Telemetry System

The RC Logger telemetry system continuously monitors a numbers of parameters within the airplane, including voltages, current, temperatures, pressures, speed, altitude, distance and more. These data are recorded in flash memory in the flight hardware and are simultaneously transmitted from the plane to a ground receiver/display unit.

The airborne system is powered by a separately switched, regulated +6.1V supply within the plane. Its operation is enabled/disabled by a channel of the plane's radio control receiver. The onboard data logger stores up to 4 hours of continuous flight data in flash memory. Later, the stored data can be downloaded from the plane to a PC via a USB cable for inspection, plotting, analysis, and permanent storage.

The airborne hardware consists of these five modules:

Data Logger Module

- Stores ~4 hours of flight data in flash memory

- Downloadable via USB to PC

- Contains a RTC for date/time stamping of saved data

GPS Module

- Lat/Lon

- Speed over ground

- Altitude

- Distance and direction from the enable/first-fix location (usually, the take-off location)

Environment Module

- Temperature measurements at 3 locations (inside the fuselage and solar cells at wing's root & tip)

- Atmospheric pressure

- Relative height above ground

- Relative humidity

System Module

- Battery voltage

- Individual cell voltages

- Motor RPM

- Motor or solar current

2.4GHz Telemetry Downlink Transmitter and Antenna

- Transmits all data in real time from instrumentation to a ground receiver/display unit for real time monitoring

Telemetry System Photos

2.4GHz Telemetry Ground Receiver and Display Unit

Back to the Solar Plane Main Page