uAvionix adds LTE, no-drop radio transitioning for its C2 control unit

Aerial navigation safety technology specialist uAvionix is adding LTE support and a new airborne signal manager to its SkyLine Command and Control (C2) Network, allowing drones and other craft to switch from different kinds of radio waves without losing contact.

uAvionix announced its development of LTE support and its addition of the new muLTElink airborne radio manager, which the company said will enable drones to transition during flight between onboard C2 radios like ISM and C-Band. It also permits operators to benefit from the diverse capacities of LTE tech without latency problems or risk of a lost link.

The company said the seamless communications capacity will be particularly critical to beyond visual line-of-sight missions, during which pilots cannot afford even brief periods of ruptured control contact without creating safety concerns.

The new features uAvionix adds to its C2 platform also permit operators a full range of communication options corresponding to the particulars of their mission, craft, and available systems. 

Read: Auterion adds Spleenlab AI to its open-source drone modules 

The company noted that individual radio signals and frequencies have different advantages and disadvantages of their own, depending in part on the geographic location and altitude of craft being flown. Its muLTElink asset will now migrate a drone’s communication between different signals as necessary without gaps during those exchanges.  

As an example, uAvionix said a drone working off LTE may need to switch to C-band or another type of signal if it rises to higher altitudes or travels to areas where the range of coverage weakens or drops.

The new muLTElink/LTE module is available for beta testing by interested clients. uAvionix’s SkyLine C2 tech monitors and records comprehensive in-flight data for drone and other craft operators to ensure and document platform and infrastructure integrity. Customers include North Dakota’s Vantis network and the Choctaw Nation UAS Test Site.