Introduction
 | Note that the design mentioned is out of date, the MediaTek is switched for an U-Blox platform. The U-Blox design has been through a few revisions already in order to get the best performance. More details will be available upon release. |
The OpenPilot GPS combines the best available GPS engine, a tuned active antenna, customised firmware and PCB to create the best GPS solution available for UAVs
Design
It goes without saying that having a highly accurate and fast-updating GPS unit is an absolute must when it comes to UAVs and this is why we spent a great deal of time evaluating many different units.
The GPS uses a free space-tuned active patch antenna unlike other units which have chosen to go with a cheaper passive antenna. Using an active patch allows reduction in the size and weight of the antenna whilst still offering exceptional performance. Additionally this antenna was selected as it is tuned for environments such as UAVs rather than handheld devices which most other antennas are aimed at.
The OpenPilot GPS runs a customised firmware with multiple enhancements aimed at providing the best possible performance for UAV applications.
The PCB is mounted with a counter-opposed ground plane for greatest efficiency.
Features
- 10Hz Update Rate
- Multi-path detection and compensation
- -165dBm Ultra High Sensitivity
- Backup Battery, each disposable battery lasts for 200+ days in standby
- 66 Channels
- Low Power Consumption without sacrificing performance
- DGPS Support (WAAS/EGNOS/MSAS/GAGAN)
- AGPS Support
- Jamming Detection and Filtering
- 60 MIPs ARM7 core
- Native USB Interface Support (See Datasheet)