................... 12 Typical System Configuration ..................................................... 12 5.6 Mechanical Specifications ........................................................... 14 6 Configuration ..................................................................................... 16 6.1 SkyStation ................................................................................... 16 6.2 Connection to the POE Network ................................................. 17 6.3 SkyStation Start-up and Connection ........................................... 18 6.3.1 Apply POE power to the SkyStation ...................................... 18 6.3.2 Run SkyLinkApp.exe ............................................................. 18 6.3.3 Connect to Mission Planner in TCP mode ............................. 20 6.3.4 SkyLinkApp.exe..................................................................... 22 6.3.5 Status Tab ............................................................................. 23 6.3.6 Maps Tab .............................................................................. 25 6.3.7 Configuration Tab .................................................................. 26 6.4 SkyStation Configuration and Health Webpage .......................... 31 6.4.1 Configuration Items ............................................................... 33 6.4.2 Health .................................................................................... 35 6.5 Updater ....................................................................................... 37 7 Appendix A Quick Start Guide ........................................................... 40 UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 5 | 45 8 Appendix B HERE2 GPS Sharing ...................................................... 45 UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 6 | 45 4 Introduction MicroLink is an aviation grade, miniature, Beyond Visual Line Of Sight
(BVLOS) data link radio specifically designed for long range, robust, Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) telemetry data links. Ideal for size, weight, power and performance sensitive applications, MicroLink operates in the 902-928MHz license-free ISM band. UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 7 | 45 5 Specification 5.1 MicroLink Radio Technology Dual radio architecture for true diversity o Path (spatial) diversity o Frequency diversity o Polarization gain Dynamic Medium and Multiple access, time and position synchronized, to support 100s of simultaneous links o Adaptive time and frequency spreading Global Positioning System (GPS) Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) link synchronization Status, integrity and health monitoring Environmental RTCA/DO-160G Software RTCA/DO-178C Level C Complex Hardware RTCA/DO-254 Level C FCC 47 CFR Part 15.247 ID 2AFFTC2XISM Band Architecture Transmit Power Spreading Bandwidth Radio Specifications 902-928MHz ISM Band Dual Diversity Radios 1W (4W EIRP) Code and Frequency 200kHz User Receiver Control Receiver Doppler Capture Range Receiver Sensitivity
-118dBm
-121dBm 16kHz UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 8 | 45 5.2 Regulatory Statements 5.2.1 FCC Statement FCC ID: 2AFFTC2XISM This device meets the FCC requirements for RF exposure in public or uncontrolled environments. Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the users authority to operate the equipment This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. 5.2.2 Industry Canada Statement IC ID: 25261-C2XISM In order to comply with FCC / ISED RF Exposure requirements, this device must be installed to provide at least 20 cm separation from the human body at all times. Afin de se conformer aux exigences dexposition RF FCC / ISED, cet appareil doit tre install pour fournir au moins 20 cm de sparation du corps humain en tout temps. This device complies with Industry Canadas licence-exempt RSSs. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause interference; and
(2) This device must accept any interference, including interference that may cause undesired operation of the device. UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 9 | 45 Le prsent appareil est conforme aux CNR dIndustrie Canada applicables aux appareils radio exempts de licence. Lexploitation est autorise aux deux conditions suivantes :
1) lappareil ne doit pas produire de brouillage;
2) lappareil doit accepter tout brouillage radiolectrique subi, mme si le brouillage est susceptible den compromettre le fonctionnement. UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 10 | 45 5.3 Ground Radio System (GRS) SkyStation All-Weather Network-Ready MicroLink GRS TCP and UDP Power Over Ethernet (POE) connectivity. IP67 grade enclosure. Dual Dipole Antennas Pole Mounting Kit Specification Input Power Size Weight Operating Temp Value POE 13W Peak 122x82x60mm 500 grams
-45 to 70C Interfaces User Protocol TCP or UDP Control Protocol TCP or UDP Position Timing/Position Internal Environmental DO-160G Temperature Cat B2 UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 11 | 45 5.4 Airborne Radio System (ARS) Transparent serial user data interface Plug and play with Ardupilot PixHawk autopilot Dual MMCX antenna connectors Supports NMEA/UBX GPS Sensors such as HERE2 and truFYX USER Interface Timing/Position, Control Interface Pin Type Physical Port Pin Type Physical Port 1 5V 2 RXD 3 TXD 4 RXD 5 PPS 6 GND 5V IN OUT IN IN Telem Telem GPS 1PPS 1 5V 2 RXD 3 UTC 4 RXD 5 TXD 6 GND 5V IN IN IN OUT GPS 1PPS Control Control 5.5 Typical System Configuration UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 12 | 45 SkyStation MicroLink truFYX kit HERE2 kit Ordering Part Numbers UAV-1003057-001 UAV-1002868-001 GPS Options UAV-1002500-001 UAV-1002956-001 Replacement Parts SkyLink Dipole Antenna MMCX 100mm MMCX 200mm GH 6p Cable GH 8p Cable UAV-1003060-001 UAV-1003063-001 UAV-1003063-002 UAV-1003061001 UAV-1003062-001 UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 13 | 45 5.6 Mechanical Specifications ARS UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 14 | 45 GRS UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 15 | 45 6 Configuration 6.1 SkyStation Connect SkyStation to a POE switch or POE power injector. UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 16 | 45 6.2 Connection to the POE Network POE Specifications:
Parameter Standard Maximum power Voltage Range Maximum Current Maximum Cable Resistance Supported Cabling Supported Modes Power Management Maximum Cable Length Value 803.3af (802.3at Type1) 15.4W 37 57V 350mA 20 Shielded Cat 3 and Shielded Cat 5 Mode A (endspan), Mode B (midspan) Power Class 0 100 meters
!
Caution!
Absolute maximum DC voltage +57 V. A higher DC voltage value will permanently damage the equipment!
UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 17 | 45 6.3 SkyStation Start-up and Connection 6.3.1 Apply POE power to the SkyStation At power-up an IP address will be assigned to the SkyStation by the local DHCP server. By default, the SkyStation will start broadcasting the Control Channel information on port 30012. 6.3.2 Run SkyLinkApp.exe SkyLinkApp.exe will be listening for incoming Control UDP data on port 30012. When the data arrives, SkyLinkApp.exe will begin graphing the radio link statistics. NOTE: If you are not seeing the graphing as shown below it is likely your firewall is blocking the broadcast on port 30012. Please setup your firewall to allow SkyLinkApp.exe broadcast access to port 30012. SkyLinkApp.exe will populate the IP address of the SkyStation as noted with the red arrow below. This is the IP address of the SkyStation which is to be used connection a ground control station like Mission Planner. UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 18 | 45 UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 19 | 45 6.3.3 Connect to Mission Planner in TCP mode Download and install Mission Planner from:
http://firmware.ardupilot.org/Tools/MissionPlanner/
http://ardupilot.org/planner/docs/mission-planner-installation.html Verify that the flight controller and SkyStation are powered and running and that SkyLinkApp.exe is receiving data. Run Mission Planner and select the communications drop down menu. Select TCP as the communication mode and hit the Connect button on the upper right-hand corner. UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 20 | 45 Enter the SkyStation IP address as found earlier in SkyLinkApp.exe and click OK. Enter port 30011 which is the SkyStation default TCP port for Mission Planner and click OK. UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 21 | 45 The TCP connection will now take off and you will see the system retrieving parameters as follows for the flight controller. The SkyStation is now in place and ready to host missions. 6.3.4 SkyLinkApp.exe SkyLinkApp.exe is the uAvionix Control channel monitoring application. It is used or showing Status, Maps and Configuration information. It can be connected to the SkyStation in TCP or UCP modes and the ports are configurable for network flexibility. The mode and port selection must match the SkyStation Configuration page setup and the IP address is always the IP address of the SkyStation. UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 22 | 45 There is also a KML logging feature for importation into mapping software. 6.3.5 Status Tab The status data is shown for both the local and the remote radios. It contains both transmit and receive information for the local and remote radios. This information includes memory queue depth information, transmit and receive data rates, frame rates, dropped frames and data totals. It also shows the RSSIs on the primary and secondary radios for both the local and remote radios giving the user comprehensive information on the state of the system. UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 23 | 45 UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 24 | 45 Radio throughput and statistics detail shown below. RSSI detail shown below. 6.3.6 Maps Tab SkyLinkApp.exe has a mapping tab for mapping the local radio SkyStation radio as well as the remote aircraft radio. It includes latitude, longitude, altitude, GPS fix type, Slant Range and SV count. UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 25 | 45 6.3.7 Configuration Tab SkyLinkApp.exe also contains a Configuration page. This page is used for device settings and setup as well as system selecting the hop table scheme for the system. UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 26 | 45 6.3.7.1 ARS Configuration Connect as shown below then run the SkyLinkApp. UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 27 | 45 Select Port and set the App Baud to 115200. On the Configuration Tab:
Default to ISM Hopping Table Save Hop Table to Device o Station Type: Airborne o UTC Pulse Polarity: Positive o User Port Baud Rate: 57600 o GPS Port Baud Rate: 115200 o Control Port Baud Rate: 115200 o Check Frame When Stale o Framer MTU: 240 Save Device Configuration UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 28 | 45 6.3.7.2 GRS Configuration Connect as shown below then run the SkyLinkApp. UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 29 | 45 Select Port and set UDP / TCP as configured. On the Configuration Tab:
Default to ISM Hopping Table Save Hop Table to Device o Station Type: Ground o UTC Pulse Polarity: Positive o User Port Baud Rate: 57600 o GPS Port Baud Rate: 115200 o Control Port Baud Rate: 115200 o Check Frame When Stale o Framer MTU: 240 Save Device Configuration UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 30 | 45 6.4 SkyStation Configuration and Health Webpage SkyLinkApp.exe will give the IP address of the SkyStation. The SkyStation IP address can be also be determined without SkyLinkApp.exe by accessing the local DHCP server and reviewing the connected devices or by using industry accepted network scanning tools. Directions for each DHCP server, router, or network scanning tool differ. Refer to the instruction manual for these devices or tools to help determine the IP address assigned to the SkyStation. The MAC address for each SkyStation can be found on the device housing. The following pages can be viewed in your web browser. Note nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn is the IP address of the SkyStation. SkyStation base URL:
http://nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn/
UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 31 | 45 Displays Health statistics, position and version information. Use to program the target UDP address and Port number. SkyStation status URL:
http://nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn/api/v1/stats Displays the status json sentence/
SkyStation update URL:
http://nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn/update Provides ability to update firmware. The base URL displays configuration items as well as dynamic SkyStation health statistics. The defaults for the User and Control channel connections is shown. All parameters can also be modified to fit your network needs. UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 32 | 45 6.4.1 Configuration Items UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 33 | 45 Configuration Item User Connection Type User UDP IP Address User UDP Port User TCP IP Address User TCP Port Control Connection Type Control UDP IP Address Control UDP Port Description These checkboxes indicate a connection type of UDP or TCP to the SkyStation on the User connection. The default will be TCP for the User connection. The User connection is typically a connection to the aircraft ground station software. When the User Connection Type is UDP, this will be the IP address of the User connection which is typically the ground control software. UDP datagrams will be sent with the IP address specified in this field. The default for this IP address is 255.255.255.255 so the data will be to the broadcast address/
When the User Connection Type is UDP, this will be the port of the User connection which is typically the ground control software. UDP datagrams will be sent with this port specified in this field. The default User UDP port is 30010. When the User Connection Type is TCP, this will be the IP address the User connection will use to connect to the aircraft ground station software. This field will not usually be used and will default to 0.0.0.0 for push receiver mode. The aircraft ground station will normally connect to the SkyStation via the User TCP port. When the User Connection Type is TCP, this will be the port that the TCP server is listening on for incoming connections from the User connection. The User connection is typically connection to the aircraft ground station software and the SkyStation will be a push receiver using this port. The default User TCP port is 30011. These checkboxes indicate a connection type of UDP or TCP to the SkyStation on the Control connection. The default will be TCP for the Control connection. The Control connection is typically a connection to the aircraft ground configuration and health software such as SkyLinkApp.exe When the Control Connection Type is TCP, this will be the IP address of the Control connection which is typically the aircraft ground configuration and health software. UDP datagrams will be sent with the IP address specified in this field. The default for this IP address is 255.255.255.255 so the data will be to the broadcast address. When the Control Connection Type is UDP, this will be the port of the Control connection which is typically the aircraft ground configuration and health software. UDP UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 34 | 45 Configuration Item Control TCP IP Address Control TCP Port Static IP Address Subnet Mask Gateway IP Address DNS Address Reset Factory Defaults Description datagrams will be sent with this port specified in this field. The default for the Control UDP port is 30012 When the User Connection Type is TCP, this will be the IP address the Control connection will use to connect to the aircraft configuration and health ground software. This field will not usually be used and will default to 0.0.0.0 for push receiver mode. The aircraft configuration and health software will normally connect to the SkyStation via the User TCP port. When the Control Connection Type is TCP, this will be the port that the TCP server is listening on for incoming connections from the Control connection. The Control connection is typically connection to the aircraft ground station software and the SkyStation will be a push receiver using this port. The default Control TCP port is 30013. Fixed IP address number of the device which will not change. The network administrator assigns this number. Set this field to 0.0.0.0 to enable DHCP. Mask used to the IP address into network and host address. Address used to send packets out of the local network. This is the IP address of the Domain Name Service. By checking this box and hitting the Update button, all connection types, IP Addresses and ports will be restored to the factory default. This function also performs a system reset. The screenshot above documents what the factory defaults are. When you modify any configuration item, press the Update button to store the changes. These fields are non-volatile and persist through power cycles. 6.4.2 Health The Health section shows some real time statistics updated once every 2 seconds. It will show if we are sending and receiving serial data and at what rates. It shows TCP/IP stack heath and diagnostic data as well as global memory usage data statistics. UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 35 | 45 Statistic User Serial Total KB Received Description This is the total number of bytes received on the User serial channel in Kilobytes UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 36 | 45 This is the current number of bytes per second on the User serial channel This is the total number of TCP bytes received on the User channel when the User Connection type is TCP This is the total number of UDP bytes received on the User channel when the User Connection type is UDP This is the total number of bytes received on the User serial channel in Kilobytes This is the current number of bytes per second on the Control serial channel This is the total number of TCP bytes received on the Control channel This is the total number of UDP bytes received on the Control channel This is the total number of TCP packets received by the TCP/IP stack The number of TCP packets send by the stack The number of TCP packets dropped by the stack Memory free space Memory used space The version of software this SkyStation running. User Serial Byes/s User TCP Bytes Received User UDP Bytes Received Control Serial Total KB Received Control Bytes/s Control TCP Bytes Received Control UDP Bytes Received TCP Received TCP Transmit TCP Drops Free Space Allocated Space Version 6.5 Updater The SkyStation supports software upgrades thru a web-based flashing system. The user will launch the update webpage, select a firmware binary file and press a button to start the update process. The update process is started by launching http://nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn/update Note nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn is the IP address of the SkyStation. UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 37 | 45 Select the SkyStation.uav file to upload by pressing the Choose File button. Press status at the bottom of the page. to start the upgrade process. There will be an update %
UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 38 | 45 When the upgrade is complete you need to press the button to restart the SkyStation. It is recommended that you now power cycle the SkyStation before proceeding. UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 39 | 45 7 Appendix A Quick Start Guide Connect your SkyStation to your command and control network and power it up. Connect the User radio port which is the top port on the radio to the Telemetry 1 port on your Pixhawk2. Connect the Control radio port which is the bottom port on the radio your truFXY GPS. Power on your aircraft flight control system. Launch the SkyLinkApp.exe application available at www.uavionix.com and use it to validate communications as well as retrieve the SkyStation IP address the DHCP server gives the SkyStation for connecting to Mission Planner. UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 40 | 45 UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 41 | 45 Connect Mission Planner to the SkyStation using a TCP connection to the SkyStation IP Address and the default SkyStation TCP port of 30011. UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 42 | 45 Use the IP address of the SkyStation obtained from the SkyLinkApp or from your list of DHCP connected devices. Use the SkyStation default port of 30011. UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 43 | 45 Once connected and all the parameters are downloaded you are ready to plan your mission and fly!
UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 44 | 45 8 Appendix B HERE2 GPS Sharing HERE2 GPS Sharing shown below. UAV-1003064-001 Rev E Page 45 | 45